Termini Imerese Goes "Green"!

Bella Sicilia

2009-09-14T17:44:00.001-07:00

A Night Out

2009-09-14T08:26:00.001-07:00

We had to deliver a stove to a country house for some friends of the church. After we finished we took a night off and went to a small coastal town for a walk and some dinner. The town was having a festival so there were lights up in the square. We found a small seafood restaurant that overlooked the harbor and boardwalk area. There was also an “unofficial” street market set up on the boardwalk. The wares ranged from jewelry to furniture. We enjoyed our dinner and the fellowship. It was a nice break and a beautiful night.

Picnic at Piana

2009-09-14T03:51:00.001-07:00

We had a picnic with the youth as one of our final outings. A family in the Palermo church has land out in the country near a lake so we grilled out. It was a beautiful day and we saw all across the valley on the drive up. We took a bbq spice mix sent to us by our pastor and fixed chicken for everyone. We enjoyed food, fellowship, and a nap in the warm sun. We had a time of sharing and prayer and looked back on a wonderful year. It was hard knowing that this was the last time in a long time we would see some of these friends. The photos include: BBQ chicken, chowing down, a WWII era bunker, with friends, and the mountains overlooking the lake.

Pirati Fanuloni (Settimana Felice #2)

2009-09-13T20:10:00.001-07:00

Two weeks before we left Italy we went to Bari to help with VBS there. We did a Veggietales theme using the Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything. We left Sicily and had to take the traghetto (ferry) to the mainland. After 7 hours and some very frustrating traffic delays we finally arrived in Bari and stayed at a missionary’s house that was on furlough. We had to be at the church early the next morning to welcome the kids. We only had 8 kids, but at times it felt like 18. We had a great time. Shawn taught the middle school class, I helped him and also with the English lessons and craft time. The kids had a great time, especially with game time. They were fascinated by the frisbee. It was close to 100 degrees several of the days so we had water games planned for most of the week. Unfortunately, one day they would not listen and we had to cut the game times short. The next day went much better. We spent each day on a different Bible story that reflected our theme. Thursday, the kids got to watch the Veggitales movie, and then had to answer questions about the theme and characters. The final program culminated with the kids explaining what they learned over the course of the week and singing songs, including one in English. There was also a short gospel presentation given by one of the local church members. After the program a local specialty, foccacia and gelato were served as snacks. It was a very busy week, but we enjoyed the time with local believers and the kids. We also had the opportunity to work with some friends from the US. He was a former missionary kid in Sicily, and this was the first time his wife had been to Italy. We were tired at the end, but glad to be able to assist the church in Bari in this outreach.

Construction

2009-09-13T16:11:00.001-07:00

There was one thing I said I would never do again, work on a construction project and pack for a big move. Well……you should never say “never”. We recently moved into a new location for our church and needed to partition off some walls to make a Sunday school room and kitchen area. This was about a month before we were to return to the US. We had some help from the men at church, but since most of them worked during the morning hours, I became the help in hanging some of the drywall and mudding the seams and holes made by the screws. It was hot, dirty work, but it was very satisfying to see the job finished so that all the men of the church had to do was paint. The pictures show the framing that all the way up to the end prior to painting. We even had some help from the youth group in Palermo also.

2009-09-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th of July in old town Palermo with some friends. We had crepes, stighioli, and sausages. As we sat at the table there was a hungry stray dog that was very interested in our feast. The owner of the snack stand tossed him a piece of chicken, to keep him away from the eating area. After that we saw a church that some friends had gotten married in, that the roof had been bombed out in WWII. We finally decided to stop for gelato and granita, since it was a rather warm night.

Wedding shower

2009-07-09T00:39:00.001-07:00

We had a party Sunday evening for a couple who is getting married. He is one of the local youth leaders, she is a church planter from Kansas. They met in Bologna in northern Italy. We spent the previous Thursday night planning and organizing the food, games, and decorations. (Well the girls planned, while the guys watched soccer.) Anyway, we divvied up the responsibilities while enjoying some gelato. Sunday afternoon we decorated, finished prepping the snacks and organizing the games. There was a small table with paper to write notes of encouragement to the couple, and a notebook to put them in when you were finished. There were several games planned, including one where the bride and groom had to find each other by feeling feet. First all the girls sat down and he went through touching each foot. He found her foot and knew immediately. She was more uncertain, but got it right also. Then they had the “newlywed” game where they had Q&A to see if the men and women’s answers matched up. The outcome was pretty hilarious. There was also a game that involved ice cubes in your mouth and he had to guess and see if she or someone else was speaking. Both Shawn and I were recruited, and neither of us got through the script without laughing. We had a good time regardless. Snacks, cake, and drinks were served before playing anymore games. There was even iced coffee with whipped topping. Yummy! They had one last thing planned before the end of the night – a practice run on the wedding ceremony, complete with flower girl and ring bearer. The groom’s siblings, bride, and groom were outfitted most fashionably with newspaper wedding outfits, and the mock ceremony ensued. Everyone was laughing and enjoying the moment. The evening ended with a pantry shower, and the couple is now well stocked in non perishable food items, detergent, and paper tableware.

(Pictures include: The groom & Co., the 3 “lucky” couples for the newlywed game, and Shawn playing the ice game.)

Barbeque for Crescere Insieme

2009-07-09T00:38:00.001-07:00

We had an end of season barbeque in the country as a final event for the disabled group. They take the summer off and restart in the fall. I have enjoyed the opportunity to be a volunteer and get to know the participants in the program. The doctor who oversees the project invited all the kids and parents to his country house for dinner. It was a beautiful house, complete with a fountain in the garden and a pool in the backyard. We went with the lady from our church that invited me to help and her family. We didn’t realize that Saturday evening mass was also on the agenda, but stayed respectfully at the back. The barbeque was full of all sorts of Sicilian delicacies. There was cozze (shellfish), pane con milza (spleen sandwiches), and stighioli (cow intestines). Shawn made the most of the meal, being polite and sampling large quantities of all of the above. I was full, because we didn’t know the other stuff was coming. (Not that I normally care for those items, although the pane con milza is not terrible if there is cheese on it.) They also held karioke by the pool for anyone interested. After dinner, Shawn and the priest who performed the mass had an interesting 2 hour discussion on the differences between Catholics and Evangelicals. Everyone had a good time and went home very well fed. It was a good finish to this year’s program.

Scopello

2009-07-09T00:16:00.001-07:00

Saturday, June 20th we took a trip to Scopello with some dear friends here. Scopello is a teeny little tourist town in the province of Trapani on the coast of Sicily. It is well known for its clear waters, and snorkeling is very popular here. The tonnara, where we went to swim was also used as a set in the movie “Oceans 12”. (Shawn was disappointed, because on a previous mission trip, they wanted to swim here, but the area was closed due to filming.) There are large rocks underwater and you can see all the way to the bottom, even in the deep water. We stayed for several hours, swimming around and laying out in spite of an overcast sky. We decided to go to lunch in Scopello (Which is smaller than downtown Mt. Crawford.) Off a small side street was a little restaurant, which specialized in “pane di casa” (homemade bread). Unless you knew it was there, you would have never seen this little place. There was a small seating area located in a garden, beneath some fig trees, and a little storefront where you placed your order. It was a thick crusty bread with cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, and anchovies on it. I skipped the anchovies on mine. It was very good, filling, and inexpensive. After we finished eating we wandered through the center of town, and washed our hands at the very cold fountain. It was charming and picturesque, and not very touristy yet. The time spent with good friends was refreshing and enjoyable. We finished out the afternoon by stopping for dessert and flavored iced tea at a local bar. The dessert was called ravioli alla ricotta, a hot, fried pastry with ricotta and chocolate chips melted inside. It was delicious and very messy. At one point I had it all over my chin, hands, purse, skirt, and knee. Well worth the mess, however, and I provided a good laugh for our friends as they helped me clean up. We were relaxed and very full as we headed back into Palermo.

Settimana Felice

2009-07-09T00:13:00.001-07:00

Vacation Bible School here is known as “Settimana Felice”. We held ours in Termini the week of June 9-13. Many of the kids that have been attending our Saturday afternoon program also came to Settimana Felice. We also had quite a few kids from the local area as well as schoolmates of the pastor’s son. Our theme was on Jesus, incomparable and amazing. We looked at different aspects, such as Jesus is our friend, helper, leader, and Saviour. We had animated video clips with stories of Jesus life highlighting each aspect and a Q&A session after each one. We had correlating songs and a story for the kids to learn and then do for the program at the end of the week for parents and friends. Other activities included, snacks, crafts, and games. Shawn and one of the other ladies in our church coordinated most of the activities, with me, the pastor’s wife, and 2 others assisting. The crafts mostly involved painting, the first 2 days it was pieces of pasta, the next glass items. Friday craft time was special because we had a guest from Palermo, who brought biscotti for the kids to make and then eat. Each day we had different games to play, and the kids enjoyed the constant change. Saturday morning was a surprise. Shawn didn’t tell them what they were doing for game time until right before we needed to leave. They were going to the turf field to play calcio (soccer). Three quarters of our kids were boys, so they were thrilled that they got to play on the real field. There was also a foosball table and another ball for the kids that weren’t interested in soccer. Part of the time, Shawn played the goalie, and all the kids tried hard to make a goal off of him. (Hence the 2 hour nap after we got home that day.) The kids had a good time, we felt like they paid attention well during the lessons and for the most part followed instructions. We could tell that the ones we had on Saturdays definitely had a better connection with us and were quicker to listen for the most part. We planted the seeds and God will water and bring to harvest in His timing.

Sunday evening was the finale and program for the parents. The kids sang several songs they had learned during the week and then acted out the parable of the sower and the seeds. Everyone stayed around afterward for a time of refreshments and fellowship. The pastor and his wife chatted with many of the parents for over an hour. We were tired, but enjoyed the time with the families of the kids we had gotten to know.

The Questura

2009-06-22T06:57:00.001-07:00

We had the privilege of going to the local police station on June 8 and registering for our permission to stay in the country. We took ID photos, and had our fingerprints put into the system. Well, first we waited for about an hour outside and then we finally got upstairs to the office area where we waited another 15-20 minutes. While we were downstairs, there were all kinds of people outside the immigration office waiting for their documents to be processed. We finally got into the office and the officer was actually fairly efficient in checking our paperwork and then getting our signatures and fingerprints. He first thought Shawn and I were brother and sister because our last names were the same. Here in Italy married women keep their family name and use it for documents and civil occasions, but use their husband’s name for social settings. Shawn explained and we continued the process. After we finished up we had to go downstairs where they took more fingerprints and we had to give them another photo and the paperwork from upstairs. After a mere 3 hours the whole thing was finally over and we were on to find some lunch and a bathroom. :) We still probably won’t see the actual document before we leave though. That would be a miracle in efficiency within the Italian bureaucratic system.

Gruppi Americani

2009-06-22T06:50:00.001-07:00

The church in Palermo hosted a group of students from Biblical seminary in Pennsylvania May 31 – June 3. They were traveling in Italy for their senior trip. Their goal was to visit relevant areas in church history and then meet and fellowship with believers of another culture. Their trip began in Rome and Florence, and then they came to Sicily for several days. Shawn and the pastor of the church met them at the train station and took part of the group to the Centro Valdesi and part of the group stayed here at the church. The church service Sunday morning was special, with a presentation from the youth group, introduction of the students, and a change in pastoral leadership. After the service, Shawn and I prepared a catered lunch for them, and then we were off to the soccer game. They had the chance to sit down to dinner with several of the CEMI pastors and learn about the churches here. Lunch seemed to go well, as we had rave reviews when we got back from the game. They had a couple of soccer fans in their group that walked down to the game, after lunch, while others visited the duomo at Monreale.

We met them again Monday morning to make the trip to Agrigento with them. Agrigento is known for its ancient valley of Greek temples, dating back to near the time of Christ. We wandered around the ruins for several hours before meeting back at one of the main sites for a short meditation. It was a blessing to be able to fellowship with other believers and reflect on God and His plans for us in the midst of such a setting. It was a good reminder of why we are here, and to stay focused on the Gospel. Then it was time for a 2 hour train ride back to Palermo. We passed the time by playing spades. By the end of the trip, I think all the actual rules were finally established.

The group spent Tuesday both participating in a conference with the Filipino church, and sightseeing around Palermo. Wednesday, we were able to meet them in Cefalu, a local beach town. We ate lunch and then spent time on the beach playing frisbee. The water was unusually rough so the lifeguards wouldn’t let anyone swim too far out. It looked more like Virginia beach than the Mediterranean. Normally, the water is like glass, flat, calm, and smooth. We finished out the day with dinner at the church. We took the group leader and one of the guys to the local cornetti stand for a treat. The leader had been in Palermo 4 years ago, but had not made it there, so we had to show him what he missed. They left for Rome Thursday morning to fly back to the US on Friday. We had a good time and hope they did too.

(Pictures include: the group minus the sponsors, Shawn in front of a temple, me sitting in a tomb, which I didn’t find out about until later, and the card sharks on the train.)

Forza Palermo

2009-06-22T06:48:00.001-07:00

Sunday May 31 we went to the soccer stadium in Palermo for the last home game. (Got tickets for 5 euros, great deal.) Before the game we had arancine for lunch. Arancine are fried rice balls with ground beef or ham in the middle. Then we started walking toward the stadium. I began following Shawn in the right direction, only to turn around an find him next to me. He has a twin in Palermo; the guy was tall, had curly hair, and the same color shirt. (When he turned around though, he definitely had a couple years on my husband.) We stopped outside the stadium, to get a pink and black team jersey for Shawn to wear because it was so hot that afternoon. One of the most interesting things we saw on the way in was a flag vendor. He had team flags, Italian flags, the Sicily flag, and……confederate flags. It was weird to see the Dixie flag in the mix.

Anyway we continued on to the stadio, and had to scan our tickets to get inside. You also had to leave all water bottles at the front gate, in case you were sneaking in alcohol. The other reason was they didn’t want them thrown on the field if the referee made a disliked call. We went inside and found seats in the shade, which was a must. We were with several of the youth and some of the other leaders, most of which are VERY big fans. One guy had his little sports radio so he could hear the announcers, and get scores from other games being played that day. They were hoping one of the players for Palermo would get 2 goals and hit a record for the season.

My friend and I were rather tired, so we being avid soccer fans, dozed a little bit while our husbands cheered on Palermo. Throughout the game, popsicle, ice cream, and drink vendors kept hawking their wares to thirsty fans. Since it was fairly warm, I am sure they did good business that afternoon. The crowd went wild every time the home team made a goal or goal attempt. The final score ended in a 2-2 tie. We enjoyed the afternoon with our friends in spite of the heat.

(Note: My camera died just before the game started so unfortunately I don’t have any pictures.)

Change

2009-06-18T05:46:00.001-07:00

The church in Palermo underwent a change in pastoral leadership after 25 years. The former pastor had a desire to be more involved in missions and needed a little more flexibility. He will continue to serve in a leadership capacity for the church, but a lesser role. The new pastor has been a part of the leadership in his role as a church elder and will now serve as senior pastor. They are both men of God and I know they will continue to be used of Him.

Musical

2009-06-18T05:29:00.001-07:00

The youth put on a final musical for the end of the year. May 31 finished out youth group for the summer, they will resume regular meetings in September. The did a musical written by one of the leaders about faith through the generations, beginning with the time of Christ and ending with the members of the current youth group. They had songs from different eras, as well as later scenes involving some of the founders of the church in Palermo. Everyone enjoyed it and the time and effort put in really paid off. The musical was part of a Sunday service that included a change of pastoral leadership as well as 18 guests from Biblical Seminary in Pennsylvania. (Photos include: 70's hair, the congregation, scene from the time of Christ.)

Sunset at Campfelice di Roccella

2009-06-18T05:02:00.001-07:00

We had had a rough week and needed some solitude. We went to the beach at Campofelice and watched the sunset and listed to the soothing rhythm of the waves against the rocks. Even in the midst of the turmoil of life, the beauty of creation shows the majesty of our God.

Psalm 96:11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Psalm 98:7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the earth and all living things join in.

Alberobello

2009-06-16T15:55:00.001-07:00

Alberobello is a unique little town about an hour from Bari. It is made up of little whitewashed houses called “Trulli”. These structures have a unique architecture, and are built without using any type of mortar. The stacked limestone roofs sometimes have religious or other symbols painted on them with white lime. The legend is that they were built to be able to be taken apart quickly so the landowners would not have to pay taxes on the buildings. (Bad if you happen to be a tenant farmer and the tax collectors come through.) The Trulli are only found in the town and surrounding area. Their construction definitely sets them apart from any other place, and the region is designated as a world heritage site. We spent over an hour wandering the streets, visiting shops, taking pictures, and stopping for coffee and ice cream. Then it was back to the car for a sack lunch, before heading home to prepare for church.

Bari and a Birthday

2009-06-16T15:09:00.001-07:00

After our conference finished in Avellino, we headed to Bari to stay with some friends and help out the church there. We stayed at the home of some missionaries in Carbonara, just on the edge of Bari. We worked, and had some time to play and wander the streets of Bari. Shawn lived there for 5 years as a teen while his parents were doing mission work there. We got to meet some of his old high school friends as well. Tuesday we arrived, took it easy and did laundry from the weekend. Wednesday, Shawn was off to help move and install cabinetry, while I went to help shop for a birthday dinner on Thursday. After the kids were dropped off at school, we walked all over town getting supplies for lunch and more importantly, dessert. The menu requested by the birthday boy included: rice and sausage main dish, green beans, strawberries with cream, and chocolate bowl cake topped with more strawberries. We had quite the party with several other missionaries attending the festivities as well. After the cake, the most important part of the celebration occurred, presents. When you turn 5 that is high on the list. Legos, art projects, a movie, and some cash rounded out the gifts. He immediately requested dad’s help in assembling the lego kit. The rest of the week, we went to cell group on Thursday evening, where we were given the opportunity to share, then I went to the women’s group meeting Saturday night where I shared my testimony of God’s grace. Shawn also had the responsibility of leading music on Sunday as well. We also got to eat lunch with a dear lady that Shawn had known from being there as a missionary kid. We had a good time, but were definitely ready to return to Sicily. (Pictures include: Bari port, blowing out the candles, high school friends, opening gifts, an elephant made of scamorza cheese, looking out over the water, “bread & tomato” beach, us with a friend, and Bari at night.)

Pizza and a Coin Laundry

2009-06-16T14:38:00.001-07:00

Shawn and I got into town several hours before we had to be in Avellino, because we took the overnight ferry ship from Palermo to Naples. So we had some time to look around. We sat on the beach for an hour looking out toward Napoli and Mt. Vesuvius. Then we went to Sorrento to visit a fantastic local ice cream place and have pizza for lunch. Sorrento and Napoli are known for their style of pizza and it is delicious. We found a restaurant with outdoor tables and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. While we were eating some musicians came by and played and sang, then passed a hat around for change. We parked in a parking garage and found a small glade with a castle and stream running beside it. It was lush and overgrown with vines and greenery. As we wandered the back streets of Sorrento we found – a coin laundry. It was tucked into a little side street, just off the main drag. It was tiny compared to ones in the US; just 4 each of washers and dryers. The prices were quite high for a load, but if you are on vacation and desperate…… Shawn has a radar for finding them and we took a couple of pictures. They are not very popular because most houses have washers and clotheslines. Anyway, we headed off to Avellino, full of pizza and ready for a nap. (Pictures include: center of the town, pizza mimosa, castle glade, church tower, Shawn in the laundry, and the musicians.)

Pompei revisited

2009-06-16T13:59:00.001-07:00

We used our sightseeing day during our conference in Avellino to visit Pompei and Sorrento. We had a group of 13 including three kids. The tomtom gps tried to take us down a closed road, but we finally found parking outside the excavation. We had a local pastor and his wife with us and he was very good at bargaining a deal for all day parking. Several people picked up hats at the souvenir vendors outside and then we were on our way. Unfortunately, the ticket both was out of maps, so we were on our own. It was fun to see the city through the eyes of the kids. They were so excited about everything. We walked and walked, making up touristy stories about the different structures as we went. Shawn and I remembered some stuff, from when we were there in March with my parents, but mostly we just read the signs on the outside of each building and eavesdropped on the tour guides for info. This time we were smart and brought in drinks and sack lunches so we could walk around a lot longer. (Last time we got too hungry and had to eat tourist food.) We saw the Villa Misteri with its petrified wooden doors and shutters, the baths, and amphitheater in our wanderings. We also saw a house that had been built on top of the dig and was used as a bed & breakfast. They were going to build more houses, but found more areas of the city that hadn’t been excavated yet, so only one was completed. After 5 hours of walking everyone had had enough, so it was off to Sorrento for some ice cream and pizza.

We found a great ice cream shop the last time we were there, so that was our first stop. After walking in the heat all day, it was a nice cool treat. We had a police escort into town where we were extended a dinner invitation to the house of the brother of one of the pastors in our party. Shawn and I had met them when we were in Agrigento for Pasquetta. They were very gracious to have 13 surprise guests for dinner. They ordered pizza for us, including specially prepared ones for 2 who had gluten allergies. We enjoyed the food, fellowship, and had coffee before driving the hour back to our hotel. Everyone slept quite well that night. (Pictures include: Shawn in the ruins, petrified shutters, garden with altar, Primavera Gelateria, SEGWAY – thought it was cool, and pizza and fellowship.)

Missionary Conference

2009-06-16T13:20:00.001-07:00

The second weekend in May we went to Avellino to attend a conference involving VMM missionaries from the Mediterranean. There were missionaries there from Italy, Albania, and Montenegro, as well as a local Italian pastor and his wife. We thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship, food, and spiritual refreshment during the sessions. We had as a speaker a former Italian missionary, whose wife had been a missionary in France. We had fantastic food all weekend and were able to relax and all speak English, which was very nice for those of us trying to learn new languages. We had the opportunity to swap stories and even a day to go sightseeing. The hotel was located up in the mountains, not far from a local sanctuary. The view was incredible. One of the missionaries in our group did find a little surprise in his shower when he checked in though, a small black scorpion. He was very calm about it and alerted the hotel management after snapping a couple pictures. Glad it wasn’t me or everyone would have heard the yell.

Our speak gave advice from the book of First Peter which was encouraging and relevant to working in ministry. Each person also had a chance to share about their ministry and where they were working. It was neat to see how God is working in other areas of the Mediterranean. We also had a chance to recognize a couple who was returning to the US after 10 years in Italy. They will definitely be in a stage of transition. We finished the weekend relaxed and refreshed. (Pictures include: the tilted glasses at our table for dinner, me working the projector for the songs, the terrace outside the hotel, the musicians, recognition of 10 years of service, fun in the hotel garden, one of the mirrored columns in our meeting room, and our presentation – complete with hand motions.)

Funeral

2009-05-20T14:06:00.001-07:00

When we first discussed coming to Italy, I hoped I would have the chance to attend an Italian wedding. I never thought we would have to attend an Italian funeral. After a long battle with cancer, a dear lady in our church went home to be with Jesus. As a church, we had prayed for her for months as she battled the effects of her illness; we asked for healing and a miracle, but God chose to ultimately heal her by taking her home. It was an honor to know her and see the people her life and testimony to God’s faithfulness had touched. We got the news of her passing after returning from traveling for the past week and a half. Funerals here in Sicily are very different than in the US; the viewing (or wake) is actually held at the family home not a funeral home. The body of the person is laid out in the salon of the house for friends and relatives to come and pay their respects and stay to make sure the family is not alone during this time. We stayed for about 4 hours and when we left there were mainly family members remaining. It was difficult since normally they hold the wake one night and the burial the next day. However, Termini was celebrating its Patron saint, so the burial was moved to the day after. The funeral service was also held at the house rather than the church. Our pastor conducted the service and Shawn provided the music. It was hard for both of them, but God gave grace to handle the responsibility. My heart just ached for the family as they said their good-byes. Her husband had been her primary caregiver and was overcome with emotion, lack of sleep, and heat exhaustion. After the service, the funeral employees, came to seal the coffin and take it to the cemetery. Close to 200 people made the walk from the house to the cemetery behind the hearse. There was a short Scripture reading before she was laid in the family tomb. It was a difficult moment for everyone. We rest in the hope of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, but there is still a void left in the hearts of those who knew her.

Campofelice di Roccella

2009-05-20T05:45:00.001-07:00

Shawn and I are on the hunt for the best beach to frequent this summer. Cefalu where we went for primo Maggio is about 35 minutes away, so we decided to look for something a little closer. We found a rock and sand beach at Campofelice di Roccella. It was not very crowded and we found castle ruins and 2 WWII bunkers. The castle has a tower remaining and a lot of wall sections left. We opted not to climb to the top of the tower because it was so hot. We walked back through some villas, including the villa that was attached to one of the bunkers. There was a stairwell and tunnel that went down into the bunker from the house. It was an interesting afternoon and we came home a little sunburned, but we definitely enjoyed exploring new places. The pictures include: the villa and bunker, tower and ruins jutting out into the sea, aqueduct, and looking down the beach at the mountain near Termini.

Primo Maggio (May 1)

2009-05-06T01:18:00.001-07:00

May first is a holiday here in Italy and we celebrated by going with the youth to Cefalu, a beach town about a half hour from where we live. We had a gathering of several youth groups within a two hour distance or so. We began the day with music and a group session, followed by a sack lunch, and then it was off to the beach for a few hours. It was too chilly to swim, but that didn’t stop a couple of hearty souls from going into the water anyway. Everyone else played games or sat around and talked, soaking up the sun. We had a gorgeous day. We left the beach for a short small group discussion session, then everyone had to make the drive home. (Which took a little longer than normal, due to the holiday traffic.) (Photos include: opening session, the group, the 2 swimmers, us, setting up a game on the beach, Cefalu view left and right, and the swimmers after photo.)

Montelepre

2009-05-04T13:03:00.001-07:00

Montelepre literally means mountain of the hares. We went there to participate in a leaders retreat for CEMI held at the Castello Giuliano April 24-25. The retreat was a time of spiritual refreshment, refocus, and renewing friendships. The speakers were Swiss missionaries from Cefalu’ and they had 3 teaching sessions focused on encouragment. We also enjoyed the mealtimes, with excellent food and fellowship. There was an interesting background to the hotel that we stayed at. It was run by the descendents of Salvatore Giuliano, Sicily’s “Robin Hood”. Just after the allies freed Sicily and Italy from German domination in WWII, there were many restrictions on farming and most of the food grown here was being sent to mainland Italy. The farmers were upset, and had great difficulty feeding their own families with these restrictions. Salvatore was driven to become a rebel against the carbinieri who were restricting their family’s food supply. There was a movement for Sicily to become an independent state. Turiddu (Salvatore) became a colonel in the movement for an independent Sicily. Unfortunately, due to the wrangling of politicians it did not come to pass. However, it did get autonomy from Italy, but there we

re still a lot of restrictions on the Sicilians. He eventually died at the hands of the Mafia, although the carbinieri took credit for it. He is still regarded as a hero for trying to help form an independent state and help the poor in the area of Montelepre. (At one point they even campaigned to become the 49th state in the US.) The story is told in a book written by his nephew, with interviews from his sister and other family members. The story was behind the area and hotel was very interesting and unique. We definitely enjoyed our time there, fellowshipping with other local leaders and several missionary couples from Bari. At one point during some free time we went to a small shop to get some freshly made ricotta and mozzarella. After tasting the real stuff, the supermarket stuff is nowhere close. (Shawn and I had a friend teach us how to make cannoli filling with the ricotta and chocolate chips. Yummy!) We also had the chance to host some friends from the conference so they could get an earlier start on their 9-10 hour drive home. We walked to a park that evening to allow their kids time to get rid of their excess energy and enjoy the fresh air. We had a busy weekend, but enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. (Photos include: My husband playing the guitar, our speaker, the inside of the dining area, views of the area, brothers, our morning meditation speaker, the garden area, and me under a flowering bush.)

Pallavolo

2009-05-03T08:35:00.001-07:00

I know one thing, church league volleyball would never work here. The participants would never survive. We took the Palermo youth to play volleyball at a sporting complex not too far from the church. There was definitely a competitive spirit, but also much laughter and enjoyment. Our (Shawn and I) volleyball skills were pretty rusty, but we made valiant attempts anyway. We split into 3 different teams that rotated each match. One of the other leaders and I also rotated spots, since each team had an extra player. Shawn also provided some comic relief, in the form of running across the court shirtless, after a little encouragement from some of the guys. All in all we had a good time and everyone enjoyed the outing. We had some that played really well, some that played for fun, and some that just liked to argue with the referee.

Pasquetta

2009-05-03T08:21:00.001-07:00

The Monday after Easter is know as Pasquetta or “little Easter”. Everyone takes the day off work for picnics or barbecues in the country. We were invited to join one of the other youth leaders and his fiancée to visit his family in Agrigento on the southern coast of Sicily. The drive took about an hour and a half with a quick stop for fuel, I mean coffee. (We did get fuel for the car as well.) We arrived at the house just in time for Shawn and our friend to help with the grilling. It kept raining off and on so the grilling was a little tricky. The golf umbrellas covering the different grill stations helped some. What a feast it was, there were 4 types of meat, sausage, lamb, chicken, and pork. They also cooked artichokes by burying them in the hot coals. Inside several of the women, including the hostess, were fixing baked goods typical of the area, a bread with sausage and olive bits inside. Finally, everything was ready for the 30 plus people that were there. We sat down to a huge lunch with the grilled meat, homemade bread, artichokes, salad, and finishing off with fruit. (Neither of us were hungry for dinner when we got home that night.) It reminded me so much of dinners at my grandparents (dad’s parents) where all the family and friends from church would picnic or grill out and fellowship around the table. In a way it made me a little homesick since both my grandparents are gone now. During the afternoon we took it easy since lunch definitely needed time to settle, some napped, while others listened to the piano and violin. One of the ladies there was a hair dresser and she cut the hair of one of the little girls who didn’t like to brush it. The mother of the girl wasn’t too sure about the idea, but they were both happy in the end. Some also took the opportunity to grab a snooze, while others just sat around and talked. Several hours after lunch, the coffee and dessert came out. There were 4 types of cake and numerous variations of cookies. The coffee helped revive everyone and the rest of the afternoon was spent playing card games and chatting, which also reminded me of home. His family was very welcoming to a couple of people they had never met and we were so blessed by the fellowship that day. The language was different, but we could not have felt more at home. Their house was full of love, laughter, and gracious hospitality and we were honored to be included.

Pasqua Service

2009-05-02T10:46:00.001-07:00

Our youth group at Palermo was given the opportunity to direct the Easter service. We had a combined service with Termini and Palermo so that we could participate. They worked for several months preparing the music and a drama, which was written by one of the local youth leaders. The drama was different Biblical characters that had their lives changed in some way by meeting Jesus. It was very well written, and the drama team executed it very well. One of the other youth leaders gave the message, on the hope of a Risen Saviour. The children also had a short program as well. After the service there was a newsletter available, written and produced by the teens. In spite of a rainy day, there was rejoicing in the reason for celebrating Easter, the resurrection of Jesus.

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Easter

2009-05-02T07:49:00.001-07:00

Buona Pasqua is the greeting here in Italy for Easter. Pasqua or Easter is celebrated as the end of Lent. Lent begins after carnevale, and typically some comfort is sacrificed until Easter, about 40 days. Usually, a type of food, or smoking or the like is given up for Lent. Easter here is somewhat commercial, but in our smaller town, not nearly as much as the US. However, we did find all the supermercati here had chocolate eggs with surprises in them. They range in size from a normal size egg to ones that are nearly as tall as I am. There are even surprises for adults with jewelry or wallets in them. There are several typical Easter desserts here, cassata, a cake topped with green and white icing and candied fruit with ricotta inside, and also columba, a cake in the shape of a dove. I even got an egg to share with Shawn; it had a toy sword from the Narnia movie inside and the chocolate was delicious. It was one of the smaller ones. We decided not to buy the one that cost 65 euros, it was a little expensive for our budget. Anyway we enjoyed the egg, and had the opportunity to eat cassata several times as well. Mmmmm!!!

Barbecue

2009-05-02T07:26:00.001-07:00

The Saturday before Easter we were invited, along with the youth group to go to a friend’s land in the country for a barbecue. It was a beautiful day, sunny and finally feeling like spring. We caravanned in several cars up to the area of Piana degli Albanesi. The property was on a peninsula out in a large lake surrounded by hills and mountains. The owners of the property were already there setting up the picnic tables and food. The youth group pulled out soccer and volleyballs to take advantage of the nice weather. Shawn and one of his friends started preparing the coals for the grill, while I went to play volleyball with the girls. The grilling items were a little different from your normal hamburgers and hotdogs, although they do have them here. For an appetizer there was bruschetta, grilled bread with a tomato topping. Then came the sausage and grilled chicken filets, followed by stighioli. What on earth is stighioli? Well…….it is a Sicilian delicacy that the Palermitani love.

It comes wrapped around a large scallion, with lard and parsley also in the center. We had “stighioli di capra” which loosely translated is goat intestines. They grill it over hot coals, and then squeeze fresh lemon juice over it and sprinkle with salt while it is still hot. I tasted my first, last, and only piece of it. The sad part is that it smells just like spiedies (marinated meat kebabs) when it cooks. (My dad grew up in New York state and the area he is from is known for a special marinade) Anyway now I can at least say I tried it. I didn’t feel quite so bad when the other American girl there didn’t care for it either. We finished off the meal with salad and a little later after the stomach settled, a sweet.

We also got a chance to walk around part of the peninsula with some friends to see the lake. We needed the walk after eating all afternoon. There were a lot of wildflowers and woods, and it looked a lot like places near our home in the States. We decided to head back after seeing rainclouds not too far away, and we had to prepare for our Easter service with the youth the next day.

(Photos include: the view, eating bruschetta, preparing and cooking stighioli, picking wildflowers, us, and the town near the lake)

Rome II

2009-04-14T06:33:00.001-07:00

Thursday, our second day in Rome we began the day by visiting the Galleria Villa Borghese. It is on the grounds of Villa Borghese and is filled with art, mostly sculptures and paintings collected by famglia Borghese. There were works there by Bellini, Carvaggio, and Ruebens. The upstairs was all paintings, and the lower floor was a mix of both. We didn’t have time to tour the gardens, zoo, or other museums on the property, since we had a full day ahead.

Our next stop was the Colosseo, and then on to the Roman Forum and Palantine Hill. We went to the Colosseum first and it was immense. You could almost hear the cheers of the crowd as gladiators fought for victory, or the snarls of caged animals waiting to devour helpless people. There was a cross erected in memory of the many Christians that lost their lives there. We also got to go up on the second level to look around as well.

The Palatine Hill and Roman Forum were next on the itinerary. Our legs were pretty tired, but we wanted to see as much as we could on our final day. We walked around the loop to look at all the ruins. Mom and Dad, opted not to climb the hill, but we did and got some good pictures looking out across the forum. There was even a church, constructed around the remains of an ancient temple. We missed the jail where Peter was supposedly held, by leaving the site too soon, but were able to find the Church of Saint Peter in Chains. There is a sculpture of Moses there by Michelangelo. After looking around, and taking photos of the statue, we headed back to find some gelato and then dinner after a short nap.

The next day we went to the beach before saying good-bye at the airport. One of Mom’s requests was to be able to put her hand in the Mediterranean sea. We found a beach near the airport and stayed for about 10 minutes or so, before we had to say good –bye and go our separate ways. We had a wonderful time and were sorry it was so short. Hopefully, we will return someday and see all the stuff we didn’t have time to see.

Rome I

2009-04-14T05:13:00.001-07:00

Bella Roma, the city of the ancient Roman civilization, is about 3 hours from the Sorrento area. After a stop on a very foggy Mt. Vesuvius, where we saw a wolf looking down on the picnic area. We took pictures at the beginning of the hiking trail to the top, but opted not to hike up in the cold and fog.

We arrived in Rome in the evening, checked into the Residence Candia, fixed dinner, and went to bed. Early Wednesday morning we walked up a huge set of stairs to meet our tour guide in front of the Vatican museums, which includes the Sistine chapel. The nice part about this tour was that after we got inside, we were given a map and allowed to wander through at our leisure. The area was immense. We began in a hall filled with Roman statues (although after looking at so many they all start to look alike), then continued though a courtyard to a section that had relics from the Egyptian and Etruscan civilizations. Then we walked through rooms of paintings on the walls and ceilings by great masters like Raphael, among others. We saw several rooms of modern abstract religious art before finally reaching the Cappella Sistina. (Just because it is donated, doesn’t mean you have to display it, especially if it is ugly.) I was able to snap off a picture in the doorway, before the guard requested that no pictures be taken. It was smaller than I thought it would be and we almost needed binoculars to be able to see details on the ceiling. It must have taken Michelangelo years to complete the work. The chapel was beautiful and the detail was incredible, but impersonal and grandiose. I am so thankful that our God is a personal, and desires a relationship with us, through belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His saving grace. We spent 4-5 hours and still didn’t have time to see everything for as long we could have. We went back to the hotel, fixed lunch in our kitchenette, and took naps for an hour.

After a rest, we went back to visit St. Peter’s basilica. We were typical tourists, taking photos of the paintings and sculptures, and examining the intricate detail in the church. We also went up to the dome and were some of the last people allowed to go up before they closed. The view is worth the nearly 350 steps to the top after a 3 story elevator ride. You can see out over the city, and no one is allowed to build anything higher than St. Peter’s. After a few minutes of the view I was ready to go back since heights are not my thing. You wind into the inner section of the dome, filled with gold leaf mosaics. Mass was being held while we were up there and the echo of the choir was breathtaking. After we came down and exited, Mom and I took pictures of the Swiss guards stationed outside the basilica. We then found the guys and took a few more pictures with them, before realizing we needed to find something for dinner.

We decided to go to a restaurant that a friend recommended from when she visited Rome. On the way we stopped at the Spanish steps, and then continued on to see the Trevi Fountain. At the Trevi fountain, the legend is that if you throw a coin in backwards, someday you will return. Shawn had thrown a coin in last time he was here. We also spotted a shoe store across the street, the name, Sore. Mom and I took a picture right below it, since our feet were feeling it. We got to the restaurant and were happy to sit down and finally have dinner. The Ristorante Nautilus is located on Via dei Serviti 28 (largo Tritone) not far from the Trevi fountain. They offer Sicilian dishes, as well as local specialties. The food was delicious, and we met another English speaking couple who were touring Rome and then going on to Venice. It was nice to meet some fellow Americans. We headed back to the metro station and passed the Spanish steps again. It was less crowded, so Dad and I walked up to the top and had our picture taken. Then we hopped on the metro and walked back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep, first stopping to take a picture next to an aptly named ristorante.

Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast

2009-04-14T03:21:00.001-07:00

Monday evening and Tuesday we stayed near Sorrento and drove up part of the Amalfi coast. We spent the evening relaxing and looking at the sunset over the Mediterranean sea, and then did a little shopping in Sorrento. The area is known for its crafting of inlaid wood products. Mom and I found some beautiful things in a store called Rita’s Shop. It was a family run business, that had their own workshop which provided the store’s inventory. We didn’t have time to tour the workshop. Perhaps next time.

We decided to find a pizza place since Naples and the surrounding area is well known for its pizza. We went to Tasso’s on the recommendation of Rick Steve’s travel advice. We had to ask some of the locals for directions. The pizza was fantastic and well worth stopping there. We walked around a little more and then found a gelato shop that had a wide variety of flavors. The store was full of pictures of the locals, celebrities, and contests. It reminded me of the old Spanky’s restaurant back home. The gelato was some of the best I have ever had and most likely made on site.

We stayed at the Albatross hotel in Piano di Sorrento and after breakfast, we packed up and headed toward the Amalfi coast. The view was breathtaking and a little dizzying looking out across the coastline. We couldn’t finish driving all the way down because they were doing construction work on part of the road. We even found a waterfall hidden around one of the curves. In spite of a spattering of rain, we enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation. (Photos include: sunset at Sorrento, view of Mt. Vesuvius, the front of our hotel, taking turns posing overlooking the sea, rocks along the coast, a retreat center of some type, and the waterfall)

Pompei

2009-04-14T02:21:00.001-07:00

Monday we spent the day at Pompei, an ancient city at the base of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius. It was covered in layers of ash from an eruption in 79 A.D. It was so well preserved that when it was uncovered by archeologists the city was basically intact. The streets still have ruts from chariot wheels and many of the structures still have the original frescoes inside. There are also political advertisements written in Latin still on the walls of the city. We walked the streets of Pompei for 5 hours, trying to see as much as possible. The villa Misteri was a large mansion of the era with many rooms and a garden in the center. There was also a replica of a battering ram in one of the rooms. Scattered throughout the city were glass cases with the forms of people who were incinerated by the ash and gases emitted from the volcano. We also saw the amphitheater, theater, many shops, villas, government offices, and temples to different Roman gods. The day ended with pizza and panini sandwiches for lunch overlooking the city. We went back to the hotel for a much needed rest.

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Photos include: columns, ruts in the road from the chariots, looking into a temple, part of the city wall, and overlooking Pompei..

Church Dinner

2009-04-08T05:56:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning we were proud to introduce my parents to our local church family. We enjoyed having them participate in our service, although Shawn had to translate the sermon, and I did my best with the other parts. It is a lot easier for me to translate when I am one on one with someone or in a small group. After the service, we pulled out the ping-pong table and covered it with plastic tablecloths for lunch. (It’s the only table that fits everyone.) Shawn fixed lasagna for the first course and then the ladies of the church brought the meat dishes, fruit and salad. There was also a yummy cake for dessert. The dinner was delicious, and I don’t think my parents were too overwhelmed by the culture and the language. Shawn and I took turns translating for them. We all had to go home and take a nap, then repack for the next leg of our journey to Napoli and Sorrento. No one left hungry at all. Our church was very welcoming and were happy to meet my family. They had been asking me when they were coming.

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Picture include: cutting the cake, “my” lasagna, serving the food, more food, fellowshipping around the table.

Whirlwind Tour of Palermo and Surrounding areas

2009-04-08T05:31:00.001-07:00

Saturday that my parents were here we really wanted to take them around to see sights in and around Palermo, Sicily. It happened to be cold and rainy and actually snowing in the higher elevations, which is highly unusual here for winter, much less at the end of March. Anyway, our first stop was the Cappuchin crypts where the mummified remains of many wealthy Palermitani and clergy are kept. It is a practice unique to this area and the result has something to do with the combination of air and lack of moisture in the crypt area. It was discontinued in the late 1800’s, except for a small child done in the early 1900’s, who looks like a sleeping doll.

Then we were off to the theater for our refund from the night before, and stopped to take pictures on the steps, although not in our elegant theater clothes. We had sandwiches for lunch and headed out to the Segesta, a doric Greek temple that you could walk inside. We got there, just as it really started to rain, making the walk cold and miserable. When we got to the top of the steps we found a fence around it. (Very frustrating, because we came in December and were able to walk around inside and take pictures.)We opted not to take the bus to the top of the hill to see the amphitheater, and settled for some hot chocolate in the bar instead. We found out that the fence had been put up the previous week.

We decided to visit the Duomo at Monreale, to see the intricate gold mosaics inside. Different scenes from the Bible are beautifully crafted in detailed gold leaf mosaics, covering the walls and ceiling of the cathedral. There is also an enormous pipe organ that encompasses the front of the church. Outside there is a fountain in the square, with a mythical sea creature. As artists and musicians, my parents appreciated the beauty and craftsmanship of these works of art.

Since there was still time before dinner that evening we drove up Mt. San Pellegrino, mountain of the pilgrims, to see the church at Santa Rosalia. She became a hermit who lived in a cave on the mountain after becoming disgusted with the lives of the nobility. A church was built in front of her cave. She is honored as a saint in Palermo, mainly for the end of a plague. Pilgrims can walk a path up the side of the mountain to the church. The very devout make the trek on their knees. We looked around inside the church and saw some other tourists that we had seen at the theater as well. After chatting and some laughter, we were promptly shushed by the priest who was getting ready to lock up for the evening. Outside, we finally saw the clouds beginning to clear away and the sunset break through. In the distance we could see snow-capped mountains.

We drove back into Palermo to the church where we were hosting a spaghetti dinner so that my parents could meet our friends and “family” here in Sicily. Many in the youth group attended also. We enjoyed the fellowship, and my mom and dad got to see how special everyone here is to us. We ended the evening with a stop at the cornetti stand, which no one complained about. We went home tired, but happy we got to see as much as we did.

Mom and Dad in Sicily

2009-04-08T04:46:00.001-07:00

We were so excited to have my parents come visit us for 8 days in March. We picked them up on Rome and flew to Palermo on Thursday. They were happy to see us, but pretty jetlagged from the trip. We let them sleep in some on Friday and then, I took them to see a little of our town while we waited for lunch to be ready—a roasted chicken and potatoes from a local shop. We walked down to the Friday morning street market. It is a 15 min walk down a long hill and quite a few steps, coming back up takes a bit longer. The scenery is typical small town Italy and you can see people cleaning or coming back from the market or the older men standing around in the square or near a bar chatting. We wandered around the market and bought fruit and candy from the food vendors. After we finished it was a long climb back up to pick up lunch and then go back to the apartment. We ate lunch and then took a nap before leaving for Palermo and a night at the Teatro Massimo with Andrea Boccelli in Faust. Unfortunately, after we got all dressed up, we got there and found out the theater union was on strike and the performance was cancelled. The orchestra was protesting the protest so they played a concert in the piazza in front of the theater. We decided to go back to the Cornetti Caldi stand and console ourselves with food. Perhaps one day we will get to the theater…….. (Pictures include: at the top of the steps, looking down the steps, yummy cornetti, coming back up the steps, and “all dressed up with no place to go”)

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Spring has sprung in Termini

2009-04-08T03:32:00.001-07:00

Spring is finally here after a very cold winter for the area including a rare snow. The pictures include: a local monument (unfortunately, covered with graffiti), a “bird of paradise” plant, a tree covered avenue in a local park, and a train along the shores of Termini.

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Youth Service at Brancaccio

2009-04-06T14:13:00.001-07:00

The youth at Shalom church in Brancaccio have been preparing for a youth Sunday since January. It was held March 15 with a fellowship dinner following the service. After careful preparation, the youth were responsible for the entire service. Shawn helped with the song service, and I was the camera woman. (I didn’t play with the zoom as much and the picture was much better.) The youth alternated responsibility from the first greeting to the reading of the day’s Scripture passage to the message itself. They even had a skit that corresponded with the sermon. I was very proud of the time and effort that they put into the service and hope they will continue to find ways to serve and be a blessing to others.

We also enjoyed a delicious dinner afterward with each family bringing in a main dish. We were invited to share lasagna with the youth leaders at their table. Unfortunately, we forgot the cardinal rule at church dinners - “leave a little room in your tummy or food on your plate.” Shawn had a very large second helping of lasagna followed by steak and potatoes, and chicken breast with mushrooms. He couldn’t finish it all, but made a valiant attempt. I sampled everything I was given, but had to leave food as well. Sicilians are fantastic cooks and always want to make sure you don’t go hungry. (We haven’t yet.) After the meal, instead of a nap the guys watched the Palermo vs Lecce soccer game, while the girls chatted and waited for the game to be finished. We had dessert during the game, even though everyone was still a bit full. The strong Italian coffee with the cake and cookies helped the sleepiness a little, but we were still in need of a nap after the day was finished.

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Cornetti

2009-04-06T13:42:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite places in Palermo to hang out is the 24 Hour Cornetti Caldi stand. This place specializes in hot croissants with a wide variety of fillings including: Nutella, white nutella, pistachio creme, ricotta, and many others. We go there with the youth to hang out, celebrate, or say good bye to someone who is moving away. We were there recently to say goodbye to a young man from our youth group who was moving to the US. We also took my parents there several times in the 2 days that we were in Sicily. My dad really enjoyed sampling several different kinds. They also serve coffee and hot chocolate as well as other beverages and snacks. It is definitely a place to visit if you are ever in Palermo.

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Feste delle Donne

2009-04-06T13:15:00.001-07:00

March 8 is a national holiday in Italy for women. The Feste delle Donne or Festival of Women dates back to factory workers who were fighting for fair treatment. It’s a day to celebrate, and we had a party at the church to honor women and have an evening out. We enjoyed pizza and an assortment of yummy deserts, followed by games. There was also a speaker discussing the origins of the day and what it has turned into and how to celebrate as women of God. Unfortunately, many use it as an excuse to indulge in inappropriate behavior. We had a good time of food and fellowship, with skits and silly games.

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Ciao

2009-04-06T12:18:00.001-07:00

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We have many friends here and enjoy having them visit for dinner. Unfortunately, some live 30 minutes away so it’s a little bit of a challenge to arrange schedules, but we manage. We had a chance to host dinner for a friend who moved to the States in March. He was a part of our youth group and will be greatly missed. We fixed a “real American meal” including: hamburgers, homemade french fries, and macaroni salad. One of my friends was gracious enough to bring dessert, a lemon cake with yellow cream. We really enjoyed the food, fellowship, and fun.

Dinner at Branccacio

2009-03-12T08:09:00.001-07:00

We had the opportunity to participate with the youth group of Shalom in a fund raising dinner. We made 7 cheese balls for each table and a cheesecake for dessert. The youth did a fantastic job, with presentation and service as well as entertainment between courses. They had songs and skits, and even a painting auction. We walked in and the church had been transformed into a cafe, with tablecloths and candles on each table. There was a mouth watering appetizer buffet with everything from caprese with tomatoes and mozzarella to caviar spread on toast. After the appetizers, the first course was lasagna, followed by a meat and potato dish, and then some beautifully arranged fruit trays. We also had an assortment of cakes for dessert, and coffee. We had a good time fellowshipping at the table with the pastor and his wife.

Carnevale from our Balcony

2009-03-12T07:01:00.001-07:00

We saw the final parade, closing out carnevale from our balcony. It was rather chilly so we decided not to stand with the crowds, but just watch from our house. (Photos: King, Genie, Politicians & Sharks, Disco boy, Car)

Volunteering

2009-03-12T06:40:00.001-07:00

Once a week, I have the opportunity to volunteer as a helper for a group of disabled youth with a lady from our church. She and another girl are the organizers of the group. They have different activities and also work on craft projects each week at the meetings. They are a great group and very patient with my ongoing learning of the Italian language. We went bowling just before Christmas, and everyone had a good time and enjoyed ice cream afterwards. There is a pizza party planned for later this month and previous activities, have included: a Christmas party and even a trip learning how to make pottery.

Carnevale

2009-03-12T06:18:00.001-07:00

Carnevale is held in Termini from February 15-24, with parades and festivities throughout the town. Actually, Termini's carnevale festivities are the oldest in Sicily. We watched the parade coordinators set up the staging area Sunday morning just after church. We walked up the street late in the afternoon before the parade began so that we had a good spot to watch. The local kids have confetti, silly string, shaving cream, and plastic squeaky mallets to cause mischief. Basically carnevale is a time of revelry, so that you have something to repent of prior to Lent. The parade was full of bands, dance troupes, and elaborate floats, with people throwing confetti and candy onto the crowds. Several of the floats were statements about political issues. After the parade ended. we stopped for cotton candy.

(Pictures include: staging area, toy vendor, comic band, king of carnevale, silly string and mallets, Pinocchio float, boy with violet hair, old car with grandparents of carnevale.)

Snow Party

2009-02-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

Just some fun in the snow

Sunday afternoon the youth group decided to go play in the snow. It doesn't happen very often so we took advantage of it. After driving around up in the mountains behind Palermo we finally found a place to play where the snow was deep enough to throw snowballs and make snowmen.

We had a good time and ended up chilly and damp. After we finished we went back to the church to have tea and sweets and warm up.

While putting the heaters on we tripped the electrical breaker at the church, and had to find a way to get into the breaker box. It took a little bit, but we were able to get the electric back.

More Snow Pictures

2009-02-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

Looking out over Termini and at the Madonie mountains and also Mount San Calogero.

Snow in Sicilia

2009-02-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

Yep, I said snow. According to the locals it has been 10+ years or so since this area has had snow. Of course the year we are here we would get snow. They weekend of Valentine's day it got cold enough to snow. Here in Termini it was too warm on the ground to stick, but Friday night we had a mix of sleet and snow falling outside of our balcony. Saturday morning we got up and drove 7km above Termini to Caccamo and then Roccapalumba. Yes, we actually went looking for snow to drive in. (In the US, I avoid driving in it if at all possible.) We also realized that kids and snow are the same the world over. In Roccapalumba there were a bunch of people playing in the fresh snow. We also found a lake that with the snow capped mountains it looked more like Switzerland than Sicily. After we drove back down into Termini, we decided to go towards Piano Battaglia a local ski resort 40 minutes away. We drove up in to the Parco di Madonie (park at the Madonie mountains). After rounding a couple of curves the rain abruptly switched to snow and we realized that the road was actually starting to get slick. We turned around, since we didn't really have all weather tires on the car. It was really pretty to watch it fall and reminded us of home. There is something so peaceful about the quiet of falling snow.
(Pictures include: Castle at Caccamo, Roccapalumba, the lake, snowing in the park )

Buildings in Venice

2009-02-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the different buildings along the Grand Canal that winds through the center of the city.

More Venice Pictures

2009-02-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

Top to bottom, left to right

Clock town in Murano.
One of the shop runs in Piazza S. Marco while the water was rising.
Campanile of S. Marco
Street near hotel. Show standard street size in Venezia.
Clock tower in Piazza S. Marco

The Jewish ghetto of Venice

2009-02-25T06:04:00.000-08:00

One of the more unique things located in the vicinity of our hotel was the Jewish Ghetto which dates back to the 15th century. At one time there were gates around the area which were locked every night and reopened every morning. The Jewish Venetians also had to distinguish themselves by wearing yellow or carrying a symbol. The distinguishing item changed through out the centuries. The ghetto is home to several synagogues, a museum, and rest home. There is also a holocaust monument by sculptor Arbit Blatas. While we were there, wreaths were placed beneath the monument and at one of the synagogues commemorating World Holocaust Memorial Day. We also found a kosher bakery and antique store.

Murano

2009-02-25T05:38:00.001-08:00

While in Venice we took a day to go to the island of Murano. We wandered through the glass museum, which showed the glass making processes of both today and yesteryear. There were also many examples of period glass from early A.D. to now. Several elaborate table decorations and sparkling chandeliers were also on display. After we left the museum we wandered around taking pictures of the island, including the war memorial and church. Shawn was amused by the fact that this church was hundreds of years old, yet equipped with a nice sound system, lighting and led screens. There was also a large crucifix inside of glass. (Glad the Christ I serve isn't glass. Wouldn't want my faith to shatter easily.) We then went shopping for what else, glass. I found some small gifts and some nice pendants for myself as well. One shop keeper in particular was very friendly and gave us a lot of interesting information on Murano and the glass making process. His shop website is www.apagioelli.tk, and is located near the blue glass sculpture. He is the only jeweler in Murano. We also ate at the ristorante near his shop. The grilled sole is very good. We also went into a glass gallery where many of the pieces were in the $10,000 range. We didn't stay long or touch anything. There was a small pastry shop where we got yummy pistachio cookies. My favorite Venetian food. On the vaporetto back to mainland Venice we passed the cimitero or cemetery island. It is full of masoleums, since the city is built on small islands and reclaimed land. We decided to go back and rest at the hotel before venturing out to see more of Venice.

Venezia (Venice)

2009-02-25T00:55:00.000-08:00

For Christmas/Anniversary we got to go to Venice during the first week in February. Ae arrived in the pouring rain and spent about 15 minutes or so dodging puddles and rising water before reaching our hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Ai di Mori d'Oriente. It definitely lived up to its 4 star rating, the room was very nice, and the breakfast was delicious, and the staff very accommodating with information and directions. We began our first day, but purchasing vaporetto tickets so that we could hop on the waterbus if we got tired of walking. Then we headed toward the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco where there are many museums and landmarks located. Venice is a unique city with a fascinating history. It was an independent state, with many trade agreements for goods from all over the world at that time, up until Napoleon at which point the government simply fled. Their head of government was the Doge. His office progressed until he was simply a figurehead of Venice. Our first museum was of ancient columns from early roman times. Then we exited into the courtyard of the Doge's Palace and government buildings. We had to check our back packs before entering the palace and climb the Golden staircase to go through the rooms of the palace and government. The rooms were lavish and decorated by famous painters including: Titan, Tintoretto, and other artists influenced by Bellini. The walls and ceilings were covered. There were also grand fireplaces, and beautiful Murano glass chandeliers as well as period furniture. We spent several hours wandering through the palace before going off to find something to eat. We also went back the next day for the "secret" tour through separate palace of justice rooms and even the prison cell where Cassanova was held.
In the evening we rode several different vaporetti until we finally got back near our hotel. The next day we went through the museum and out on the balcony of St. Marks Balsilica. The view from the balcony was incredible, you would see out over the entire piazza. (I had a lip gloss fall out of my pocket and roll into one of the gutters. I was afraid it had fallen off the balcony and hit someone. Shawn saw and rescued it for me.) Anyway, we also went through several museums on the other side of the Piazza. One display had 16th century Venitian high heels. What can I say, I like shoes. There was even a mummy on display.
Another thing we did, was go back to Piazza San Marco at night to see the tide rise in the square. When the tide gets too high, usually during the fall and winter rainy season, they set up wooden walkways on stilts. We were too tired to go out the first night, which was the highest tide while we were there. The next night the water still filled quite a bit of the area with several inches and we were able to get some really good pictures with the different buildings reflected. There is way too much to see for only 3 1/2 days, but we made a valiant attempt. We saw 8 museums and walked for close to 30 hours while we were there. Perhaps one day we will go back.
(Pictures include: Our hotel with the striped poles at the dock, ceiling of the golden staircase, courtyard of the palace, me on the balcony of St. Mark's, under the bronze horses, and us with the reflections of the Piazza at night.)

Birthday parties

2009-02-25T00:29:00.000-08:00

During January we had the opportunity to attend several birthday parties. The first was for one of the kids in our Saturday program. He specifically invited us, along with a bunch of friends from school. There were games and pizza and of course 2 delicious cakes. His mom made Tiramisu and a peach cake. Tiramisu is an Italian dessert made with ladyfinger cookies dipped in coffee and layered with a coffee flavored cream. Very yummy!

The second party we went to was for a first birthday. It was quite the bash. There was a buffet, with snacks and appetizers, and later on cake. Many people from the church were invited.

There was a "Winnie the Pooh" character walking around playing games with the kids, music, and lots of decorations. Close to 75 people of all ages attended. Not sure if the little guy realized all the fuss was for him, but we had a good time nontheless.

Living Nativity

2009-02-23T14:24:00.000-08:00

We were invited to see a living nativity that is put on in old town Termini, between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6) every year. It was a guided tour through scenes from the Christmas story, beginning with Gabriel speaking to Mary and finishing with the manger scene. We walked up and down throughout the oldest sections of town and had the opportunity to visit 2 churches that are normally closed. The first church, where the scene of Herod and the Magi was staged, had no roof. There is a possibility it was bombed out in WWII when Sicily was invaded. The second church, where the manger scene was held, was closed for renovations and open only because of the living nativity. Inside that church was Sicily's (and possibly Italy) oldest "presepe" or manger scene. There was also a saint buried in the floor; with a small window and a light to see. We enjoyed the experience in spite of the light rain that kept falling off and on.

Our 3rd Anniversary

2009-02-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, have we really been married for 3 years? So much has happened in our lives since we said "I do." January 7, 2006. We decided to take the day and take a little drive along the coastal road to Mondello, Palermo's famous beach area. We detoured a little and drove up Monte Pellegrino, which means "pilgrim". (Side note: my maiden name also meant "pilgrim", just not in Italian.) We had a great view of Palermo from the top. We also passed the church of Santa Rosalia, built in front of the cave where she was a hermit. Unfortunately, the church was closed so we could not see inside. Every year in July they have a big celebration since she is a patron saint of Palermo. There is also a walking path up the mountain used by pilgrims to her sanctuary. There is a national park on top of Monte Pellegrino as well. We finally headed back down the mountain towards our destination. Mondello is a beautiful cove with a wide swathe of white sand beach. In the middle there is a lido, where you can rent a changing room and come to the beach at lunchtime, just leave your swims stuff there. We stopped at a small bar for coffee and a nutella filled crepe, before taking a leisurely stroll down the beach. We met several stray dogs who wanted to play, but they soon lost interest in us after seeing several Jack Russell terriers invading their turf. We didn't stay too long since the sun was beginning to set and it was starting to get chilly and windy. We headed back home and ate a very elegant dinner at a local ristorante. The food was fabulous, and the dessert positively sinful. We had a wonderful day, and can't wait to see what God has in store for our journey together.
(Pictures include: Palermo from atop Mt. Pellegrino, beach at Mondello with the lido on the left, us on the beach, and the 7 flavor cake we had for dessert.)

2009

2009-02-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

We spent New Year's eve in Palermo surrounded by friends at the church. Dinner, games, and cakes at midnight was the order of the evening. I don't have any pictures, bet there was plenty of food. Sicilians are excellent cooks as we have mentioned in previous posts. We also had many different games. The funniest one involved a toboggan, pair of gloves, a die, chocolate bar, fork, and knife. If you rolled a six you had to put on the hat and gloves, and use the utensils to cut the chocolate bar and take a bite. The catch was that everyone else was taking turns rolling the dice and if they rolled a six before you were done you had to take everything off and pass it to the next person. It was highly entertaining to watch. There was also a fireworks stand several blocks over which my husband and several of the guys from the youth group took advantage of. We had a countdown to midnight and then fireworks were set off all over the city. We went home to get some well needed rest.
New Year's day we were invited to lunch with friends and then ended up spending the rest of the day there. There was much food and fellowship and we played the "salad bowl" game for five hours. Our Italian friends loved it. You write names of famous people on slips of paper and mix them into a bowl, then you have three phases, first descriptions, then one word descriptions, then charades. We ended up staying for a light supper of sandwiches and snacks as well. We had a busy two days and were ready to get back into our regular routine.

Bari Christmas with friends

2009-01-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

We were able to get away for a couple days at Christmas and enjoy some fellowship with some missionaries from Bari and Montenegro. Many of our friends here in Sicily had family activities planned, so we decided to be with our missionary "family" and renew some friendships as well. We enjoyed a sumptuous meal with some of the church folks on Christmas eve. We had a main dish with rice, potatoes, and mussels, followed by some lamb and assorted grilled meats, and salad, which included carrots only found in that region. They were purple and yellow and sweeter than the orange ones. We also had fried carcofi (artichokes) which were delicious and a russian salad in the shape of a fish (a type of potato salad). That night included many stories swapped, games played, and a toast at midnight to celebrate Christmas.
Christmas day was relaxed, with gifts exchanged with our host family, their kids were very patient while the adults got ready and had a light breakfast and coffee. Then we joined the other family who was hosting our friends from Montenegro for lunch. Lasagna and vegetables were on the menu followed by a mountain of cookies, baked by one of the kids home for school vacation. There was a puzzle that was keeping everyone occupied at one point or another, and more games. We also got to call family from the States and wish them a "Merry Christmas".
Friday was a day to relaxe, and we had a devotional and time of singing and sharing of prayer concerns. It was such an encouragement to be with those that have been serving in the culture longer and hear how they handle different situations. Later that evening we watched a movie and snacked for dinner on popcorn, roasted chestnuts and fruit. (Being underfed was not a problem.) We were refreshed, by the fellowship, and appreciated being "family" with our own so far away.
Coming back on Saturday we were invited for pizza and games at a friend's house. We enjoyed catching up with friends we hadn't seen in a while as well as those who had finished Christmas with their families. We played the Italian version of Scattergories and my score was one of the highest. Pretty good for someone who doesn't speak Italian very well yet.
(Photos include: friends of my husband's, the russian salad, cute little boy, and our host family at the Christmas eve dinner.)

Youth Christmas Party

2009-01-10T06:36:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, December 23, was our Christmas party for the youth group. We had a buffet with all sorts of yummy finger foods, and for dessert we had cheesecake in honor of one of the leader's birthday. The highlight of the party was the "Mean Santa" gift exchange. The Italians had never done anything quite like that, so we weren't sure how it would work. Everyone brings a small wrapped gift and you play a game to determine who gets what gift. The basic concept requires that each person gets a number and you go in sequence, with the first person opening a gift and the second person having the option to either open a new gift or steal the gift from the first person. Things can get interesting, depending on the gift, which can only be stolen 4 times before it is out of play. Some of the things that showed up during the exchange included: a pink manicure set (which was opened by one of the guys), candles, candy, toe socks, and cologne. Several really unique items also showed up. Someone brought 2 little goldfish in a tiny aquarium and a small cannister of food, that was a popular one to steal. There was also a stick of partially used deodorant, and my personal favorite, the gift my husband got -- a package of feminine products. Overall the evening was a great success, everyone had a good time, and the "Mean Santa" exchange went over very well.
(The pictures include: "Mean Santa", birthday cake, the goldfish, goofing around, and serving cheesecake and dessert)

Youth Christmas service

2009-01-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed the opportunity to help the youth with their part in the Christmas service at Palermo. Shawn was involved in the music and with the lighting for the mime. I made many cups of coffee for practices and did the video of the service. The group had countless hours of practice in order to do their very best on the evening of December 21. The service began with Christmas carols by the regular worship team and several songs by the sunday school kids, followed by a short meditation from the head pastor. Then we were up, beginning with a praise and worship set, then a mime set to the song "Everything" by Lifehouse, and finally a girl's chorus. The musician worked so hard, and they even did "Walk by Faith" in English. The music was a blessing to those that attended. The mime was something that was also powerful, showing what Jesus can do in a person's life. Several of the youth leaders shared and an invitation was given for those that wanted to make Christ the Lord of their life. Finishing out the night, the girl's chorus had an upbeat rendition of "I Will Follow Him". After the program Christmas cakes and snacks were served and the youth had sandwiches for dinner, later on.
(The pictures are from, fellowshipping after the service, and the musicians)

Presepe photos

2009-01-10T06:06:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures from the "Presepe" display.
Photos: etched glass madonna and child, modern rendition, scene with small lights, ceramic plate, and glazed ceramic scene

Presepe (Manger scenes)

2009-01-10T05:41:00.000-08:00

One of the things that they do in Italy around Christmas is have manger scene contests. Local artists ranging from school kids to adults create manger scenes called "Presepe". They encompass all different types of materials including everything from mother of pearl to newsprint to wrought iron. Each one is unique and often displays local scenery or Sicilian life. Many have small lights and moving parts, and are very intricate in detail. We were able to visit a display in Trabia, a nearby town, and also one at a local church that is only open during Christmas. We took pictures of some of our favorites.
(Photos include: Clay water jar scene, African inspired, painting with a local bridge in the background, metal work madonna and child, and a blacksmith's scene.

Christmas Service at Termini

2009-01-10T02:46:00.000-08:00

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December 21, we had our Christmas service in Termini. The morning service was filled with Christmas carols, and Scripture reading about the birth of Christ. We enjoyed the fellowship with our church family and the connection before everyone scattered during the week to different Christmas activities with family and friends. Our church was decorated with lights and handmade bows as well as "stelle di natale" or what we know as poinsettias.

Monday night we had the opportunity to have dinner with the pastor and his wife and exchange gifts. We left very stuffed, as always. Sicilian hospitality is amazing, you will never leave hungry.

Christmas Party

2009-01-10T02:26:00.000-08:00

We had our Christmas party at Termini on December 24. We invited the kid's parents, church family and a group of disabled youth that one of the ladies in our church works with. We had a great time. The kids sang several Christmas songs ending with the English version of "Jingle Bells". I had to sing the verse with Shawn, while the kids came in on the chorus and belted out a resounding "Hey" at the appropriate place in the song. Our pastor, gave a short devotion on the true meaning of Christmas, celebrating Christ's birth, and then we played games. We had small door prizes to give out and played bingo. The kids mobbed Shawn, who was calling out the numbers, to try to fill in their cards. They also got small toys as gifts. Afterward, there were pandoro and panettone cakes, snacks, and drinks. Everyone had a good time and we had many there that would not normally come to an Evangelical church. At the end of the night, to those that wanted them, we gave out calendars with Scripture verses on them and Bibles. We were tired, but we enjoyed ourselves immensely.
(The pictures are from the bingo game. I am not sure how to upload video. Guess I will have to get my husband's help on that.)

The Segesta

2008-12-18T01:48:00.000-08:00

We went to visit the ancient site of Segesta on December 8. It has a Greek temple that you can walk around inside. The area also boasts an amphitheater which you can explore on foot as well. It is a strange feeling to walk though a place where those from ages past have lived. We were amazed at the view from the hilltop of the amphitheater; you could see all the way to the Mediterranean.
Pictures include: Me sitting in the amphitheater, view from the hilltop, us in front of a column, inside of the temple (I am sitting at the back of the temple, at the bottom of the second column from the left.), looking down on the temple from the amphitheater site.

Cefalu

2008-12-15T04:12:00.000-08:00

Cefalu is a beach town a half hour drive from Temini. It boasts a beautiful stretch of beach, a "Sicilian romanesque" cathedral, and "La Rocca" or the rock. The rock is a large outcropping (ok perhaps its more of a small mountain) that rises above the town and has ruins of an ancient temple of diana, among other things. It's approximately a 2 hour hike to the top, which we have not attempted yet. Probably in the spring, when the wind is not so cold. We were there with some friends the first of December and took a chilly walk along the now deserted beach. I was excited to find sea glass in amber, white, and green. (I'm sure it was just pieces of broken beer bottles, but they were pretty nontheless.) Here are a few pictures of the town, mainly the beach.

Christmas in Termini

2008-12-15T01:04:00.000-08:00

"Christmas time is here....." Our town is all dressed up for Christmas and several Catholic holidays that coincide in December. Along the main street, there are lights and in the piazza's near the local church and duomo there are several displays. Many people also wrap their balconies with lights, since most live in apartments and don't have a yard or bushes to decorate. We have done a few things to our apartment as well, putting up a tree and having candy in a dish. Christmas would not be complete here without pandoro or panetone, cakes. Pandoro is a light yellow cake dusted with powdered sugar, while panetone has bits of candied fruit scattered through it. Both are delicious and come in many varieties. There are several live nativity scenes also located at different churches throughout the area. Christmas definitely comes to Termini and with a lot less rampant commercialism than the US.
Photos: Our tree, street up from our house, duomo (largest church in town), street and piazza near duomo, and church up the street from our house.

Handmade ceramics

2008-12-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

December 1, we got to go to Santo Stefano di Camastra, a small town that is know for its ceramics. After stopping at the tourist center in the middle of town, we were given directions to a workshop and store. The owner was more than happy to give us a tour, and explained the process step by step for us. The vases were all hand made on the potter's wheel, the other pieces had 1 form made by hand and then a mold was made from that. Each piece was fired in an electric kiln twice. The first time was to harden the clay for painting, and the second to set the paint and glaze. The paint used actually had small crystals in it that became the glaze when heated in the kiln. The owner was the third generation of his family to run the business. He was gracious enough to demonstrate creating a vase on the potter's wheel. The clay is just "terra e acqua" (earth and water) and he began by kneading it like bread to soften and prepare it for the wheel. The he centered it on the wheel and began spinning. It was amazing to see that dirty lump of clay transform before our eyes into a vase. After the vase demonstration we looked in the shop at the wide variety of items, everything from dishes to wall decor to lamps. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the shop, and did not leave empty handed. I found a beautiful serving platter as well as a couple of gifts.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

We got to enjoy 2 very filling Thanksgiving dinners that week. On Wednesday evening we had dinner with a local pastor and his wife. She cooked 1/2 a turkey and that was 13 kg which is close to 30 lbs. (I wouldn't want to run into a live one that size, it would be huge.) We definitely did not go hungry after a meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, and bread. We finished off with chocolate and strawberry cheescakes and pumpkin pie. The funny part is while we were having an "American" Thanksgiving in Italy, our family back home was having Italian food for Thanksgiving. Then on Thursday our pastor and his family came over for traditional Thanksgiving dinner where we repeated the menu from the night before. Suffice it to say we were pretty "turkeyed out" for the rest of the week. We enjoyed the fellowship of good friends and still had time to contact family back home.

Why we are in Italy

2008-11-23T15:23:00.001-08:00

Many people thought we were a little crazy to give up 2 well paying positions, a nice house, the comfort of the familiar, and the closeness of family and friends to move across the Atlantic to the island of Sicily. But when the still small voice of God nudges you to do something, you had better listen. I could go on about all the hows, whys, who, what, and where, but the real beginning to this story starts in a chapel (short church service) seat at a very conservative, Christian college. That's when I met Jesus. I had a heritage of Christianity through my parents and grandparents, but becoming a follower of Christ is a personal decision. I grew up in church, Sunday school, and youth group, showing everyone what a "good girl" I was. Unfortunately somewhere along the way I realized that I had all the "head" knowledge, but it wasn't real in my heart and spirit. However, by the time I figured out that, something else got it the way - Pride. I certainly wasn't going to go around telling everyone that I didn't really have a personal relationship with Jesus. God has a way of catching up with you when you least expect it, in chapel that day we had a speaker that was sharing how he met Jesus. He was in church and feeling the pull of God on his heart, but was too worried about what people would think to ask questions and respond to that nudge. Well then a man came up and told him "Don't let what other people think send you to hell." That phrase summed up all my fears and I knew that I was so worried about what people would think that I was dooming myself. You say that sounds harsh, but it's true. God broke my heart that day, and I repented of my foolish selfish pride, right there in the middle of chapel. I knew all the right things to say and do, but they had never really been real to me. After that I was still concerned with what people would say, but I knew that I was right with God and that was more important. Looking back over the last 9 years, I have seen God's hand on my life in ways I never would have imagined. Different things have happened that can only be attributed to God's protection and guidance. And so I am here in Italy, working with my husband, to help a church and pastor who needed an extra pair of hands. God will take you places you could never imagine and do what best fits your skills and talents. I know that I would be miserable if I had not listened to that nudge in chapel and the nudges since then that brought me here.

I know that God is real, He lives in me, and I have seen things happen that could only be attributed to His hand. Some will say I'm crazy and that's ok, because what truly matters is God's opinion and whether or not you have accepted His Son, Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross.
Romans 10:9-10 in the Bible sum up God's plan for mankind. Salvation and peace with God is as simple as A, B, C,
Admit you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned...
Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead
Confess that He is Lord of your life
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him (Jesus) from the dead you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

I know this was long, and I am honored if you take the time to read it. I felt the need to share why I am in Italy and Who I am working for.

Termini Pictures tour 2

2008-11-22T05:12:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more sights in and around Termini: Mount San Calogero at night, the view from Villa Palmeri overlooking the Mediter- ranean, and the view looking up into Termini from across the harbor. Termini's harbor is mainly industrial so there is no swimming allowed. However there are nice beaches within a 20 minute drive.

Tour of Termini

2008-11-22T04:58:00.001-08:00

I just realized that we have posted a lot about what we are doing, but not much on the town we are in. It is a beautiful little town of around 40,000 or so. (About the size of Harrisonburg, Virginia when the students are gone.) There are mountains that remind us of home and Massanutten peak, and since we are on a hillside you can look out over the Mediterranean sea. The humidity is much like the Valley's during the summer, but lingers year round. The summer is hot and dry, and perfect to take advantage of the many local beaches. Fall and winter usher in cooler weather and a rainy season. The pictures include: our apartment building, ruins at Villa Palmeri, Mt San Calogero, moonlight over the harbor, and a park just up the street from our house.

Bowling

2008-11-19T04:15:00.000-08:00

Bowling in Italy is a far cry from bowling in the States. It is still noisy and fun, but we would never be allowed on the wooden bowling area stateside, whereas it was nothing to have 15-20 people congregating, talking, and cheering right next to the bowling lanes. We had a great time, played a terrible game, and enjoyed the fellowship of the youth group.

Shopping in Termini

2008-11-19T03:42:00.000-08:00

Shopping in Termini is an adventure. In America you just drive to the mall or Wal-mart or Target, here you walk to the stores, even if you have a car because parking can be very limited. I had the opportunity to go shopping with the pastor's wife yesterday. We were walking from Termini alta to Termini bassa (upper to lower). We went to several clothing stores, shoe stores, grocery, discount grocery, and several housewares stores. We walked for over 3 hours, but because we kept stopping it didn't seem nearly as long.

There are also some unusual things that you don't usually see in most cities stateside. There are fish vendors with little trucks on the street corners most mornings. The one we passed had regular fish as well as 2 octopuses, which I found out later is a delicacy around here. You also wish people you pass a good morning "Buon Giorno" whether you know them or not. There are also the older men that sit around in the piazza's, park areas of town, and discuss everything from politics to soccer. Termini, and much of Italy is a mix of both ancient and modern. There are buildings that are hundreds of years old with a satilite dish attached. You will see a modern building seamlessly attached to a building that was built in the 1700's. It has a beauty and simplicity and values the ancient, rather than tearing it down, but incorporating it into the modern architecture.

Suffice it to say, you see much more walking than you do riding around in the car.

Recipe for Crepes

2008-11-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

Crepès

2 eggs
500ml milk
80 gr. butter, melted & cooled (2.82oz)
250 gr. flour (8.81oz)
Pinch of salt

Mix eggs, milk, and cooled butter.
Add flour and salt slowly, mix for a smooth batter.
Let sit in fridge for 1 hour.

Ladle a scoop into an oiled frying pan. Cooks quickly, basically a very thin pancake.
Add a tsp or so of cinnamon and some sugar for sweeter crepès, or some parmesan for cheese flavored
Spread jam, nutella, peanut butter, cheese or whatever you like.
They can also be filled with a meat mixture and baked in the oven.

Gruppo Giovanile

2008-11-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

We were privileged to be asked to assist the local leaders of the youth group in Palermo. We had kick-off dinner in mid October, followed by a meeting with games, introductions, a devotional, and plans for the coming year. Shawn was able to help set up an internet forum for the group. We will be helping wherever we are needed. Currently there are plans for a youth service in December as well as a giornolino (newsletter) coming in January. I will be assisting with the newsletter, and continue to improve my grasp of the Italian language. Shawn will be involved with music and drama. We are excited to see what God has in store for Gruppo Giovanile this coming year. Continue to pray for us as things keep getting added to our schedule. We want to be able to minister effectively, but not spread ourselves too thin.

Kid's Program

2008-11-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Recently we began a Saturday afternoon kid's program for every other weekend. The first day we began with 4 kids and ended with 13. They came bouncing in ready for some fun. We started with introductions, then songs, story, snack, and of course games. Many of these kids attend "Settimana Felice" during the summer and always asked for more or wanted to know when they could come again.
Shawn led the music, with the help of one of the ladies in the church, I got to hold the sign. Then I told the story, while Shawn translated. We then had a snack, and it was GAME time. The kids started warming up to us during the story, but they really did during the games. We played "wink" and a circle game that kept all of us moving. At the end of the afternoon, the kids wanted to know when we would have another "Pomeriggio Felice". They are very excited about the program and we have had an opportunity to minister to the parents as well and make connections.

Sugo di Pomodoro (Tomato Sauce)

2008-10-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

This is for those of you that wanted some recipes. This is for homemade tomato sauce; it takes a little bit of work but it is well worth it.

The directions are a little vague, but here we go.

You need enough tomatoes to fill a two handled pot. Try to use roma and cherry tomatoes. Cut out the tops of the tomatoes and cut in half.* Add 2 onions cut in chunks, a couple of cloves of garlic, and a handful of fresh basil (Tear the leaves, don't cut), and one large carrot-cut in chunks.
Cover the pot and put on medium heat stirring occasionally. Don't add any water or salt; the tomatoes have enough water in them.

After the tomatoes and carrot are soft. Mash through a sieve. I have a thing with a crank handle that looks like a pot with holes in the bottom that mashes the tomatoes, and stuff. (Sorry I have no idea what it is called) Catch all the juice in another pot, and mash till all that's left is skin and seeds. It takes a while and you need a lot of muscle in your arm to crank all the juice and pulp out.

After you finish getting the juice and pulp, put back on medium heat (make sure there are no chunks). Add to taste salt, sugar, olive oil, and more basil (approx. 1/2T. salt, 4T. sugar, 1/2c. oil. More or less to taste). The sauce is ready when it cooks down, and gets more dense. It can be used for pasta or pizza sauce.

*You can also blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, take off the skins and scoop out the seeds. Then instead of mashing the tomatoes through the strainer, if there are no skins/seeds, you can puree in a food processor or blender.

Kicking into gear

2008-10-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

Well we have had our plates full the last couple of weekends. Yep, we were eating. The weekend of October 11-12 we had church in Termini on Saturday afternoon, because the pastor's wife's father was retiring from ministry at the church in Palermo on Sunday. Our service on Saturday, was special because Shawn had his first opportunity to speak. He did well, and the pastor was able to take a break. Then we went to Palermo to eat pizza with some friends. They invited us to spend the night, which was a blessing, since we didn't have to make the trip back home. Sunday we went to the retirement service, then had a church dinner afterwards. Now, in Sicily, they are very passionate about their food. We were told "Mangia, mangia" (Eat, eat) many times and your plate stayed filled. (We didn't eat dinner that night.) Everyone was very gracious and welcoming. We had a great weekend and enjoyed the chance to fellowship with good friends. Guess I'll post about last weekend in the next post.

Food

2008-10-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

The food here is amazing. We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves every time someone invites us to dinner, not to mention the pizzarias, gelaterias, and my personal favorite, the hot cornetti stand. It's a good thing we do a lot of walking or we would be in serious trouble.

You can walk around the corner from our house to the fruit stand, which carries a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, everything from strawberries to cactus fruit to tomatoes for making homemade pasta sauce. Up the street there is a meat store that offers fireroasted chickens, which we have enjoyed several times. There is also a bakery where you can get fresh, hot bread every morning.

By far, our favorite places include: the gelato and the cornetti stands. Gelato is Italian ice cream, but it has a flavor that is unlike the American version. Flavors range from chocolate to pineapple and fruit flavors. The cornetti stand is 30 km away in Palermo, otherwise we would be very regular customers. Cornetti is a big, warm, flakey croissant that you can get different types of fillings in, including nutella.

And then there is nutella, typically a breakfast food, you can spread it on hot bread or dip fruit in it. They also make crepes, very thin sweet pancakes, to put nutella in as well. Nutella is basically the chocolate version of peanut butter, but it is made from hazelnuts instead of peanuts. Currently my favorite food to eat with nutella is strawberries. Buona, fragole! (Good, strawberries)
Suffice it to say, neither of us are starving. I am learning how to cook like an Italian through my gracious language tutor. Crepes with nutella are next on the list. Ciao for now.

Update Sept. 7th '08

2008-09-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well, its been almost three weeks since we crammed our lives into a round of suitcases and then the suitcases into T's poor Seat four door.

The transition has been interesting, we have slowly started to gain a bit of a daily rhythm but are still somewhat in limbo, since the vacation season begins to wind down this coming week. Shops will be open regular hours instead of "vacation" hours, schedules will go back to normal, including our churches. So things will be "getting back to normal" as we try to meld our lives into a new and sometimes challenging routine. Challenges include: Laura for the cultural immersion, language and lack of familiar surroundings and "comforts", Shawn for lack of "familiar" crutches of home (reliable internet, ability to get out of the house and drive where we want, a normal schedule of responsibilities), and both for the lack of rest due to our neighbor hood yapping patrol, and oh yes, as one local paper presented it "The Infernal week of heat on the Island". However concentrating on the positives has been one of our goals, God blessed us with an apartment that is within 5-10 minute walk of everything but a large market store and the beach. the church is within a 5 minute walk and we have bread, fruit, supermarket, stationary, and (he he for Shawn) a computer store, basically below the house. So life is good, God is gracious and more than enough. Continue to be in prayer for us as we integrate into our church family in Termini Imerese, and that we will be able to overcome the challenges that come our way.

Shifting focus.

2008-08-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

WE ARE HERE!!!!

Well we made, our luggage made it, and the car made it from the airport to the apartment. Now if our energy reserves will just make it as well we will be set.

God is amazing, and sometimes funny when you look back over events. When we arrive in Rome, our second stop of the trip, we went to the internal check in desk to get our boarding passes for our last hop. They inform us that my checked luggage was fine, however... Laura's was probably getting ready to come out at baggage claim which was an 11 minute walk from where we were then standing, back in the direction we had just walked 10 minutes from. Then we would have to exit the airport Terminal B (international) and re-enter Terminal A (domestic) to check in Laura's luggage and get her boarding pass. So annoyed but realizing that the poor girl behind the counter had nothing to do with it we went on our way. So we arrive at the baggage claim, which was right around the corner from our original arrival gate, to find lucky that nothing had started to come down the luggage chute yet. Then comes the money shot, as we are standing there waiting for L's bags, where looky there here comes my guitar sliding down the chute, complete with tag that clearly states the last hop of it's trip is to be PMO (Palermo). So completely annoyed at the whole situation, tired from lack of sleep we choose to focus on the new seemingly newly hired girl back in Dulles and how much of a dunce you have to be not to check luggage though to the last stop after having been told 3-4 times to make sure that it was (yeah Ok I know I could have looked at here baggage claim tickets too, but I looked at mine, mine were Ok so hers should have been too. Right??) So, we wait for the rest of my bags to come out assuming they also would not have been sent through to the end of the trip, only to never see them come. We decide that maybe they actually sent them in the right direction and haphazardly pray to that effect, assuming that some one at the check-in counter will be able to give us confirmation of this. We get to the check-in window and get started and are informed that they have no way of knowing where the rest of our luggage is and short of filling a lost and found claim there was nothing to be done at this point. So we check the other bags in are told that we should be charged again since they are being rechecked (praise God we weren't) and are finally able to walk back towards the boarding area, deciding that we would trust God to get all the luggage there safely.

It's interesting looking back over things and reanalyzing the events with a non frustrated mindset. We realized that our luggage had been checked-in separately, so traveling in the mind of the baggage sorter independently. If the girl in Dulles had not made the mistake that she had, I could very easily at this point have no guitar, remember that was one of my checked pieces that was checked through to Palermo. So God provided and came through as he always does for us. Sure he could have just made the whole situation easy and just had the bags checked like they were supposed to be, but then what would have been the life lesson in that. We would not even be thinking about this whole situation now, if everything had gone according to planed. Sure we would have thanked God for providing safe passage but, not have been reminded that he works in ways that we my not always understand, or want to understand at the time, but if we keep an open mind and are willing to peek outside of our little boxes we'll see that He is able and willing to do all things for those that are in Him.

At the airport and waiting...

2008-08-18T10:48:00.001-07:00

Well we made it through security, got our bags checked, and are seated at the gate. The excess baggage fees ended up being a little less than we had anticipated, so even less that shipping a bunch of boxes. We are looking forward to sitting down on the plane and doing NOTHING for the next seven hours. We do want to express our deepest thanks to those of you that helped us out over that last month. Your efforts in making up for our shortcomings were very much appreciated. Well God bless, and we will talk to you all soon!!

Update

2008-08-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that we have only ten more days left in the States!! The immensity of it all is starting to kick in. We are starting to get excited but at the same time realize the awesomeness of the task before us.
The house has been rented, someone is dropping off a check for the car this afternoon, there is only painting and grouting left on the room, and then we get to start the cleaning process.
God is good and He always provides.
Please be in prayer as we start to pack that we would remember the things we need to take with us. Also begin to pray for our flights: for an easy time at security, for safety, for our luggage (we a only a one hour layover on our first stop) that it will all get through. Also be in prayer for our second week there, it will be the week of the Vacation-Seminar which is the same event we participated in last year. Pray that is will be a time of refreshment both spiritually and physically for all those involved.

First Entry

2008-08-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Well our date of departure is rapidly approaching. We leave on the 18th of August from Dulles International at around 3pm. Our bags are not packed and we are not quite ready to go, well physically any way. The room is almost finished but not quite, we have a handful of interest in the houses, car is not yet sold. We rest in the knowledge that God's timing is not always in par with ours. I would much rather have everything in order and planed out, but if that was the case, how could He teach us to place our trust in him. God is good and has all things in His hands. Please be in prayer that we will be able to trust Him in something this small to in turn learn to trust Him in the larger things in life.

Termini Imerese Goes "Green"!

Bella Sicilia

A Night Out

Picnic at Piana

Pirati Fanuloni (Settimana Felice #2)

Construction

Wedding shower

Barbeque for Crescere Insieme

Scopello

Settimana Felice

The Questura

Gruppi Americani

Forza Palermo

Change

Musical

Sunset at Campfelice di Roccella

Psalm 96:11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Psalm 98:7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in.

Alberobello

Bari and a Birthday

Pizza and a Coin Laundry

Pompei revisited

Missionary Conference

Funeral

Campofelice di Roccella

Primo Maggio (May 1)

Montelepre

Pallavolo

Pasquetta

Pasqua Service

Easter

Barbecue

Rome II

Rome I

Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast

Pompei

Church Dinner

Whirlwind Tour of Palermo and Surrounding areas

Mom and Dad in Sicily

Spring has sprung in Termini

Youth Service at Brancaccio

Cornetti

Feste delle Donne

Ciao

Dinner at Branccacio

Carnevale from our Balcony

Volunteering

Carnevale

Snow Party

More Snow Pictures

Snow in Sicilia

Buildings in Venice

More Venice Pictures

The Jewish ghetto of Venice

Murano

Venezia (Venice)

Birthday parties

Living Nativity

Our 3rd Anniversary

2009

Bari Christmas with friends

Youth Christmas Party

Youth Christmas service

Presepe photos

Presepe (Manger scenes)

Christmas Service at Termini

Christmas Party

The Segesta

Cefalu

Christmas in Termini

Handmade ceramics

Thanksgiving

Why we are in Italy

Termini Pictures tour 2

Tour of Termini

Bowling

Shopping in Termini

Recipe for Crepes

Gruppo Giovanile

Kid's Program

Psalm 96:11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Psalm 98:7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the earth and all living things join in.