Nov-Dec-Jan: The Holidays
Check out the previous month’s posts here!
Jan is coming to a close as I sit by the window of a sunny, 11 degrees Celsius or 52F. I heard this morning that there is a historic snow storm called Fern blowing across the US right now. Although I am very content in the rainy winter here in Italy, my kids wish they could play in that snow with you!
The holidays swallowed us up and moved time so quickly that I have three months to share today. I am sharing the highlights that can be seen in photos but life with school, outreach nights, worship with PWOC, and podcast recording & editing is in between. There were many simple hours sitting with coffee and embroidering Christmas stockings while catching up with my daughter, Maggie, too.
We are very thankful for:
November
Miriam’s 10th birthday & Anna Rita’s Engagement
Date Nights began!
Reunion with Glynnis & Cory Christenson
Miracle at the Questura di Caserta (Video!)
Hosted first Thanksgiving for our Italian friends
New Podcast Series Began! “Archipelago”
December
Christmas Puppet Play
Limatola Christmas Castle - PWOC Inreach Event
Nathanael’s short wrestling career
Maggie came home from college for a month
January
Sara, Alyse, & Abbey Myhre visit for 2 weeks
Lauretta’s first protocol at the San Carlo Theater
Tour of Italy given to the college students
Nathanael’s senior photos & family photos
Jesus Retreat
November
Miriam’s 10th birthday & Anna Rita’s Engagement
Miriam’s very first cup of coffee out!
AnnaRita
This is my friend and daughter of my landlords. She is officially engaged and planning a wedding for next summer!
Date Nights began!
Date Night In
Pres. by the Moriarty kids
These kids out do themselves, planning a full menu, grocery shopping, cooking, and then having the cutest wait staff ever serve us dinner in, complete with music and lighting.
Reunion with Glynnis & Cory Christenson
@ Celebratalia
Friends from long ago. We walked alongside this sweet couple, Glynnis & Cory Christenson and helped them church plant with the head pastors, John & Marianna.
Miracle at the Questura di Caserta (Video!)
Playing with the pigeons on our way in to the Questura.
Cafe after we finished celebrating!
Hosted first Thanksgiving for our Italian friends
Preparing our dinner for friends.
We had a Thanksgiving presentation for our Italian friends and gave thanks together for the many blessings from God. It was a special evening.
New Podcast Series Began! “Archipelago”
Check out the podcast series as well as the blog resources. I am loving this series!
December
Christmas Puppet Play
Miriam was invited on stage to an all Italian puppet show blending the story of Scrooge and the mascot of Naples.
Limatola Christmas Castle - PWOC Inreach Event
Limatola Christmas Castle is a favorite of our family only 10 min away from our home. We enjoyed walking around and seeing the beautiful lights and shows.
Nathanael’s short wrestling career
Check out the Video here of his first meet and his last match. Unfortunately, he broke his shoulder in the last match (at least he won!). This abruptly ended his wrestling career and I won’t lie and say I am sad about it. Ha!
Maggie came home from college for a month
January
Sara, Alyse, & Abbey Myhre visit for 2 weeks
We didn’t all fit into our van but we squished up!
Lauretta’s first protocol at the San Carlo Theater
Getting dressed up for The Nutcracker in Naples and walking the town afterwards.
San Carlo Theater
Beautiful people and it was so special to get to share her first protocol with her sisters and friends.
Tour of Italy given to the college students
Nathanael’s senior photos & family photos
Jesus Retreat
Several times a year, I go away to be alone and pray. It is a huge reset and gives me the direction I need for the upcoming months. This trip, I painted orange poppies to go into my office. They are a symbol of healing and rejuvenation, the perfect picture of what God did for me through Freedom Encounters and why we are here in Italy now. I was blessed with a free stay at an apartment in the mountains at the home of an Italian friend. I also painted the vision God gave to me for this next year here in Italy.
Please support us financially & with prayer!
To support us financially:
Click on this QR Code or click the link below.
It will take you to the Omni Fellowship site. You can donate to our family and receive a tax free receipt.
Just click on my name from the drop down menu.
To support us in prayer:
House Negotiations- We have an offer on our home in WA. Because of the financial floating close family friends have provided to us, we are able to live each month until our home closes. However, every month our suspension bridge just keeps getting longer and longer. We know that we must be patient for God’s timing. We need the house to close, to pay off our financial responsibilities, and continue to walk in faith and patience in this process.
Graduation- My son is graduating this spring from high school. We all need endurance as we move forward, pushing through the long list of tasks that must be accomplished, including writing his senior thesis and sitting for a panel of judges to defend it. I also need comfort as this mamma heart has to transition and release my third child and comfort for their siblings who struggle in feeling “left behind”.
Job for John- He is still applying although the holidays definitely slowed us down. He desires to step into a new career yet we have been transitioning for two years next month since his last day at the Navy Band Northwest. I honestly can say I am so thankful that He has had the flexibility and has been home with us through this very long season but we are also ready for the financial burden to lesson somehow. If a job is the right answer, we are willing to walk through any door the Lord opens.
Wisdom- As we begin this new season, finally settling into the mission that God has given to us, we need wisdom to navigate the spiritual warfare here. It has not been an easy season but neither has the last two years! I am beyond grateful to God for all He has done to get us here and He is guiding us. However, please pray for each of us that we will discern His voice and obey.
Upcoming Events:
Archipelago podcast series that I am writing and recording with Kate McBride
Victory Over Spiritual Conflict book that I am editing and writing
Outreach nights supporting our friends leading Ogni Cosa Nuova
School with my children, including with our CC community
Worship team & Inreach for PWOC- Protestant Women of the Chapel
Next month is my birthday!
Thank you for your financial support and your prayers!