It's hard to believe that in just about a month I will be in Italy! This year has gone by so fast and, I have a feeling that these 4 weeks will drag on! I am ready to go! Luggage and all...
Do you think it's too much? All I need now is a fuzzy pen and pink scented paper ;)
PS...I love the US and UT flags in the background...LOL!
But, I do need these next 4 weeks to continue learning Italian! I have a private tutor once a week which is awesome! And I have CD's so I can learn on the go:
Learning a language is a slow process, but so worth it.
Many people have asked when my exact departure date will be and, at this point, all I know is that I will be there on or around September 10 (give or take a few days).
At this point, I am still about $2000 short of my fundraising goal. It seems like a large number but the Lord is so much greater than that! He has already done so much and I know he will provide. When you think about it...that's only 20 people giving $100 or 40 giving $50! Doesn't seem like a whole lot when you look at it that way :)
As of right now, that is the update!
I will send you off with some songs that I love to listen to right now! (Most of them are oldies)
1. Talk About It by Nicole C Mullen
2. Witness by Nicole C Mullen
3. Testify to Love by Avalon
4. Faith, Hope and Love by Point of Grace
One of the major changes people seem to face when moving to a different country (or even just moving from Texas to Oklahoma), is the food. My diet usually consists of A LOT of protein and A LOT of veggies...very little in the carbohydrate department. Not to say that I don't like bread...I LOVE it! But...once I get started I usually can't stop. It's amazing how quickly a box of Wheat Thins disappears...
So, I guess I should start getting my body acclimated to the very carb-full diet of the Italians...right?
Yesterday was the Fourth of July and we (as usual) had a very large get together at our house. So, of course we have gobs of food left over! Tonight my task was to create something delicious with the leftover burgers...
Don't look too appetizing do they...?
Well, I immediately thought...PASTA! So, I went to Whole Foods and got some handmade Spaghetti (whole wheat and spinach)
And two 28oz cans of tomatoes (whole and peeled)
When I got home, boiled the pasta and sauteed our leftover onions in an iron skillet with garlic and herbs de provence...of course we still have plenty..
Then, I added the two cans of tomatoes. Once they came to a boil I mashed the tomatoes as best as I could...I do think a red sauce is delicious with chunks of tomato ;)
Then, I broke up 4 patties and put them in the sauce to heat up. Once the pasta was finished I put it into the iron skillet with the sauce (super important: DO NOT RINSE PASTA!!!) Why? Well..once you rinse it you rinse off the starches that keep the sauce glued to the pasta. Result? Sauce at the bottom of your plate and sauce-less pasta...booo
And you can not forget the Parmesan!! I like to get the grated Parmesan because I LOVE chunks of cheese :)
So here is my first attempt at a marriage of flavors between Italy and America (a.k.a. Texas).
I am just 2 months out from being in Italy and I can not believe it! The reality of the trip is slowly starting to sink in and become very real.
I have never done something like this before and am getting a bit nervous. I have had several people ask how they can be praying for me and I feel like saying "in every way"!
I am taking Italian lessons once a week and while it is very helpful, I am no where near fluent! How do you tell someone about The Lord when you can barely ask where the bathroom is? So, pray that the Italians will see Christ in me...in everything that I do and (especially) when my Italian fails. It is so important to keep Christ at the center of everything that you do. There will be times when I am discouraged, lonely, sad, home sick..etc but my prayer is that it is in those times when my faith and relationship with The Lord grows stronger.
Over the past few weeks I've realized how short life is and how important it is to take advantage of every moment. A good friend of mine from college passed away a few weeks ago...he was a Christian and only 23 when he passed away. At that moment, I thought "what if he hadn't been a believer?" What kind of a friend would I have been had I not shared the Gospel with him? We don't realize how quickly someone can be taken away. But, what me must realize is that our friends, family members, and everyone else in the entire world who are not believers will die and not spend eternity with Jesus. Life is short and we must take advantage of every opportunity.
All that to say, I have become much bolder in my faith. I talk freely about it at work and with friends. And why shouldn't I? What is it that we, as Christians, are afraid of? If the Lord is a part of our daily lives then we should be constantly rejoicing and sharing our faith with everyone. So, another prayer request is that I will continue to be bold in my faith.
Another prayer request is that I will reach 100% of my support raising by August 1. As of right now, I am at about 70%. So, I need approximately $3000 in the next month. That seems to be a daunting task but I know that the Lord is much bigger than that! I have already seen Him work in so many ways toward this trip. At every "road bump" that seemed to big to handle, He has taken care of.
I am planning on being in Sesto Calende around September 10 (give or take a couple of days). I still can not believe it is approaching so quickly! I will continue to keep this blog updated as I prepare for my trip. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers!
Before I go...here are a few things I want to leave you with:
First, if you haven't, I encourage you to watch this video. This is my favorite hymn and I cry ever time I hear it! Watch and think to yourself how awesome it would be to hear the entire world singing!
Second, here are some verses that I have been reading in preparing for Italy. Please read them and if you have any to share I would love it! (Disclaimer: there are quite a few in the list!)
Psalm 66:1-6
Psalm 67: 2-7
Psalm 96:3
Psalm 145:21
Matt 16:26
Matt 28:19
Luke 4:18-19
John 17:21
Rom 1:5
Rom 15:13
Rom 15:20
1 Cor 16:9
2 Cor 9:13-15
Eph 2:10
Eph 3:16
Phil 1:20
Col 1:24-25
1 Tim 2:1-4
1 Tim 6:12
Heb 13:20-21
1 Peter 1:6-7
1 Peter 3:14
1 Peter 4:13
Rev 15:3-4
