Saying our goodbyes...

Ciao Tutti! (Hello Everyone!)
It is so sad to think we are finishing our last week here in Roma L We leave for debrief in Switzerland tomorrow evening which I think I am ready for. I am sad to leave my new Italian friends. Two girls in particular, Eleonora (Nora) and Valeria. Yesterday we made brownies with them at Kanda and Jenny’s apartment (they are Americans who are interning with Campus Crusade in Italy). It was the first time Nora and Valeria had ever made brownies. It was so fun! And then of course they were delicious to eat afterward J! We played crazy eights while we ate them and then we went to a café in Trestevere (which means across the river). We met all of our friends from our time here at the café for a farewell gathering. We had some delicious aperativo (appetizers) and drinks. We had a great time but it was definitely bitter-sweet. I had to say goodbye to both Valeria and Nora but I hope that I will get to see them again someday!

Please pray for them, that the Lord would draw them into a sweet relationship with Himself! They are such beautiful women and it has been a privilege to get to become friends with them!

Our last week in Roma!

Come va?! We are finishing out our last few days on campus! It has been so fun getting to know Italian students and share with them about my relationship with the Lord. Knowing Him is such a radical concept to explain with students here but it's been a privilege to see students view God in a way they've never thought of before and encounter His grace. Students like Lorenzo and Daniele have become my close friends of mine. It has been refreshing to be here and I am going to miss these students immensely.

Hope's mom and friend came in town Sunday so it's been fun sharing the culture with them and see them interact with our students. Also, last week I had a challenging and enjoyable experience speaking at our weekly meeting out of Ephesians and share what the Lord was teaching me. God has put a growing passion in my heart to communicate God's word in front of larger groups and I look forward to having more opportunities to do this when I get back to Chicago!

Pray for us as we finish out our time here, that we will have many opportunities to share Christ's love with Italians these last few days! Ciao ciao-mike

Above is us with Lorenzo and Laura at the party.


And this is Eleanora and Hope at the Trevi Fountain.

Fun Friends!

Ciao Ciao!!!
Its hard to believe another week has flown by and that we have just a little over a week left in Rome! Wow!

This past week has been really fun though. I met an Italian student named Eleanora who is studying Psychology at the University of La Sapienza. She is finishing her first year and exams. She is so sweet and speaks English really well! I've really enjoyed getting to know her over the past few days and find out what she likes to do and what she believes. She has been really honest about what she believes and she is just becoming a great friend. I'm really looking forward to spending more time with her and finding out what she thinks about the gospel. Would you pray for her and for me as we continue to become friends and discuss spiritual things.

Last Thursday we had a party to invite our Italian friends to. The theme was a Texas BBQ and change. It was incredible! There were close to 20 Italians and about 15 Americans. We just met tons of people and then watched a short film called Liberte. The film was a great way to talk about God and spiritual things with others. Michael and I spent part of the evening with two of our friends from the University Tor Vergata, Lorenzo and Laura. They are really fun! Lorenzo is so thoughtful and crazy! We are looking forward to going to the beach with them this weekend. Would you pray for good conversations with them and opportunities to share the gospel!

Thanks so much!
Ciao!
Hope

History in the making

Sunday was a free day at the Vatican so we all went to see the Sistine Chapel where Michaelangelo basically drew the story of the Bible from beginning to end. Crazy stuff. Then we saw the Pope address 60,000ish people in 5 languages at St. Peter's. I'm realizing there's a lot of history in this place and it's overwhelming to take it all in. But while many come here from all over the world to take pilgrimages and see where it all began, following Christ as a Roman seems to be a distant reality for most. The Bible?...Is it true? Can you really know God? Does God even exist? These questions flood the classrooms of the universities of today. I hope thru Agape Italia (the name of our movements here), God will reveal who He really is on these campuses.

Today we met with students from the psychology and archeology faculties of La Sapienza, many of whom we hope to see again tomorrow night at a BBQ we are hosting! As we talk with students, it is interesting to hear where they are coming from spiritually and it's refreshing to be able to share my life with them. Please continue to pray that we would speak boldly and clearly regarding our Lord, that He would open their eyes, that students would see His love for them. Grazie!

Ciao-mike

The First Week is Finished!

Wow its hard to believe we just finished our first full week here in Roma! This week our missional team "Curlz" spent time at the university Tor Vergata. We were at the campus of Literature and Philosophy which is just outside the city. On Monday my action group and I met a few girls who were having lunch on the lawn. They were really nice and super friendly. We met them a few times each day to say hi and chat a little but they werent very interested in spiritual things. However on Wednesday Kate, Brittany, Jenny, and Kanda met some other girls who ended up meeting us last night in the Center for Gellato. We are looking forward to seeing them again this next week and getting to know them better.

Please pray for us to be able to share the gospel with them and that the Lord would capture their hearts.

Please pray for the language barrier to be broken as well as we seek to learn more Italian and as we come to meet more Italians!

Ciao Bella!
Hope

Above is one of the cafe's we go to for breakfast and time with the Lord.

And the Metra- there is a ton of graffiti everywhere.