happy christmas 2015!

Buon Natale a tutti!

It's been four months since I transitioned back to the US, and I wanted to send a little update and some warm wishes for a joyous Christmas!

LOS ANGELES

Although I mentioned in my last post that my grandmother had expressed interest in coming to church, she has yet to follow through. My grandfather continues to deteriorate physically and shows little interest in Christ. Please pray for them and my dynamic here in their home. God has been blessing it so much and I have been able to speak a lot of truth in my unique position. I am also encouraged by my relationships with their beautiful neighbors and the rest of my extended family.

In October I began attending a new church on the Westside which has greatly simplified my life. A bittersweet adjustment, but a very good one.

God has "randomly" brought a few people into my life this month. I look forward to pursuing them in the new year: Dorothy (a young, international Christian woman who likes hiking) and Alicia (a secular woman I met at a cafè who wants to learn Italian). God has also opened up incredible doors for me with my boss, Jeannette. She is such a caring, intelligent woman and been vulnerable with me about some difficult things. I ask the Lord to give me wisdom on how to minister to her in the risky environment that is public school.

That being said...yes, in October I got a part-time job at a charter school 4 minutes from home! Praise God. They allow me to be in Seattle for the days I study with the Allender Center.


PROJECTS

In addition to my course in Abuse & Trauma Counseling at the Allender Center in Seattle, I am trying to publish a children's book on trauma. I've sent my manuscript out and should know in 8 weeks whether it will get picked up. Please pray for my writing projects! I want to be fruitful with this time I have!

ITALY

The church in Italy is struggling but plodding along. They send their greetings and thanks for your prayers. The Schiavitù Mai Più just did a Christmas outreach and handed out gift bags, which were welcomed by the girls. I continue to ask the Lord whether/when/how I can return, and appreciate your prayers as well!

I'm VERY thankful to the Missionary Resources International where I was in therapy when I first returned. Happy to be processing my life patterns and events under wise counsel. To all who have welcomed me warmly these months, THANK YOU. This week in particular, I've been really overwhelmed by the goodness of my friends. You are the best.

May we remember the TRUE reason for the Season. Christ's wonderful presence on Earth.

God bless you.

back in the city of angels

Well, I made it.

SUMMARIZING JULY

• I had a wonderful time in Lipari and Perugia and was so thankful for the incredible people I met along my journey, and for the chance to travel.
• We had a successful church retreat, there were 6 children on my end! Stefano and Alessia blessed us with their testimonies and baptism. 
• I was beyond blessed to take D------ along 3 hospital visits my last days in Rome, to help get her the interventions she needs. I learned a lot about how services work in Rome. I was able to transfer her to my other Schiavitù Mai Più colleagues who will help her while I'm gone. 
• I said as many goodbyes as I could before leaving. I think the most special was the chance to have a cornetto and walk in the park with my ex-student Matilda. We've stayed in touch over the year and a half since her mom died and she transferred schools and it was a blessing to be able to give her a squeeze. 
• I had a wonderful stop-over in London where I was able to dine and sleep over with my dear missionary friends, Rob and Joanie Dingman. It was too short, but very sweet! Tea and scones included, of course.

SINCE I'VE BEEN BACK

I am taking it easy. August is mostly to adjust to the daily rhythms here with my grandparents, get some practical/logistical things done, finish my homework for the Italian counseling course from June, and see a few friends. I am interviewing for part-time jobs, starting October.

If you are in LA, I'll be having an Open House August 16 from 2-7pm in the Atwater area, you can email me for details! 

Also, I have a new number: 310 720 9238.

I will be in Seattle the entire month of September. Besides seeing family and friends, I will begin my lay course with the Allender Center. Before I start, I will participate in 2 intensive weeks at a local counseling center for missionaries. I am looking forward to being in a better place and appreciate your prayers for this time and for future ministry. Of course, if you are in Seattle I would love to see you!

I am truly thankful for the provision of a car while I base in LA, and for all the kindness that friends and family have already shown me. I've already been able to speak Italian twice in public which was so fun. My dear friend and co-laborer in Rome (Heather) will visit next week! Lots to look forward to. I pray in all of this, that I learn to rest, and that I can be a blessing and Light for my grandparents. My grandma (miraculously) asked me yesterday if she could come to church with me. THIS IS AMAZING. I have a very small faith. But a big God.

Thank you so much for your love and prayers.

                                                               breakfast with gramps

moving week

Hello dear friends!

Lots of updates. Most notably:

• We had an excellent soccer outreach ("The Cage") at the beginning of June. We have not seen any new people in church, but we know the Gospel was preached and those who came had a "positive" christian experience. We were blessed to collaborate also with neighboring churches.

• I finished, with a few tears, my 3 years at Little Genius School. The opportunity to work there is always open, but either way something that has been a part of me for all the good and bad. I praise God for a good end and for this month to focus on other things.

• Thank Jesus, the Lay Counseling course I organized to equip the churches in Rome was a grand success! Our professors from L'Arca Teen Challenge were phenomenal and all of the participants, myself included, were challenged and edified. So thankful that God brought everything together despite the obstacles! We finished the course yesterday and already some classmates have been testifying to how God put their newly-aquired skills to work right away: one man whose friends lost an unborn baby (gift of silence/presence) and another woman who counseled a depressed/suicidal Japanese tourist in her hostel room (the girl accepted Christ!). 

• I will probably participate in only one more outing with Schiavitù Mai Più before I move. Last month we had a very close meeting with one of my really favorite girls D, but she didn't show up. The next week she told us she had lost her cell phone. But we had talked to who we assume was the pimp, after 5 hours of calling her, who said he was the hairdresser and she had left her phone at the salon. Lots of things coming to light. It seems that God may be adding to our team with a Romanian couple and another young Italian man, so continue to pray for this providence as our team is greatly reduced this year.

Coming up...

• I move all of my things out of my apartment on this WEDNESDAY. I will be sleeping at a friend's apartment in Rome. Not only will this help me to relax my last weeks (already packed!) but it may give me an idea of what it's like to live in Rome. Bittersweet and slightly emotional. I am so thankful for the blessing my lovely house has been and for all that God has done while living here! Please pray everything goes well with my landlady when I turn in the keys FRIDAY.

• July 11-17 I will be traveling with my friend Olga in Lipari and then up to see my Uncle in Perugia. All non-Christian contexts, pray I can be a light.

• We have our all-church retreat coming up on JULY 19! Please pray for all of the details concerning this and the financial resources to come through. Pray for Stefano and Alessia who will be baptised! I will be teaching whatever children that come so please pray for me as well.

• The departure: all of the last details of saying goodbye and packing up and getting to the airport... I ask that you would pray a special prayer for me in this time. I head off JULY 28 to Los Angeles via a one-night stoppover in London to see my dear friends the Dingmans.

A letter.

I just want to encapsulate everything by a very suprising birthday letter I received from my dear friend Olga. Surprising because--for as psycho-emotionally difficult this year has been for me--in some way God managed to use me. I hope it is an encouragement to you, in whatever season you find yourself. Olga wrote:

"Thank you for gifting me with your precious friendship, and for deciding to share your 'being' with me--so pure and generous, honest and respectful. Thanks for opening worlds of possibility, knowledge and faith. You don't take things for granted but observe the things of the world through your spirit. I feel this in common with you. I thank God for having us meet. I will miss you so much, but I am coming to visit!! Happy birthday! Enjoy this day."

Please pray that my dear friend can know Jesus personally. Thanks for walking with me here in Spirit that past 3 years and more.

Love, Allie

Some people I will miss...

                                                                   Above: Olga and I

                                                     Me and the boys. Fation->Roberto

                                                                   Livia and Simone

                                                      Alessia! (left, at Cage event, below)

pirate day

Today I had fun with my studenti. We discovered a bottle with an ancient map and followed it to buried treasure. We did a glowstick dance in the dark. We made "I love you" cards for Simone, my precious autistic student who transferred from our school today. We danced and sang along with 20 disabled adults from the L'Arche community here in Rome who blessed us with an exquisite concert. We showed off our portraits of Marilyn Monroe at the Art Exhibition. All of this dressed as pirates, of course. Throughout the day I had little faces smooshed against my own saying, "Ahhh you smell like Miami Miss Allie!" or "Thanks for the nice day Miss Allie" or "I'm sad Simone is leaving, he is my friend"...all mixed with lots of shouting and whining and chaos. And I can only say I am blessed. So blessed to have had the honor to know the lives that I know. So blessed to have had their imprint on my heart forever.

SO. WORK.
Please pray for my situation at work. I leave on "sabbatical" in the sense that they would like to offer me my position should I return in one year's time. I leave an incredible staff, although no job is perfect. And I would need to arrange for less hours. I want to be open to anything, so please pray for my months in sabbatical that I could have CLARITY and make the right decision. Either way, pray for the days leading up to JUNE 19 when I will finish, that they would be filled with less shouting and more love. That I would be a patient teacher and solidify deep bonds with my colleagues that would outlast the workplace.

CHURCH.
We have an outreach the weekend of JUNE 6-7. We are collaborating with a church in the town next door, bringing over a soccer "cage" with a team from Ireland. Anyone can come in the piazza and play one-one or two-two matches of 4 minutes in the cage! Then we will share testimonies during the breaks. We pray that it gives us good contacts, new members, and above all is a faithful proclamation of Christ.
Tuesday Bible Study is going well. PRAISE JESUS FOR THE SALVATION OF ALESSIA! Please keep her in prayers as she just lost her beloved aunt.
Pray for my transition out: hosting, sunday school, event/outreach planning, website and newsletter, accounting....I leave a big hole and our church is quite fragmented at the moment.

FLAT.
Please pray I can resolve my moving out with my landlady who is being a bit evasive and difficult. Thank you.

SCHIAVITU MAI PIU.
We started back again after a 2 month break! So good to be on the streets last night. Met up with mostly old "friends." I was particularly moved by R who has dreams of finishing school in September and being a teacher, and L who is pregnant and hopes to leave in 2 months to be a mother. C achieved her goal of opening a pizzeria (of which I hope to visit!) and should leave the streets in one month she said. One girl that was very hard to reach, finally admitted she was Albanian and spoke in Albanian with our Albanian team-mate. We just love these girls so dearly and are confirmed in our presence in this zone! Lots of changes nation-wide for sex-slavery work, please keep this ministry in prayer. We are losing 4 of 6 women this year to sabbatical (myself included). Pray that we can raise up at least 2 or 3 new team members this month so the work can continue! Preferably Romanian or Italian or Albanian people!

FRIENDS.
I am continuing at full-speed investing in relationships here. Even hoping to use my departure as an excuse to see people more often and perhaps say things I couldn't say before. I ask the Lord to fill me and guide me and teach me. I pray for the salvation of: Olga, Livia, Simone, Fation, Roberto, Michela, Claudia, Raffaella.... And the opportunity to encourage in the faith some girls at church and my colleague Annick, a devout Catholic.

God bless you this week!

and the sabbath has come.

Hi Everyone.

Excuse the long hiatus. Things have been crazy as usual, and I've not known how to craft another blog entry with so many things up in the air. But, thanks to gravity, they eventually come down and settle somewhere. Let me update a bit first on ministry, and then I will make my announcement.

SCHIAVITU MAI PIU

As stated before, we took a two month break March-April and are praying about the future of the ministry. That God would add to our number, with 3 of the 5 women on our team absent this year. We had an AMAZING campaign in the EUR zone where the red-light district was threatening to emerge and are hoping that it made a small splash in the community.

CHURCH

Sunday attendance has been low, mostly due to serious illnesses and work issues. We long to see a solid, committed group here!

Tuesday nights in my home have been so lovely. Last night, Piero (new since last summer's concert with Red Rain) said things were really clicking for him. Easter was so special and personal and he is hungry to know God and do Church as he sees it revealed in Scripture with us each week! Another new attendee, Alessia, is growing and asking lots of questions. We are so thankful.

We had an AWESOME concert outreach last Thursday with Amy T and Barnabas, hip-hop artists from Seattle, and dear friends who love Jesus. Our church was really blessed.

In June we have an evangelistic outreach THE CAGE, all-church retreat, and a lay-counseling course! It's going to be a busy month, so May is the calm before the storm with lots of preparation and prayer.

WORK

I have resigned today earlier than my contract which is mid-July. I will finish the last academic day with my students on June 19. This is bittersweet as I have loved my students and colleagues with my whole heart. I am going to miss them! Pray I can have a wonderful, strong end to the year and for opportunities to share and strength to love well in Jesus' name.

LIFE

I have made the decision to go on Sabbatical and will be leaving Italy July 28 for Los Angeles. I will be bouncing between LA and Seattle at least for the next 8 months. I look forward to participating in individual counseling, attending the Allender Center's lay counseling course, writing some children's books and being with family and friends. This time will be a great challenge for me. RESTING. It's not easy for me. I don't want to fall into the same trap I lived in before. LA is so busy. This is a very pointed, intentional time. I will have to learn to say no to many things to protect my time. I have come to the prayerful and counseled decision that this is the best choice for me despite the cost (physical, emotional, literal). I ask for prayer as I home-base with my grandparents in LA. My heart's desire is that they know Jesus. I ask for prayer in my transition out of Italy the next 3 months. I ask for peace and guidance for our church and its future.

If you have been financially supporting me, please feel under no obligation to continue in this period. If you do chose to continue know that the money will go to my course with the Allender Center. I will not have major living costs staying with my grandparents, although there are many logistical things to determine. I will be continuing this prayer-request blog.

If you have any questions about what this next phase means or how I came to the decision, please email me!

Also, the financial request for my pastor and his wife to come to America to visit churches and attend the CC Missions Conference is still valid. Please email me for details on where to send money.

Thanks so much for your love and support in these past three years. And so, the journey continues!

                             Above: timely visit from our "Aunty Shandel" and husband John!!

                                      Enjoyed the presence of my sorellina the past 6 weeks!

Some of our church members with Amy, Dan, Kelsey and Aly who blessed us with music and testimonies!

love and other things x

I'd like to take a moment to share about my beautiful students. I spend most of my time with this little tribe, and don't know how I can ever appreciate them enough. They are God's gift to earth. It's really difficult to be the kind of teacher that is half-mother. I am thankful for the love and everything they give me. It overflows my cup. Below are some tidbits from the last few days:

Francesco: Why is Venus called Venus?
Me: I think it comes from...
Francesco: Oh I know! VINO [wine]! Because it's made of vino that makes sense because of the name!
________________

Me: And next year class, when you move to Class 4 we will have a graduation party! That's very special because it means you are growing big!
Giulia: I want to stay always with you Ms. Allie
Me: I know, but Mr. Peter is a very fun teacher...
Filippo (from TIME OUT across the room, quite fed-up): Well I'm going wherever YOU are going Ms. Allie! Wherever you are going I am going to follow you.
__________________

Me: What did everyone take from the treasure box [imaginary]?
Ludovica: I took a crown!
Manuel: Me a sword!
Ephraim: YOU Ms. Allie! You're my treasure! *Cue hug and consequent dog-pile by all students*
__________________

Giulia at snacktime: Hey why is everyone looking at me am I beautiful or something?
(later in completely pure, matter-of-factness): (sigh)...I'm the most beautiful.


A LESSON

I found it interesting the other week when I realized the profundity of a little scherzetto I play on my students. If I happen to be giving attention to one, another may ask, "Why is ____ first in line?" "Why are you holding ____?" "Why does he get to do that?" I just smile and say, "Because ____ is my favorite." What is so interesting is that from the first moment I did this, the response was laughter. Absurdity. It was so obvious I was pulling their legs. Ms. Allie doesn't have favorites! What a sarcastic bunch. I thought, how beautiful. They are so confident in my love for them that they will whine and bug me with questions they don't need to answer, but they can't believe for a moment that what I am doing is because I don't also love them. I think that would be a very admirable spiritual goal. To be confident in God's love. And maybe stop asking annoying questions.

SCHIAVITU MAI PIU

Good talks last week as I met up with two of my favorite girls in the rain. S (Hungarian) and D (Romanian)...in different streets. Some intense stuff. But I feel such a connection with them. Pray as we help with another campaign and increase our outings to weekly instead of every other. The roots are so deep. By April we should have a "red light" sort of zone in Rome which will be quite a mess.

CHURCH

Things going well, but we are praying about new ways to evangelize and gather people to community. Lots of physical and emotional healing needed among members. Monica's daughter Erica came last week which was a MIRACLE.
We were excited to have a new guy, Paolo at our house study on Tuesday.

FRIENDS

I've spent some time with two different friends Michela and Fation. Please pray for Michela: stable job, feeling of belonging, knowing Jesus. Fation: healing from anxiety and depression, good friends, family reconciliation, knowing Jesus. I'd also really like to invest more in getting to know my two same-age colleagues Claudia and Carlotta. Tiiiime!
I've also reconnected with my ex-student Matilda (mom died last March). We should be getting together sometime this month. So very thankful to her dad for letting me stay in touch.

GRANDMA

Thank you to all of those who sent their condolences about the death of my very beloved Grandma Jill. I can't believe she's gone. The woman who has been such a tower of strength for me. It has been devastating, but I don't morn for her. Her suffering is over and she is now more ALIVE than ever in the sweet presence of our Saviour. I just can't be thankful enough.

The rest...still a lot of decisions to make...got some trips and some SISTER in the horizen, so I am just taking one day at a time and asking for confirmation. Thanks for the love you make evident to so often, God bless you all!

                                                                           Sundays

kicking off 2015

Happy New Year Everyone!

Thanks to the few who sent me Christmas cards! I had a lovely Christmas between friends in Rome, my adopted family here in Frascati (and other friends including my new Romanian friend Michela), and ending with my Australian missionary friend in Pisa for New Years.

I'd like to share a little story from one of my students:
Before Christmas I took the "cultural" opportunity to share the story of Jesus' birth in class.
Me: Does anyone know what else we celebrate at Christmas? Is it someone's birthday?
Girl 1: Gesù Bambino comes out of our tummies!
Boy 1: Yeah it's his birthday!
Girl 2: Baby Jesus, I know him! One day when I was scared in my bed, he came to me! But he wasn't a baby...but he wasn't too big.
Me: Did he say something to you?
G2: Yes!
Me: What did he say to you?
G2: He said, "(Name), I love you very much."...
Me: Wow, it's true Jesus loves us more than anyone and no one can take his love away from us.
G2: And he already knew my name!!!

I pray we can all be awed that Jesus knows our name. We don't know Him well. But He knows us.

CHURCH

We had a very blessed Christmas outreach with Life Road--a multi-church worship band from the Rome area. The event brought many churches together as well as unchurched, and gave us a vision of what could be in the Castelli. We had a low-key Christmas service in church with a potluck. It is a hard time with low attendance due to grave physical and emotional and economical problems among members. We pray for God to continue to establish His church here and comfort and challenge His people.

We have a lot coming up this spring: Easter outreach, Women's tea, Church day-retreat, hosting a Christian counseling course for pastoral training in the Rome area (June)! More details to come....

PERSONAL

I have lost a lot of joy in work, which frustrates me because I should be a good witness there, and I don't feel that I am at the moment. I am now working Saturdays which has created some conflict. They are overtime hours outside my contract but they insisted I do them. But there are no buses on Saturdays, and it interrupts a lot of ministry commitments. Other ministry commitments. Not to mention rest. If anything it has affirmed my decision to leave the school in July (not renew my contract). This sermon is shaking me up a bit.... http://realityla.com/teachings/questions-how-does-faith-affect-my-work/   My colleague Raffaella is devouring the devotional I gave her but still refuses to come to church. Pray for her.

I have a few possibilities coming up from next summer including a lay-counseling program, clearing my CA teaching credential, or staying in Italy and working part-time and writing Sunday School curriculum, children's books, blogging and building up the ministries here. There's so much I want to do but I don't have the time. Anyway, it seems that this year or next I will take a furlough in the States. We need to raise more support. We need more laborers. A lot of exciting possibilities for whoever wants details.... Anyway, PLEASE PRAY FOR ME as I make these decisions by March.

After a month break, we will start up Schiavitù Mai Più again next week. Pray for God's direction and strength this year. We've got a campaign coming up. We had such a great Christmas outreach and I God let me meet M again after almost a year! I was so blessed. But it remains a slow, hard road with the girls. We did not resolve the issue with the minor. We want to see girls free. In every way.

ANNIVERSARY REQUEST

I have a special request for those who have a bit of extra money to spare. My amazing Pastor and his wife have their 25th wedding anniversary coming up in August 2015. His DREAM has been to take his wife to America. I think it would be the most encouraging, unexpected gift. I am looking to raise about $3000 for their airfare. We would like to present them with 2 tickets to Seattle in August, for next December. If you have anything extra to spare, or loads of airmiles and you'd like to buy their tickets haha....let me know. You can send tax-deductable donations with a note "For Robert and Chantal Diamubeni Anniversary Fund" to Calvary Chapel Eastside 5130 164th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98006 USA. Oh yeah, and it's a SURPRISE. ;)

Thanks for your love and support! God bless you richly. 
xxx, A