IN ITALIA
The real mafia are in Italy
The most dangerous are in Italy
The ladies on the street are in Italy
Eat hand-made pasta in Italy
Then a thief enters your house in Italy
You can't find stable work in Italy
But you kiss your crucifix in Italy
There are the monuments in Italy
The churches with their paintings in Italy
The people with their sentiments in Italy
The country and its rapes in Italy
There are things no one will tell you...
Things no one will give you
You're born here and you die
Born here and die here in the country of half-truths.
Where will you flee?
The above excerpt is my translation of a rap by Roman rapper Fabri Fibra. It moved me years ago, and continues to do so today. I'm slowly cringing less when I tell people I'm relocating to Italy. "Oh I've always wanted to go there!" they squeal. But MY Italy? Rome? Rome has a growing influx of refugees, constant tourism, ancient ruins, good food, hopeless youth, beautiful fashions, jobless masses, religious exteriors, rebellious hearts. Such a land of contradictions.
It is my desire that God continues to build His Church in Italy, by whatever means He sees fit, and that I always remain open to how He wants to use me to that end.
Italy is far from my identity. Life is an adventure, and my heart stretches to and from so many places on the globe that I sometimes feel it will burst. But recently reading "Kisses from Katie" has put me back in perspective. Christ is my identity. He is my beginning. My end. My goal and my prize.
If you are new to this journey, welcome! I am so honored and humbled by your participation. I thank you in advance for your patience in this time of transition!
Ok...drum roll...the Italian Consulate says I can receive my Italian passport by end of June. This is HUGE!!! Although I've been pressing forward to a January 2013 move, I was recently made aware of a dream job that would have me potentially moving this AUGUST! So: please pray that God would miraculously give me this job and help me move in August if that is His will. Pray for my Pastor's wife, Chantal, who suffers from a rare blood disease and hasn't been well lately. Also for the church building (a new place with low rent that includes a room for Sunday School). Pray for maturity and depth of faith in the believers at Frascati!
Thanks so much.
Love, Allie
Check out CC Roma's vid!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pYt7GIbYc0
