Ciao Dicembre e Boun Anno Tutti!

2011??  Its hard to believe that December is gone and already we have started a new year.
Christmas time around Firenze is beautiful! The streets are strung with lights and there are Christmas trees everywhere =)

Downtown Firenze.

Sant Croce Christmas Market!

Really cool wreaths!

Fur anyone?

Love these hats!

Downtown Christmas Tree!

Lights!

Me and Eric at the top of Giotto's Bell Tower!

This is Simona and her husband. Simone was one of our teacher's at Lorenzo Di Medici. One Friday night she had us all over for dinner and Italian Pictionary!  =)

The month of December here at the Bible School was different in many ways from the first three. We graduated from Lorenzo Di Medici and finished our three month course of Italiano. It was a feeling of accomplishment but also a realization that we are now on own! ha! However, now that school is finished,  it is nice to have some extra time to reflect and to get focused for the upcoming year and the upcoming changes.

One such change, Eric and I have made the final decision to move and work down south in Taranto! The church there is very happy to have us come and work with them- and we can't wait to begin! The main out reach is still teaching English using the Bible. However, they specifically asked us to focus on the youth. They even mentioned the goal of some how getting our program integrated into the school system there. We are very excited about all of this. I feel like living in the Bible School has been good practice and prepartion for this work. The only thing we're not excited about- is leaving our students =(. When we first signed up for Avanti, our plan has always been to leave Firenze in order to aid another city. What we didnt consider, was the relationships we would build while in Firenze with our students. Before we left the States, so many people told us what wonderful friendships we would soon be making- ones that would change us and ones we would never forget- and they were right.

The thing that I am learning is this: we are all people an each of us in search of something greater. The people here speak a different language, but their concerns, for the most part, are the same. God is moving steadily in our life here together, and being in the presence of God is always moving. It is so neat to watch God work in the lives of our students. They really want to know and understand what the Word says and this is so encouraging to me. God is everywhere. Anyways, please always keep our students in your prayers!

So our plan is to head south in February. The sooner the better because the longer we can commit to a place, the more help we can give them. Also, another blessing, the church has found us a nice furnished apt that is within walking distance to the church! Please keep our move in your prayers. Taranto is very different from Firenze, so we have alot to learn!

What else?

After the first couple of weeks in December, we finished classes with our students for the semester and began a two week vaction period. All of us were coming and going at different times. Angela and Andrea went back to the states for Christmas and stayed about a month. Also, David, Debbie, Emily, and Erminita went back to the states for Christmas and stayed 3-4 weeks. While they were gone Danielle and Luli came to house sit and watch Zoe in David and Debbie's apt. It was so wonderful to have them here with us! They are so great! Danielle is a past Avanti worker, who now lives in Italy with her husband Luli. They attend and help with the work at the church in Florence. David returned from his travels just last week, and the others will be back by the end of this week. As for the rest of us. Eric and I, as well as the other married couple, traveled around (separately) for the last two weeks of December. Peter stayed in Florence and for New Years, visited the church in Milan.

While Peter was in Milan, Rosa invited the rest of us over to her house for New Year's lunch! Obviously everything she made was perfect. We stayed all afternoon and visited with her and her husband Felice (which by the way in Italian means "happy" ).

Rosa's Apetizers. YUM.

Rosa's husband and their pet bird!

....yes this was funny. ha!

Me, Rosa, and Eric.

This coming week, everyone will be coming home and things will start to go back to "normal".  Eric and I are starting our classes early (this week!)  due to our upcoming departure to Taranto, and we cant wait to see our students! Hope all is well with you! We miss all of you and are so grateful for all of your love and support! I promise not to wait too long before the next post=)