Not an April Fools' Joke

Monday night the church in Padova (half an hour away) hosted a concert by Chorale Harmonie, an acappella group from Marseilles! They sang in both French and English, and it was a very uplifting evening. Several of the French songs also exist in English, but not Italian, so it had been many months since I heard them, so that was a nice surprise!

In case you heard about the landslide, caused by a burst irrigation pipe, that derailed a train in northern Italy Monday morning, killing nine people... that was about two and a half hours north of me.

This morning I had another random encounter with a faraway friend! While I was in the market getting fruit, I saw a girl from Sicily (the complete opposite end of the country, an island no less, and a good fifteen or so hours away) who was here on a high school field trip, just like the other teens from camp I encountered last month!

Then in one of my English lessons this afternoon, I got to talk to a customer service representative at a bank in England, attempting to sort out some address confusion on behalf of one of my students. Never a dull moment.

This afternoon I changed out the display in the church window! Begonia had the idea from an e-mail she'd seen with a Bible on a plate, symbolizing how "man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3b), so I found a couple verses and made a little 3D exhibit. The timing and theme of the display is somewhat ironic, since on Saturday the Ghanaians are having a day of prayer and fasting up at the church building. Here are a couple pictures, with some lovely street scenes reflected in the glass:

"I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread." ~Job 23:12b

My last post was long enough without including my latest apartment adventure, so I will close today with my April Fools' tale. At 11:30 p.m. on April 1, my electricity went out! At first I wasn't too concerned, since I was leaving town the next day, and I would have plenty of daylight to pack, since I never have to turn on my lights til dusk anyway. Then a few implications dawned on me: 1) No refrigeration. Hence a mass exodus of all my cold food to the fridge/freezer at the church building. 2) No heating during the night. 3) Ice cold mountain water shower in the morning. Having dealt with these minor inconveniences, I mentioned the problem to my landlords on my way to the train station, not knowing whether I'd have electricity upon my return from the youth retreat. To avoid the risk of burning down the whole building, I had left the power completely off, since there had been a suspicious burning smell when the electricity went out and when I had tried in vain to re-set it. Returning home Monday evening, I was delighted to find that my lights worked and noticed that a new breaker had been installed. On my way home from reclaiming my food from my surrogate fridge, I ran into my landlord, who told me that it had been repaired the day before. Props to my landlords on getting something of this magnitude accomplished on Easter, since Italy pretty much shuts down on holidays. [For example, on Easter Monday, my ladies' Bible study group leader was unable to find an open gas station.] Mission: Let there be light, 2.0 -- accomplished! And I live above a lamp store...

That's Bologna!

This weekend I went to Bologna for the second annual Easter weekend youth retreat! The Bologna church has been hosting an Easter Monday conference for all ages for thirty years, and last year they added the Saturday/Sunday portion dedicated to ages 17-33. I enjoyed meeting new people and seeing friends from the far north to the deep south and in between. About thirty young people were in attendance (not all of them made it into the picture).

The themes were "Choosing a Christian or non-Christian Partner," "How to Preserve Your Body Before and During Your Engagement," and "The Difference Between Infatuation and Love." Having an opportunity to reflect on these important but not often discussed topics was an invaluable experience for these young people. Suffice it to say I learned more about the Italian Christian mentality in these three days than I had in any comparable amount of time, as I listened to the at-times contentious debates (particularly about the first topic). It was a good practicum in loving people, most of with whom I have theological (not to mention cultural) differences.

Between the keynote speakers and discussions, we had joyous times of fellowship. Those of us coming from out of town were hospitably welcomed into the homes of church members. I stayed in Chinatown with a family who has two daughters, one a month older than me and one a few years younger. Sunday afternoon we walked around the center of Bologna, and I very narrowly escaped having my Easter Sunday lunch at McDonald's, the restaurant of choice of the group. I and a half dozen other rebels went across the street for some delightful calzones :)

the sisters in my host family!

Despite having spent several months in Italy during the last three years, this year I have felt more than ever the philosophical divides between Italy and America. In these two wonderful countries I feel that I have two homes, which also means that sometimes I cannot be completely at home in either. I have come to better understand the truth of Norwegian novelist Johan Bojer in "The Emigrants":

"If you came back, you wanted to leave again.

If you went away, you longed to come back.

Wherever you were, you could hear the call of the homeland,

like the note of a herdsman's horn far away in the hills.

You had one home out there and one over here,

and yet you were an alien in both places.

Your true abiding place was the vision of something very far off,

and your soul like the waves, always restless and forever in motion."

Last Tuesday the women's Bible study on the army base had a special program day: a traditional Passover Seder meal! A Messianic Jewish chaplain lead us through the Hebrew songs and accompanying Scripture readings, and we partook of unleavenened bread, very bitter herbs, kharoset (an apple/walnut/honey/cinnamon mixture), etc.

I love how the Italian word for Easter, Pasqua, also is the word for Passover. Though we remember Jesus' sacrifice for our salvation throughout the year, this Easter/Passover linguistic confluence is an extra reminder at this time of year how "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (I Corinthians 5:7). Jesus' resurrection has so many implications, and the empty tomb is the starting point of Christianity. In his discussion of the resurrection in I Corinthians 15, Paul outlines a chain reaction of ramifications: "For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead" (verses 16-20a)!

This hope of resurrection and eternity reminds us of our true citizenship. Amidst the hall of fame of faith in Hebrews 11 are these beautiful words (verses 13-16a):

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one."

and the walls came tumbling down...

Sunday was my first agape (potluck) in Vicenza! The Italians and Ghanaians had a combined worship service, part in Italian and part in Twi, with some singing also in English. Then we enjoyed a smorgasbord of food and fellowship. The agape happened to fall the day before the 43rd anniversary of a couple from church, so we celebrated with song and tiramisu.

The children wanted to present a skit at the end of the agape, so for the last couple weeks we've been preparing to re-enact the story of the fall of the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6), which the kids selected since they had already constructed the Ark of the Covenant. The "city" consisted of songbooks set up in a circle like dominoes, which effectively contributed to the general clamor at the end of the scene when the warriors shouted to bring down the walls.

They had lots of fun getting into costume!

the priests sounding the trumpets

the procession around Jericho

The children did such a great job! Then the parents wanted them to demonstrate some of the English they have been learning, so we sang "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "Father Abraham." I'm so proud of my kids for both their skit and spontaneous English presentation :)

For the last two Thursday nights, our Bible study has migrated to the apartment of a couple who lives next door to the church building, as the man is in poor health and unable to get out much. This 8:30 study usually finishes around 10 p.m. but is always quite lively, with discussions of the passage of the night, stories of life in Italy in years past, and two or three people speaking simultaneously in a combination of Italian and the Veneto dialect. It's neat to get to visit church members in their homes, especially when they are not able to get out due to chronic or temporary health concerns. Begonia and I have also been to visit a lady from church who recently had foot surgery; her recovery is going well, and hopefully she will be able to walk on it soon!

I just found out that the 18-year-old younger brother of one of my English students in Florence passed away due to a heart attack while playing soccer. Please keep the De Vita family in your prayers!!

Oh, how many feet you meet!

Jesus instructed His followers to spread the Gospel "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8b). From Jerusalem, to these surrounding regions, to the rest of the world, the message has steadily advanced, resulting in believers in all corners of the globe. Increasingly, these corners no longer seem so distant, as chance encounters among Christians yield incredible stories.

These past two Sundays, our church has been blessed to have a couple visiting from Canada, who previously lived in Houston, are originally from El Salvador, and were on vacation in Italy. When they arrived, they met Begonia, who is from Peru and just so happens to have a cousin in Canada (not one of the smaller countries in the world). She mentioned this, and the man knew who her cousin was before she even told him her name, as they attend the same congregation!

The second Sunday that the El Salvadorian-Canadians were in town, a retired Italian couple from church, who always invites a group over for Sunday lunch, extended their hospitality to these visitors, Begonia, another church member from Colombia, and me. Everyone but the hosts spoke Spanish, everyone but the two out-of-town guests spoke Italian, and almost half of us spoke English. We had a delightful meal, and it was incredible to think of how God had brought us all to the same table from so many different countries, and with such an improbable story of a mutual cousin/friend living far away from her homeland!

Additional highlights from the past two weeks:

-In another episode of "it's-a-small-world-after-all," one Friday afternoon while waiting at an unusual bus stop, I saw three teens from last summer's camp who live in Aprilia (six hours away, near Rome) and were in town on a school field trip!

- I attended the birthday party of a now-seven-year-old boy from church! I have learned that when I leave my house Sunday morning (or even Saturday), I never know at what hour I will return home, nor what delightful fellowship may transpire in the intervening hours. On this particular Sunday, I found out about the birthday celebration after church, went home with the family for lunch, and then helped with party preparations: I was entrusted with the task of making all the finger sandwiches. Eighty-eight of them. Eventually assorted cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends arrived to consume the goodies. With such a gathering of amusing little children and extended family, hilarious moments were inevitably numerous. After these festivities, I went to a Chinese restaurant and the theatre with a family from church, their German exchange student, and their daughter's Chinese classmate.

- I have now been inside the Olympic Theatre located right next to my apartment! This Sunday, due to an annual race/walk, all cars were prohibited from entering town. In an effort to encourage people to still get out and about, all museums were free!



- I am delighted to report that Italian children appreciate Dr. Seuss! Or at least the ones in my class listened with rapt attention to the jovial rhymes and tongue-twisters. Hence the title of this post, a quote from The Foot Book. Next up: One fish two fish red fish blue fish! Here are photos from the last two weeks of English class:

The four friends lowering a paralytic through the roof so that Jesus can heal him (Mark 2)

Even the wind and the waves obey Jesus! Jesus calms a storm (Mark 4)

Per un Tempo Come Questo

The women's retreat this weekend was an incredible time of fellowship and study! About sixty ladies from around Italy attended, and I loved reconnecting with friends whom I had not seen in months and meeting new people as well. We delved into the book of Esther, with the theme "Per un Tempo Come Questo," or "For Such a Time as This." Our time together included four keynote speakers; worship times with beautiful singing; various games and activities, including a re-enactment of the whole book of Esther, in which we all participated; and small group sessions to discuss the concepts of beauty, joy, faith, courage, obedience, and patience. We made wonderful memories and all left encouraged and refreshed!

The retreat was held up in the mountains outside Florence, and on Sunday we all journeyed into town for a worship service at the Florence church, followed by a potluck. While I was in town, I was also able to pick up my permesso di soggiorno card!

I cannot believe I have been back in Italy for two months already! Especially since it has been snowing all day, it's hard to believe it's the middle of March. I am really looking forward to the other retreats, camps, and events in upcoming months!

If you would like to see more pictures of the women's retreat, Verona, or Vicenza and the children I'm teaching, I have now uploaded albums on facebook! If you do not have facebook and would like to see the photos, let me know, and I can send you the links where you may view them. Thank you for your continued prayers for the work here!

"But encourage one another daily,

as long as it is called Today..."

Hebrews 3:13

What light through yonder window breaks?

The repertoire of English games for my children's class has multiplied in recent weeks! Yesterday included a lively round of duck duck goose, and the kids also wanted to play telephone. "Elephant" was the only word to make it through the line unscathed. To practice giving directions (go straight, turn left, turn right, stop), we created a maze using a significant portion of the chairs, in conjunction with the story of Jesus' parents searching all over Jerusalem for him while he was in the temple. Another big hit was the application of heart tattoos (courtesy of Mardel's, via a Valentine's package from my mother), as Jesus recruited followers to spread the message of God's love.


In order to be able to properly act out the story of the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines, the Sunday School class this morning entailed a discussion of the ark and its contents and the beginning of the construction of the various pieces. With a combination of items from my recycling bin, the park, and the church, we are well on our way to having a veritable ark!

the golden jar of manna and Aaron's staff that budded

decorating the Ten Commandments

My first overnight guest came to stay with me this weekend! Studying abroad with Pepperdine University in Florence, she knows my relatives who live in California (in the town where my family also lived for a few years), and I know her relatives in Oklahoma. I am constantly amazed at how small the world is! One afternoon we spent a few hours in Verona, less than an hour away, and that town is now probably one of my three favorites in Italy!

Verona: the Arena, the third largest Roman amphitheatre in Italy

a sampling of the beautiful, colorful architecture

Verona is the setting of Romeo and Juliet; here is Juliet's balcony

In mid-February, the weather here in Vicenza began getting warmer! Who ever thought I would be excited about 50-degree temperatures? I am eagerly anticipating the full arrival of spring. In other exciting news, I finally have internet set up in my apartment!

Home sweet home

My schedule now has additional weekly activities! Last week two new adults began studying English with me, and I have now met with each of them twice. One is the wife of my first student. The other is the son of the Russian housecleaner of a family from church; I had met her while I was staying with that family.

Also, I have begun attending a Tuesday morning women’s Bible study on the military base with my American friend Angy (at whose home I watched the Super Bowl!). Last week was a special program day, as a guest speaker from Germany challenged and comforted us with what it means to be a daughter of the King. This week was the regular small group time for the six different studies that started in January. My group is studying the book of Job; our group leader actually wrote the Bible study, and we are the first to use this material. I’m looking forward to having this encouraging time of in-depth study and fellowship each week!

As requested, here are some pictures of the inside of my apartment. The apartment was already furnished, the previous missionaries left me great kitchen and other household items, and a couple families at church are lending me some stuff, so I’m all set! God has certainly provided.

the entryway \ hallway

kitchen

bathroom

bedroom

one side of the living room

the other side of the living room

bookshelves and the fuzzy green wardrobe :)


"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19