Sunday was our friend Sabrina's 21st birthday. We had a garden party for her at my teammate Marti's apartment. It was a fun evening of fellowship and also a great opportunity to meet students. One of the coolest things about the evening was watching our believing Italian friends [mostly from our church] meeting and getting to know Sabrina's friends who are not believers.
Here are some pictures from the party!

[sabrina with her cake]

[getting a pair of shoes she had admired in a store window]

[marti & sarah bringing out the cake]

[sabrina & some of the friends at the party]

[first group picture of the evening]

[second group picture. in true italian fashion people were coming & going for about 3 hours]

Creating Space.

For the past several weeks our team has been meeting with a group of our national leaders who have helped us revisit some of the foundational things about ministry and why we are in Italy. Together we have studied scripture, talked through our national vision, and discussed what it looks like to do ministry effectively in this country.
One of the things our leaders talked with us about was 'creating space for ministry.' This is an idea that has been before us over the past two years, but it was great to be reminded of it.
I am really looking forward to the next couple of months. Our team has reevaluated and restructured some things and I can't wait to see what happens with the new spaces we have created for ministry to happen. This basically means we have moved our schedule around and have added a few things so that there are regularly occurring consistent blocks of time where we will be doing life with students outside of the university campus.
Pray with us that God would use these times to help Italians see Him. Pray that the image of Christ would be seen through myself and my teammates. Pray that we would have wisdom and boldness with the Gospel.

Pancakes & Sun.

Saturday was a beautiful day in Florence.
Probably the nicest one we have had so far this Spring. We were so thankful for the warm temperatures and sunny skies - especially since we had planned a pancake extravaganza for that day. :)
We invited a bunch of our Italian friends over to my teammates Ross & Lindsay's apartment and made about 12 batches of pancakes. We spent the afternoon eating delicious pancakes, talking, and playing games out in the backyard.
It was really great to get to spend time together and deepen friendships. It was also fun to get to share an American breakfast tradition with the Italians. Many of them had never had pancakes before and most of the students wanted a copy of the recipe to take home with them. :)
Please continue to pray for more opportunities to deepen our current relationships as well as begin new ones. Pray that Christ would be put on display and that we would be bold with the gospel. Pray that Italian students would come to faith this Spring.

<sup>i've been pouring over this chapter from Isaiah today.
it really puts the crucifixion back into perspective for me.
it was ME. me that despised and rejected him. me that turned my back on him.
me that he was pierced, beaten, and whipped for.
and me that has been given new life and restored to right-standing with the Father.
there is definitely reason to celebrate!


1</sup> Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
² My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
³ He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.

⁴ Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows^a]">[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
⁶ All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
⁸ Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.^b]">[b]
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.^c]">[c]
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
⁹ He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.

¹⁰ But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
¹¹ When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
¹² I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

Isaiah 53 [New Living Translation]

Praise the One, Risen Son of God.

Today is Palm Sunday.
I think of the original followers of Jesus who, having no idea their King was about to be crucified, worshiped Him as he entered Jerusalem shouting:
"Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the king of Israel!"
But Jesus knew. He knew what was before him. As he rode through the streets watching the people waving palm branches and worshiping him [and probably others laughing at him or even cursing him] He knew. He knew that in just a short amount of time he would endure terrible mocking, criticism, and beating and then die a very brutal death for all of them - those who believed and followed him, and those by whom he was scorned. As they beat him up to the point of death, somehow he still loved them. He still loved me. He still loved you. And he chose to die - so that we may have life with him eternally.
Join me as I spend time this week reflecting on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Let's allow Him to remind us of the price He paid for us, the beauty of salvation, and the power demonstrated when He defeated death.
And as we do this let's pray for Italians. Pray that this Easter wouldn't pass by as just another holiday in a nation that is culturally religious. Pray that their hearts would be softened and that they would hear the story of Jesus' death and resurrection as if for the first time. Pray that the power that raised Jesus for the dead would pierce the hearts of the people in this nation and cause them to turn to Him.

Check Out:
Colossians 2:13-15
John 12:23-33
2 Corinthians 5:19-21
Romans 5:8-11
Acts 2:24
John 3:16

Before the Throne of God Above
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One,
Risen Son of God!

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!

One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God

An Excerpt From My Journal.

January 14, 2010

I've listened to this sermon called The One Who Answers Our Cry about four times in the past 2 weeks. The text for the sermon is 2 Samuel 22 - if I hadn't listened to the sermon, this scripture would have had an entirely different meaning for me...it might even be a bit discouraging. But listening to the message - one at the end of a series on Samuel and David - the speaker gives context. This Psalm of David is written after Psalm 51 - the Psalm written after David takes Bathsheba and commits adultery with her, gets her pregnant, schemes to try to cover it up, and when that plan doesn't work, has her husband killed on the battlefield. This very same man writes about the Lord being his rock, refuge, and shield. He tells of how he cried out to God and He rescued him from the grips of death. And my favorite part - "He rescued me because He delights in me" David - adulterer, murder, liar - someone just like me - proclaims not just that God loves Him, but also that the God of Heaven and earth delights in him! Wow!
And it gets even better...in the very next verses David says "The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence."
My initial reaction is to think David was either crazy or a liar We know he sinned. The Bible states it very clearly. But David had it right. He actually believed God when he said that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness [1 John 1:9]. Psalm 51 is a Psalm of confession - and a cry to the Lord to show him mercy and restore him to right-standing. Psalm 51 is moving - I read it and relate to it often...but 2 Samuel 22 is even more powerful to me. In Psalm 51 David is doing what I do all the time - confessing sin, crying out to God to rescue him...but in 2 Samuel he is boldly embracing the loving promises of God. He is proclaiming his right-standing with the Father - despite what he has done. He mourned over and confessed his sins...but then he embraced God's abundant grace. He really believed it.
Oh, that I would be able to truly see the love of my Father who's grace and love are so abundant and unending that when I confess my sins to him, he really does create in me a clean heart and I am again blameless - washed whiter than snow.

Yes, I do exist.

So, clearly I haven't posted since October.
I have, however, still been in Italy this whole time.
I got busy and didn't post for a while, and then started feeling guilty for not posting, so continued to not post because I just thought I couldn't catch up. And I can't. But right now I am deciding to post anyway. Writing is something I enjoy. Sharing my life in Italy and the things that God is doing or teaching me, or trying to teach me is also something I enjoy...So I'm trying to make a comeback. :)
Forgive my absence. And forgive me if I drop off again. But for now I am making a move back toward a functioning blog. Enjoy!