Chicken Day

Yesterday, we had the privilege and joy of distributing 46 fresh chickens to families in need (plus another 4 to the volunteer staff).  We worked collaboratively with the Caritas group in which Melissa has been helping since the fall.  She has been offering cookies, tea and a warm smile on a weekly basis as these families come and wait to be heard and assisted with paying bills, receiving food bags, or whatever.  I have joined Melissa once before on a Tuesday afternoon to serve alongside her.  I cannot imagine what a depressing experience it was for the people prior to her arrival.  She has brought a warmth to the experience and much organization that really helps rid the frustrations that disorder can create.      

As a team yesterday, our desire was to provide the families with a gift in which they could use to prepare a special meal for Easter.  To most of these families, fresh meat is a luxury, so you can understand the smiles and expressions of gratitude we received.  We purchased the chickens as a team and gave them out in the name of our church, Solae.  We also created a booklet with an Easter message that we pray will be read (that alone would be an answer to prayer) and that hearts will be touched by the hope we have in Jesus because of his resurrection.

We are praying that this simple gesture and gift would open up doors to further communicate the gospel.  The economic situation in Italy is going from bad to worse, very rapidly.  Could this be a means in which God chooses to draw people to himself?  We pray so.  We pray also for great wisdom and compassion to reach into the lives of so many hurting people around us.

 Our display and chickens in the crate on the table

 Booklet "Jesus touched the coffin"

(Sorry, I can't seem to rotate the image)

Luca stayed home from school for the afternoon since he was not feeling well, and although he covered the flash with his hand, at least we have a picture to show of us right before opening the doors at 3:00.  

This is after the initial rush of people came through for their Easter gift.  I hesitate to take any closer or better people pictures in order to protect their privacy and be sensitive to what can be very a humiliating thing for so many in asking for help.  You can however, see the table through the people in which Melissa serves tea and cookies.

On Monday, Melissa and I spent the entire morning together making 150+ cookies.  We had to double the normal amounts needed only because we had asked all the families to come yesterday to receive a special gift.  There are basically two groups that rotate being seen every other week.

Recent Reads

Here are some recent books that I have finished reading, and thought I would share them with you.  Raising a Daughter After God's Own Heart, by Elizabeth George took me a long time to read, as I would read a chapter or two every month. (That is what happens when I try to read multiply books at one time)  It was a good book with many good biblical reminders about servant leadership, importance of prayer and influencing your daughter by being who God wants you to be first.  Taking care of your own heart and communing with God daily, being that example to your daughter of living and loving Jesus with your whole heart above all else.  

The Church Planting Wife by Christine Hoover was the first book that I have come across written specifically to the church planting wife and her role.  There are some amazing books out there on the dynamics of church planting, but nothing that would really prepare a wife for the reality of the hardships (and joys) of being the church planting wife.  I felt an immediate connection with Cristine because we are around the same age and similar life experience, and it really made me feel like I am not alone in this role that is so hard to explain to anyone else who has not been there.  She writes honestly  from her American church planting experience and I agreed with what she said, but would just magnify it by 10x for a cross cultural context.  I appreciated that in each chapter she included an interview with other ministry wives that served as another voice to create a sort of community of encouragement.  The book was biblically solid and indeed lived up to being a "help and hope for her heart" as I fulfill God's calling on my life to stand beside my man in ministry as a church planting wife.  An excellent read for any wife in ministry, anyone wanting to see into the life and heart of a church planting wife to better serve as an encouragement to her and well, any wife.  I flew threw this book, it was so good!  I have also been challenged and encouraged as well through Christine's blog.

This past summer during the one Sunday morning service where Jonathan did not have to preach or speak, we heard a song that brought us to tears.  We had just learned of some heart breaking news that would drastically impact the future of our church plant ministry in Italy.  Later the work and investment of the past five years would come crumbling down.  As we sat there in the service with our empty hearts, in our weary bodies and burntout souls, the Lord ministered to our hurting hearts and filled us.  The song Blessings by Laura Story was what I needed to hear that morning.  Later that fall I began to read her 30-day devotional and it was very encouraging to me as we worked through many trials this past fall.  The word "blessing" has been redefined, not just as those good things in our lives, but sometimes God actually blesses His children through the absence of the very things they pray for.  Her CD is also wonderful and I would recommend that as well.

Gifts from Germany

Take a look at what Jonathan brought home for us from Germany.  Thanks to an intern attending the conference who also works on the US base in Ramstein, all the men were able to bring a little piece of home with them.  My awesome husband requested sweet potatoes from the comesary if they had them and figured 10 would be a pleasant surprise for me.  Well, the guy did indeed get 10...that equaled 16.5lbs!!!  It's a good thing Jonathan packed lightly.  I have never seen potatoes so big in my entire life!  Look they are nearly as big as Jonathan's head.

Some special treats that we will all be enjoying for a while.  Oh, and the conference was really good too. :)

Preparing for Easter

As a family we are enjoying daily Lent readings to prepare our hearts for celebrating Easter in a more meaningful way this year.  Here is a wonderfully written, Jesus centered resource that is FREE and one in which we all have been blessed by:  Journey to the Cross.

I also like to do some Easter crafts with the kids each year.  Soon we will be putting together our resurrection tomb to enjoy as a table center piece.  I have one enthusiastic crafter in the family, but it is good for the boys to be stretched a bit now and again.  With Jonathan being gone in Germany all week, I figured this might be a good time for a project.  The kids ended up having 3 days off of school, which was nice I did not have to walk to and from school so much during this snowy/rainy week.  However, keeping the kids entertained and busy was a bit exhausting and challenging at times.

This week we made egg ornaments out of real eggs.  It was a project I remember doing as a child and thought the kids might like it too.  We can only get brown eggs here in Italy, so dying eggs has never really turned out in our past attempts.  I like the fact that these egg ornaments can endure like Christmas tree ornaments, just as long as you don't smash them.  I think it will be fun to create new eggs and add them to our Easter tree each year.

Luca actually was quite successful in poking holes in the eggs without breaking a single one!

The boys really enjoyed blowing the inside of the eggs out.

Emma didn't care so much about handling the yucky eggs.  She definitely preferred decorating more.

We had an enjoyable time together and it certainly helped pass some time this week.  We have the whole month ahead of us before Easter--what traditions does your family do?  I am always looking for new ideas and would be delighted if you wanted to pass along any suggestions.

Double Digits for Samuel

I am 10 days late in recognizing the fact that our first born has reached the highly anticipated realm of DOUBLE digits.  Will I always wonder how the years can pass so quickly?  No doubt, I will.

Samuel, ten years ago your birth ushered me into my dream of motherhood.  Those first moments that I held you in my arms, I could hardly believe that you were actually ours.  You are a very special gift from God!  Your spikey hair, little duck tail, ten little fingers and ten little toes were all so perfect.

Samuel, our love for you has only increased as we daily marvel at how uniquely God has created you and how He, by His great grace, is growing you into a young man after God's own heart.  You are passionate about knowing God's word and desire that everyone know God's truth.  I am humbled every time I hear your sincere and heart felt desire that God will save ALL the people of the world.  Your ability to remember names and obscure details in the Bible that I tend to pass over all too quickly really challenges me and humbles me.  May you always have a desire to learn and may you always have a passion for Jesus.

Samuel, you are such a funny kid and make us laugh ALL the time.  You are not a comedian, but unintentionally you make the world around you laugh.  One of these days I will record a meal time conversation...your unending stream of chatter with questions to random fact telling keeps us on our toes and smiles written on our faces.  Here are some favorite quotes:

Hugging and kissing in the kitchen with your Dad, you come in and say:
"Romance is my trigger word."
Me:  Trigger for what?
"For happy tears" (and yes, indeed your eyes are watery)

Samuel:  Where are Uncle Ben and Aunt Melissa in Ethiopia?
Me:  The capital city, and I forget the name.  Abbia something.
Samuel: [without hesitation] Oh, you mean Addis Ababa.

Samuel said that in school they said Noah's Ark was a myth.
Jonathan: Well, is it a myth?
Samuel: No
Jonathan: Why?
Samuel:  Because Hebrews don't normally make up myths.

Praying for Nano who had the flu:
Samuel:  I pray for Nano's leukocytes to fight well.

While disciplining a sibling, I used the word "rebellion".  From the other room Samuel pipes up and says:  "Where does the word rebellion come from?  Is it Latin?"

I could go and on, but I fail to write so many down as this is just the normal flow of life and conversation with you.  How about it family?  Anyone else have a good Samuel quote they want to share?

This is the first year you chose a cake with no theme.  You told me that you would like to give me a break this year, and that all you wanted was a cheese cake.  You are too sweet looking out for your mamma.

And this was a special surprise that totally made your day from Miss Sabon's class in Michigan!

Samuel, we are so blessed that God has entrusted us with your life.  We pray this year of being 10 will be the best yet.  You are loved beyond measure!  Happy 10th Birthday!

Make My Heart Melt

After a VERY hard day yesterday with Luca...this is how the Lord has answered our prayers (and yours!)  His morning and mid-day attitude was great with no complaints about going to school.  When I picked him up this afternoon from school this is what he handed me....

Talk about making this mamma's heart melt!  Crying in the parking lot and praising God = a priceless moment!

P.S. When Luca came home yesterday from school I had written the verses from my previous post out on to a cutout sword and shield.  Thankful for the power of God's word in Luca's life!

School Update

Today marks 1 month since we have been back in Italy.  In some ways it seems longer than that.  Life and change have a way of distorting the feeling of time.  The kids have settled into a routine with school--3 full days and 2 half days a week.  The older two kids made pretty smooth transitions back into their Italian studies.  Their teachers and classmates were welcoming and excited to have them back.

With the grading period coming to a close Samuel was hit with great intensity of repeat interogations (oral testing) at every opportunity the teachers had so that they would have something in which to give him grades for.  He met the challenge with courage and perseverance and we are so proud of him.  We are so thankful for his self-motivation and study habits.  I can trust his word when he says he has studied and knows the material.  He is pretty quiet at school and says he gets nervous to talk to his classmates.  Pray for continued comfort in the language and for him to seek to be a friend to others.  We have had a couple of playdates with neighbors and more outside interaction will help in the process of gaining back comfort in the language.

Emma also has made a good transition.  She is more of our social butterfly and school is a means for her to interact with friends.  The first day back she came home saying how she needed our phone number to pass out to her friends because they want to call her.  She comes home with little notes and gifts from her friends and truly likes going to school.  She has had more difficulty in catching up especially in math, as the American school system is behind compared to the Italian.  All in all, she has not gotten too frustrated and is doing the work she needs to do to catch up.  She is very gifted in speaking Italian and has been a great little helper and motivator towards Luca.

Luca met the challenge of school without objection and was doing so well all things considered.  His teacher is so kind and compassionate towards him.  I met with her after school a couple of weeks ago and spent an hour with her talking about Luca's experience in Kindergarten and the things he learned there and how we could best help him catch up and transition to school in Italy.  She speaks English quite well and has chosen to use it more frequently towards Luca to help in his transition.  Luca is exhausted and usually an emotional wreck by the time Wednesday night rolls around.  I have quickly learned that Wednesday night dinners need to be all about comfort food for him.  No sense in adding to his stress level by forcing him to try new foods at that point in the week.  Over the past couple of weeks he has become unpredictable in how his attitude will be about school and homework.  Often he is in tears over having to draw pictures for his new vocabulary, saying "I am not a good drawer.  This is too hard for me.  I hate school...."  One thing for sure, is you know where you stand with this boy.  It takes lots of prayer, patience and encouragement to help him work through those hard moments.

Today, he came home for lunch with his backpack declaring how he wasn't going back in the afternoon.  They have a 4-day week because of Carnivale vacation, but I think maybe he thought he had 4 days off instead.  By the time we walked home he was in tears saying how he didn't want to go back to school in the afternoon.  He said he doesn't know what words to say in Italian and was having one of those hard and frustrating days.  He put up a good emotional and for the first time a physical fight about going back.  I had to carry him into school while he was trying to grab a hold of every doorway and object to resist being brought into class.  He was in tears and my heart just broke for him.  Do I let him stay home?  If I do, will this become an expectation that if he just resists enough he will get his way?  The teacher was telling me it was okay to take him home.  But I chose the tough love route.  I prayed with him and tried to reason with him and express my understanding towards how he was feeling, because I have been there too in wanting to give up on the language.  Luca said he was scared and it took me 10 minutes to calm him down and get him to a point where his teacher was finally able to walk him into class.  Please pray for my precious little boy, that God's word would speak comfort to his soul.  That he would put his trust in Jesus and find the strength given by God to carry on with school each day.  Pray for wisdom as parents and strength too as it is SO hard to see your kids hurting--Luca isn't the only one shedding tears right now.

Praying and trusting in His promises for me and all my children...

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my My righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

"The Lord himself will go before you.  He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you.  Don't be afraid and don't worry."  Deuteronomy 31:8