when in Rome...

befriend a good barista who always smiles & who will treat you well & make pretty designs in your cappuccino with chocolate :) mmm.

make sweet friends like these ones & have a lot of good laughs together!

go to the best gelateria & be patient waiting in line so you can eat the yummy stuff!

find a beautiful piazza & spend time there each morning. Spend time there with Jesus, with friends. Just start your day with a good cup of cappuccino & a cool breeze.

eat lots of chocolate cornettos -- and if you're pregnant, you just might get another one for the little bambino!

Roma { 26 weeks }

sorry I have been leaving you in the dark... internet is easier than last year to get in Rome, but still not as easy as the states! So I don't have an official belly photo for you, but you can pretty much see it in this photo with me & my hubs at the Colusseum with Constantine's Arch in the background :)

Saturday we went to the Hopper exhibit down in the city center. It was really fun to see the beautiful art with a big group of new Italian friends!

{ photo found here }

this was one of my favs- I love the colors!

after Hopper we went & got gelato together. My new favorite gelato combo is chocolate & coconut, mmmm! Although I have to admit, I've had way more crepes with nutella & rice krispies than gelato. It's SOOO GOOD!!! I joke about making my crepe disciples, many of the girls have now made the nutella & rice krispie combo their fav too :)

hope you are enjoying your summer! Oh, and Happy Memorial Day!

love from Roma. Ciao!

chicago.

right now we are in Chicago for the University of Dayton's spring break.  We have a trip full of sweet young men!  It's pretty fun.  

Here's a little taste of our week so far...

they have A LOT of energy!  But we love it.  We've had many great conversations already & quality time as a group.  I'll share more details with you later... trust me, its worth the wait :)

work is...

I read this article today on work, and I've been thinking a lot about it.  

I know there are a lot of days where work seems overwhelming & exhausting-- and I'm in full-time ministry...  there are other jobs that are & should be way more tiring than mine.  But even in ministry, one of the main reasons why people leave is because they burn out.

Apparently that seems to be true all across America, in all jobs.  In Europe they are very good at taking their holidays-- all of August majority leave on holiday.  But they have other problems of their own... So what is the balance?  How do you work & rest?  "...we burn out while Europeans rust out.  So the answer might not be found between Europe and America, but between Genesis and Revelation."

"God designed work to have periodic breaks. You can call it a Sabbath or vacation. The word vacation comes from the Latin vacatio, meaning 'freedom.'  God designed us to be free-- free from enslavement (America's plight) or irresponsibility (Europe's problem).  Perhaps renewing a biblical vision for work can help Americans & Europeans achieve a healthy balance."

The Hebrew word for "cultivate" is "avodah".  It is also translated= work, worship, service, ministry & craftsmanship.  Work, worship, service, ministry, craftsmanship... all the same word??  Hmm...

"Perhaps God sees his whole creation as being of one fabric-- 

seamless.  

Hence, if we work in the way he designed us, 

that work is an expression of worship."

We yearn for this, I yearn for this-- "a coherent cohesive world of work, faith & life... yet we live in a compartmentalized world-- as separate spheres."

I don't want to burn or rust out... I don't want to live a compartmentalized life... where I work & work & wait for that specific time set aside for rest... play... holiday... worship... service... 

I want to live as I was designed, a seamless life of enjoying all of what the work God created us for really is.

"The Story of Work"

Michael Metzger; The Clapham Institute

Missions Conference

Last week our church, Faith Bible Church, had their annual Missions Conference.  And this year they focused on local missionaries... us!  There were about 11 other couples from around the area.  We were able to share about our ministry with college students & share stories.  

Our display for the ministry fair Saturday morning.

Tom came in from Virginia to share about Young Life!  

We miss Tom & Lindsay :(

sweet home...

...Chicago!  Oh, I mean.... just a visit to Chicago!

This past weekend we went up to Chicago for Karen's wedding-- a girl I worked with at Miami last year.  But we were also able to spend some time with the Chicago metro team with Crusade. 

rolling into Chicago...

Karen & Jonathan's wedding!

they're married!!!! Isn't she beautiful!?

Lindsey, Karen & I

view from the campus director's street :)

dinner with friends!! Of course... Lou Malnatis!

doing surveys on University of Chicago's campus.

Rockefeller chapel, beautiful!

SOX pride!!!

we were able to spend some time with the McNarys!!!  We miss you!

fall retreat

fall retreat was this weekend!  It was up north of Columbus, Friday-Sunday.  We had a lot of fun-- great long car rides with 3 freshmen girls who I just love, an amazing speaker (Roger Hershey) who spoke about yielding to God: Lose Control (theme of the weekend),  we got to skype with the Rome STINT girls on the big screen, the hilarious talent show & I got to dance in it which I always love, and a lot of sweet people!

check out the videos on my facebook (I'm trying to get them posted on here, but its not working yet... sorry)

 

just to make you smile

Dan, Pat & Scott

we were on our way to University of Dayton & realized that all 3 men were wearing brown t-shirts. Very funny-- but makes a good picture :)

goodbye roma!

through Campus Crusade for Christ, many universities in the states has a partnership(s) with universities overseas.  One of ours at Miami University is Rome, Italy; known as Agape Italia.  Our team is leaving for Rome tomorrow (Sunday)!!!  

Thursday night we had a going away celebration for them.  It was a really special time to let them know how much we love them & how excited we are for them to go.  Some friends & I prepared the dinner & decorated the house for the large group.
I don't know how we got it all done on time! But it happened!
The Rome STINT (Short Term INTernational) Team-- made up of recent Miami U & Kent State grads; 

(top row, L-R) Jimmy (MU 08), Chris (MU 07-2nd yr. on STINT), Brian (MU 08), Sam (MU 08), Ella  (MU 08) 

(bottom row, L-R) Kanda (MU 07- 2nd yr. on STINT), Kerry (Kent 07) , April (MU 08), Jenny (Kent 07)

cheers to Roma!  Wi vogliamo bene!

From the States to Roma!

They also were able to speak at our weekly meeting & cast vision for how our students here in the states can partner with them while they are in Rome this year.  It was really neat to have them all up there together & invite the students to come to Rome with them!

legacy tree

we have an upperclassmen Bible study the first 3 weeks of school.  I am helping with some of the creative details...  yeah!!  Our theme is "ready, set, go."  This week is about being "set"-- focused on reaching the campus for Jesus.  

So one of our ideas was to have a tree that you fill in with the names of those who have invested in you... then who you are investing in... and who they are investing in... so you can see your legacy... and dream about how you want your legacy to grow! 

we're using these trees for the power point slides as the night goes on as we fill in our trees.

from darkness to light

(a little long but worth the read...)

So we woke up Tuesday morning to poop on our kitchen counter.  Yes, I said poop!  Apparently we have a mouse or rat.  UGH!  Seriously, can one more thing go wrong with this house? ...probably...   We had to run off to work-- but when I returned from lunch... more poop... not just on the counter but in our cabinets & drawers!  OH I AM SO GROSSED OUT!!!!!

This is where I lost it.  We have had so much drama with this rental I can hardly stand it.  I think its one thing when you are fixing your own home, taking care of issues that come up... its another when its someone else's home you are continually putting time & effort into making it better.  Its hard, we want to make this place nice, for us, for the students who visit, for friends... and even to leave it better for our landlord (which we already have by 100%).  So after the fleas, the mold...and now the poop... it was the last straw.  I was at my end.  I'm exhausted, its on of our busiest weeks on campus-- we don't even have time to deal with house issues anymore.   I had nothing left inside of me.

A blessing from the Lord...

I was talking with my mom right before I left my lunch break to go back onto campus, and she so quickly chose to come up to Oxford to clean our kitchen & dishes/silverwear (of course we don't have a dishwasher anymore in this rental, perfect timing) & to buy products & traps to help get rid of our rodents.  I don't know what we would have done without her!!  THANK YOU!!!!!

As I wiped away my tears, I got in my car, and I heard these words playing on our cd... 

"grace, grace, God's grace.  

Grace that will pardon & cleanse within.  

Grace, grace, God's grace.  

Grace that is greater than all our sin."   (lyrics)

(my favorite version of this song by Summit Church worship band)

OOH I needed to hear that!!  God's grace is sufficient for me!! His grace is greater than anything.  His power is made perfect in my weakness... and let me tell you, I am weak right now!!!  [2 Corinthians 12:9-10]

So with a glimpse of hope in my soul, I went onto campus with Beth L.  

We were following up all the surveys students have filled out the past couple days on campus-- going to the students who want more information on either a Bible study or they want to know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus-- or both!  We headed to an upperclass dorm & knocked on Alanna's door.  We began to share with Alanna about Campus Crusade for Christ & what we are all about.  She was very interested, said there had been a lot of things in her life lately that have been leading her to want to get involved with something like this.  So of course, we began to tell her the gospel.  

Beth L, Alanna & Kristen (me)

As the three of us sat in the hallway of her dorm, we talked through what the Bible says about Jesus & what He did for us on the cross.  When we read Revelation 3:20 about Jesus knocking on the door of our heart, Alanna told us of a dream she had...

...God called her on her cell phone but she couldn't understand Him, so she gave her phone to her mom... but He wouldn't tell her mom, He wanted to tell her... and she never heard what God wanted to say..... 

But as we continued, it began clear what God wanted to tell Alanna.  He wanted Her to know how much He loves her no matter what! And that He wants to have a personal relationship with her!  Alanna said that was the desire of her heart!!! And she prayed with us right there... Alanna entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Tuesday afternoon.  She moved from darkness to light.  And her life, her heart will never be the same!

See, what's so amazing about God is how He works in mysterious ways.  Another Beth N. was Alanna's RA last year... and Beth N. and I had been praying for her dorm all year!  We had been praying for Alanna, and I had never met her until now, till the day God had prepared her heart to begin a relationship with Him.  And right before Beth L & I had gone to Alanna's dorm, Beth N had called me, she had been thinking of me & knew she needed to call me.... crazy!!! I called her back & told her the good news about Alanna!  

The Bible is true, I know it with all my heart.  When I am weak, He is strong.  His power is made perfect in my weakness [2 Corinthians 12:9-10].  I was so weak this day... I had nothing to give anyone.  I was even debating to not go on campus.  But the Lord knew, He gave the a little bit of strength, and I went & was able to be apart of seeing someone trust Christ & invest in eternity.  

That's what's so amazing about our God!  

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly 

of my weaknesses, 

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

 [2 Corinthians 12:9b]