THE PHIPPS FIVE

What's Next?

2012-02-13T20:01:00.001+01:00

As you know, the internship we are doing at our World Headquarters will end in June (or maybe you didn't know that!). The big question on our minds is "What happens after this? God, where do you want us to go next?"

We have tried to keep ourselves open to whatever the Lord would put in our path. We hoped that would mean staying in one place for a few years--to provide some stability for our kiddos, after a couple of years of more transition than we would ever have wanted to ask of them. And we hoped the Lord would allow us to somehow remain involved in what He is doing overseas. He has led us to a lot of places we never would have dreamed of, however, so we've worked hard to pursue any role that seemed like it could be a possibility.

We are getting to the point where we need to make a decision. We feel like there are three possibilities the Lord has continued to keep in front of us. We wanted to share them with you and ask you to pray with us for God's wisdom and clear leading.

We can stay with the role and team that we're currently in: As a MPD coach and trainer, we would have the opportunity to come alongside new and senior staff to help them develop their team of ministry partners, in order to go out into the field to proclaim the gospel on a global level.
We have been asked to consider joining a team of people who are responsible for finding and developing the resources needed to allow campus teams all over the U.S. to plan and pull off various ministry initiatives, with the goal of exposing students to the gospel, growing current believing college students in their faith, and equipping students to go out and proclaim the gospel wherever God leads them.
We have also been asked to consider joining one of our Global Vice Presidents to begin developing resources that will allow national Campus Crusade movements outside the U.S. to reach their own cultures with the gospel. This role would allow me to travel internationally from time to time, in order to help national teams develop the resources needed to effectively proclaim the gospel to their culture. It would also directly empower international students trusting God to reach their campus to have the resources they need to do so.

One of the very best parts about our job is doing it alongside you all. We can not say enough how humbled we are to be partnered with you in proclaiming the gospel. Your words of encouragement, the insights you have shared with us, the challenge you have given us to ask God for more are the Body of Christ as intended.

Our time on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (soon to be CRU) has always been an adventure! Walking with the Lord promises nothing less for any one. We do have great anticipation for what comes next. We learned SO MUCH during our time overseas. Our hearts are full of new vision and new passion for how we can most affectively be a part of connecting the most number of people to Jesus Christ. Thanks for being on the adventure with us.

The SuperBowl, American Style

2012-02-06T19:19:00.000+01:00

Let me remind you what our SuperBowl Party looked like last year:

And it happened at midnight, local time.

Our SuperBowl Party this year looked a little something like this:

(sorry about the technical problem--no idea how to get "for review only" off these pictures!)

All of the folks we live and work with on our STINT threw one kickin' SuperBowl Party. We gathered poolside to eat and cheer and eat some more. We have LOVED football season this Fall, not missing one Sunday of action. We couldn't have been more proud of our Texans' first play-off appearance AND win, and we couldn't have been more excited that the Patriots were denied yet another SuperBowl victory. Go Giants!

For all the aspects of Italy we miss, we have definitely savored this piece of Americana. And it was wrapped up with a SuperBowl party as it should be. What a great day.

Not Thru Yet

2012-01-30T15:37:00.000+01:00

Last night Gavin came to me at bed time and said, "Mom, I feel weird."

"What's wrong, buddy?"

"I don't know. . . I just feel weird."

And then tears brimmed in his eyes. "I miss Italy." The tears no longer brimmed. They flowed.

I grabbed him, and we sat in our big red chair and cried. Both of us. I had really been missing Italy yesterday too. I was missing our little corner on Via Arno, by now all decorated with lights and full of the anticipation of Christmas.

"I wish we could get on a plane tonight to go back," he said.

"Me too, buddy. What would you do as soon as you got there?"

"Go get gelato."

"What else? What else do you miss?"

"I miss Via Arno."

Me too. A lot. Last week the ache for Italy wasn't as strong. But yesterday it burned.

There are days I want to announce that our "transition" back to the States is over. Funny how I'm not sure that day is going to come any time soon. As soon as I begin to think we're settling into where we are, a flood of memories and emotions come back to remind me that it will never feel like a clean break. Our life in Italy will always be a part of us.

My sweet Gavin. His heart is so tender. What a sweet moment it was last night to let our tears intermingle and our hearts share the ache of the life we left behind.

"Mom, I miss running to beat you down the stairs too."

Yeah, me too.

How Did That Happen?

2012-01-24T22:48:00.001+01:00

I apologize for not posting last week. I was on my death bed with a "flu-like virus." It was u-g-l-y. I am finally recovered, and I will never take my health for granted again!

I wanted to post a couple of pictures of what has absolutely taken my breath away this week. The first is of our little Maximus. He is not so little any more! He weighs more than Ben now. He is still so sweet and gentle and cuddly and perfect.

The day we picked him out. Four weeks old.

The day we brought him home. Nine weeks old.

And today! Five months old. How does that happen? Did I mention he's probably not done growing? Cody's hoping he reaches 80 pounds!

And then even more shocking, how did this precious three-year-old. . .

Become this stunning (and incredibly fashionable) ten-year-old?

Yes, the time is flying. We fall more in love with Max every day, he becomes ever more attached to us, and our daughter is blossoming into the most beautiful, creative, fun, spiritually-minded young lady.

Thanks for caring about our family and bearing witness to such milestones with us. We are honored.

Playing Around

2012-01-09T16:09:00.000+01:00

We are headed into a couple of weeks of craziness, with mom taking a theological development class next week. It actually started last week when I began having to devote copious amounts of time to preparing for said class. But on Friday, I begin 9-4 every day for a week.

There is nothing like mom's household time being limited to throw a family into a tizzy. So this week is packed with doctor's appointments, grocery shopping and cleaning.

That sounds fun, huh?! Especially if you're three. :)

So we started off the day with a little play. Ben put every piece of track he had end to end. One lucky little train traveled all the way from Ben's bedroom into the living room and then was promptly turned around for the return journey. Only one train though. Ben felt pretty strongly about that.

Unfortunately, playing can never last as long as desired.

It's back to cleaning, menu planning and the difference between atheistic and theistic existentialism.

So goes our crazy, missionary, family of five, wouldn't-trade-it-for-the-world life.

Hannah Turns Ten!

2012-01-03T16:43:00.001+01:00

Is she growing up or what?!? This is our beautiful daughter on her tenth birthday. Her birthday is on New Year's Eve (which she loves!), and for the occasion, Grandma Phipps flew in. Hannah was beside herself, and we had the best time.

She, of course, had the day planned out long ago (doughnuts for breakfast, time at the park, Mimi's Cafe for lunch, dad's ribs for dinner and a night watching Little House on the Prairie), and she loved every minute. We also threw in painting some pottery, which was a great memory-maker with Grandma.

We are so proud this growing young lady. She has demonstrated such courage in the past couple of years. This last year was a really hard year for her. She gave up a lot for what God has called our family to do. But it's been such a deep joy for us to watch her begin to develop her faith. She is learning how to trust God with her own heart issues.

Hannah always keeps us on our parenting toes, but she daily blesses us with her creativity, her inquisitiveness, her leadership, and her strength. She has so many incredible gifts.

And as I mentioned, we also got to enjoy four days with Grandma Phipps over the weekend! The kids hadn't seen her in over a year, and they loved her attention. Cody and I both were bedridden with the flu on New Year's Day, so we were also grateful to have to another mom in the house! We really savored our time to be together again.

We enjoyed a sweet Christmas break with family, and we are looking forward to a new year. We have much anticipation for what 2012 will bring, with its new season of life and ministry for our family. Blessings on you and yours!

Childhood Memories Relived

2011-12-19T15:37:00.000+01:00

I remember my very first trip to Disney World. I was probably seven years old. At the time, there was only the Magic Kingdom. Epcot was being built and Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom were not even dreams yet.

What do I remember most? The Electrical Light Parade. Could there by anything more magical than Cinderella riding in a carriage of lights? I remember it being so incredible that my dad bought slides (does anyone remember slides?) so we could relive it over and over in our living room.

Thirty years later, I shared the experience with my own kids. It was just as magical as it was the first time.

One of the benefits of the internship we're doing is that we were given season passes to Disney World. Up to this point we've only gone during the day. But a couple of weeks ago I took Hannah and Gavin, and we stayed until the lights started rolling down Main Street. Honestly, it was even better than I remembered it. :)

Reliving your own childhood memories with your children has to be one of the most fun things about parenthood. Seeing the pure delight and wonder on the kids' faces was even more magical than the lights. I loved every minute of it, even thirty years later.

The Christmas Tree Hunt

2011-12-12T16:01:00.000+01:00

Our family did something this year we've never done before. We went and cut down a Christmas Tree.

The one perk to living in Florida is that there are lots of trees around. Lots of Christmas trees. That makes them cheap! And since our fake tree is in storage in Ft. Worth, we decided we'd go all out and find a place where we could cut our own tree. We had a blast!

We drove about an hour away to a Christmas Tree farm. Obviously they know how to make the most of the season, so they had more than just trees.

The petting zoo was free, which the kids loved. Notice they're in shorts. It just felt wrong to be cutting down a Christmas Tree in 80 degree weather. . . but we tried to make the most of it.

Not sure what that creature is, but Ben sure liked it.

Once we were ready to pick out a tree, we took a hayride around the farm until we saw the type of trees we wanted. They dropped us off with a measuring pole and a saw.

It was a hard choice, with lots of good contenders, but ultimately Dad had the last say. Cody's family often got live trees growing up, so he has some very particular qualifications for an acceptable tree. We finally found one Cody approved of and that the kids liked too.

So we cut 'er down. All of us.

And hauled her back to the hayride stop to be picked up, shaken out and netted for transport.

Oh, and there was a giant trampoline pillow the kids were able to get some energy out playing on. :)

It took a couple of attempts to get it securely attached, but it did make it back to Orlando!

And then we spent the rest of the afternoon decorating--senza the hot chocolate, since we had our air conditioner on.

The finishing touch was Ben putting his train around it. We're hoping we keep it alive until Christmas. It's already tipped over twice! Making memories. . . .

MK2MK

2011-12-06T17:01:00.000+01:00

Today I wanted to share a link to a story posted on Campus Crusade's website about a ministry that has greatly ministered to our kids through their transition back to the States. Not only did our kids get to participate in a weekend retreat just for them, every other Thursday they meet together with other kids who are transitioning back to America. Amanda Hill, who is mentioned in this story, is who leads that time with them. She is fantastic.

We are so thankful Campus Crusade cares so much about our family. Our kids' experience is totally different than ours, and in a lot of ways, a lot harder. MK2MK has a blessing beyond measure.

The link to Campus Crusade's website, where this story was published is located here: MK2MK

But if you don't want to hassle with the link, I've copied and pasted the story. In the picture, Hannah is on the left, holding the other little girl, and Gavin in on the far right.

Oh, The Places You'll Go

Helping missionary kids transition after living overseas.

By Rich Atkinson

5 December 2011

For missionaries and their families, returning from overseas requires adjustments long after their jetlag has subsided. Children tend to face the most difficult transition. MK2MK, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ is there to help. MK2MK’s mission is to build a global spiritual movement of MKs (missionary kids) who impact their world for Christ.

Staff member Amanda Hill says, “MK2MK ministers to third culture kids—meaning kids that grow up in between two worlds forming their own culture.” For example, their parents are American, yet the children may have only experienced living overseas.

MK2MK staff members help families transition from overseas through things like debriefing weekends and visiting them when they’ve returned to the States.

Amanda and another MK2MK staff member traveled to Texas to visit the Runn family who recently returned from serving in Europe. Their teenage daughter Courtney wrote on her blog about the difficulties of the transition process after living overseas for five years: "A girl in my English class asked me how my transition was going and I almost wanted to cry,” she said. “I couldn't believe someone I wasn't even close to thought to ask me that question and cared about my answer."

Her mom, Carrie, also appreciates the care from MK2MK. "As a parent, I am thankful to have godly men and women who serve with MK2MK pray and care for my kids in this new season of life," she says.

“Our heart is really to allow them to tell their stories,” says Amanda, “to be able to express grief if that is where they are.”

During a debriefing weekend in Melbourne, Fla., staff members gathered children and parents together to listen to the Dr. Seuss book, “Oh, the places, you’ll go!” and took part in a “hands-on” potted plant illustration. They showed the children the plant and said, “look how happy he is in his home.” But then it is time to move. They took the plant out of the pot, and with the kids, moved it from station to station around the room. They talked about what leaving feels like and they shook the plant up a bit, leaving the roots hanging out.

The staff members reminded the kids that transition won’t be like this forever, although it feels hard at the moment.

When they came to the station representing their new home, there was a bigger pot for the illustration, because the plant needs room to grow. The staff members emphasizes that God will help the Mk’s grow, too.

“We make it fun, too, like the places that they will go,” says Amanda. “The adventure of life being ups and downs and transitions.”

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T01:09:00.000+01:00

For Thanksgiving we had our friends the Lows over. They are a family who are from Singapore but who have been serving in Japan for the past nine years. They're participating in the Lake Hart STINT with us this year. We've enjoyed their friendship so much, as have our kids enjoyed theirs. So it was a sweet blessing to share this holiday with them--their very first American Thanksgiving.

OK, so I know the turkey doesn't look so golden, but it tasted amazing. It was really the first whole turkey we've ever cooked. Not too shabby.

A feast. Everything we missed while in Italy.

Either the Lows enjoyed the food or they were incredibly polite. . . :)

The Thanksgiving trio of pie goodness. Not a slice was left by the end of the day.

Us with Estella and Patrick.

It was a simply delightful day. After filling our bellies and watching some football, we all headed out for time at the park. And some Black Friday shopping. Complete Americana.

A Family Serve Day

2011-11-20T16:44:00.002+01:00

As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, our family has finally found a local church to call for our time in Orlando. We have been deeply fed by the Word being taught, and we've been brought into beautiful worship. Saturday was a church-wide serve day, and our whole family participated.

(As a random side note, this will be the only time you will ever see our family in matching shirts! What I think is fun on occasion, my husband is morally opposed to)

The group we served with went to an organization called Harvest International. In addition to providing low cost food and clothing to locals who need it, the organization gathers supplies to send internationally to those in need. We spent the first half of our time together sorting and folding bedspreads a hotel had donated, making sure they were in good enough condition to give away. Soon they will be crated up and sent to South America.

This was one of the first times we had to work beside our kids in the gift of service. It was great to be able to pray together for the those we would be able to bless through our hands and feet. It was great to see so many others in the church come together to go out.

Hannah, especially, had a great time. When we left, she said, "I could do that every week!" We do hope this is just the first of many opportunities we will have to serve together.

We began our Thanksgiving week with hearts thankful for the ability to serve others. We will be spending Thanksgiving in Florida with our new friends the Lows. They are a family from Singapore who are participating in the STINT we're doing. Though the 80 degree weather in Florida is challenging to all of us in terms of it feeling much like the holiday season, we are pretty excited to introduce our friends to such an American tradition.

We hope you all have a most blessed Thanksgiving Day.

Grandma's Visit

2011-11-17T17:37:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry for the last posting this week. My mom came for a visit. What a very normal American thing to have happen! Something that only happened occasionally and with much planning and fanfare in Italy. . . It was a simply delightful pleasure. Though a certain three-year-old was somewhat bewildered and devastated that Papa (who was hunting with his brothers in South Dakota) didn't come too!

One of the very hardest things about being in Italy was being so far away from grandparents. We value them and their role in our kids' lives so much. Now that we're only one time zone away, instead of seven, we hope to make up for lost time. Grandma and Papa Simmons will be coming back for Christmas and Grandma Phipps will be coming at the end of December for Hannah's birthday.

All of us are treasuring this specific blessing of being back in America. We treasure it even more, perhaps, since we didn't know it for such a season.

It was a great week.

A Culinary Schizophrenic

2011-11-07T21:41:00.000+01:00

Can I confess one of the most paralyzing things I've experienced since being back in the States?

Deciding what to cook and going to the grocery store.

It seems like it wouldn't be that hard. Kind of like getting dressed in the morning. You just do it. For the first month after we returned, I was struck every day with panic over what to feed our family. I would walk into the Super Target right across the street and meander aimlessly through the aisles.

For the first 34 years of my life, I shopped at an American grocery stores and cooked American food. Why did that all of a sudden seem impossible?

I guess this is a classic expression of reverse culture shock. Did you know there is culture shock in returning to your home country? I think I had heard about it before, but I certainly hadn't given it any thought. And then I was paralyzed.

I am not exaggerating when I say I cried every time I went to the grocery store for the first three weeks we were back. It was absolutely overwhelming. I had gotten used to cooking Italian food. Now I couldn't find the ingredients to make what I was used to cooking and I couldn't remember what the heck to cook with the American food on the shelves.

A wise friend offered great words of advice. Having lived overseas herself, she said, "Your life in Italy will always affect your current life. Think of that as a good thing." Yes. Good that I don't want to make hamburgers or pot roast or Bar-B-Que. It's OK that we are craving mozzarella balls and pasta carbonara.

So step one was accepting the new culinary schizophrenic I had become. I don't have to cook like an American and I can't cook entirely like an Italian.

Fast forward two months and our meal plan this week has two all-American dishes and three Italian dishes (and a Chinese dish just for the heck of it). We made Bolognese Ragu for the first time last night (it's been way too hot outside to make it before now. . . ), and it was divine. With the coming of Fall in Italy always came Ragu. It just felt right. And on Christmas Eve this year, we will have have Tortellini and Brodo, just as every family is Bologna will. Of course, Christmas Day will bring a big, ole' turkey or ham--neither of which will be eaten by an Italian.

Step two was finding somewhere to shop where I wouldn't break down in tears! I found a great little "market" of a store called Freshfield Farms that helped me imagine a manageable shopping experience. They have beautiful fresh produce, and they have fresh meats they cut themselves. That's it. On Saturdays I drive up to Winter Park to go to their Farmer's Market, which is life-giving to me. Small vendors, fresh produce, seasonal vegetables. And there is even a vendor where I can get some of the Italian cheeses we desperately miss.

There is still much I miss being able to get at the store, but I'm slowly filling in the gaps. And no tears in weeks! Once more, I am learning how to embrace the new me.

Rest

2011-10-31T15:56:00.000+01:00

Without a doubt, the past six months have been the most stressful of our lives. We were at the absolute end of what we could give when we arrived in Orlando three months ago. We desperately needed rest. Not the lay-around-and-do-nothing kind of rest but deep, emotional rest. We needed care.

I think we were feeling so beat up that weren't even sure how to pursue the rest we needed. We serve such a good God. He knew exactly. Three months in, we are feeling so much more rested. We feel like we are beginning to move from surviving to thriving.

He has given us physical rest. We have slept. A lot. We have committed to very little outside of work. We have been horrible about returning phone calls and e-mails. Our bodies are beginning to feel a little more like normal.

He has given us spiritual rest. Every Wednesday morning, we hear from a speaker at our LHS meeting. A professor from Reformed Theological Seminary spoke one week on Ecclesiastes. God used it significantly. One week we learned the practice of Lexio Divina--a method of meditating on Scripture. Last week was an hour of worship. And God has also led us to a church where we have been deeply fed each Sunday. First Presbyterian Church of Orlando will be our church home while we're in Orlando, and we're really thankful to have found a church that fits our family so quickly. The kids love going and are learning incredibly rich things during Sunday School. Next week they will begin studying the "Solas" that define the protestant movement. Cody and I have savored the opportunity we've had to worship in English and every week our spirits have deeply agreed with the Word being taught. The gospel is being proclaimed. Yes, God has fed our souls in the past months!

And He has given us emotional rest. Through the grace and love of many new friends, He has given us a really safe place to process the past three years of our lives. He has challenged the things we needed to give even more fully to Him, He has worked in our hearts to be able to offer genuine forgiveness, He has begun the process of placing a new call on our hearts. He had begun the healing process.

We are still feeling pretty fragile, but we have more energy than we've had in a long time. We have more hope than we've had in a long time. That is deeply good.

"Who would ever know the greater graces of comfort and perseverance, mercy and forgiveness, patience and courage, if no shadows fell over a life?"
--Ann Voskamp, 1000 Gifts

The Phipps Six

2011-10-17T19:35:00.001+02:00

A couple of years ago at dinner, Gavin announced, "One day there's going to be six of us." Cody and I both caught our breath, lest his words be prophetic. We certainly weren't planning on expanding our family!

But today his words came true (at least in his mind). We are now the Phipps Six. Maximus Braveheart the Bruce Phipps came home last night! We are all in love.

Is he not one of the most handsome little guys you've ever seen?

Hannah has been asking for a dog for years. Our excuse for a long time was that she had to wait until Ben was at least three because we couldn't handle a puppy and a toddler. Then he turned three. . . and we dog sat our friends' dog, Preacher (see the March 7 post). . . and we returned to America. . . and Hannah started doing serious research. . .

So here we are. We looked into a lot of breeds and decided the labradoodle was probably one of the best options for our family. There was a great breeder located here in Orlando, who we met back in August. After one trip to her house, Cody was sold (who knew he was such a softie toward pups!). We reserved a newborn puppy, and yesterday he was old enough to come home.

After years of wanting a dog, Hannah was beside herself in anticipation of Cody coming out with Max. I think she's still in shock he's actually ours.

It's been five weeks since we last saw him, and he's almost tripled in size. At the vet today, he weighed in at 11 pounds. He'll probably grow to 60.

Coming up the steps to our apartment for the first time.

Savoring a few minutes before having to leave Max behind for school.

Now I know I'm a proud Mommy, but I really do think he's the very best puppy in the whole entire world. He let the kids love on him until we made them go to bed. He walked right into his crate last night and slept like a dream. We woke him up once to go the bathroom and didn't hear a peep until we got up in the morning. He's picked up walking a leash and has done great with house training so far. And he's just so darn sweet!

Really, really fun. In the midst of so many changes for our family, looking forward to Max's arrival has been a sweet blessing. I'm sure there will be many more pictures to come!

The World Coming to Us

2011-10-10T19:53:00.000+02:00

As you know, one of things we most loved about ministry in Italy was the communal nature of the culture. We loved seeing the same people walking on the street every day and running into school friends almost everywhere in our neighborhood.

American culture is just totally different. You walk from your door to your car to the door of the store you're going into. There aren't common areas people gather.

Sharing the gospel in these relationships was so natural. These people saw our lives. We talked with them regularly. We couldn't hide the impact Jesus has on our lives.

As we moved back, Cody and I have both prayed we would have very intentional eyes as to how to maintain a similar ministry mind frame. How can we become more involved in the lives of our neighbors? How can we break culture to stop and visit with people we see regularly?

Our apartment complex has been a great first place to start. It's full of kids! And because it's completely gated, there is an increased sense of safety is letting kids go outside and play together A lot of the kids are other families doing the same STINT program we are doing. But there are many who are not.

One of the boys who Gavin has started playing with is a boy he called "Colin." He is about Gavin's age, and every afternoon he is looking for a way to kill time outside of his apartment. Sometimes their relationship has not been easy for Gavin. Colin can tend to put on a certain amount of machismo. The day he came to our house to play just he and Gavin though, we saw a kinder boy full of need to fill his time productively.

This weekend Colin's little brother and mother knocked on our door looking for "Haleem." All along Gavin thought his name was Colin, when it was Haleem. :) As it turns out, Haleem's family moved from Saudi Arabia only a year ago. When his mom and brother knocked on our door, I could only see his mom's eyes. She is a completely veiled Muslim woman. I was shocked to see her because we were told Haleem's parents never leave their apartment. He and his brother always come and go to the bus stop by themselves in the morning. It is usually only his brother who comes looking for him.

Not only that, she asked my name and where I had gotten the skirt I was wearing (wouldn't you know, I was wearing my brand new Maxi-length skirt that day!). We chatted for a bit before Cody came to the door, which promptly ended our conversation. A really good introduction though!

I know this interaction seems like such a small thing. But it was a really sweet answer to prayer for us. We are committed to taking the gospel to the world. In that regard, it was hard for us to leave a foreign assignment--even though we know our effectiveness will probably be tenfold doing what we're doing here. It was the personal relationships we were most going to miss. But as God is doing all over this country, He is bring the world to us. He is bringing non-believers from literally all over the world to live alongside Americans, to drive by churches, to be given the opportunity to know someone who walks passionately with Jesus.

My new friend's name is Terah. Would you pray for their family? Pray our whole family would be a part of showing Haleem what it means to follow Jesus, as he is in our home. Pray for more opportunities for me to get to know Terah. Pray for the other believers in our apartment complex to have the same opportunities.

And since I'm feeling bold and impassioned today, can I challenge you to look for how God has brought the world to you? Chances are, it's just around the corner.

Provisions

2011-10-03T18:18:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I forget there are folks who check our little blog regularly. . . thanks for continuing to check back. Now that life has settled down a little (after only five months of intense stress and chaos!), I do hope to begin posting regularly again.

I feel like I am finally coming out of a long, dark cave. The past five months have been filled with so many things that absolutely drain Cody and I. There's barely been a minute to breathe. But I think that season might finally be coming to an end. Our things arrived safely from Italy a couple of weeks ago--boxes have been unpacked, pictures have been hung and our apartment is beginning to feel like home. It feels really, really good.

Cody has been in his new role now for a month, and he is so energized! For the first time in a really long time, he feels like his experience and his strengths are coming together in his role. Specifically, he is working with staff who have been serving overseas for awhile and are in danger of having to leave the field because of financial crisis. Not only is he able to offer practical input, he is able to offer encouragement and counsel in helping them to remain where God has called them. We were so grieved to be leaving Italy, yet God has allowed us to transition to a role where our impact on the gospel going into the world has been greatly multiplied. We are so excited about that!

A definite highlight of the past month has been watching Gavin play soccer again. Cody and I have been amazed at how much he has improved. He is not one to put a lot more effort into things than absolutely needed, but he has worked hard to hone the skills they are learning at practice. It's been so much fun to watch him play and experience the fruit of his hard work.

And in other news, in two weeks we will be welcoming our first family pet! In the spring I mentioned how much the kids have been wanting a dog (for years actually). We finally felt like the time was right, and we think the Lord has led us to a great breeder and a precious little puppy. Maximus Braveheart Phipps. These are some pictures from the day we picked him out.

The whole family has been busy preparing for his arrival. I can't wait to post some more pictures soon!

Thank you so much for your faithfulness to our family and for keeping us in your prayers during this time. I hope to update our prayer request page tomorrow.

A Stranger at Home

2011-09-08T20:17:00.002+02:00

We have now been back in the States for a month.

Even after spending six months back last fall, I feel like a stranger in my home culture. Re-entry is going to take so much longer than I ever anticipated. Grieving leaving Italy is going to be so much harder than I ever anticipated.

All packed up. So weird to see our apartment empty. I am missing the view from our living room window immensely.

"Normal" things in our lives: The kids are enjoying their new school and seem to be doing well. Gavin is playing organized soccer and thrives at it. The big kids already have friends who come over to play after school. Ben got to have lunch twice with Papa at Chick-Fil-A last week. We grilled thick bacon-wrapped steaks last week and savored every last char-grilled bite. Cody is loving carpooling into the office. We visit Target just about every other day. We comment, just about every day, on how thankful we are for air conditioning in our apartment.

And we've been to DisneyWorld twice (we got season passes, as a part of our internship)! Granted, I think we might have scarred Ben from ever going on another ride after the Pirates of the Caribbean kind of freaked him out, but he could ride the train that circles the Magic Kingdom all day long.

The kids on their first day of school

Not-normal things in our lives: We hear so much Spanish here (which is very close to Italian) that sometimes our brains are quite confused as to what language to reply in. I am paralyzed by what to buy at the grocery store--somehow I've forgotten how to cook American food. I'm aghast at the price and quality of the pasta here. Our kids complain almost every day they have to eat lunch at school--they've become total foodies. We stay at home on Sunday afternoons because we forget things are open in America on Sundays. When I pick up the phone, I find myself still rehearsing how I would ask for what I want in Italian. I still can't bring myself to touch produce when buying it, since that's a major taboo in Italy--I pick everything up with the bag you purchase it in. And I find myself a little disgusted with all the people who are putting their hands on the apples I might buy!

I know one day our normals will outweigh the not-normals. But I also know we are permanently different than we were when we left for Italy three years ago. We will always be part-Italian now. I wish figuring out what that looked like didn't feel so strange, but it comforts me to know we don't have to leave Italy across the ocean.

And soon more of it will be arriving at our doorstep! We got word our container arrived in Miami last week. We're just waiting for it to be cleared through customs so we can sleep in our own beds again and unpack the treasures we picked up while we were there. Hopefully it will be delivered next week. . .

The Truth

2011-07-11T21:08:00.000+02:00

OK, truthfully, it is so hot in our apartment that we can barely breath. I mean really, really hot. We sweat from the time we get up to the time we go to bed. It's ugly.

But tomorrow is vacation! And Paris is only 70 degrees instead of 95.

It was my greatest intention to post an update before leaving, but I move much, much slower in said heat. I think we're barely going to make it out the door.

So this is it from Italy. Those words are still shocking to me. God has been so good to us over the past three years, even though it has felt excruciating with every step. When next I write (sometime in August), we'll be in Orlando. I look forward to sharing more of the beautiful footprint God has left because of our time in Bologna.

So Ciao for now. Hope you're enjoying lots of air conditioning. More from the other side. . .

A Blip

2011-07-05T09:12:00.000+02:00

Hey y'all, I know it's already Tuesday, and I haven't posted a substantial update. As you can imagine, life is pretty crazy. We are leaving on vacation a week from tomorrow before returning to move all of our things, so I hope to get one final post in before then. Just wanted you to know I hadn't forgotten about you! Check back soon.

Full Hearts

2011-06-27T11:00:00.000+02:00

One of the things we have been praying ever since we found out we were moving back is that we would experience great closure with the friends we have made here. We've prayed that for us and for the kids. God has met us beautifully in that prayer.

Last week Hannah had her Goodbye Party, and it was everything she wanted it to be. She had such a great time having her friends in her home. They ate, giggled, danced, sang, made bracelets, took pictures and loved on each other. It was such a sweet gift. Here are some pictures:

When each girl left, Hannah gave them a necklace with a note sharing about the importance of her faith in her life. The girls cherished them! We are praying God will continue to use those gifts to soften their hearts to hearing the gospel. And we are praying God will give them many opportunities to respond. We could not have asked for a better good-bye.

God has also given Cody and I numerous opportunities to be with the friends we are going to dearly miss. Our lives feel so crazy, and yet, He is giving us exactly what we most want.

AND!!! Our closest Italian friends have already booked tickets to come see us at Christmas! We are so, so thankful for God's grace in allowing us to remain involved in the lives of these friends who have become so dear and who we long will one day experience faith in Christ.

Last, but not least, life continues to spin around us, despite all the chaos our move has added. Yesterday, Gavin lost his second front tooth. I always feel like that is THE marker that they are now "Big Kids." They just don't look the same with adult teeth. My precious little guy is really growing up. He is such a joy with such a tender heart.

So I celebrate his precious life with his beautiful, toothless picture. :)

Checking In

2011-06-21T11:36:00.002+02:00

It feels our days are focused far too much on "To Do Lists" right now. There is just so much to do! A lot got accomplished yesterday though, which makes today look that much better. :) Just a quick update today and some pictures from our trip to Rome last weekend. . .

One of the biggest things that happened yesterday was that I drove our car up to Vicenza, Italy and sold it to an American who paid us in dollars and who we know will love the car as much as we did. Praise the Lord!! This is such a huge weight off our shoulders. Thank you so much for praying for this specifically. We are now carless until we leave, but that is so much better than still owning a car on August 6.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a really big day. We're throwing a party for all of Hannah's friends to come and say good-bye. Parties are such a big deal here, besides the fact that it's our last opportunity to speak the gospel to these precious girls. We have given it much thought and prayer, and Hannah is ecstatic. She bought a cross necklace for each friend and wrote notes to them about how she hopes they will remember her faith when they wear it and know Jesus offers them the same. On the How to Pray page, there are specific requests for this event. We would really love your prayers.

Also in answered prayer, we have landed on a mover. The Italian mover came last week, and we really liked him. Though our preference would be an American-based company, these movers seems like the best decision. Thank you so much for praying for this! Again, we'd love your prayers for a complication-free move.

So this past weekend, we took one last road trip. We drove down to Rome to meet some ministry partners who were in town and to say good-bye to some dear friends who are missionaries there. Rome is an amazing city, but it is exhausting. Last weekend was pretty warm, and we returned to Bologna completely worn out. But also thankful for the opportunity to be with friends one more time. Here are a few photos:

It feels our world is spinning around us, but our God isn't. In the midst of all our chaos, we are trying most to walk faithfully. Seeing the ruins in Rome almost 2000 years old was a great reminder of God's continued hand on this country. The arch in the picture above is in honor of Constatine--the first emperor to make Christianity legal in Rome. God will not stop fighting for the hearts of these people.

We are so blessed by your encouragement in this transition. You are a sweet gift God has used to carry us along.

One Foot In Front of the Other

2011-06-14T12:51:00.002+02:00

We won't lie. This is a stressful time.

The past weeks we have been going non-stop trying to make preparations for our move back. How do we sell our car? What about all the European-only appliances we now have? What moving company are we going to use? What are we going to drive when we get back to the States? What are we going to cook on while we're waiting for our things to arrive?

At the same time, we have been wrestling with every relationship we have with Italian friends. Trying to explain a job move in a culture where they don't move is challenging to say the least. Trying to figure out how to connect them with believers who can help them continue processing the gospel is even more so.

We are choosing to trust the Lord. It's definitely a choice that doesn't come easily. Probably not a day goes by that we don't ask, "Are you sure this is the best, Lord?" Questions tumble around our minds. Fears flood our hearts. Our bodies are racked with stress. Our goal each day is just to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

This is the deal--there is no way to the other side without walking through the process. We wouldn't be walking in a healthy way if it didn't hurt like heck. It's hard to leave precisely because of the beautiful things God's done in the past three years. I am challenged every day to give thanks for those gifts instead of cling onto them too tightly.

We want to leave Italy with no regrets. We don't want to miss one thing the Lord has for us. And so we keep our eyes open. Our hearts weighted with grief but also with incredible thankfulness. We keep putting one foot in front of the other and believe that His mercies are new every morning. He will be our strength, our grace, our wisdom to leave well.

One of the most incredible gifts of the past three years has been the family we've been welcomed into at Hannah's school. Last Friday was her last day. I cried. A lot. But it truly was born out of overwhelming thankfulness. We prayed so much for her schooling experience. And God gave us far more than we could ever have thought to ask for. Here are some pictures from the day:

This is what school looked like every afternoon--parents (and grandparents) gathered by the gate waiting for each class to be walked down the steps for dismissal.

Hannah's class coming out for the last time together.

Maestra Marie Antoinetta making sure each student found his/her parent.

Yes, on Fridays, Hannah came home with TWO backpacks. Somehow Daddy usually ended up carrying both for the walk home.

We tried to drown our tears with a little gelato on the way home. I won't lie--it was good.

Our favorite gelaterria--Zanzabar. It is about halfway between Hannah's school and home. And right next to a park. I think they're going to miss us. :)

Please check out the Ways to Pray page. There are so many things we really need God's wisdom and provision for. We would covet your prayers.

The Hardest Post Yet

2011-06-06T14:04:00.003+02:00

Our June prayerletter should be arriving in mailboxes any day. If you're a blog reader, you're getting some breaking news. . . In one of the hardest decisions we've ever made, we feel confident the Lord is leading us to return to the States permanently. Though we are thankful for God's clarity, it has not made the decision or the process one bit easier.

I thought the easiest way to explain how we came to this decision was simply to post the text of our prayerletter:

I think this is the hardest prayerletter I’ve ever had to write. Two weeks ago, we decided to move back to the States, this August. It is not something we were anticipating, nor was it something we would have chosen under any circumstances other than God’s clear leading. Our whole family is grieving deeply.

To make a long story short, when we arrived back in Bologna this January, we really began to wrestle with our role in the Agape Italia ministry. What God has most burdened our hearts with, the ways He has gifted us to most effectively send the gospel out, the areas in which we thrive, were becoming increasingly smaller aspects of our day-to-day job.

After many conversations over the past months with our local and national leadership, it became clear two weeks ago that what we need to be doing to be effective stewards of our lives and gifts would not be possible in our current setting. We wrestled significantly over how we could remain in Italy to continue in the personal relationships God has given us and yet still find a role in Agape Italia in which to serve.

Simultaneously, an opportunity opened up for us to participate in a unique internship Campus Crusade offers for senior staff at our headquarters in Orlando. While we are being intensively developed personally and professionally, we will be exposed to Campus Crusade’s leadership and be able to explore ways we can most powerfully be a part of seeing college students become lifetime laborers for the Gospel.

In the midst of wrestling through what the Lord would have us do, still praying He would provide an opportunity for us to remain in this crazy country that has gripped our hearts, the pastor of our church asked us to consider remaining in Bologna to serve at the church full-time. We were incredibly honored and our hearts were captured by his continued vision. We prayed. We asked the Lord. But He said no. He was and has continued to be clear that He has plans for us within the context of Campus Crusade’s leadership at our headquarters.

As I said, we are grieving deeply. For as much as we know this is the right decision, it is still really hard. Our Italian friends, our church, have become so dear to us. We have been trusting God for our friends’ very salvation. It is the biggest step of faith we have ever taken is to leave the daily interactions of those friendships and trust that God will bring them to faith in some other way. We are beseeching the Lord for them with all our hearts. We will always ask God for Italy.

In the midst of our grief, we are trusting God’s perfect will for our lives. We are trusting that He knows where He can best use us for the spreading of the gospel. So we are in the midst of the chaos of figuring out how to get our family moved to Orlando in the next 8 weeks. There are so many decisions and details we are completely overwhelmed by. One of which is the cost involved in moving back to the States (around $12,000). If the Lord so leads, would you consider giving a special gift toward this significant need? As always, gifts should be made to Campus Crusade for Christ and are completely tax-deductible. You can give electronically by clicking on the "Be A Part of What's Happening" link at the top of the page.

As we’ve talked with several of you in the past weeks, we have again been overwhelmed by your support and commitment to the gospel. We truly praise the Lord for each of you. Thank you for being in this journey with us. If you have questions about this new direction the Lord is taking our ministry, please contact us! We would love to share more of what this process has been. And as always, we are deeply grateful for your prayers.

All our love,

Cody and Jen

Friends, we'll be honest and say this is one of the most difficult things the Lord has ever asked us to do. Leaving is even harder than it was to come. Please check out our "Pray for Us" page. We need to be covered in prayer!

I will share more of this process in the weeks to come. There are lots and lots of tears. Thanks for coming along for the journey.

So Lovely

2011-05-30T09:38:00.000+02:00

We had another full weekend, filled with those most dear.

Last week 17 students from the States arrived to spend five weeks engaging students about the gospel. We love the energy these students bring and rejoice in what God always does through their time here--and in them. Saturday morning Cody spent some time talking to them about what evangelism looks like in Italy. He is so good at that.

That night we had dinner with friends and then on Sunday we went over to some others friends' home to celebrate a birthday. The weather was perfect, and we savored time to just sit and be.

The whole weekend was delightful, but one thing stood out to me, as my kids ran and played and talked and shared. Hannah is growing up! She is becoming such a lovely young girl--inside and out.

This morning, I just wanted to celebrate her beauty. And give thanks that I get to be her mom and watch her grow up.

Evidence #1 that she is growing up is the control she now exerts over her hair. She is serious about having those bangs and wanting to grow her hair long again! She also loves that she can put it in a ponytail by herself now.

Beautiful.

And always overflowing with personality!

For some reason, Hannah and Cody got into a fierce tickle torture war this weekend. Her giggle was so contagious! Her fun spirit overflows with joy.

Our baby girl isn't exactly a baby anymore. We're entering a whole new phase of parenthood, but it is deeply good.

Pedibus

2011-05-23T10:59:00.000+02:00

Pedibus (ped--ee--boos).

What the heck is a Pedibus? It does kind of sound like a bad skin rash, doesn't it? It just so happens to be a very unique new initiative our community is trying with school kids. It translates roughly into "walking bus."

In an effort to get kids walking more, they've organized a walking route to get kids to school in the morning. Cody volunteered to help lead the our "line" on Tuesdays. So last week, the Pedibus started its inaugural route.

Cody leading the Green Line into the school

We walk to school almost every day, so we thought it was a fun idea to get a group together to walk with each other. We were both shocked at how organized it was though! Kids and volunteer parents all got vests to wear and all along the "route" are posted signs with the "stops" the Pedibus makes. All very official.

Signs for four of the routes' stops.

After the fact, we realized the Pedibus was a much bigger deal than we had thought! The community (hard to translate to something in America--it almost operates as its own little town) took lots of pictures of the first day of operation and posted them on their official website (that's where these came from. . . ).

Safe at school

The irony of it is that only Cody and one other parent volunteered from our route to lead the Pedibus. So our line only operates on Tuesdays--and there are only two weeks of school left. :) But we're doing our part to contribute! Really, it's all very fun. Hannah had a great time, and I'm pretty sure Cody did too.

Happy Birthday Cody!

2011-05-16T15:49:00.000+02:00

I need to write an abbreviated blog today. :)

Tomorrow is Cody's birthday!! Doesn't he just get more handsome every year?

To celebrate, this past weekend we took a trip without the kiddos up to the northern region of Italy for a wine-tasting tour. We had never been up there before, and it was like visiting a different country. In fact, we heard far more German spoken than Italian.

It was absolutely lovely in every way. I don't think Cody could have asked for a better weekend or a better way to celebrate his big day.

Happy Birthday to the love of my life! I am so thankful to be bearing witness to the life God has given you.

An Italian Childhood

2011-05-09T11:18:00.000+02:00

Our kids had a great time in America last Fall. But if you ask Hannah, she will say, "I don't want to go back to America for a long time." Though she likes the US, Italy is her home. A totally normal thing for a missionary kid. But still a little weird for Mom and Dad.

Our family has experienced all the same events during our time in Italy, but our kids are being shaped in an entirely different way than we are. Their childhood memories will be completely different than ours ever were. Riding trains are a normal part of life. They go to school in classrooms where the lights aren't turned on unless it's raining outside. Just different.

Of course, a big part of an Italian childhood are birthday parties. We have said it before, but they are just a huge part of childhood for the kids. We went to yet another party this weekend, and it was a fully typical Italian party.

The family of the birthday girl rented a social community center and invited every kid from class, plus all the extended family. Birthday parties are such a big deal that there are business who provide the entertainment and activities. This family hired such a company. Above, the kids are playing old-fashioned tug of war, facilitated by the entertainment guy.

Sack races, using trash bags

Of course, a group of boys gathered to play soccer. Gavin played for the entire evening.

In between planned activities, there was lots of dancing. Here is Hannah with her friends, doing a choreographed dance they often do during recess at school.

Mostly Ben sampled the food and made sure the swing got a workout.

Food is an integral part of every birthday party. And you usually have to feed a lot of people! At this party, they served fresh crescentini. Crescentini are something specific to Emiglia-Romagna (the region of Italy Bologna is in). In fact, our friends who live in other parts of Italy have never even heard of them. Very representative of what Italian cuisine is like--vastly different dependent on region.

Anyway, we LOVE crescentini. They are one of our very favorite things. Basically, they are sopapillas that you use as sandwich bread. You spread something similar to cream cheese on it and then top it with sliced meats. This meat is cured prosciutto. Then you fold it in half and enjoy! On the sweeter side, you can also spread nutella or jams on top. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

Italian etiquette is that you don't leave until the birthday cake has been cut--usually about two hours into the party. This cake was tiramisu. And it was good. :)

After the cake, but before the presents were opened, the entertainment crew did a magic show. That was a first for us.

The weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed every minute of being outside. Gavin was quite upset when we finally left at 7:30 to get the kids to bed. "But Mom, we only got to stay for three hours!" And truly, we were the first people to leave.

This is where we seem to have the best ministry opportunities. Three hours of partying leaves a lot of time to chat with the other parents. It's what the kids will remember as their "normal childhood," and it's what we'll remember as the environment God used to teach us a lot about Italian family and culture.

The World's Newest Yellow Belt

2011-05-03T13:12:00.002+02:00

Sorry I'm a day late this week. We just got back from our Agape Italia Staff Conference, and I brought back a little virus with me. I'm moving slow. . .

Just before we left, there was great excitement in the Phipps household, when we watched Gavin participate in his Taekwondo belt test. We are proud to say we now have an official yellow belt amongst us, AND an official card-carrying member of the Italian Taekwondo Association.

My kids never cease to crack me up, and this new accomplishment brought with it some great new quotes. "Mom, when I'm a black belt, I'll be able to kill someone without using a weapon." Ah, boys. And "Mom, guess what?! Dad says if I keep doing karate, I'll be able to do the moves they did in Tron!" It's all about the cool factor!

For the grandparents, and those who are interested, here's a short video of Gavin's testing and certification. It's about 2 1/2 minutes. We are so proud of our little warrior!

Buona Pasquetta!

2011-04-25T21:09:00.000+02:00

Today is Easter Monday in Italy. Literally, it means "Little Easter." We asked several Italians why they celebrate it, and nobody knew why! Today (April 25) also happens to be another National Holiday in Italy--Liberation Day. It just so happens they fell on the same day this year, and both holidays are days off of work. So there's lot of eating and chillin' going on today. We did our best to celebrate appropriately with friends, picnicing on a terrace in the middle of the city. Bellessimo!

Yesterday, of course, was Easter (Pasqua), and we had an absolutely incredible day. We met for church in our pastor's apartment, and there was something about being in a home with 15 people who also knew the incredible power and grace of the resurrection that made it a profound morning of celebration.

After church, we headed over to our friends' house for Easter Dinner. These are our friends I wrote about a couple of months ago, whose son broke his arm. They live just outside Bologna in a free-standing house that has an actual yard with grass and a full-fledged swing set they brought from the States. Oh, and did I mention they also have a grill?!?!

We colored Easter eggs, ate, hunted Easter eggs, ate, did egg races, ate, played outside in absolutely perfect weather, laughed, enjoyed just sitting together for hours and ate some more. It was just delightful in every way.

So here are gobs of pictures of our perfect day. Hope you enjoyed a beautiful Easter too!

Grandma and Papa send some Easter goodies from America (Peeps, anyone?), and we got the kids the traditional Italian Easter gift of a gigantic chocolate egg filled with toys. They get pretty extravagant, and pricey, so these were our best affordable attempt!

Coloring Easter Eggs

We can only get brown eggs here, so coloring them was a bit of an experience. We made it work somehow.

And had fun in the process!

The dads hiding the eggs. . .

Kids are on the hunt. . .

Ben LOVED this game!

So proud of their bounty

Egg races

Drew and Hannah

With our grilled beef tenderloin, Kim fixed a tortellini dish they'd had a restaurant that had a strawberry sauce topped with coffee grounds. Sounds crazy, I know, but it was amazing.

Did I mention how yummy ALL the food was? Oh my. . .

Open for Business

2011-04-18T17:36:00.001+02:00

About once a month, the Phipps Barbershop opens for business. With three boys in the house, hair cuts need to happen frequently. I began cutting the boys' hair because when we first moved, we didn't know enough Italian to feel very confident going to get hair cut professionally.

And then when we went, we realized it wasn't going to be an affordable option anyway. The cheapest haircut Cody could find was 20 Euro. That's about $27. And his hair needs to be cut at least every four weeks. I was also shocked when I took Gavin to get his first haircut and found the price for kids was the same as for adults. Gavin has some good hair, but it's not worth a $27 cut!

So we invested in some clippers, and I became a barber.

This is Gavin just before the "summer cut." I think he's so handsome with a little bit of a longer cut, but he HATES sitting for as long as it takes me to make it look right. So he loves when it gets warm enough to buzz it. Yesterday was the day this year.

I have no technique. I feel like every time I cut their hair, I make it up.

When we were back in the States on furlough, I told Cody I wanted a break from my barber responsibilities. He went to Sports Clips a few times and fired them. Now that I've been cutting it for almost three years, I know how exactly what he wants. My self-taught technique seems to be working!

Ben's hair has been the biggest challenge. Not because of his hair but because of how much he moves. Thankfully it does grow a little slower, so this week it just got a little trim behind the ears. Too fast to get a pic of!

Such handsome guys! Not bad cuts, if I do say so myself. Especially for the price. :)

Surviving without Daddy--A Very Random Post

2011-04-11T11:09:00.000+02:00

Cody has been in the States since last Wednesday, so my opportunities to snap some pictures and think of a blog entry for today have been limited. Cody's back in Texas following up with some people who are interested in our ministry, with whom we weren't able to get together last Fall. He has had a really good trip and has been deeply encouraged.

And the kids are I are surviving.

What's been going on this week without Daddy? No surprise that there's been lots of train building. First thing, every morning, Benjamin wakes up and starts configuring a new track layout. He takes a train on a couple trips around the track, but really the challenge is in the building more than the using. It then sits in the middle of his room until we take apart and put it away for the night.

Friday was an exciting day for Hannah at school. Her teacher announced they could no longer wear long-sleeve shirts. Making the switch from winter clothes to spring/summer clothes is a delicate dance here. A couple of weeks ago her teacher had said they could still wear long-sleeves, but everyone had to put their hair up because all the sweat was making the classroom stink. So I was actually really thankful for the clear direction toward cooler clothes!

On Saturday, I was blessed beyond measure for a chance to take a girls trip pottery shopping. I took the kids to my friend Kim's house, and her oldest daughter watched them while we headed northeast out of town to Nove. There is a pottery maker there who has an outlet open to the public. You can get ridiculous deals (and I did!!). I got this beautiful ornate blue pitcher. I just think it is so lovely. And I had a wonderfully refreshing time hanging out with a couple of girlfriends all day! A needed break I was most thankful for. When I picked up the kids, they all fell asleep in the car before we even made it home. I think they played outside all day. Medicine for their souls too!

Of course, Saturday was also really warm (almost 90 I think). So we had to begin temperature maintenance in our apartment. This is a picture of what our kitchen looked like. We lower our tapperellas to block the sun from making our apartment one big convection oven. It works pretty well, but it's rather. . . depressing.

Oh, and did I mention I went dumpster diving? These beauties were sitting next to a dumpster on the way to school on Friday, and something within me just couldn't leave them there, when they could look so fun on our balcony. So I dragged Ben with me to help "move some trash." It's truly amazing what treasures can sometimes be found sitting by a dumpster in Italy.

We've also made homemade donuts, played SkipBo until we're delirious, watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua (film-making at its finest), took a trip to McDonald's, had cereal for dinner, slept over in Hannah's room, and gone for gelato (twice).

We can not wait for Daddy to get back in 2 days! We can't keep this survival mode up for much longer. . .

Seasons

2011-04-04T11:17:00.002+02:00

My life has never before revolved around the seasons.

I liked them. I was for them. But they didn't really impact my life that much. Sure, I had winter clothes and summer clothes. But does having to wear a jacket a few months out of the year really change how you do life?

I suddenly realized that in Italy, how we do life literally changes with the changing of the seasons. Winter is more than just wearing a coat to keep warm on the short walk between the car the grocery store. It's finding a coat heavy enough to keep you warm as you walk 30 minutes to go get your groceries. It's finding a hat that doesn't scare off my kids, because ears CAN get too cold to feel--and that's bad. It's also finding the delicate balance between wearing layers for warmth and yet not so many that when you put on your coat you feel like a stuffed sausage.

Between November and April, by law you have to change the tires on your car to be snow tires or make sure you have chains in the trunk at all times. And you can't drive on Thursdays at all--an effort to decrease pollution in the city.

In the winter, we find every possible active thing that can be done in 1200sq/ft of space without disturbing our neighbors. We always carry an umbrella and constantly have wet toes. Scarf are not used to add that little bit of extra "flair" to your outfit. They genuinely provide necessary warmth for the exposed flesh between a coat and a hat.

And then the Spring comes! Our neighborhood again becomes decorated with greens and pinks and yellows. It's amazing how much more you want to smile when you see green than when you see barren tree limbs! Of course, all of that new growth also brings lots and lots of pollen.

No, that's not snow.

Spring brings opening the windows to get the air moving. It then means sweeping said pollen out from under EVERYTHING. It means gelato and afternoon trips to the park. There is an odd sense of freedom and nakedness in walking out of the front door without four layers on.

Our meals begin to change too. We don't need the soups and heavy pastas anymore. Tomatoes come into season, and it's hard to figure out ways to consume as many of them as you'd like. Our oven begins to heat our apartment a little too much, so we have to eat with window/doors open. It's vaguely like eating outside.

That also means we bring out our bug-zappers. In every room we have a device that plugs into an electric outlet. It emits a high-pitched (almost unaudible) sound that is suppose to drive away the Tiger Mosquitos that plague the area. For those who aren't deterred by the lovely sound, we have a tennis-racket shaped thing that when you push a button and swing, electrically zaps whatever it comes into contact with.

And when summer fully arrives, the oven can no longer be used. Meals are almost entirely cold. Laundry is hung, exclusively, because it's too hot to run the dryer. Every member of the family has his/her own fan pointed on them when they go to sleep at night. We all hang out in the living room, as that's the only place our portable air conditioner will work. Our apartment becomes a cave because keeping our tapperellas (heavy, metal, external "shades" on every window) closed is a necessity for keeping the temperature in our apartment as cool as can be attained.

We take random trips to IKEA and the mall, just to walk around in some air conditioning for a while. Gelato is no longer a special treat--it is a necessity to provide some relief from the heat.

When Fall arrives, there is an audible exhale, as the oppressive heat begins to fade. All that spring brought happens in reverse.

There are times this slavery to the seasons steals my joy. But there is another kind of joy--a relief--that comes with each changing season. We did it. We survived. God's creation is changing, and it's incredible. This week my joy is full! The purples! The yellows! The lush, deep green! My open window provides a sweet coolness. My heart is thankful for God's grace to recognize the little gifts He has painted all around me.

Reporting From Bologna

2011-03-27T16:01:00.000+02:00

We have talked a lot about Summer Projects during our time here. Every summer, students from the States come for five works to work with us in connecting with students and sharing the gospel. Last year, we had 21 students come, and the impact they had was great. They are such an encouragement to us and God has used them in the most unexpected and significant ways. We are currently preparing for this summer's Project. Twenty-seven students will be arriving at the end of May, and we are asking God for big things.

I wanted to share with you a video one of the students made last summer. Even in being here for only five weeks, these students got a great picture of ministry in Italy. The video is two minutes and has lots of great footage around Bologna and with students.

It is such a privilege to be here. Please pray for our ministry. Pray for students' hearts to be pricked. Pray for us and for the students coming this summer. Pray God would use us mightily in the lives of Italians.

A Day in the Life

2011-03-21T11:43:00.000+01:00

What does the day of a missionary look like? It's definitely doesn't look like 9 to 5 at the office! No day ever looks the same. Some times we love that, and sometimes it drives us crazy. :)

Today, for instance, Cody and the kids left the apartment around 8am to walk to school. After dropping them off (he has to take them to two different schools), he took the bus over to Jesse and Tricia's apartment for our weekly prayer time. Every Monday morning, our team gathers to pray for personal and ministry needs. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, we spend time working on further developing our language skills. That could look like everything from sitting in a classroom, to studying verb conjugations, to purposefully engaging in Italian conversation for the purpose of language development. Friday mornings we have a staff meeting. And on Wednesday mornings, Cody heads downtown to work on administrative things (which is why you're more likely to get an e-mail from him on a Wednesday than any other day!).

But today, after prayer, he will meet Jesse for lunch and personal development. Then they will ride the bus downtown to hang some posters around the university area. These are posters that advertise a program we offer as English-language conversation partners. On the poster is an e-mail where students can contact us, if they're interested. Today they'll head to the part of campus where the Languages Faculty is located.

On other afternoons, Cody will meet students he knows for lunch or language exchange. In the afternoon, he will usually go to the area of a specific faculty and try to engage students in conversation that allows him to gage their spiritual interest. If they show interest, he will try to meet them again for cafe or invite them to an apertivi (pre-dinner appetizer time) we host on Thursday evenings.

Another place he goes to connect with students is a coffee shop that opened about a year ago. It's called Itit (pronounced eateat), but we call it the Italian Starbucks, since it is the only thing we've ever seen that comes close to Starbucks here. It's right in the middle of campus, and in addition to serving some more elaborate coffee drinks, it also has lots of places for students to just hang out and study (or talk).

Cody will head back to our part of town by 4:30, to pick up the kids after school. On Mondays and Wednesdays, as soon as they get back from school, Cody and Gavin leave for taekwondo. We'll eat dinner afterward, usually around 7:15. On Thursdays, he will come home for a bit, but then head back downtown for the apertivi. The kids know Thursday nights are Breakfast for Dinner, since Daddy will be gone. :) If conversation is good, he won't be home until after ten. And on Sunday evenings, he goes to a Bible study at 8pm that the pastor of our church does specifically for college students. His heart is to provide a place where non-believing students can genuinely examine the claims of Christ in the Scripture. Again, it is 10:30 or later before he gets home.

Interspersed amongst it all are also the ongoing relationships we have with non-students. Last week that was a late night Chinese dinner with Fabio and Alessia. I also try to meet Alessia at the grocery store once a week for language development and to continue learning about Italian food and culture. There are birthday parties that sprinkle the week and the conversations with have with the parents of Hannah's friends when we pick her up from playing at their homes after school, or vice versa.

Office or not, our weeks are packed. Praise God! As exhausting as it feels sometimes, we are really in a great rhythm of showing up in places where God is already at work. We're just trying to keep up and continue to be sensitive to the role He wants us to play. Thanks for joining with us and praying for it all!

Ben's Birthday on the Rails

2011-03-15T15:47:00.001+01:00

Admittedly, this is more of a post for the grandparents. . . our Little B turned three on Sunday! And what did he want to do more than anything else? Ride trains. He is just a little bit obsessed. :)

The day started with Ben's requested breakfast of waffles. They were YUMMY!

So that is what we did. After church, we headed to the train station and hopped on a regional train to Ferrara. The actually trip was only 31 minutes each way, but it was 31 minutes of shear delight. It's hard to know what he enjoyed more--riding the train or just sitting and watching the trains come through the station. He could have done it all day.

We had to hurry to the train station after church to catch our departure, so we enjoyed a little PB&J en route

In the middle of our journey, we spent an hour hanging out at the Ferrara train station watching trains. The little outdoor cafe was the perfect spot.

Practicing his "3"

When we arrived back in Bologna, we went back home to enjoy our traditional birthday meal of homemade fried chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. Ben's friend, Ruby, also came over to help him enjoy birthday cake. It was a perfect day for our little guy!

Of course, he had to have a train cake!

Sweet Ruby, giving Ben birthday loves

This was a big step after last year's birthday when he was afraid of the candles and refused to eat any of his cake!

Recipes (a bonus post!)

2011-03-07T11:22:00.000+01:00

I'm just getting it started, but I wanted to let you know about a new blog I've started to record some of our favorite Italian recipes. There is a link on the side bar (to the right), but you can also click here to check it out. There are only a few recipes there now, but it will be growing soon. Feel free to give the address out to others who might be interested!

A Preacher Came to Visit

2011-03-07T10:15:00.000+01:00

This is Preacher. He is an 80 pound Goldendoodle sometimes mistaken by Italians for a sheep.

This is David and Nicole Hannah and their precious munchkin, Ruby Love (aka "Preacher's Parents")

This is Hannah, who is campaigning determinedly for a Phipps family dog, faithfully following through on her responsibilities to walk and care for Preacher while we dog sit.

Did I mention Preacher weighs more than Gavin and Benjamin combined?

He is the most gentle, well-trained teddy bear of a dog any dog-sitters could ask for. And though the youngest Phipps don't know it yet, he might just be warming mom and dad up to the idea of a Phipps dog. . .

Downstairs Fun

2011-02-27T21:15:00.004+01:00

Looking for the Pages usually listed on the right? They moved to under our masthead!

One of the things we hope this blog does is allows you to "picture" what our life in Italy is like. Obviously, there are a lot of differences between life in Italy and life in the States. One such difference is the cantina (I'm not referring a Mexican restaurant here. . .).

I am not sure that cantinas exist all over Italy, but they are pretty common around Bologna. Since Bologna was fairly decimated during WWII, most buildings have at least been built in this century. Where as the average age of a building in Florence is probably 800 years old (no joke), the average age of a building here is probably 120. All of that to say, the newer buildings took into account such things as automobiles and storage.

Underneath our apartment building, we have both a garage and a cantina. Our garage is so small that if we didn't back into it, the door wouldn't be able to close because of the height of the back of our station wagon. And it's so narrow that to be able to get out of the driver's side door, the passenger's side mirror has to almost scrape the opposing wall. Absolutely it's a pain, but we are so thankful for it! Not every apartment comes with a garage. In fact, if you do have a garage, it's quite popular to rent it out. The going rate is about 100Euro a month.

One half of the garage area

Our cantina is also under our building. It's in a long hallway than runs the length of our building and only residents can access it. It's like a little storage unit. We had no idea cantinas existed before we actually arrived in the city, so we were blown away at the idea of having a little bit of storage space for things like luggage and bikes.

One of the hallways of cantinas. Ours is just to the left.

It's really not a lot of space (maybe 4 feet by 12 feet), so to fit bikes in, we have to maximize it.

Since we don't have a backyard to speak of, the garage area of our apartment building has become a great substitute. The kids can't just run down there, but it's ideal for riding bikes in a substantial but secured environment. And when you live on a busy intersection in the middle of a city, that is a great blessing.

Hannah has also starting taking up rollerblading. It's just called "inline" here, but a couple of her friends are into too. It seems so grown up, but she's really having a great time with it.

Just before we left the States, Gavin mastered riding with no training wheels. He had also grown so much that he needed a bigger bike when we returned. There haven't been too many warm (or dry!) days yet, but he's asked every opportunity he's had to practice his new skills.

Sweet Ben has loved, loved, loved being able to bike with the big kids. I think he could literally peddle around down there for hours.

Buddies

2011-02-21T15:41:00.002+01:00

Last Saturday, when our family was down in Florence, I got a text from my friend Kim. Her husband, Ben, works for Caterpillar here in Bologna, and over the past two years, they have become dear, dear friends. We have so much in common and just really enjoy them. Their friendship has been a real gift of FUN for our family. An especially sweet gift has been their almost six-year-old son Drew. He and Gavin hit it off from the beginning and have loved doing together all things boys love doing.

So Kim texted on Saturday to ask us to pray for Drew, who had broken his arm really badly. They had gone to one hospital and were on their way via ambulance to another hospital. The break was so bad they were going to have to do surgery.

On Sunday when we got back to Bologna, we made a huge Get Well poster and put together a bag of goodies for Drew and went to see him. It was our very first trip to an Italian hospital! He had been transferred to the orthopedic hospital in town (the best in Italy), where there was a brand new pediatric wing. First word was they would do surgery on Monday. Monday came and the doctor determined his arm hadn't been put in the correct position. They would have to reposition it and wait for the swelling to go down before they could operate.

The surgery finally happened on Thursday. As Drew killed time in the hospital waiting for surgery, Gavin was so concerned for him. Almost every night he asked if we could go see him. Visiting hours are very limited, so we could only go between 5:30 and 8pm. We made a couple of trips before the surgery, I went and hung out with Kim and Ben during the surgery, and then we made a trip back on Friday, as soon as he was able to have visitors post-surgery.

Drew and Gavin in the play room at the hospital

Trying to help Drew learn to do a puzzle one-handed for awhile

There is a toy here popular among boys called BeyBlades. They are kind of glorified tops (and available in the States too). Drew had been wanting to get one, but ironically Kim told him he couldn't until he learned to ride his bike (how the accident happened that caused the broken bone!) So on the first night we visited, Gavin had to bring one to him. Gavin is obsessed with them, so it was one more thing these Buds could do together.

To begin with, Gavin would hold the launcher and Drew would pull the rip cord to send it flying. But then, as all boys would, they decided they had to battle each other (this is what BeyBlades do--they "battle").

After a week in a foreign hospital and surgery to insert three pins in a ugly broken bone, there were two normal boys battling BeyBlades. What a joy! Obviously, we are so, so grateful for this great friend God has provided for Gavin, but we it was just as much a blessing for us to see Gavin's tender heart expressed in wanting so much to be with Drew this week. We treasured being able to help Gavin love on Drew. And we treasured being able to love on Kim and Ben during the week too.

God has (and is continuing) to build a great community for us. We find ourselves with relationships in a multitude of different realms, and yet each meets such a different need in our lives. It was just right this week to be able to really walk beside some of those who have become so dear to us here.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-19T15:25:00.000+01:00

We had the most perfect, least-planned Valentine's Day ever. We celebrated with the kids and enjoyed a low-key evening at home. Of course there were flowers and chocolate, which makes every Valentine's Day perfect. The flowers were for me (Jen) and the chocolate was for Cody.

How do say love with chocolate in Italy? A chocolate salami, of course!

It's taken me three years to give this one a try. It just seemed so. . . unnatural. Wow, have we been missing out. It was incredible! Just like fudge.

It made for a very happy husband indeed. :)

Development and a Train Ride

2011-02-15T12:09:00.000+01:00

Last week, I (Cody) spent seven days in Florence attending a course on church history. It was taught by a professor (Dr. Hyatt) who has lived in Budapest, Hungary for the past 14 years, and Germany and Russia before that. The course is part of Campus Crusade's on-going education program to help staff better minister in the field. While this was a survey course that covered the end of the 1st century through the 20th, we spent a considerable amount of time looking at the Roman Catholic Church and how it has shaped the culture here over the past two millennia. While I appreciated seeing how the development and growth of the church occurred, I enjoyed even more seeing the sovereignty of God as His mercy compels Him to save humanity.

On Saturday, Jen and the kids came to visit, which was a great delight...especially for Ben. For the past few years, Ben's fascination with trains has grown into near fanaticism. It has reached the point where he now recognizes the power wires above unseen tracks around town that provide the electricity for trains. He has also memorized all the places in town where tracks run. He knows the best places to stop and watch for them and is constantly on the lookout for them. Ticket prices have risen dramatically over the past year, so we don't ride them very often anymore. This weekend was the first time Ben had ridden one since we returned from furlough. He was beside himself for the entire trip and actually cried when they had to get off.

Now that my class is over and students are finally returning to a normal schedule at the University (they had been studying for exams prior to now), we anxious to get back to day-to-day ministry. Check out our updated prayer requests page to see how you can join us in praying for some specific ways we'd like to see God move in the coming months.

While in Assisi. . .

2011-02-07T13:44:00.001+01:00

When I was in high school, I spent three weeks one summer traveling around Europe, singing in various churches with a choir. One of the songs we sang was "The Prayer of St. Francis."

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury,pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

As a young believer, I was captured by the words. Soon after joining the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, I was re-introduced to St. Francis and became fascinated with his radical commitment to love as Christ. Yes, there are some "interesting" aspects to his calling and ministry, but it is clear that his life was changed by the risen Christ.

St. Francis was from Assisi, Italy. It is about an hour and half east/northeast of Rome. Assisi is in the hills, and I've heard it's just beautiful. Thousands and thousands flock to the small little village every year to visit the land where the Catholic Church's most popular saint was born and ministered. I've wanted to visit since we arrived in Italy, but I've also known it probably wasn't a place my kids would enjoy much, so I hadn't had the chance.

Assisi

A couple of weeks ago, however, we had a conference just for missionary moms. It was held about 15 minutes from Assisi. So one afternoon I had the opportunity to spend a few hours exploring the town. It was just as beautiful and quaint as I had been told. My heart broke, however, when we visited the cathedral and monastery that stand in honor of St. Francis.

St. Francis Church and Monastery--it is set on the edge of a hill, overlooking a valley. Beautiful.

As are most churches, it was filled with beautiful frescos. These did not depict the life of Christ, however. The central figure in each was St. Francis. The architecture of the church is very unique, having two entirely separate places of worship under the floor of the main sanctuary. Under those is yet another small chapel where over the altar is a sarcophagus thought to hold the bones of St. Francis. Over the altar. It is a sacred place for many--there was a plaque commemorating the pilgrimage Pope John Paul made during his papacy. People have left photos of loved ones all over the stones that hold up the sarcophagus. Obviously many come to this place expecting a spiritual experience of some kind--even a miracle.

I was shocked by the--dare I say this word--idolatry made of this man. His bones set on an altar! The frescos illuminate St. Francis, not Christ. My heart was so burdened for all the people who come to this place looking for spiritual enlightenment and look to a man instead of the Maker of man. What a huge distraction to seeing the One whom Francis wanted his life to point to in all ways. I felt like God's glory had been stolen.

Assisi is a hilly town. Lovely to look at, hard to navigate. :) On the highest hill remains a castle.

Please don't misunderstand my heart. I was not filled with condescension. Or judgment. I was filled with all out compassion--the gut-wrenching, head-spinning, I-want-to-stand-up-and-shout kind of compassion. I wanted everyone who had pilgrimaged to this little village in nowhere Italy to know that the spiritual experience they were after is available to them at any time, in any place. The God of the Universe wants to interact with them in the most precious, personal, life-changing, miraculous ways.

God has changed my heart in countless ways in the past two and half years. The love and compassion I feel for those I pass by every day can knock me off my feet. My trip to Assisi changed me, and not in the way I was expecting.

And just so you know, I still think St. Francis was an incredible man of God. He is still one of my heros of the faith. He was willing to be absolutely radical because of the call God placed on his heart. I want to be as willing.

*If you want to learn more about the life of St. Francis, G.K Chesterton wrote my favorite biography. It's aptly titled Saint Francis of Assisi.

A Full Weekend

2011-01-31T12:57:00.001+01:00

Let's be honest. We don't have a "normal" 9-5 job. We never have. The weekends are when we do some of the most time-intensive ministry. This past weekend would have completely worn us out, even a year ago. But now, though we're a little physically tired, we had a great weekend!

We spent all day Saturday preparing for dinner with Fabio and Alessia. We have never cooked them an Italian meal before (PRESSURE!), but long story short, she volunteered to bring Octopus salad. Yes, octopus. It's served cold with a little olive oil, vinegar and mint. And in case you're wondering, yes, there are suckers involved. My planned fried chicken was not going to go with Octopus salad.

So plan B. I thought, and asked around, and scoured cookbooks. Finally, I settled on Risotto with Salmon and Spumante. I also made an appetizer of spinach and artichoke dip (not an italian dish, but I had to have something. . . ). Long story short, dinner was great! My one social faux pax was serving the spinach and artichoke dip as an appetizer. It also has mozzerella and cream cheese in it, which apparently qualifies it as a secondo (the second course, which is usually meat). Now I know. :)

And for the record, Cody, my seafood-weary husband, ate everything. He even came close to saying he liked the Octopus salad ("As long as I didn't think about what I was eating, it wasn't bad!").

A snow-covered vineyard

On Sunday morning, we packed up everyone and headed downtown to visit a new evangelical church started by some missionaries from England. We also woke up to a beautiful snowfall that continued all day long. Though captivating, it made for a cold, wet walk downtown. The kids couldn't resist every opportunity to pick some up or jump in a melted puddle. The church was a great encouragement (it's entirely in Italian). We are praying about what the Lord would want for our involvement in it.

Part of the drive up into the hills around Bologna

As soon as lunch was over, we hopped back in the car and drove to the hills just outside of Bologna to meet some American friends at this restaurant they have been raving about for a year. It was a crazy, snowy drive, but the sights were incredible. And the food was amazing. They specialize in crescentini, these sopapilla-like things you put cheese and meat and jelly and nuetella on. They are local to the Emilia-Romagna region and are one of our very favorite culinary discoveries. Two and half hours later, we left with bellies unable to hold one more bite and hearts full of thankfulness for God's provision of friends we really enjoy hanging out with (this family has kids our kids age, which makes is that much easier).

Hannah savoring every drop of the lemon sorbetta they brought for the kids

The parking lot of the restaraunt--the kids were dying to play in the snow. Unfortunately, Ben didn't have gloves, so it didn't last for long. It was incredibly beautiful though!

The kids couldn't hold it any more. They completely crashed on the way home from the restaurant. A good time was had by all!

We got home at 5pm, just in time for Hannah to finish her homework and all of us to crash. Tired, yes. Exhausted, no. We were even energized a bit by it. We have come so far in the past two and half years! We are so deeply encouraged by the life God is weaving together for us here. Our friends come from such different places--Americans, Italians, missionaries, Agape Italia staff, non-believers--but they each meet a specific need. It is good.

What Won't Let Go

2011-01-25T13:57:00.000+01:00

There have been times since we've been back that I've looked around at the parents we've met, the neighbors who walk by us every day, the guy who sells me cucumbers and my heart aches. Never in my life have I been so gripped. This country, and these people, have become such a part of our lives that I can not possibly imagine not interacting with them on a daily basis.

I was on the bus the other day headed into town. There was an older couple who got on the bus not long after I did. And when I say older, I mean OLDER. They were precious. Older Italians always dress up. The woman was wearing a skirt with the signature black heeled comfort shoes every woman over 70 wears. She had on her long dress coat, hat and scarf. The husband had on nice trousers with his long dress coat and hat. The woman stepped on and then reached down to help the man on. They stood right by the door for the two stops they were on, and she kept her hand on his elbow the whole time, helping him to balance. When they got off, ever so slowly, they began walking arm in arm down the street. Never was a word spoken.

Immediately I thought, "I wonder what their lives have been like?" They definitely lived through the war that occupied their country. What was it like for them? How did the husband provide for his family? How did they fall in love? What have they done to stay in love? Do they go to Mass daily? Do they know how much the God of the Universe wants to speak to their hearts? Have they ever known the incredible riches of Divine Grace?

We are surrounded by people with the same stories, the same experiences, the same lack of opportunity ever to hear the gospel. My heart can't hold the compassion I feel and the desire I have to make sure they know how much Jesus wants to know them.

We don't know how long God wants us to stay in Italy. We are more confident than ever it is for the long-haul. He has provided so much for us. He continues to take us deeper and deeper into the people and the culture. But even without having an anticipated time frame, it feels like my heart will be ripped out when we have to leave. God has permanently written this country on my heart.

A Bonus Post

2011-01-18T10:28:00.002+01:00

Yesterday when I was getting the kids a snack, I was reminded of one of the Italian food things that cracks me up. I thought I'd share this little glimpse into the culture with you in a bonus post!

This is a bag of cookies (the ones pictured on the right). I give them to the kids for a snack with a little Nutella on top (Nutella and peanut butter for a REALLY special treat :) ). What this is saying is that they make an ideal breakfast. Six cookies, fresh juice, berry yogurt and coffee. 380 calories. Perfect.

Ah, Italian cuisine. It's incredible. Even Italians draw the line at pasta for breakfast though--the problem is they just don't have any good alternatives. Unless you want cookies for breakfast. :)

A Little Color

2011-01-17T13:00:00.001+01:00

I think it's official to say we have a "tween" now. First it was demanding bangs at a haircut this summer. Then it was wanting to get the new Selena Gomez CD. Now, it is upgrading the room.

Hannah has the privilege of having the official master bedroom in our apartment. Only because it was the only fully furnished room, and we already had our bedroom furniture. It has A LOT of built-ins that have been a life saver for us. But when it came to painting rooms when we moved in, we stuck with white since there were so many tricky places to paint. Hannah's room also doubles as the guest room whenever we have visitors, so up to this point, it has been a little thrown together.

One of our goals in returning was to make her room a little more "her." So last week Dad painted a wall purple, and we applied some age-appropriate decor to spice it up a little. It turned out so cute!

Hannah loves it (LOVES IT), and it has so far inspired her to keep it a little more picked-up. :) As far as we know, we're in Bologna for a while. So we're glad Hannah has a room she loves now. And one that fits the growing young lady she's becoming.

Lots going on in the coming weeks, as we prepare for the return of students at the beginning of February. God has provided a long-term team of seven for us to work with, and we are so anxious to see how He is going to work over the next few months. Thanks for all your continued prayers and words of encouragement!

Casa Dolce Casa

2011-01-10T11:16:00.000+01:00

I am sitting at my desk in our apartment on Via Arno, with the hum of traffic in the background and my cappuccino beside me. Hannah is at school for the first day since our return. Later today we will get cell phones working and get Gavin enrolled in school. Ben is going back and forth between obsessions with his tools and his trains. How thankful I am for this moment!

Since I last posted, we were able to enjoy a last visit to San Antonio and Cody's parents, Christmas with my parents and brother, Hannah's birthday and sleepover, the New Year and a pretty uneventful flight back over the ocean. We are really thankful for the last three weeks we had in the States. We got to really relax and enjoy friends and family after five months of crazy work and traveling. We left feeling rested, refreshed and deeply thankful for God's very good gifts to us.

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks. Enjoy! And check out our updated prayer requests in the tab on the right.

Hannah with her friends Adeline and Jill. The girls came over for a sleepover on Hannah's birthday (December 31) and had the BEST TIME. We are really thankful for these two little girls and what good friends they were to Hannah over the past four months.

Sparklers to celebrate the New Year

Hannah's only request for birthday plans was an Eiffel Tower birthday cake. We keep talking about how fun it would be to go to Paris for her birthday some year. . . but it's probably just going to be talk for a while!

At DFW waiting to get on our International flight. The kids were just beside themselves with excitement over returning home. Even Ben kept saying, "Back Italy" for the week before we left. And really, they did great with all the traveling. Our best trip yet.

Ben was able to conk out for most of the overseas flight.

Ahhh. . . Donna Margherita. Our favorite pizza place in Bologna. The perfect way to cap off our return. Wow, was it good.

A Birthday and A Break

2010-12-10T18:01:00.001+01:00

Unbelievable that Gavin turned six on Wednesday!! What a year it has been for him. He has grown (physically and socially/emotionally) SO MUCH. God is shaping him into such a neat little man. He still has his sweet, tender heart, but he grows more into a warrior every day. He is loving everything boy! And Daddy is having a great time introducing him to many new adventures.

For his birthday, his Uncle Scott and Papa got him some model rockets. At first, he didn't have any idea what they would actually do. After school on his birthday we went out to launch one, and WOW! He had a blast! (Pun intended!) Here are some pics from his big day.

Prior to Lift-Off

Getting it set up

3-2-1. . .

There she goes!

I think this was launch number three. Gavin could have done this all day.

Trying to catch the falling rocket was half the fun!

"Iron Man" blowing out his candles

Tonight we will have a full-on Birthday Party with friends from school. Gavin's never really had a Birthday Party before, so he can't wait. He's taking his best little friends to see "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and then dinner at Pizza Hut. He really couldn't ask for a more perfect day.

I know this entry is a little late, and it might be the last one until we return to Bologna. We are busy taking care of all the last minute details we need to get done in order to return. And trying to rest and enjoy the Holidays at the same time. We fly back on January 3 and would covet your prayers for our trip and our re-entry.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Our hearts are filled with thanksgiving over the little baby whose birth we celebrate and who we are so privileged to proclaim.

American Holiday Fun

2010-12-02T18:23:00.000+01:00

In the past two years, we've done our best to make the fourth Thursday of November NOT just Thursday but "Thanksgiving in Italy." We've given it good attempts! But there really isn't anything like Thanksgiving in America. The fried turkey, the green bean casserole, the stuffing, the pies. . . Wow, it was good. Here's a picture of Ben enjoying perhaps his first piece of pie ever. He went for the chocolate but then followed it up with pumpkin.

Needless to say, he was a fan.

On the day after Thanksgiving (yes, after some early morning Christmas shopping), we set to work decorating every square foot of my parents' house for Christmas. We had such a great time! The kids loved unpacking all of Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas ornaments and decorations. We have a great time decorating our apartment in Bologna for Christmas, but because of the lack of space, it has to be a lot more reserved.

Daddy and Papa putting together the GINORMOUS Christmas tree.

Gavin taking a self-photo when he was in charge of documenting our decorating.

Yep, this is one of Gavin's pieces of photographic art.

One more from Gav. This one's pretty avant-guard. His five-year-old perspective gave him a distinct advantage.

Grandma and Hannah hanging stockings by the chimney with care (with Hannah enjoying the entire day in pajamas).

What would a day decorating be without egg nog for the adults and hot chocolate for the kids?

Ben LOVED hanging ornaments. They all ended up in the same spot, but he liked it that way. Our new favorite words to hear him say are "Santa Claus" and "Christmas." He rocks.

What would Christmas preparations be without mailing letter and lists to Santa? Let's just say Gavin's list was extensive. . . He has pretty high expectations of what Santa can afford. :)

Sending the letters off to the North Pole!

We return to Bologna in four and half weeks. It is a special blessing to have our last days in the States be around the holidays. We are going to soak up every minute of it.

The Good Gifts

2010-11-18T18:56:00.000+01:00

This past weekend Hannah was given a very special gift. She got to celebrate her birthday a little early with a splendid tea party honoring her and her best friend Chloe. She was surrounded by her dear little girl friends in Houston and savored a time with them she didn't think she'd ever have again. To say it was a sweet gift just doesn't do it justice. As her mom, my heart is overwhelmed with God's goodness to this little soul who has been so brave and has persevered through more than her share of intimidating circumstances.

Hannah and Chloe. Best friends since they were four.

Throughout our journey to move and minister in Italy, we have tried to communicate over and over to our kids that God honors faith. When we walk in obedience, He showers us with His good gifts. We have also tried hard to communicate that those good gifts are most of the time not things like new toys or ice cream. They are far better, more fulfilling and more satisfying gifts. A big concept for a five and eight-year-old.

Having Tea.

But this party was one of those very good gifts. Mom and Dad are not the only members of our family who have sacrificed a great deal to take the gospel to Italians. Our kids have had to completely leave the friends, city, church and life they knew. God has given them great tenacity as they have forged ahead. He has given them some really good new friends. But it has still been hard to be away from dear friends in the States. Especially for Hannah.

As I look at these fun pictures and think back on the Tea Party, my heart is SO FULL for how well the Father takes care of my kids. He doesn't just meet their needs, He blesses their socks off, just as He does mine. The rewards of walking in faith can come in no other way. Thank you, Father, for this incredibly sweet time you gave our precious little girl.

The girls all decked out in the hats and purses they made.

Happy Birthday Chloe and Hannah! May God continue to knit your hearts together despite the miles that separate you. May you continue to put all of your nine-year-old faith the Great God who honors your faith in ways you couldn't even dream to ask for.

The Joy of Worship

2010-11-09T18:23:00.000+01:00

So my mom hates when I post entries without pictures. I can understand that. We just happen to be in a season when I don't have a lot of pictures that correlate with what I'm blogging about. But, in an effort to keep my mom reading, at the end of the post, I have a few pictures from Halloween. The kids had such a good time with this American tradition. Enjoy!

Perhaps THE thing I miss most while we are in Italy is worshiping in English. I don't think I have ever longed to worship--just to acknowledge and praise God for who He is--as much as I have in the past two years. In the midst of all the craziness and challenges we've faced, simply looking at God and acknowledging His goodness and sovereignty and His heart and vision for Italians (and the world) is the only thing that calms my heart.

God's Word has literally nourished my soul. I have craved any worship music I can get my hands on.

So the greatest highlight of my time back has been going to church every Sunday. I have savored every minute. Since we are living with my parents in Ft. Worth, we had to find a new church to get plugged in to during our furlough. We jumped in to a church close by who partners with Agape Italia, and it has been such an incredible blessing. The kids have loved it too! They love going to church, and they love AWANA.

As I have been savoring my time worshiping among a Body of Christ who speaks my native tongue, I came across a quote from Beth Moore quoting Eugene Peterson that so beautifully captures how I have felt. I hope you are encouraged, as you read it. I hope it causes you to throw yourself deeper into the worship of our MOST WORTHY God. And when you have the chance to be with believers worshiping together, you can remember how much I long for the same. And rejoice in the opportunity you have.

Worship has endless side effects in the life of the everyday psalmist. Among them, it exalts God to the highest place, thereby relieving the sojourner of the backbreaking burden of ego. It defeats our enemy. It answers grace with gratitude. And it ends in joy. "God is a personal reality to be enjoyed. We are so created and so redeemed that we are capable of enjoying him. All the movements of discipleship arrive at a place where joy is experienced. Every step of ascent toward God develops the capacity to enjoy. Not only is there, increasingly, more to be enjoyed, there is steadily the acquired ability to enjoy it. Best of all, we don't have to wait until we get to the end of the road before we enjoy what is at the end of the road."

Amen.

And now, the random pictures. . . (love you Mom!)

Our little Puppy, Indiana Jones and Hannah Montana

This was Ben's first Halloween, and he was so shocked people were giving him and candy (and Mom wasn't taking it away) that he hardly knew what to do with himself.

Cody's most excellently carved pumpkins

INCREDIBLE!

2010-11-02T16:51:00.003+01:00

Who is this man, and why is his picture on our blog? This is Charlie Duke, the 10th man ever to walk on the moon. Charlie is follower of Jesus, and last week he came to Bologna to share about the role Jesus has had in his life. (You can read more of Charlie's bio at http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/espeakers/5572/Charlie-Duke.html).

The only other full-time Campus Crusade staff in Bologna are a couple named Jesse and Tricia Marcos. Charlie has been a supporter of the Marcos' ministry for years. For the past year, we have been working to bring Charlie to Bologna. God moved in the most amazing ways! I've pasted Jesse's e-mail, giving us the update on all that had happened. I know it's a little long, but the way God moved is worth reading every word.

"INCREDIBLE!!! This morning we have no words to describe what just happened these last two days here in Bologna. I will let the words of the Brucato’s and others who have lived here speak for themselves. “Whave been here 23 years and never have we seen these kinds of crowds and never have we seen doors open like this.” If you recall we told you that when this all began, the university said; “No way he can mention God at all, nor can we mention Agape Italia.” So we had everyone praying that God would break through all of that. So the Lord KICKED DOWN those walls like none of us would have anticipated!! I want to let you know how it all went and at sometime we can fill you in on the more details.

Monday morning we had to have Charlie at the TV station for an interview on the regional morning show that covers all of Emilia-Romagna. The last question he was asked in the interview was, "What do you today?” So he could there launch into sharing that he speaks all over the world and shares the love of God. The man then closed by saying Charlie was speaking Monday at the U of Bologna. We were all horrified because that was wrong. When then they realized the mistake, they had to change it and announce it on the news--which was repeated several times in the day!! That mistake ended up being more air time to advertise it.

We then went to a press conference held at the hotel at 10AM. There the head of Astronomy at the University, who said there could be no mention about God, asked him in the interview, "What do you do now?" Again he repeated what he was doing to share Christ around the world.

Next was the scientific high school where nothing Christian is ever let in the door. This is the school where a 15 yr old student shot himself right before Charlie came. He was able to share his story in detail. Part of their testimony is his wife was suicidal. He shared that, and the students were riveted to his every word and listened intently. After he was done with his testimony and closed, the principal came up and thanked Charlie for coming and reviewed the main points he made about his story!! WOW, never in our wildest dreams in a school where atheism is their god could we have imagined this to happen!!

We were able to give them postcards with Charlie’s picture on it and that also had Youth for Christ and Agape Italia websites. We were introduced as well.

Monday night the outreach night for the community was standing room only!! Many non-Christians came, and many who are in the science community came. The exciting part was that night Charlie held nothing back. Both Charlie and his wife spoke, and wow that was POWERFUL. We had appetizers afterward and people stayed and shook his hand and talked with them.

Tuesday morning he spoke at a private high school, one of the top in the city. These students study Aeronautics and will all go to university. This school was not one we had planned on, but there was cancelation in the schedule. It happened that a connection was made two weeks ago which got us into the school. Once again standing room only!! Students heard about Youth for Christ and then heard about Agape Italia briefly. Once again in Q&A, he was asked what he does now. We were not sure how much we could say here. When asked, he took advantage of it and answered with a gospel presentation. The creativity he used was incredible but yet very clear.

Next was speaking at the U of Bologna in the Astronomy Dept and guess what. . .standing room only. The University of Bologna and everyone had told us if you have 100 – 150 that will be a GREAT success.

Everywhere he went they planned for those numbers and were shocked to see the interest. Over 120 students came, they were standing outside in the halls listening. This was set up by the university and specifically the man who said no God. After speaking, there was Q&A and the man who said no God asked Charlie to share about the challenges of life after reaching the pinnacle of his career at age 36. WOW! He who said NO GOD knew what he would say!!! Then that night at dinner, he told Charlie again to make sure he talked about his personal life.

Tuesday evening we met for dinner with all the university officials who were responsible for the evening. His lecture was to begin at 9:00PM. It was 8:55 and we were just ordering our coffee. The professor said no problem, we were on Italian time!! So we left at 9:05 walked into a room that seats 300 and it was STANDING ROOM ONLY again. It was an estimated crowd of at least 400 so you can imagine it was PACKED OUT!!!! Charlie walked into the hall. I was behind him and had not seen the crowd yet. We then heard a HUGE loud applause and were overwhelmed, as were the school officials.

He opened his talk by thanking Agape Italia for bringing him to Bologna. He then talked about how he and his wife have known Tricia and I for years, which helped Agape build credibility. The gospel went out clearly and wow, was it incredible again. We felt like we were with a ROCK STAR!! He was amazing and the crowd was not disappointed. We can promise you that crowd was all non-believers!!!!

THANKS FOR PRAYING!! Pray now for the followup of all of this and we can continue to build strong relationships with the university and these high schools!!! Wish you could have been here for it, because the ground had to be prepared for this to all happen and you have been a part of preparing the soil for God to work!! Thanks and see you soon so you can enjoy being a part of the harvest God has used you to be a part of!!"

We have been telling everyone we meet how we feel like this is a unique time in Italy's history. We really believe God is moving in unprecedented ways. We could not be more excited to a part of what He is doing. To God be the glory!!

The Normal Things

2010-10-26T03:33:00.001+02:00

I'll confess life has been crazy for Cody and I since we stepped off the airplane four months ago. And the next two months don't look any different. We have been spinning far too many plates and spending a few more miles on the road than we would have ever chosen.

But the kids. . . we have worked hard to make sure they have the most consistent, most "normal" American experience as they could possibly have. And we think they are.

Last week, Gavin's Kindergarten class took a field trip to a Pumpkin Patch. Before I even saw the information form, Cody said, "I am going to chaperone this one." He was almost as excited as Gavin! They had the best time. It was so much more than just a pumpkin patch. They spent the day wondering around mazes, exploring an Old West-style town and going on a hayride. And Gavin did come home with a pumpkin.

It is Texas. This is how they do mazes here. :)

This is Gavin with his best friend Jack.

They definitely do not have hayrides in Italy!

After the Pumpkin Patch on Thursday, the kids' school had a Carnival on Friday. On Saturdays, Gavin has soccer games. On Tuesdays, Hannah takes piano lessons. We go to AWANA on Sunday, and the kids LOVE going to church. Ben attends Mother's Day Out three times a week, and he went to a zoo for the first time last week. During our time back, the kids have gone to a Rangers game and Gavin saw TCU play. This weekend we will carve a pumpkin and go Trick or Treating. All normal American things you probably don't think much about. But none of those things do we get to do in Italy.

So "normal" is actually such a special treat for our kids!

We realize they probably won't have these experiences again until we move back to the States permanently (years from now, we think. . . ), so we are really grateful for the six months they are getting of it now. Not because they hold any real significance in and of themselves but because they're a part of a shared experience with their home culture.

God has provided many sweet gifts in the past few months. These are some of them.

Some Reality

2010-10-19T17:05:00.000+02:00

Today I'm posting a link for an article Time Magazine ran on the reality Italian college graduates are facing. It communicates one of the reasons for the overall hopelessness we are hearing from the Italians we talk with--not only college students, but our peer-aged friends too.

Please take a few minutes to read it. It communicate well an aspect of life in Italy that is hard for Americans to understand. It's also an aspect of life we are trying to use to point Italians toward Christ, the only reason for hope.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2024136-1,00.html

Being Cared For

2010-10-11T21:33:00.001+02:00

* OK, I really did get the comment option fixed this week! If you have to use the "anonymous" option, leave us your name anyway. :)

Back in August when we shared about our decision to stay in the States for a full six-month furlough, we shared that part of that time would be spent processing through our first two years in Italy with our Campus Crusade leadership, talking with counselors and attending a debriefing with Campus Crusade staff who were back from their first term overseas.

Last week we traveled to Austin for our official debriefing. It was so deeply good. There is a gal who works for Campus Crusade whose sole job is to make sure all the staff serving overseas from our region are doing well and have the resources they need to thrive in the location they're serving. When we come home on furlough, she is the one who looks out for us, provides counselors for us and leads a time of debrief. Having spent a significant amount of time overseas as a missionary herself, she is well acquainted with all the highs and lows of living overseas.

There were six of us who attended this debrief--us, another couple serving in Italy, and two guys who have been in East Asia. The majority of our time together was spent sharing the stories of what our lives have looked like for the past two years--the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was so therapeutic to know that those listening understood completely what we've experienced and have similar stories to share. It's so easy to believe the lie that we are the only ones "going through" the ups and downs we face. Being in an environment that promotes authenticity and safety really dispels those lies. And it greatly encourages us to return again to the work.

In addition to the time we spent sharing about our battle wounds (and the glorious ways God has met us in those wounds), we heard from a counselor who works specifically with pastors and missionaries and has extensive experience helping missionaries deal with the very unique challenges of re-entry and living between two cultures. She did an incredible job helping us to understand all the nuances of living in transition. It was eye-opening to see just how much stress one incurs when living in two very different worlds.

Add to this time some good ol' fashioned Tex-Mex, beautiful weather, and good friends, and we had a great couple of days. It's hard to put into words just how encouraging this time was for us. As the gal who directs this time says, "You don't know what you don't know." So true! We had no idea how much we needed to hear some of the things that were shared. Again, we are so thankful to be working for an organization that cares so deeply about our spiritual and emotional health.

Expose Us!

2010-10-05T17:34:00.000+02:00

As you can tell, we've been doing some work on The Phipps Five! As the internet continues to grow as the world's most significant method of communication, we wanted to create a place where current ministry partners could keep read weekly of how God is moving in our midst, where we could post up-to-date prayer requests (check out the Ways to Pray page), and where people we have just met--or haven't even met at all--could check out our ministry.

We will continue to post weekly about what life looks like for us, from family-life to ministry opportunities to our cultural learning experiences. It is our greatest desire that those who partner with us feel like they have a vivid picture of what they are investing in. We can't say enough how strongly we feel about our ministry being so much bigger than us on the ground in Italy. Our ministry consists of every person who gives financially to allow us to cover our living and ministry expenses and every person who goes before the Father to ask for His Spirit to move on our behalf. No part is greater or less important than the others.

We also want this to be a place where you can point people who might be encouraged to read about what God is up to in the country of Italy. Expose us! Tell everyone you know how to find our site (we do!). The next time you're on Facebook, would you post a link the blog? We would be so grateful. We hope anybody who stumbles upon this site is blessed by the stories of God's faithfulness to our family, as we take His gospel to a people who once led the charge for Christ and yet now are so far away from understanding the simplicity of His grace.

We are overwhelmed by the privilege it is to be Italy right now. Truly, we feel the Spirit of God is beginning to move in this country in a way He hasn't in generations. We want as many people as possible to hear about what God is doing and join with us!

A few other new pages to point out (the links are found just the right of the most current post). The Italian Reality paints of picture of the current spiritual reality of Italy. It answers the question of "Why do we go to Italy?" It's a great place for folks new to our ministry to read about the spiritual climate we're facing. La Dolce Vita provides some fascinating snip-its about Italy-- its history and its present. And finally, HowYou Can Be a Part of What's Happening provides information about how you can give financially to our ministry. Oh, and we've also made it easier to leave comments. . . give it a try!

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for telling others about us. Thanks for caring about Italians understanding how they can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

An Italian Perspective

2010-09-28T18:07:00.001+02:00

November will mark a huge milestone for the Agape Italia ministry. An Italian national will be taking over leadership of our National Ministry. Ultimately, this is our desire for every country we send American staff too--that eventually it will be a Nationally-run ministry.

Franco Bosio is one of only four Italians currently on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ in Italy. He has been directing the Family Life ministry up to this poine and seeing God move in some incredible ways. He will now be providing leadership to our ministry as a whole, and we are so excited to see how God is going to use him to help make Agape Italia even more effective.

Below is a video clip of Franco sharing a little of his vision. Again, we rejoice in the incredible ways God is at work in Italy. Truly, it is a privilege to be ministering there during this time.

The Downside of a Calling

2010-09-19T21:01:00.006+02:00

As I write this, I am in tears. Every bone in my body is literally aching to return to Bologna tomorrow. There is so much that stands in my way, and I am grieving it. I don't long to return to be comfortable (it's not), I don't long to return to escape the process of raising the support we need to return (I LOVE sharing what God is doing in Italy). I am longing because for some crazy reason, God has written Italy on my heart and I cannot be free of it.

It is a gift to be so sure of our calling. When we are enduring the Questura or literally melting from the heat, we can press on knowing God has some very specific plans. And the steps of faith we have to take every day feel a little less scary knowing that He will finish what He has begun.

But the downside is the incredible ache we feel to be doing what it is God has called us to do. I long for the people and the conversations and opportunity to talk about Jesus with so many who want to and know nobody to do so with. I long for, yearn after, want with every fiber of my being to be in the place where God has called us. It is permanently a piece of me.

We have shared how thankful we are for this furlough God has provided for us to get some rest before returning. We really are. And He is providing that rest. As we soak it up, and our energy returns, we find ourselves now struggling with what is between us and the place God has made for us in Bologna.

Time. We have to be out of the country until January because of tax reasons. Nothing can change that. We are trying to make the most of these days to prepare us to be fully-charged to return. Waiting is hard. Really, really hard.

Money. We still need to raise almost $2000 a month to cover our increased cost of living needs. In the past, I would have been really anxious about how God was going to provide this money. I think I am able to better walk in faith these days. I know God would not have written these people so deeply on my heart if He didn't still have plans for us there. Still, we need Him to provide. And quite frankly, I am so in awe of what God is doing in Bologna that I want to tell everybody about it! I want everyone to partner with us and have a chance to be a part of an incredible, humbling, amazing work by the Spirit of God! I want everyone I meet to catch a glimpse of what God is doing and be a part of it.

The ache hurts. But it is beautiful. It is evidence of God, and I rejoice! I am driven to pray and ask and claim like I never have been before. Would you please pray with us? Would you please join in praying for God's provision of the support we need? Would you pray for our little corner of the world and the place God has made for us there. . . that He would continue to be at work and that we would have the privilege of seeing a harvest in Italy that has not been seen in generations. Pray for the sweet friends we have made. Pray they would one day live in the freedom Christ died for. Pray they would one day know eternal life.

Thanks friends. Thanks for aching a little bit with me.

A Stranger at Home

2010-09-14T23:30:00.005+02:00

I know, I know. . . you are thinking that since we are back in the States for a bit, we should have plenty of time to keep up the blog. Life has been crazy since our airplane touched down two and half months ago. We keep thinking, "after _______ it will slow down." But the reality is that raising support is crazy. We have been traveling non-stop. We are thankful to be so busy, even if we have to apologize for our absence from the blogging world. It is my goal to again be a faithful Monday morning blogger--OK, I'm going to say a Tuesday morning blogger. That's when Ben goes to Mom's Day Out!

I don't have a great picture for what I really want to blog about today, so I'm throwing in a random one. Last week Cody and I celebrated our Tenth Wedding Anniversary. On our honeymoon, we spent a week in New England. So for almost a year we have been saving to take an extended trip to Boston. We spent four days there last week, and it was awesome. The weather was perfect, and the whole trip went a long way toward the rest we've been pursuing.

Now, to what I wanted to share. . . in the months leading up to our trip back to the States, we talked about how much we were looking forward to "going home" for a bit. We couldn't wait to enjoy some of the comforts of America. Looking back, I think we were looking forward to the feeling of home more than anything else. A place where we belonged.

The painful reality is that America doesn't feel like home anymore. Yes, it's nice to be able to speak the same language, enjoy the same foods and understand how the culture operates, but we don't have a life here anymore. And who else around me understands the weird Twilight Zone I'm living in--trying to savor such everyday blessings as helping the kids with homework we actually understand and worshipping in English while also trying to prepare for returning to Italy by taking language classes, working tirelessly to maintain relationships long-distance and stocking up on taco seasoning packets to take back with us. I am now saying, "I can't wait to go home," and I mean Italy. That's where our life is. To be saying that marks a great milestone in our transition overseas.

But the other reality is that Italy isn't really home either. My life is there, but I'm not fully comfortable there. There is still so much that is foreign to me.

This week I was doing a Beth Moore Bible Study on the Psalms of Ascent, and in Psalm 120, the author says, "Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace." She makes the observation that the author is neither from Meshech or Kedar and he is exhausted living as a foreigner. And then she asked the very timely question, "Have you ever felt like a foreigner?" Oh wow. Do I ever. And even in my own country.

Never in my life have I understood my citizenship in heaven as concretely as I do now. This place I'm at is weird. I find it hard trying to put it into words. But I am also thankful for it. I would never know the goodness of being a stranger at home--the longing for the sense of "home" that will only come in heaven--if we hadn't stepped out in faith to leave what we felt was that place all along.

The lessons never stop. The blessings never stop. God is good, all of the time.

Back in the States

2010-08-08T22:43:00.007+02:00

The blog returns....after a month long hiatus. We've been back in the States for about a month now and have spent about three weeks of that time on the road visiting friends and family in Texas and New Mexico. When not traveling, we usually find ourselves in some doctor's office getting something looked at.

One of the trips we took was out to Albuquerque to visit friends and share about our time in Bologna. Whenever we spend time in Albuquerque, we always stay with some friends who we've known since before we got married. We've always valued their wisdom and faith as we've walked through marriage and what God has called us to. Our kids see them as another set of grandparents and are getting old enough to begin learning from them as well.

With that in mind, I really wanted Gavin, Jim, and I to get some time out in the wilderness of New Mexico so we could be boys. Jim and I talked about it a bit and decided to take a day hike at the peak of the the Sandia Mountains. Jim knew a great trail that would be just long enough and interesting enough for Gav. It began at the top of the mountain and led down through the forest for a bit before coming to an old stone house that marks the halfway point. We spent some time climbing around the old house before making the return journey.

Gavin thought it best to go armed with two water-pistols and spent much of the hike looking for small woodland creatures toshoot, but only managed to scare off two birds. It was a great trip for him and we all enjoyed being out of the city for a bit. The hike concluded with a hearty lunch at The Frontier, a popular dive right across the street from where I went to college.

Our Final Weekend

2010-06-28T10:27:00.008+02:00

This past weekend was our last weekend in Bologna till the Fall and we felt like sitting in the house was not a great way to spend it. The Italian team had already been bounced from the World Cup and the U.S. was not playing till Saturday night. So....we decided to take a short roadtrip! We have some friends who had visited two towns just northwest of Bologna a few weeks before and thought our kids would like it. So, we piled in the car Saturday morning and headed out.

Fidenza is a smal town about an hour and a half from Bologna along the old Roman road called Via Emilia. This road runs the entire length of the region of Emilia-Romagna. Yet for all the historical-ness of this region, Fidenza is known for the brand new Outlet Mall that just opened. While shopping is not my cup of tea (Cody here), they had a really nice playground for the kids to play on. After running around for a hour or so and then a quick lunch, we headed to our primary destination of Castell'Arquato. It's believed that this small town began as a Roman military settlement and developed into a rural farming center during the Imperial Era of the Roman Empire. As you can see from the pictures, the castle itself was built into the hillside to take advantage of the surrounding area.

The picture above was taken about 10km outside the town as we drove in. It was a beautiful drive through pastures and vineyards and one of the few times we've not been on the Autostrada as we've travelled. The kids had a great time climbing all over the castle grounds and surrounding hills.

At one point, Gavin stumbled onto a smal cave that had been cut out from the hillside directly below the castle. Needless to say, he was in Heaven exploring the town.

It was a great way to spend our last weekend as a family before the mad rush of our final week. We're currenty in the throes of packing, cleaning, organizing, and prepping for our time in the States. As you think of us this week (especially on Thursday as we fly), please pray for us! The blog will take a short break, but we hope to be back with you in a couple of weeks! Ci vediamo dopo!

MONDIALE 2010!!!!!

2010-06-20T13:31:00.010+02:00

Here we are four years removed from our first trip to Italy and we have the privilege of experiencing another World Cup in Italy. While little was known or expected from Gli Azzurri (the Italian squad) four years ago, this year Italians are even less expectant of a successful World Cup.

"The squad is too old, they have not played together long enough. The coach is no good." These are just a few of the exclamations we have heard from our neighbors and friends. Regardless of how Italy does this year, the level of involvement on a communal level is still so much fun to be a part of. . .and this time we have the added experience of knowing the langauge.

As the Mondiale 2010 (World Cup) approaches, one sees more and more Italian flags going up in windows and shops. And flat screen TVs appear out of nowhere at gelato stands and pizzerias. The photo above is a scene from our local gelato stand, which we frequent almost daily. This was taken moments before Italy kicked off their first game of this year's World Cup. While most people won't argue that the Super Bowl is the sporting event of the year in the U.S., one doesn't see the total community experience like that which exists here in Italy for soccer. Everything from daily conversations to work schedules on a national level are affected by when Gli Azzurri play. In otherwords, EVERYTHING stops when Italy is on the field. There is nothing that one can do aside from join in and cheer them on.
This past year, we've also seen Gavin take a keen interest in playing soccer ("calcio" in Italian). We tried to introduce it to him when we arrived two years ago, but he was not interested in the least. After a year at school, where he plays it everyday with his friends on the playground, he has become quite adept. Going outside to kick around has become a daily activity in our household, and as far as he is concerned, Italy is the best team in the tournament. Hopefully, he won't be too heartbroken if things don't work out this year....

Gelato Season is Here!

2010-06-13T10:46:00.008+02:00

Cody and I have said that after last summer we both suffer from a little "Post Traumatic Summer Heat Disorder." Knowing that the heat is on its way is enough to send us both into a little bit of a panic.

It's definitely warming up. The past few days have been in the upper 90's, and we finally rolled out our portable air conditioner to set up in the living room during the heat of the day. The one perk (and we're really stretching to see a bright side!) is that when the heat comes, gelato is no longer a special treat but a neccessity.

This was the first time we let Ben have his very own cup. He did really well and was only slightly sticky for the bus ride home.

Italians know how to do gelato well, and they optimize it for summer cool-downs. Gelato is more dense and less creamy than ice cream, so it isn't nearly as heavy. And there are usually more fruit/sorbet flavors offerred than any other kind. The average serving size is probably less than a 1/2 C. It's just a bite of cold. That's really, really yummy.

Conveniently, there is a really good gelato stand on the way home from the kids' school. Since we have to pick the kids up at 4:30 in the afternoon, it often takes all we have to gear up for the walk. Knowing there is a little treat to look forward to somehow makes it a little more bearable.

The kids celebrate in April when the gelato stands open, and so do we. They are kind of like coffee bars--the commraderie of trying to survive the heat brings you together somehow. And it's a sad sight when they close up shop in the Fall. But for now we are enjoying the gelato season in full swing!

Another Year of Answered Prayer

2010-06-06T17:02:00.004+02:00

Friday was Hannah's last day of school. She now has two years of Italian schooling under her belt. Next year--third grade!

There could not be a more tangible example of how the Lord has answered prayer over the past two years. We prayed and prayed and prayed for Hannah's school experience. For her, for her teachers, for friends. We could not be more grateful for all the ways He has answered abundantly. Hannah's experience is far above and beyond what we could have even dreamt to ask.

We've written before that in Italy you have the same class, and the same two main teachers for all five years of elementary school. It can be a great thing or a horrible thing. For Hannah, it's been incredible. We think her teachers are great. They have done such a good job helping her transition into Italian schooling. They have been gracious with her and they have pushed when needed. And we generally think they are really good teachers.

But an even bigger answer to prayer have been the friends God has provided. Her class is just a great group of kids. Not that they're perfect, but we have heard very little about the cliches and caddiness we've heard about from friends with kids in school in America. We don't think it has anything to do with the fact that they're Italian. . . they're just good kids. There is a group of about seven girls who are all good friends. Every Monday after school we would rotate going over to someone's house to play. What a sweet, sweet gift.

And then there are the parents we've gotten to know. We feel completely welcomed and included. They have demonstrated such patience with us in language and cultural learning. Our sense of feeling like we belong in Bologna and have a life here is largely due to Hannah's school and all the relationships we have there.

Cody and I are blown away by the incredible blessings we've found through our brave daughter walking into a classroom not speaking a word Italian and persevering for two years. She is thriving. She has been the reason we've met our closest Italian friends. She is getting a great education (things change in the Italian system in high school. . .). She knows the ways God has answered prayer on her behalf, and it's grown her own faith.

So we celebrate this day! We celebrate God's continued hand on Hannah. We say thank you for joining us in praying for her. And we say thank you to God for caring so much about such a thing as second grade.

They're Here!

2010-05-30T20:55:00.006+02:00

On Wednesday, 22 students from Texas and Louisiana arrived to work with us for the next five weeks. Here is the group enjoying some of their first Italian pizza:

This is a great group of students! We have spent the past several days getting them oriented to Bologna and the ministry and basic survival in Italy. They have asked such great questions and have really communicated a genuine desire to speak the gospel with boldness this summer. For many, committing five weeks to doing ministry in a different country is the biggest step of faith they've ever taken. It is huge! We can't wait to see how God blesses their faith and the fruit that comes from it.

The picture above is Cody talking to Luke, the leader of the group, and also a student. He was on the Project last year and developed such a heart for what was going on that he wanted to return again this summer. Secretly (or not so secretly), we're praying God would move his heart to come and work with us for a year or more after he graduates.

On Saturday, Cody led a time of evangelism training. One of the things we're really trying to emphasize is the power of God's Word. As we're processing through the gospel with Italian students, we want to be sharing as much of what God says in Scripture as we can. If we do that, then we feel we can be confident that seeds were planted, and we can leave the results to God. A study we saw recently said that Italy is one of the least Bible-literate countries in the world. As we bring everything back to what God says in His Word, it is refreshing to hear Italians awe at all God has spoken on.

Please pray for these American students. Pray they would experience God in a powerful way this summer. Pray He would increase their compassion for the people of Italy and that many would be moved to return and work with us in a longer capacity. Pray for the Italian students they will talk with over the next five weeks. Pray for ongoing relationships to be formed quickly. Pray for relationships that are focused on the gospel. Ultimately, pray they would see Italians put their faith in Christ.

Oh the Miles. . .

2010-05-15T20:21:00.003+02:00

After four years, two continents, seven countries and hundreds (thousands?) of miles, our faithful stroller finally had to be laid to rest this week.

What a good life it had, and oh, how it served us well! We first got it just before we went to Florence on Summer Project four years ago. We went with an Italian brand, thinking they probably knew how to make strollers to survive the streets of Italy. And believe me, we tested its endurance in every way possible. We pushed, pulled, pummeled, dropped, beat, squashed and extreme-weathered it. Never did it hesitate or complain. Until recently.

Because we walk almost everywhere, and I almost always have a kiddo with me when leaving the house, I once commented that I didn't know what to do with my hands when I left our apartment without pushing the stroller. I felt like they were permanently attached to these handle bars. Good thing they were so cushy. :)

And oh, the places these wheels have gone! All across the US. The streets of Bologna, Florence, Rome, Venice and countless other Italian cities. Scotland. Austria. France. Belgium. The Netherlands. Pavement, gravel, sand, dirt, cobblestone and brick. . . you name it, our stroller tackled it. Superbly. It's been with us through some of the most significant changes in our lives--our family's first trip overseas, the birth of our last child, an international move. It's lugged groceries and backpacks and luggage, all the while allowing a child to sleep peacefully in its comfort. In Italy, your stroller practically gets more miles than your car. It's literally felt like an extension of our family.

And though it's exceded our expectations by two years and 500 miles, time has finally taken its toll. We've known things weren't good for a while, but we kept hoping we could make it 9-12 more months until Benjamin could make it on his own two feet. She just didn't have anything left give though. A piece on the wheel snapped, and in addition to making a horrible sound every time the wheel rotated, it drove like a car with four unbalanced tires. S-h-a-k-y.

It was time to say good-bye.

We've replaced her with the exact same stroller. We were excited to learn that Italian strollers are cheaper in Italy. The new one is tan. Not the same, but a reminder of all the ground we've already covered. The Inglesina Trip. More than just a stroller. A member of the family.

Pictures of Life

2010-05-09T14:36:00.011+02:00

I thought I'd just post a few pictures from our everyday life this week. . . hopefully it will help you "see" what life for the Phipps in Bologna is like. Enjoy!

Do you have a stuffy nose just looking at this picture? Not snow, my friends. Cotton. It is everywhere! Needless to say, we're going through allergy medicine like nobody's business. It's getting warm enough that we need to open our windows to get a little breeze, but this stuff is getting all over our apartment.

So the biggest size of milk you can get is a liter. When I go grocery shopping, I buy 12 liters of milk, and it doesn't make us through the week. But I don't think our little fridge could hold any more. Cody's fairly convinced I'm going to completely break the top shelf one of these days. (That KC Masterpiece and Pace are precious imports! Neither salsa or BBQ sauce are to be found here).

Milk also doesn't last nearly as long here. When I buy it, the expiration date is five days later, at most. No fat-free either. This is the best we can get, and it's about 2%.

Cody with our friend Fabio, at Alice's birthday party (Fabio's daughter and Hannah's best friend). We've talked before about the incredible ministry we're able to do at birthday parties! We haven't been to one that has lasted less than 2 1/2 hours. This weekend we have two, and next weekend we have two. Between Hannah and Gavin both, I bet we're invited to about 30 parties a year.

Ah, the Italian soccer game! Here it is called calcio (cal-cho). This is Gavin playing with boys at a birthday party. Soccer is serious here from the earliest age. You can't just sign up at the community center for a beginner's class. You have to join a team. And when I mean a team, I mean one that has adult-competitive play. The idea is that you train under that team from the beginning, and as you grow and progress, you work up that team's competitive levels. So a "team's" club would have 5-45 year olds. There is even trading between teams, of which you don't get a say in. If you're traded (even as an 8-year-old) and decide not to play for the team you're traded to, you have to sit out play for a year before joining another team. It's serious!

Something else to note in this picture is that Gavin is the only one is shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. It was a very pleasant 70 degrees this day, but all the kids still wore pants and long-sleeved shirts. There is a great fear of "cold" here. We try to buck the system, but we've been called by teachers at the kids' schools on more than one occassion for not sending them in warm enough clothes.

Don't these look like sopapillas?!? They are a region-specific food to Emilia-Romagna (the region Bologna is in), and they are yummy! They're actually called crescentini. You put a little spreadable cheese on one side, with some salami or prosciutto, fold it in half and gobble it up. At Alice's birthday party, her grandpa made fresch crescentini, and they were so good. You can't find them anywhere else in Italy, and we actually just discovered them here in Bologna recently.

This was Gavin and I on Mother's Day. Earlier in the week, he asked me out on a date, so we planned it for Sunday afternoon. It was our first date, and he won my heart! He took me out for gelato (he paid!) and then taught me a few soccer moves. It was precious. Gavin is growing up into such a strong, tender-hearted little boy. It was a perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day!

Refreshment. . .

2010-05-03T18:08:00.004+02:00

We just returned from our Spring Staff Conference, and we are feeling more significantly refreshed than we have in months. It was medicine for the soul! We have written before how key these conferences are for our morale, and this one was no different.

Twice a year, all of the Agape Italia staff (Italians and Americans) gather to hear from our leadership, talk with each other about what's working and not working across the country, and hear teaching from the Word to encourage us in the battle. We also get to just hang out with each other. This is especially encouraging for our kids, who for a few days twice a year, get to be with other kids who speak their native language and understand exactly how crazy their lives are. Hannah and Gavin literally played until they dropped for three days straight.

Our Spring Conference is held at a conference center on the Mediterranean side of Italy in a little town just south of Livorno. It was about three hours from Bologna. Every afternoon we had free time to play and catch up with staff friends who live in other parts of the country. After such a LONG winter, we savored every minute of sunshine.

This was Ben's first time to play in a pool, and though it took a little time to warm up to, he had a blast! It was so great to be able to splash all he wanted without Mom telling him not to make a mess. . .

We also savored great uniterrupted time with friends. It was so living-giving! Throughout the year, we miss the opportunity to sit for hours with friends who are in a similar season (i.e. a large, young family) and talk about living life in a foreign country. It was such a place of rest for us. We also had great conversations with other staff about things they are doing to help Italians grasp the gospel and the incredible grace God is offering them. As we enter into the busiest two months of the year, we are newly energized with some great reminders and new ideas.

More than anything else (and there was a lot!), we are so thankful to be returning to Bologna with a new spring in our step. We needed this kind of refreshment. We needed to get a boost of emotional and spritual energy before the wrapping up the school year with the Summer Project coming and then facing several months of ambiguity, as we work on developing the support we need to cover our new tax needs. We are so, so thankful.

And the kids are already asking when we're going to back to "the beach." They don't mean just any beach. . . they mean the beach where they get to be with their American friends. What a sweet gift that is.

One Unexpected Venue for Learning

2010-04-24T14:23:00.004+02:00

As I continue (Cody here) to grow in my mastery over the Italian language (which really still has mastery over me), I find more and more doors opening up to allow me into the culture. While this is not a new or deep thought, it has lead me down a road I never imagined myself going.

Over the course of our first year here, I tried to educate myself somewhat on the basic principles of wine...more specifically Italian wine. I soon found out how daunting of a task this could be. In a country that produces around 1 billion litres per year and has over 1 million vines under cultivation, I found myself simply not wanting to sound completely ignorant walking into a winestore. As I've tried to learn how to master the lingo, I have also, unexpectedly, learned incredible things about Italy and the people and history.

A year later, and with far more Italian under my belt, I find myself wondering why I can't find a Sangiovese Superiore that I really like (I finally did last weekend!) and trying to figure out how to ship home the 1.50Euro bottle of local table wine that is impressively good. Of course, as with most learning experiences, if it can be shared with a friend, it's usually more enjoyable. So last April a friend and I decided to educate ourselves in the realm of Italian wine. What began as a get together once a month has now developed into a weekly dinner to discuss what we're learning, try a new wine or enjoy a favorite.

Last weekend, we spent the entire day visiting local vineyards to talk with producers and become more familair with the entire process (sorry I don't have pictures! It was incredible). It may seem kind of weird, but experiences like that are exactly the kind of language experiences I need. I have enough to follow what's being talked about, and it's in an environment where I'm stretched to grow in my ability to communicate. My friend and I are now talking about what it would take for us to enroll in a Sommelier course this Fall (a Sommelier is an official "wine expert"). Who knows. . . anything is possible.

With wine being so much more than just a beverage here in Italy, it has been a really fun way for me learn more about Italian heritage and culture, while growing in my language skills too. Again, who would have thought God would have used wine in this way?

So Very Tired

2010-04-19T10:07:00.003+02:00

Ironic I'm posting this the week after raving about our great getaway and how refreshing it was! This is our life though. We think we're getting a little bit of breathing room, and the next moment it's gone.

We've been in Italy for almost two years straight now. And since we arrived, we have been bombarded with spiritual warfare. Some of those things have been BIG but most are nagging little things that add up to exhaustion. Someone likened it to having a paper cut. Not even worthy of a band-aid, but it can hurt like the dickens. We kind of feel covered with the annoyances of paper cuts right now.

Last night we decided that the bottom line is we're exhausted. Every day just takes so much energy to engage and understand and readjust and think creatively. And we're in a season with our young family where we're physically exhausted as well.

All of this was weighing on me this morning, as I spent time with the Lord. We've really been looking forward to some time in the States this summer--to being in the same time zone with friends and family, to having a little more space to spread out, to being able to run multiple errands in one day. And of course to enjoying some food that isn't Italian. Living out of suitcases for two months definitely has its stressors, but overall, we've been looking forward to the weight of the challenges of life in Italy being lifted for a little bit.

We realized recently that one weight is being replaced with another. Many of you might know we recently learned about some significant tax ramifications we're facing. Our summer of trying to just recharge is now becoming a summer of needing to raise an incredible amount of financial support. Since the kids' schooling plays such a huge role in our ability to be out of the country, we are beginning feel the stress of what the coming months in our family's life will be like.

So back to my time with the Lord. One, I realized that exercising faith can often be exhausting. I feel like our family has been in a period of "transition" for the past two years, and it might not be ending soon. Every day I am faced with an opportunity to exercise faith in God's provision for us--whether finacially, relationally, or within the context of ministry. Every day. What an incredible opportunity! I was so convicted of my desire for walking in faith to be "easy." I was convicted of how I look to so many other things to refresh my exhausted heart than to the One who made it and knows it so intimately.

In the midst of my Bible study, I read I Samuel 14:6. I was reading it in a completely different context, but it struck straight to my heart regarding the money we have to raise to remain serving here under the new tax policies. My faith can flounder sometimes when I look at the numbers and wonder, "Is it really worth it?" And when I think about the Lord raising that money in the two and half months we have planned in the States, I can only think, "That would be a miracle."

"Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." (I Samuel 14:6)

Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf! He is certainly able. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving. He desperately desires Italians to be saved. He longs to be their hope and refuge. An overwhelming tax situation will not hinder Him. Whether by many or by few. One of the heartbreaking ramifications of the tax issue are the number of current missionaries who will have to go home because of an inability to raise the money needed to cover them. Honestly, that could be us. We can only wait to see what the Lord has in store. But what great comfort we can take in knowing that even if the evangelical presence is diminished even further, it will not hinder the Lord. He will contine to save, even with fewer. Just as He did with Gideon's Army. And what greater glory He will receive!

I am so thankful to serve a God who speaks so directly to my heart. Yes, we are still exhausted. Yes, we're still longing for the weight to be lifted a little. But we are taking courage.

A New Rythym

2010-04-10T14:52:00.009+02:00

Menton, France

I have never really thought much about vacations before. Every summer growing up we would take a family vacation, and I have years of great memories. But Cody and I took one "real" vacation in the first nine years of our marriage. Because we travel so much for our job, and because we're missionaries and don't make much, vacations just didn't seem "necessary."

And then we moved overseas.
I know what you're thinking, "Yea, you have so many great places to go visit now." Though that is true, and we love learning about the incredible history and culture that surrounds us, that is actually one of the very last motivators for us. The bottom line is, we just plain NEED vacations on a regular basis. Not week-long vacations, just little getaways and respites from the stress of life here.

It is shocking to us--SHOCKING--how exhausted we become in just doing life. Part, I think, is just due to all of the cultural and language stresses we face all day, every day. Part is also the extra emotional and physical energy required for almost any task. Accomplishing even menial tasks here are never "easy." But part of the exhaustion also comes from the isolation we are in. We have several really good Italian and ex-pat friends, whom we really enjoy hanging out with, but it is different than hanging out with friends who really know us well and speak encouragement to our hearts.

Our kids don't get a Spring Break, they get an Easter Break. They have the Thursday before Easter through the Tuesday following Easter off from school. So this year we spent five days in Menton, France. It is literally 2km across the French border (about 5 hours from here), so it looks like France but everyone still speaks Italian. I found a little apartment we were able to rent for next to nothing since it was low season. It is on the French Riviera, right next to Monaco. It was beautiful! Incredible!

Parks! Parks! Parks! We found them all. We spent as much time outside as we could, now that the cold and snowy winter is FINALLY over.

Since we really just needed to relax, we spent a lot of time finally enjoying some sun and playing outside. The kids had a blast enjoying the beach, and Cody and I enjoyed the simplicity of walking around the quaint little town, cooking French cuisine at the apartment and savoring some down-time. It fed our souls!

Dad, teaching the kids how to skip rocks. It quickly devolved into just throwing rocks into the water, but the kids still had a great time.

As our time in Menton came to a close, I realized just how much I had needed a little time away. Our lives look so different here than they ever looked while living in the States! I think one of those differences is prioritizing some regular getaways. If we are going to be here long-term and thrive, we have to build in time for refreshment. That just doesn't happen in our current environment in Bologna.

The water color was the most perfect blue

So maybe I am learning a new rythym to life. Work hard. Pray hard. Trust hard. And then relax and refill.

And it doesn't hurt that in this season of life we get to refill on the coast of the French Riviera. Never in a million years would I have thought this would be my life.

This was the quaint little street our apartment was on. Rue Longue.

Gavin could play on a beach for days--no matter what the temperature was. These clothes were soaked within 15 minutes.

This was actually in Nice, which was only 20 minutes away. It was nice, but we liked the smaller Menton better.

An Easter Outreach

2010-04-07T10:34:00.003+02:00

Last month, we had a team from Switzerland come to Bologna to help us with an outreach geared toward helping students develop better study habits and acheive their goals of graduating from university. The main speaker at our two night seminar has a Ph.D in engineering and has given this seminar all over the world. Yet, he remains on staff with Agape Europe (CCC in Europe) full-time and loves working with students. During one of our meals together, he asked if we were doing anything that allowed Italian students to see and be exposed to the community that we have as believers...something that allowed them to see Christ at work in our lives through our relationships.

That thought stayed with me (Cody) and our team for sometime. What could we host that we could invite our friends to that would let them experince Christ's love through community? We eventually landed on having a dinner or "apperitivi" during the week leading up to Easter and showing the Jesus Film. Our team all committed to being there regardless of who else came but also committed to inviting the students we work with to come and join us. We came together as a team to prepare a feast and be a family. It was great. We had a handful of students join us for dinner and stayed to watch the life of Jesus. From that stemmed a conversation that ran almost to midnight.

It was a real encouragement to all of us, as it allowed us to see that Christ is moving here in Bologna. The work here is slow, and every opportunity we have to talk about the gospel bolsters our faith and encourages us to continue on. The gospel of Christ is being proclaimed in this city! That is ultimately why we came, and we praise God for the hope He has given us to share.

A New Generation of Jedi

2010-03-29T16:21:00.005+02:00

This was just so cute I couldn't help but post it. Yes, our young jedi padawon, Gavin, has now become a Master to his youngling, Ben.

For the most part, Benjamin just seems to bother Gavin. He gets into his stuff, knocks down his creations and wakes him up a few minutes too early in the morning. Not until Ben picked up a lightsaber did Gavin see the potential of his little brother.

Benjamin is at this place where he loves to do whatever he sees someone else doing. That comes in really handy when it comes to dumping the trash. . . not so handy when it comes to using scissors. Gavin has demonstrated a lightsaber duel well to his little brother. Ben even attempts to make the same sounds Gavin makes. And though I tried many times to get a picture of it, I failed to capture his favorite part of this role-playing game--dying. It's hilarious to watch Ben get wounded and fall to the ground!

The weather is finally shining gloriously Spring-like, and with the time change finally happening this past weekend, we're soaking up the extra daylight. We leave on Thursday for an Easter trip just across the border into France. For those of you who know of Cody's previous disdain for anything French, you'll recognize what a momentous trip this will be! Seriously, we are really looking forward to some time away, exploring a new place, eating different food, and just playing together as a family. Next week's blog will be delayed a few days, since we won't be getting back to Bologna until Tuesday evening.

We'd love your prayers for a really refreshing time for all of us--especially that no one would get sick and that we'd have safe travels. Bon Voyage! (That's French, isn't it?)

Slow Coffee

2010-03-22T13:12:00.003+01:00

We have often commented that one of the many differences between Italy and the U.S. is that in America, we have slow coffee (big cups with roomy and comfortable coffee shops) and fast food (don't think I need to say more). In Italy, there is only fast coffee (they are called coffee bars because you literally stand at a bar, throw back your coffee and walk out the door) and slow food (aside from the occasional McDonald's and some pizzerias, there are no other restaurants where you can take your food to go). It has fascinated us that in a country that places such a high value on coffee, there isn't a venue to linger over it. . .

Until now! A few weeks ago, a new coffee shop opened right in the heart of campus. I am pretty sure it is British-owned, but it is like walking into Starbucks! It was obviously designed as a place for students to hang out, with lots of knooks and big, comfy chairs. Here's a picture of Ben hanging out in one:

Not only is the atmosphere great (and spacious--there are three seperate sitting rooms), but they make flavored coffee drinks! I got a mocha this morning (they call it a Creative Chocolate), and it was just pretty darn good. A regular Italian cappucino takes about four swigs to down. . . this was a Starbucks-sized tall. And you can get a cup of "American coffee" if you'd like (regular brewed coffee). Wow!

Gavin, Benjamin and I stopped in for a snack this morning. It's a good thing this place is not especially close to our apartment! It's called Itit, which in Italian is pronounced Eateat. We thought that was kind of funny. :)

So obviously our tastebuds are pretty excited about this new discovery, but even more fantastic than the fun coffee and great atmosphere is that is right in the heart of campus. Every time we've been in there, it has been packed with college students. We have been dying to find a place like this where we can just hang out with students! Without a doubt, this place is going to change the way we do ministry.

A win-win, any way you look at it. The only down side is paying 3 Euro for my Creative Coffee, instead of 1.30 for an Italian cappuccino. Again, it's a good thing we don't live closer. . .

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

2010-03-15T11:31:00.005+01:00

We started this little blog with the beautiful story of Benjamin's arrival into our family. It feels almost unbelievable it's already been two years, though an incredible amount of life has happened in that time! This past Saturday was our little Boo's birthday, and he had a great day.

After getting up and having pumpking pancakes for breakfast, he tore into his presents. Christmas was a good warm-up for his birthday because he loved opening his gifts! That was almost as much fun as discovering what was under the wrapping. Ben's really into figuring out how things work these days and playing with his "tools," so he had a Handy Manny themed birthday. It was great to hear him "oooh, woooooow!" when he would see the Handy Manny logo. He also got a toddler easel with a chalkboard and a dry erase board, in hopes of introducing him to a more appropriate medium for him to practice his artistic skills. :)

After enjoying new toys for awhile, we went to a Chicco store just outside town that has a "Chiccolandia." It's this giant soft-padded play area designed just for toddlers. We hadn't been in a while, so it was great fun for us to see how much more independent Ben is now. He just did laps going down the slide! By the time we left, he was sweating (which is really a no-no for Italian children!), and really the only inticement away from such fun was the promise of McDonald's for lunch.

After a much-needed nap, we went to some friends' house across town, who are Americans in Bologna working for Catapillar, and grilled burgers and enjoyed a few more hours of birthday love. One of things we've learned about Ben in the past year is that he would pick salty over sweet almost any day. He LOVES chips. And when you have a BBQ, there are bound to be chips. I'm pretty sure he ate an entire bag by himself, just by sneaking to table and grabbing some from the bowl. When it came time for this birthday cake (Pat the Hammer from Handy Manny--mom spent hours trying to figure out a way to make this guy!), he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. Wouldn't eat a bite! Oh well, at least his birthday was a reason for us to have birthday cake. . .

Today, we celebrate this precious life God has blessed us with! Benjamin definitely keeps us on our toes, but he also makes us laugh and dance and wrestle and savor every moment of his new discoveries.

The Honeymoon is Over

2010-03-10T11:37:00.005+01:00

I remember fondly back to December when we got our first significant snow. Cody and the kids could not get their boots on fast enough to get outside to enjoy the winter wonderland. Coming from Houston, snow was a delight the kids had never known. Gavin, especially, LOVES snow.

This winter it has snowed, and snowed, and snowed. We learned quickly that snow is really much more fun to watch falling from your window and playing in before it's been marred by dirt and exhaust. After the first 12 hours, the reality of the fact that you have to get out and dredge through it to get anywhere sets in, and it's not so exciting anymore.

Last year, as we experienced our first Italian winter (grey and cold and days with limited hours of sun), we had an American friend tell us, "Just keep March 1 in front of you. It all gets better then." And she was right! Right around March 1, it warmed up, the days became longer, and we began to have some sunny days again. As this winter has been even colder, with even more snow, we had a big red circle around March 1 on the calendar. We couldn't wait for it to get here. Sure enough, the first two days of March were glorious.

And yet, here we are March 10, and I think it's fair to say we're in the middle of a blizzard. Oh, for crying out loud! The honeymoon with snow is definitely over.

Today also happens to be the first day of a two-day outreach we have been planning for months. We've brought in three Swiss to lead a seminar on Effective Studying. We've invested a lot of time and money in this first attempt to hold a large-scale outreach. And though it is being held near campus, it is going to be incredibly challenging for students to attend. Travel around town is horrible. Since it seems crazy to actually get in your car, everyone is riding the buses. Not that they can go much faster.

Crazy. My only hope is that such a long, cold winter means a shorter, cooler summer. . . One can hope anyway.

Italian Non-Verbals--Child's Play

2010-03-07T14:02:00.005+01:00

One of the great things about Italian is that you can get by without understanding word for word what someone is telling you because of how animated Italians tend to be. We have been so thankful for this great aspect of Italian culture, as we've been working on growing in our language skills!

That being said, it is also vital to learn some of the common non-verbals almost every Italian has in their repretoire. If you don't, you will most likely miss out on some very important communication. Cody's been working on his facial non-verbals, but recently, we've noticed just how many the kids have picked up. They have graciously volunteered to give a little tutorial.

This is done by shaking the open hand up and down, and roughly means "come on. . . " (seriously, I'm saying something true)

Again, this is done by shaking the hands up and down and is used when you can hardly believe something is true or you're exaserbated.

Hands are held in this position and moved around kind of like directing music. Hannah uses it for emphasis when she's really getting worked up about something.

Classic Italian. And Gavin has it down. . . usually accompanied by a "Mamma Mia." Roughly it means, "Unbelievable," or sometimes "You're bustin' my chops!"

You can probably picture this one--the finger wagging back and forth. Hannah knows this one so well because it's a favorite of her teachers at school. It means "No way, Buster" in a polite and superior way.

There you go. Italian Non-Verbals 101. We have been shocked to see how the kids effortlessly look exactly like the Italians we know when communicating with these daily gestures. Just like they sound native-Italian when they speak. Cody and I make our attempts. . .