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

the departure

so good to see you again :)

i guess my up kept blog could stay punctual only for so long . . .

in some ways i have put off this update but on the other hand, in truth, we've been too busy to stop to write you even a small recap of the happenings that have been chasing us.

JULY : the departure

i havent even started writing yet and i am already getting emotional.
saying goodbye is never easy; saying goodbye to friends and a life we had been building for almost two years, is the worst.

our departure date from taranto to leave and spend our last month in florence was july 20th. we ended up telling the congregation that we were leaving early, not too far in advance from the actual date itself. this happened for many reasons, but mainly because 1) i had been sick and 2) we were gone a couple of weeks back to back for church camp and to be with our students. anyways, we were all together down about the news. the week before we left there was a big meeting about some of the problems the members have been experiencing for several years, and it ended unexpectedly well with a surprise ending of humility and love that proved again that God is still with that congregation and He is faithful!

in the midst of all of this, we were with anna maria EVERY day our last week in taranto because we love this woman!!! saying goodbye to her was one of the hardest things i have had to do. please continue to pray for God to bless her and send her encouragement. we also filled our time soaking up the goodness of fabrizio and luca.... who you have to meet to understand the meaning of the true joy they possess.  we also stayed together with our students and friends- who in the end were tied a lot closer to us than we initially understood; and finally, when we weren't with any of these, i was with my little laura, who isn't so little anymore.

i am not good at "finishing things", but i wanted to make sure that we "tied up our work" in taranto before we left, and the best way i could understand to do this was by writing letters. we wrote letters to encourage, uplift, and thank all of the people we had met and who had changed our lives while we lived in taranto. the church members, our friends, neighbors, and students. there also were other acquaintances such as the rent lady, our supermarket friends at DOK and A&O, the bread lady, the fruit vendor and her entire family, the people at the art store, the mechanics...there were all of these people of the city whom we also had to hug and bid farewell. ive never felt so heavy as i did in our last days in taranto. it was like everything that was originally foreign, that had finally become normal and good to me, i had to let go.

its hard to recount the emotions we have experienced, even days later its difficult to help you understand what we've witnessed and how our lives are forever changed because of this city and God's plan for us there. i feel bold and yet timid because of the way our eyes have been open, scared that i wont be able to translate the life ive been living to a 9-5 american life... and in many ways, i believe that we wont. i believe that God has shown us so much, has humbled us, and taught us so many things that we cant stop  going forward even if we wanted to. Im not sure what life will look like in the states, but i pray that God will use us as He has here and continue to mold us so that we can better serve Him with our whole hearts.

the people that we met and the experiences (good and bad) that we've endured, have caused our hearts to break over and over again, and each time that we were broken, God came nearer and nearer to us. we arrived at the point to where it become impossible to think that we were doing anything on our own! ha. He was at every corner, in every home, and in every situation. the way He moved and used us in that city was undeniable. experiencing Him and His Spirit in this was something that I have grown to be addicted to...I tell eric all of the time - "I think I am addicted to Jesus Christ." I wish that I could explain to you better the things that He has done, but even after a month of trying to process it, its still difficult for me to explain.

even imagining buying a home or having children, or finding a job.... all of this seems so secondary and difficult to grasp in some ways. we have been on the move for 2 years and this constant moving and learning has become our "normal"...  and the house/kids/car/job is all seen through a new perspective now of "italy" and how we will be able to continue in His service. this experience has been like a seed that has grown on the inside of us, and that has now over taken ourselves... this is the point : following and knowing God is better than any other thing we could ever want or imagine.

back to saying goodbye. . . . the letters were a good way to close this chapter. There were things to say and ways we needed to express ourselves that with the language barrier wouldn't have been possible otherwise. the dreadful day arrived and we had our suitcases packed and the apartment cleaned and in order. we decided to wear one of our many (thanks to our friends) matching taranto tshirts that day. our friends came and told us good bye at the apartment, while basically the entire church proceeded to accompany us to the train station. it was one of those moments that you feel like you are in a dream. you are going through the motions, but the reality of the situation has yet to set in. everyone crowded around us helping us with our 3 huge luggages, eric's guitar, our two backpacks, and my duffel bag (yes REALLY) up to our platform with the train headed for florence. the boys loaded everything up and it was time to say goodbye. we hugged and cried....then we got onto the train and it was like a movie, Laura and Luana got out tissues and passed them out to everyone standing around and they bid us farewell through tears and waving tissues! I think I sobbed on the train for a good half hour or more - and there was a strange looking man who was a few rows behind us who couldnt seem to figure the whole situation out.

this being told.....our emotions have been ranging high to low in this past month- thank you all of you who are praying for us! we have still been in touch with all of the members calling and talking and even starting skype with the brothers, and carmela and laura. We still believe that the time was right for us to leave taranto at this point, however, we are even more convinced that our work in italy is not finished- if anything it has just begun. God has planted so many seeds and laid such a great foundation...its exciting to think about what He will do next.

(((ps part 2 is coming next .... i split the last almost 2 months into 2 separate posts.. . . ))))

((Church Camp 2012))

Carmela, Luana, Madalana, me, Laura and Samanta leaving the station in taranto for church camp!

Samanta, me, Laura, and Luana on the train!

getting ready for breakfast!

morning devo

camp fire

Miriam, Alina, and Laura

Guiliano, Eric, Ryan, Roberto, and Peter

Eric

the girls in my room :) they had SO much fun with their pet rocks!

they also loved taking our daily "hikes" together while the older teens played sports.

Laura and Miriam and the fake lizard that the girls played with all week!

they even made a mini film with the lizard and its vacation. haha.

Gabby in art class.

the water fight!

Guiliano and Eric= hilarious.

Eric, Peter McGraw, Peter Bell, and Ryan

the talent show where the american boys were the Village people. 

Eric and Donatello's little boys' arm-pit "old Mc Donald" song! 

Laura and Luana

Eric and his boys

me and Laura

((((next are pictues of the church members in our last days in Taranto))))

Me, Mino, and Eric

we went and hung out with Mino for a day in Brindisi.

One of the days we spent with anna maria was her brother bruno's birthday!!

Fabry, Luca, and Eric

we went to the park with Laura <3 p="p">

eric played soccer with the boys :)

Luana, Laura, and Samanta holding signs that say "we love you guys!"

our last friday night the members surprised us with an evening together!

the taranto congregation.

our cake! italy to ohio! 

they also got us a book about taranto!

Adele, Ninetta, Enza, Carmela, me, and Zia Tina

Enza, Eric, and me

Eric and Andrea

Laura and me our last sunday together.

Fabrizio, Eric, and Luca

Fabry, me, Eric, and Luca at our favorite beach in taranto.

(((the last pictures are of some of our friends from Taranto)))

celebrating our other friend Luca's birthday!

Luca and Antonella

Francesco, Federica, Luca, and Antonella

me and Antonella

all of us together :)

the men

Eric, Antonello, and Francesco

thank you for all of your prayers during this time of transition. please also continue to pray for the good news to be spread here in italy and for the body of believers to be strengthened! we love you!! xoxoxox