Culture:  people think of Europe as being developed and very in-tune with religion, but that is not the case. In one mass, literally the whole church will only be there, but not be practicing any religion. The idea of religion is so burnt into people that they are either so ignorant towards the idea of Christianity or so turned off from religion that talking about Jesus is literally something that has to happen! Europe is a first world country so there are luxuries in this place that are not found everywhere around the world. To be honest, some of the things that I see here I wonder why the United States has not adopted yet. However, just because there is development in structure and a history that literally speaks for itself does not mean that there is spiritual development. A third world country, often times Asia or Africa is typically put on the priority list when we think of missions and telling people about Jesus. This is done either consciously or subconsciously, but if we’re honest, we see that this really is the case the majority of the time. However, Europe is predicted to be majority Islamic within only a matter of years. So if this other religion can move in and convince people to follow it, then Christianity certainly can grow especially when there is power behind it of the one true God. As it is with most cultures, as least in my opinion, it is our responsibility to reach the children and through that generations will change and follow. Honestly, the revolutions and culture changes throughout history have all been started by young people. The church was developed through the disciples who were teenagers that had been discipled and developed by Jesus himself.

So, for all of you out there who follow this, I hope you take two things from this blog. The first would be a desire to educate yourself on the real-life cultures of countries, especially if you are going to visit them. Do not fill a stereotype of being an ignorant American. We have enough of those. The second thing would be to allow your perspective of the world to change. Begin to look at parts of the world as God would. Ask the Lord to give you his eyes. It will change your life. Just because that happens does not mean that you will be called to missions, but instead you will be enlightened and that is perhaps a blessing and a curse. If you can understand where another person is coming from, you are light years ahead of most people in this world. However, it is pure laziness that we walk around proud and ignorant. So, I challenge you, I dare you: do something different.

some things are just universal

So my class is in a little tiny nursery that sits off of the big room that the rest of the class rotates through during our two hours of teaching English each day. When the air conditioning is not working, it is easily the hottest room in the building and when it is working, it is easily the hottest room in the building. So, needless to say my kids are often very rowdy and pretty crazy when we have class. I like to let them have fun, but some of those boys just go crazy. It’s interesting the opportunities that present themselves while teaching something as simple yet as complicated as English. The room we are in, apart from being the in-house sauna has windows from floor to ceiling on two of the walls. So, we can see people walking around. The area that the church is located in would be the equivalent of the area North Central University is located in the city. It is not the roughest neighborhood but it also not the upper end of the town if you know what I mean. So, we see some pretty interesting people walk past. Almost every day there are homeless men who lay on the bench across from the church and take naps during the day. When the kids come in, they notice it and usually comment.

One day, one class of about nine kids came in and they started laughing at him for being homeless…as you can imagine, my teaching skills and passion for justice arose in me and I started to get on their case for laughing. I asked them if they would want people laughing at them if they had no place to live. They quieted right down. I asked them if they believed in Jesus and surprisingly they all said yes. So, then I told them it was their job to take care of people who were poor. We had a whole discussion about where money would go if they were drunks. I told them it wasn’t their job to judge that and that there were other ways to help. The kids were clueless. They had never heard this information before. I told them that if they couldn’t help by giving them anything, then it was THEIR responsibility to pray for the homeless people. So, we prayed for them and then we started class.

I have been able to share a lot of other things about treating people nicely and taking responsibility for your actions. I created a small problem for myself. I told the kids that they could only speak in English all day; no Phillippino, no Chinese, no Italian, no Spanish, and no French. So, now they just tattle on each other when they speak in other languages. If they get caught, they have to write one sentence in my class that day. So, every time they get caught, it’s one more sentence. The advanced kids have to write two sentences. My classes write a lot of sentences. Ha I know what all of their favorite things are!!

The Lord is so good. He works things out. That is for sure. Stay tuned…

oops...dang language barriers

So when you’re teaching English to 9,10, and 11-year-olds who are from Italy, the Philippines, Nigeria, and even China, there are bound to be some funny stories that come out of the class time together. About a week and a half ago, one of my students, Cici was simply trying to help out one of the boys in our class. The act was innocent to be completely honest. One of the boys was asking for paper and he was using only motions so I asked for him to tell me in English that he wanted a piece of paper. He was struggling to think of the word “sheet” and CiCi helped him out by responding with “shit, the shit of paper”. I’m sorry if this is vulgar to you, but at the time I was doing everything I could not to laugh. She had no idea what she was saying because the sound only thing that made an innocent word turn into a seemingly bad word was her accent. I was hoping the whole situation would fly under the radar and no one would understand what she said, but as she started repeating it over and over again, one of the boys yelled “HEY THAT’S A BAD WORD!!”. Great. So, at that moment I was able to explain to my whole class what “s***” means and why CiCi said it and that in the future they should all just say that they want a piece of paper….and that’s my story for today…even though there are so many more to tell…

There's a bug for travel and there's a heart for travel...

These pictures above are of my first trip to Venice. It's about an hour train ride from Padova to Venezia (Venice) and we went on Thursday night after getting all dressed up to spend time together and go out to eat. We only stayed in the city for a few hours, but we were able to walk around and see the city at night, which i loved. I was so anxious to walk into the city after we rode over the water on the train tracks. For those of you who don't know, Venice is sitting on water and so that's why they are famous for transportation on their canals.

The sight was so beautiful to say the least...it nearly took my breath away. It wasn't the fact that the architecture was in fact one of a kind or that i was walking the streets of the city i had seen in movies for years, but more of  the idea that i'm actually starting to live out my dream. I was in Venice, i had worked to get there, i am living in Italy for a summer, and i know that I'll be traveling and learning culture for the rest of my life...

The first fascination that so easily takes over while traveling Italy or any country really is defined at the "travel bug". So many people dream of traveling italy and europe and sometimes japan or australia and new zealand...the tourist bug comes alive inside people for so many different reasons. Sometime the culture attracts people, or the food, or the adventure, maybe the history, but mostly people have a desire to get out and experience that which they do not know. With that desire comes really the only option of traveling places that are safe or easy to get in and out of. closed countries are out of the question and touristy places are often that which is most attractive. these things are all great and are often the makings of a great adventure by those who have the travel bug!

however, i believe that there is such a thing as the heart for traveling. i think it's common in only those who truly feel other cultures besides just learning about them. they have the desire to actually live with people they do not know and they feel dumb because they do not know italian (or the language of the country) vs making the nationals feel inadequate because they do not know English. There's truly a piece of their heart attached to every place they go. They understand people more than they understand adventure or history or a stamp on a passport. It's truly a miracle that is given by the Lord when one begins to understand that they do have a heart for travel and culture. I know i'm one of these people and it's one of the most rare things in the world. For a long time, i have said that i want to travel, live out of the states, learn languages and move away from where i started. I have know that the calling on my life from the Lord has been big and it will take a lot of sacrifice. However, it's hard to explain this to many people especially when some believe that the words coming out of the my mouth were only the foolishness of my youth and not the promises of my God.

Well, i fundraised and planned an internship in Italy. in august, i'll travel to at least five more cities in europe and so begins this divine adventure of going where the Lord takes me to fit in my custom niche that includes things that sound crazy. i was made to travel. i was made for culture and i learn more and more about it every day. So, if you are new to this desire and this dream that i have, welcome. It's going to be an adventure. i would love to tell you about it along the way....

*the pictures were taken in Venice

kids. English. staredowns.

I’ve been teaching English here in Padova to the 8, 9 and 10-year-olds for the past week or so and let me tell you…trouble makers are my favorite kids! The kids who find themselves in big time trouble are always boys for some reason that I’m sure is explainable by both life circumstances and also by the pure fact that they are little boys. In my class, there are so many boys and for some reason I tend to bring out their ability to challenge people and try all attempts at every cost to be funny. they succeed at this..they challenge me to not laugh at them and join in their fun and games. So, over the past week, I have quickly noticed these kids as they have stood out in my mind and actually started to gravitate toward me in situations. I wouldn’t have it any other way and to just be honest, when I hang out with them, I may at times cause more problems than actually help. In the long run, I’m able to build trust with these boys because they understand that I like to have fun and goof off, but there’s a time to be serious too. We’re building that trust right now as it will be made wildly clear to you in the story that follows…

                There are so many kids who stand out to me, but this time I’m going to take time to write about only two. The first kid is Owen and he is nine years old. Owen is Phillippino and speaks Italian. He understands almost everything I say in English…I know this because of his facial expressions and the look in his eye that silently dares me to make him actually follow directions or to speak the English words I know he knows.  He has this dark skin and black hair that is cut to naturally spike up enough to give the appearance of one of those kids who are just too cool for school. He has these huge brown eyes that stick out to you. If you see them once, you’ll never forget them because he uses them to communicate. He will stare you down until you give in or until his stubbornness comes to an end. He sinks into the background, but does so only to get away with as much as he can. He is stubborn and ornery and knows that I see that in him. He knows when he does something wrong and tries to hide it, but only with a sly grin that really tells the truth to the question I asked…this kid speaks my language and by disobeying me in class today, he had me cracking up.

The second kid is named Kyle and Kyle is also from the Philippines and only speaks Phillippino. When he came to class one week ago, he could barely understand the question, “What is your name?”. So, to everything I asked he simply replied, “uhh KYLE!”. Then he smiled this massive smile that brought out the small dimples that just screamed the good nature this kid has. That good nature was proven only by his willingness to help work and clean things up. He does not need to be asked to help move tables or chairs and has often been so productive that I have had to undue things he’s put away because we still needed them.

Today in class, I had all boys…and as you can imagine, I moved them to a place where we could be really loud without disrupting the rest of the group. So, These two boys were in my class. Coincidentally they are becoming very good friends. Kyle looks at Owen’s papers and copies the answers only after I check to make sure Owen has the right answers and after Owen checks the already completed books for answers when I’m “not looking”. Upon being caught, they give me two very sheepish smirks and continue their work.

Today, I made a rule that if the kids were caught speaking Italian in my class, they would have to write one sentence for every time they were caught. So, the boys jumped on this train. At one point, Owen and I had a stare down to get him to write out his twelve sentences. He sat in one chair with his pencil in his hand and his eyes fixed, determined to beat me. Little did he know, I’ve had experience in these types of competitions, so I held his glare until he finally broke the stare and said “alrite alrite alriiieeete”. The rest of the boys thought it was funny so naturally they were on my side. Shortly after, Kyle came up to me and informed me that he had talked in another language besides English and that is why he had to write an extra sentence….the contrast is extraordinary. We have many more weeks together and both will be able to have conversations with me by the time the summer is over. I look forward to it. These boys speak my sarcastic, unique language that includes an occasional staredown and sometimes a broken rule just to make things interesting..wouldn't have it any other way..  

bicycles. boys. hitting boys with bicycles?

So, there's this thing i have been doing lately and that is the relatively simple task of learning to adjust to living life in a country that is at the top of every American's dream vacation spot. It is truly a miracle how well i am adjusting to this place. I have slipped back into the habit of speaking slowly and reverting to shy tendencies and large hand gestures when communicating. contradictory? perhaps, yet completely necessary. At the risk of looking like an uneducated foreigner, i often find myself shrinking back to observe the way people interact with each before responding.  To appear shy or timid is better than to appear overzealous and naive. The response itself is often wise, yet it contradicts my occasionally forward personality. The idea that this is the "vacation spot" was brought up many times while i was doing fundraising and talking to people about this adventure.The reality is that i am living in Italy, but often times i forget that i am living in Italy. The ministry here and the absolute immersion into culture is not the vacation people always dream of. I knew this coming onto this trip and so i would like to just throw that out there and give any readers the opportunity to let that sink in...there are people here who need Jesus. Children here who do not understand how relatable Jesus is.

There is no doubt that the experiences that i have had in the past have prepared me for this summer of learning new things, being independent, and living away from family and friends. The all too familiar year-long/not finished process of realizing and accepting the calling that God has over my life has prepared me for the two months that i will be living in this country. That process has been hard and painful so it only makes me imagine what other lessons i could possibly learn before i adventure out to the country God has called me to for much longer. My trips to Belize, Costa Rica,and Cambodia have no doubt prepared me to be comfortable in this place. The culture is not as different as that of an Asian country and the living is only short of luxurious in comparison.

Day 5: i could see myself living here.

i am adjusting well to the culture needless to say. I am not overwhlemed, have not felt extreme homesickness, have not been physically sick and i'm already free from jet lag. I have also grown a love for the children and started adapting some of the customs as habits. I still have much to learn. However, patti, the missionary commented multiple times today that it feels like i've just been here forever...that was understandably very encouraging and i really am excited that i still have just shy of two more months to spend here...

there is no doubt that God has called me to live in another place because he has changed my heart and my mind to love it...

alright..alright...now for the embarrassing culture adjustment story you have all been waiting for...

it is important to understand that the Italians ride bikes everywhere around the city and so naturally, that is the transportation i use as well. learning to ride a bike is not difficult...dodging traffic, pedestrians, bikers, and even policia on cobblestone streets is even manageable especially when i do not know any streets as of right now. these things are all easily learned .....unfortunately, i am learning to ride a bike with a bike seat that is higher than i have ever ridden. This is a tragedy to say the least, however i have taken it as my personal challenge to master this stupid bike. So, i have decided to convince myself that i can ride just fine, but the trouble comes when i have to stop because i cannot put my foot down at any moment to balance my somewhat clumsy tendencies. ok...so, as i was riding with my team far in front of me, an italian boy passes me. i was appearing to have control of my bike, but the nerves lack of steadiness got the best of me. He was coming head on...he went left, i went right, he went right, i went left...we werwe headed straight for each other. yikes! At the last minute, i dodge right, he dodges right. It seemed as though i have dodged that disaster! when all of a sudden...i lost my balance, he was right there. to my left.the bike started to tip. i needed balance. my foot began to lower. the bike was too tall. poor kid.

....bicycles and boys aka hitting boys with bicycles.

the chain is now broken...

please stay tuned for more biking extravaganzas...

this blog site is now in italian...hm

I arrived in Padova, Italy three days ago and since then, it's been a whirlwind, which was expected. the Lord is so good. I should mention that i'm not a huge fan of blogs but i know that a lot of people want to keep up with what's going on, but i also want to share some insight. I'm also not a fan of sermons in blogs, however, apparently this is the summer for new things!


I am not fully adjusted to the culture yet. I do not feel educated on the African, Filipino, and Italian culture that i'm experiencing everyday. I do not feel exactly qualified to teach English to these kids. I do not speak Italian and i squint my eyes and focus really hard when people speak Italian to me. I cannot ride bikes where the seats are too high and i definitely blew the circuit already on the apartment with the electricity converter and whatnot. i'm dead tired by 7pm because of jet lag. I have never had to kiss strangers on the cheek when i met them and i refrained from telling my cambodia stories when a roommate mentioned the "squatty potty".

However, I just learned how to order a cappuccino from Paulo and his wonderful wife at  the "bar" around the corner. I do know that i feel comfortable in Italy, only three days later. I am intrigued by the language and i am legitimately excited to start taking lessons next week...two times a week. I was in a room with spanish, italian, and english being spoken and i was just so happy. Someday i'll be trilingual. I do know that i love the kids so much already and it's only been two days. I have retaught myself to speak slower and i am the one who feels like i'm inconveniencing someone else because i do not know italian. That makes me think that i have left the prideful american mindset behind and am truly interested in learning the Italian culture. It's interesting because i know that i truly enjoy teaching English and that something takes over when i get to be a part of something bigger. There's this part of me that kicks in that adapts to the differences in culture and develops more patience for children who cannot pay attention, will not pay attention, or who simply just do not understand. 

Psalm 37:30 says, "the mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. the law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip" 


this verse implies that excellence surrounds everything: wisdom is truly the advice that comes from God, justice is the heart of God, and to keep your feet from slipping, you strive to serve God in excellence. That's what i'm up to over here.
There is something about traveling and culture that is just right. i enjoy it. so we will see what is to come.

anticipation is overrated

After months of planning and getting ready for things to change so much, i'm ready to get going....In twenty-four hours, my little sister graduates high school and prepares for college. In two days, my parents will be moving to a new house i won't even live in until Christmas time. Also, in two days, I leave the country to go serve in Italy for two months. I've been taking a break with family and friends in Oregon for the last month and as much as I have enjoyed catching up, it's time to go do the things I was created to do. There's this calling, these things, that each of us was designed to be good at because God is great and has a plan.When we do that one thing...when we're in the element that God customized to fit just us, there's nothing else in the world that would satisfy the feeling of knowing that what you're doing is just right. Some of you know what i'm talking about and some of you are still seeking to find that. It's one of the most incredible miracles and it so shows us the character of the Lord. I'm sick of feeling the anticipation and I'm ready to see things happen. So, here I go...with a little fear, a ton of excitement, and some overrated anticipation...let's go change the world.

Isaiah 1:17 says, "Learn to do right; seek justice.Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."

While I'm in Italy, I'll be blogging abut what's going on, so go ahead and read if you're interested and please pray for the missionaries, the kids, the other interns, and myself! thanks!