It is good to be back at my place in Perugia. This past week, I have been in Ancona for thanksgiving and for a few activities we have done at La Via. Thanksgiving was a great time. We had all the fixins: turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin/apple/pecan pies, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, okra, corn, homemade bread, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, deviled eggs, and great friends. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Friday was our coffee house night at La Via and we had a great turn out. I got my hair cut and invited the lady cutting my hair, and I invited a waitress from a restaurant. Both of them showed up and had a good time practicing their English. I brought my guitar and gave my first live performance. They didn’t boo me off the stage, so I think it went alright. I played the 4 songs that I knew somewhat well. It was a good time to meet old friends from Ancona and make new ones.

My good friend Matt Hodges flew in for about a week and it was really a blessing to have him here. On Saturday, we went with one of our friends, who is in the navy, to the base here in Ancona for lunch. It was pretty cool to eat there, although we did miss out on putting up the Christmas tree at Matt and Angie’s. But we had a great time and had some good food. I start back up at school tomorrow and I am anxious to get it done. I have about another month or two left in their courses before I start doing independent studies. This week in Ancona really gave me a glimpse of what is to come for me. I was able to converse in Italian with some, and ask good questions, but still felt confined within certain limits. So it was a good booster to me to see that I am picking up things and I still have a long ways to go, but I feel good about that ‘long way.’

I hope you are doing well. I would love to hear what you have been up to. Here are some things you can be praying about for me and my team:

  • Pray for our language skills, that we would continually engage our limitations, even when we don’t feel like it.
  • Pray for our intimacy with God, that we would pursue Christ in the midst of the desert and experience breakthrough
  • Pray for our team’s unity, that God would continually bring about a community to redemption that would be of some use to him in Ancona
  • Pray for those we meet throughout the week, that we would be able to build relationships with them and make lasting friendships for the sake of the Gospel