I am sitting looking out a window in Germany at the mountains. Since a very small child my grandfather and dad had me outside in the woods or feeding the cows or planting the garden. Being outside in the quiet stillness is something that is part of my DNA – at least I feel like it is. I’d rather be hiking or sitting by a river or lake or walking through the woods breathing in the smell of the forest than anywhere else. It’s where I feel closest to God. Sometimes as I am in the middle of it all I try to picture it the way God created it in the beginning and I am overwhelmed that He allows me to see it. When I look out over His creation I get a sense of His glory.
Growing up in Mississippi I never really had the opportunity to be around mountains. Maybe that’s why I am so fascinated by them. Now, I live in a city that is more cement and people than anything else. I miss being able to walk out in the middle of nowhere with nobody around and sing or cry out or talk to God or to just be still. It’s where I feel most at home, and I owe the love I have for God’s creation to my dad and granddad. Two men who taught me to be amazed that God can bring forth fruit from a tiny seed. They helped me learn how to appreciate the beauty in a stand of pine trees and the changes of color in the leaves in fall. And as I look out over the mountains I wish they could see it and admire the handiwork of God.

In case you can’t figure out what Paul is holding….it’s a fish. A whole fish, battered and fried by some neighbors, who thought we would enjoy them. Paul did. He chowed down on ’em.

This is what the plate of little fried fish looked like before Paul ate almost all of them. Personally, I think they look like tiny eels or something. Needless to say I did not partake.

Today Crestwood Baptist Church comes for about a week.
Sunday two summer volunteer girls get here.
Next Thursday Simsboro First Baptist Church arrives for about a week.
July 31 we start our journey to Germany for a week-long meeting.
I hope I’m ready for all this.

This past week has been filled with lots of stuff and people.

My mom arrived last Thursday to help out because I’ve been so pitiful lately. I’ve gotten used to her being here so when she leaves tomorrow morning I don’t know what I’ll do. I guess go back to “normal” life.

Last Saturday International World Changers arrived. They have done a really good job and have had great attitudes from what I’ve seen. Of course I wasn’t around them as much as I would have liked due to the fact that I am just now getting back my energy. However, the time I spent with them was great. They performed a drama towards the end of the week that went over well. Now we kinda know how people will respond and how we can better respond to those people.

The kicker was yesterday. Paul and I went to a wedding that was supposed to start at 11:00am. I was told to be there at 10:00am because I was singing with a group. Of course nobody else showed up until about 10:30, which is when guests could begin arriving. So, we wait…..we wait some more……and we wait some more. Finally a little past 11:30am the bride arrives and the Wedding March begins playing. It was a very nice wedding. Afterwards, I came home to spend some time with Mom who had been at my house by herself all morning. Paul went to the reception. But first he spent two hours taking pictures with the bride and groom and friends. Then he spent another hour walking around a piazza. When he finally arrived at the reception he ate around 11 courses and watched as others danced the night away. Fun times. I think he got home around midnight.

So needless to say we are taking it easy today. However tomorrow Paul will be getting up at 2:00am to go with Charlie and my mom to Rome so she can make her 6:00am flight. So maybe Monday everybody on the team can rest up until the following week when Crestwood Baptist Church gets here.

Apologies for the absence. The last month and a half or so have not been very fun for me or Paul. I fully expected to have morning or evening sickness but not all day and all night sickness. I realize I have the tendency to exaggerate, but I am not exaggerating about this. I have been nauseated or vomiting every day since my last post (minus about 3 or 4 “good” days). I am not writing this to get sympathy just to let you know why there hasn’t been a post for a while and why I have not responded to emails or facebook posts. Looking at the computer makes me pretty sick feeling so I am doing good to write this.
I am still not feeling well but I’m about to be in week 12 so hopefully it’s almost over. Right now I feel like I should be in one of those books about pregnancy horror stories or something. However, I know I am going to look back at some point and see what God was teaching me and what I hopefully learned. I’ve already learned some things. One thing is about how closed minded and self centered I have been through all of this. I have focused on myself because I have never felt so bad in my life. I forgot about hope and strength and how God takes away all our fears, even fears of throwing up. I wallowed in my nausea. For a brief moment in time I lost the big picture…not of the wonderful baby that will be here in 9 months, which is true, but the big picture of God and who He is and the truths I need just to go through my everyday life.
Our friend Sharon Rice felt so sorry for me she got on a plane and came to Italy to help us out. I’m glad she came if for no other reason than to give Paul a break from the craziness that is his pregnant, nauseated, vomiting wife. Sharon has been reading her Bible study to me (reading makes me sick as well these days). This is the best thing that has occurred in the last few weeks. The words of Scripture she read reminded me of the truths that I have abandoned for self-pity and wallowing. I am not forsaken, I am loved, I can rest in the shadow of His wings, I can take refuge in Him, the darkness will pass and morning will come. It’s funny the things that lead us to dark places and sometimes funnier the things it takes to bring us back to the light. It took God putting in mine and Paul’s heart the courage to ask Sharon to come to Italy and Him to put in hers the peace to come and the wisdom to bring a Bible study and read to me out loud for me to step out of the darkness. God works through all kinds of ways.
My mother is coming is a few days….I’m curious to see what God is going to do through her.

I think that a lot of you reading this probably already know, but let’s just make it official. Paul and I are going to have a baby!
Many others have asked and I’m sure some of you are wondering…yes, we will be having the baby here in Italy. No worries. Everything will be fine. Women have babies here everyday. Our first doctor’s appointment is next week.
I’ll do my best not to blog too much about being sick….but just so everyone knows I am sick all day every day. Lovin’ being pregnant so far.
Paul is being great. You can all pat his back for taking good care of me. He’s being very understanding and sympathetic.

We’re back in Napoli. We had a sad, encouraging, uplifting, difficult time. We definitely made the right decision in going. We were able to see and talk to Paul’s grandfather before he passed, and it was really good to spend time with his family.
We were able to get to Mississippi for a few days. We spent most of our time playing with our niece, Elena, and our nephew, Isaiah.
As nice as it was to see everyone and eat Chick-fil-a, Mexican food, Chinese food, and B-B-Q it was pretty great to sleep in our own bed.

Ok, so made it wasn’t the worst trip in the history of humanity, but it ranks in the top 5. I’m sure it’s just the fact that I’m writing this at 6:30 am central time when my body and brain think it is around 1:30 pm in Naples.
We should have known we were in for disaster when we left Naples on Thursday night. We were riding the AV train, which is a high velocity train. It is never late. Almost. Instead of leaving at 7:00 pm we left closer to 8:00pm. No big deal, trains are late all the time. We get to Rome and head out to some friends’ home who we are bumming with that night. On the way we realize we don’t have our backpack. Where is it? On the AV train headed to Bologna. Whooppee. What was in it? Our Bibles, a videocamera, an Americal cellphone, books I had borrowed from someone, and my journal that I’ve written in since we got to Italy. Great. It was a big blow and I almost started crying on the metro.
Night goes by fine other that the lost bag.
Friday morning. We get to the Rome airport at about 8:00 am. Our flight is at 10:00am. After 20 minutes of waiting we get to the desk and the nice man asks, “Where are you going?” “Atlanta to Jackson,” was the response from us. “You’re not connecting in Europe?” ask the man. “No,” we reply. “Sorry you have to go to Terminal C for flights that do not stop in Europe first,” says the man. We set out in search for Terminal C. It wasn’t too hard to find and didn’t take too long to get there. We start looking for the correct desk to check in at and are informed that we have to get on a bus and go to another Terminal C. Can’t they put up signs or something to help you out!!?? We get on the bus, go to the other place (I think it’s called Terminal 5 or something for future reference) and get into our first line of the day. I’ll summarize the rest of the Rome airport part of the story. We stood in about 4 long lines and had our passports checked at least 5 times, maybe more and were close to missing our flight, but so was everyone else. I do not like the Rome airport.
Friday, in flight. Nothing too exciting about the flight, which is good. We met a nice flight attendent who we talked to about our work. I watched 4 movies, but my brain is so jet lagged I have no idea what they were now.
Friday afternoon. We arrive in Atlanta on time and are a little bit excited about eating some food we haven’t had in a year and a half. We eat a burrito (kinda like a Moe’s or Chipotle burrito). It was soooooo good. Then we head to our gate, but Paul wants to sit in a little resturant so we can watch the Master’s. At about 6:30 pm (our flight is at 7:30 pm) I go look at the board to make sure our flight is still on time. What do I see? Jackson…cancelled. WHAT??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After waiting for confirmation that the flight is cancelled due to bad weather we head over to the Delta desk for help just like the other 15 people who were on the flight. As we’re standing in line some of us are contemplating renting a car and driving if nothing else works out. We were able to get a flight into Monroe, LA at 7:03pm. It’s 7:00pm when we are informed of this. Luckily the flight is delayed. So we run to Terminal C (what is up with all the Terminal Cs?) and get there in plenty of time. How can that be, you ask. Because the flight kept getting pushed back due to the weather. As we wait to board we meet a group of very nice men and have a very lively and entertaining conversation with them as two or three spit tobacco juice into a coke bottle. Oh, it’s good to be back in the south. We board the plane at 8:00pm and wait for awhile on the tarmac because of the weather. Two funnel clouds were spotted 3 miles from the airport. About 15 mintues after being informed of this we take off. Great. Luckily I had taken a Dramamine so I didn’t notice the shaking and lightening and rain that we flew through. Sometimes being medicated is a great thing.
We arrived in Monroe sometime close to 10:00pm I think. Oh, I forgot to mention that our luggage could not be re-routed to Monroe so my parents are having to pick it up and then bring it to us. So we have NOTHING but the clothes on our backs for the moment.
Hope you laughed a little bit at this, I did. It was either laugh or cry and I’d much rather laugh so I don’t end up all splotchy faced.

Just wanted to let anyone who reads this blog know that Paul and I are going back to the States for a little while….not too long. Paul’s grandfather is dying and we are going back to be with him and Paul’s family. We will leave Friday morning and arrive Friday night. Please pray for safety in flight but also that we will be able to minister to Paul’s family and that God will use this for His glory. Thank you for your prayers.

So, here’s how I spent my birthday…prepare yourself…
Paul and I received a message a few weeks ago saying that we had to go pick up a legal document on Saturday, April 4. Whoopee. Just what I want to do on my birthday, go down to the immigration office. But we think that since we have an appointment we’ll be in and out in no time. We are so naive. Have we learned nothing in the past year??
We leave the house at 2:30 p.m. and arrive at the immigration office about 3:20 p.m. Our appointment was between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. Upon approaching the office we see a good many people outside. And I don’t just mean 50 or 75 people, it was more like 200 or 250 people, from every tribe, tongue and nation, or so it seemed. We ask a very kind police officer if we need to wait since we have an appointment. Can you guess the answer?? I’ll give you one guess. So we head to the back of the line to wait….and wait….and wait.
Luckily, we remembered to bring along some reading materials just in case something like this happened. After about an hour of standing, not in a line mind you but a cluster of people that probably looked like cattle to onlookers and passersby, a young Indian girl in front of me passed out due to overheating and the lack of oxygen available in the middle of herd.
We finally make it to the front and what do we learn? There are three more holding pins in front of us before we get to the door. By this time we have moved from about 75 yards or so from the door to about 50. The gates open for us to move to the next pin and just like cattle everyone is pushing and shoving so much that the police (aka herdsman) have to stop everyone to make them quit pushing. Luckily we were able to escape to the next pin before this happened. Maybe it wasn’t escaping so much as it was pushed out front.
After about an hour and a half we had worked our way through all four holding pins and were in line at the door. We were ushered inside and sat down for about 10 minutes and then went inside. We had made it, we were inside!! This was it. We got to the window and received our documents without incident. We rejoiced!! It only took a year and a month to get this document. We head home and decide to wait for a bus instead of walking all the way back to the train station. We waited for 45 minutes or an hour. Bus never came. Public transportation is wonderful. We took another bus to a train station, waited for about 15 or 20 minutes for a metro and finally arrived home at 7:00p.m. Remember we started this little trip at 2:30p.m. It was a great birthday.
Oh, and the best surprise was that after examining our newly received documents closer, we discovered they expired in December 2008. Happy birthday.