Michigan's Adventure

This theme park by name seems to elude that it is Michigan's one and only adventure. I don't think that is the case, but it was our family's first adventure at an amusement park. You may be thinking was that really a good idea with kids ranging from 2-5 years old? Believe me if it wasn't for the height restriction on some of the rides Emma & Luca would have been soaring in the sky on roller coaster after roller coaster. We started the kids off on the Level 1 rides which was great because there were no lines and it was immediate gratification to run from ride to ride. Samuel kept saying he wanted to go on the big roller coasters. We were hesitant to say "yes", but after seeing all 3 kids raise their hands at the top of the hill on their level 3 ride, there was no doubt they were up for the thrill rides. It was so funny to see Luca get on all the rides by himself and try to fasten his seat belt. He didn't want any help with that! I'm sure he was the only kid big enough to ride some of the rides who could not yet form a sentence. Samuel went on the "Corkscrew" and absolutely loved going upside down! He's come a long way from being the toddler who could not step out on our balcony without getting scared.

In the afternoon we went to the water park section and spent the rest of the day going down water slides and playing in the kiddie section. Samuel again went with Dada and Munga on all the water slides including the "Funnel of Fear". Emma and Luca played in the smaller pools and Mamma and Gramma spent the whole time teaching Luca how to wait his turn for the water slide and to make sure he didn't intake too much water at the bottom of the slide. It would be no exaggeration to say that Luca went nearly 200 times down the slide. It was a continual run from the pool to the top of the slide for 3 hours straight! Needless to say he was in his element being that slides and pools are his two most favorite places in the world. It was so funny to see him perfect his sliding and every time he got his feet up under him at the bottom he would raise his arms like a gymnast at the end of their routine and say "eehh!!" with this huge smile on his face! I was so bummed I didn't have our video camera! Thanks Munga and Gramma for a wonderful day of adventure!

I just realized that my memory card lost a ton of photos...here's a tamer taste of our day...

Atop the Ferris Wheel

Americanata

Over the past few months we have often been asked: "What do Italians think of Americans?" We came across the following from an Italian blog just last week and thought you might enjoy reading for yourself what often runs through the minds of Italians when they think of Americans. Don't take offense...at some point we'll do a reverse cultural look. So here is a partial list of "Americanate" (plural)...bet you didn't even realize there was such a word!

Americanata (AMERICAN-OTTA), an Italian term describing anything that is exaggerated, overdone, garish, pompous, boorish or just in plain bad taste -- in a uniquely American way.

EATING IN PUBLIC -- A college student brings a piece of pizza to class and sits there eating it, oblivious, while the professor lectures. "In Italy, we would never do something like that, "one Italian says. Why? The professor-student relationship is more formal, for one. Eating is taken more seriously. And Italians have better manners. You're not likely to see anywhere in Italy a family of Italians rolling down the highway while they each eat their fast-food dinners. The culture of la tavola -- the table -- demands more respect for a meal.

RECORD MANIA -- Hot dog-eating contests, amassing the biggest ball of twine in the world, flying around the world in a balloon -- the lure of setting a world record drives many Americans to extremes of accomplishment -- and bad taste. That summertime tradition, the pie-eating contest, may win Bubba a bask in the spotlight at the county fair. But when Italians see boys burying their faces in blueberry pies and scarfing them down come porci -- like pigs -- using food as a toy -- they add another Americanata to the list.

MISUSED ITALIAN FOOD NAMES/FOODS -- My wife and I stared at the colorful poster advertizing Pizza Hut's latest delicacy, "Tuscani Pastas."

"Delicious pasta dinners in Meaty Marinara or Creamy Chicken Alfredo. Finally, restaurant quality pasta delivered right to your door!" She wrinkled her face in distaste. "Oh. My. Gosh!" Then she asked the question millions of Italians who come to the USA still want answered: "Who's Alfredo?"

"Tuscani Pastas" ... never mind that neither word exists in English (pastas?) or Italian (it would be paste Toscane). Creating a lasagna-like dish out of rotini and chicken, then covering that with a glutinous blanket of cheese and cream sauce and baking it into a hot, oily mush, well ... any native Italians seeing the ads will likely be retching. A third-degree -- or make that a 350-degree -- Americanata.

Misused Italian food names are a rich source of Americanate, one that will never run out as long as there exists a single food company executive somewhere in the USA hoping to market the latest glop churned out by his factories by sticking an Italian-sounding name on it.

Pizza Hut is only the latest offender in the misuse of Italian terms. My wife and I used to walk past an Italian restaurant -- it has since closed -- in my former home state of Delaware whose sign out front proudly advertised "insulata" (insalata -- Italian for salad). Then there are those signs in upscale delis and coffee shops touting "Our new panini sandwich!" Panini means sandwiches -- plural -- in Italian, so they're actually selling people their "new sandwiches sandwich!" And Italian customers silently register another Americanata.

Then there's Dunkin Donuts' warm-weather drink, the "Coolatta." In Italian, culatta -- pronounced COO-LOTT-UH, just like the drink -- is a buttock. So if you see Italians giggling and pointing at the menu in DD, now you know why.

Of course, the misused words are just the surface covering the real horror - the food itself. Most Italian-American dishes sold here are cheesy, oily, caricatures of Southern Italian cuisine, whether it's Tuscani Pastas or that big plate of spongy pasta topped with a brownish, tannic-tasting red sauce and mealy meatballs you get at your local Mama Whatever's ("serving fine Italian food since 1957"). Often these are the creations of food company marketers, like the horrendous "stuffed crust pizza" now being touted by several pizza chains. Olive Garden's website currently boasts its latest specials, "Five Cheese-stuffed Rigatoni with Shrimp" and "Five Cheese-stuffed Rigatoni with Sausage." But ... the essence of real Italian food is simplicity and quality. Filled pasta like cappelletti is made with either ricotta or mortadella and served in a simple but delicious chicken broth. Period. And regular pasta is typically served with a few herbs, vegetables and olive oil, or with a simple red sauce or béchamel. There are Italian rigatoni dishes that include ricotta, bits of sausage and a sprinkling of pecorino, but the star of the dish is still the pasta; they don't stuff the rigatoni with five cheeses, drown it in oil and then bury the resulting mess under sausage and shrimp.

LOOK AT ME! Whether it's appearing on American Idol, Dance War, or The Biggest Loser, becoming a YouTube sensation or the star of your local karaoke night, the desire for public attention, for that 15 minutes -- or even 15 seconds -- of fame, is a top Americanata. Or, as our friend Giampiero e-mailed, via translation, "The mania to astonish people, at all costs, and in all ways -- and on TV if at all possible." So we have brides and grooms saying their vows while skydiving, or wearing scuba masks, fiancés pledging their love on billboards, or, as the newswires recently reported, an "artist" in Orlando, Florida, marking Feb. 29 (Leap Day) by devoting himself to leaping off a platform for the entire 24 hours "to get people to think how they spend their day."

SUPERSIZE NATION -- Italians like Americans but often joke about our love of living large, a love that has spawned various Americanate. Used to small cups of espresso quickly downed while standing at a bar, they gape at workplace coffee cups the size of small buckets; accustomed to ultra-compact Smart Cars, they are stunned by SUVs so large they are a threat to anything that gets near them and actually require small-truck license tags.

THESE COLORS DON'T RUN -- The presence of the flag at the football pre-game ritual -- and everywhere else you look -- is a quintessential Americanata; no other country in the world waves the flag quite so tirelessly as Americans, whether it's in ads for patriotism-injected pick-ups, blue-collar beer, or power tools, on T-shirts or underwear, a lapel pin -- lawmakers, don't get caught not wearing one! -- or a house-size Old Glory looming perilously over a car dealership parking lot. Italians marvel at this, the pride and pomposity of it all. Maybe they're more jaded when it comes to nationalism -- their last embrace of it didn't end so well. And national identity in Italy is a relatively thin veneer over much more deeply rooted allegiances to family, town and region. Whatever the reason, watching Americans shouting "Yoo-Ess-Ay! Yoo-Ess-Ay! Yoo-Ess-Ay!" or wearing their patriotism on their sleeves -- and sneakers, and beer wraps and briefs -- makes Italians laugh. And groan.

:: Celebrating 8 Years ::

The blessings of the past 8 years of marriage can hardly be expressed in words. God has been so amazingly good to us and the years just seem to be getting sweeter and sweeter as we grow in our love and knowledge of Jesus Christ and seek to live lives truly changed. On August 19, 2000 we tied the knot and our family has certainly changed since then. Four years ago Jonathan surprised me with a trip to California and a getaway in Santa Barbara to celebrate our anniversary. Little did we expect that four years later would be our next opportunity for an overnight getaway. Having newborns didn't help much nor the fact that it isn't always possible to find someone to watch your kids while on the field. So taking advantage of the family help over the past 5 months has really given us lots of dates--so refreshing for us!

Tuesday we went to Grand Haven, Michigan to celebrate. It was only 35 minutes away so a good choice since we have had plenty of car time over the past month. We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast called the Boyden House and we certainly enjoyed our first B&B experience. We walked along the boardwalk, enjoyed the sunset on the beach and the fact that our conversation was uninterrupted or just walking in silent contentment...a really strange feeling after always having the chatter of kids around. It was a long overdue & super refreshing time for us and we are so very thankful we were able to getaway!

A Week in Pictures

Emma was so excited to go on her "Dada-date" this past week. A trip to the coffee house and mall where perfect for some carousal rides, shopping, playland and some special time with her Dada.

Saturday we spent the day at Tunnel Park and beach where the kids thoroughly enjoyed the water and beach time. For all you Californians: Michigan beaches are actually very impressive. I would have never thought so myself but I am thoroughly convinced that it's the closest thing to California!

Lots of beach with no seaweed!

Future model?

A true indication that Luca and Emma have sandy-blond hair
Luca is getting more and more brave in the water with each visit
The waves are not fit for surfing, but sufficient for jumping in and getting knocked down by

Back in Michigan

We have had an incredibly busy past month with a lot on our plates in regards to traveling and sharing our ministry. In the past 5 weeks we have visited 6 of our supporting churches and have enjoyed reconnecting with so many along the way. We have traveled 2,874 miles in the car in addition to the flight from California to Michigan. The kids have held up amazingly and traveling attitudes could not have been better. Every time they get in the car they never know where they'll end up. "Are we going to a hotel? Are we going to Michigan? Are we going to Italy? Are we going to church today?" One huge step of growth we have seen in the past month is in Emma. She was previously very scared to be left alone in a new place and would often mean that I needed to stay with her. However, everywhere we go now she is so excited to learn and interact with other kids and joyfully waves goodbye to me at the door. It has been so neat to see her come out of her shell and interact without fear. Thank you to all of you who have made our children feel so special, loved and welcomed along our travels.

We have been encouraged by the new support we have received in the past month and are so thankful for a new individual supporter and that some of our supporting churches have stepped up and increased their support. We are now awaiting God's provision of the additional $800/mo. that we still need. We will not be making our return to Italy on September 2 as we had originally planned. Thus, we are making arrangements for getting Samuel registered for Kindergarten here in Michigan and Emma in pre-school. We are working to line up new churches and gather small groups in which we can present our ministry. Jonathan is applying for seminary at Baptist Bible Seminary to work on his MMin and considering the process of ordination. So our plates will remain busy during this time of waiting, but we are excited about what God is doing and the things He is teaching us in the process. If you are interested in meeting with us while on our extended stay in America (Michigan & Ohio in particular) please contact us.

Campa Update

I didn't mean to leave you hanging in regards to my grandpa's leg bi-pass surgery. I previously asked for prayer last Friday when we thought he was going to be squeezed into the doctor's surgery schedule. However, that was not able to happen until Tuesday of this week. The surgery lasted over 6 hours and about 4 hours in to it he started to have congestive heart failure. The doctor's were successfully able to complete the surgery and do the best they could on his one leg. The following 24 hours were very critical as the fluid around Campa's heart was not leaving. I talked with my mom yesterday and she said the fluid has since left and he was alert and seeming to be doing well. He is still in ICU and will be in the hospital for maybe a week. Pray for parents as they seek God's wisdom and direction in the next and appropriate step for Campa's future care. Thank you for your prayers! They are so appreciated!

Dada-kid Dates

Sometimes with three children we feel like there is this constant battle for our attention. We are thankful for the one-on-one times we get with our children whether that might be with Samuel during nap time for his siblings, a run to the grocery store or library, or just the unexpected times when the siblings don't interrupt a special moment with Mamma or Dada. Recently, we as parents have been challenged to make more intentional moments with our kids where they fully have our undivided attention. These special times on "dates" with Dada are something we are excited about as a family tradition and no doubt the kids will eat it up as well.

Yesterday Jonathan took Samuel to the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum in Dayton. In the morning Jonathan told Samuel that he had a special surprise for him. Samuel was so excited to leave and begin his Dada date. He felt pretty special too that I let him take my camera for the occasion. Since Jonathan has become more of an avid photographer this furlough you can really see Samuel's interest in picture taking grow as well. He is very funny to watch when you let him have the camera. He tries to take these abstract shots or gets down on his hands and knees to capture something from a different angle just like his dad. It's really so very cute!

Samuel had a blast! Jonathan said he was ecstatic to see all the airplanes and he kept asking: "Dada, is that a good-guy airplane or a bad-guy airplane? Are these good-guy guns?" If Jonathan lingered to read a sign he was quickly encouraged by Samuel to hurry up and keep moving. Samuel & Dada both said that sitting in the cockpit was their favorite part. Samuel was treated to a space shuttle toy that came with a little astronaut guy. When he came in the house it was still unopened and he made sure to tell me that the astronaut was for Luca. It was all his idea and so sweet that he wanted to give it to Luca. Luca didn't quite appreciate the gesture as he chucked it across the room. Oh well. Here are some pictures from their afternoon of fun together.

Fun in Ohio

The neighbor kids: Gabby & Chip have provided some fun play time in their pool

Jason & Jen Zaugg stopped by with their boys, Elisha & Micah, for a visit from Akron.

Luca enjoying the wide open spaces & fun at the Wallis' house

"Where does she get those curls?" - a question we get asked daily!

Ethan & Samuel

Young's Jersey Dairy Farm...fun for the whole herd!

Lots of fun was had by feeding the goats, sitting on the tractors & of course eating some amazing ice cream!

August 1st Tidbits

• Today, Noella's grandpa is having bi-pass surgery on one of his legs to increase his circulation in the lower leg. He has been in pain for some time now with this particular issue that has prevented some open sores from healing on his feet, which has not allowed him to walk much either. We pray this will be a successful surgery for him and that his heart will be able to sustain the anestesia once again. He will be in the hospital for 5-7 days baring no complications.
• This past Tuesday Jennie, Miguel & Diego went to the capital city of Santiago to pay their visits to the US Consulate. We rejoice with them and praise God that Diego received his US citizenship and Miguel received his Visitor's Visa without any problems. I know there were some amazing circumstances that God orchestrated for them during their visit...having accomplished both tasks in 3 hours is a miracle if you have any experience working with bureaucracy internationally. I'll be sure to direct you to their site when Jen posts the full story. However, in a nutshell this means they will finally be able to travel to the US as a family. A complete 2008 Fisher family reunion just might become a reality for us!
• We are excited also to officially share that Ben & Melissa are expecting baby #2 in February. So a huge congratulations to them and to Maddie for her big sister role soon to come!
• We praise the Lord for His provision of increased support in the past week that now brings our support need under the $1,000 mark. However, it will not be enough to send us back on that plane in September, so we are making our plans for a prolonged stateside visit. We have now heard back from all the new churches we presented to in the spring and received negative answers. We are working hard at filling up our fall schedule with new churches but it is a very difficult task, so if anyone has leads please pass them along. Pray we will be faithful to the task God has called us to and that we will have patience and peace as we wait for Him to reveal His timing for our return.