Update for the Week

So we have met the last few days for a short time with Andrew & Dustin (basically our supervisors I guess?). They have been explaining more about the ministry and we are expected to do the next couple of weeks. I will try to highlight some of the general info for you guys, but most of it is pretty deep and I am trying to process it all and I have to be careful what I put on here for security reasons (don't worry though, these are not safety issues, we are more safe here than in Chicago!). Anyway, the internship is broken into 3 focus areas: cultural immersion, living in a lost world, and Short-Cycle Church Planting(insert the circle with little R in the middle). The cultural immersion part is pretty much done because a lot of those things were completed while we were on our own for the first like week and a half.

The next step is to learn more about the last two focus areas. We will be involved in some social networks and at the end of our time we will need to present to Team Italy One what our plan would be for these groups of people if we were to be on the field for the remaining 40 months. We have already begun this social network and research. I cannot say more for security reasons, I will be happy to tell you in email or in person when I return. Let me know if you are interested in more info!

We will also get the chance to meet a few times with each member of Team Italy One and learn about their own personal experiences and hopefully answer some of our own questions concerning being missionaries, living overseas with a family, planting a church, etc. So we are going to be having meals a few times a week with the different members of the team, maybe even one on one, like Janae with the Debelaks (Andrew & Natalie) one night and me with the Kroekers (Tim & Amee), simply so that we can both ask our questions and so they can get to know us better too. I think though that Dustin will have both of us girls... haha!

So today is 'our day off' as Andrew put it yesterday. We are down at Jacob's Well right now (the ministry center) because some guys came to fix the tile and the team asked us if we could just come down and open it up and let the workers in. Our Italian is really improving!

Last night we hung out with the same group of people from the church we went to last Sunday. There are so many internationals there! We really enjoyed the time of food, fellowship and fun! I got to talk to some really neat ladies! One of the gals is from Spain, she is the oldest of 5, (3 girls and 2 boys) just like my family and her dad is a pastor as well! And since I speak some Spanish, we really hit it off! Although, I did go to bed with Spanish and Italian phrases mixing in my head. Not sure how helpful that was for me! I find myself wanting to speak Spanish when I talk to someone who only speaks Italian and speaking Italian when I actually get to speak Spanish to someone! My poor brain is really confused!

Anyway, thanks for your prayers. This week has been rough for me spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and even physically. I am still confident that God is going to do and is doing something big here though and it thrills me beyond explanation that Janae and I get to be a part of what He is doing! Praise Him!

Have a great weekend! Please email or Skye, I'd love to hear from you!