Trust.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Sometimes it is the things that we have spent so long engraving in the archives of our minds, that seem to be so easily forgotten.

Days continue to pass, and things continue to change across the ocean, in Torino. Plans that I had viewed as "Concrete" have been instantaneously rearranged, leaving yet more blank pages in this chapter book.

The family I had intended to stay with for my one-year, is now scheduled to relocate to another area in Italy. This family meant so much more than a housing option , but are close and sincere friends as well. They served as companionship and wise council simultaneously. This news was certainly the more challenging to receive from Team Torino.

I believe that God often calls us to go through certain things (and often "alone") so that we will turn to Him. If you've ever read the poem Footprints you may recognize the quote "It was then that I carried you". It was this line that came to mind as I sat in prayer and thought about how the year would be so much different than expected, I began to look forward to the ways that this will allow me to grow in my relationship with God. Perhaps I was growing to dependent on those around me, not only spiritually but also personally, and in the language and culture.

Through all of this, I have come to know is that regardless of my location, or of the people I find myself surrounded by, God is my constant.

Moments

Its incredible how quickly time passes. It was over a month now that I was in Kansas City for the Orientation Program put on by Avant. As I set out in organizing my first fundraiser, it amazes me how all of the initial emotions of excitement, nerves, and wonder come back repeatedly.

At this time last year I was contently working at The Radical Roaster, a coffee shop in Ludlow, while simultaneously doing a full-load of online courses. Never did I expect that I would be soon setting off on a life changing journey that God had in store for me. I can't get a mental picture in my head of Him sitting up there just laughing to Himself and this ridiculous, unsuspecting girl who is about to be taken up in a whirlwind of events. He's clever like that.

There are days here, that I feel I know precisely which step to take. There are other days that I feel like I'm stuck in a tunnel,...where you can see the end. You know where you need to get, and yet you have SO far to go before you reach that destination. You know, those moments where you feel you just might not make it all the way to the end? But it is in those moments that God shows me His hand more than ever. I once heard that it is in the darkest nights that the stars shine the brightest, so for those moments...those dark nights, I am thankful!!

Stronger.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". I'm not dead yet, so I know that God must have been strengthening, and building me up over the past few days. On Sunday I landed in Kansas City for Candidate Orientation Program (COP). One major step necessary for my return to the field in Italy.

Three months ago, when I arrived back in the States, every thought and reaction was coated by overwhelming emotions. There were days that it felt like I had just stepped off the plane, and there were others that felt like I had never left. Those that felt like I had never left were the more challenging ones. My heart and mind were not in one place or the other,..rather I felt like two completely different people. Not that my character had been inconsistent, but as though I had always been in the States, but I had always been in Italy as well. Things as small as meeting with some of my closest friends felt foreign and awkward. I missed "real" food, and the reality of no public transportation set in quickly. The first week at church was definitely hardest, but I don't know that it has grown all that much easier either.

COP:
Support raising, which once looked like it would be a struggle the size of the Alps I used to admire from my terrace, has become a process of strengthening and encouragement. What an incredible opportunity to meet those who share a love for Christ, and to share the ways in which He has inspired my life.

The week has been incredibly intense and filled with long days but God has definitely been encouraging me this week through the fellowship with others who share the same beliefs and passions. We've not only been going through cross-cultural adaptation studies, but have also undergone long and tedious accounting and financial studies. However, I am grateful because it is all things I will need to know and want to be able to do for myself once I am on the field.

Praying that God would continue to guide my heart and my steps as many opportunities lie ahead.

Ciao!