Uneasy Beginnings...

Ciao di nuovo, ragazzi! (Hello once again folks!)

So, I definitely want to apologize for the lapse in time since the last post. A lot has happened since last time, but the transition has been rougher than expected. So much, in fact, that the first day was not really that easy to muscle down. And I'm sorry if this post is a bit long, but I promise: afterwards you will understand why.

So, based on the title of this post, you would think that I meant something along the lines of "the jet lag was really hard to get over" (which it was), or "the culture was really shocking to me" (which, it kind of was [I have Spain to thank for that one really...], or "I don't know what I'm doing" (which, that is also true). But, my motive behind the title was really none of those. It was actually for a very different reason...

I was sick like a dog.

And it was more than just a slight cough and the sniffles. From the time I woke up Sunday morning till the time I went to bed, everything just got worse and worse. The only time I actually felt fine was before I went down to breakfast. We stayed at a hotel in Milan after getting into the country. It was a Holiday Inn, and I was definitely looking forward to having a good meal before we started off to Turin. I gorged, but because I was running late I ate a bit fast.

The bus ride to Turin was okay, and we had some really good conversation with our driver (he spoke Spanish as well as Italian, so we could communicate pretty well). 

Things seem fine right?

The highlight of the day was definitely when we got to Turin. We had the opportunity to go to church with the people that we would be working with teaching English for the week. And, at that time, it was an incredible blessing just to see the incredible enthusiasm and heart for the Lord these people have. They may be a small church (protestant Christianity is not common here in Italy, and most of Europe really), but they really care about the Lord and the rest of the world around them. And on top of that, we had two languages bouncing around during the entire message. See, our pastor Carl spoke on what it means to be passive, showing us where it came from and how it affects our personal walk with the Lord. He also challenged us with this question:

What is a step of faith God is asking you to take this week?

This got me thinking. My first thought was obviously, "Coming to Italy was my leap of faith!". But, after a while, I realized that that wasn't really what was on my mind. See...for most people, Italy is all new. The culture and the language are both really shocking, and truthfully quite different from the United States. And I definitely don't speak Italian, but the truth is...I feel comfortable here. Knowing Spanish helps a lot with not only understanding, but also sometimes communicating. So, I believe God was pushing me to something more. And at the time I wasn't really seeing it. 

We worshipped in Italian AND English. So cool!

This is the church that we are working with. They are called "Il Rifugio", or the Refuge.

We had lunch at the church, but this is where the tables started to turn. I started getting a stomachache during the service, and it only got worse when food was present. I started to have thoughts about what it could have been, but because we been through so much traveling I couldn't pinpoint it. So, I just dealt with it. We ended the service at 12:30 or so, and the lunch went until about 2.

Things got worse.

After eating (or, in my case, not), one of the staff at the church here in Turin, Anthony (no, he's not Italian...he's actually from Colorado) took us on a brief tour of the city center. At first it seemed like a lot of fun, because I love exploring new places! However...as the trip went on, I just got more and more uncomfortable and borderline angry.

My body was rebelling, and I was trying not to listen. Every time we would stop to talk about the next place on the list, I would crouch down and hold my stomach, breathing slowly. I lost focus on almost every detail of the tour, didn't try the famous gelato everyone had told me about, and was glad to hear when we were returning to check into our hotel. Needless to say, none of those things are normal for me.

But it didn't stop there. In fact, this is the best part.

Before checking into the hotel, Paul wanted to have an orientation meeting for the English club stuff. And at this point, this was the LAST thing I wanted to do. But I knew it was necessary, so I endured. Or at least tried to.

But I was unsuccessful.

Of the hour and a half total we had the meeting, I was present for maybe a third of it. The rest of the time I spent in the bathroom. And for the first time since I turned 15, I threw up. And I threw up hard. And it didn't stop there. After I ended that mess, I instantly started feeling really cold.

And then when we left for the hotel, I started getting really hot. When we got to the hotel, I couldn't even handle going up the stairs. I had to take the elevator, because if I tried to push myself I was sure I would once again hurl. The only time I felt okay was when I laid on my back and was completely covered up. And I stayed that way THE REST OF THE DAY. I didn't move. And I slept. And I sweat. And I slept some more. While everyone else took their first shots at exploring the city and trying out the local delicacies and hotspots. Then I realized what my true leap of faith was that Carl had been asking about.

"TRUST in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your OWN understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

See, it's been about trust the whole time. It always has been. Clearly, I haven't understood what was going on with my body. In fact, it's been three days since that experience and I still don't. But, that's just it. God calls us to lean not on our own understanding AND acknowledge him in everything. And since I left Chicago, I had been acting and walking with so much confidence that I forgot to do both of those things. And not that God made me feel this way (I flat out didn't take care of myself, drinking little water and indulging in all kinds of gluttony on different foods), God revealed his truths amidst my brokenness and distress.

"For my grace is sufficient for you, and my power is made PERFECT in weakness." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

At the end of the night, my fever did end up breaking. I still had stomach pains, but at least I wasn't on fire with a virus. The next morning Carl told me that it might have been a brief stomach flu bug. Because I was the only one that experienced this. Eating is still a challenge, but at least I can take in a little more than nothing. And I also learned that because of me not drinking water and also throwing some of my fluids up, I was also dehydrated for the first time ever in my life. Great timing eh?

Surprisingly, after the fact, I actually think so.

This is the view from my room balcony. I couldn't have asked for a better sight after a hard day. :)

Alright, now you all know as to why my posts are late. Next post I will update you on what went down monday and hopefully tuesday as well. I feel bad that I fell behind, but my stomach issues and freak storms of sickness took my mind off of everything. But I'm back in action, and the Lord is still good! Praise him for this amazing day! After all, today and yesterday and the day before (despite being really hard) were STILL days the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24).

Until next time, ciao ragazzi!