Another two weeks have flown by!
Later that evening finally met up with Loredana and her husband Francesco. if you remember, Loredana is the friend of my student and friend Renata in Florence. We have been trying to meet up again since we arrived back from the states in July. Of course we had camp and the unexpected trip to Rome, so we have been staying a little busy. Anyways, this time, we decided to ask the brothers, Luca and Fabrizio, if they wanted to join us! We all met at the pizzera called Airport in Grotaglie where Loredana and Francesco live. It was so nice to see them again! they are such a sweet couple and we are quickly becoming close friends. We probably stayed and talked at the restaurant for three hours! Which sounds crazy to us Americans, but here, its just the way of life. Afterwards, we enjoyed a stroll around the city and even got to see Loredana and Francesco's new house! They have been visiting Tuscany this past week, so we hopefully we will meet up with them again next week.
Sara, Silvanno, and Anna Maria (the new family), Franco, Eric, Luca, Andrea, Mino, Enza, Laura, Carmela, and Enzo
We started off Thursday with our last lunch with Anna Maria until September when she returns back from the mountains. In the mean time, a little before Rome and a little bit after, we crunched in some time to do some translating. . .
While I was in America, my dad and I got up early one Saturday morning to do some Garage Sale shopping (our favorite activity together :), and at the first one, Dad points to this stack of blue cased DVDs and asked the couple what they were. Come to find out, they were the first 20 DVDs of the Nooma series! They only asked $5 for the whole set of 20! talk about a bargain! ha.
Here in Taranto, Eric and I have been trying to think of new ways to get the church to become more unified. Some sort of get together outside of Sunday morning service, but also something where we could have the opportunity to have discussions about life, Christianity, challenges....etc. Finding these DVDs has been such a blessing.
It took us a good 8 hours to do all of the translating and to create and insert Italian subtitles for the first 10 minute long video. If youre not familiar with the Nooma series, each DVD is 10-15 min long. Each one discusses a different topic and presents the viewer with opportunities to respond to the ideas represented in the video. Basically, the videos challenge Chrisitians to examine what it means to be a Christian living in the society we live in today, now. Why do we do the things that we do? Who are we listening to? What does the Bible say? What did Jesus say and do? How did he live while He was here?
The videos are specifically useful in our work here in southern italy, because it the videos are thought provoking and challenging. Italy as a whole runs very much on tradition. Tradition in the home, in the workplace, in society, and in religion. Traditions arent always bad, but we believe as Christians, we have to be careful to understand who we are in Christ, what we believe, and what that belief in Jesus compels us to do. We are trying to help the members to gain a better understanding of why they call themselves Christians and what exactly that means today in the city, work, school, church, home, and world that surrounds us today.
We were a little apprehensive, wondering who would come..or if they would come, when to our surprise the entire church (minus the elderly ladies) came! Including three of the teens and a new family who are friends with Franco and Enza! It was great. The video went smoothly (Luca helped us alot by overlooking our work to make sure everything was in correct translation.Thank you Luca!) and was followed by a great discussion afterwards =) For snacks, I made peanut butter cookies (a new thing for them!) and a homemade punch that our family makes for every Christmas and new years. As I expected, they were a little hesitant on the punch (Italians like everything separate. This is why they have 6 course meals, bc everything has to have its own plate. This to say, they dont like when things are mixed together. ..I didnt tell them until after they drank it that it included sprite, lemon soda, juice and lemon sherbet.) at first, but after they tasted it, they really liked it! Anyways, the first night went great and we were very encouraged by the start of this new outreach.
Me and Katia
Afterwards, we, Mino, Andrea, and the brothers, met Andrea and Katia for pizza!
Andrea, Eric, Mino, Luca, and Andrea
Later, we took a stroll around Taranto and enjoyed some gelato and time together =)
All together =)
Andrea and Katia; Me and Eric
What a fun night!
Luca, Laura, and Carmela
Saturday morning, we made plans to take a small ferry across the sea and spend the day at the island called St Pietro with the Riccardi family!
Me and Laura being silly!
Passing the Old Town as we went.
Eric and Marco
Ilva
We were obviously not super excited about getting into these waters, as the island is directly across from Ilva...however, the famliy was very excited for us to join them and we were very happy to get to spend some time together with them (any time we get to do things with the members is an opportunity to grow closer together)...we just tried not to dip in the water too many times...=/
Arriving at St Pietro!
It really was a neat place. The shade of the tall trees against the sun shining on the waters. Its really such a shame that Ilva has to destruct so many things in Taranto..air, water, jobs, health... Honestly, it really could be a very beautiful city with lots of things to offer. You cant help but really feel for this city and the people living here.
The beach was small but pretty. We really liked that you could turn in your ID in exchange for an umbrella and really nice beach chairs! It also was nice that they had little picnic areas for lunch as well as a coffee bar. When we took a walk around the island, we also found a small basketball court, a sand volleyball court, and a huge soccer field. We also discovered that St Pietro is also a military marine base.
Brothers Marco and Luca
Me and Laura
Carmela, Eric, Laura, and me
Returning back to Taranto after a day at sea!
The next morning, after services, we ate lunch with Franco and Enza and their family. Afterwards, we met up with the brothers and Andrea to have dinner at the their house and watch a movie together. It had been a long time since we had visited their house and it was nice to be together. We even learned how to play a new card game with Napoleon cards! I just want to say how thankful we are for Fabrizio and Luca. They are the glue of the church here in Taranto and we are so thankful for their loving and generous spirits. I wish I could describe what hard working and loving Christians they are. They are always thinking about others and their example is shining bright in this city. Its hard to imagine that even 7 months ago, we didnt know them!
Monday we were lucky to basically have the day to get organized and time to work on preparing the next Nooma video. Tuesday I had my first class with another new student Sara. Sara is the 16 yr old daughter of the new family who came to our apartment with Franco and Enza for the first Nooma video. She is a sweet girl and speaks english very well. I was surprised at the questions she was asking in regards to English grammar etc. I had to stop and consider the correct response! ha. Her family is catholic and she said that they go sometimes to church. She is intellectual, likes to read, and wants to go to school up near Milan, to be a pediatrician someday. She also said that she had never read the Bible, so I am excited to study together with her. Its always such an interesting and a great learning experience to study with someone for their first time. There are always new perspectives and interesting points of view. Of course, it is always also beautiful, almost magical, to watch as they read and discover the love God has for us.
Sack Lunch
Wednesday we did something different.
As you know, every first Sunday of the month, we eat lunch with Franco and Anna Maria and their family in Latiano- about a 45 min drive from Taranto. Every time we go, we take the main highway directly from here to there. On the way, i cant help but notice is a small dirt road that runs parallel to the highway. This road is visible from the highway. Lined up along this road are prostitutes. The first time i saw them, I was taken aback. Im really not sure that I had ever seen a prostitute in my live, really ever, let alone 8, 9, 10 of them, in broad day light on the side of a busy highway.
I couldnt shake the idea, that who they are, what they are, seems like is just accepted as truth. As if, they were unlucky. Dealt a bad hand, and thats it. thats life. I understand that we are Americans. That we have this sense that is born in us to want to change the world, to change and overcome, to pull ourselves up and make a life. As hard as I tried, for the 6 months that we have been here, I couldnt quit thinking about them.
Finally, one day about a week and a half ago, while still thinking about them, and wondering, what in the world can we contribute to this?? I thought about Jesus. What he did on this earth with us fallen, sinful people. He loved us. He served people. Then we thought what about something as small as a sack lunch? We got really excited about the idea and asked the brothers if they would want to help us with this.
We picked last Wednesday around noon to leave Taranto in search of these women. It was exciting doing something that we would have never approached in America. When we finally located them, we pulled off the main highway onto the dirt road and held our breath as to what we would soon be confronted with. All of the women were African women. Each one had a cell phone, sat in a white plastic chair, with a face full of makeup. Some wore pany hose for bottoms and bikini top for a blouse. Approaching the first two, we stayed in the car, and the women were on my side, so I rolled the window down and called out that we had lunch. The first woman was actually probably more of a girl, I would guess 18, and seemed unaffected by the gesture. However, the next six behaved differently. I wanted to look them in the eyes. I wanted to see them I guess. I dont know. They had a confused look on their face, and after handing them the lunches they looked quietly back at me and said thank you.
We could see them once we got back on the highway, and I looked back to see them opening and eating their sandwiches and drinking their waters. I know it wasnt a grand thing, but to us, it was. To be exposed to that type of life, right in front of our faces, was humbling to say the least. It was a strange sensation bc on one hand I felt overjoyed that we were forcing ourselves outside of our zone, doing something like Jesus did- feeding people, loving "sinners." But then my heart was broke bc I felt so torn for them. If they wanted to, could they really even escape from this? What could we do to help? The last girl we saw was no older than 16 years old. All alone, on a pile of trash, waiting for someone to pick her up. How is this acceptable? Why is it accepted?
There were three side roads that we ended up finding. On each road we noticed an SUV with an italian looking person behind the wheel, parked off the side of the side road, and they were watching. At first, we didnt really take the time to think about who or what they were. It wasnt until afterwards when thinking back on it that we realized that they were probably their pimps..or in Italian "Protector" -some protector. I realized this how big this twisted thing was. They women were African, the Protectors italian...the women as far as I know could be in some type of slave trade. It could be tied into the maffia. All sorts of things we didnt consider at first. What is most puzzling is that this is allowed to happen. Im sure it does in America too; Ive just never been exposed to this, and its shocking and heart breaking. Please pray about this situation. For these women.
We also taped the verses Matthew 11:28-30 around the sandwiches.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Laura and Carmela
That evening, we met Carmela and Laura under our apartment at 5pm to walk into down town. Eric's student Jon Michele owns several art galleries within the Puligia region and is in the know concerning upcoming community events etc. Last week he told Eric that every Wednesday night from 6pm until midnight, the community of Taranto is opening the old city up to the public in hopes of reuniting the old city and the new. We hardly ever venture into the old town, 1 bc it is an hour walk from our apartment, and 2 bc its a little unsafe for us to go in alone. This is part of the reason that Jon said the community is trying this avenue to bring people into the city. So much of it has been abandoned, and the people across the bridge who live on the "new side" of the city, have no reason or desire to venture into the "old side." It was a really nice evening. Shops were open, art, and music, and lots of people filled the streets.
Above reads: "Taranto clean, is more beautiful."
We found many of these signs throughout the city as we walked that night. It seems they are trying to encourage a cleaner community. We also saw new trash cans with similar signs posted above them.
This is Carmela's aunt who does lots of things with us. She has been very fun to get to know :)
This is the Duomo of Taranto. The inside is packed full of rose and green marble. Absolutely beautiful.
Still waking through the city. We have walked through the city a few tims before, but seeing it at night time was a different experience. It felt like we were on some type of movie set. It was astounding how many of the buildings were abandonded. We even saw a few buildings and one church that had been closed off from the outside. Someone had cemented up the doors and windows so that no one can enter in again. Isnt that wild? Again, it was another humbling experience to see how the people lived. I dont think we realize how truly fortunate we are in America, or at least I didnt.
A sign about Ilva that says,"The Smoke Kills."
Inhabitants of the old city.
One of the open art galleries we found!
This lady sat perfectly still and allowed me to take her photo!
We exchanged a smile and a wave goodbye.
Fabrizio, Simone, and Luca
Look who we found! The night was a lot of fun exploring the Old city together.
Anna Maria and Silvanno
The next morning I got up early and baked over 100 chocolate chip cookies! no joke. It was funny bc sometime before I got started Franco called me while he was working with Anna Maria. He said Anna Maria had something to ask me, and he passed the phone to her. When she picked up she asked, "Are you making more of those cookies tonight?" haha. The evening went wonderfully again. Everyone came and we really enjoyed each others company. We started probably around 6:30 and everyone stayed until almost 10pm! . . . and there were only 2 cookies were left!
Franco Ricciardi
Sara, me, Francesco, and Anna Maria
Francesco is the son. At first he was a little shy, but by the end of the night Francesco was warming up to us. I even got a kiss on the cheek and two big hugs! :)
This was Francesco saying No to pictures. :)
Me and Carmela on the balcony out front, right before the rain hit.
Saturday Eric and I enjoyed our first day of rest since we got back from America. After over two months of running from one city to the next, we decided it was time to have one day to ourselves. It was much needed. We slept in, took a nap, Eric looked up some newly translated church songs, and I even painted a picture! I think I would relate what we do here to a doctor on call. We try our best to always available, anytime for the people here in Taranto. However, with this type of work, it is necessary sometimes to take a day to rest. . .
Sunday, Eric and I both did something new and a little scary. Eric prepared and gave his first sermon in Italian. He worked really hard on it and he did such a great job! I am so proud of him! I, on the other hand, prepared lunch for three Italians: Fabrizio, Luca, and their mom Adele! You may be thinking that this is not that big of a deal, but for me it is! They are pretty particular here in Italy about their food and how to prepare their meals, so I was intimidated to say the least. Anyways, I did it!
Later that evening we traveled with Fabrizio, Luca, and Andrea to the city of Grottaglie. Grottaglie is becoming one of my favorite cities here in Puglia. It is really quiet and picturesque. There are so many little marble alleys that lead all around the city. Not to mention the amazing ceramics that the city is famous for.
Jon Michele and Eric
Eric's student Jon Michele who told us about the Wednesday nights in Taranto, had another gallery opening Sunday night in Grottaglie and invited us to come! There were lots of people and we could tell Jon was really excited :)
The gallery itself was really structurally interesting. It was like a marble cave mixed with a mini cathedral, and modernized.
The entire show was "recycled" art- meaning all the art there was made by recycled things. Bracelets made of plastic spoons, lamps made of gasoline bottles, paintings on old dresser drawers....basically lots of cool stuff.
There was an upstairs room as well that was all jewlery.
Outside were all sorts of hors d'œuvres, including fried egg plant, italian cheeses, biscotti, and mini
tomatoes.
I didnt know this until the week before last when we were in Grottaglie with Loredana and Francesco, that Grottaglie is also known for its street art like the one pictured above.
I particularly like this artisit. He/she has a few works like the one above that we have found in Grottaglie.
Sunday night, I received a text from Angela asking if we would want to meet her and Arnold for lunch Monday in Taranto! They were taking the ferry from Greece to Bari and were wanting to drive and meet up with us. They were making their way back up to Florence and though they would stop by.
What a great surprise!
Arnold, Angela, and me
They were only able to stay for the afternoon, but it was really great to see them. I prepared Fettucini Marsale for lunch and afterwards we toured the old city and of course ate some gelato:) It is always wonderful and such a great recharge to get to have visitors!
Continue to keep us and the work here in Taranto in your prayers. Thank you for all of your love and support! We miss all of you at home but Lord willing, we will be back in the states in December. We will keep you posted on this, as we are in the process of trying to plan. . . and find some cheap tickets.
