tesori

In Italian 'tesoro' means 'treasure'. It can also be an endearing name like 'honey' in English. On Sunday I was teaching about Mary the mother of Jesus in Sunday School (interesting especially since Eli brought a Catholic friend!). This morning I was with my students thinking of Luke 2:19 that says, 'And Mary treasured up all of these things and pondered them in her heart'. I know I wrote about this a few months ago too, but it still touches me. Sometimes treasuring feels a bit like hoarding. We don't know how to love and let go. But I am learning this, this freedom. I am thankful for the countless moments that no parent will ever ever get to see...only me. The teacher. And I find that God fills my days with treasures, those that don't rot and rust and destroy: for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Just a thought for the day.

Some prayer updates:

CHURCH tracts/location/association: Thanks to those of you who asked about giving toward our gospel tract fund! What a blessing. We are still waiting to hear from the city offices and our lawyer regarding available church location/signing associating contract. Italy....

CHURCH people: Lorenza (single mom) has a sister Laura who has recently given her life to the Lord and is growing a lot. Think that when I first arrived in Italy she was trying to kill herself. We are thankful for her growth and for Paolo (another new believer) and for Simona, Sara, Veronica (daughter/grandkids) of Anna who attends the Albano study. They are not believers but are becoming open and hosted the study at their house last week! Baby Giulia will be dedicated in June as well as a baptism at the end of the month! The Colleferro study (which I don't attend) is really growing and maturing as well. Praise God. Giulia--the 13 yr old with cancer--has had fever for 3 days and her mom is taking her to the hospital tomorrow. We saw each other tonight and she was in tears. Continue to pray for healing. Praise God also that for once I felt I taught a somewhat smooth lesson in Italian last Sunday!

WORK: Still lots of chaos. It will be like this til the end of June. Anyway, please pray I can be a good witness and not succumb to the dysfunction or attitudes around me or in my own flesh! Pray I have energy to balance all I have going on this month with work, church, visitors, etc....

FRIENDS: In our monthly meeting, Tania Marco & Michi have decided to take turns giving testimonies of what God is doing now in our lives. Tania started last night. It was a really big deal that she open up about her past and present with her brothers and I'm really thankful at God's transforming work. It was a sweet time. Continue to pray for these--going against stream always for their faith. Also, I hung out with Fation last week and he said his mom had tried to kill herself. Home continues to be turbulent. He and his family need Jesus.

Thanks so much and love to all.
Allie

At coffee with friends sunday morning we witnessed this elderly lady pulling a basket of goods up through the window on rope from the top floor. That's one way to do get your groceries!

sono grata (i am thankful)

I know it's not November. But I am giving thanks. Like, really, intentionally. I'm thankful for this lesson God is teaching me. A few days ago I arrived home exhausted, frustrated, feeling manipulated and half-Christian...I was thinking about all of the bad things from that day. Then the Holy Spirit stopped me. I began to recount the GOOD things. Because--believe it or not--there were quite a few: Remember Mario your coffee barista who gave you a muffin he made at his house? Then you arrived at school and the twins gave you 'flowers' they made out of napkins? Then Azzurra's mom gave you SUCH a nice compliment. And Raffa is such a great colleague to work with.... I started to write these things down on little post-it notes. I put them up in the kitchen; a section for me, and one for Tania. It is fostering a new spirit of thankfulness in our hearts...and I am thankful. The Lord is gracious.

Three big praises:

TANIA. Only a few hours after writing my last newsletter last Sunday, Tania and I had a good talk and I see some great fruit of 'transformation.' This is a work only the Lord can do. Thanks for your prayers. Continue to pray for love and wisdom on my part. May we love and follow Jesus always.

BOOK. Haven't written about this in some time, but my book, 'The Wall,' will be out by the end of the month. This is really exciting and a long time in coming. You will be able to purchase it (before I get a copy, no doubt, with the Italian postal system) on Amazon. Details to come ladies.

TRACTS. Thanks to my amazing German friends Dorit and Stephan Spielau in Gorlitz, I was able to get translated (from German to English to Italian--what a process!) some really awesome gospel tracts with our church information. Stephan designed them and they are really relevant and engaging. We are so thankful and excited to get some printed. Praying for funding (around €300).

Other requests still stand...friends (Fation, Roberto, Alberto, Erica), church family (Monica, Lorenza, Concetta-new), colleagues (Raffa, Iram, Peter, Annamaria, Maison, Ruhma), etc. We are still hoping to sign our Association contract to become an official NGO this week (the church). We are also hoping to hear this week about a location for our church to meet (praying the county gives us one--they are deciding). Praying for Matteo (new convert) to get plugged into church. Praying that my boss does not require me to work in July.

Thanks! Remember to be saving some time for visits the first week of August for those in LA! Looking so forward to it. xo

Me and baby Giulia before church. I love this girl so much it hurts.

MAYhem

'No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.' From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.' John 6

This morning I am thinking about the Lord's faithfulness. Every time I meet new people, the first question is, 'WHY DID YOU LEAVE AMERICA!?' Italians have a very idyllic view of the States. And much of it is true. On a human level, I can't explain it. Who in there right mind would leave the best family, friends, church, home, job, comforts anyone could ask for?! But I echo Peter: where else could I go? It doesn't matter where I am as much as WHO I am with, and that I live for Him. There is another thing that Jesus said that is also hard. The enabling. I need Him to open the eyes and hearts of people around me. I need to see miracles. The hardness of hearts is such a dark reality. Please pray with me that God opens eyes and reveals Himself to my friends here. Pray that they would follow Him for His glory to be exalted in this region!!

UPDATES:

Fation & Roberto: Yesterday I spent time with them at Fation's birthday. It was a crazy group of drinking people. Alllll kinds of people. I felt so THANKFUL that God kept me safe and gave me some great conversations with people (personally because I'm shy and limited in Italian) and that I am able to know and love them. It is hard though. They need Jesus so very badly. Please pray for them and Andrea, Alessandro, Lele, Federica, Niccolò that I got to know particularly last night.

Erica. Haven't seen her again but hoping to reconnect with her, and maybe get back to the house to see Monica (mom) as well....

Livia. Is starting a full time restaurant job this week so we are still working out our schedules to get together. Please pray that we can work things out though because she is so smart and precious and different than many people I know here. I want her and her family to love Jesus!!

Lorenza. She is going through ups and downs always as a single mom and because of choices she's made. I don't know how to help, but I am hoping to take her kids a bit when I am done with work in June!!

Tania. Continue to pray that she listens to the Lord and that I can be used in her life for boldness and truth.

WORK: Basically tons of drama and manipulation. Please pray I can be a person who doesn't gossip, who does my job well and respects my boss. Pray for integrity and respect among staff. My boss is highly unorganized and uses certain staff members in manipulative ways. Please pray for a peaceful, professional working environment. I am still renewing my contract one more year. I am praying to move up a level with my current students. Pray for God's will in my role at this school.

I often breeze through a week thinking, 'How did I get through THAT?' And can only say the Lord is very very gracious and your prayers are heard!! Thank you so much for your love and prayers.

xo

My class on a fieldtrip at a farm about to make bread from fresh wheat! Loved this Italian lady who taught them :)