Touchdown, Italy!

So, the title of this post is probably not what you're thinking it means. I do not in fact mean that some random football team in Italy just scored a touchdown. In fact, in Italy there are no touchdowns in their form of football, only goals. They kind of do things a little differently here. And by a little, I actually mean a lot.

What I mean to say is that our group has finally made contact with Italian soil, and all in one piece! After a long, exhausting and slightly confusing set of trips we are now chilling in Milan for the night. And, as my friend Lance put it, we are actually getting to sleep HORIZONTALLY again for the first time in three days. And I've gotta say, I'm quite excited about it.

Note excited face. ;)

So, for those of you that prayed for safe travels, we greatly appreciate it! International travel is no joke, and for about 75% of our crew this experience was a brand new beast that they have never encountered. So, there was a lot of anxiety that arose at different times, from one person getting food poisoning right before leaving for the airport to people almost panicking as planes took off. Needless to say, even though we have only been out of the states for a little less than 24 hours total, it feels like it's been a lot longer. But through it our group has started to grow closer and form deeper friendships, something that will really enable us to begin working towards God's heart for our mission this week. Community, after all, is a foundation for everything that we do as Christians. So, again, thanks for the prayers! God led us through two international flights relatively unscathed with beautiful weather all across the globe, no delays or cancellations, no battles with customs officials, and no lost luggage! It's been a great time so far! Ok, maybe sitting in a coach seat for 10.5 hours wasn't my fave, but it still had brought some good things. And good food. :)

First friend photo of the trip! More to come I'm sure. Gotta love flight layovers.

Turkish Airlines really knew how to serve great food! So many noms.

As we walked through the airports today (seeing as we had a lot of free time between flights), I began to do a lot of thinking. Being in three major international airports in two days, you see a lot of people moving from various point As and point Bs, with so many international flights it's impossible to count them all (well, I guess you could stand and count each one listed on the screen...but let's be real, that would be ridiculous). So, naturally, when exploring shops and waiting around for the next time to board, you start to see an incredible variety of people. So many languages...so many interesting styles...so many cultures packed into one building. It's really a sight to see. And in ways I like to think that it was the Lord preparing me for what our group is going to encounter this week as we head to Turin.

See, though the United States has a "melting pot" of cultures, growing up in Northwestern Indiana I didn't really see any other major cultural groups apart from the typical German, Irish, or Italian influences. But we all still kind of looked the same and spoke the same language. So, for a Hoosier boy like me, the world has a lot to offer in regards to cultural expansion. So last year when I went to Spain, I experienced this also, but I didn't go there with a heart of mission necessarily...I went there with a purpose to engage with Spanish culture and language. This time, things are different. I'm here to be on mission for God.

And I think that's what God was trying to show me as I sat and watched people from all over the world converge and diverge to different parts of Creation. Each person on earth has an image, an image that resembles the very attributes of the Lord himself. So, for me, God inspired perspective in me today: to see each person as a man or woman that bears God's image. And my hope and prayer is that we as a body can foster that same perspective as we enter in to the Italian frontier. I want to embrace all that Italy has to offer, and that includes embracing each person I meet with the same enthusiasm and love they deserve as humans beings. And maybe...just maybe, through that we will get the chance to see the Lord impact someone in a really powerful way through our stories.

The sea outside of Istanbul. Beautiful isn't it?

It's finally here, and tomorrow begins a new adventure...one that will not only educate us on a new culture, but also one that will hopefully reveal something profound about God's true heart for the world he has made. Please pray for our team as we embark on our last leg of travel, that we can gain perspective, wisdom, and ultimately courage...to share the faith that many of us (myself included) are often way too intimidated to share.

Turin, tomorrow we're coming for you! Get ready!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may OVERFLOW WITH HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13

So Close I Can Taste the Gelato!

Hello there friends! I hope everyone has been having a fantastic week! The weekend is quickly approaching! I would like to say that my week has been peachy keen, but...alas, car troubles and last minute logistical things have certainly made me do a lot of thinking, and NOT about what is going to be happening this coming week.

Until now.

Like any other post I have made, I have to include this very cliched (yet very true) statement: it's hard to believe that this day has finally arrived. I feel like I JUST decided to embark on this journey yesterday, but I made the mental decision to do it three months ago! I started support raising two months ago. I finished raising full support just three weeks ago, and now the day has finally arrived: I am almost bound for Italy! Time really likes to fly. And of course, things sneak up when we least expect them.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't stoked, psyched, pumped, or overjoyed. I have been thinking about this day a lot, despite the stresses of everyday life (car problems, daily commutes for subbing, figuring out future things, etc.). But no matter how much I think about it, I still can't ever feel totally mentally prepared. I guess that's just the way it works. Because it's unknown, we have no idea what to expect, even though we try and visualize everything. Or, maybe I'm the only one that does this. But in any case, that's what makes the experience all the more memorable. At least, that's what I keep trying to tell myself anyway.

So, tomorrow afternoon my fellow world travelers and I will be hopping in cars and heading to Chicago O'Hare, where we will lift off and split from the States later in the evening. When once again we touch ground, we will be in Istanbul for a "brief" 4-hour layover before once again hopping over to Milan, where we will stay for the night. It sounds nice and simple, but I already know that it's going to be quite a doozy of a travel day. After last year, I know all too well that I should NEVER underestimate logistics. It all sounds nice on paper, but reality has a funny way of making things complex. But, this time (unlike before), I'm traveling with a caravan of 17 other people. I'm not alone. I won't be alone almost the whole time I'm abroad. But, despite the long trek ahead, I'm excited for every second of it. :)

But what am I REALLY thinking about? Well...I'm thinking about a lot of things. I'm pondering what kind of food I will try when I get to Turin. I'm thinking about how long the flights are going to be. I'm thinking about how much my dabbling with Italian before the trip is going to pay off. I'm thinking about the people I'm going to meet when I arrive. I'm thinking about the friendships I'm going to make with those I'm traveling with. I'm thinking about what the Lord is going to do in each of us from the time we set foot on the plane in Chicago to when we set foot back on the ground in Chicago a week and 2 days later. Frankly, my mind is running at full speed.

But with all that running, I have to challenge myself over the next few days to do the exact opposite: to slow down and soak in everything that the Lord has in store. Like I said before, time goes by way too fast. This week is going to scream by without my help. I just need to take in every last experience, and simply give praise to God for allowing me to have the chance to go abroad for the sake of His kingdom. My prayer is that each one of us can allow our hearts to be filled with not only his peace as we travel, but also with his love and compassion so it can be shared with the world around us. Besides, we love because he FIRST loved us (1 John 4:19).

I'm simply going to end this post with a request for prayer. I believe that God does incredible things through prayer. It is our primary source of communication and connection to Him. So, I say, why not? Please pray for:

1) Our team as we make our way from the US to Turkey and then to Italy, that we may be safe and efficient in travel (and that no one experiences lost luggage...that'd be the pits)

2) The church that we will be working with in Turin, and that they may reveal something special about God's heart for the Italian people they minister to as we engage with them this next week

3) The people we encounter while we're there...that we can show Christ's love and also our own story of God's redemptive power in our individual lives (1 Peter 3:15)

4) The other spring break groups that our church is sponsoring, that they may also have fruitful labors in their own respective trips (Muncie, Los Angeles, and Miami)

Alright, I think that's enough for now. Another post will be coming soon! Love you all!

Benvenuto! E Grazie! (Welcome and Thank You!)

Buongiorno, benvenuto a tutti!

Or, for all you English speakers, welcome!

This is the first of a few blog posts that I am going to be making to highlight the experiences that will be arising in the coming week when I leave the United States for the SECOND time in my life and land in the land of my ancestors (well, some of them anyways): ITALY! And no, I'm not kidding. Though I'm predominantly Polish in descent, I'm also a fifth Italian. :)

So, to get the ball rolling, I simply want to give a HUGE shoutout to all of the people that supported me through this preparation process, both financially and emotionally. As anyone of you could probably guess, the preparations for the trip (primarily, support raising) has not been all gumdrops and rainbows. Over the last couple of months, I have been dealing with a lot of anxiety and quite the emotional roller coaster. When I decided to go to Italy, I took a real leap of faith. But in that time, I also have seen God do some amazing things. 

Despite my greatest fears (and the constant anticipation of future events), I was able to raise full support, and I have ALL OF YOU to thank! I can't tell you how incredibly exciting it was to reach that final total and make that final payment to the staff. Once again, the Lord provided. And once again, I was floored by just how faithful the Lord is in his promises to His children! And apart from financial support (which I can't express enough thanks for), I have also received a lot of emotional encouragement through the whole process. Really, I am surrounded by blessings that I can't even count or fathom. It's been an amazing ride despite the difficulty. And this is only the beginning!

Last spring I had the opportunity to go to Spain to study Spanish language and experience Spanish culture head on. While there, I got to experience a bit of Italy. And by "a bit", I mean I had a layover in Rome's airport. I never even saw the outside of the city. But THIS time however, I'm ACTUALLY GOING TO ITALY. WHAT?! Is this real life? Though it's close, it hasn't really sunk in quite yet.

But this trip is not a vacation necessarily (though there will be some sightseeing and down time). For those of you that don't know, this trip is a mission with my church at Ball State. Along with 17 other college-aged individuals, they and I are heading across the Atlantic to partner with one of our church's sister congregations in Turin, Italy. Turin is located in the northwestern corner of the country near the Alps bordering France.

While we are there (SO PRETTY ISN'T IT?!), we will be collaborating with this church (Il Refugio: the Refuge) to work with various Italians in small group English clubs. So, we will not only be conversing with them and teaching them about various aspects of English grammar, but we will be connecting those ideas to activities related to the Bible. Apart from teaching, we will also be spending time simply interacting with the culture and the people, forming relationships and sharing not only our faith in Jesus but also our experiences as Americans (people in Europe surprisingly find us to be very interesting in ways). And yes, we are also going to be doing some sightseeing. And we're going to Venice for a day at the end, just for fun. I mean...we're only human after all.

But the main reason we are traveling there is not just for kicks. We're going there to challenge ourselves and be more understanding of not only another culture, but also be more understanding of who we are and what we are called to do as followers of Jesus: "Go and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 28:18-20)

Alright, I think that's where I will make take my leave. I want to end with this: I am really looking forward to everything that the Lord has in store for this time we will have in Italy. And I also can't wait to share all of it with you. I will be sure to keep everyone up-to-date with all that happens. And yes, there will be photos!

Until the next post, arrivederci! (See ya!)