Back in the swing of things.

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and we are His; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter is gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."  Psalm 100

We hope this beautiful fall weather is a treat to all of you as it is for us! After a long hot summer, we are so thankful to start the semester off with a crisp chill in the air!

Saturday September 12th, we officially kicked off our semester with a "back to school" party of sorts. we had a great turn out . . .  as always :D it was wonderful to see so many of our students!!!

Since Morgan left to return to the states, we are one worker short. this meant refiguring the "normal" work week. Before this semester, we taught monday-wednesday, on thursdays did various visitations and went to the church in Florence in the evenings, and had parties and other activites on friday. we have changed our teaching schedule to monday-thursday. This meant we could up our student capacity to 15 - 20 students per AI worker. you may not find those numbers very impressive, but you would be wrong ;) preparation is key in our classes. we are teaching english, but we are more importantly teaching the Word. this takes time and a lot of organization bc we cater to each individual student- in reference not only to their english level, but also their interest/knowledge of the Bible. in addition to our individual classes, we also have a few group classes.

the  K I D S

in the pictures above, the kids were split into 3 teams. each team was a color. each team had to fill in the blanks of the english words written on their color index card, and then using yarn and masking tape, had to find the correlating italian word and connect them. 

 as any teacher would tell you, even though its my highlight of the week, the kids class takes A  LOT of planning ;) however, its A L W A Y S  worth it! this summer, i was discipled and wrote out a Unit on the life of King David for this semester and it is really going well! its a difficult to balance teaching the kids english and the Bible simultaneously for several reasons, but mainly bc they are limited on vocab. so learning a story is a little challenging. What i decided to try this semester is to really break down the stories. Each week, we learn a small part of the life of King David - 10 sentences to be exact. i highlight new vocab and try also to repeat vocab week to week to get the words to stick. then we play a game that correlates with the story of the week. 

Federica, Ginevra, and Ilaria

Its always a joy to watch them soak up the stories and the english. they are so smart! its also absolutley true that children can learn languages 100 x faster and easier than adults. they amaze me every week! my prayer is that these kids will continue to be a part of the Bible School as they grow, so that they will continue to be met with opportunity after opportunity to know Christ. We would love for you to join us in prayer for them:

Carlotta, Federica, Ginevra, Ilaria, Federico, Michela, Mirko, Aurelio, Mattia, Mattidle. 

in addition to this class, this week i received a phone call asking about the possibility of starting another kids class on wednesdays! ... as we always say, the possibilities are endless. Praise Him!

T H U R S D A Y S   in   F L O R E N C E

The new schedule is flowing nicely. eric and i kept our thursday evenings open in order to continue our group classes at the church building in florence. we have an advanced class of about 5 students and my beginner/int class has 4. i also have one individual student that meets with me before our group class. she has been a sweet blessing to me. the students that come thursday nights are very interested in the Scripture. they tell us time and time again that they love coming to read with us. they talk about the peace that they have discovered since studying the Word. this is so rewarding and uplifting to hear! its moments like these that we are humbled to be in His presence, witnessing Him work in the lives around us. 

What do we study? last semester, we completed a LST book of Luke. This semester, we are begining another LST booklet on the Good News. This one includes various passages from the NT, centered on the Good News and our response to it. eric's class is reading Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. every night he talks about what interesting conversations they have as a class. again if you havent yet, READ IT. Please keep these specific students/ classes in your prayers.

R O S A

One week after we started back our classes at the school, Rosa's daughter Angela invited us to her country house for an evening of dinner and games all together! Of course the food was delicious, but the company was even better. 

W H A T   E L S E ?!

meet Andrea.

Andrea is our Christian brother here in Scandicci. He comes regularly to our Monday night Bible Studies at the School. By trade, he is an artist! one evening, he was a part of a workshop in Florence that was giving free demonstrations. We were happy to come and finally see Andrea in action! Above he is demonstrating how to do "fresco" painting! 

Eric and his student Samuele.

Meet Eric's student Samuele. One evening he and his wife invited us to their home for dinner! we had a wonderful time and are already planning our next get together :)

L e t ' s   S t a r t   T a l k i n g. LST.

Eric, Barbara, and Ladelle

also in this new semester, we have had the privilege of hosting 2  LST teams. Barbara and Ladelle were our first team to arrive. They landed in Florence the Sunday after our kick off party at the school. we very much enjoyed having them with us! Ladelle had already been on several LST missions- to the Ukraine, Thialand, Mexico, Brazil... its amazing how God will use each of us if we are willing. 

Giuseppe, Raffaele, Anita, and John

Following Ladelle and Barbara were John and Anita. they also stayed for 2 weeks and held individual classes . We are thankful for visits like these that refresh our Spirits. Above is one of our Monday night studies that is still going strong and growing. please continue to pray for these efforts.

Raffaele and Eric

Raffaele has quickly become part of our family here at the Bible School! He has been a joy to get to know and we so are thankful for his friendship!

Giuseppe, Anita, and Clara 

Before John and Anita left, they had a small fall party at the school with their students. they planned some great get-to-know each other games and their students had a blast. Afterwards we ate some appetizers and chatted together well into the evening. its a blessing to be together with these italians and to have the opportunity to be share so many moments together. the Spirit is at work here in this place!

Kathy, Fe fe, and me

Speaking of the Spirit.  . . we also had a sister from china and her friend come and stay with us at the school for a few days! Fe fe heard the Good News through the China Now program in Beijing. her church currently has 100 members!! isnt that amazing?! it was through one of her friends that she found out about the Bible school. One day she called eric and we organized to have her and her friend come and stay with us while they were vacationing in Tuscany. Even though we didnt get to talk with them a whole lot,  meeting a new sister is always uplifting. 

S U N D A Y

Sunday together with Sandra and her family in Vecchiano.

Just last Sunday Eric,  Raffaele, Jodi, and I all went to worship with Sandra and her family at her home in Vecchiano. Afterwards we ate and spent the afternoon together. As you can see it was a beautiful sunny day.  Eric led a wonderful lesson on following the Spirit and it was a joy to spend the afternoon together. I feel like a broken record, but we are truly blessed by so many who surround us here at the school and the work that has been given to us. 

Minnie wanted both of the new toys. . . . ;)

Next Wednesday we are heading down to Puglia to help Rosa pick her olives! We also will be visiting with our beloveds from taranto! Cant wait to fill you in again next time!

Thank you for all of your love and support. 

xoxox

E and J

F L O R E N C E youth retreat 2015

Hello all!

its been a jolly good start to the semester here at the Bible school! things are flowing nicely. before i go into the fall, i'll jump back and recap the florence summer youth retreat!

L I G H T   T H E   F I R E and keep it lit
Florence Youth Retreat 2015

they're herrreeeeeeeee :)

The kids arrived on a thursday afternoon. In total, we had 25 teens in attendance - all the way from the top of Italy in Vicenza, down to island of Sicily. Unfortunately, we had to put a limit on the number of kids due to the available space at the school. however, it worked out perfectly! This year, we also asked a couple of    i t a l i a n s    to come and help with the retreat. (this wasnt exactly an easy task, but hopefully as years continue, we will have more involvement. We are so thankful for each one that helped us this year! it would not have been a success without them!) Not only were they acting as "chaperones", but also as role models for the teens. its important that we as the foreigners purposefully involve the existing italian christians. it was good for the teens to have an italian with them throughout the retreat because they were able to see the adults they know- of their culture- in a different environment and have the opportunity to share the experience of the retreat together.

Months before the retreat, we worked together with one of the kids in Sicily named Fabio. We had several skype dates and FB messages to keep up the communication. One of the things that was important to us was having a schedule. i cant emphasize enough, how well the schedule worked to enhance the weekend! there was a good mix of study, group study, activity, dining, sharing, relax, and reflection. 

Eric, Viktor, Joelle, Fabio, Jodi, and Sara

Joelle leading the first evening study.

the theme that Fabio wanted to use was "Light the Fire and Keep it Lit." throughout the weekend, we asked various teens to lead the morning and evening studies. Before the retreat, each teen was given a sub-topic relating to the theme so that they could prepare-- they did a   f a n t a s t i c   job!

Beatrice, Diane, Laura, Tiziana, Ariel, and Cristina

it was great to see our girlies from camp again so soon!

Francesca, Beatrice, Anna, and Gaia

Besides the morning and evening studies, we also separated the boys and girls and had small groups before lunch and before bed each night. This was uplifting and encouraging for several reasons, but mainly bc it gave the teens the opportunity to discuss! they felt more free to talk about their questions/ struggles/ desires in the small group setting.  i am very grateful for each of these kids and feel honored to have the opportunity to share and grow our faith together. 

our last evening small group study with the girls was so encouraging. i wish we could see them all together like that more often! please keep these kids in your prayers! 

city life.

Friday night, we took our Bible study into the city of Florence. While switching buses with 25 teenagers was a bit courageous on our part, it at least provided us with a good laugh. we switched buses three times that evening in order to get from the center of Florence up to the hillside church where we wanted to have our devo. its very rare to encounter a ticket checker on the buses here in florence, but guess who met them on every bus that evening?! it was comical trying to show them all of our tickets and point out the 25 teens that were with us on a jam packed bus... but we did it! haha  

once we finally reached the top of San Minato, we got out our songbooks and sang together.  it was so peaceful singing, studying, and enjoying our time together. 

The hillside church San Miniato, my favorite in all of Florence.

making our way back down into Florence. this time, we choose to go on foot :)

esmerelda and me and our delicious panini!

on the way back, we took the kids to a local panino place. the bottega has great fresh local meats and veges for your choosing and the best part, its anything you want for only 5 euro! 

relaxing at the Villa.

After our morning studies on Saturday, we took sack lunches to the near by park to play soccer and walk around the lake. the only problem was that the soccer field was closed :( change of plans led us to the Harding university here in scandicci. some played basketball, some relaxed, some went for a walk, and some of us of course played ticket to ride ;) thank you harding for your hospitality!

Ariel and Gaia 

Afterwards, we returned to the school and got cleaned up for dinner.

Enjoying each other's company.

The last night called for a BBQ!

Marina, Esmerelda, Jodi, and Cristina

Marina is our sister from Milano! She comes down from time to time to visit with us and we are always so happy when she does! 

Dennis and Eric after the BBQ.

David leading the last Bible Study of the retreat.

The last evening is always the most  p r e c i o u s  of any event. wouldnt you agree? 

after church camp, i had mixed emotions about the future for the youth in italy. it seemed very lukewarm, low energy, and just. . . .  foggy. i am more than happy to say that those emotions are just that- emotions. teens need consistency. they need role models and brothers and sisters to encourage them. i mean dont we all to a certain extent? there was a lot of chaos that lead up to this retreat, and it was difficult to discern at the time if this was the work of the enemy, but now, 2 months later, i can say with certainty that it was. 

what went on during this weekend retreat was sheer edification, fellowship, and much needed encouragement. the scripture isnt without cause when it says  to "not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing." just as Jesus prayed in john 17, we must strive to be one, as He and the Father are one. this includes all of us doing our part to be available to one another. helping one another. being kind and gracious, willing to serve and seek out ways to support one another. the youth of today is growing up in a very sticky upside down society. im convinced we must strive to encourage them to seek and to study, if we dont teach them the love of Christ, the world will ( is already trying to ) teach them otherwise. 

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. " 1 Peter 2:9

Sunday morning Fabio led his first sermon. Excellent job Fabio! 

please keep all of these teens in your prayers, especailly those who have yet to commit to Christ. 

pray for us also to encourage to them and to lead by His loving example. 

"Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:23-26

the guys . . . . 

and the girls.

Thank you to all of you who are praying for this work! as always, we are beyond blessed to watch Christ work in the lives of so many around us as He simultaneously works in ours.

xoxo 

E and J

ps. Avanti Italia is now on Instagram! we are happy for you to follow and catch a glimpse of daily life here at the Bible School.

  @AVANTIITALIA 

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For , “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And,“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. " Hebrews 10:19-39

church camp and convegni PART2

. . . picking up where we left off...

right after church camp, a heat wave hit florence.. .  and in the middle of it, we decided to finally patch up our apartment walls and ceilings-- sure, maybe not the best timing, but around here, you have to use the time when you get it!

long story short, i learned that i prefer dry wall to cement walls!

 if you havent ever dealt with stucco walls count yourself fortunate! haha maybe most of you already know, but with concrete walls, when cracks appear, you must fix them by smoothing on stucco. after applying the stucco, you must wait 24 hrs for said stucco to dry. Next in the process, is sanding the stucco down until it is flush with the wall. then you must wipe down the walls with water to clear from the dust that is everywhere, paint on the primer, . . . . . and then you are finally ok to paint! This certainly was a long and physically demanding process when its just the 2 of you, but it was equally worth all of the effort. Our apartment finally feels a little like home. Hopefully all of this work will not be a benefit only to us, but also to whoever comes after us. 

Eric and I always try to consider how what we do, especially relating specifically to the school itself, will benefit whoever come after us. Its important that we remember that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. 

Poor minnie!

all of this work took about 1 month to complete- we were able to patch up everything except the kitchen and our bedroom.  ( the kitchen needs more than what we can physically do ourselves ) during all of this, the dogs would follow us from room to room, im sure trying to figure out what in the world was going on! and because the whole place was a mess, at the end of every night, the dogs were covered in the white dust from the stucco! poor babies! 

While we were working on our apartment, the 4 workers worked on 2 other bedrooms upstairs. 

Miles patching up and repainting the second girls dorm room.

David and Meredith putting together the new armoir for the boys second bedroom.

After all the painting was complete, we finished up by replacing the old armoirs with new ones from IKEA. where would we be without you IKEA?!

to recap, so far, we have completed 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms (with the exception of new windows that we really need the funding for- it would be especially helpful if we could replace at least the back windows before winter to prevent the mold and moisture of growing and destroying all of our hard work). please email eric about this.

We are projecting to hopefully finish the upstairs with the help of a couple of groups that are coming summer 2016. Mainly the girls and boys large dorm rooms and hallways. please join us in prayer about our efforts to take care of this school that God has blessed us with. 

S T U D E N T S / studies / and friends

our monday night study is going so well! over the summer, we were few in number due to vacations and various obligations of the italians, but we still kept meeting together. Even though the group wasnt complete many of the studies, we still were being strengthened by the Spirit. He has made a beautiful bond between us and we are overjoyed and grateful for this. Monday night is quickly becoming our favorite night of the week! . . . since starting back the semester, we are growing in number. . .  it is a very exciting time :)

Giuseppe, Eric, and Esmeralda

Also during the summer, we began playing the game called "Ticket to Ride." After the Bible study, we would eat something small, and then play the game together.  its a fun game that still allows one to socialize while playing. it may sound a little silly, but this time together has really brought us together as a group! we have continued our dining and playing even into this new semester! 

W H A T   E L S E ? ? ?

A little highlight of our summer memories.

During the summer, we celebrated David's birthday by going to a Florentine soccer match as a team!

We were able to see sandra and her family often.  One of those evening together eric, Jodi, and i went to meet them near their house at the beaches in Pisa. after walking along the shore, they asked if we wanted to see the wild boars! i was obviously confused! but we followed along as they walked us down a boardwalk and we arrived at a restaurant. they said, just wait and watch, they will come. i thought maybe this was a joke seeing as how wild boars are both  W I L D  and dangerous! but on the contrary, there they were! it was night time, but as we waited, we saw them poke in and out of the bushes looking for bread that others had left them! i was stunned as this was all taking place 5 yards from a restaurant!!! (in the collage, the boar is pictured in the second small dark picture drom the left!)

Also pictured are the beautiful Dolomite mountains. To escape the hot temperatures, our sister from Taranto, Anna Maria, travels to this region every summer for the month of august. ( a 12 drive from Taranto ) we havent seen our Taranto family for such a long time, that we decided to go and visit Anna Maria in the mountains! we could only stay one night, but it was a blessing to get to see her and enjoy her company.

Another night, I received a txt from our sister in Pistoia asking if we wanted to come to the baptisim of her friend Vicenzo! Without hesitation Eric, Jodi, and I said YES! please keep our new brother in your prayers as well!

. . . .a few more memories :)

We also spent time with our students, out for dinner, a walk downtown, chit chatting together- it was all precious time enjoyed together. Andrea Masini is pictured in the previous collage with the wild boars, as well as the one above. he is our brother from Florence, and we make regular visits to brighten his day :) recently we are getting to know his wife a little better as well. Please keep them in your prayers. You also see a small red picture of me with two of the teen christian girlies- Beatrice and Laura. They were traveling through florence and Jodi and i were thrilled to be able to spend a day with them! 

The new Library.

Lastly, We want to show you what we worked on in the library. After cleaning it out when we first arrived a year ago, we found a couple of folders and shoe boxes with the most amazing photos. The photos were from when the school first began back in the late 60's as a Bible school for italian christians. we loved going through the photos! we decided that the history of the school should be displayed for all to see and appreciate! we started with this wall in the library and hope to continue in this effort as we take care of and update the rest of the school. 

looking through the pictures and articles, i was greatly encouraged by the efforts of so many others who have came before us to do this same work.. . all for the glory of the Lord. Just as i was saying above, its important to remember that the work we are a part of here at the school is something much bigger than ourselves. something orchestrated by the Holy God whom we serve. we are so so so grateful to be in His service.

can you find Minnie?

believe it or not, there is a Part 3! Part 3 Florence Youth Retreat is coming  S  O  O  N ! i cant wait to tell you about all of the ways we were blessed by these kids.

Love you all! 

xoxo

E and J

church camp and convegni PART1

ciaoooo tutti!

JUMPING IN

classes officially start back this coming week. while the summer semester brings different opportunities to travel and with different churches and partake in "convengi" ( italian word for "retreats" ) , i for one am ready to jump back into the swing of things here at the school!

picking up where we left off, immediately after returning from the states, we were on the road again . . .  this time to church camp!

C H U R C H  C A M P

church camp is held just outside of a small town called "Ascoli" near rome. the camp is held high up on a twisting mountain in a remote village named "meschia". Meschia is so small there isnt even a stop light. . .  just to paint the picture. We are surrounded  by woods, stars, and wild boars alike.

in years past, they have separated the kids according to age and facilitated 2 weeks of camp. this year, it was all ages combined. however, reflecting on what we have been noticing in the other retreats, attendance was low this year- barely 50 in attendance. . .and remember, this is a church camp for the entire country. definitely a different reality than to what most of us relate our church camp experiences.

i'll be very honest and say we were all disappointed with camp this year. its difficult to see the "gray" in the youth. personally, as previously stated, i believe a lot of this to be due to the society in which we live today. the new age philosophies, post modernism glorification of man, and.... technology. yep, technology. the kids are grappling trying to live among all of this.  its hard for them. a lot of times, they feel alone. they love God. they believe, but they feel so different and alone at times. so when they come to these retreats, they are excited, and at the same time, im noticing that its confusing for them. in a world where everything is compartmentalized, its difficult for them to embrace following Christ fully - not an uncommon problem for any of us in one way or another if we're completely honest with ourselves. 

its hard for any teen to understand being in the world but not of it, but especially if you are the only teen in your church, town, city, school, group of friends ... its disheartening bc we as Americans are beyond blessed, even if you think that you arent, in comparison with the rest of the world, we are - even if only by the virtue of being an American. one of the girls told me that she often imagined what it would be like to grow up in America- a big church, a big group of christian friends...but then she concluded by saying that she is now grateful that she wasnt born there. In italy, its a challenge for her to grow in her faith and to believe, and she's grateful for the struggle! how beautiful is that? 

Jodi and I volunteered to be the counselors for the teen girls ages 13-17.

the girls were great. as for me, being the adult isnt always fun, but its certainly always rewarding. i know i can say this also on the behalf of jodi, that we feel blessed to have spent the week with these young women. they are all different and unique, each with her own gifts and struggles, each loved deeply by our heavenly Father. sometimes in this work, a person can loose oneself, sometimes in ways that feel devastating, but then are times, when the goodness of the Father is almost too much to bear. When i think about the privilege we have to be in His service and to witness Him work tirelessly for the good in the lives of so many, i sit back and am overwhelmed. Our Father knows each of us deeply for who we are, for who He created us to be. He knows our strengths, our weaknesses, our fears, our dreams, bc He made us! to realize that He allows me to witness Him work in others as He simultaneously works inside of me is    b r e a t h t a k i n g   . im confident that He is at work in these girls, and its exciting to think about what the years ahead will bring.

while the age gap is obvious between jodi and me and the girls, it was fun to be let in our their music tastes and chit chats in the room during rest time :) one of our deeper talks lead to the modesty topic. this was interesting. we quickly learned that it is viewed as a "culture" issue, not a Biblical one here in italy. this was of course shocking at first. we gathered our marbles and began to talk with them about why it isnt a cultural issue. we talked about our bodies as living temples, self respect, boys, fashion, and future husbands. it was a little premature- they were still a little confused but they were listening. it was a good opportunity to have deeper talks with the girls and jodi and i were thankful for that!

S T U D Y 

Eric with Beatrice and Anna in the "boat". 

Each morning, the day would start off with singing and a small devo.

Another morning with David leading the devo.

Afterwards, the kids were split into different Bible classes. 

Anna, Dyan, and Laura 

David and Goliath

towards the end of the week, each class put on a skit that they had been working on all week. 

another one of my favs - The Good Samaritan

S P O R T S

In the afternoons, a lot of time was spent on sports.

Eric, Guiliano, Jeff,  and Miles helped orchestrate the sports and activities. .. we even built and brought our own corn hole games!  :)

While the older kids played sports, i soaked up some time with the little ones making bracelets, giggling, and talking about life ;)

A R T S and C R A F T S

materials used: shaving cream, food coloring, and card stock paper  = original hand dyed paper.

Jodi and i were also in charge of the arts and crafts, and it was no joke! the kids worked really hard and we made a lot of cool crafts! many thanks pinterest!

Modge podged tissue paper balloons made into lanterns!

looms, dyed paper, and wreath.

not pictured-we also made 3 tie blankets that we plan to take to the nursing home later this fall!

 L A T E  N I G H T  H I K E

Jodi and me and the girls! 

Every year, we all take a late night hike up the mountain. We stop at a grassy spot where we enjoy a devo while gazing up at the beautiful stars. 

all together :)

didnt our lanterns turn out good? eric and i brought back glow bracelets and passed them out to the campers before the walk. they also served as lights inside our lanterns!

"So we, who are many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another."

Romans 5:12

This was the devo for that evening on the hillside. 

Marie and Minnie

church camp was a very unique experience. . .  but our Florence retreat that followed blew all of our expectations way out of the water! i hope to get part 2 of this post up before classes start on monday!

God bless each of you wherever you are and in whatever work you are doing for him!

xoxox

E and J