October came and went!

October has been busy and i still have two more days of the month! Lets start off at the end of September though. I cant forget the trip we made as a team to Vicenza and the end of last month.

Vicenza

The Hughes family that i was privileged to meet my first trip to Vicenza asked Brandon, Evan, and I to spend the weekend with them. The weekend was great. Getting their was the trouble for us. Mike our coordinator offered us his car so we wouldnt have a chance of breaking down in our van. However while we were on the highway...it stopped running. Wouldnt you know it...we had put gas in a diesel car! After being towed, waiting around for a few hours to have our car drained, and being lost in translation, we were back on the road. It was good to get there! We went to a festival on base with some of the church members. The Hughes have two boys that Brandon and Evan loved getting to know. I spent the weekend learning how to make hand made cards and bake. Angy is an incredible cook and so talented with crafts.

Sunday they had members from the church as well as the two missionary families from Padove over for a BBQ (Rebeccah and Jeremy, Jeff and Tia) It was great seeing everyone again. Angy, James, Jared, and Caleb Hughes will be visiting us this next weekend! Were excited for them to come!

When in Rome!
The first weekend of October we spent with the church in Rome. They asked us to come just to spend time with one another. The week was just a focus on building relationships. They were so kind, we had dinner together, went to a lookout point that overlooked the city, and got to know one each other. Seeing the Rome and Prato Church come together was great...it was family.

Milan
Also this month i traveled to Milan for a week to help Tammy and Lewis Short. They have been long term missionaries there. The church was having their first wedding in 30 years so they asked for my help with the wedding as well as with their 3 girls.

The week was really hectic but great. I enjoy being on the go so this was perfect for me! I have mentioned the Shorts family before and i just absolutely love them. They have such spirit and do so much for the church there. We spent the days decorating the church, hosting two guests that were staying for the week, on top of cooking, cleaning, and watching kids. The wedding went great though! The church looked beautiful all decorated.

In between all this i was able to see The Last Supper painting and take a day trip to Switzerland! I also met a couple Bob and Marla, they are looking to come do mission work in Italy in the near future. Its encouraging to see other wanting to work here. I clicked really well with the Short family. Tammy was so easy for me to talk to and Lewis is like a walking encyclopedia...i could listen to him all day. The girls were fun to help watch. The baby, Deborah, cried when i held her most of the time but when i pulled out the camera she would stop and smile. so worth it! The oldest girl Makela and i enjoyed hot chocolate together one night while watching Veggie Tales. And the middle girl ,Rebeccah, i think laughed all week. She is full of joy constantly. After the trip i feel really close with there family. When i was going down the stairs to the subway after saying bye, i got so sad feeling like i was leaving family or something. Im really thankful they asked me to come help for the week.

However, it was great seeing Anto, Mike, Brandon, Evan, and everyone back in Prato!

What else I've been up to?

Every week twice a week i teach English to two children in Prato. They are 4 and 6. I am enjoying this a lot and getting to know their family each time i go to teach. The team and I have also continued to go to the Handicapped center throughout the week. Monday is a women's bible study in Florence. Thursday mornings a study over John...oh what else. One highlight to my week is on Mondays, our free day. I have started going early in the day to spend with my dear friend Ermenita. She is a member at the Florence church and my closest friend here.

I hope these blogs help you get a picture of my life here. Love you guys so much and thanks for reading!!