Alive and Well

I realized that it has been quite awhile since I last updated this blog. I admit I have reasons. After I got my visa I did not know what to write. I mentioned in the last post that I had mixed emotions about getting the visa. At the time I was leaning more towards negative ones. The fear I had had about becoming attached to the Texas A&M ministry was a reality. I wanted to be excited about the visa and returning to Italy, but I was sad to be leaving A&M. This sadness and confusion of what seemed like the Lord continually pulling me out of places right as I became settled lingered for another couple of weeks even as I began my transition back into Italy. This weird transitional mood is what prevented me from writing.

Thankfully, the transition back into Italy is coming to an end as life begins to feel more normal with routines and relationships reestablished. We are back on campus and doing what the Lord has called us to Italy to do...tell Italian University students about Jesus Christ.

Surprises always help one snap back into normalcy, so it was exciting to be woken up on Friday morning with posters saying "Happy Birthday" all over my living room. My birthday was technically on January 15. This was a time when my whole team was spread around the southern states of America not to mention a huge ice storm. Due to this separation, we celebrated my fake birthday which included everything from breakfast with coffee and pastries (so fun considering our broken fridge makes any food difficult), a budget given to me to pick out super fun earrings from one of my friends, tacos at a Mexican restaurant with my whole team (my sneaky roommates said it would just be us and then everyone was there!), and then another surprise of presents and a cake at my friend's house. It was all amazing and made me feel so special. I think everyone should get a fake birthday!

I want to share a little story about the birthday cake because although not intentional it might have been my favorite part. Last year, I tried making a birthday cake for my friend, but due to the inefficiency of our little toaster oven it really was a cake of nasty dough. I can still not live it down in the eyes of some. So this year, my cake comes around. My sweet friends tried making a cake that was half vanilla/half chocolate. Again the toaster oven striked and it was a cake of mush. This cake's dough actually tasted delicious and left a nice little stomach ache to remind you of the amount of sweetness you just ate. I loved it! I know the feeling of disappointment as the baker when your cake resembles pudding. I felt for my friend, but I loved the fact that as the baker of a sad mushy cake, I then got to be the recipient of a sad mushy cake. It was somewhat sentimental and therefore made my night!

Another fun surprise of the day...my friends Laura and Andy are once again pregnant. These are my sweet friends whose little baby, Kate, I talk about without end. Laura is due in the middle of September making Kate and her new little sibling about 17 months apart. They will have her hands full with two little babies, but what a fun age difference for when they get older! I am also so excited because I will be able to be there for the birth and first months this time. When Kate was born I was in Italy and missed her first three months of life. This time I get to see the baby from the beginning!

What a fun way to start a week!