The light streaming through my window, in my little shared Italian bedroom, may have been my alarm clock this morning, or the knocking sound coming from the bathroom beside my room.
Which my room mate thought was the door, so she spoke up,
“come in”
in perfectly exasperated English. (She is Italian BTW)
In saying it she was meaning exactly what any red blooded American would have meant, (what do you want, it’s early). Alas it was not a visitor, but an early riser being a little less than quiet.
It was 8:30 on an early November morning, Sunday, not too warm in my room, but not too cool. I was comfortable but awake, so I turned over to a game of solitaire on my smart phone, that is still smart but no longer a phone sadly, American international Iphone plans are incredible, I could just fly home every time I want to talk to friends and family, it would probably save me some cash.
About 30 min passed before my room mate braved the day, but I had decided long before that I was not getting out of bed, no, not this Sabbath. I was feeling ok, just needed some alone time, it had been a busy week and I was emotionally drained, walking in faith is hard work when you haven’t been training very long and I needed time to rest and reflect. So, I stayed in bed, almost every one of my room mates, came in, to ask me if I was coming, to show me their outfits, to ask me a question before leaving for church.
I already love them.
When I was sure I was alone, I got up quietly and made some coffee, crept back into bed and read some stories from the book of Daniel. It’s strange when you haven’t read a book for a while the way different things stand out to you.
For instance I had forgotten that when Daniel was sent to the lions den, the king who sent him, was doing it to please the law makers, not himself, and that he was worried for Daniel, and the king didn’t sleep the whole night that Daniel spent with the giant cats.
I wonder if Daniel would have survived if no one really cared that he was in there.
I was also thinking what great stories the bible has, and how I could share them with the kids in Africa in an illustrative way. So fun, acting out stories, working together as a team, getting to be in a skit, all while learning and teaching fundamental and eternal truths.
It was when I was finished and began checking my e-mail that the bells began ringing. In this tiny town Montebelluna, Italy, in all of Italy really. There is a large church in the middle of town,
a catholic culture,
and every day, there is a ringing of the bells. The ringing of the bells is not a timekeeper, or a warning, or even a reminder of the beautiful country we are in.
The ringing of the bells is a call.
A call to the believers, to come and worship.
And every time that the bells ring, in May or August or December,
I am reminded of a Christmas carol.
Come all ye faithful,
Especially now as it is coming on Christmas, the birthday of our savior, the one we were created to worship. The only one who deserves our praise,
in this time, no matter what bells you hear, sleigh bells, jingle bells, silver bells, they are all pointing to one special day where the world was given the opportunity to have life and life more abundantly.
And with such a gift, why wouldn’t we answer that call.
Why wouldn’t we come to him, and accept what he has offered so freely. This is the real gift this Christmas, the only gift that I want, I accepted it in July 13 years ago, a hot California afternoon, nowhere near Christmas time. It has just kept on giving since that day.
So, come, let us adore him.
The bells were soothing; they played in my ears and soothed my heart. I sat and thought about the church family here.
Last night two Sicilian families came and brought us traditional Sicilian dishes, pizza with egg and capers, pizza with potato and onion, deep fried rice balls filled with ground meat…that I ate (I don’t ever eat ground meat)
delicious.
We were stuffed and one of my favorite ladies from the Feltre church, an hour away, Nancy, decided we would play a game, charades. I have to admit, I was not excited, but we split up into teams, I translated to the American roommates, a little proud of myself. We began taking turns acting out bible stories and mainstream films. The game accelerated to a point where people were yelling and arguing waving hands, cheering, clapping and openly plotting our next topic. We gave one of the students, a Brazilian man, the movie “Pretty Women” to act out. One of the girls had to act out the baptism of Jesus. All of the Italians present were Sicilian, I had forgotten, they are less reserved, and more expressive, they were competitive and excitable. It was the best game of charades I’ve ever played.
Then we spent an hour watching one of their daughters sing and act out the story of Rapunzel. Ooh-ing and aah-ing, clapping and giggling. We said good night and I was finished, it had been a long day. I crawled into bed and turned the C. S. Lewis’s “the silver chair” on my iphone, fell asleep to Eustace being blown to Narnia.
This brings me to now, sitting in my room, listening to Christmas music, wanting to see everyone at home and happy about being in Italy for Christmas, I will miss the sights and sounds of Christmas in California, and thanksgiving in Hawaii. The family and friends who have become family, but I know I am here for now and I’m satisfied in that. It’s hard, because I wish I was home, but I am so happy here, I feel torn. I am hoping that all of my friends reading and those who are not, are planning memorable holidays even as I type, which would be difficult because it is 3 am in Hawaii and 6 am in California, but maybe some of my east coast friends are!!!
Just remember me when you are enjoying dinner with your families and driving around looking at Christmas lights, baking cookies, singing English Christmas carols, and attending Christmas events, that will make me feel like I’m there too!
Next week, Is “outreach week” where we typically go to another place and do practical work and evangelism in the cities. Last semester we all stayed here and did a big children’s event. This semester, there are groups going to Lyon, France. Rome, Italy and Portugal. I however am staying here, I was a little sad at first, until I found out that I would be going to the home of a couple in a close church in Padova to help her prepare for a women’s event this Christmas. I was so excited in knew that this was where I should be, Margie is from California she is crafty and sweet and just a great lady, I cant wait to spend some time working with her.
So, that’s coming up,
The Segners in Texas are preparing for a large fundraiser event for Healing Faith Ministries. The people I am going to live with in Africa. I have been corresponding with Kari fairly regularly considering that I have not had consistent Internet for a couple of weeks. We are both looking forward to meeting in January.
Every time that one of the girls mentions that we are in our 7th week or that we have 4 weeks left, is like a little jolt to my heart, reminding me that I am going to Africa. I am going to live there for 5 months; I am going to fall in love with maybe a hundred orphaned children. I am going to shower from a bag, I am going to sleep under a mosquito net, I am going to be dirty, I am going to cry, and laugh, and smell new smells, and see things that I have never seen before, and I am going to be changed.
I am nervous and excited, part of me, the weak part, wants to hide under my covers or run a way but the other part of me, the stronger part, wants to be there, wants to embrace the future, wants to welcome it, and run into it.
So please pray, that the funds come, that everything works together. That I will be weak where God needs to be strong and not try to be strong for him, because I’m not. Also that I am safe, and have a keen discernment. That I am happy and healthy and always in God’s will.
Love you.
Rachael
