complete unity. . . a piece of heaven

commencing part 2.

arriving in florence.

we immediately got started on helping with the reconstruction of the school. basically, there was  A LOT to be done. after almost two months of working hard we have:

laid new tile in the living room and stripped the walls of the living room and plastered basically the entire room. . . . 

put in a new septic tank

the italian boys mixed cement

while eric and peter made a new side walk that runs all around the school

peter bell

cooking and cleaning 

kelli and me taking out the trash

looking at it as a list like this it doesnt seem to give justice to the work we have been doing! ha. also, in the midst of us working the woodroof daughters came for a visit. on one of their outtings, they decided to take a vespa ride around one of the hill top cities of tuscany; this did not end well. . . debbie (the director david's wife) had a minor accident and has been recovering now for about a month. she broke a small bone close to her ankle and was beaten up pretty badly because of her fall. please keep her in your prayers as she recovers and tries to stay encouraged.

debbie was in charge of cooking ..this obviously left a gap to be filled.... so, Kelli and I decided to take on the kitchen challenge together! we cooked lunch for 15-20 people every day, something i certainly never could have done before life in italy! we made pasta, cooked hamburgers, chicken, vegetables... in many ways, despite myself, i am willing to admit that i am becoming a bit domestic, and am enjoying it. anyways, we all had our jobs to do and we all worked really hard..sometimes even into the late evening hours. we had to put a halt on the job however because the weekend of the 19th of august, the teens of all over italy arrived for the youth retreat at the bible school!

Peter McGraw, Mino, Eric, and Peter Bell

first day of the youth retreat! 

Andrea, Viktor, Joele, Giacomo, Peter Bell, and Mino

the highlight of our time here in florence for this past month and a half, has been spending time with Viktor, Joele, and Giacomo. They have been staying and helping at the Bible school even before Eric and I arrived back in July. They are such great christian boys! the best part is that they are best friends. hearing them laugh and joke between themselves has been such a joy to all of us. Eric and I truly feel as if we have gained 3 new brothers this month! They are also very encouraging to us because of their faith. did you know that in all of italy there are only about 50 churches? here the teens really have to commit to stick together and we have seen this in these boys. their example of love, joy, and commitment to the Lord is contagious. they are the future of italy. we feel so blessed and humbled to have had this opportunity to know them now in the beginnings of their walk. the bond that they share gives us hope and when we see them together, we are encouraged for the future of italy. those of you who are praying, pray for these boys!!! 

Mino 

Peter, Giacomo, and Eric...boys being boys ;)

The theme of the weekend retreat was "Im Second." I know this theme hit the states because there was a book if im remembering right along with bracelets etc... basically the idea is just that- we are second. the retreat was based on service. the first night we helped feed the hungry at the train station and the second day, we went and visited at a nursing home right here in scandicci.

we started our afternoon together by singing some songs to them and they loved it! im pretty certain the teens had a good time as well :)

the folks.

after singing we just sat and visited with the people there. we met some really interesting and sweet people. we also spoke with the nuns who volunteered there and they were very interested in the work here with the avanti program. 

Joele and Giacomo/best friends.

the last day, eric and i took the kids into town while the others helped prep for the all-family-retreat that would be at the harding villa later that evening.

Joele, Giacomo, and Eric

Francesca, Andrea, and me

. . . on the new tram-via

Milena and Mino 

Martina and Milena lost in the market 

francesca, laura, marta, milena, martina, mino, andrea, giacomo , and eric

take a good look, here is the future of italy!!!! 

'

franco verardi teaching

that evening we arrived to the villa to find our brothers and sisters from all over italy! what a wonderful feeling!!! not too much later we started with the evening lesson, before a small break, and supper.

Eric and Joele

Guiliano, Franco, and Tony

(Guiliano is the dad of Giacomo and Franco is Mino's dad)

we got to know Guiliano better at church camp this year, and even more this time at the retreat! he has a great sense of humor, and always has a smile on his face.. at the same time he was a very humble man- which is not common in italy. we cant wait to come back and visit with him and his family! in fact, we had such a hard time saying goodbye that the boys have organized a trip to visit him and his brother and their families one last time this friday.... 

meet the women

Anna, Anna Maria, and Rosana

(((Anna is Giacomo's mother, Anna Maria the mother of Mino, and Rosanna is Joele's mom)))

These women are fantastic. i actually had never met giacomo's mom until this week, but i already feel like i have known her for a long time. just an overall loving and "close knit" family. obviously i have known anna maria from our time together in puglia and let me just say that she is a wonderful mother and wife. Rosana i first got to know when we stayed at her house last year with Mino and Luca. we went to surprise joele for his 18th bday. she is such a strong woman.... it was really really difficult knowing that i wont be seeing these women for awhile. pray that God continues to strengthen and bless them abundantly.

enjoying dinner together:)

night games- when it was finally cool enough to play.

look at all these kids!!!

practicing for the talent show.

Eric, Joele, and Mino

the Romans.

the best- Anna and Giuliano.

Peter Bell, Ryan, and Giacomo

Vivianna and Tonia

sweet girlies- Francesca, me, and Laura

me, Andrea, and Melissa

the girls.

the men from all over italy- sorrento, catania, rome, and brescia.

the american and the italian melissa.

this retreat was such a blessing to every one of us. now that time has passed i am beginning to be able to actually mourn for taranto. looking through all of the pictures and still feeling so close to all of them while knowing we are about to cross over the seas is a heartbreaking reality that leaves me very much torn on the inside.  at first, we were still so much in "go mode" of tying up all of our loose ends in taranto and then transferring to do the work at the bible school, that i didnt have time to really process the events that have unfolded in these past months. now that it is coming to a close, i almost feel a sense of panic.  this emotion however as been competing with another newer and even stronger one ----- joy. i mentioned above about how the boys being here this month has been such a blessing to all of us. again i cant adequately explain the love we have for each other, other than to call it our christian brotherly love. 

the last night of the family retreat, one of the florence members pulled us avanti workers up front and announced our departure and talked about the work that we have been doing during our stay in italia. he closed with the song "Finche ancor ci Rivedremo " which reminds me personally of the song "when we all get to heaven." the song music wise is different (actually i know we have this song in english, but i cant remember the name of it)  but the idea is the same. of course this only encouraged the outflow of tears from all of us italians and americans alike. i have never ever experienced anything like that night. lately ive been reading and re-reading Jesus' prayer in john 17. i find it interesting that all of the things he could have prayed...it is recorded that he prayed for this "complete unity." for some time now i have been reading this chapter-trying to soak it in and really understand what he was saying. that night at the villa surrounded by so many italian brothers and sisters, I got it. this was it. even against the language and the culture, we were one in His Spirit. ive never felt this way before about my christian family, and experiencing that moment of intense unity and love, i understand why Jesus prayed for this. this is what its about! in that moment i felt like i really could just burst from the joy and love that was flowing in and around me. i believe that what we experienced that night really was a small taste of heaven. 

again, i wish i could explain to you better the things that i am describing because i know the way i am explaining it is completely inadequate. all i know is that we have experience the Spirit at work among us and i am addicted to following and proclaiming this message of Jesus Christ. "Its his love that compels us." 

the morning after that amazing night eric and i left on the train to meet with our students from taranto! they had been vacationing in germany and austria and were working their way back down to southern italy. so we decided to meet for a day in a small town just an hour outside of florence called "cortona." eric and i were already on cloud 9 from the night before, and add on getting to see our students again = another fabulous day.

Cortona

Antonella and me

Luca, Antonella, and Eric

Antonella, Luca, me, and Eric

Luca and Eric

we have only been away from taranto for a month and a half and we have already got to see our friends again!! :) please continue to pray for antonella and luca as well. we hope to organize our next visit together stateside:)

returning from this visit, the next day eric and i took another day trip out to a town called Assisi and returned to the Bible school late that same night. the next day, our ears heard nothing but good news! the boys, were originally supposed to leave the school to return back to rome (and andrea to taranto) right after the family retreat. however saying goodbye was so terrible that they decided to stay until we leave for america on the 6th of sept!!! not only this, but the boys who are ages 19, 20, and 21, have decided to search for jobs while staying here at the bible school in florence!!  simone, a member of the church in florence contacted joele and found him a job! now he is searching for one also for andrea from taranto. and....giacomo will be taking an entrance test to the university of florence on sept 5th! this is such a big deal. finding work in italy is very difficult. also, the fact the the boys will all be in florence together is monumental for their faith. the christian teens are few here in italy- so this opportunity to stay and be together could be life changing for them!! PRAISE GOD. we are all on fire here about all of this good news. the spirit is certainly at work and we are so thankful for all of these many blessings! continue to pray for these boys to continue to grow stronger and stronger in their faith! we cannot wait to see what God has in store for these young men!!

tomorrow we will officially have one week left in italy. please pray for us, but even more please continue to pray for italy and for the work that God is doing here. Thank you all for your support, prayers, and love that has protected our hearts during this work. we are forever changed in our hearts and minds and we are grateful to each of you for the ways you have partnered with us in this work. we love you! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo 

"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:22-23