Well it's official: our summer in Italy is over. Sad but true. We arrived in New York last Thursday evening after a very long day of International travel. Don't get me wrong, we were ready to get back to the U.S., but we were also sad to be leaving the place that was our home for more than 2 months. We definitely enjoyed our last few days in Italy, and have also enjoyed our time here in NYC. I wish I could write about everything that has happened, but unfortunately we'll have to settle for some highlights. Here are just a few:
We knew that we would have a few days to do some fun stuff our last week in Italy, so we took a couple of days and enjoyed them. On the Saturday before we left, Josie, Brian, and I all went back to Cinque Terre and enjoyed a day at the beach. We really had a blast swimming in the Mediterranean and getting a little bit of a tan. The next day was our last Sunday, and last worship service, with the church in Prato. I was able to say a few words (with Mike translating of course!!) to the church about how grateful we were to them, and how much we would miss them. After church we all planned to get together again before we left, so we didn't have to say all of our goodbyes then. Later that night, there was a little fair going on in Prato, so we got to check that out and see what a fair looks like in Italy. It's a little different than what we were used to, but not much really. On Monday, Josie and I decided to stay in and pack our things and clean up before we left on Wednesday morning for Rome. Tuesday was our last full day in Tuscany, so we decided to go back into Florence and see some of the things we had still not experienced. We stopped off at the market to snag a few souvineers, then we caught a open-top sightseeing tour bus. We had done this same thing in London a couple of years ago, so we knew that we would really enjoy it. We weren't disappointed. We got to see so much of Florence that we would never have gotten to see. 
Plus, the tour tells you all the history behind what you are seeing, which makes it so much more interesting. After spending the day in Florence, we headed back to Prato for a little get-together that the church members had planned. We all ate pizza and talked and laughed, enjoying our last night of fellowship together. We said our emotional goodbyes, then headed back to our apartment for the last time. Early Wednesday morning we grabbed our bags and headed to the train station for Rome. Since the train ride is about 3 hours, and we needed to be at the airport by 11am, we decided that it would be better to just stay the night in Rome to avoid any potential problems. We booked a night at the Hotel Riviera in Fiumicino, just outside of Rome and only 10 minutes from the airport. This place was special for us since it is the same hotel that we all stayed in 4 years ago when we first arrived in Italy. 
This place was also great because it is only a couple of blocks away from the beach! So, instead of going into Rome, we spent the rest of the day in Fiumicino at the beach. It was a perfect ending to a great 2 months in Italy. We really couldn't have asked for anything better. The next morning we started our long day in the air by flying out to Amsterdam first, then on to NY. The first thing we wanted to do when we got to New York was sleep!! After a long flight like that, I'm usually pretty worn out. Josie's dad picked us up at the airport, and took us back to his house in the Bronx were we got a good nights sleep. We've been here since then, mostly relaxing and trying not to melt in this heat!! On Sunday, Josie and I jumped on the subway for a short trip to see her grandmother and sister who live here as well.
Josie got to show me around her old neighborhood a little and take some pictures of her old school and playground. It was also good to spend the day with her family, especially since it was her grandmother's birthday. It was a little confusing for me, however, since they all speak Spanish and my mind is still stuck in Italian! I can see that it's going to take a little time to get used to speaking Spanish again. :) We had a good time visiting with everyone there, and then headed back to her father's house for the night. Then next day I had a meeting with Jared Looney, a church-planter here in the Bronx. I have been in contact with him for the last several months about their work here, so this was a great opportunity to meet with him in person and discuss the work here. They are doing a great work, and I enjoyed hearing about their successes and failures here in this very difficult field. Josie and I are planning on meeting with the church that meets in their home on Friday night, so we are looking forward to getting a first-hand look at church planting here in the Bronx.
On Tuesday, we decided to head into the city for a little sightseeing. New York City is one of our favorite places in the world, so we definitely wanted to see it at least once while we were here. We decided to take Bobby, one of Josie's brothers, along with us since he hasn't been to the city very often. He wanted to see the Statue of Liberty, so we started there. After seeing Lady Liberty, we headed back up town, taking in the city and all its sights. After walking around for a few hours and seeing a lot of cool stuff, we decided to head back home to avoid being caught in the rain. We hope to get back into the city again before we leave, but I'm not sure if that will happen or not. Rain is in the forcast for the rest of the week, so we'll just have to see what happens.
Josie got to show me around her old neighborhood a little and take some pictures of her old school and playground. It was also good to spend the day with her family, especially since it was her grandmother's birthday. It was a little confusing for me, however, since they all speak Spanish and my mind is still stuck in Italian! I can see that it's going to take a little time to get used to speaking Spanish again. :) We had a good time visiting with everyone there, and then headed back to her father's house for the night. Then next day I had a meeting with Jared Looney, a church-planter here in the Bronx. I have been in contact with him for the last several months about their work here, so this was a great opportunity to meet with him in person and discuss the work here. They are doing a great work, and I enjoyed hearing about their successes and failures here in this very difficult field. Josie and I are planning on meeting with the church that meets in their home on Friday night, so we are looking forward to getting a first-hand look at church planting here in the Bronx.
On Tuesday, we decided to head into the city for a little sightseeing. New York City is one of our favorite places in the world, so we definitely wanted to see it at least once while we were here. We decided to take Bobby, one of Josie's brothers, along with us since he hasn't been to the city very often. He wanted to see the Statue of Liberty, so we started there. After seeing Lady Liberty, we headed back up town, taking in the city and all its sights. After walking around for a few hours and seeing a lot of cool stuff, we decided to head back home to avoid being caught in the rain. We hope to get back into the city again before we leave, but I'm not sure if that will happen or not. Rain is in the forcast for the rest of the week, so we'll just have to see what happens.I had really wanted to add some overall reflections from our time in Italy to this post, but since it is so long already, I think I'll save that for later. In the mean time, just know that we are doing very well, and enjoying the blessings that God fills our lives with every day. I hope the same is true for you all as well. Please continue to pray for us as we seek to do His will, and that we might be shining lights in the darkness. Also remember our brothers and sisters in Italy, and those here in the Bronx. God bless you all.
Aaron
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