reality check

The past couple weeks I have been looking for a place to live and getting to know this place I am going to call home. 

I have traveled a lot on foot, used the lovely trains and ridden with staff friends in their cars. 

It has become obvious that I will need to purchase a car here sooner than I thought. 

This fills me with a bit of fear.

I am not afraid of driving on the other side of the road...

...although, I will definitely be more cautious for a while.

I am not afraid of finding a good deal for a car...

...I know people here who can help out

no, what I am afraid of, I realised last night...

...I am afraid of the amount of money that I will need to purchase a car. 

I feel strange even writing that. 

I have experienced the Lord provide exceedingly abundantly for all my needs all of my life. 

There is nothing in my history with the Lord that proves anything other than that God is the provider.

I do not want to be afraid.

Learning to speak English again

Creche

Kerb

Peg

Hob

Bin

These are just a few of the new words I am learning as I adjust to life in the UK. 

Do you know what they all are?

 :-) 

I am asking the question, "what does that mean?" a lot these days. 

 I am also learning about different foods. 

My first meal in Birmingham, homemade bangers and mash.

 Thank you Sarah Carruthers. :-)

Mind the Gap

I found my way to the train station this morning on my way to meet up with others to look for a place to live. As I waited at the track I saw this sign painted on the cement. I thought about the gap between what I know of the UK and what is reality. I thought of the gap between what I know now if the role I will step into and what I will know months from now. I thought of the gap between how much I know and am known by Agapè UK staff and how much I will know and be known by them months from now.

I need to "Mind the Gap" as I move forward. I need to be a learner and listener so I don't fall into the gap between.

Sigh...saying goodbye hurts my heart

This was my last day living in Rome. In between packing I had sweet time with dear friends. A final gelato. Thanks to Antonello.

Hugs all around...

As I left the gelato place I realised that I had not told my friends at my favourite restaurant that I am moving. I took a detour, pulled up google translate so I would not mess up what I wanted to say, and went inside Il Tunnel. I shall miss them. As I completed the walk home, the tears that have been on the verge of falling for weeks, came down.

As I told a friend tonight, I am excited for this new role, but I am not excited about starting over again. I know that transition wears me out.

I need to remember that God is my strength and my portion.

Big Changes Ahead... United Kingdom

A few months ago I posted a cryptic message on facebook about big changes ahead... 

I sent out information about this in a special update a few weeks ago and now you will see references to the changes all over the place.  

I changed the info on To Love, To Live and To Lead tabs to coincide with the changes.

Ci Vediamo a Roma

My dear friends in Rome, got together for a going away BBQ. These friends made such a lovely view with their spring colours, that I wanted a photo... then they all made "we're sad Melissa is leaving us" faces. Oh how I will miss them!

 Former roomie Amy made a lemon cake. DELICIOUS!

 Els!  One of the two great Dutch Athletes in Action STINTers we have in Rome this year.

Sweet Meg. 

I shall miss this dear one so much as she has finished two years of STINT and is deciding what to do next.

And I had to take a walk about the centre to see some of my favorite places. 

Including the church of St. Ignatious.

I am trying to leave well here. It does not seem real. I am excited about what God is doing in Rome and I shall miss being a part of it all. But I also know that God has called me to work back with Agape Europe. And I am excited about that!

Easter is coming!!!!

 The past couple years, one of the families in Rome has used the resurrection eggs to share the gospel with their son's former and current classmates and families. This year I got to help out a little by taking photos. I was overwhelmed with how this dear family, the Smiths, love on the Italians in their lives.  

Here is Laura leading the reading of the meaning of each egg. She asks, "Numero 5 che ha il numero 5?" Number 5 who has number 5? The child holds up an object and the parent reads the explanation. It is a bit chaotic as all Italian children's events are, but it was also very cool to watch. 

Children delight me, so I had a lot of fun taking photos of the time. I pray that the parents and children who hear these truths about Easter will develope a deep hunger to know Jesus and why Easter is SO important!


 Spring is a reminder to me that God makes all things new...
These are two of the dear little ones, I will miss here in Roma.