Observations on Culture

by Leslie

This picture was taken...

after this picture!

I’ve been pondering on the idea that, as humans, we are conditioned by our culture to believe that there is a “right” way and a “wrong” way to do things. Being immersed in a new culture, I am learning to let go of my attachment to the correct way of doing things. Maybe OUR American way of doing things is not always the best. I mean, what would an Italian think of our methods of doing LIFE? I think an Italian Mama would struggle with a few things in America. For example, she would have to get used to the idea that she needs to send a sack lunch to school with her kids every day. Here, the kids get out of school at 1 PM (1300 in Italia!) so they can get home for lunch.

So, here are some things to think about - you can try these at home if you would like a little slice of Italian life!!

Eat your salad last

Drink your coffee really fast and out of a tiny little cup

Don’t put milk in your coffee any time after lunch

Cook your pasta for less time

Put your pizza toppings on separate parts of the pizza, not all over

Don’t put ice in any drink

Drink lemoncello after dinner to help with digestion

Never use a dryer – hang everything up outside

Hang your intimates outside for everyone to see

Rest every day from 1 (1300) – 4 (1600)

Don’t try to shop on Sundays (everything is closed)

Take the month of August off

Pay for your grocery bags and bag your own groceries

Rent your grocery cart at the store entrance and return it when you are done

Wear a plastic bag on your hand when you get your produce – weigh and price it

Don’t try to buy a fan in the fall/winter or a grill for your fireplace in the summer

Go to military time

To turn a light on, push the light switch down

Push a button on the wall to flush the toilet

Always wear a scarf outside starting September 1st… no matter how warm it is

Pick your 3 or 4 favorite sweaters and only wear those for the next three months

Push a door to go into a store, pull to exit

Don’t wear flip flops except to the beach

Speedos all around for men’s swimwear

Pay for your coffee after you have it

Always say hello when you enter a store

Don’t use your disposal

Make all your food from scratch

Spend more time with your family – stroll the streets on Sunday afternoons

Buy a fresh loaf of bread every day

Invite people in if they stop by – ALWAYS offer food and drink

If it gets below 30 degrees, wear your snow suit out in the world

Don’t expect people to be on time (hmm, this one might not be too hard to imagine)

Kiss people on both cheeks when you greet them or say goodbye

Ok, so you get my point? Im not saying that any of these things are morally bad or good… they are just different from how we do them Some of them I like, others I don’t. But I am learning to accept the changes and am even starting to embrace them.

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 – 40,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

In His words, there is no gray area; no room for cultural differences. I am choosing to focus on these things while Jesus conforms me into His likeness. I am well aware that He is using our time in Italy to show me my own weaknesses… and to help me love others better.

Wondering what “rules” from Italy that I will bring back to the USA… stay tuned. And be ready to give me kisses on my cheeks when we return!!

Mark's Addendum:

Just to be Superty Duperty Clear: All this talk of cultural differences might lead some to think that we need to change the message of the Gospel to insert into this culture. Not happening!

Consider this:

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Peter said, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

So we "...contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." Jude 3b

So, while we enter this culture - and even embrace it to have a platform from which to minister - we carry the message of the Gospel of grace alone, through faith alone through Christ alone.

In the end, we are here for One reason - and here it is:

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." 1 Cor. 2:2

Leslie Reporting Back to her Women's Bible Study Group

by Leslie

Les with Staff in Bologna (read her 260 words below for deets)

Hi My Praying Sisters,

Thank you so much for praying for me yesterday. We had an amazing meeting!!

It was under 30 degrees here yesterday with the wind chill and I took my usual two busses to the train station. What a So. Cal. WIMP I am!! We arrived in Bologna, where it was even colder and walked about 15 minutes to a really cute little restaurant where we met with two couples and a single woman who live and do ministry in Bologna. One couple is on Campus Crusade for Christ staff, and the other are with a church planting ministry called TEAM. The second couple (linda and andy) have lived in Bologna for 23 years!! They were not aware of our film (even though they had used The Jesus Film in the past, they didnt know about Maddalena) and were SO excited about it. They want to join our effort for the March 8th distribution and said they have contact with 30 evangelical bodies in their area and think that they can help get 3,000 copies out. They are also interested in using the film with their work with rescuing prostitutes off the streets and Linda also had the idea of using it in a women's prison there. I guess they know one of the guards. We came away very encouraged and are excited to see what God will do!!

Thankful that today I get to be home!! Fire in the fire place, tea kettle going, George Winston on my itunes....

Love you all and miss you!!!
Leslie

As you can see the weather has changed in Fiesole - Very CHRISTmasy

Our True Home

by Leslie

this is where I spoke to the Italian salesman in Italianish, (or was it Engliano?)

Well, our time in Italy is almost ½ over… In some ways it seems like we have been here forever, and in others as if we have just arrived. I am still struggling to speak and understand the language, but thankfully God is giving me grace upon grace as I wander through the confusing maze of this culture. In the process, I am learning to fix my eyes on my eternal home.

Just this morning I got to have another new experience. Trying to get over jetlag, I had just gotten up and was making coffee when the doorbell rang. There was a young man standing at my gate with a badge and a notebook which might have meant a delivery of our long-awaited mail from the USA. Although I was still in my pajamas (at 11 AM!!) I answered the door. He immediately began talking to me in rapid-fire Italian… to which I gave my usual response:

“Per favore, piano, piano… Non parlo bene Italiano.” So, he spoke more slowly – alas, I STILL didn’t get what he was trying to say. (SO frustrating for me!!) Then he said the magic words, “I speak English.” Ahhhh, thank you!! In slow, measured words he tried to explain his reason for being at my door.

(Here, I have to tell you that my compassion for non-english speakers has increased a thousand fold. I have first hand experience with how it feels to try to communicate in a language not my own!)

I listened with amusement as he picked through his sales pitch using his limited English vocabulary, throwing in some Italian words when he couldn’t come up with the English – I do this every day in trying to communicate the simplest things in Italian. He explained to me that I was being charged too much for my utilities and that I only needed to sign some form and the company would lower my payment. I was wondering why they don’t just lower my payment, but reminded myself that this is Italy and they do everything differently.

Thinking through his pitch, I started to wonder if in fact what he wanted me to do was switch companies. But when I tried to ask him this he kept assuring me that it was not like that… and that I should just sign. Hmmmm. These are the times when I feel like a child because I cannot discern what is REALLY being asked of me and I start to feel taken advantage of. Thankfully, we have an amazing landlady who almost always answers her cell phone, so I called Marzia. She spoke to the man and then told me that it wasn’t a good deal. Grateful for her advice, I sent the Enel man on his way.

This is just a snapshot of the kinds of things that go on every day… the strange balance between feeling completely inept, and knowing that these trials are making me SO much more dependent on God. He is giving me a very clear understanding of what it means to be “Not of this world.” I am a stranger here – and He is reminding me that I am also a stranger in this world because heaven is my true home. I am thankful for how He daily gives me reminders of this truth.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." 1 Pet. 2:9-12

In Our True Home we will worship with people:

"...from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Rev. 7:9b-10

and

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Rev. 5:12

The Girl's English Club

by Grace

Emily, Courtney, and Grace



Just the thought of starting an English club here in Italy was overwhelming. How are we going to even have anyone to invite - let alone get them to come bi-weekly to just speak English to us? But Emily, Courtney (another staff girl here) and I felt strongly that that is exactly what God wanted us to do…to be in that difficult position where we rely on Him, to do something we don’t really feel comfortable doing. We knew we had to listen to Him! 

The three of us got together for our first official meeting. We discussed what we wanted to do, who we wanted to invite, how we were going to get them to come, etc.

We decided we wanted it to be just girls, because it would be a more comfortable environment. We invited them through Facebook (Courtney already knew some girls from going to school when she was younger)… Facebook is a great tool people!!!

Every other week a group of Italian teenage girls sit across from Emily, Courtney, and me waiting eagerly to hear what crazy American traditions and words we’ll teach them. Our normal schedule is: a game, food (Americana of course!), and then some sort of discussion in English. We have taught them Telephone Pictionary, Never have I ever, and my favorite, English phrases that don’t make any sense!! “The early bird gets the worm”, “Break a leg”, “Smart as a whip” are just a few examples. You should have seen their faces when we tried to explain these things to them!

We have a lot of fun with these girls. Sometimes our clubs are great, and sometimes we feel as though we failed. But we know God is working. We go into each week with lots of prayer and planning. God keeps giving us new ideas, and it always surprises me. “Yay God!” (as a good friend says).

The best part of this whole thing for me has been God showing Himself to me in incredible ways. Not only just the relationships with these Italian girls, and not just having our English club pull through each week (only by God), but how HE is growing ME.

It truly amazes me watching Him work here. He has been working in me more than I could have ever expected. Even in only about four months God has shown me things from His word and His world and His people that have grown me so much. I'm told Italy will strip me of everything but Jesus, and I want that. I want to only desire Him.

More than anything, God has been teaching me patience and humility. These things that I wouldn't have learned in America, not in the same way, anyway. He is humbling me to know there is no way I can do this on my own. He is teaching me patience in learning the culture, language, and earning relationships with these Italian people. I feel closer to God than I ever have because of having to trust Him more than ever. I am so thankful.

Our hope is to eventually make our English club evangelistic, as of now… we are building relationships, because as some of you know, that’s what Italians are about: relationships… oh, and then food! (Seriously).

We would love prayer for these girls’ hearts to be softened and for God to completely shine through us so they can see His love. Also for our strength to keep up with this, and to trust and rely on Jesus. We couldn’t do this without your prayer, so thank you!

God is showing His faithfulness to me… and for that I’m truly thankful.

“Never Been THIS Good Before!”

by Mark

The colloquial greeting, “How are you?” usually receives back from me, “I’ve never been this good before!”

Granted, I am generally an upbeat, positive, optimistic kinda guy. I have been unexplainably blessed by God in my life – most overwhelmingly, by His Magnificent Person.

I cannot explain why I don’t suffer like some. Nor can I explain why I get to be married to my best friend. Honestly, with all the moving parts in the parenting task, I simply am at a loss to explain why I have three wonderful children, all of whom love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, on one hand, my usual response – I’ve never been this good before – seems appropriate. I have been granted a wonderful life, by the Giver of life.

On the other hand, life is hard. Especially in Italy.

It sounds strange to say life is hard in the place many dream about for a vacation. Ah, Florence! The history. The art. The food. The beauty! We recently hosted some friends as they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, and they experienced all those things, and more.

But living here is hard. God has ordained for me a big, fat trial…in a beautiful place. The language, transportation, culture in general, pace…it’s all different and challenging. For example, there’s usually more month than money (because of the dollar to euro exchange rate), we sleep in a former crypt (yes, really), and daily frustrations of life are more than continuous. Frankly, it feels like continual change all day, every day.

A fellow staff person said, “No one frustration is that big of a deal. It’s like a paper cut. One, or even two or three isn’t a big deal. But when you get home at night to count 100 such slight cuts, it’s painful!” Another staff friend said, “Italy strips you of everything, but Jesus”.

I’ve tried to determine what is so difficult about living here. One day I was absolutely sure it was my lack of connectivity. See, at home I am always connected by computer, my Droid phone, language, etc. I know what’s happening around me all the time. Here, I am largely disconnected. No smart phone here – way too expensive – mine is a dumb phone…

Another day I thought my challenges were more related to autonomy. At home, I walk out to my car (if I want to), drive to where I need to go (if I want to), when I want to…you get the picture. Here, I’m at the mercy of bus stinkin’ 7! If you miss it by a minute, another will be by in 20 minutes. Sometimes the driver leaves early. There are hand signals to respond to that situation, which of course I would never use…

Enough, um, complaining. Back to my usual response to the colloquial greeting.

Think about this:

• If “to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Christ)” Phil. 1:21

• And to be with Christ is far better v. 23

• Then each day I’m alive, I’m closer to death, and being face-to-face with Christ

• Then each day is closer to gaining Christ, and by definition, better than the day before.

• Therefore, I’ve never been this good before.

Just a thought.

What do you think?

mm

More Third John Four

by Emily

Last weekend Em and Grace were asked to serve as counselors at a Young Life Jr. High camp. Both had meaningful gospel conversations, and Em was able to lead one young lady to Jesus! This is Emily's account:

Some days in Italy the world “out there” cannot be faced: the rushing crowds, the constant straining to understand just a piece of information, the people I yearn so much to reach, but can barely talk to in full sentences. These obstacles can cause a sense of failure within me, a sense that I have no other choice but to “diligently” study at home, waste my life on facebook, or set my troubles aside and enter into the world of a good book.

But, I realize I am here in Italy for one purpose: to serve God and others. Some of the greatest times in my life have been here, in Italy, when the Lord gives me the strength to overcome my fear of failure and wholeheartedly serve Him. When I can forget my little amount of schoolwork, log off of facebook, set down my book, and venture out into the unknown. But the beauty of the unknown is the essential step of putting every ounce of trust in the Lord and allowing Him to lead me into the dark. He is blessing me with so many opportunities to do this, and every time I take these chances and run with them, I see a little glimpse of eternity.

Last week, I was presented with one of the best opportunities yet! I got to be a leader at a junior high retreat for American military kids. God really revealed to me some of the struggles and pain that I never imagined these families serving our country had to face. I was so humbled by the five girls in my small group as they opened up and poured their hearts out to me one by one. It was most definitely perfectly orchestrated by the Creator of the Universe that I was supposed to be there with these specific girls, used by Him to love on them and hear their stories.

The entire retreat was focused on human’s worth in the sight of our Maker and the perfect plans God has for us. God was working all week to soften the kid’s hearts and I think this really hit home in almost all of their minds as they are constantly dragged around from place to place (about every 2-3 years) and never really know what will happen next in their lives.

So, the last night, most everyone was crying. We were all told to contemplate worth: how much they felt they were worth, and how much they were treating others like they were worth.

Then, there was an awesome gospel presentation. We headed up to our respective bunk beds for some small group time, and the room was dead silent. After a few minutes of unsuccessful coercion, my fellow leaders and I decided to take each girl and talk to her one by one. This was when God caught hold of two of the girl’s hearts and brought them out of darkness and into light!

The girl I was talking to was probably the last person I expected to open up to me because she was so shy and barely said two words during the first couple of days. But, God works in mysterious ways and opened this girl’s heart and mouth. He is so good! This girl came to me with tears streaming down her face, her body shaking in fear and hurt, and somehow God spoke through me and led her to repentance. She told me about the pain she felt from her family situation and the rejection she felt from her past. I got to tell her how much God loves her (to the point of death!) and how she had the chance to be with Him forever. She then asked if she could pray with me and start her own personal relationship with Jesus Christ! This girl’s life was changed in an instant and I got to be the first witness!

Situations like this make me so utterly thankful. Thankful that God worked it out so that I could share the gospel while in this country even though I can hardly speak the language. Thankful that He has perfect plans and orchestrates them beautifully, that He planned for me to step out of my comfort zone, and be used to change a life, that He saved this girl from death through me, and that now I get to worship alongside her in paradise!

"I have no greater joy than to hear of my chidren qwalking in the truth" 3 John 4

Third John Four

I asked Joe for permission to post this email he sent me. He said yes, as long as I thought it would bless others to read it. He is a humble young man, by grace alone, walking in the Truth:

"Through completely Divine circumstances, I had the opportunity to lead a young man to the Lord today! I don't know much about him, in fact he was a total stranger, but we talked for a while and he explained how he wanted to come to Cal Baptist to get his life turned around, and after telling him a little about Jesus and my story, asked if he wanted to do the same and he said yes. We then parted ways, but I was able to get his phone number, and Julie Ann gave him a bible she had in her apartment. I am hoping to meet with him again to give him some basics of the faith, but I don't really know what to do. Could you give me some basic practical things to talk to him about to get him started? I know that this is the Lord's work, and wholly trust Him, I just want to make sure I am prepared. His name is Peter*

Love you, and thank you for your prayers!

In service of the King!"
~joe

The aged Apostle John wrote, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the Truth". 3 John 4

* Peter isn't really his name, but will you pray with us that this young man gets plugged into a Bible teaching church and lots of interaction with other Christians.

Good News/Even Better News!

Some of you know I ruptured my left Plantaris muscle (little calf muscle that helps you ‘point your toes’, or in my case, run up hills), last April. After lots of physical therapy and non-running exercise, I began running again on May 24th – our wedding anniversary! What a gift! I was told a minimum of 12, most likely 16 weeks of PT was required for such an injury. God shortened my rehab to 6 weeks! HA-LAY-LOOOOO-YA!

Welp, I was out running the hills of Fiesole late this afternoon…and BAM!...my left lateral calf began to hurt…really bad. In one step I was reduced to a ‘heel walking’ limp. This pain was not in the same place as the Plantaris pain.

So, heel walk limp I did for about 10 minutes…

this is near the olive groves

My normal Fiesole run takes me through vineyards and olive groves. All the olive growers are harvesting right now to produce what’s call ‘New Oil’ – the pungent, taste-filled oil that exists for mere days in November.

As I limped into an olive grove two men were harvesting their gems. One said, “Buona Sera”. I responded in kind. He replied in English, “Are you OK?”. “Oh! You speak English?”. He said, “Certo…um, of course!” “Well, not really. I ruptured a muscle in my calf a few months ago, and I think I injured another muscle…” “Do you need a lift?”, he responded kindly. “Well, I hate to take you away from your work…”. “You need help…you are more important than my work”.

Wow…really? I thought.

I sweat more than anyone you know. I told the kind man, “I am all wet with sweat. I really don’t want to get your car seat wet”. “Nonsense, get in the car!”, he replied, like I would even bring that issue up…

So, the good news is, I get to trust the Lord for the ability to run again…um, soon!

The even better news is, I had the opportunity to open a conversation about Jesus with this man named…I don’t even wanna try to spell it…starts with an “M”, ends in a vowel…like most Italian names.

He was intrigued with what we do, and asked us to come share more with him…when my leg is better. Don’t think I’ll wait for that!

Grace and Peace and Love and Hope and Joy to you all! Thanks for standing with us in this…surprising work!

mark, for the fam

plantaris muscle song

So Utterly Stinkin' Cool!

by Mark

So, our first Americani friends came to visit! Clint and Jill are celebrating their 25th Anniversary in Italia - First stop: Fiesole! We had a blast showing them around for a few days. Clint's a runner, so I took him on my epic trail here:

Praise God for a marriage that reflects well that which it is supposed to point to: Christ and His bride, the church. Way to go Clint and Jill - keep making Him look great!

Then, the girls, Les, and I traveled down to to city outside of Roma, called Promezia, for the Annual Fall Conference for Agape Italia. Way too much to tell here, but we're pumped about what the Lord has done, and for the future plans of this ministry! Both Les and I led seminars for the other staff attending. Les shared the progress of the upcoming Christmas distribution of Magdalena, and I coached some staff in Ministry Partner Development.

Our dear friends, Scott and Valerie (and their daughter and son) attended and contributed to the conference

Scott and Valerie have been a tremendous encouragement to us and Agape Italia for years. We love it when ministry partners visit the field to see what their Kingdom investments have produced, and to be an integral part of the ministry on the ground, in country! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Please pray for our continued usefullness in our little part of the Harvest - for Christ's fame and Glory!

So utterly stinkin' cool!

Grace and Peace and Love and Hope and Joy to you,

mark, for the fam

I LOVE America

by Mark (after having been in the U.S. for a week)

I’m always happy to return to the U.S. after a couple of weeks in another country. I love exposing ministry partners to what God is doing via the JESUS Film in other parts of the world, but as Dorothy would say, “There’ no place like home”.

So, on Wednesday October 6th, when I began my trek to Lake Geneva, WI for our JESUS Film Executive Briefing Conference, I was thrilled to be heading home. As our enormous 747 approached Chicago’s O’Hare, I saw Lake Michigan, Lakeshore Dr., the course of the Chicago Marathon to be held that weekend, and the Sears Tower (or whatever it’s called now), I thought to myself, I love America!

I landed @ 12:35, got my bag, was through customs by 1:10, and was in my buddy’s rental car by 1:20…BAM! I love America…
We arrived @ the resort by 3:00pm, and I was training 14 volunteers to represent the Jesus Film (we call these folks, Ambassadors) by 5pm. Having been awake for 27 hours, and thoroughly exhausted, I called it a night and went to bed…sorta.

By 4am my body was done sleeping, so I got up to have some time with Jesus. The gym opened @ 6am, so my pal and I went over to get a workout I before a day full of meetings. State-of-the-art exercise equipment, English-speaking staff, A/C, and a clean locker room…Man, do I love America!

The scratchy throat and stuffy head didn’t feel right, but nothing was going to put a damper on my time in the States! The leaves were changing, the air was crisp, I was with my homies…other than Leslie being with me, what could be better than this?!

By 3pm, my throat traversed scratchy to downright sore, and my stuffy head moved from an annoyance to a pressure packed head full of snot that made me sound as though I was pinching my nose closed when trying to speak. I went to bed…till Saturday morning…

Our ministry in India was the theme of Saturday morning prayer time. The 50 of us gathered for prayer, over the requests brought from our Indian brothers, felt very small as we heard story after story of the challenges they face in reaching 1.3 billion souls for Christ. The joy with which they speak, even in the face of all manner of trial and persecution, is truly a testimony of the goodness of God. I love America, and I love that Americans can – and have! – come alongside our South Asian staff both prayerfully and financially.

The rest of the conference was profoundly powerful and relentlessly refreshing for all of us. The Lord raised up millions for His work in South Asia. I stood in awe at the kind generosity of our Spirit-filled ministry partners as they continue to give selflessly, even in these challenging economic times. God is good, regardless the circumstances!

From the Jesus Film conference I flew to OC, rented a car (so weird!), and drove out to Joe’s concert in Murrieta, CA. The 100-voice, all male chorale was rehearsing when I arrived. As I entered the church auditorium, my eyes welled as I heard all four parts harmonize “How Can I Keep From Singing Your Praise”. Joe gave me a big ol’ exaggerated wink and smile. Oh please, Lord, I don’t want to weep in front of all these young men, I thought as I fought back the happy tears of seeing/hearing my son for the first time in 3 months!

The boys descended the bleachers to go pray before their concert. Joe was one of the last, as he’s one of the tallest in the top row. “I have no greater joy than to hear of my children walking in the Truth” (3 John 4) is my most favored verse in all of Holy Scripture. It encompasses joy, discipleship, and the Gospel in one succinct verse of Scripture. And it’s what has made my heart tick for the past 20 years, because it’s the Great Commission of Matt. 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’”.

Needless to say, the concert was incredible. Joe and I went to dinner (Mexican!) before we headed to his house on the campus of California Baptist University. After excellent conversation with my first born, I slept in the living room of their house. Joe made sure I had the ‘good’ mattress and a clean sheet, and his comforter – which totally blessed me to know that he wanted me to be comfortable in his house.

Monday through Thursday was spent seeing family and friends and picking up stuff we need for the winter (yeah, it gets cold and wet!) in Fiesole. What a joy to be ‘home’ for a few days!

It’s only been 12 weeks since we said goodbye to all that is familiar. Seems like an eternity. Things are so different here. Not bad, just different. And I’d hasten to say, uncomfortable… One long-term staff guys used the analogy of a paper cut when referring to all the micro-challenges in Italy: one doesn’t hurt that much, but when you get a hundred in a day, they all add up to…uncomfortable…

Sometimes I have to force myself to remember why we're here: God's specific call!

Not complaining…just sayin…I love America!

Keeping the Home Fires Burning

By Leslie

Very Cool Fireplace...in the Kitchen

I have always heard that saying, but suddenly I have a real understanding of what that means.... See, on Saturday I had a bunch of wood delivered by Dino - the wood guy. I was able to get a poker and that little shovel thingy at the open market in the piazza the same day. I am so thankful to have this GIANT fireplace that is basically almost one whole wall of our dining area. It is all open so that when you light the fire it’s just in there almost like a campfire. BUT... its really hard to get going (where’s the little key that turns on the gas??) so that once I get it going and start doing other things around the house, I am always walking by and poking and blowing and adding more wood. I am “keeping the home fire buring!!” I dunno, this just made me laugh today. It was a very fall day today - more like it would be in the winter in the OC! Emily and I made pumpkin muffins from scratch.... like, ALL the way from scratch... like, from a raw pumpkin!! Those of you who know me well know that this is amazing.

Today I had to meet up with my friend, Kylie, to work on some stuff for Magdalena. We get to attend a pastor’s meeting on Wednesday morning to pitch them on our idea for a distribution of the film at Christmas. Anyway, I took the usual bus down the hill but since the lady in front of me on the bus was spitting up on the floor at regular intervals, I decided to get off early and enjoy the long walk to the office. And I really do enjoy the walking - so many interesting people and things to see.

But this morning, I was faced with quite the dilemma. First of all, you have to know that the sidewalks here are only about 3 feet wide, and not at all flat. So, I'm walking along and suddenly have a choice to make - step into the street in front of a car, run over a little old lady with a cane, step in the dog pee that is running from the wall across the sidewalk, or walk straight into the cloud of smoke that has just poured forth from some guy’s cigarette.... I mean, how often do I have such decisions to make in America?? LOVE this place!! I know you are dying to know.... I chose the smoke.

Kylie and I had a productive meeting, and split a pizza from my now favorite pizza place. Please pray for me as I am going to try to greet the pastors on Wednesday morning with a tiny bit of Italian. What an interesting life!!

Em and Grace Celebrated their 17th and 15th Birthdays a couple weeks ago



Sketchy Electrical Stuff...We rarely blow stuff up anymore, though!

Permesso di Soggiorno in hand...and other fun things from Italia!

OH MY!! What a week!

News Flash!!! TODAY Mark and I picked up our Permesso di Soggiorno cards... only took 3 hours. But now we are official - and officially finished with the Questura. At least until we have to take the girls back....

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I guess in total, it has been 10 days that we have been going non-stop. We have packed and unpacked 3 times and celebrated both girls’ birthdays (Italian style!) We have taken trains, buses, rental vans, taxis, and walked many miles. God has shown us His grace, His beauty, and His timing in all of it. I will do my best to be brief as I catch you up on the latest happenings.

New Staff Training:

Sunday morning (9/26) 8 of us piled into a rental van and headed out to a little farm outside of Sienna to have our new staff training. All together, there were 18 of us including our trainers. We had great times of devotion and worship, and we learned more about Agape Italia. Also had some time to just talk about - and work through -some of our “issues” about living here. Indeed, there are days when it’s so hard we just want to pack up and get the next plane home. Then we remind each other that God has called us here and He has a purpose in it. One quote we heard (from a man who has served here for over 20 years) was that, “Italy will strip you of everything but Jesus.” Wow.... I have to say we have felt this to some degree. It was good to hear that the things we have felt are not uncommon.

Milano:

We got home Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday morning I left for Milan. There I had two straight days of meetings to talk about “Magdalena” strategy. Our support staff from Orlando is here this week, so they met with Kylie, Elfi, and me. We also met with the ladies from Milan who were instrumental in putting on the premiere there last April. They have huge hearts to see this film bring enlightenment and change in Italy as it relates to the dignity of women here. We had a wonderful time with our new National Director, Franco Bosio and his wife, Maria. They have joined us in our excitement about distributing the film here in Florence at Christmas and then an Italy-wide distribution on March 8th. (More on this strategy later) Franco is one of the most expressive and passionate believers I have ever met. So thankful to be working alongside him and the whole team!!

Got home late Friday night... yes, LATE!! When Kylie and I tried to buy our train tickets at the station, the tickets were sold out. So we had to take a later train that went to the sketch (yes, I said it!!) station in a different part of town. Thankfully, the amazing Gary Runn came and picked me up since there are no buses and it was 10 PM. While waiting in the Milan train station I was thinking how people can be categorized by their treatment of pigeons.... It all started when the man sitting next to me in the long row of cold, metal chairs decided to throw his pizza crust out on the ground for the pigeons to eat. You can imagine the mayhem when the birdies saw what he did. But the problem was, this was right where people had to walk to get to their train connections. So, there are the Dodgers, the Scardie-cats, the Kickers (you know who you are!!), the Oblivious, the Annoyed... you get the picture. Great way to pass an hour delay in case you are ever in this situation.


Tanti Auguri!!:

Saturday morning dawned early! My sweet new friend, Laura, insisted that she have a little birthday party for Emily and Grace. I wanted to help her get ready and so we made plans for me to meet her at 10:30. When I arrived at her house she had switched the plans on me, and instead was taking me to this very cool street down in the city with many shops. They call it “The street of 100 shops.” There we met up with another friend of hers named Cristina. She and her daughters would be joining us later at the party. So, instead of preparing for the party, we strolled the street and had coffee and I practiced my Italian. After we finished, she took me home. I asked her about helping and she said, “no... just come over at 4:30.” These people are so gracious!! 

We spent the afternoon with Laura and her family, Cristina and her family, and our staff friends, the Runns. There were also a few other teens there. We ate three different fabulous, home made desserts and the girls were sung to in English. Aside from the 50 mosquito bites Grace go out on the grass in their backyard, the evening was perfetto!!

Cinque Terre:

Two months ago I booked us a room in Riomaggiore - a quaint little beach town that is part of 5 little towns along the north/west coast of Italy. Course, we didnt know how busy we would be right now, but when I booked it I wanted to do something special for the girls’ birthdays. So, early Sunday morning we got up and went to the train station. Here, I have to confess that I got my family there an HOUR earlier than necessary... what was I thinking?? I dont know... but when we got there we thought the train was at 9:57 and it was at 10:57. They all just looked at me... deer in the headlights.... Thankfully, they are all so full of grace that we just raised our eyebrows and went to Micky D’s for an Egg McMuffin. We arrived in Riomaggiore around 1 PM and went through the tunnel as directed by Mario (the man we rented the room from.) He said he would find us at the end of the tunnel, and sure enough!! He did!! We spent most of the day hiking the trails and being amazed at God’s beautiful creation. I have to say, seeing and hearing the ocean were water to my soul. More unforgettable memories made with Mark and the girls!! I mean, we won’t soon forget the ocean views, the olive groves, the steep climbs, nor the slippery rocks. We might forget that the short train ride from the last terre to ours was 1.5 hours late while we shivered on the cold platform.... But we are getting kind of used to “Italy Time.” Stuff happens late - or maybe it’s just God’s timing. We are learning to relax and go with the flow. Those of you who know me well know that this isnt always easy for me. More sharp edges being filed away.

New Friends - Little Old Italian Ladies!

by Leslie

I think my favorite thing about being here so far is meeting the natives. They are everything they appear to be in the movies - warm, hospitable, friendly.... sometimes a little cautious at first. But it is true, if someone they know makes the introduction, they accept you right away. ( I recommend Letters to Juliet to get a feel for the people. We saw it the other night at a theatre that shows American movies with Italian sub-titles.)

Monday morning I had the pleasure of meeting some of the anziana of Fiesole - these are the little old ladies of our community. They meet every morning in the Tabacchi. This is a little store that gets its name because it sells cigarettes, but it also sells caffe and morning biscuits and has a few little tables set up inside where the anziana can sit and chat and play lotto while they have their caffe. My friend, Tina (who is American and has befriended our family,) invited me to go with her and of course I jumped at the chance to meet these adorable women. The place is only about 200 yards up the street from our house.

So, I met Pina, Lucia, Margarita, Patricia, and Giovanna. They were dressed up and ready to meet the day. They were warm and asked me questions and were kind enough to speak slowly! Not one of them speaks a word of English, so this was very good for my Italian language growth. Pina showed me pictures of her now deceased husband and son. Lucia and I realized that she and Grace have the same birthday. Giovanna didn't win anything on lotto....

Later that day we got on the bus down in the city, and who was on there but sweet Lucia. She recognized me right away and was so thrilled to meet Mark and the girls. She very patiently conversed with me all the way up the hill. We talked about what we were making for dinner, how many siblings we had, how long we would be staying in Fiesole.... So much fun!!

On Wednesday morning Mark and I had a meeting at the bank to see if we could use an Italian bank to help reduce the outrageous fees that we are getting from Bank of America to use OUR money (that’s another story!!) and after the appointment we stopped in for coffee at the tabacchi. Of course, a couple of the ladies were in there along with a new one named Franca. I had to catch the bus for language school, but Mark was staying for a few minutes. The best part was when Franca and Lucia were arguing over who was going to pay for Mark’s cappuccino!! He was a big hit!

The girls and I think that we should go up to the tabacchi every morning and get caffe and chat with these ladies. Probably the best EVER way to learn the language. Praying that God will give us grace with the language and opportunities to share the love of Jesus with the ladies. I am thinking maybe “Maddalena” as a Christmas gift will be just the ticket!!

Magdalena for Christmas!

Job 42:1 "I know that you can do all things, and that no plan of yours can be thwarted."

This whole journey of ITALY has felt like jumping into a rushing river and just being carried along by the current. God is doing things here and is allowing us to be part of it. Soooo exciting!!

My "role" here is to be part of the team that distributes the film "Maddalena" (Italian version of "Magdalena".) God gave me the idea for using the evangelical church here to help us in this task. Of course I had no idea who to talk to or how to go about it, but since I have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit so strongly since our call here, I knew that HE already had it all planned out. I just needed to grab that log floating by and HOLD ON!!

This past week has proven that my sense was correct. It started last Tuesday with a meeting with our new National Director (Franco Bosio.) Through a translator I was able so share my ideas - Franco had already been given some of this information at an earlier meeting. He and his wife added their ideas for further distribution. Franco was so excited about it that he got on the phone during the meeting and called his friend Paul Schaffer and told him that we would be calling to set up and appointment.

Paul is a Canadian believer/evangelist who has lived in Italy for 35 years. He basically knows everyone in Italy who would be interested in this project. I was thinking I had some days to prepare, but Paul said he wanted to meet with two days later!! So, on Thursday our team (Elfi, Kylie, and me - see photo!) met with him. He is very familiar with The JESUS Film, but had not heard of this version. Once we explained the vision for what we felt God leading us to do, Paul jumped in with both feet. He too was very excited. He said he would personally hand out the DVD to about 20 pastors in Florence and the surrounding areas before their monthly meeting in mid-October. He asked us to come to the meeting to explain our ideas and to ask for a commitment from these pastors to join in. He sent me an email on Friday saying he had already contacted 2 other pastors who were ready to be part of it - and his quote to me, "The ball is rolling... now we just need to keep up with it, the Lord will surprise us!" GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

You will hear more about the projects in the weeks to come. But in brief, we are planning (LORD willing) to distribute approximately 2,000 DVDs during the Christmas season through the churches here in Florence. The idea is for the members of each church to commit to giving away the DVD to friends and family who need to hear the Gospel.

In March, we will do a country-wide distribution for a very important holiday here called "Festa della Donna" (Festival of the Woman) on March 8th. This may include a distribution of up to 10,000 DVDs!

So... the water is fast!! Yikes!! But how exciting to be in this rushing river!!

Please pray for God's direction as we work on these projects.

Thanks for your interest in this Italian adventure,

Taking Jesus to the nations, for His Fame and Glory,

Love,
Leslie

Jasmine, the Italian Voice of Maddalena

Sidenote, right off the bat!

(You might be interested to know that I found Haagen-Dazs Belgian Chocolate ice cream at the Esselunga yesterday... eating it as I write this!! And you may think, “Why would she even care about that when she has a gelateria across the street?” But the truth is, this ice cream is amazing, and tastes like the USA!! Sometimes a girl just needs that.)

Okie Dokie, back to Jasmine.

Last April, when Mark and I came to the premiere of “Maddalena” here in Milan, we met the most interesting and wonderful woman. Her name is Jasmine and she did the voice of Magdalena for the Italian version. Not only is she a voice actress, but she is an evangelist who loves Jesus with every fiber of her being. She and I 'clicked' immediately - like you just do with some people. I listened to her testimony about how God rescued her from darkness, as she told it through tears. She shared how the time she spent dubbing “Maddalena” was so rich as she could relate to the woman she was playing in the movie. After spending only two days together, we hugged and kissed each other, promising to stay in touch.

Once I got home I found her on Facebook and we have kept in touch. I knew I needed to spend more time with her, as God had knit our hearts together. We invited her for a visit and she took the train down from Milano last Friday to spend the weekend with us. What an adventurous woman!! Well, we spent three days walking, talking, eating, laughing, crying, and praying together. She worked on her excellent English skills and we worked on our terrible Italian skills. The girls and I figured that she was a pretty reliable source for how to pronounce words in Italian since that is her JOB!! She taught me how to cook the pasta just right, and how to make the coffee taste even better... (she adds a pinch bit of salt!) She also bought me some of those tiny little coffee cups, called “tazzine da caffe”, so that all the Italians that come here don’t have to drink their espresso out of a giant mug!! What a precious time we had. God just confirmed yet again that our being here is part of His plan for our family. We are blessed beyond measure.

Permesso Update

On August 17th (below) Les posted a lengthy, hysterical description of our 7-hour trip to the Questurra (hereafter, The Q). Our goal was to obtain our Permesso di Soggiornio (Permission to stay in Italy this year). You may recall, that trip yielded nuttin (Italian for nothing) but an angry Italian woman and 4 frustrated Americans.

Since then, our Agape Italia office received a letter from the Chief of Polizia saying the Q folks were wrong about denying our Permesso! So, at the crack-o-dawn on Monday Les and I went back to the Q with the Chief's letter for round 2.

Think of The Q like you would the DMV. One large room and lots of windows behind which work people who don't really wanna be there either. The cold waiting area is not particularly clean, and the bathroom...oh my! Just hold it. okay?!

The young Italian man who helped us was indeed surprised to read the Chief's letter. He was jovial and pleasant, working diligently to help us obtain the cherished Permesso. We spoke of America, California, the beach, and ultimately invited him to visit us!

BAM! Five hours and 20 electronic finger prints later we were outta there! The young man behind the glass made all the difference in the world...

Hey here's a thought: Why don't we - the church - be stunned by our CHIEF'S letter?! How about we conduct ourselves in pleasant joy as we work diligently to help lost people obtain their "permission slip" to get to heaven - namely, the Gospel?! We can make all the difference in the world for Christ's sake and glory and fame!

Here's what Chief Jesus' letter says:

"For our sake He made Him to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor. 5:21

Bottom line: by grace alone, through faith alone, place your trust in Christ alone for your permission to go to heaven.

If this does not make sense to you, please contact Les or me, or a friend you know to be a follower of Christ. We'd love to help you obtain your permesso!

If you'd like to talk, this is our back door. C'mon over!

Language Class, Gelato, and Giuseppe

“Piano la lumaca arriva a Gerusalemm”

Slowly, like a snail comes to Jerusalem....

This is what our new Italian teacher told me this morning when I said that I dont speak Italian well. She told me, “tranquilo” which basically means to “relax.” And that it is a slow process. But... like a SNAIL sliding to Jerusalem??? The girls and I almost had a huge laugh attack right there in classe!!

We like our new teacher, Ari. She is young and sweet and from Pisa. She takes the train every morning at 7:30 AM from Pisa to Firenze so she can teach Italian to people like us. All this, by the way, she explained in Italian. So, maybe I am actually learning something! We have with us in class this time two boys from Kosovo (ages 17 and 18) and a young man from South Carolina whose mom is Italian. Should be an interesting 5 weeks.

My Italian actually came in handy today in sharing the Gospel!! Some of you may know that we have a gelateria almost directly across the street. I haven’t actually counted the steps, but I would guess it’s less than 30 from door to door. It is owned and run by an older couple and their thirty-something son. The son’s name is Giuseppe, as we learned today. He speaks a little English, and loves to practice on us. So while Grace and I sat on the little patio outside his store, he came out and chatted with us. In a mixture of Italian and English (would that be Italish??) we talked about why we are here for this year. We told him that we were here to help distribute a film about Jesus, told from the perspective of Mary Magdalene. He asked if it was a romance. We told him it wasn’t, but that it was about Jesus and that He is God. Giuseppe was confused because he thought Jesus was the son of God only. At this point, Grace and I decided to tell him we would like to give him a copy of the film and he could watch it and we could discuss afterwards. Emily and Grace went back to the store with the dvd. He was so excited and grateful that he gave them free gelato!! God is so powerful, and so gracious that He allowed us to have this conversation today even though we only have 42 hours of Italian class under our belts. We may be moving at a snail’s pace, but God is putting people in our path as we slug along.

Running in Fiesole...with Hunters!

One of the very cool benefits of NOT living in the center of Florence, but up the hill in Fiesole, is running out the back door! Our road is Via Portigiani, which turns into a rather rural, semi-paved road that meanders through olive groves, and all manner of foliage. This morning was a rare-for-August, almost cool day I relished - mostly because of the lesser flying bug population...

We live on Via Portigiani

This is our back door

This what our road turns into in about 7 minutes of running

About 12 minutes into one fine jaunt, I heard a man hollerin up a storm. Suddenly on my right, in the dense, green shrubbery, I saw three or four older gentlemen donning fluorescent orange vests, and bearing arms! Like shotgun arms!


This is my running trail...by grape vines, olive groves, and orange guys hunting...

Running by, I gasped, "Giorno!". Startled, they looked at me like,"You're not a cinghiale!" Yes, that's right, I'm not a wild boar! I, on occasion, look more boarish, than at other times. I usually do have some sort of facial hair, my teeth are large, and there is a significant overbite...but that's about all that resembles a cinghiale (no comments, please...).

At 27 minutes I turned around to run back to Via Portigiani. Then I thought, I have to run back by the orange guys with shots guns...

This doesn't happen in the OC. Quite an adventure today...Thank You, Lord!

Leslie's 2nd Post - Quite an Adventure!

Comfort Zone

Italy is helping me understand the words “home” and “comfort zone”. I am finding that as we venture away from our little house in Fiesole, that each return makes it feel more like home. It has become my comfort zone in Italy.

Today’s adventure begins as many previous adventures have... Mark has already been for his run and is pacing around the house wanting to go “do” something. Emily, Grace, and I are all comfy and settling in for a day at home... Our home. Our comfort zone. He is so exuberant and persuasive as he says, “WHO wants to go to IperCoop?” (The Italians pronounce this word “eeper cope”.) Well, we can’t resist his invitation so I get out my computer and start looking for the address of the IperCoop, which by car is over 30 minutes away. To my surprise, I find that I can actually google map it from our doorstep to theirs... by BUS!! We will have to take 3 different lines and the trip will take us 1:19. There will also be a bit of walking once we get off the bus at the other end. We “bug up” (which means we spray ourselves with Avon Skin So Soft to battle the mosquitos) and forge out on our adventure.

The #7 bus is our usual line down to Piazza San Marco, so that’s easy. Once in the piazza we have some challenges finding our bus - good thing Lorena was here last night and we are brushed up on our Italian!! After walking around the whole circle, we find that #17 picks up right where we got off the #7. This is handy to know since #17 takes us to the train station where we will pick up visitors over the year. The bus is PACKED to the walls - Grace and I are pressed against the glass that separates the riders from the driver. We smile at each other as we both catch a whiff of the guy standing way too close to us. Fortunately, its only 2 stops to the station. Here we have a bit easier time of it to find #28 which will take us all the way out of town to the IperCoop. Here is starts getting a little sketchy as we don’t know exactly where to get off - I think it’s the end of the line, but we start passing signs to the IperCoop and seem to be passing it. I’ve expended all my bravery and decide to just get off the bus rather than ask the driver where we should get off for the Ipercoop.... ahhh, my stupid pride!! My sweet family dutifully follows me off the bus and looks at me hopefully. You see, usually I am a good navigator and they count on me... sometimes their confidence puts them in these predicaments.... Soooo, since we just passed a sign (well, about a half mile back) we head in that direction and are literally the ONLY pedestrians in the whole car infested neighborhood. We walk, following the signs meant for drivers, to the Ipercoop. (See photos from our walk.... arent you glad we brought the camera??)


My mileage guy says we walked 1.5 miles, but it seemed much farther...


How to describe Ipercoop... maybe like a not-nearly-so-clean Super Walmart?? Course all the words are in Italian, all the people are speaking Italian, and the food is... Italian. By now we are hungry, sweaty, and tired. Mark heads for the electronic section while the girls and I look for something to eat. Here we make our first mistake... we go out the wrong place... ya know how when you want to leave the grocery store you sometimes just cut through a check stand?? Apparently, a big NO NO in Ipercoop. Out of nowhere appears a security dude who tells us in Italian that we need to go out the other way. I am thinking to myself, “but we are already out...” Instead I look at him with my blank “I have no idea what you are saying because I am a stupid American” look. “No parlo Italiano... mi dispiace.” So, he points to the far end of the store and says, “Uscita la! Exit la!!” and makes us go back in the way we came. We find the exit and there we find that there they have sensors to make sure people don’t steal stuff. The girls and I wonder if he thinks we were trying to steal.... Next, we make our way down the little mall and find some pizza. It’s then that we realize that the security guy is following us!! wow.... Then we try to order the pizza and the lady points to a sign that says we must pay, then order. We are learning that this is a common thing in Italy. You tell the person what you want as they stand by the cash register, you pay (here it is important to remember not to HAND them your money... you must put it in the little dog dish thing where they scoop it out and therein place your change - said lady was not happy that I handed her the money... sue me! I was still recovering from the cop incident!!) We sit and eat the pizza and a cannolo (dont make the mistake of calling it a cannoli! One is a cannolo and my ordering apparently really confused the pizza lady.) Then we set off into the store again to find Mark.

The rest of our time in the store goes smoothly and we are excited to find the screen we can velcro to our windows to help keep out the zanare (mosquitos.) While Mark and Emily are paying, Grace and I go to the Information Box to see if we can get directions to a closer bus stop. Here I am relieved to meet some very nice ladies. Course they dont speak a lick of English, but with my primary Italian language skills I understand that there is a bus stop right across the street - Bus # 57. So we dash across the traffic and read the bus schedule (also a picture)

which says the bus should be there at 17:21.

We have about 20 minutes to just chill there and we entertain ourselves singing off key. At 5:25 I suddenly realize that the schedule reads that this bus only runs on weekdays.... we bust out laughing.... for about 10 seconds until we realize we have absolutely NO idea how to find that other bus. So... we hike back into Ipercoop and return to the Information box. I explain to the nice ladies that #57 doesnt run on Saturdays and she then starts to ask her coworkers where the #28 stop might be. She has a very worried look on her face when she returns - I ask her to draw me a map and tell her she can speak Italian to explain. I pick up about every third word so armed with her map and instructions we begin our journey to the new bus stop. She says it will take at least 10 minutes. Off we go - fish out of water!! On our way, the #28 zooms past us and we realize that the street it turned off of has a bus stop right there!! Praise GOD!! We sit in the shade on an actual bench as we wait the 25 minutes for the bus. When it pulls up we feel a great sense of accomplishment!! Now you have to picture #28... Its two busses put together by an accordion thingy in the middle. The seats that are left put Mark and Em in the very back and when we hit the bumps in the street it gives Emily a rollercoaster ride as she flies a foot off the seat! Woot!!

The end of the trip finds us back on #7 - ahhhhhh, back to familiar...6hours from when we began!!! As we walk off the bus in Fiesole I get that same feeling I have had before when I get off a plane in Orange County after a long trip. My Italian comfort zone!! Praising our Lord for keeping His eye on us today - and for helping us feel home.

It's all about the Cross, really.

Permesso Update!

Glad you asked! I know you are all wondering if we are about to be escorted out of Italy. No worries... we think we have it figured out. Turns out that the magic “seal” they wanted was from the Vatican because they thought we were Roman Catholic missionaries. We now have a letter, in Italian, explaining that we are not and that our order doesnt even have a seal. The issue of the seal on the girls birth certificates might be a little more sticky. We shall see. We will be armed with the original translations of their birth certificates and pray for grace.

Our plan is to go there next week - probably on Wednesday. The thought is to be there VERY early (like in line at 6 AM) so that we can get to the scary window earlier in the day. Maybe then the lady behind the window will be in a better mood.... News at 11.

What is the Bible Basically About?

If you like thinkers, you'll like Tim Keller.

If you like Tim Keller, you'll like these 3:49.

If you like these 3:49, tell me why...please

Leslie's First Post

The View from the window @ Language School - Lord, Help us learn so we can speak Your love to this people!


So far, no two days have been alike. They are all full of adventure and challenges... Before we moved here we heard LOTS of stories about how hard it is to get anything done in Italy... especially in August when EVERYONE is on vacation. We have been pleasantly surprised that most things have gone very smoothly. I have for you the story of yesterday’s adventure, and today’s challenge!!

THE SEPTIC TANK
Monday morning I awoke to a terrible smell... and it wasn’t Mark! It seemed to be wafting up from the floor in our basement bedroom. Now, I am not used to living with a septic tank, but those of you who have done this know how bad they smell when they get full. That’s just what was happening.... so, we got up and went off to language school. As we were walking along the ancient streets surrounding the Duomo, I was looking at the ground, wondering how long those stones had been there while also wondering how long our septic tank had been full.... I was also BEGGING God not to let it overflow into my house while we were gone!! I am thankful to report that we came home to the smells, but not the sights, of a full tank. Here, I would like to introduce our amazing neighbors (Mauro and Luanna) who live next door ~ well, kind of right out of our front door to the right... anyway, I boldly rang their doorbell to ask them if they knew anything about the septic tank. Now, this is all very difficult because I speak three week’s worth of Italian and they speak less English. But, after much gesturing, dictionary flipping, and smelling of our house, they get the picture. Mauro goes home and gets a piece of paper with a friend’s number on it and calls his friend from our home phone. PRESTO!! The guy is coming in the morning at 7 AM to clean out our septic tank!!! It’s all who ya know, folks! And indeed, he came this morning - RIGHT ON TIME - and did the job. The smell is gone. Course, the funniest part of the evening last night was when we were all sitting around playing cards and the doorbell rang and the landlady, her three kids, and her mom all come in and want to smell the house too! Then there was the long conversation (again with two different languages and dictionaries) about whether we should wait to see what would happen. Obviously, we didnt wait!

THE QUESTURA
Then... there was today. A day that would surely fit into the category of “Well, that’s what Italy is like....” It was our appointment date at the immigration office here in Italy. We were supposed to be fingerprinted for our Permesso di Soggiorno (our Italian permission to stay.) We have jumped through many hoops to get to this day - including the Miami trip to get our Visas. We have (we think) all our i’s dotted and our t’s crossed. We have made copies abounding of all the necessary documentation. We are ready!! I go down early to get in line (since Mark is meeting the septic tank guy), which means I am on the 6:55 AM bus. I am so filled with love for this country and its people as I ride the bus down listening to worship songs on my ipod. I take the 10 minute walk to the Questura office feeling quite proud of myself for being out and about ALL alone at this hour. When I arrive at the office at about 7:20 there are already 300 people (really... not exaggerating!!) in line. I am pretty sure I am the only American there... definitely the only anglo. At about 8 o’clock the line starts moving slowly into the building where a policeman is handing out little tickets with letters and numbers on them. Mine says A114. So, I find a bench to sit on in this large L shaped room with 18 windows for the Questura workers. All the benches are set up in twos facing each other so we all get to try not to look at each other for the hours and hours we are there. Mark and the girls show up at about 8:30 before our number is posted. When A114 shows up on the screen I feel like I’ve won a prize!! I walk up and show the lady our stuff and she hands me ANOTHER ticket - H788. It is now 9:15 and I realize that since 8:30 only 15 H’s have been called. But at least they started with H701. We settle in for the long wait. The girls and I take a trip for coffee and when we come back we make friends with a cute little boy with brown eyes and dimples sitting across from us. Mark also makes friends with Luciano, an Italian man who is there with a lady he has imported from Georgia to take care of his elderly Mama. Time goes on.... at 12:30 we once again get called. This is where things start to get difficult. The lady behind the window is having a bad day... all she does when Mark says a cheerful, “Ciao” is roll her eyes. She gets angry because we only have one number for our family and I try to explain to her that the policeman told me to take only one for my family.... ah well. Frustrated with our English, she stomps off and gets her coworker who speaks our language. He then explains to us that there is some seal or stamp that we were supposed to receive at the Consulate in Miami to approve our letter of invitation... we have no idea what he is talking about since Fabbio at the consulate didn’t give us such a thing. And so far, no one else on our staff here has had to have the mysterious seal. He tells us we need to get the seal and come back another day to be fingerprinted. Then they give us ANOTHER number for someone to look at the girls’ papers.... B40 and B41. So...... another hour goes by so that the same english speaking guy can tell us, “You need that same seal on the birth certificates for your children.” Really??? Yeah.... my patience is running out (ok, it ran out already!!) So, at 1:45 PM we leave the building with nothing accomplished except to be told we need to come back another day and do it all again!! We are still puzzled as to how to get the seal. That will be an adventure for another day!! As we ride the bus back UP the hill to our house I am remembering my love for this country and these people.... Thanking God for the refinement that this day brought to all of us.

One Week Down, One to Go!

I love my job! I can't believe I get paid to do this job! Perhaps this is true because it's not a job, it's ministry. We get to see and hear of transcendent, eternal life change almost daily!

Just this week I heard the story from Massondou, Guinea of our JESUS Film team workers who literally built a bridge over a river to get to a particular village. After 3 days of showing the Film, 32 souls trusted Christ for salvation, and are in discipleship now! C'mon, now...that gets an out-loud amen, right?!



Italian language class has helped me have compassion for those who endure their jobs. Like me this week, these poor folks can't wait for the weekend. "Everybody's working for the weekend", the song lyrics go. What an awful feeling that must be if it's true of most weeks!



Well, one week down, and one to go. By Friday, we all knew infinitely more Italian than we did Monday (that's not much, I'm just sayin'...). Lorena is gettin loved on and having fun with us, because we're just a bunch of goofballs trying to communicate.
It's pouring in Firenze today, and girls had to get out of the house. Here are couple of pics:

Here's the old dude thanking God it's Friday!