God's so good!

Well, it's now the end of week 4, of classes, I believe. Crazy how quickly this is going by! At one point it seemed so slow, and now it's flashing before my eyes. Well, I am enjoying teaching, for the most part. I enjoy talking with the students more... all the social stuff, more than the actual teaching English part.

The students, well most of them anyways, are so amazing! They're so nice and fun to be around. We have gone bowling, and to dinner a few times... really trying to build relationships. My "contact", Cristina is 17 years old and is so cute. She and I have really clicked, it seems. She speaks very good English, and is helping me learn more Italian. If you would be in prayer for her and me as I hang out with her and am able to speak with her, that would be amazing. What's truly stupendous is that last Sunday my friend Hannah and I were going to go into the center and hang out before church that evening and we invited Cristina along with us to hang out and then to church, and she came! I know God's hand was on that whole thing. I'm praying that she comes with Hannah and me again. One of the elders of the Italian Christian church, Ken, came up to her and started talking to her and he asked, "So, we will see you again?" and her response, "Yes! On Sunday evenings right?" :) We will see what happens.

The ESL teachers, Maureen, Becky and I, are going through a Romans study every week. How convicting is Romans??! VERY! The main concept that I have been learning... It's not about me! Nothing is about me! Everything from what we say to how we act need to point back to Christ... not ourselves. When we go through a hard time, we should rejoice, knowing that God wouldn't have planned it out that way if it wasn't going to bring Himself glory.

A quote from the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan is: "Worry implies that we don't quite trust God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we're involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards others, and our tight grip of control." - This book is amazing! If you haven't read it.... you need to. This is my own personal study that I have been going through, and although it's not an actual "Bible study" it has practical concepts that are really convicting. What I love about this book is it's correlating with things from Romans. And what I love about Francis Chan is that he's very direct and to the point.... NO beating around that bush!

Anyways, those are a couple things going on in my life right now. Main prayer request: that I get to have several times of getting to hang out with Cristina and really be able to share the gospel with her. That the Holy Spirit opens up her heart and that she's wanting to know more. Thank you so much for your prayers and support through out this trip! What a huge blessing you've been to me and to the people of Italy!

Registration for and Teaching ESL

I was able to visit Bailey for a week! While I was there, she had registration for the ESL classes and began the classes. Here she is at the first class up at the board teaching.

This is after the last class of the night...the advanced class...they all seem to hang around and want to talk to the teachers. They end up going out a lot with the students after class or meeting them for coffee at other times.

The above two pictures are of registration for the ESL classes in Valvasone. There were so many people who registered for classes! It was beyond everyone's expectations...praise God!

The past couple of weeks.

I'm so sorry I haven't written on this for awhile! I have been super busy.

Last Monday-Thursday we had sign-ups for ESL classes. We got a huge turn out in the two towns that we're teaching ESL, Udine and Valvesone. I believe all in all we have almost 200 people. :) That's so amazing, and I know that God brought the people He wanted to be there. That doesn't even count kids classes. :D

In between sign-ups, my mom came in on Wednesday. We had a great week. We went to Slovania and then to Venice. She got to come to Thursday night sign-ups in Valvesone. My mom also got to experience the Italian church, I think she liked it... but it's hard to get anything out of it. After church, we went to this castle, about 25 minutes away and had great food. It was very much a girly, fancy place. SOOOOOO pretty too.

Monday started classes, I was soooo nervous. Spoke way to fast... but all in all, I think I did somewhat okay. Tuesday Becky, my roommate, and I went down to Valvesone to teach with Maureen, my boss. It's such a different feel from Udine to Valvesone... very laid back and easy going people. Where as Udine is not like that... pretty much the complete oppostie.

My mom left yesterday..... It was one of the saddest days of my life. I don't know why it was so hard, because I'm only here for another 10 weeks. But it was super hard. I got up at 4:15 a.m. because a family friend that traveled with my mom and grandmother came and her flight left at 8 a.m. So, we had to get up to take her to the airport. So, we drove to Venice, where the airport is and dropped off my mom, grandmother and family friend then Mrs. Jeannette and I took the bus to the train station and then took the train back home. I wasn't feeling well, all morning... fever, headache, going back and forth between hot/cold, runny nose, etc. In the afternoon, I felt even worse, Becky and I left for classes, here in Udine and I just felt horrible, didn't teach any of the base class because I felt like I could throw up at any moment. So, I sat in the corner trying to act happy... I don't think it worked very well though.

Today I feel, the TINIEST bit better, but no where that I need to be to teach a class. My voice is pretty much at a whisper... it's not good. So, I don't think I will be going down to Valvesone to teach classes tonight... :(

Prayer Requests:
1) That I find someone in the intermediate or advance class that I can minister to.
2) That I start to feel better, so I can actually do what I came here to do.
3) That the people's hearts will be softened to here what we have to say.

Thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers. You guys are such huge blessings in my life.