passi avanti

Hi! Hope 2014 is treating everyone well.

I've been busy back at work. If I can even say--been enjoying the calm that a nasty virus going around has brought me. I had to stay home from work last Friday. I also have had very few students this week. I am sorry that we are all sick, but it has given me more time with certain students which is a blessing.

UPDATES

The sex-trafficking ministry I work with, Schiavitù Mai Più, had a training session last week. We saw 6 women come interested but I don't know if any will actually come out with us in the end. Part of me is ok with that because the faster our Rome team grows, the sooner I will be branching out nearer the area where I live with a new team. I want more time in Rome. I'd like to at least make it to a certain point. Make a 'friend'. I was sick last Friday but apparently S. (one of the girls I LOVE) asked about me. Please pray with me that I can reach the coffee-date point with her. If you want to know more about our procedure, you can email me. Suffice it to say we are now researching a good mobile phone plan to have for the team so we can use it to make appointments with girls as that develops. For many safety reasons we cannot use our personal phones or go by ourselves to meet girls. Anyway, keep praying for all of this--the personal relationships we are forming (mainly Romanian girls--the new area I will eventually start will be mostly Nigerian), the European prostitution laws, and the future of our ministry.

Related to this in a roundabout way are general issues of sexuality, self-esteem, sexual purpose and value, virginity, marriage...I have been asked by the Albano girls to do an event for them discussing Biblical sexuality. They have a lot of questions. So many problems are preventative. It is important to work on prevention as a church instead of always striving to clean up messes once they've blown out of proportion. Pray for this! Thank God for the spiritual growth of these sweet girls. Pray for me and Marti (the friend I've asked to help) as we prepare.

I am getting closer with my coworker Olga. Seeing her tonight. Pray I can speak Truth and love her as God would desire.

Today Pastor Robert and I went to open a bank account for our non-profit. Side-note: please pray for me as I will take over the 'accounting' sphere of our association. Not my strong suit even in English. Anyway, once again God divinely orchestrated things so that the lady helping us opened up to us about how she can't have children and is encountering lots of obstacles in her adoption applications here in Italy. She started crying. We prayed for her right there at the office! She is SUCH a sweet lady and is open to visiting our Bible studies. Praise Jesus for Pasqualina.

Blogs. I've started a new blog carrying out themes from my book. I've also started an Italian version. Great 2014 goals. But so far they've been really hard to keep up. Pray that I can keep these up if they are a good idea.

SUMMER

I've purchased my flight for SEATTLE this April 19-27 (my brother's wedding). If you are in the area I hope to see you! I am also planning on being in LA (mostly) at some point mid-July to end of August. I have already lots of requests for visitors both in LA and here in Italy the end of August/beginning of September. Pray that all plans work out according to God's heart. Besides resting and being with family and friends, I hope to make more church connections and spread the word about what God is doing here!

Thanks for all your love and support.
Allie

Giulia & I x

a new year

THE HOLIDAYS
I really don't know where to start in "counting" my blessings. This year ended in such a sweet way. I spent a wonderful few days making and eating African food with my pastor's family over Christmas. I wonder at how easily they have accepted me as family, and vice versus. Our church events were small in number, but sweet nonetheless. I spent the perfect New Year's with an eclectic group of Irish-American-Italian-Iraqi friends and watched Rome on fire(works) from the top of the city. Last week I visited Bracciano, a stunning lake-town north of Rome. I toured the castle and imagined what life had been like as an Odescalchi Lady (the castle has a room dedicated to women because apparently one of the Ladies defended the castle from invaders one year...). I also understand why Tom Cruise got married there :) And perhaps most importantly, I visited the small town in Puglia where my great-grandfather came from when he took a boat to America at age 19. This was incredibly special and a trip I got to experience with my dear uncle Charlie who has inspired me with his motto: "Talk to everybody." You never know what can happen in Italy! Pray for my uncle Charlie to know Jesus. Pray for my connection with this town, Bovino, and all of the wonderful people I met. I know there is a reason. Stories that are unfinished.

RETURN TO ROUTINE
I am back to taking the bus. Teaching my lovely students. Going to bed "early." Hosting Bible Study. Visiting my "girls" on the streets....

No big news. Needing time, love, and energy to invest in my relationships right now....

NEXT YEAR

I have however made a decision about next year. I have yet to discuss issues with my boss because the school is its usual chaos this week, but I have decided to continue with the job next year as long as I get the same contract/class. I have decided this because #1 I realized I had NO TEAM behind the coffee bar project, or rather, that it had fallen apart, #2 Financial stability, #3 Continued ministry opportunity with my colleagues. Honestly, I am still open to things changing, but the project is too big for me. I have decided that the concept will still be relevant when we finally get a location for our church. We can do weekly coffee-houses and go from there. This way I can devote more time to Schiavitù Mai Più. I am still in need of revelation, confirmation, direction, inspiration, calling...here. I want to be fruitful. Please continue to pray for my church, ministry, neighbors, friends, coworkers, students, a church building, possibility of getting a license/car, and direction for the future.

Be still my soul!

Thank you. A very happy new year to you! Thanking God that He continues to give us life and breath.

Allie

Below: Bracciano (castle), Me in front of my great-grandfather's childhood home.

trusting He rewards those who diligently seek Him...

"O LORD, Teach me to seek you and reveal yourself to me when I seek you. For I cannot seek you unless you first teach me, nor find you unless you first reveal yourself to me. Let me seek you in longing, and long for you in seeking. Let me find you in love and love you in finding."
Ambrose of Mila

christmas & important info for the new year!

Merry Christmas Dear Family & Friends!

Here I am about to pass my first Christmas without family and I must say I am missing you all. Frascati is full of festive spirit with Christmas markets, lights, and street performers. Rome is even more spectacular. So far, I am enjoying my 2-week break, which will include visiting Bracciano Lake district and heading south to find some relatives when my uncle comes. We have our citizenship through my great grandfather born in a small Puglian town, Bovino, so we are heading on an adventure to discover our roots!

This year has been full. I’ve seen my students through a 2nd year, and formed new and deeper relationships with my coworkers. I’ve been teaching Sunday school, serving in hospitality and secretarial capacities at church as well as hosting Tuesday night Bible studies and attending Friday nights. I’ve been busy with an anti-sex trafficking ministry in Rome called Schiavitù Mai Più, seeking to move prostitutes off the streets and into the arms of Jesus. Not a dull moment! And all by God's grace and your love, prayers, and financial sacrifices.

THE BIG DECISION

As the year comes to an end, I want to reflect on the reasons why I believe God called me here. I don’t want to just assume things are going right or that I should stay here or keep doing what I’m doing year after year. I want to stay tuned to His Spirit. That said, I have a big decision to make by the 2^nd week of January. My boss has requested that I inform her whether or not I would like a teaching position next year. Honestly, it has been a very stressful place to work and I feel that my inflexible schedule inhibits some other ministry I would like to do. Conversely, the love I receive from my students is very special and I know I would miss them and my coworkers.

Here is the alternative. While many things pull my heart to yearn for 'home' in the States, I don't think my time here in Italy is finished. I have been praying together with some other missionaries about starting a coffee shop, and have already had an encouraging meeting with an accountant! I do not come from a business background, but this project sounds stimulating and worth trying if the Lord is really inspiring us. The ideas are these:

1) To have a living-room like place with tables to sit (not common in Italian coffee shops), play games, talk, eat American treats (bagels, muffins, things can't get elsewhere)....

2) To have a place that will host events for community such as: English courses, sewing classes, cooking classes, music lessons, lectures, concerts, open mics and more.

3) To have a place young people can go to stay out of trouble, and be met by Christian staff who can build bridges between them and God/the church.

Our non-profit would need to pay at least 2-3 salaries (the baker, barista, cashier), but my manager type role would be covered by full mission support. This is something I am interested in starting and potentially handing over full time to the Italian team that will be with me. I want to commit one year to this. We would be spinning off of some other models and using volunteer help, but it gives me great joy to know I could have created a job for even one person in a country of very poor economics.

In the new year, we will meet again with the accountant to get an estimation of costs. Roughly, I am estimating 50,000€ start-up costs for the first year, not including paid salaries (rather rent, furnishing, utilities, supplies). This is a discovery stage. We will move forward until God slaps the door in our faces, at which point I will be more than happy to do something else--including staying at my current job! 

However, because of the time constraint on my own job situation, I would ask you to pray about personally sponsoring me in this year, starting next summer. Also, if you have any insight into raising funds for a project like this, I would love to hear from you! Either way, I am taking pledges now, to have an idea and help inform my decision as finances are PART of the equation.

I ask you, as people who have faithfully prayed for me the past 16 months, to pray and seek the Lord with me on this next step. I trust that the Lord will speak to us all. Let me know what God reveals to you as you pray. If I get continued confirmation, I will step out in faith, and you will receive an invitation to donate to the cafè on "KickStarter." If not, God is good and I will continue another year at the school! Or whatever else God has in mind.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! 

Jesus, the amazing God wrapped in flesh, is the hope that makes this weary world rejoice. Still. 2000 years later. Praise the Lord! 

Lots of love from Italy. 
Allie

 Above: church Christmas dinner next to a table of Croatian priests-in-training singing Croatian folk songs! I was very proud of the 4 Albano girls and Tania--our dramatic presentation went SO well and the church was blessed!

 Above: my faithful little Lorenzo (4) and I making baby Jesus/mangers on Christmas Sunday at 'Sunday School'...

Above: some pomegranate cheese I admired at the Christmas markets...

las vegas, christmas, and other random stuff

RADIO

This Wednesday at 2:30pm Las Vegas time, I will do a radio interview for my book, "The Wall: A Conversation for Single Women." Thankful for this opportunity when I am able to do very little marketing from Italy. I would REALLY appreciate your prayers for clear thinking (late at night for me) and that I can summarize the parts of my book (or add new thoughts) according to what the Holy Spirit has in mind!

CHRISTMAS

We are having our first rehearsal this Friday with the young girls from Albano. Tania and I have modified a mime skit and these girls (baby Christians) will experience something like this for the first time! Pray that I can direct well without Tania as she'll be working. This is for an event we are hosting with the Comune di Frascati (town hall): showing The Nativity Story film in Italian with the skit and a little gospel sharing. Please pray for every facet of the event on December 20! We really want to reach this community.

I am also knee-deep at work with Christmas recital (which right now is so horrifyingly bad I am quite nervous about my kids performing!) and tomorrow and Wednesday I have my parent-teacher meetings for midterm reports. Please pray I can communicate well in Italian--especially with parents of some of my problem children.

OTHER MINISTRY

Thanks to those who wanted prostitute ministry updates via WhatsApp...I've got it set up now, the only problem is that my phone died after the first text. Will be better prepared next time! We met a transexual Evelyn (Brasilian) and some Romanian, Albanian, and Russian girls. This was in a different zone we hadn't been back to in a long time. Honestly it was so hard for me to get out of the van. I don't know how they stand out there in the freezing cold wearing nothing in the middle of the night. But God gave us strength. Pray especially for Evelyn and the healing POWER of the Holy Spirit to open more doors and more meaningful conversations. So far all of the girls will talk to us, but with some it is hard to get past the superficial.

Church is going well. Please pray for Jenny in my home-group and her daughter Giulia with cancer. Things are very difficult financially for them and Giulia's health has not been good. She struggles with a lot of normal teenage stuff right now too. Just pray for them.

I would like prayer for Sunday School. That I can be more creative and joyful about teaching when it is not my favorite thing.

Please pray for my colleagues Olga and Raffa... I love them!

That's it for now. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I made pumpkin pie for the first time from fresh pumpkin and it turned out! A lot to be thankful for... and you are included.

xo

but i don't.

Some of you may have heard me joke about how much I do NOT enjoy taking the bus on the return from work. It's a different company than the local one I take in the morning, and I have to walk out on a busy street where there is NO sign post or anything, so I literally feel like a prostitute sometimes. I have even had cars with men stop a few times. Lots of honks at least (this is the gross/after-work me!). The reality is, when that car slows down...there are some girls that have to get in. But I don't.

My involvement with Schiavitù Mai Più continues to progress. We are back into our pattern of every other Friday outings. Please pray for us. If you would like to receive free texts (for those with smartphones, download WhatsApp) or emails DURING our Friday evening (US daytime)...we will send you play-by-play updates as we meet girls during the night. Just email me your number or email if interested: alliecase@gmail.com.

2 weeks ago I met Stella, a Hungarian girl from before. I really love her. It's not like these girls smile, but there's something about her that is almost welcoming. She had a cough. It is getting SO COLD here now. We kissed like friends do when we parted ways (because a car of controllers came up). It was sweet. I also met a new, young, smiling, Romanian girl, Delia. She apparently has some std/infection and is hoping to get out of this 'work' and back to Romania when she has enough money. Please pray that I can see her again THIS FRIDAY when we go back out. We ask for Divine intervention on every level and protection.

CHURCH

Lots of great growth going on in our home groups. Please pray for our Christmas outreach--Tania and I are organizing a small skit with the girls from Albano. Pray we can get things together in time and that it is a formative experience for the girls' spiritual lives. Pray for me as I organize the Children's program.

FUTURE

The meeting with the accountant went so well. Thanks for praying. We felt quite encouraged by this man which is rare. We know he will be in our lives for an eternal reason as well. Please pray that we can organize in a Spirit-led way this dream of opening a coffee bar next year.

WORK

A bit overwhelming. Always. But especially this period before Christmas. Pray for joy for me, creativity, energy, and miracles in the hearts of my little Ephraim, Nicolò, Alessandro, Liam who are QUITE DIFFICULT. Tania did not get hired at my school. Please pray for a stable job for her.

INTERVIEW?

I have been contacted to do an interview for a radio show in Las Vegas regarding my book. This was surprising but fun! Pray that it works out and that God continues to use my little book to bless people and gives me more opportunity since I have no time/resources to market it anymore....

May you all be blessed richly this week! As Thanksgiving approaches, I am thankful for YOU. I'll be making my first pumpkin pie from scratch. Wish me luck :)
xo

fish

I inherited a fish tank of sorts...and the gadgets that went with it. I was supposed to inherit the fish that lived inside as well, but it died right before my friend moved back to America. I took the stuff anyway, since I had already gotten used to the idea. I like having a little bit of life around the house, even if it seems cruel to confine them in such a small body of water.

Sitting here staring at my two fish tonight, I am thinking about what Jesus said to his new friends--an odd bunch of men to ever be expected to work together on any sort of task--"Go and be fishers of men." But men are just as slippery as fish. And I am convinced that different "baits" will "catch" different "fish." God draws people to Himself in many mysterious ways. I am thinking a lot about evangelism these days. Partly because I notice a lack of boldness and conviction in my own life. And partly because I don't always know what bait to use. Truth is truth. But I mean...how should WE in Frascati approach THESE Italians with the hope of Jesus? Where do we cast our net? Pray with us for inspirition and guidance. Write me if you have an suggestions.

Church

I write the above also because I just returned from a prayer walk around Frascati with Pastor Robert and our church member Monica. It was a beautiful and humbling experience. Monica is very childlike in many ways, but very bold in her faith. In one hour only TWO guys took a tract that we had. Yes, maybe soliciting is not the most effective approach, but the coldness of the people was really startling to observe. People of all ages. Anyway, Robert went up to a group of young people and started talking with a guy in dreads, Ryan. Pray for him. He was quite defiant thinking he could scare off Robert with his first comment: "Yeah well I don't believe in God." But Robert prayed that he may know Jesus and lead his group to Truth. Monica and I talked with a guy, Michele. "I am God...I don't need anybody"...that was his speech. I want to pray a specific prayer that GOD WOULD REVEAL HIMSELF TO MICHELE in dreams and visions that he would know His presence. I invited him to our Tuesday night group even though he refused our tract. Pray I can run into him again out and about.

Otherwise...we continue to pray for a place to meet, for spiritual growth and reconciliation, for Sunday School help (I will do a training this month), and for our Christmas outreach in December.

Work/Personal

Last night I had my colleagues over for dinner. Like last year, I had comments: There is such a peace in your house! Well praise God. Mostly my boss and our secretary dominated the conversations but I was thankful for the chance to just laugh and be together. Pray I have more opportunity to talk about Jesus and that I can be a good testimony at work. Olga, a new colleague, wants to hang out soon. ALSO, yesterday Tania interviewd to be my assistant at LGI. Pray that she gets hired if God's will. Pray for the challenging behaviors of some of my students. Ahhh I love them so much.

I need direction on what to take on what to cut out...feeling a bit exhausted.

Finally got together with a friend (of Tania's), Anais, to meet her new baby on Sunday after her dedication! What a precious little angel. Children are GIFTS.

On Sunday I am headed to the President of the Republic's estate with my friend Livia. Her parents invited me (Dad works for president). Never know what connections that may bring...if anything I can spend more time with her and her family! They have invited me to be with them for Christmas. Pray for wisdom in this decision because I want to be where God wants me to be.

Schiavitù Mai Più
Wonderful outreach with the girls from Without Words Movement. There were not tons of people, but it was a good effort. We start up again with our street outings November 15.

American-Style Coffee Bar

In 10 hours I will be waking up to go to a meeting with an accountant to ask about quotes and licensing needed to open a coffee bar for outreach purposes. After this meeting I am hoping to have a better idea of how to proceed. If we go forward with this, I would leave my job for next year. There are soooo many coffee bars here. One on every corner. What we have in mind is really unique, but we don't want to move forward if it isn't the Lord's will. It is a project COMPLETELY out of my league. Please pray for direction and confirmation.

Lots and lots to pray about. Thanks for being faithful. It blesses me!!
Allie

                                                       Baby Grace! xxx

Girls who participated in our Stop Sex Trafficking Flashmob at Piazza Navona :)