Europe...

  

... is worth waiting for...

 is cute! hehe... 

...has somewhat creepy airport advertisements. this was a real car with a huge man in it... i think it's advertising convertibles? 

... is comforting. Irene made me peppermint tea -- my fav!

... is unpredictable. I thought this was bread, ham, and cheese... Anyone want to take a guess at what the "cheese" really was? 

Here's a little video I made while waiting for Mike (my brother) to pick me up to go to the airport.

I am in Italy! I am in Italy! Whoa. I can't believe it, so I have to keep saying it to myself: I am in Italy! Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. I am so tired still (I slept MAYBE an hour during my 13 hours of traveling that with the 6 hour time difference felt like 20+ hours of travelling).

My airplane seatmates were diverse. I met a woman originally from the Philippines who now lives in Dubai. She was taking her youngest son to college in Ottawa. I asked her what Dubai is like. She said its desert and they are friendly to foreigners. It's part of the UAE: United Arab Emirates. It was interesting talking to her. She said that it is a pretty nice city since it was under the British rule. (Google Palm Island... I think it look pretty cool...).

The guy on the other side of me was with his parents. They were in Chicago visiting family but on their way back home to Germany. He's a salesperson from a German TV station. He told me his favorite city that he's ever visited is Moscow. 

Dusseldorf was full of guys in business suits.

One of those men was my seat partner on the plane. He was a true Italian in a pin-striped suit. I asked him about church in Italy. He said that he went to church every couple of weeks. People's lives don't match with what the church believes, so most people don't pay attention anymore. He said divorce was becoming more common and in the Catholic Church, divorce is a sin. He said that the south is more open to church and go more often than people in northern Italy. He said that the church helps immigrants but doesn't really reach out to people. Interesting...

For your entertainment: 

Yesterday in Dusseldorf airport, I realized I was DEFINITELY in Europe when I saw a man and a woman walking through the airport... The MAN's shoes were making more noise than the woman's shoes. haha..

last few things of HOME

I did a lot of other stuff the week I was home, but these are a few that I took pictures of:

A few days before leaving for Italy, I visited my grandparents. I miss my grandma a lot. My grandpa died when I was young... but I talk to my grandma at her gravesite when life is changing... which seems to happen at least once a year.

My stepbrother Bryan is pretty amazing. He's a middle schooler now. I love spending time with him.

Saw a rainbow.

Had fun catching up with Rachel. She's an awesome friend!

nothing quite like a mother's love

She's my best friend. I miss her.

prayer requests

For a while I was beginning to think I wouldn't have anything to do in Italy other than go to the library and study Italian.

I have made several contacts with church leaders in Italy. Please pray that I might use my time wisely in visiting the different ministries.

I am going to Italy to learn more about ministry opportunities, not to meet "hot Italian men". There's a chance I'll meet someone while in Italy and in a lot of ways, that scares me... I have seen so many marriages fail. But in the past year I have also witnessed several healthy marriages and that gives me hope. Please pray that I might guard my heart well. One of my goals in life is to get married and have a family. It is not my end goal. I know that it will happen in God's timing.

While I am excited about the adventures that await me in Italy, I would also LOVE to have someone to share experiences like that with. So married people who keep telling me to count my blessing by having the freedom to go to Italy, I say -- count your blessing that you have a spouse and/or family that you get to experience life with.

I am going to be exploring and visiting Catholic churches and asking people to be honest with me about their views of Jesus, the Church, and Christians. I am planning on using podcast messages to keep growing spiritually.

Three months is a long time to be another country. But at the same time, three months is a short time to be in another country... Pray I don't get homesick.

Thanks for praying. Can I offer some on your behalf?

PS -- I wasn't going to give out my address in Italy, but several people have asked for it to write while I am there. If you would like it, leave a comment, message me on FB or call me (if before Sept 14 -- otherwise skype).

MCC Recap pt. 2

Because of my travels, my family is ever-expanding.

While at MCC, I spent the majority of my time living with the Nugents. Mike, Kelly, and their three awesome girls. They made me feel right at home and I cannot even begin to express how much they mean to me. I loved the time I got to spend with them. It has been fun to watch the girls grow and remember the fun times we had together. They reminded me to be a kid every once in a while. Play outside and enjoy the simple things of life.

My last month at MCC, I lived with the Kneppers. What an awesome family. Again I was just baffled at how smart children can be, how hilarious 4-year-olds are, and the overall love felt in a family.

Family of co workers:

I met April when I first got to metro Detroit. She has been a blessing in my life and can relate to ministry hardships. She and her husband Nate led the young adult group at another church. 

While meeting at Starbucks, I saw these cool kids sitting outside... It was good to say goodbye to some of my students one last time...

2009-2010 in metro Detroit... wouldn't have had it any other way...

MCC Recap pt. 1

This post has been a long time coming...
This past year at MCC has been incredible. Despite everything bad that happened, I enjoyed my time there. The hardships just make me appreciate the blessings all the more.

I got to live with my friends Andy and Emily. They are fantastic and got me addicted to HIMYM. I also had a faithful friend in their cat, Pugsley. I am allergic to cats, however this cat was awesome:

In October, I moved on to Mike and Jean's house. They have a beautiful house on Lake St. Clair.

I even got to celebrate my 25th birthday with them. October was the perfect time to live out there because I had an amazing drive to work:

PS -- I won't be around for fall in Michigan, which I LOVE! Please take pictures and send them to me!!!! (My favorite trees are the red ones!)