Napoli and the first week or so...

Hey there,
So our first week has been a good one. We had an amazing time at the retreat in Velletri with all the other Christians from around Italy. We got to see lots of our brothers and sisters that we met 4 years ago on the campaign. We also got a lot of exposure to Italian, and some great practice in speaking and communicating with the Italians. Josie, of course, really showed me up, but I think I'm coming along ok. Better than last time for sure... :-) Anyway, Saturday night I was asked to give a short devotional talk for the meeting that night (Shawn translated for me, otherwise it would have been a really short talk!). So overall, it was a huge blessing to be there and be a part of the nationwide fellowship of the Lord's Church in Italy. Sunday afternoon, after eating an amazing lunch and saying tearful goodbyes, we packed into the car and headed south to Naples for the week with the Mahans and some of the AIMers that are working in Prato. It was such a blessing for us since we had really wanted to go down to Naples anyway, and this way we didn't have to go all the way there alone. It was great to see the DeMarco family, Genni, Massimilliano, Lino, and all the others from Napoli. We stayed with an American family that is working on the Naval base there. They have an amazing home with a gorgeous view, so we definately took advantage of that. We got to spend a lot of time with the DeMarcos as well. They showed us a little bit of downtown Naples, and we were able to hear about the work there, and hopefully encourage them a little at the same time. The work there, as in the rest of Italy, is difficult and can be discouraging, so please pray for the church there as they try to be a light in that area.

On Saturday we left Naples and headed to Prato, with a few hour layover in Rome. Mike and Anto had a wedding in Rome (failure to attend a wedding when you've been invited is an insult in Italy) that took most of the day, so we got the chance to check out a few of the sites we missed last time. We took a tour of the ruins of Palatine Hill and the Forum, and then walked over to the Pantheon. After lunch (which happens around 2 or so in Italy) we took a stroll all over central Rome, enjoying the beauty and the atmosphere of the Eternal City, as well as getting a little bit of a sunburn!

Saturday evening we drove back to Prato, which is only about 3 hours or so, but seems much longer after a long day in Rome, and when you have 9 people in a 6 passenger van!! Especially when one of those 9 is a two year old!! But we made it just fine, and settled into our apartment that night in Prato. We are sharing an apartment with three of the girls that are here with the AIM program, and they have been nice enough to give us one of their rooms (it's only a 2 bedroom apt.!) for 2 months. Sunday morning we went to church and visited with our brothers and sisters that meet here in Prato. We gave lots of hugs and kisses (Italians greet one another with a kiss on each cheek), and met the new members that have been added to the church in the last 4 years.

The last couple of days we have had the opportunity to relax a bit and get settled into our surroundings. We've gone grocery shopping, done our laundry, and walked all over Prato. We've also been working out our plans for the rest of our time here. As a group, we are expecting to be performing several puppet shows and singing concerts for various groups. As for just Josie and me, we have already started our private Italian lessons with Mike, and we are planning a couple of different trips to spend time with other missionaries here in Italy. There are also plans for visiting with the members of the church here, and meeting some of the evangelistic contacts that have been made here in the city. Our schedule is already getting booked, so it seems like we'll be quite busy this summer learning, growing, and serving.

I hope you all are doing well, and that God is blessing you all with opportunities to shine for Him in your own mission field. Please continue to pray for the work going on here in Italy, and for our brothers and sisters here that live and work in a very difficult area. They need so much encouragement, and often feel very alone and overwhelmed. Also pray for us, that God would use us to encourage and strenthen our family in Christ, and that we would see and understand more clearly God's plan for our future. Love in Christ,

Aaron