christmas time is here......

So I’ve finished my second semester with Calvary Chapel Bible College, I am sitting in my favorite caffè, Caffè Corona, in the little town of Montebelluna Italy.  Having a latte Macchiato.  I just had a little conversation with the owner Francesco, who is attending classes to learn English in the evening.  He is a member at the local church here, so nice. His shop is decorated for Christmas and the music is playing softly over the speakers.  It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  I was thinking of a blog to write for Christmas, my last one was a little christmasy but I needed to write home also.  So I decided to tell you all about my year, in moderate detail. 

January-

            I spent the beginning of 2011 in California, visiting for Christmas with friends and family, sleeping on couches, had a huge unexpected family reunion, watching babies, met my new little cousin, visited my great aunt, having lunch dates, coffee dates and dinner at the homes of families I adore, ringing in the new year with some of my best friends. Having a blast.

mid january I flew back to Hawaii to make some money, I was blessed with too much work, I was babysitting and going to the beach with my friends, hitting the pool almost daily, it was a lot of work and a lot of fun.   

how cute is this little man "Davin"

most of the family and some great friends

my dear Great Aunt Lorraine, Love this lady so much!

February-

            I stayed in Hawaii until mid February, I arrived to a beach house week, spent some quality time with the little ones, then working until almost the day I left, God truly blessed Carrie and me that month supernaturally! Went to the Eddie Aikau surfing competition, I also got to accompany a dear family to the big island for vacation. I then boarded a plane to begin a long trip to Europe,

the view from the beach house we stay in on Barbers :) 

Marlene and Me at the Eddie Aikau Surf Competition, waiting to see if it will go!

all sitting still and smiling at the same time...magic?...threats?...bribes?...yes! 

            I started with an overnight stop in San Francisco, where I got to spend the evening with my Mom and my favorite Aunt Robin in her posh apartment near little Italy. We spent the evening, talking, and reorganizing my bags, the next morning I left for New York. 

oh, it's just snowing in central park, no big deal! 

so cool to see this lake all frozen over, Central Park, Manhattan

            I stayed for a week with my friend Michelle in Midtown Manhattan, a girl that I babysat once upon a time, who is attending/about to graduate from college At the Kings College in New York, fabulous young lady.  Michelle always welcomes me when I am in the city, so hospitable! I visited some other friends, went to a concert in Brooklyn, and saw central park covered with snow, walked around Harlem loved every minute of it! When it was my time to leave the city, my friends surrounded me and prayed that my trip would be not only safe but also fruitful, they sent me with the Peace of God. 

            I arrived in Paris France February 16^th and it was the first time I felt alone in the world.  I took a train to the Guar De Nord station where I was to meet my  Friend Dede,  who took me all over Paris for three days.  I entered that cathedral Notre Dame, I saw the city from the Eiffel tower, I spent hours perusing the Louvre,  I walked the Champs De Lissez to the Arc De Triomphe, I had a ham and cheese croissant in a corner caffe, and a cup of decadent hot cocoa at Angelinas Botique, all in all it was an amazing trip and Dede was a fabulous hostess. We talked for hours and hours.  It was a time I will always remember fondly.

Notre Dame

Eiffel Tower

Arc de triomphe

standing in front of the Louvre

            After some complications I arrived in Montebelluna Italy on a Sunday afternoon February 20^th 2011, where I then lived for three glorious months, learning about the word of God, spending time with Italians, learning the language.    

March-

during the semester in Italy, we had a weeklong stay in a castle in Austria, a beautiful scenic place literally nestled on a mountain, overlooking a lake, lined by forest and framed by snow capped alps…AMAZING!!!, we got to relax and reflect, and play, a guest speaker came from England and poured into us, some knowledge from the Bible.  It was a great time of peaceful remembrance of who God really is and how he wants us to seek him in prayer. 

The view from the castle

Schloss Heroldeck Castle

realxing in front of the Lake

April-

I continued to do homework in café’s, ride bikes all over our town, take long walks to the chapel on the hill. Visit Venice for the day, meet up with friends to have “Italian lessons”, I love Italy; I had my 28^th birthday in our flat surrounded by my roommates and Italian friends.  I was greeted at church with many Auguri’s, and Buon Compleanno’s, hugs, blessings and gifts, It was a great birthday.  Then a lunch prepared by my dear friend Gabriella, and a cake prepared by another dear friend Tatiane, we sat and talked at the table for a long time.  It was gift enough that I got to spend the rest of April in Italy, but I had a fabulous day with new friends, God is Good! 

the girls

Venice, Me and Abigail

Bella Italia, Venezia

St. Marks Basilica, Venice, Italy

we went at Carrnivale, when the masks are worn, we got festive

April is also the time when I first began correspondence with Kari Segner, her family had just written that they were moving to Uganda Africa, she relayed to friends and family that they would need an “intern” and I prayed and asked that they would also about me being that person. 

May-

            May was a little whirlwind! I finished my finals like a champion, and ended up being the last girl to leave the flat. Left Bella Italia with deep sadness in my heart.   I flew to Germany to meet up with my friend Marlene and stay with Gary and Tessie Moore, friends of the family that I live with in Hawaii, they were also incredible hosts, such a cute family, who toted us around everywhere, catered to our every need.  They were amazing, Tessie took us all over Germany to see the sites, we visited her little town, burn castle, and spent a day in Luxembourg. 10 days in beautiful green valleys of Germany. 

A walk to a field in Bitburg, Germany

an estate in Luxombourg 

cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels

Burn Castle, Germany, Me, Marlene, little Lydia

Burn Castle, Germany

Burn Castle, Germany

Burn Castle Germany, the Rhine River

            On may 25^th we flew to New York, and Marlene and I parted ways, I took the train to the lower east side where I met up with my old friend Miriam.  Who took me to her apartment in Harlem to crash for, what felt like, hours.  Miriam and her 9 roommates are always so much fun! I spent the next four days running around Manhattan, being a tour guide (who knew) for my friend Nic who had just moved to the city weeks before.  Walking around in shorts, New York had its summer wardrobe out.  No more snow.  Full sun, and so much fun.    

Times Square New york, those were the only shoes i brought home

My friend Nic, just seeing the city at night 

            I flew to California for three days, made it to an important graduation party, had breakfast, lunch and dinner with friends and family and spent every moment in between hugging my little Lambdin babies.

            Flew back to spend the summer in Hawaii. 

     

June –

Carrie had a very structured schedule set up for me. I was working and working hard, watching up to 9 kids during week day mornings, she is always so generous, we held a camp at her house, and she helped me run it when she was not at work. That is just how Carrie Elliott rolls; I can’t explain how much I love her.  My days were filled with playing at the pool, naps, holding babies, slathering sunscreen, library trips, dance parties and picnics at the park. 

The Elliott Kids Playing in the Ocean

Love this picture, Love these kids! 

I received an official invite to join the Segners in Uganda by e-mail.

July- 

more Hawaii, we camped at my favorite beach in the whole world Waimanalo bay, I went snorkeling (sort of, I get sea sick, it’s super lame) saw my friend in a play, helped my friends move, got a job packing and moving an entire 5 bedroom house across the island, went to boot camp on the beach, saw the fireworks with my feet in the pacific ocean, on what is considered the “most beautiful beach in the world” Lanikai , I might beg to differ, but it is pretty nice. Spent most of July with Jody Main, my new soul sister, she has this amazing energy and a great family.  They were a blessing to me, and we did so much I really fell in love with the island, (love replaced an animosity that you will only understand if you have lived there for an extended time) the Mains made my summer, Jody and I sat in her kitchen countless times and talked over coffee, watched movies, went shopping or to the beach.  I was honored to be invited to everything they did.   

Hawaiian Historical Museum

spent the day in Waikiki

They were on a boat, paddling through the Ocean

They were learning about the Great Fish

August- 

finished up my summer attending a promotion ceremony for Chris Elliott, my friend/boss in Hawaii, who is now a Major.  Spent a lot of time unpacking a 5 bedroom house in Lanikai, soaking the last bit of the summer sun before I boarded a plane to California, I had an intimate send off dinner with my closest friends in Hawaii.  We ate Italian food, and watched the kids dance to “Mambo Italiano”  

San Diego Hat in Haliewa

Promotion ceremony, Pearl Harbor

Lounging on the North Shore, Sunset beach

Italian send off dinner

began raising support for Africa.  

September- 

15 days in Cali, hung out with my mamma a lot.  Laid low, visited with friends, Got a haircut, sold my car, went through some worldly possessions and got rid of a lot of it. Saw my sister and my brothers.  Family stuffs.

Flew to NYC AGAIN!!! I can’t help how much time I spend in New York, it is a great place!   I stayed mostly with my friend Michelle, but hung out with Miriam and Nic also,  I got to attend two classes at the Kings College with Michelle, so cool!  Miriam took me to see her new apartment in the lower east side; I stayed the night with Miriam’s roommates, because she had to leave town. They had a bonfire on their outside patio area, we sat around and laughed, caught up.  It was a beautiful night.  I spent a day walking around with Nic, we had lunch in Bryant park. While a Chinese jazz band played.  I then flew to Italia to start my second semester at CCBC Italy. 

yes, chinese jazz, at Bryant Park

He is Prettier than i am...he is a high fashion model! love Nic! 

I arrived in Montebelluna Italy once again, this time at 11:30 pm, I walked to my flat where I met my new roommates, who thought the doorbell ringing for ten minutes was church bells somewhere nearby.  It was a short night and I began my semester the next morning bright and early.  It was a great time, getting to know these roommates, there were more of them, and we had some good moments that first month getting better acquainted, starting some great inside jokes.     

October-

            October we went once again to Austria, treated like princesses, heard some inspiring messages on eternal truths. Sat looking over the lake for hours, laughed, talked of  “holy things”, beautiful, beautiful. Celebrated Halloween with a whole litter of cats, my roommates and I all painted our faces and ate and took pictures together.   

Our view from the patio...fabulous

the view from the Prayer Tower

chilling in the prayer tower

November-

            Went to Padova, Italy for outreach week and helped prepare for the ladies Christmas tea here in Montebelluna. Fell in love with my roommates, attended church, went to kids church and learned the pilgrims progress in Italian, “viaggio del Pellegrino”  for thanksgiving I went to Germany again, the Moores had been reassigned to Arizona, so I took it as a sign that I was to see them, I had maybe one of the top 3 thanksgivings of my life, maybe top 2.  We had a delicious dinner, went to three Christmas markets, one in the Netherlands, one in Achen, and one in Dudledorf.  We went and had the best pad thai ever in bitburg.  Talked, ate cheese, drank wine, it was fabulous,  hard to come back to reality, but not so hard when reality is a flat with 10 girls in Italy! 

some vanilla covered dough ball in Achen Germany

Christmas Market, Achen, Germany

A Lion and two kitties on Halloween

Savage, halloween pictures

sigh, Venice!

We took the water taxi this time

eating italian pasteries 

December

Bruna and Me on the last night of school! 

this was our Mafia pose, but i didnt get the memo

Gioele and Dany Ferrara, Love these Brothers!

-I finished my semester strong, said good bye to my dear roomates stayed with friends in Montebelluna long enough to attend the womens christmas tea, took a long train to sicily (13 hours), spending christmas with some schoolmates and their family, in syracuse, then go to catania and stay with some new people who are friends of a friend. I am scheduled  to ring in the new year as I travel from one airport to the other in London. 

iris, in sicily, at what Gioele called a "really sicillian coffee bar"

the Sbarcadero

It's an Island afterall...

Duomo di- Siracusa

oh the honking! 

Looking forward to spending half of 2012 in Uganda, Africa.    


Thank you for all of your love and support over this year, it has blessed me immensely. 


Happy Holidays to my friends and Family from Sicily 


Mele kalikimaka- from Hawaii
Buon Natale- From Italy
Merry Christmas- From California
Webale Krismasi- from uganda


love 
Rachael  

  

finals week

It's the last week of school, finals week! 

everyone is packing their suitcases already, 

yesterday i walked in to find illenia with her bag packed FULL! 

i said "dove vai?" (where are you going?)

illenia laughed and told me that she was mailing most of her clothes back to sicily

mail a 50 lb suitcase 1000 miles : 15 euro

check 50 lb bag on Easy Jet flight 1000 miles : 100 euro+

...wow! 

i called our last dorm meeting on monday, i thanked the girls for a good semester encouraged them for the next step in their lives, to continue seeking God's will, we discussed a few last minute details and we talked about our plans for after the semester ended. we encouraged one another, prayed together and some even cried.

it was only monday! crazy how fond we can grow in so little time. 

I am staying a little longer with some local friends, who i LOVE! 

im very happy and excited about that. 

then headed on some adventures that im not too sure of yet, i will keep everyone updated. 

this morning in devotions I couldn't help but think of God's faithfulness, how most of this semester ive had .22 cents in my bank account and i have never gone without, I have been blessed beyond measure.  By italians, by americans in Germany, by my room mates and by the missionaries here.  

I also would like to thank those who have sent support in the form of money, prayers, comments, information, love notes and skype dates.  I am truly blessed to have you all in my life.

so here is the low down on my needs that you might pray with me.

I need

-this is what i need right now

$384.00 to pay off my tuition for this semester

a good pair of headphones

health (cause im sick right now) 

favor when i get to the London airport, because my visa allowance will be over 15 days, England is strict

-this is what i need very soon! 

i do have a plane ticket for africa that I am making payments on, for $1281

and my total cost for my stay in africa $2000.00

My amount raised so far is around $800.00 

so i am still in need of $2481.00 which will be all of the money that i have for the next six months. 

if you could prayerfully consider giving, that would be a blessing! 

i found some pictures of the place i will be staying for all of you who are interested

possible housing described as:

The accommodations are clean, near and rustic in the form of a round hut with brick walls and a concrete floor. Bathing facilities are attached to the hut and a pit latrine is located nearby. Each hut will have basic furnishings to accommodate four students or a married couple. All meals are served in the common meeting area.

praise God for a roof and attached bathing facillities! 

pray for me! 

love you! 

Rach 

Come let us adore him

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 7^th 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

         

       

update

fastest update ever!

no internet at my house, no phone either.

Germany for Thanksgiving- 28 Euro
Naples for Christmas- 60 us dollars
Sicily for the new year- 100 us dollars

ticket to Africa-1295 US dollars
Africa for roughly 6 months- 2000 US dollars

my bank account contains, 80 US dollars

collecting memories while in my youth and doing the will of the Lord- priceless

if you can help that would mean alot to me and well.... the Kingdom of God.

love you all

Austria update soon! working on it:)

Rachael

  

update

I’m sure some of you are curious, about my roommates, there are 9 so I will be brief :)   I know they are excited to hear what I think of them…weirdos!

Federica- the Sicilian that I share a bedroom with, loud, opinionated, beautiful, teeny, organized, diligent, loves the lord, her family and talking on the phone to her boyfriend.

Marina- jersey girl, mild mannered, meek even, sweet, lovely, relational, quiet, bohemian.   

Mikayla- from Oregon, strikingly beautiful, fit, diligent, quiet, chill, misses her boo.

Drew- from Oregon also, she has a very Audrey Hepburn sort of look, short dark brown hair, fair porcelain skin.   With cute freckles.  She is incredible, diligent, organized, the girl can bake! She is intelligent and thorough. Did I mention she can bake.

Krizia- northern Italian, SWEET HEART!!!!, thinks Americans are very strange, but in a good way, she and her family went to the church affiliated with the  school before, and she decided last min to come this semester.  So we had met before, I love Krizia, she is into ethnic sort of things, speaks Italian and Spanish fluently, and a lot of English.  Oh and she is Dominican so she is a Latin sort of beauty.

Sara b- colorad-ean/ian/inese…she is from Colorado, athletic, very intelligent, competitive And crazy! She is the life of the party.  Down for anything, loves the Italians and the language, which is good! Full of energy and life.

Meg- from Ohio, has a slight accent that is funny,  she is non expressive, her face always looks the same so she has to tell us how she is feeling, ha!  Also misses her boo, so cute. She looks like an all American beauty, soft features, freckles, light brown hair.   

Sara s.- southern California girl, she has sort of vintage look about her, like photos of her should be only in black and white, or fading at the edges, fair skin dark hair blue eyes, she is sarcastic, which means…very funny, super chill. 

Ilenia- also Sicilian, very girly, always has pretty makeup or cute bows in her hair; she speaks little English, but thinks we are funny when we try to speak Italian.  She visited my last semester, the niece of a church family.  So exciting how many Italian students here are now!

In general, they are fun and wild and exciting and crazy, it will be nice getting to know all of them this semester.  Hope you will all subscribe by e-mail so you can find out more about my adventures. There is a box on the right hand side for you to subscribe.

So, about me then… I’m good doing all of my favorite things seeing all of my favorite people, and making all of my favorite foods in Italy! I love it here, I went to Venice yesterday, just for the day, to see a friends art exhibit on display.  So lovely, we took a water taxi and so…lots of pictures I’ll include some below so you can imagine you were there too!

Five days ago, I went to clean my contact lenses and I pulled out the left one, putting it in the new little contraption that I use that cleans it with peroxide, I struggled to take out the right, over and over again, I swiped my finger over my cornea, frustrated, I looked closely in the mirror, eyes open wide, jaw hanging loose, mouth agape, I focused my gaze on the area around my right pupil, there was no contact. Maybe it fell out at some point, but it was not there.  So I got out my glasses and wore them for the next couple of days because I had my contacts packed away for Africa.  I thought I would search for them some other day, give my eyes a break.  So a few days went by and I got annoyed with my glasses.

So I took that opportunity to begin my search. I opened my bags, looked through my zip lock baggies full of medicine, thread, other zip lock’s, hair ties, extra toiletries, I opened and examined each bag and every secret pocket in my luggage, there were no contacts to be found, I looked in my back pack, my shelf in the bathroom, my small closet area, I dug through, my drawer and in my purse, in vain for I knew there was nothing in there that resembled my contacts.  Finally in my makeup bag I found the treasure I had been searching for and I felt triumphant! I found one contact….one.

           

So, I have in my possession 2 contacts.  Monthlies, that I almost always push over one month to three, I know it’s wrong and I’m going to go blind some day… I know.  When you are finished scolding me for my irresponsibility, (thank God he uses sinners and screw-up’s to do his work too) I would like to ask you to help me in a way that I know everyone reading has the ability to do…. pray    

I don’t want to limit God in his provision, so I should ask everyone to pray for a miraculous healing of my eyes, that my poor sight would be restored to perfect 20/20 vision.  But I would settle for a couple of boxes of +1.25 soft contact lenses.  Because working with kids makes reliance on glasses, difficult. So let us pray, that the lord does his will, because it is better than mine.

On another note…

I just wrote a check for my tuition, at Bible College, it was painful.  In just a few days my bank account, which has a settling, and comfortable amount of money in it, will be emptied to a rather uncomfortable amount. That will last me hopefully until the end of the semester.   

I have little idea of the amount of money that Kari (Africa boss) has in my name,

for my flight to Africa (? ^$700),

my time there ($2000),

and my flight home (???)

that is my money issue, I can give a better idea of my money standings in the next post, promise!

I have a Dear friend who is inquiring to a place I might stay in Italy from Dec 9^th through Dec 31^st.  I have not heard back yet. Which means that as of the 10^th  of December, I have the potential to be sitting out in front of my flat, in the freeze of Northern Italy, alone, wondering where I will sleep.

So, as I sit in my beautiful Italian Flat, warm from the cold, drinking a home made soy latte, using the free internet on my laptop, on a comfy couch with my fun room mates, I am content in knowing what I am doing and where I am staying for the next few months.

However, I am also sitting here wondering about many things. 

I am hoping, beyond hope that the writer of my story is currently smiling and excitedly writing, “little did she know”.  Followed by a miraculous plan that will surprise us all. 

Though it pains me, as of today, all I can do is hope, because, of my future I am unsure.

The good news… is what I do know…

I know that I serve the author of time (Gen1:1-5),

that my father in heaven owns the cattle on a thousand hills, (Psa 50:10)

that God is uncompromisingly faithful (Heb 10:23),

that he will never leave me or forsake me, (Heb 13:5)

that he works all things together for the good,  (Rom 8:28)

that he longs to give me good gifts. (Matt 7:11)

that he will provide according to his glorious riches (Phil 4:19)

these are promises he has made to me…to all of us, sometimes he just has to get us to a place where we need them, or we can finally see that he was providing them all along.  I guess when you are jobless, homeless, alone and poor you have to see things in a different perspective.  In the worlds eyes I am poverty stricken, but I am a child of the king.  I have all I could ever need and more.  And the thing that makes me feel so rich….all of you!

People in my life who want to know how I am, read my stories, miss me while I’m gone, cheer me on, support me in prayer, support me financially, laugh to themselves when they think of a funny moment we’ve shared, have let me sleep on their guest bed for any length of time, have a picture of me in an album in their house, gotten lost with me at the flea market, have invited me over for dinner, sat in the living room and had a very long cup of coffee and conversation with me, taken me on vacation with their family, sang at the top of their lungs in the car with me, danced in the kitchen with me. Made my life better and loved me! Thank you. I am so wealthy with good friends.  

so anyway, to all of my friends.

send me love notes on facebook Here  

or in my e-mail Here.  

And for goodness sake subscribe to my blasted blog already!!!

I should not have to be telling you this so often! 

love you!

"non preoccupatevi"

My flight from Hawaii to California was pretty easy, not too turbulent, I sat beside a couple. The man a commercial grade Plumber, not sure what the woman did, actually she was not very talkative, her husband more than made up for it.  They were from San Diego on vacation, he talked almost the whole way, which I actually enjoyed because I hate flying, anything to take my mind off of the fact that I am thousands of miles in the air is welcome. He talked about where he was from, where he has been, places he would like to live some day, his work (which I didn’t understand). We also talked about Africa, Italy, and my job.  Over all it was a good experience, when I got to SFO we said our good byes and wished one another well. 

I collected all of my bags from the conveyer and dragged them out to the curb where my mom and sister were waiting.  Hugs were exchanged along with squeals of excitement.   We got in the car and headed to Stockton, I spent the next two weeks hanging out with the ones I love.  Sitting around the Lambdins living room, watching veggie tales just so I could snuggle with Daniel who is 4 now…it makes me feel very old.  Dancing in the kitchen with 3year old Christiana, watching “White Christmas” with 17 year old Kristen, getting yogurt with 15 year old becks so we could talk about her experience in Africa so funny considering that I baby sat for this family when they were sucking their thumbs and kristen drove me around most of the week . 

I had coffee with several friends, hit up the flea market in Galt and spent way too much money at REI, who knew mosquito nets and solar showers could be so necessarily expensive.   I hugged my grandma, cooked for my mom, stole my sisters car.  Stockton will always have good memories for me, so many of the people I grew up with, admire, learned from, lived with, worked for and love live there.  Even though it’s got a bad rep, I love it.

I went from there to New York City, that flight was interesting, extremely turbulent, a red eye.  The couple sitting next to me were from the central valley of California, the man was from Stockton, we spent a lot of the flight exchanging stories about things we loved about the “old days” when there was a “Georges Drive In” and “Martin Luther King Blvd” was “Charter Way”.  The improvements in the city, high schools we went to and all of the friends we had in common.    He was talkative, even though it was a red eye.  His girlfriend (who looked just like Lucy Lu) was sweet but wanted to sleep.  They were going to a college friends wedding.  He asked me all about Italy and Africa and we talked about the job market, because he had a business degree from UOP but was substitute teaching at the time.  Again with a talker, it was good for me.  I had taken a sleeping med but it didn’t work so we just talked most of the flight. 

I arrived in Washington DC for a super short layover, (it was on the same plane, I just walked off of the plane and fifteen min later I was back on re-stowing my carry on). The 40 min flight from DC to NYC was so smooth, I was mad that it was short.  I sat next to an Indian man who didn’t know how to use his cell phone in the US.  I helped him, I overheard him tell his friend that he had missed his previous plane, so sad, but he assured them he was headed home.  When we got to our cruising altitude the steward came by with our snack option.  He held up kettle chips and animal crackers, I took the kettle chips and my new friend cautiously looked at the animal crackers, when I described them as a cookie he was confused.  He took one out of the bag, he looked at the cookie and then me and laughed, pointing a crooked tan finger at the little llama and exclaimed,  “oh they are only shaped like animals”.  He thought they were made from animals.  We laughed for a while about that one. 

I got my two giant suitcases at the same time that the adrenaline left my body and the sleeping pill I had taken several hours before kicked in.  I sleepily walked the sky walk to the air train, took the next train to Jamaica Station where I bought my metro pass and entered the Subway.   I spent the next two hours, on the E and F train to my friend Michelle’s mid town apartment.  I was almost happy that no one offered me a seat, because my head was bobbing even as I was holding my luggage in the corner with my hip and grappling the nearest bar to stay upright.   I found my way to 34^th and 5^th, to stay at the Herald Towers on the same city block as the Empire State Building. 

I sat in Michelle’s living room forcing my eyelids back open.  Trying to maintain some semblance of conversation with her.  I was starving, so we walked down to get some chipotle (mainland favorite, you will only understand if you live in Hawaii). 

The things that came next are like a sweet memory, where you know the feeling but you can’t place the exact details.

The next thing I knew I was waking up in Michelle’s bed and it was 9pm. I had missed the opportunity at free tickets to a Celine Dion concert in central park…..that I don’t want to go into…sigh.

I ordered Indian food on “seamless web” this incredible food delivery site in the city.  We watched some “you’ve got mail” and went back to bed.  I slept the whole night, got up early and got ready to go to class at “The Kings College”.  The school that Michelle attends in the basement level of the Empire state building.  Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics class, discussing the ethics of Friendship.  Interesting stuff indeed, I spent the next two days following my friend around, just wanting to spend as much time as I could with her.  We attended the next class, constitutional law, and then she left me to go to a school retreat with her “house”. 

So I had the next two nights all to myself in a midtown apartment in New York City.  It was lonely, exciting, peaceful, strange and boring, a mixture of emotion.  I was happy to have peace but felt a sense of urgency because I did not want to waste a min in the “city that never sleeps”.  So I called my friend Miriam who lived on the lower east side.  She picked me up and took me to see her place, since the last time I stayed with her; she lived in Harlem with ten people.

Her new place was so nice,  there are only 6 room mates now.  All sweet girls who are always welcoming and warm, Her roommate Amy Cutler is a noteworthy poet.  Who upon request, performed a poem about her grandmothers meatballs while she cooked me dinner.  It was moving, I wanted to clap and cry but I just hugged her and told her, “Now I can die happy”.    Sadly, Miriam had to leave me too. She went to the retreat with the kings’ college, to lead worship and teach a class.   More of her room mates began to filter in from work and class, they asked me to stay even though Miriam was leaving, I did, we all ate out in their large patio area over a bon fire.  It was actually a beautiful moment, laughing and eating in the fire’s glow.  

I got up to leave and they begged me to stay the night.  It took some convincing but I agreed and slept in Miriam’s (very comfortable) bed, above her brilliant room mate, in her cute apartment, in the lower east side of Manhattan, New York.  

The next morning I met my friend Nicanor, an aspiring Model who moved to the city from Stockton just a few months before.  He was skinner than ever, I told him that I would make him a sandwich but he said this is what his type of high fashion designers wanted.

He is so handsome, he is almost beautiful. 

We went to breakfast at some typical New York café.  Walked around and ended up at Bryant Park (near his work) we sat at a small green metal table, in small metal chairs, behind rows of seating for a concert in the park.  The musicians began tuning up and practicing, jazz music.  When they began playing the lead singer came to the mic and sang smooth jazz in Chinese. It was an interesting experience.  We parted ways and gave hugs, he had to go to work and I had to finish re packing.  

My flight to Italy left at 6pm so I left mid town on the train at 2:30pm I arrived to JFK at 4:30 pm.  When I got to the check in I was told that everyone was already checked in while I waited in line…great.  I got to the counter and the woman helping me looked at my bags clearly annoyed and told me that it was a one-bag allowance.  I was shocked,  I raised my voice, not meaning to, “on an international flight?” she nodded, I asked her if I could pay for the other one, she informed me that it would cost me 50 dollars. 

Obviously I am the only person who read the “free baggage limitations” that day which state.

“Unless and otherwise specified in the fare rule, the 2 piece baggage allowance will apply on all Jet Airways operated flights and Jet Airways Konnect services provided the connecting flights to / from USA / Canada“

but that’s just cpoied and pasted directly from the Jet airways-jet India website….

So, I paid the obligatory $50 and hurried to the security check and to my gate.  Where people were already boarding. 

Turbulence and I do not agree with one another, I spent most of the night nodding off only to be woken up moments later by the shaking plane.  If it wasn’t the turbulence it may have been the woman behind me, who was playing some sort of game on my seat back LCD screen, and it must have been a quick reflex game because she was an angry bird. Poking at the screen, shaking my whole seat back.   I was annoyed.

the great part about my flight was the ladies I was sat beside and I was literally sat beside them.   I was staking my claim on a good aisle seat in a wide row that only had one other person.  I was all situated, thinking I was so smart, being one of the very last on the plane, I thought I had hit the jackpot.  Until the three messianic Jewish women came teetering on the plane, toddler in tow, with full head scarves, they were all dressed more modestly than my nanna; Orthopedic shoes, long black skirts, blouses buttoned to the chin, long black coats and those head wraps.   They were very nice to me considering I was in the process of swiping their seats.  I very quickly got up and went to my own seat.  The other gentlemen in that row was not thrilled at his prospect of sitting beside three little ladies and a baby for the next six hours.

I was surprised when they requested that I sit with them,  they were technically not allowed to sit beside a man.  They asked that I trade seats with the man of course I did.

What other time do I get straight up Jewish women at my full attention for hours on end? You tell me!

So I sat beside the youngest, who was on her own as well as the oldest, it was only the middle woman who had a child with her, the baby was beautiful, brown hair blue eyes, and sweet. Talking to himself and whoever else would listen. 

As soon as the plane took off, I made my move; I leaned over to her quizzically

“so, where are you from?”

“Belgium”

“why were you in new york?”

“a thirteenth birthday party for a young boy,” (barmitzvah)

I thought she said thirtieth so I was confused for a few moments about our conversation.  But she clarified quickly.  I continued to ask her all sorts of questions. 

She was 31, got married at the age of 17, her husband was chosen by her parents, he was from the US.  They currently reside in Belgium with their 5 children and she was traveling with her mother and older sister, she was 4^th  in the line of 14 children. 

I was amazed! I asked her about her head covering and her wedding and how old her kids were, how often she came to the states. She as so obliging in her responses! It was lovely.   The whole flight the baby they had with them slept soundly on the floor at their feet, he had 7 siblings.   They spoke Yiddish to one another and read prayer books in Hebrew, I’m sure she thought I was crazy with all of the questions. But it’s so rare to meet a serious Jew like that, especially in Hawaii. 

Upon arriving in Belgium, I ate and found my way to my gate, I wrapped myself around my backpack containing all of my valuable possessions and slept for 6 hours, across a set of 4 chairs.  I was woken briefly by a nice lady who thought I was going to miss my flight to Rome, I looked at her with dreary eyes and told her that my flight wasn’t until 8pm.  When it did come the Italian flight was short and sweet, I sat beside a little old German lady.  Watched a movie, trying to ignore the turbulence. 

Arriving in Venice, I grabbed my bags and ran to a taxi, I was a little excited to use some Italian, it had been a long time. I asked him if he could take me to the Mestre train station by ten pm. After insisting that my train left at 10:10 and I couldn’t miss it because it was the last one, I looked at him with big eyes and said, “sono preoccupado” (I am worried).  He held out his phone that said 21:37 in big digits, feigning worry “non preoccupatevi” (dont worry). 

We got in the Mercedes taxi, (ooh la la). He had me there in no time, when I got to the platform for my train; I had to beg the purser to let me take the night train to Padova so I could change to Montebelluna.   He told me that if a purser came to me for my ticket, I could just pay the difference 3 euro.  So I got situated in a car with a young man who had a lot of questions about America and I did my best to answer him.  When I got to Padova he helped me with my bags and told me to have a safe trip, I changed trains to belluno where yet another twenty something, man asked me more questions about the school I was attending and where I had been and where I was from. 

Hawaii is a favorite answer, Italians always say, “oh Ha-wy, ha-lo-ha” looking off into the distance with longing, like it’s paradise. 

I arrived at the Motebelluna train station at 11:30pm.  There was a stray dog standing at the bus stop,  he and I were the only living creatures on the streets of Montebelluna that evening.  I was hoping and praying that maybe there would be a late night taxi waiting for me, but no.  I re-situated my luggage, tightened my backpack straps and readied myself for a trek.  The train station is a 7 min walk from the flat, if you go the long way, where the streets are paved.  5 min if you take the short cut through a warehouse gravel alleyway.  I had 2 rolling suitcases weighing 120 lbs together so I walked the paved road, pushing my bags, congratulating myself for being so brilliant when I purchased the 4 wheel luggage. 

I arrived at my flat, at midnight on the nose.  Rang the doorbell for ten minutes before almost all of my roommates came down and opened the door, in their jammies and those high ponytail buns that girls wear when they are finished caring about their hair for the day.   They were apologetic but I was grateful that someone was still up.  They helped me carry my bags up the stairs and I opened my bedroom door to find a very sleepy Federica squealing, “RRRRRRACHAEL!” We hugged at least four times.  It felt like I had never left.  I rolled my bags in the corner, grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom to wash New York, Brussels, Venice, Padova and the streets of Montebelluna off of me.   I piiked in to say good night to the others asking a couple of questions about where they came from and trying to remember their names. 

Then I went to bed for a few hours before I had to get up for class at 8am.

So the trip was a success, some set backs, some interesting people and a lot of work.  But, I am here now.  In Bella Italia! The last week of school has been good, trying to acclimate to the time zone, the weather, my lack of sleep.   Un packing, getting groceries, planning homework, seeing old friends, I’m excited for what is to come. 

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Love to all.