Thanksgiving and Goodbye

This was my second Thanksgiving in a row being away from home. As some of you know, I got to go to Pass Christian, Mississippi, last year to help with the Katrina relief during Thanksgiving, so it was very sad when I realized this summer that I would be missing it again. I did get to talk to my family which was wonderful. Thanksgiving is to be a time for us to get together and think about how God has blessed us-- feeling overwhelmed with His blessing upon my life it was appropriate this year that I had the pleasure of two Thanksgivings here in Firenze. One at my site-director's apartment with the other American students at I.E. and the other a few days later at Scott and Terri Last's house where I have spent every Sunday this semester at "Renaissance Italia" the small group/church where I have been worshipping. The Italian government will not give Scott, Terri and the rest of the Christian Associates International new visas to stay in the country and start the church they were hoping to. God has called a few of them to Portugal, some back to the states, and a few to other parts of the world. Needless-to-say Firenze will miss them all terribly. They plan to leave this coming weekend and this thanksgiving feast was the last get together they will have. The students and others that have been able to go to this church have been nothing but blessed by this ministry. Please pray for them as they start new chapters in their lives all over the world and pray for the church they leave behind that God will use it to bless students and Italians searching for Christ. This was one of the biggest blessings coming to Italy- finding a home with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Know how thankful I am for each of you in my life. I got to speak to one of my closest friends on the phone a few nights ago and it was amazing to see God speak right through her to me. He knew I needed to hear everything she said and placed her at the right place at the right time. It made me miss you all so much and look forward to next semester when I can feel at home just by spending time with you all.
Happy Belated Thanksgiving!
These are a few pictures of the wonderful people at my church and the view from the apartment!

So many things, so little time!

I know that I haven't updated in a while, and this will be a pathetic excuse for one, but I have been hard-pressed to find the time to do it. I have been moved up a few levels in Italian within the last week and I am trying to keep my head above water. My parents left at the beginning of last week and they left behind a girl pretty excited to go home. I am not really "homesick", but because I have only been at my house for 4 nights over the past 6 months, I'd say it's about time to crawl back into my own bed for a few nights. I say a few nights because after that you might hear me say how much I'm missing Italy. What can I say? I love it here too!
The time with my parents was, to say the least, amazing. If any of you know my parents, you know how phenomenal they are- how genuine, caring, generous and loving. I am so blessed to have such wonderful examples of God's love in my life. If you don't know my parents, get to know them. They are awesome. I would show you pictures of our trip but Dad took all the pictures and then took the camera home. I'll show them all to you when I get back.
Two weeks and 6 days until I hop off that plane.




So blessed.

Conio Olive Grove

I had the opportunity to go to the Conio Groves on the outskirts of Florence in a town called San Donato in Poggio. I got to help the havest for a few hours by picking olives. It was about 60 degrees and sunny on one of the most beautiful pieces of land I have ever seen. It was set back from the road with vineyards and olive trees lining every view. The vineyards are just now starting to change colors- they look like a rainbow on the backdrop of the green grass. It's olive oil season here in Tuscany and the entire countryside is harvesting their crops. Yesterday I had one of the most relaxing times I have ever had. After I helped pick some olives and took a stroll near the lake, I was able to enjoy some olive oil that had been made from that grove the day before. Along with the toasted bread with olive oil came andante pasta with fresh basil and tomatoes, our choice of chicken, ham, or pork accompanied with a beautiful green salad adorned with fresh balsamic vinegar that our host had made. And as is Tuscan style, we had a wonderful custard dessert. I won't go into any detail about that though because I am sure you will all hate me. After this huge meal, I rolled into the car and went to visit the olive press that they used to make the oil. Because these machines are so expensive, there are only a few in Tuscany and the time rented is very valuable. The work that goes into it all is amazing, and so is the product. Let me know if you want me to bring some fresh olive oil back for you! I took about 200 pictures yesterday, so I'll just show my favorites.
Please pray for my parents within the next 24 hours as they are flying into Florence tonight to see me! I am so excited to see them and show them around- they're excited too! They get a free tour guide!

1 Peter 4

If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a multitude of experiences that are not meant for you at all, they are meant to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what transpires in other souls so that you will never be surprised at what you come across. Oh, I can't deal with that person. Why not? God gave you ample opportunity to soak before Him on that line, and you barged off because it seemed stupid to spend time in that way.

The sufferings of Christ are not those of ordinary men. He suffered "according to the will of God," not from the point of view we suffer from as individuals. It is only when we are related to Jesus Christ that we can understand what God is after in His dealings with us. It is part of Christian culture to know what God's aim is. In the history of the Christian Church the tendency has been to evade being identified with the sufferings of Jesus Christ; men have sought to procure the carrying out of God's order by a short cut of their own. God's way is always the way of suffering, the way of the "long, long trail."

Are we partakers of Christ's sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp our personal ambitions right out? Are we prepared for God to destroy by transfiguration our individual determinations? It will not mean that we know exactly why God is taking us that way, that would make us spiritual prigs. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through; we go through it more or less misunderstandingly; then we come to a luminous place, and say - ' 'Why, God has girded me, though I did not know it!"

Oswald Chambers
November 5- My Utmost for His Highest

Orchestra della Toscana

I went to the orchestra last night by myself and had a marvelous time. Between the Ravel piano concerto and Stravinsky's Pulcinella, it was all I could do not to stand up after every selection. It wasn't really even the quality of the orchestra- they were certainly not the best I had ever hear (especially those woodwinds...eek). But I think I realized a few things while I was there.
I realized how much I love music. It has always been a huge part of my life, but sometimes I take it for granted. It's so fun, interesting, entertaining, thought provoking, emotional, and intricate. What more could you want, really? I might only know 3 1/2 years of an undergrad degree about music, but I love it. It is comforting, but at the same time able to be criticized and critiqued (and it can't bite back). It's a discussion starter between people that share the common interest of music as well as a healthy thing to be on your mind. I just sat there with a huge smile on my face in gratefulness for such a wonderful thing (I know, Abbey, you threw up a little in your mouth, didn't you?).
And music is a lot like life. You can work and work and work to be perfect, but you'll never get there. Even music has its faults, just like the rest of us. The inability to be perfect. But we must strive to be perfect because we are called to do so (Matt 5:48).
Good thing I've got grace.
That's the one thing music doesn't have, just 2000 critical audience memebers waiting for you to screw up. And we've got One audience member waiting to catch us when we fall.