november hibernation

PERSONAL

After such an insane October month, the bustle of November feels like hibernation. A night at home to do whatever I want!? 3 hours between getting home from work and when guests arrive!? Haha...I knew October would be crazy, but I am also a little concerned that I've become accustomed to the buzz and will continue to compulsively overbook myself. I desperately need some solid chunks of time for reflection and prayer. Pray that I can make this important in application, not only thought.

I continue to hear things like this from visitors: "Wow, you really have a full life here!" "You have so many friends" "You're like an Italian"...it's almost funny because I don't know how I could stay here if I didn't embrace these things! It's true that I've tried as best I could to embrace the life here, and to make it full. It continues to be difficult to choose Italy when my grandparents are in the last stage of their lives--or a dear friend wishes you could be in her wedding (again)--or a new baby is born in the family. But in all things I try to remember that I choose GOD. He directs and sustains and makes everything worth it. And in this time of THANKSGIVING and reflection, I am just so thankful to be His.

Tania and I will be hosting a Thanksgiving after dinner party and have a list of about 50 friends we will be inviting. We don't know who will come but of course our heart is for Christians and non-Christians to mix and people to see Jesus.

I can't believe my time with my cousin is already halfway gone! He has been such a delight and blessing to my soul. We had an amazing time in Puglia and are looking forward to hopefully hosting some of our friends here in Rome soon! Please keep my cousin in your prayers--that his heart is turned toward Jesus.

Our unexpected house guest ended up staying for 2 weeks. We thank God that there were no major problems and hope she saw the hospitality of Christ.

CHURCH

We are experiencing a lot of physical needs among our members. Please pray for healing of Simona, Giulia, Thereasa, Laura--and the emotional needs of Jenny, Monica, Piero. I am concerned that Julienne has not been able to come to church since her baptism. Please pray for this beautiful woman and her two lovely sons and their difficult family situation. We have a new older man Piero coming on Tuesday nights. Pray for encouragement and truth and steadfastness in faith.

We are also starting to prepare for Christmas outreach. We need wisdom and creativity for all logistics and planning and creating. Tania and I are in charge of creating a dance/skit.

SCHIAVITU MAI PIU

We were unable to head out last week due to missing team members. Please pray we can make it out this Friday. We continue to meet lots of new girls, but we are also being more selective about who we talk to now in our prayer to see fruit and receptivity. Sara, the 17 yr old from my church was touched by the event last month and is planning an event at her school for after Christmas. This is exciting!

WORK

Oh my goodness I am so in love. My students this year are so adorable and lovely. If you can imagine--my major interruption is someone talking over me to tell me "I LOVE YOU Ms. Allie!". I am so thankful for each one, and pray I can continue to be a good influence at work, do my best, stay out of gossip, and love the families and colleagues I reach. The problem of teaching Saturdays has come up again. Pray I can avoid this for my own health and conflict to ministry duties.

Thanks for praying! Have a blessed weekend!
Allie

                                          Lake view from Castel Odescalchi, Bracciano <3 p="">

unexpected adventures

Hi Everyone.

Thanks for taking the time to read and pray. I am really being sustained by the Lord in what I feel may be the busiest I've been since living in Italy. God is good.

WORK UPDATE

Getting used to my long hours and enjoying it--miracle of miracles. I've also picked up tutoring an ex-student Thursdays after work. It is a lot, but they seem important opportunities. Still wanting time to invest in colleagues, new and old.

CHURCH UPDATE

I've been able to spend some good time with the young girls in the church. They seem hungry for more relationship and I feel I have so little time to offer. We also desperately need help with Sunday School. We are paying off a last bit of debt that remained from the old church building tomorrow, praise God. We are encouraged by growing faith and praying for physical healing of many: Simona, Thereasa, Giulia, Stefano's mom....

SCHIAVITU MAI PIU

We finished a "successful" campaign, thank the Lord. We had a great showing Saturday for the documentary, and really good responses. We are excited to see what we can do in the new year and are praying for direction with our street work. Please pray in particular for D---a girl I really connect with on the street. Pray for her deliverance. For more workers on our team. Italian and Romanian would be ideal. By the way, we have not seen the girl Maeva that Tania met again, but we have discovered the strip-club in Frascati where she works. We are praying about what to do.

PERSONAL

It's been great having my cousin. He seems curious about the Gospel. We are off to Puglia this weekend to visit where my great-grandfather was born and I am really excited to re-connect with the friends I made there last time. I don't know what God has in store. I made the mistake of writing one girl to invite the group to dinner while we were there. She responded, "You are OUR guests. We invite you." Of course. The intense southern hospitality. Who was I to invite them in their own town??

Tania and I also have a young American woman staying with us in an urgent situation at the moment for we don't know exactly how long. Please pray we can handle this situation wisely and encourage her in the Lord with the little time we are home.

Other prayer requests for Fation, Roberto, Livia, Olga, Simone, Raffa...remain the same. They need to surrender to Jesus!

new friends

FRIENDS

Since being back, all of my old friends began writing me to get together. I felt very loved. Tania and I are also noticing a pattern that God has been bringing "new friends" into our lives. This is exciting, but also overwhelming. How do we reach all of these people? How do we find time? Please pray for us in this. God has really helped us to unite peacefully towards His purposes this month, and we want to hear from Him.

For Tania:
Egyptian Muslim girl on bus
French girl Maeva (we are learning a lot about her and think she may be in a slave-like situation)
Laura (ex coworker)

For Me:
Michela (Romanian babysitter of one of my students--wants to be friends)
Claudia (new coworker)

I am growing closer or trying to connect with these dear non-believing friends:
Fation (told me yesterday that he is filled with fear before he goes to bed)
Roberto (likes dark, pagan things)
Luana (and Andrea P.--Andrea P's girlfriend pursuing music therapy for kids)
Andreas- struggling with depression and addictions
Livia- living for herself
Olga- manipulator, curious
Paolo- lost
Raffaella-sweet coworker, needs to know Love

We'd like to have some kind of party or something to mix our Christian (very few!) and non-Christian friends. Pray for creativity, time, etc.

There are also quite a few fellow missionary relationships I'd like to invest in here in my area. NO. TIME.

WORK

I was devastated to find that my schedule had been altered to work more hours than last year. This has been very difficult to accept. But I am praying for strength to be a good witness. To have a good attitude. I miss my old students, but my new class is excellent. Please pray for:
Giulia
Delisha
Viola
Ginevra
Paolo
Pietro
Filippo
Daniele
Francesco
Melissa

There is also a new autistic boy in my old class. Pray that I can help or that his situation is handled in an appropriate way.

I am also trying to figure out times to tutor Alessandro and Matilda (mom died in March) who have moved to other schools in Rome. Please pray for God's guidance.

CHURCH

Baptisms were BEAUTIFUL. Pray for more growth and desire to be baptized among other members: Matteo, Veronica, Simona, Alessandro, Stefano...

SCHIAVITU MAI PIU

Our training went well if low-attended. We keep seeing lots of new girls on the streets. We are asking the Lord for more workers. Specifically ITALIAN and ROMANIAN and ALBANIAN Christians. So far we are all Americans plus Fjori who is Albanian. We have a big awareness campaign from October 1-18 and would like prayer for this. Personally, I hope that the subject of sex-trade comes up more among my friends so I can share God's heart of FREEDOM.

PERSONAL

I have dropped studies for my license. No time. In the meantime God provided coworkers to get me to and from work and couches to sleep on if I'm stuck in Rome. My cousin Dylan will be in Rome 2 months. Please pray that he opens his heart to Jesus.

Thanks so much for interceding with me!

                                                  Sara and Julienne's baptism at sea <3 p="">

                                              My Sunday School eating after church <3 p="">

Flowers we bought this morning from our Bangladeshi flower seller friend on the street. Agash is a man who has suffered much. He is returning home for 5 months because he has a new daughter there. We are trying to think of a way to bless him before he leaves in 2 weeks. Pray for Agash!

the return: year 3.

I'm back in Frascati!

It's been nice the last 6 weeks to detach a bit from technology and just enjoy visiting people and being at the whim of the moment. If I saw you while on the West Coast, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My travels home included: 1 taxi, 2 planes, 1 bus, 1 train, 1 subway ride...an airport strike waiting for my luggage, a long line waiting to buy tickets, and my pastor and his wife who graciously met me at the end of the subway line to take me HOME. Maybe that's why I slept 10 hrs. straight last night!

UPDATE FROM SUMMER MINISTRY

God held back the rain for our 2 concerts. It was so miraculous. All 4 guests I invited came, even if they didn't stay the whole time. Our church was encouraged and unified by the event! We hope to have more people come out next time and to improve with advertising. Red Rain was a huge blessing!

I was also able to delegate 4 youth to teach Sunday School and various members volunteered to bring drinks for Sundays. I hear it went well and am eager to be back tonight in Church!

STATESIDE SUMMARY

California, Oregon and Washington were great. I rested. I "tried" surfing. I got some new clothes and teaching supplies. I went to the beach. I saw THREE musicals. I biked with my cousins. I ate Thai, Mexican and Indian. I went to a rooftop wedding. I saw loads of friends and family. I attended my churches. I saw my sister in concert. I said some really hard goodbyes.

Please pray for me as I consider many things for the future. The next few months I will be deciding what to do "next." Before I left for the summer I told my boss that this year 2014-15 would be my last year at the school. I really need to hear from the Lord about what to do after July 2015, so if you can keep that in your prayers I would be very grateful. Send me any verses or words God gives you!

Meeting my "nipotino" Noble <3 p="">

                                                                         Cousins :)

                                                         Siblings in the hot-tub

                                             Austen's show with my aunt and uncle <3 nbsp="" p="">

RLA Community Group Dinner

WHATS UP

I go back to work tomorrow. Please pray that God renews my strength, joy and creativity to welcome a new class of students this year! I am sad to be passed up by my old students and pray that I can somehow stay connected with them. Please pray for solid, uplifting communication between all staff.

Next Sunday, September 14 we will do church at the sea as Sara (17 yr old sister of Veronica 19, and Lorenzo 5) and Giulianna (Togolese, mom of Leo 9 and Dylan 2 in Sunday School) get baptized!!

I need wisdom to grow up other members to share in serving with Kids Ministry and Hospitality. Pray that others would see the value and commit. Please pray that someone raises up to takeover accounting because it is too much for me.

Schiavitù Mai Più (anti-trafficking/prostitution ministry) is back in full-swing. We have a meeting with a US Government labor official Sept 12, an outing Sept 19, a Training Day for new volunteers Sept 20 and our Freedom Days Campaign the week of October 18.

I am thrilled to host my dear friend Michelle from Japan (Biola) and her parents next week! I am also very thankful to have my cousin Dylan in Rome for 2 months...arriving in 2 weeks! God knew I needed a piece of "home."

Coming back to Frascati was difficult. But I am praying for a deeply fruitful year. I want to be loved and used of the Lord. I feel a bit like Job's friends: "Tell us! What are we to say to Him? We are unable to prepare because of the darkness" (Job 37:19). Thanking God He is Light.

Love to all!
Allie

July Outreach...the last stretch

Hi Everyone!

Wow. It's been a busy time and I could really, really use some concentrated prayer for this last stretch before heading "home" to the States July 28!

Personal

I've been so thankful to have my precious friend Amanda and her mom as guests this month. They have helped by sharing testimonies, cooking, designing our banners/flyers for the concert, leading worship, and just generally spoiling me. I would like to ask particular prayer for Tania right now in this time. Also for the friends like Livia, Fation, Roberto, Sara that I'd like to see before I leave.

Church

Amanda and I are leading worship Sunday and would appreciate your prayers. Also this Sunday I will be training Valeria, Claudia and Eli and Moira to take over for me in Sunday School the 5 weeks I am gone. Please pray for this and creativity and time for me to set them up well.

CONCERT Outreach July 24 & 25

We have a LOT of work to do. We still need a stage, lights, and some permits. BUT God came through in a big way today. I got banners done, permit permission, city permission, a drumset for free (was going to cost 300€ to rent!)...we trust it will all work out, logistically and financially. Please pray that people we invite will come.

Thanks and God bless you all!
Allie

Below: some blurry pics from my sweet roof-top birthday party sponsored by my fabulous grandparents Jill & Bob. Grazie! 

church retreat and july goals

CC FRASCATI CHURCH RETREAT

I wanted to give an update about our church retreat this weekend. We were at an agriturismo in Frascati that gave us an incredible, affordable deal. Pastor Craig Quam (founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Italy) came down from Veneto and didn't let the fact that he just started chemotherapy treatment stop him from sharing with our little church about life in the Holy Spirit from Acts 1:8. We had 40 people in attendance from our different home-groups. Actually, there were quite a lot of people missing, but we were still so encouraged by this number and those that came out (from Monte Porzio Catone, Genzano, Albano, Colleferro, Grottaferrata, Frascati and Rome--also a visiting family from Frosinone!). Raffaella did not come. Michelangelo did an excellent job with worship. Jenny (who will moving to London in 2 weeks with our sweet Giulia--please pray for them!!) organized the venue. I was in charge of children's ministry all day. We were blessed and encouraged. We had just the funds to cover everything with 5€ leftover. We pray that the impact of this event is deep and lasting.

One interesting thing happened: a lady visiting the Bed & Breakfast part of the venue heard us and sat in on the worship. She then talked to Barbara and Robert about offering us a meeting place for the church! We are meeting with her today at 6:30pm if you can pray. Our dream is to have a place in the community. A place where all of our groups can meet together more regularly.

JULY GOALS

I've got lots of people to see: Olga, Paolo, Iram, Raffaella (all different colleagues/ex-colleagues I want to get in touch with). Livia (my Roman friend). Going to the sea with the young girls from church (Sara, Veronica, Valeria and Claudia--who have returned from France). Spending time with Monica (needy lady from church). Spending time with Barbara (another needy lady from church). Connecting with Fation (he just told me he is reading the Gospel) and Roberto. Supporting Jenny and Giulia with whatever they need before they move to London.

I've got visitors: My dear friend Amanda and her mom visiting me this month! My uncle should also be passing by. July 23-26 I'll be hosting the New Zealand rock band "Red Rain" in my home for outreach with our church.

Please continue to pray for my work with Schiavitù Mai Più this month. My team leader Sarah needs miraculous prayer for her heart. She has just come home from the hospital.

Please pray for logistical things with the Red Rain concert coming up. We need: 400€ to put this on. We need a smoke machine, a bass amp and a drum kit. The band will be split into 3 homes. Pray that they are blessed. We are thankful for their servant hearts and flexibility.

OTHER UPDATES

I almost left my job last week. After lots of drama and prayer I am staying one more final year. Prayers for my future would be most appreciated.

Pray that Jesus pursues and reveals himself in supernatural ways to my friend Fation who just confessed he is reading the Gospel. "You know Jesus says a lot of really wise things. I really agree with it."

Tania most likely has a fixed job starting in September. This will help me economically, as well as give her life a bit more direction. Praise Jesus.

I am in LA and Seattle this August and hope to see you! Taking appointments now :)


Thanks for praying. Lots of love to all!
Allie

                                    With Nicholas & Lorenzo chowing down! (kidsmin)

                                         Great worship time together at the retreat!

                                                                Football!

                                       The whole gang (minus Michi taking the pic)

                                          I hit the beach as soon as I finished work.
                          Nothing like first sun and first fresh coconut of the summer!

june. andamillionthoughts.

TESORI RAGGIANTI International Conference Against Sex-Trafficking

Well. I don't really know how to process the 4 days I spent last week outside of Turin. SO THANKFUL to Jesus that I was able to attend this conference sponsored by Operation Mobilization (OM). Dr. Sandra Morgan from Vanguard University, along with a panel of experts (Italian police, social workers, lawyers, ex-sex slaves) and all of US... the Christian ministry workers that have been plugging along by ourselves in various cities the last 5 years. For the first time, we were all together. It was stimulating. It was enlightening. It was overwhelming. It was exhausting. It was encouraging. It was informative. It was heart-breaking. Perhaps the best thing was that it was applicational. Dr. Morgan's passion was to get us contextualizing and planning for the "treasures" we know. For the cities in which we live. Another goal of the conference was to get us united across Italy with similar training, using standard vocabulary etc. God is doing great things and longs to release Italian men and women and children from: 

1. An oversexualized culture

2. A morbid, corrupted and violent sexualization

3. Selling of human beings

4. Identity confusion

5. Sexual dominance

6. Sexual abuse 

7. Lies from media

8. Broken families...

 Of the 25,000 sex-trafficking victims in Italy, there are 4 major ethnic groups: Nigerian, Romanian, Albanian and Chinese. Our team in Rome has been working with Romanian-Albanian girls (the only two groups that work together to take advantage of each other). But in the fall we hope to start up the team with Nigerian girls. It's a completely different area. It's a bit more dangerous in the country roads without lights and sidewalks and we would be out in the day. Please pray for the preparation of this team (of which I will  be a part). 

“Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” (Psalm 34:5)

CHURCH

We are seeing some growth (spiritually and in number) which is exciting. We continue to pray against divisive or lazy spirits among members. It is difficult to maintain fellowship with our home-studies spanning from Colleferro to Frascati. Please pray that our church members take ownership of their faith and become hungry to serve and encourage one another. We are encouraged recently by Franco and Barbara and Stefano and Alessandro. 

June 29th is our big all-day church retreat. Please ask the Lord to bless our speaker and all of the preparations and those who will come. I am hoping to invite Raffaella this week. PLEASE ASK GOD TO OPEN HER HEART TO COME.

WORK

Some drama at the end of the year--a few teachers not coming back. This will mean a bit more chaos next year with new staff etc. once again. But I am thankful to have this job and to hold a testimony here. My two students that will be leaving (the one whose mom died and another) are "randomly" moving to the same school in Rome, and their parents have asked me to stay in touch. That is a blessing. At this point, I only plan on putting in one more year at the school and moving to more flexible part time work the following year. Lots of thoughts for the future, but more to come later. Just pray for now that I can finish this last school month well!

I'm excited to have my cousin Dylan visiting next week. This summer I'm hoping to invest more time in friendships and studying for my drivers exam which has fallen behind!!!

xo

                                  Below: panel of experts, our Schiavitù Mai Più team

And this... my colleague took this photo of me on 

fieldtrip and titled it "Angry Allie" haha...don't mess with me.