Rest

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

Checking In

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

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.

Pedibus

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.

The World's Newest Yellow Belt

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!

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

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

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

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.

Downstairs Fun

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.