I love when December arrives. December equals Christmas and there is something about Christmas. It is a wonderful time of the year, and it tends to bring out the best in everyone. I have so many wonderful memories from childhood during this time. Decorating the tree, hanging lights, caroling….

I also remember every year at McAdams Baptist Church Mrs. Ann Godfrey would talk about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and I would learn about Lottie Moon in GA’s (Girls in Action, a mission organization for girls). Our church would set a goal for the offering and for every $25 or $50 (I can’t remember which) a red bow would be placed on the end of a pew. By the end of December red bows would be all over the church.

As a child I learned the importance of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. It was an offering collected to support international missions and missionaries. It was a way as a child I could be involved in international missions. By giving to Lottie Moon I was helping to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

It is funny how things come full circle, isn’t it? As an adult I am still helping to take the gospel to the ends of the earth only on the other side of things. Being on this side has given me a new perspective and appreciation for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. I now understand what, as a child, I was helping to do. I was helping missionaries to partner with indigenous churches to spread the gospel. I was telling the Giovannis and Francescas and Marinas about Christ. I was providing bibles written in different languages to those who needed them. I was providing ESL materials for missionaries who use ESL as a way to teach the bible. I was helping provide meals for the homeless. I was enabling teams of four to grow to a team of eight in a year. I was providing missionaries with the means to go language school in order to be able to communicate the love of Christ to others.

This is a very short list of all the things that giving to Lottie Moon enabled me to be a part of when I was a child, and how great it is to be doing these things as an adult.

When you give to Lottie Moon you are doing so much more than putting money in an envelope. You are helping to spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to those who don’t know Him.

Tonight we had a pre-ESL meeting at a church we are starting to work with. It was so great for more than one reason.
-It was great because it means that we are establishing a relationship with a church that is growing and doing.
-It was great because several of our team is involved.
– It was great because we were able to fellowship with Italians afterwards.
– It was great because it is fun. It was great because we were part of something bigger than us.
– It was great because we were involved in something that God is doing in a place where He is doing something and it is always a great thing to be where God is.

The group from Sulphur, Louisiana is doing an amazing job. They are talking to people and sharing Christ without hesitation. They have been such an encouragement to me.

Last night we were all in a shopping area that is crawling with people. I got there before everyone else and after walking the street looking for someone a few times decided to do some “bench ministry”. You know, where you sit on a bench and talk to the people who sit down by you. I thought it would be a good strategy since a) I could not really find any of the group, b) I was tired of walking up and down the hill and c) I don’t do well with walking up to people on the street, guess I thought I would do better sitting by people.

I sat down next to a couple and for a while just sat. I finally asked them if they lived in the area and if there were any good places to eat. So that got us to talking. In the end they had to leave before any kind of spiritual topic came up. Then an older couple sat down and I tried the same approach, however they were not quite as talkative. Nice, but not too talkative other than wanting to know about the baby.

After they left a woman and her daughter sat down. About the same time an older woman came up to me and handed me a tract about the end of the world. I thought she was Catholic as she went through it until I saw the stamp on the back of the tract that indicated she was Jehovah’s Witness. When she found out I was an evangelical her expression changed ever so slightly, but she kept talking and I took her literature. Then, I asked the woman next to me what she thought and that opened up a great conversation. She is of course Catholic but not practicing, which led me to ask why. Her response, “Why should I go to a priest? I can go to God. Why do I need the priest?” I got so excited. So we talked about salvation and how we all need a Savior and that Savior is Jesus. We also discussed good works and praying to Mary and saints. At the end I encouraged to find a church other than a Catholic one to go to in order to have fellowship with those who think like she does.

It was a great conversation and I was greatly encouraged by it. So I am very thankful that the Jehovah’s Witness woman came and invited me to her church.

Some of you may have already seen this on Facebook. I just think it’s funny and it really needs no description at all. I love pictures that say it all.

Between crying (those crazy hormones…I probably saw a puppy on TV or something) and cleaning and working today something occurred to me. I can’t see Lily (other than sonogram pictures) but I love her so much. I am overwhelmed with it. It consumes me. It is an all encompassing love. And everyone was right, you can’t describe it accurately enough. It is something you have to experience. I wonder sometimes how I can ever love her more when I actually see her.

And that lead me to thinking if I love Lily, who I can’t see but can feel, so much do I love God, who I can’t see but can feel, more than that? Am I consumed with love for Him? I have to say that there are moments that I am overwhelmed and can’t pray because I am just….well, overwhelmed that the God of all the universe loves me.

Do I love Him enough? Do I love Him as He deserves? Do I show Him my love? I can try, but I am human and I can’t even come close.

But, like Lily, I wonder how much more I will fall in love with God when I actually see Him. Just thinking about it is….I don’t even have a word. I long to see my daughter face-to-face, but more than that I long, desire, and crave to see my Savior face-to-face.

Over the weekend our team traveled about an hour east to a bed and breakfast called Locanda Cinciarella. It is a very nice home in the mountains surrounded by olive and chestnut grooves. It is very quaint and welcoming. The family makes their own bread, pasta, wine, olive oil, and probably many other things.

We were able to get many things accomplished during the weekend. It was great to be able to spend some time with everyone, including Dudley and Janet Graves from Rome who watched the kids while we worked. Sunday we had team worship, which was great. We were able to share how God brought us to this point, which is always an encouraging thing to hear.

Now, about the food. The food was pretty dog gone good. Sorry that there are no pictures of it below. Friday and Saturday nights we had four courses, all of which were delicious. The big meal, as you might can guess, was Sunday. I think we sat down at around 2:00 and finally got up a little before 5:00. We ate antipasti (appetizers) for about an hour. It was all so very, very good. The pregnant lady came home content and happy about all the food she ate.

Jason holding an exhausted Alessia between courses

Emma petting one of the cats. The kids had a great time with all the pets.

Grace and Alessia

Locanda Cinciarella

Pretty picture Paul took

I think this is a church in the town close by Locanda Cinciarella. I just thought it was a pretty picture. I sure am glad my husband can take good pictures.

If you ever move to a different country and don’t know the language you will no doubt experience communication difficulties. Over the past year and half I can’t tell you how many dates, times, places, etc. I have gotten wrong.

Since getting married I’ve learned just how important communication is. There are many times when disagreements occur because of a lack of communication, but miscommunication can also give you something to laugh about. Take what happened at lunch today at our house for example:

Setting: At 1:15 we have to leave to go to the doctor. I (MacKenzie) am sitting at the kitchen table finishing off some apple pie so I can go put on make-up before leaving.

Paul says “We’ve got to hurry”.
I reply, “I won’t get to put on my make-up. That’s a booger.”
I heard Paul say ,“You don’t need it.” To which I thought, “How nice of him to think I am beautiful without make-up.”

Then he laughed. What??

He had heard,“That’s a booger,” as I stared down into my apple pie to which he replied “Don’t eat it.”

I like my version better.