A Taste of Spring

After sharing last week about the challenges of January, we felt like we had to share what a great week we had this past week. It really was a great answer to prayer. First, the weather warmed up just a bit (from the low 30's to the low 40's). For some reason, that made a huge difference. And there were a couple of days when the sun was shining too! It gave us a little taste of spring that we have to say was intoxicating. Bologna is such a great city to walk that when the weather is nice it's hard to imagine a better place to be.

The weather was really icing on the cake to a really good week though. Cody started back to Italian class and spent time, as well, just walking through campus praying for God to be forging ahead of us. One evening he went out with a friend from church and learned about the Italian practice of Aperitivi. That night Hannah asked where he was going, and I said, "Well, it's kind of like going out to dinner before dinner." Most bars (which are totally different than a bar in the States--mostly they are coffee bars) will offer an aperitivi around 5pm. It's a little buffet of finger foods and a glass of wine. Then you eat dinner around 8. Anyway, hanging out with students over aperitivi will be just like hanging out at Starbucks with students in the States. It will be a huge ministry venue. So this friend from church took it upon himself to take Cody and explain the whole cultural experience to him. It was very good.

The next night, Cody met with a student named Andrea, whom he has gotten together with several times since meeting him at a Thanksgiving outreach he did. They have had good conversation every time they've gotten together, but this week Cody was able to share his testimony with him and tell him more specifically why we're here. Needless to say, this was a huge encouragement. Though we absolutely understand and feel the need for the language-learning emphasis we have this year, it was a great reminder of why we're putting in all this work. Please, please pray for God to begin working in Andrea's heart. Pray he would pursue more gospel conversations and be open to reading the Bible with Cody.

And oddly, God also spoke encouragement this week when we found out that it does not look like Gavin is going to get into preschool at all this year. I was really disheartened by the news (as was Gavin--he's been praying every night for God to open a spot for him). But Cody had great perspective. He said he was convinced that God hadn't provided a spot for Gavin because He was protecting him from something. Schools are different here in Italy. They are taught from a shame-based philosophy. And discipline is not a big priority either, so boys especially can be really rough. All along we felt so confident that getting Gavin into school would help him to adjust to the culture and make some friends. We now trust that God knew that would not be the best thing for him. We have a great peace about it now.

The best part about our time in Italy has been how dependent we've remained on the Lord. He has continued to meet us and reveal Himself to us in the most concrete and amazing ways. I feel like I live in light of His character so much more than I ever have. His glory brings me so much comfort. The little taste of spring we got this week went much farther than just the weather. It was an encouragement we really needed.

Surviving January

The whirlwind and excitement of Christmas could not have come at a better time for us. Just before Christmas we had hit a real low. The busy-ness of getting settled had slowed down, and we were beginning to deal with the realities of life in Bologna long-term. We needed a little distraction. Christmas break flew by, but it definitely refilled our sails a bit.

God is really good on the days that we're struggling to speak encouragement at just the right time. Hannah's class at school put on a little Christmas show the week before Christmas, and she blew us away! She has picked up so much language this fall! She sang right along with everybody else, having a great time, we might add. We have begun to make a few relationships with some of the other parents, and the night of the Christmas concert was a sweet reminder of God's incredible provisions for us. We prayed so much for Hannah to have a positive school experience, and we could not have asked for anything more. In a lot of ways, we're more pleased with her school experience here than in the States even. More than that, we were encouraged by the reminder of the relationships God has begun for us. When we think about the Italians we are getting to know, we are quickly reminded of why we moved here. God HAS come before us. He HAS prepared great things for us. We are so excited to see what He has in store.

We were thrilled that my parents decided to visit for Christmas this year! We were so anxious for company and the opportunity to share a little bit of our life with family. The weather was cold while they were here, so we hung out inside as much as possible, but it ministered to all of us to have them here. The kids soaked up time with Grandma and Papa. Much wrestling was had and even a trip to a Gelateria in sub-freezing temperatures. We made some great memories to always think about when remembering our first Christmas in Italy.

Now it is January, and we are trying to press through the post-Christmas let down. We had anticipated this being a challenging time, and it started out about as we anticipated. Since it's remained cold (lower 30's--which is really cold for former Houstonians!), we have felt a lot more cooped up. We really have to push ourselves to continue engaging the culture. We remain more worn-out emotionally than we'd like. But we're pressing on. We are looking forward to several things coming up, including a group of students from TCU who will be coming at Spring Break. It's good to have some milestones to look forward to. Small goals feel really important right now.

Thanks for continuing to pray for us. We are continuing to pray there would be an opening for Gavin to start preschool. We're praying we would hear even this week. We know we're in the midst of probably our most challenging time here. We value you standing with us so very much.

We needed that. . .

Last weekend we headed to a little Christian Retreat center about 30 minutes outside of Florence for an Italian staff conference. It is always good to be with other Campus Crusade staff--to be encouraged by God's Word and hear about what's happening through the ministry. We had no idea how much we needed it this time though. It was like water on a dry and dusty land!

There are about 70 Americans working with CCC in Italy this year. About 20 of those are long-term staff, and the rest are here interning for a year. There are a few other families, as well, which was SO GOOD for the kids. Gavin was especially homesick last week. He has been on the waiting list to get into an Italian preschool, but we're still waiting. He needed to play with some other kids so badly. So he played and played and played. It was cold and rainy most of the weekend, but it didn't phase him. How good for us, as parents, to see our kids' hearts encouraged! Hannah quickly made friends, as well, and is already talking about the next time we'll get to hang out with them (many of their new friends live in Rome).

For me, personally, it was also really good to be with other moms. There are just some unique challenges to family life in Italy. Especially doing what we do. So to be with other moms who are dealing with the same issues I am (like how to have a good parent/teacher conference with Hannah's teachers who speak no English) was such a boost for me.

Also very encouraging was hearing about what God is doing around the country. Since we are just starting the ministry in Bologna, it's been easy at times to feel discouraged by the lack of "something to show." That coupled with the stories we hear from all over the country about the hardness of the Italian heart can be overwhelming. God IS at work in Italy though! It was such an encouragement to hear stories of how people are beginning to see Italians soften to the gospel. In Rome they have started a children's ministry that has taken off beyond anyone's imagination. In Fiesole, a staff mom began a friendship with a very influential Italian mom that has opened doors to share the gospel with the Italian President's Society (a group of very successful, influential Italians). So exciting!

In the past couple of weeks we have felt a strange sense of discouragement. The kind you can't quite put a finger on. Though we are feeling settled and more comfortable with every day life, we have experienced several days of feeling completely inadequate for what we hope to see God do. More than inadequate but completely discouraged. Being reminded of the vision to reach Italy, being encouraged that our experience is normal, seeing our kids filled with fun. . . it was deeply good.

Anticipation of BIG things

Last night we were given another glimpse into what God is preparing for Bologna. Though we can still only dream about the specifics, it's going to be incredible.

One of the most encouraging aspects of heading to Bologna was hearing about the partnership of evangelicals who were here. It was this group (two churches and Youth for Christ) who first contacted Campus Crusade, asking for some full-time staff to please be sent to Bologna. Since we've arrived, we have been blown away by the unity amongst this group. Especially compared the great divisions that exist among the Protestant churches in Italy (this is another long, sad story for another time).

Last night we had dinner with a couple from England who arrived in Bologna a month before we did. They are about our age with no kids. He was born in Italy but raised in London, where he most recently served as a pastor. About two years ago God began to call them to pastor a church in Bologna and help teach at one of the two Institutes in Italy for evangelical Christians (there are no seminaries). It was great to hear about how God had worked to bring them here. He said at one point, "The best way I can describe it is to say I would have been a Jonah if I hadn't come."

In a couple of hours together, we dreamed some big dreams! It was incredible to hear others talking with the same passion about the same goal of seeing Italians come to a true biblical understanding of Jesus. The more we talked, the more we saw how God is moving some major pieces together to bring the gospel to this city. We are so humbled to think about being a part of it! And filled with so much anticipation of what He has in store. Please join with us in praying for God's will to be accomplished here. Pray for this little body of believers to have great wisdom and discernment in how the Lord would have us proceed.

In closing, I'll share our little "ah, Italy" moment of the day. In looking over Hannah's homework tonight, we saw that in science this week they studied the bottling process of wine. First the grapes are grown, then they are stomped, put into barrels and bottled. In first grade! Hilarious! Only in Italy. . .

We leave tomorrow for a staff conference with all the Campus Crusade staff in Italy. We are so looking forward to being with others in the same place we are in. And the kids are dying to play with other english-speaking kids! Gavin is genuinely starting to get lonely. He needs some friends outside of his siblings. So if nothing else, for him to play with other kids will be worth the trip. Today he finally said, "Mom, I miss Houston. I want to go back there." So, we are looking forward to the refreshment and encouragement.

We'll post another update soon!

Storming a Castle

Again, we have to apologize for the lengthy delay since our last blog. Our stuff arrived from the States! It was one of the happiest days we can remember in recent memory. We can't even begin to describe the morale booster sleeping in our own beds provided. The kids still haven't gotten over having their toys again. Talk about Christmas in October! Being in our own apartment has been another huge step toward feeling settled. It wasn't seemless, however. We just got Internet back last week. We've blown more fuses than we care to count. And we've had to learn new bus routes from our new location. Oh, and did I mention the printer cable I fried accidently?

As this blog serves to witness, our life has been a freight train since March. After we had unpacked the last box and hung most of the pictures, we sat on our couch in the living room and thought, "We made it. Maybe life will return to normal." Of course, as I wrote earlier, it's definitely a new kind of normal. Still, we feel like we're slowing down for the first time in six months. It's a good feeling.

In our last prayer letter, we had asked people to pray for some family fun. Because we have had so much to accomplish in the past months, we feel like we've been painfully short on play time. This past weekend, the other couple we're working with, who have a car, invited us to go with them to a little town about 25 minutes away that has a real life castle. The kids needed to hear no more to be on board! I've included some pictures from our little adventure (that's the kids in the "torture chamber"). We were back by lunch, but it was such a boost of refreshment to get out of the city and explore a little. We're adapting to urban living pretty well, but there's somthing about being in the country that breathes some rest.

Even though there have been some great "pick-me-ups" in the past month, we have also experienced some of our first cultural adjustment challenges. There have been some days of great discouragement. When you hang pictures on your walls, there is a new sense of "Wow, we're really staying here for a long time." But you know, the bottom line is that our hearts still break for Italians to know Jesus. The other day, I was waiting to pick up Hannah from school, and I was just overcome with compassion for all the parents I was surrounded by. They work so hard. They just looked so worn out. I want so much for them to know joy. Still, sometimes when you're completely frustrated that you need yet another plug to make something work, it's hard to remember the bigger picture.

Some happy things we've discovered: grocery delivery to our apartment (a life-saver!), a grocery store that has really good tortilla chips (we haven't found any good salsa yet though), a park pretty close to our new apartment that has a wooded trail--you can almost forget you're in the city, a really yummy and really cheap Chinese restaurant, novella wine (wine made from the harvest's first grapes), and a really cool castle in Dozza.

Oliver Walton Simmons

This is going to be a very personal blog. . . my grandpa died on Sunday. The burial and memorial service will be on Friday in Atlanta. And I won't be able to attend. My grandpa turned 89 this past August. He and my grandmother had been married for 68 years. I will always be so thankful for the incredible heritage of family, faith and responsibility my grandfather leaves.

I have so many great memories with my grandpa that my mind dances amongst them. Their house in Jonesboro, Georgia will always be one of my favorite places, though they haven't lived there for years. It was on lake, nestled among tall trees. It was a beautiful, quiet retreat for me. I have only happy memories there. I can still smell the smell that always greeted you when you walked in the door. Atlanta will always carry with it times I shared with my grandad. Going to Six Flags, eating at the Varsity, seeing the original Chick-Fil-A Dwarf House.

My grandpa helped walk me down the aisle when I got married. He had no daughters, and I am the only granddaughter. It was such a special event for him to share with me. I've posted a picture from the last time I was able to see my grandpa. In July, on our way home from Florida, we stopped to spend time with my grandparents. They got to meet Ben, and I got to just be with them again.

We looked into what it would take for me to be able to attend the funeral, and it just didn't make sense. This is the worst week since we arrived for me to travel--the container with our belongings from the States is arriving. There's no way Cody could do it by himself. If I had tried, I would have been in Atlanta for barely 24 hours. I am so thankful, however, that my brother is able to return from Kazakhstan, where he's serving in the Peace Corp.

We knew when we decided to move overseas that we would miss a lot of life events back in the States. This one came too quickly. I am studying Genesis right now and the life of the Patriarchs. Much is made of honoring their lives. Brothers come together to bury their father. So it's really hard to realize I won't be able to formally participate in this event with the rest of my family. God has been so sweet to me, even in this. He reminded me that when I chose to follow His call, I knew I would be giving up some things that were important to me. Even the things I value most in this world, however, pale in comparison to following Jesus. I could pick no other place to be. He fills my heart with a peace and contentedness that makes all else fall away. So as the thought entered my mind that not being able to attend my grandfather's funeral was one more thing I was giving up to be where God wants me to be, I felt like the Lord said, "It's OK." It's OK that I won't be there. I will honor my grandpa in a hundred other ways by continuing to live what he modeled, by telling my kids about all those great memories I have with him. It's OK. I am where I need to be.

So in a small little way, this entry is a memorial stone for him. A marker of a life well lived and well loved. I would be so blessed to see my little men grow up to inherit some of their great-grandfather's character, strength and joy.

O.W. Simmons 1919-2008.

The Complexities of Italian Pasto

Pasto=meals

Americans have a lot of perceptions about Italy. One is that Italians love food. This, we can confirm. Food is a huge deal here. For instance, at school, Hannah has a snack in the morning, a FULL three-course meal for lunch, and a snack in the afternoon. The quality of food consumed at those three times is also very important. A note came home from school asking for the snack we send in the morning to be "easily digestible and not ruin their appitiete for lunch." Italians believe that good food is essential for kids' learning, so lunch is taken very seriously. We talked with one staff mom who, in taking her child to school one morning, came across a mob of parents in an uproar. What is the angry mob protesting? The school had made the decision to serve premade pasta instead of fresh.

Well, last week Cody had to attend a conference for all the staff or interns new to Italy this year. It was a very encouraging time for him, and he gained a lot of insight into the challenges we're going to face. The Lord met him in some very good ways. He was also able to participate in his very first Italian cooking lesson! The food at the retreat center was amazing. One afternoon in their free time, the cook offered to show anyone who was interested how to cook a few genuine Tuscan dishes (the conference was in Tuscany. . . about 2 hours from here). Below are pictures of Cody helping make a traditional Tuscan lasagna. For those who want to know the difference, the Tuscan lasagna has a red sauce and a cream-like sauce. And not too much cheese.

It's easy to offend Italians in the area of food (or completely demonstrate what a foreigner you are), so as crazy as it sounds, we're really trying to understand some of the basics. For instance, I just learned that there is a definite distinction between tortellini (smaller, filled with ricotta) and tortelloni (slightly larger, filled with a meat). And there is nothing that says you don't understand the rules of caffe (coffee) more than ordering a cappucino (or ca-poo-cho as they call it here) after 11am.

Some basics: A typical antipasti (appitizer) is melon and proschiuto (a thinly sliced Italian ham). Your first course in always a pasta. You eat pasta first to allow your stomach to stretch for the main course of meat. The main course is then followed by salad, which aides in digestion. And, as I said, never drink milk in your caffe after 11, or you'll be too full for lunch. Also, you should enjoy a snack at 10 am and at 4pm. Whew! It's a good thing we walk A LOT here.

Getting "Normal"

I thought I'd throw in some pictures of "life" for us these days. No, we don't eat gelato on a daily basis, but the kids sure are excited that there's at least a possiblity for gelato every day. :) The second picture is a street near the center of town--Il Centro (pronounced "eel chentro"). It doesn't show the porticos that line Bologna, but it does look like a lot of the streets we see. The area we live in is a lot more residential and has a lot of big, beautiful trees. Bolognese call it The Green Area. Then there is our sweet Benjamin growing, growing, growing. He loves to stand up, is dying to actually be moving forward when he tries to crawl and is just about to get the sitting thing down. We can't believe he is already six months old. So much has happened in our lives during those six months!

Finally, there is a picture of something that is a daily part of our life--trips to a park. There are tons of parks located very close by. I guess since no one has a yard, they really value having parks available. We have tried out most we can quickly walk to, and this is our favorite. Every day after school (around 4:30), the parks are flooded. I think they are going to prove to be a great venue to meet people. Definitely a great opportunity for our kids to meet and play with other Italian bamini. The weather has been cool and mild for the most part, and the kids have relished time outside.

This week marks the first time I'm navigating life on my own with the kids since we arrived, as Cody is at a retreat for all the Campus Crusade staff (we call it Agape Italia) who are new to the country. It is going to be an incredibly infomative few days, and I wish we all could have gone. But it didn't seem prudent to take Hannah out of school the second week. So we're hanging back in Bologna.

Before Cody left, we talked about how we've reached a little milestone. . . we feel life we now know a new "normal." Life here takes a lot of work. Everything that is needed for daily living just requires a lot of time and work. It's amazing how many conveniences we enjoyed back in the States that we didn't even realize were conveniences. But we feel like we've made the shift. We're OK that we have to go to the grocery store every day, and that the trip usually takes about 1 1/2 hours. We're OK thinking creatively on how to haul our groceries for a family of five home. You don't get anything done quickly here, and we're adjusting. That's nice.

When it feels like the majority of my day is focused on just accomplishing what needs to be done to survive, I am so thankful that God has made even those things part of His work for me. In everything, I am reminded that it is all for the gospel. During the times I have absolutely not wanted to walk to the store for bread or milk or water, I am reminded that even that is for the gospel. Every morning I wake hungry for the Word of God to fill me. In a culture where I feel so foreign and inept, the power and truth of God's Word has nourished my soul in a way I haven't known for a long time. And during those times, God has so sweetly reminded me that the more Italian I can become (oh so FAR to go!), the more effectively I am going to be able to communicate the incredible hope and life that Jesus wants so desperately for this prodigal country to know. Every time I walk out our door, God opens the floodgates of compassion in my heart. I want to much for Italians to have HOPE. I want so much for them to know JOY. Life is so hard here, in so many ways. I want them to know rest.

And so it is that we are settling into normal and that in the normal, God is preparing us.