This weekend Avanti hosted a weekend retreat for italain teens.
Eric, Marco, Andrea, Luca, Lindsey, and Daniela.
Ermenita, Marta, Sarah, and Vitoria.
Laura, Angella, and Andrea.
Back Row: Daniela, Debbie, Marta, Sarah, Lindsey, Vittoria, and Angela.
Front Row: me, Andrea, Emily, and Laura.
kyle, ryan, Luca, Allen, Eric, Marco, David, and Robbie is in front.
The group arrived around 7ish.Two of the girls were sisters: Marta and Vitoria. Both are in college, are in their early twenties, speak very good italian,and live in Napoli. The youngest was bella Daniela. She is originally from Romania but she and her family moved to Italy about 6 years go. She is only 15 and speaks: Russian, Romanian, Italian, and a little bit of English. wow is right. She was very intelligent (as well as all of the italians that came.) two boys also attended: Marco and Luca. Luca is 26 and Marco, only 18. Both have very very good english. Along with Daniela, Marco is a new christian! He was baptized last summer at camp. Daniela became a chirstian only one month ago! their enthusiasm was contagious! Just last night Daniela was showing me her favorite Bible verse mark 16:16- "Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, and whoever is not will be condemed." It was so encouraging when she was speaking. So bright eyed. The verse is a simple one and it was obvious that her faith was set. It was almost as if she was telling me the good news! benessimo!!
Eric, Daniela, and Andrea.
The first night after our cookout, we played charades. Boys versus girls. it was a blast. after this we had a short devo and broke for the night around 11:30p. after this some of us played the card game nerts. i had never heard of it but it was so much fun! it was similar to the concept of the card game spoons. Other practiced singing and playing the guitare. Eric and Ryan both play and brought their guitares from the states and there is also a guitare here at the Scuola, so we had three to work with. Daniela is also a very talented singer. So she and Andrea learned new songs that Eric and Ryan were playing on the guitare. Eric taught Marco some lessons on the guitare as well. we ended the night around 1 am...the night went well =)
On the autobus!
Enjoying Gelato!
In front of the Duomo!
The next day we, the AI workers got up early to help make an American breakfast for the italianos- bacon and pancakes! Im not too sure they really knew how to eat and enjoy this! ha. I saw Luca eating his pancake rolled up with peach jam in the middle. ha. we also had caffe americano. the italians explained to us that our coffee is like for babies! we were asking if it was strange to them for us to order cafe latte as opposed to their espresso...and tthey explained that it would mean that we could not hold our coffee strong like they could! we all had a good laugh. the espresso is a big deal in italy. with almost every meal- and also in between- you are asked...espresso?? what we call coffee shops, they call the "bar." it is much smaller and is literally a bar where you order your espresso, stand for a couple of min maybe and down the espress in only a few drinks. and it is strong! i myself am still dumping in the zuccharo (sugar) and dropping in some latte (milk) when no one is looking. this reminds me of the other day when we stopped for espresso after buying our insurance and getting established in scandicci. Eric wanted to order caffe latte, but mistakingly only order il latte. Allora (so) he was brought a cup of steamed milk! he tried to drink it but then david figured out what had happened and the man at the bar happily brought eric a caffe latte!
Eric and Marco.
Daniela and me!
Daniela and Marta.
Allora, after breakfast we had a short devo about how one;s life is forever changed after one meets God. Then we traveled into firenze to enjoy the city. we walked around for some time, seeing he Duomo and getting gelato. Then made our way from the center of Firenze, across the arno, and up the hill to the Piazza di Michelangelo! This is one of the most beauiftul spots in Firenze. Debbie had packed us a panini pranza (a sandwich lunch) to enjoy! after this we had espresso, and headed back to the Scuola. That evening we split into groups and translated In Christ alone from English to Italiano. We then enjoyed a wonderful dinner prepared by Rosa...Lasagne! Not only did she obvioulsy make the sauce and the bechamela- but also she made the noodles by hand!!! wow. wow. wow. it was fabulous! I had three servings! and even ate my plate!! (on accident- a was trying to cut the lasagne on the plastic plate- ha! ) We finished and had desert and then sang our new italiano song that we had just translated. Bene Bene! hopefully i wil get it recorded for you to hear soon. The evening ended with some games and fellowship.
Laura and Debbie.
Ermenita, Emily, and Lindsey.
View from the Piazza di Michelangelo.
On another note, i have been fighting a cold since we arrived and it worsened this weekend. By this morning i could not function. i unfortunatley had to stay home and after drinking some italian thera flu i slept until eric called at 1p. The medicine certainy helped, but i am still under the weather. but i am thinkinking healthy! ha. Anyways, from what Eric told me, after church the group went and enjoyed lunch together and then visited Firenze some more and of course got another gelato!
Today is the group's last day and we will miss them! They have been so sweet and encouraging to all of us-especially the new christians. Their desire and joy was refreshing to say the least. It was so fun getting to know them and building freindships, even in such a short time together. We hope to visit Marta dn Vittoria in Napoli soon and Daniela has invited Eric and I to her ballet recital next june!
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