One Month

Dear Family,
I hope you all are well and enjoying your summer as much as we are. As I sat down to scribble out this post, I was reminded that this week is our fourth here in Italy. We have roughly six more left. It’s hard to believe that we are nearly at the half-way point for our time here. In some ways, it has flown by. We are learning so much Italian and have become pretty well adapted to the way things work here in Prato, at least in our little circle. So, in that respect, it seems as though we’ve been here a while. Then, when I think about the fact that one half of our time here is nearly over, and that one third of our entire summer is gone, it seems that time is flying by!! But, all in all, it has been a great month overall, except for the fact that we have been sick for the last few days. Josie and I both seem to have gotten a stomach virus that is going around, so we’ve been in bed for the last couple of days. Especially Josie; she’s had it pretty bad. I’m confident that we’re on the better side of things now, and we’ve finally gotten some good medicine that seems to be helping. So, no worries about us. We’re in good hands. :)

Up until our illness, we were staying quite busy with the activities in the church and other things. As for activities with the church, we’ve been able to visit with some of the members quite frequently, going to their homes and hanging out, and getting ice cream together. Also, a couple of the members of the church here had birthdays last week, so we threw them a part that practically the whole congregation attended. As for our group’s (the Mahan’s, the AIMers, and us) activities, we all went into the mountains Sunday night to sing for a conference held by a local battered women’s support group. As a show of their appreciation for our singing, we were invited to dinner, which was a four-course meal that lasted over two hours! We as a group are also doing singing and puppet practice, getting ready for those activities later this week. For Josie and me personally, we got a chance see some friends from the States when the Wilson’s came through Florence as part of their European backpacking trip. It was good to see old friends, and to experience Florence together with them. We also have been working on Italian, both in private lessons and in everyday conversations with church members and people here in Prato. It was a lot of fun going to the pharmacy to get Josie some medicine, and trying to explain to the woman there what I was wanting! I have a hard enough time doing that in the States, much less here in a language I really don’t know!! But I made it through, and learned a few new vocabulary words as well. :)

We have yet to get a chance to do much traveling to some of the really beautiful and scenic towns here in Tuscany. Between bad weather and illness, we’ve basically been in Prato the entire time. We hope to venture out for a couple of short day trips in the next week, and maybe a couple of over-night trips to visit with other missionaries here in Italy later in the month. We should be back in Florence with the Daggetts and some of the campaigners this Monday when they come through. It will be such a blessing to see them again, and hear about all their adventures from the last month. We had hoped to be with them this week while they were in Naples, but it just didn’t work out. So, we’ll settle for Monday, since even a little visit is better than none at all.

We miss you all dearly and pray for your well-being constantly. We also ask for your continued prayers for us and the work here. May God continue to bless you and your work for His kingdom in your everyday life, and may he bless our brothers and sisters here in Italy as they struggle in the same effort.

Love to you all,

Aaron