Ciao, amici. I hope that all is well back home, be it Beebe, McRae, Conway or some other random, beautiful place.
What a week it has been. Since posting last Friday a lot of traveling has been done and a lot of people have been met. Hence the name of this update.
For starters, you all should know that my team and the rest of the folks here in Bologna are alright despite the earthquake scares. I felt my first one ever on Tuesday morning and it really wasn't bad....definitely not your stereotypical walls-shaking, things-breaking kind of ordeal.
Last Saturday, we visited Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet. Yesterday, we traveled to Venice and it was absolutely gorgeous. Hands down, my favorite of the places that we've been to so far.
Trust me, I have photos and they will be posted when I get home.
My favorite day of this week has probably been Tuesday. God keeps showering me in little, surprise blessings and I am so, so grateful. He is sweet to me when I deserve it the least.
You see, Tuesday I didn't really feel like being here. I couldn't focus in our group devotional that morning and I did not want to go out and meet Italian students. I was paired with a friend, Paige, and we decided to try to meet students at a coffee shop called ITIT (This place is so much like Starbucks that it's not even funny. The funny thing is that Italy dosen't have Starbucks because they hate chain places.) Before approaching someone to chat with, we prayed a lot and asked God to take away our apathy and to use us despite our unwillingness. Then, Paige tapped the shoulder of the girl behind her...and the rest is a wonderful history.
The girl's name is Carolina and later we met her boyfriend, Diego. They are both from Mexico City (Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Mexico.) and are here studying art and film making. We hung out with them for the rest of they day and got to share our testimonies.
Carolina said that she wants to believe, but dosen't know what to believe in and Diego wants to start reading the Bible. She also said that our testimonies were beautiful and that she had never heard people talk so truthfully and honestly about God. Carolina came to our weekly aperativo (pretty much a free buffet with the purchase of a drink) on Thursday and came to church with us this morning.
Meeting them truly made my day.
Then, on Thursday, I was out sharing with another friend Lauren. We had been rejected three times in a row, but I still wanted to keep trying. As I approached two girls, Lauren said, "Brittney, what are you doing? I don't think they want to talk." I responded with, "Until the whole world hears" and walked up to them. At first they were hesitant to speak with us, but by the end of our conversation we had made two new friends. Then, though they don't believe in God, they came to aperativo that night.
Out of at least 30 people that I invited last week it was those three, Carolina, Luisa and Melissa who came to hang-out with us on Thursday night.
I think that Oswald Chambers says it best in My Utmost for His highest, "What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us-He knows every detail of each of our individual lives."
I am so thankful that He knows me intimately and that even on this trip I have started to know Him more intimately. I'm slowly realizing that intimacy with God is priceless.
Tomorrow begins our second week on campus and I have some specific prayer requests for you guys:
Carolina-the opportunity to study the Bible with her
Diego-the same opportunity for one of the guys
Luisa and Melissa-that they will do well on their exams this week and that we will be able to hang-out with them more in the weeks to come
Personally, pray that I would speak wisdom into the lives of my teammates and that we would be able to grow closer together as a unit.
Also, we have some specific outreaches planned for Italian students:
A hike on June 5th @ 2 p.m.
A picnic on Wednesday, June 13 @12 p.m.
A dessert exchange/party on Friday June 22 @ 9 p.m.
Prayer in any capacity for these things would be greatly appreciated.
Love always,
Brittney
What a week it has been. Since posting last Friday a lot of traveling has been done and a lot of people have been met. Hence the name of this update.
For starters, you all should know that my team and the rest of the folks here in Bologna are alright despite the earthquake scares. I felt my first one ever on Tuesday morning and it really wasn't bad....definitely not your stereotypical walls-shaking, things-breaking kind of ordeal.
Last Saturday, we visited Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet. Yesterday, we traveled to Venice and it was absolutely gorgeous. Hands down, my favorite of the places that we've been to so far.
Trust me, I have photos and they will be posted when I get home.
My favorite day of this week has probably been Tuesday. God keeps showering me in little, surprise blessings and I am so, so grateful. He is sweet to me when I deserve it the least.
You see, Tuesday I didn't really feel like being here. I couldn't focus in our group devotional that morning and I did not want to go out and meet Italian students. I was paired with a friend, Paige, and we decided to try to meet students at a coffee shop called ITIT (This place is so much like Starbucks that it's not even funny. The funny thing is that Italy dosen't have Starbucks because they hate chain places.) Before approaching someone to chat with, we prayed a lot and asked God to take away our apathy and to use us despite our unwillingness. Then, Paige tapped the shoulder of the girl behind her...and the rest is a wonderful history.
The girl's name is Carolina and later we met her boyfriend, Diego. They are both from Mexico City (Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Mexico.) and are here studying art and film making. We hung out with them for the rest of they day and got to share our testimonies.
Carolina said that she wants to believe, but dosen't know what to believe in and Diego wants to start reading the Bible. She also said that our testimonies were beautiful and that she had never heard people talk so truthfully and honestly about God. Carolina came to our weekly aperativo (pretty much a free buffet with the purchase of a drink) on Thursday and came to church with us this morning.
Meeting them truly made my day.
Then, on Thursday, I was out sharing with another friend Lauren. We had been rejected three times in a row, but I still wanted to keep trying. As I approached two girls, Lauren said, "Brittney, what are you doing? I don't think they want to talk." I responded with, "Until the whole world hears" and walked up to them. At first they were hesitant to speak with us, but by the end of our conversation we had made two new friends. Then, though they don't believe in God, they came to aperativo that night.
Out of at least 30 people that I invited last week it was those three, Carolina, Luisa and Melissa who came to hang-out with us on Thursday night.
I think that Oswald Chambers says it best in My Utmost for His highest, "What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us-He knows every detail of each of our individual lives."
I am so thankful that He knows me intimately and that even on this trip I have started to know Him more intimately. I'm slowly realizing that intimacy with God is priceless.
Tomorrow begins our second week on campus and I have some specific prayer requests for you guys:
Carolina-the opportunity to study the Bible with her
Diego-the same opportunity for one of the guys
Luisa and Melissa-that they will do well on their exams this week and that we will be able to hang-out with them more in the weeks to come
Personally, pray that I would speak wisdom into the lives of my teammates and that we would be able to grow closer together as a unit.
Also, we have some specific outreaches planned for Italian students:
A hike on June 5th @ 2 p.m.
A picnic on Wednesday, June 13 @12 p.m.
A dessert exchange/party on Friday June 22 @ 9 p.m.
Prayer in any capacity for these things would be greatly appreciated.
Love always,
Brittney
Brittney! this makes me so EXCITED for you! God is moving and breathing and it makes me want to lift my hands :) I am praying for you and I know He will continue to work through you as you continue to be a willing vessel! I'm praying for carolina, diego, melissa and luisa and the events you have planned for the college students! :) I look forward to reading your next update!
ReplyDeleteKEEP SPREADING THE GOSPEL GIRLY :)