the beginning: an brief update

hello!!

i need to apologize for not having posted much of anything in the past while. i've been preparing to make the move to italy and i'm finally here. i got here eight days ago and have been busy busy busy.

three weeks before that, we had training for the avanti program in searcy and it was one of the most concentrated, intense, intentional spiritual experiences i think i've ever had. we were challenged in so many ways by the men and women who taught us and were stretched to the point where we were exhausted at the end. but despite being wiped out, i walked away feeling encouraged and way more prepared for the mission field. i know there is a lot to be learned through experience.. that not everything can be taught.. but we were really provoked to consider things we'd never thought of before and strengthened in many ways. and being able to do that with some of my closest friends was even more of a blessing.

i had a week between training and actually leaving for italy to see people and pack. after spending a night at home, where my friends threw a surprise party for me, i spent a few days in o'fallon with travis and his parents and little sis. it was absolutely wonderful to get to be around them. i love those wisely people so much. then trav and i went back to b-town to get all my things packed and to spend time with my family before i left. i have such a wonderful family that i think would support me through anything i ever chose to do. we had a couple of delicious meals together and one beautiful prayer together in nashville before i headed through security at BNA.

all my flights went off without a hitch and i finally arrived in firenze. the woodroofs were there to pick me up and take me to the Bible School (La Scuola Biblica di Firenze) to freshen up before we went up the hill to the HUF villa for the last big meal of the convegno (retreat) that had been going on in Florence that week. i would be lying if i said i wasn't greatly encouraged by the people i met that evening. at the end, after having eaten, visited and had the "talent show" we all stood in a [huge] circle and sang "Ti Amo Con L'amor Di Gesu" [I Love You With The Love Of The Lord] to each other, looking one another in the eye. it is such a wonderful feeling knowing that you share the same faith with the people around you, but even more so when you don't even speak the same language. how awesome our God is!!!

the week to follow since then has been, in some ways, intense because we've had to do a lot of housekeeping things, like filing our permessi di soggiorno, registering for language school and learning the ins and outs of the Bible School, not to mention learning how things work in italy. but all in all it has been wonderful so far. i have, for the most part, settled in to my room here and am looking forward to language school starting tomorrow.

even though it has been hard to have much study time since i arrived, i have managed to get into the word a little bit, along with picking up Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel. there are a few points i have found to be rather profound that i would like to share here, but i have to get up early in the morning, so it might be a better idea to save it for another afternoon this week. hope you'll check back for it though!!

remember to keep our work in your prayers! as of right now, the plan is to begin english lessons a week from tomorrow, so that emily and i can kind of get a hang of what life as a language school student will be like before we take on students. remember that i also have my website where i will keep reports posted of the goings-on here as well as photos of the different places and people we'll visit.

may the Lord watch over you and give you peace. great is His faithfulness!!!

ciao for now!