08.19.07
Posted in Team
at 2:43 am
I am very glad to be on a team that knows how to have fun. Every now and then we have a Team Fun Night. It’s a time where we get together and not talk about ministry stuff and let our hair down. Or, as the girl’s did last night, put our bangs UP. That’s right folks, it was 80s night!
It was hilarious! As everyone walked in we all giggled at the high tops, polo shirts, and neon colors. It was like we were all taking a glimpse into our pasts to see what we were like in Junior High. Matt prepared an incredible “mix tape” of songs from the 80s. We would all stop what we were doing and start belting out some cheesy song at the top of our lungs.
I know it’s not essential that a team be able to have fun together, but it sure does help!
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08.16.07
Posted in ministry, Team
at 7:36 am
Twice a year our team tries to get away for a few days for a planning retreat. This summer’s retreat just finished up, unfortunately without our teammate, Josh, who is in the US right now.
We discussed virtually every aspect of our ministry here in Ancona. Everything was on the table for discussion. We wanted to evaluate everything we do here, to see if it lines up with our purpose and vision for the church here in Ancona. Meetings like this can be difficult. Feelings can get hurt, and battle lines drawn.
But incredibly, none of that happened. Jason, our team leader, led an incredible three days of dreaming about the church here. Several things emerged from the meetings, some of which I will be sharing with you soon. But the thing that bubbled to the surface time and time again was a desire to have an increased emphasis on prayer. More prayer on our team, more prayer as a church, and more prayer in our community. The message that God was sending us was unmistakable.
Can you join us as we go before the Father and ask Him to help us with the task He has given us? Ask Him to work boldly among the people in Ancona – especially those that are already believers here – and to raise up a vibrant community here. Please join us as we make beautiful, harmonious music before the Lord.
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08.12.07
Posted in church, friends, ministry, Team
at 5:22 am
Marcus and I met at an outdoor coffee shop the other day. As we talked, we saw a friend of ours pull up on her scooter. She’s the lady that cuts all of us Americans’ hair. I knew that she was closing up her shop for a week to go visit family down south.
As she started to drive off, I jokingly asked her to make sure and bring me some wine from her parents’ region. She looked at me and said, “Are you serious?” I thought I may have offended her somehow and said, “Well … I’ve been down south and tried it before.” She paused and said, “Tomorrow, you come to my shop and I will bring you a bottle of wine I get from a farmer around here. It’s wonderful.” I thanked her and she drove off.
The next day, I got a call. It was our hairdresser. My wine was ready.
So I stopped by her shop, she gave me a bottle of homemade wine. No label. Just a glass bottle and a kind of makeshift cork that reminded me of a Mason jar (they’re fairly common here for bottling your own stuff). I thanked her for her kind gift, and went on my way.
As I walked to catch the bus back home, I sort of smiled as I thought about what a different life I have here in Ancona compared to America. It was raining. I was walking slowly down the slick sidewalk with an umbrella in one hand and a bottle of homemade wine (that the lady who cuts my hair gave me) in the other. The piazza where I was going to catch the bus is actually where a lot of the winos hang out, so I was sure I was going to fit right in. But at the same time, I was honored that she wanted to share something with me that is so important in Italian culture.
Despite the differences, I absolutely love it here.
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08.09.07
Posted in culture, Team
at 9:32 am
Ikea has opened a store here in Ancona. I’m not a huge fan of the place myself, but I can’t deny that some good deals can be had there. Just before we left for the US, a set of bookshelves that I paid way too much for came crashing down to the floor. There was a huge hole in the wall where the anchor pulled loose, and the shelves themselves actually broke. Clearly, a high-quality piece of furniture.
So now that we’re back in Italy, we made the trek to Ikea for some new shelves. My teammate, Marcus, had to buy some big pieces for his kitchen, so we thought we should rent a truck. We didn’t have that much stuff to transport, so Marcus opted for the smallest truck available.
I personally wasn’t really prepared for how small the “truck” was going to be. It was a tight squeeze for two of us to fit in the cab! Here’s a great picture of Marcus unzipping the back.
But you know what? It worked, and it was cheap! And we had a couple of laughs as I drove it on the highway and tried to get it to go 70 km/h so cars wouldn’t run over us.
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07.30.07
Posted in kids, Team, technology
at 3:50 pm
I got a kick out of watching Trey play with my teammate’s Nintendo Wii. Somehow, as the littlest, his turn to play seems to get skipped sometimes. So as we were leaving their house, he told me he hadn’t gotten to play yet. So we all sat down to watch him play a round of Wii golf and Wii boxing.
And he was really good. I was really impressed at how he was able to just pick up the remote control and play it. The games really are intuitive enough that a five year old has no trouble at all. We all laughed as he went nuts during boxing, but was able to hit the golf ball really gently to knock it into the cup.
I suppose I need to start a Wii jar to save up our extra €€€.
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04.30.07
Posted in Team, travel
at 9:39 am
I was surprised to hear Jason offer me an apology on the phone the other day. I really had no idea what he was talking about. He explained that he felt bad for missing the anniversary date for our move to Italy – April 15, 2005. I looked at a calendar, and sure enough, we left the US for Italy more than two years ago.
I sort of felt like it was cheating, since we came back from Italy a tad early because of some scheduling issues. I tried to remember the excitement and raw nerves of that day. The picture of us in the ticketing line with three kids and thirteen large containers must have been something. I remembered Heidi’s mom and sister crying as we went back behind security. I remembered Heidi’s dad’s quick goodbye at the curb. I thought about all the goodbyes that I had already said in the days before our departure.
But as my mind snapped back to the present, I was really surprised that two years had passed since that day. All in all, the move to Italy was … do I even say it? … easy. God blessed us with a great team who made the transition as painless as possible. There were always hard days where we longed for the comfort and ease of our life in the US. But we’ve settled in, and are excited to see how God will use us in Ancona.
Here’s to as many anniversaries as God will allow us in Ancona…
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12.11.06
Posted in Team
at 7:29 am
Monday mornings are team meeting days. We all head to La Via with our calendars and to-do lists for the week. We spend some time praying for each other and for the different ministries. I really enjoy seeing how each of our ministries blend and complement each other. It’s a joy to hear of the different people that God placed in each of our paths the previous week. And it’s also encouraging when Marcus tells me that the Life Group that I led the previous Sunday wasn’t as bad as I thought!
I am so thankful for the team here in Ancona. This morning as Josh prayed, he thanked God for using us – no matter how broken and goofy we are – to work in this city. I smiled, because we certainly are goofy – and somehow, He does use us.
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