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I wish I had something more profound to write about... but I don't. I haven't had any real epiphanies in last few weeks- but I feel one brewing.

In the mean time I will have to copy my Pops....

TOP 10 LIFE MOMENTS OF 2008

1. Went to Utah on a 10 day mission’s trip with CCBC and had an amazing time! The Lord did a lot in those few days amongst all of our lives and within the Mormon Church. Really radical to see that in movement

2. Graduated from CCBC in May. Just got a piece of paper for those two years- but it was 2 years that changed my life forever

3. Got accepted for my internship at the new CCBC campus in Montebelluna, Italy

4. Spent the summer with my ailing grandmother. A summer I will always cherish and even though it was many nights of watching game shows and waking up in the middle of the night: I wouldn't change a thing.

5. Same summer, I got to know my Jr. High girls. That was radical.

6. moved to Italy for the fall. Had no idea what was ahead of me...

7. traveled Europe. that was cool (Norwegian skinny dipping at 3 in the morning... who does that?)

8. Cooked with 5 Italian women in a small kitchen. Had no idea what they were saying, but the best day in Italy I had

9. 5 weddings in 2009. (Congrats, Sara, Becca,Jamie, Caroline and Jul)3 I am in, 2 I will can just attend. one of which....

10. Is my older brother's. William proposed to Jul after almost 4 years of dating. About time buddy!!! (love you)

Dorothy

The smell of bleach and febreeze are dancing around the house as I finally get to sit down. Today was deep clean/pack up day. (I find it ironic that the cleanest the house has ever been is when we are moving out.) Later on tonight we have a ceremony for the three graduates from our campus, and then afterwards we are all heading for one more time of Italian pizza. Tomorrow, the leaving begins. Its crazy to me, that in 3 days I will be landing in the Atlanta airport. I will be bombarded with American Christmas, starbucks and English. Can I say that I am a bit excited? :)

Over the past week or so, we have kept pretty busy just trying to get everything in. We went Ice Skating in the next town, Feltre, near the mountain (which gave me the meanest blister of my life!) We took our Italian friends to go get mexican food. (well.. it was close) As of right now, it is just soaking it all in. I didn’t realize what all I was leaving and how many goodbyes there would be. Its a bittersweet time, but I can honestly say, I am ready for the next season.

For the past few years, I have been in one step- just to look forward and plan the next. I was graduating high school just to go on to California. I was leaving a semester in school to come home, just so to leave again. I graduated Bible College and was going home and then leaving for Italy. Now... I am heading home with no plan of leaving. To be honest, I never thought I would be going home without a plan to leave again. Yet, as usual, God is chucking at me. I don’t have a next step. Which is actually more exciting than knowing. I get to relax. I get to have a routine that won’t be broken in a month. I am now able to get involved in home, in my church, and I get to be part of people’s lives again and actually physically be there! So as I look at my suitcase and wonder how it will all fit, seeing how the walls are slowly becoming bare, and trying to ration the food I have left, I realize that soon, this Dorothy will get to tap her shoes and be at home.

Hmmm

One of the things I have really enjoyed this semester is how much we have been able to experience the culture of Italy. This past weekend, I think I really got the full dose of that part of being here. Over the last few months, the church here has been putting together a Gospel Choir for the Christmas season. I can’t tell you how entertaining it has been, just to be part of it! When they asked the bible college to be involved we all thought it would be Christmas songs in Italian. Little did we know we would be reinacting “Sister Act” and singing about Jesus coming back on a white horse... in english. But what is amazing, is all the Italains, even with thier song sheets in phonetics casue they can’t speak english, are so excited about this!! We had 4 hour long practices (that were pretty entertainig) every saturday, all leading up to two concerts that we were putting on. This past weekend was the first and over 600 people showed up!! It was amazing. (Check out the pictures. Sadly, I can’t take credit for those. Kyle is the photographer on that one)  The Pastor was able to share the Gospel message with the whole crowd, and turns out the following Sunday at  church had a few more new faces than usual. 

After the events of Saturday, Sunday was our day of rest casue monday was going to be crazy! Two ladeis from the church, Silvana and Gabriella, wanted to teach us how to make home-made raviloli. So at 9 in the morning, the 6 hour long process started. Everything from rolling out the dough and pressing it, to folding over 300 pastas, our kitchen was packed with eagar  students wanting to learn and the Italians “talking”  and showing us what to do. It is always intresting to be in that atmosphere, casue even though only 2 out of the 15 people in the room spoke Italains, I don’t think I learned so much in that short of time. With Silvana and Gabriella not knowing english and none of us really knowing italian- the hand motions were necessary. 

By the time 3:00 came we were all ready with our full stomachs for the afternoon nap.  But our Italain adopted mothers had other plans. The worship leader in the church was playing the violin for an Italian Opera concert that night and he had invited all of us to go. We were leaving at 4. So we drank one more shot of espresso, changed clothes, and got in the car. The concert was in an old Catholic church (everything is held in an old Catholic church) and was beautiful!  

My stomach was full, the music was soothing and the eye lids were getting a heavy. The weekend was a success and it was full of memories I will never forget. Check out the pictures I put of thanksgiving, our concert, and the cooking day. 

God Bless all and thanks for everything!

I leave in 13 days to come back to the states!!

 

Twilight

Twilight approaches. The darkness has past and the Light is coming. I know the darkness is behind me, I have a desire to look over my shoulder and see it dissipate. But all I can do is gaze at the Marvelous Light that is in front of me. I stand, my weak and feeble knees are gaining their strength again. I have been crawling for so long and finally see the hope that I have known was always there. I give into my desire and turn- the darkness really is leaving. Oh how small my faith can be. I know now- it was all for the blessing. I know now, that no matter what happens to me- no circumstance, no trouble, no amount of stretching or grinding I may feel- it had to come through Him first. The Light is fighting for me against the darkness and He won’t let the enemy win. I know that all my panics, all my tears, all my emotional outcries of despair were all because He loves me. Even though, at the moment I don’t quiet see the harvest, I know that if He let all this come, there must be more. It was all for this... the twilight. My strength is slowly returning, my smile is back and I can’t stop. The tears are now filled with anticipation of what is to come. My joy is now made full once more. I will no longer fret. I will no longer distress or disquiet my mind. I know now- that there was a great purpose. I can see the Light approaching as it continues to head towards me. I take a deep breath- I didn’t even realize I was holding it in. Why didn’t I see this before? Why didn’t I recognize that the battle was already won? Why didn’t I remember that the victory I can rest in is in the Light. The Light was already here, all I had to do was call upon its Name.


"Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken my rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners shall be converted to You." Psalm 51:7-13