The Crossers' Life in Missions

February 2012 Newsletter

2012-02-15T13:11:00.001-06:00

It's that time of the month again! Newsletter time! Enjoy ready about our ministry during the month of the groundhog.

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QR code scanning info -
* What is a QR code? It's kind of like a bar code but it can contain much more data, contact info, web addresses, etc.

* How do I scan this on my device?

Windows 7 Phones with 7.5 (mango) update can use the bing vision search. [if you don't have this update try PhraseMeme Scanner (found on the windows marketplace)].
Android phones/tablets try QR Droid (found on the Android marketplace).
iPhone/iPad try QR-Reader (not tested personally).
Blackberry try QR Code Scanner Pro (not tested personally).

* How do I read it on my device? You'll need a reader with pdf support (PDF reader).

Sermon Audio - Go Fish "Fishing Stories"

2012-01-25T23:54:00.001-06:00

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to preach at our church, Highland Park Christian Church. If you are interested in hearing it, it can be found at the church's website at http://hp4christ.org/#/media/sermons. Once there, just click on the "Launch Sermon Player" link and find my sermon on January 22, 2012 entitled "Fishing Stories" in the "Go Fish" series.

Below is the artwork I created for this five week sermon series.

January 2012 Newsletter

2012-01-25T23:35:00.002-06:00

To start your year off, here is our first newsletter of 2012, for January. Put down that snowball, grab a cup of coffee and read our ministry news!

Windows 7 Phones with 7.5 (mango) update can use the bing vision search. [if you don't have this update try PhraseMeme Scanner (found on the windows marketplace)].
Android phones/tablets try QR Droid (found on the Android marketplace).
iPhone/iPad try QR-Reader (not tested personally).
Blackberry try QR Code Scanner Pro (not tested personally).

* How do I read it on my device? You'll need a reader with pdf support (PDF reader).

December 2011 Newsletter

2011-12-16T23:16:00.000-06:00

Below you'll see the images for our December 2011 Newsletter. Grab some hot cocoa and enjoy reading it.

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QR code scanning info -
* What is a QR code? It's kind of like a bar code but it can contain much more data, contact info, web addresses, etc.

* How do I scan this on my device?

Windows 7 Phones with 7.5 (mango) update can use the bing vision search. [if you don't have this update try PhraseMeme Scanner (found on the windows marketplace)].
Android phones/tablets try QR Droid (found on the Android marketplace).
iPhone/iPad try QR-Reader (not tested personally).
Blackberry try QR Code Scanner Pro (not tested personally).

* How do I read it on my device? You'll need a reader with pdf support (PDF reader).

The Winter Cometh

2011-12-14T10:17:00.002-06:00

The once green corn stalks ripple in the sharp wind like sand colored streamers

The last leaves cling desperately to barren branches

Limbs, like claws, reach to the sky thanking their Creator

Winter is coming, the earth feels the stretching of its sinews

Thinly stretched to the point of ripping

Yet renewed in a fire-like cold that kills all that might harm

Rebirth is in the throes of the frigid gray day

What once was warm will be once more

Crippling rigidity will give way to warm fluidity

When the Winter comes and goes

And grateful for the redeeming nature of Winter

The earth content, yet hopeful looks to Spring

Even as Winter has only stepped in the door

November 2011 Newsletter

2011-11-15T00:58:00.000-06:00

Below you will find image links to our November 2011 Newsletter. Hope you enjoy it.

Windows 7 Phones with 7.5 (mango) update can use the bing vision search. [if you don't have this update try PhraseMeme Scanner (found on the windows marketplace)].
Android phones/tablets try QR Droid (found on the Android marketplace).
iPhone/iPad try QR-Reader (not tested personally).
Blackberry try QR Code Scanner Pro (not tested personally).

* How do I read it on my device? You'll need a reader with pdf support (PDF reader).

October 2011 Newsletter

2011-10-26T14:15:00.001-05:00

Sweaters on and heaters running.....cool fall weather is here! And so is our latest newsletter for October 2011. Click the links below to view the pdf.

Windows 7 Phones with 7.5 (mango) update can use the bing vision search. [if you don't have this update try PhraseMeme Scanner (found on the windows marketplace)].
Android phones/tablets try QR Droid (found on the Android marketplace).
iPhone/iPad try QR-Reader (not tested personally).
Blackberry try QR Code Scanner Pro (not tested personally).

* How do I read it on my device? You'll need a reader with pdf support (PDF reader).

September 2011 Newsletter

2011-09-26T13:49:00.000-05:00

Hottest summer on record in Tulsa. We're ready for the fall weather! Here's our September 2011 Newsletter.

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QR code scanning info -
* What is a QR code? It's kind of like a bar code but it can contain much more data, contact info, web addresses, etc.

* How do I scan this on my device?

Windows 7 Phones with 7.5 update can use the bing vision search. [if you don't have this update try PhraseMeme Scanner (found on the windows marketplace)].
Android phones/tablets try QR Droid (found on the Android marketplace).
iPhone/iPad try QR-Reader (not tested personally).
Blackberry try QR Code Scanner Pro (not tested personally).

* How do I read it on my device? You'll need a reader with pdf support (PDF reader).

August 2011 Newsletter

2011-08-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, so what is the record for an air conditioner breaking down in one summer? Ours has went out five or six times? Twice yesterday! It's fixed...again. Enjoy the heat you summer people, the cool autumn weather that I love is just around the corner. To finish off your hot summer, here is our latest newsletter HOT off the press. Hope you enjoy it.

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QR code scanning info -

* What is a QR code? It's kind of like a bar code but it can contain much more data, contact info, web addresses, etc.

* How do I scan this on my device?

Windows 7 Phones try PhraseMeme Scanner (found on the windows marketplace).
Android phones/tablets try QR Droid (found on the Android marketplace).
iPhone/iPad try QR-Reader (not tested personally).
Blackberry try QR Code Scanner Pro (not tested personally).

* How do I read it on my device? You'll need a reader with pdf support (PDF reader).

Website Upheaval

2011-08-22T21:48:00.001-05:00

Since we started this new adventure using creative arts for missions, I kept putting off our new website. I had a placeholder that head some of the colors, links and style of the new version but not much depth. I finally got it finished and uploaded. Check out the site at http://www.thecrossers.com/. Be sure and tell us what you think! We would love to hear it. Here's a screen cap of it.

July 2011 Newsletter

2011-07-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

What a hot month we've experienced! Before you melt, read this. It's our July newsletter! Oh and if you would rather read it on your mobile device, scan the QR code below!

Windows 7 Phones try PhraseMeme Scanner (found on the windows marketplace).
Android phones/tablets try QR Droid (found on the Android marketplace).
iPhone/iPad try QR-Reader (not tested personally).
Blackberry try QR Code Scanner Pro (not tested personally).

* How do I read it on my device? You'll need a reader with pdf support (PDF reader).

How to Plan and Rebrand a Book

2011-06-27T14:21:00.000-05:00

You can see the strung up planning cord above my desk. It has the major sections of a missions book I am working on. The book for Team Expansion is actually a rebranding of another book, for which we have permission to use. I am using the headings and terms from our organization to redesign the book into one that our churches can use to partner with us (Team Expansion) and missionaries to reach the least parts of the world and plant biblical church planting movements.

Newsletter - June 2011

2011-06-15T17:44:00.001-05:00

Don't forget to take our June 2011 Newsletter to the beach with you! Here it is. Click on the picture to download the pdf. Right click it to choose to save the target (pdf) to your computer.

The First Print of My New Curriculum Arrived

2011-06-07T16:07:00.000-05:00

So, always an exciting moment is receiving a print version of their book/material. Today two copies of my new 154 page Jump VBS arrived via Fedex. Below are the photos chronicling the exciting event.

Newsletter - May 2011

2011-05-22T17:39:00.001-05:00

And for your reading pleasure, here is our May 2011 newsletter. Click on the picture to download the pdf. Right click it to choose to save the target (pdf) to your computer.

Sleepy Saturday...Working!

2011-05-21T16:29:00.000-05:00

So, here I find myself the the fourth Saturday out of five working. I am almost done with the new VBS curriculum I'm working on, JUMP VBS. I have almost 100 pages done and only about fifteen to go. I have really enjoyed designing this curriculum, but I have been working on it for months. Some design and research were done a year ago! So, even though I have enjoyed it, I am ready to have it complete. Usually, after lunch I find myself fighting the natural napping desire. I try different things to get me out of the after lunch funk. I get more Diet Dr. Pepper (cans are kept at the ready in the fridge at my office), I make coffee with my Keurig coffee maker (so I can make one cup of coffee at a time), and I have stood up and walk around in a circle around my office. Well, enough writing, now back to writing...if I can keep my eyelids open.

Newsletter - April 2011

2011-04-15T17:09:00.000-05:00

Here is our April 2011 Newsletter

Newsletter - March 2011

2011-03-28T17:40:00.000-05:00

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, just like this newsletter!

Life - Same As It Never Was

2011-03-28T17:21:00.000-05:00

So, while we were displaced from the house due to a circuit breaker fire, I was diagnosed with shingles....and bronchitis. The shingles are gone and I am now on the second antibiotic for bronchitis. We did get back into the house after most of the restoration work was done. The day after we got back our nephews, Kohl, Jacob and Brandon (two of which live with us) went on a mission trip to the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. They had a good time and we're glad that God is shaping their lives through experiences like that.

Late last Thursday night, we had to take Kevin back to the hospital. Since being discharged back in mid-February, he never really got over whatever was causing the pneuomonia he had. They put him in ICU for the first few days and last night moved him into a step down unit after stabilizing him and figuring out that he has a yeast infection in his lungs. He'll get meds to combat that for about a week and then we plan to take him back home.

We are also trying to get the word out that a ten page JUMP VBS sample packet is available for download. Soon the whole curriculum will be available for those wanting to challenge kids and parents with a VBS focused on missions around the world. You can download the packet at http://bit.ly/jumpsample. Also, check out the JUMP VBS page on facebook and you can "like" it! The JUMP VBS page is at www.facebook.com/jumpvbs. I would love to see dozens of churches using this curriculum this summer and spreading out over the next few years.

Newsletter - February 2011

2011-02-28T17:38:00.001-06:00

And for a short month, here's a short read, our February Newsletter!

Life Moving at Breakneck Speeds

2011-02-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

As a result of our trip to Italy, my back was beyond "out". It was debilitating. I could only sit at a computer for about two to three minutes before the pain made me stop. The first couple weeks I tried everything, and it only got nominally better. Over the next several weeks I had many visits to the chiropractor, massage therapy, heatpads, icepacks, bedrest, etc...... By early December it was doing better, but still major pain. A good friend told me about a doctor they had used in the past that thought out of the box and might be able to help. I made an appointment and found out a week before Christmas that I have flat feet. I have probably had them for some time. That's maybe why my back would flare up from time to time, especially depending how much I was putting my back through. That doctor sent me to a foot doctor who makes his own insoles. I've had them about two months now, and I can truly say that my back keeps continuing to do better. The pain is not totally gone, but I am taking far less pain meds than before and not wondering if the pain will ever stop. I am able to do things that I haven't in awhile. The past two weeks at church I could lean forward and pray during communion. In the past year, I could only do that about twice, maybe only once. Two weeks in a row is amazing! So hopefully, it will continue to get better over time.

In December, our container arrived from Italy. It was mainly filled with our things (books, resources, CD/DVDs, video equipment, computer equipment, clothes, some furniture, etc... The Casey family who we ministered alongside in Ancona, Italy for years also put some things in the container too. They finished up their part of the ministry in Ancona in January and headed back to the states too. My office stuff, bookshelves, books, art desk, etc.... is sitting in storage waiting for a new office area that is being renovated at Highland Park CC in Tulsa. They have, with support and love, given me a space to use for an office when I'm not working from home or in bookstore cafes. Now, it's just a Sunday School room, but soon it will be in the 2:20 Center positioned in a house behind the main building. The 2:20 Center is a fairly new space that was formerly the home of a deaf ministry school, Happy Hands. They were able to expand and grow into a major new property and that left this house to have new uses. The church leadership prayed and decided to use it for various ministries, such as a counseling office and donation center. Up on the third floor I will have a corner office in what will also serve as the High School Sunday School room. All that's needed are some funds for carpeting and a new paintjob and I can move my office stuff in.

Towards the end of January, three people in our house got the flu, Angie and our nephews, Jacob and Kohl.  This also happened at the same time as a record blizzard in the state of Oklahoma, so we didn't have nursing for most of the week. I ended up playing nursemaid to three sickos and doing much of Kevin's round the clock care. I was fortunate to have our nephew Brandon's help since he was out of school for the snow. At the end of that week, the fevers were gone, nurses were able to get back to the house and I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I had no idea what was going to happen next.

That Saturday night, my brother, Kevin starting having a coughing spell that ended up lasting seven or eight hours. Around hour six or seven we had to call an ambulance because nothing we tried got him to stop and his heart rate kept increasing and he just seemed to be in distress.  We ended up finding out that Kevin had a severe pneumonia. It made an infection run through his body and he ended up being in ICU for about 9 days. Kevin did a great job of getting over it with the help of antibiotics and great care. We brought him home almost two weeks after he went there and we once more thought things were settling down.

Two days after bringing Kevin home, the lights started flickering and going off. After flipping the breaker switch once to turn them back on, I noticed the second time that something else seemed to be going on. There were all kinds of sparks and sizzles coming from the breaker box.  I asked someone to get me the fire extinguisher and someone else to open the window. They brought the extinguisher back quick. Good thing too, since shortly after the breaker box burst into flames. I sprayed it down, but it kept sizzling. I sprayed it again and the sizzling continued inside the box. I left Kohl watching it with the extinguisher and I ran to get my tools. I needed to open up the panel so I could spray inside, the extinguisher wasn't getting in. I got it opened up and sprayed it a couple more times. It kept sizzling a little, so I had the family call 911. By the time the firemen got there, I had run out of extinguisher and the sizzling was almost done. We called some friends and family and moved Kevin (and us) with all his medical equipment over to my brother Greg's house. The power remained off all last week until Friday and now we are waiting on a restoration company to clean it back up. It is really only smoke and odor damage.

In about a week we hope to move back in, but we'll see and try to have patience. In the meantime, I completed a ten page sample packet for the new Team Expansion JUMP VBS curriculum. This packet lets churches see if they want to use this resource this summer. If you are interested, please let me know!

Newsletter - January 2011

2011-01-28T17:36:00.001-06:00

A New Year, a new...sletter!

Newsletter - December 2010

2010-12-28T17:33:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas! Here's our December 2010 newsletter!

Newsletter - November 2010

2010-11-28T17:25:00.005-06:00

Here's our November 2010 newsletter!

Our Trip To Italy So Far

2010-10-27T19:29:00.000-05:00

If you read our latest newsletter you know that we were finally able to take our return trip to Italy to pack our apartment, sell a few things, give away some things and say farewell for now to a country that has become a second home to us.

Here are links to some photos showing how our trip has gone so far....

Most of our time was spent in Verona and here is that photo album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=537335&id=527605402&l=bc2b3618c6

The last few days we are in Ancona, where we spent most of the eight years we were in Italy:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=557971&id=527605402&l=e6f377bfdc

Hope you enjoy the photos!!

Matt & Angie

Newsletter - September/October 2010

2010-10-12T23:52:00.000-05:00

And now here's the newsletter you've all been waiting for! It's our September/October 2010 newsletter. Our trip back to Italy to pack up our apartment and close out our ministry there is scheduled for October 16-29th. You can read all about it in this issue of our newsletter...

Back Again?

2010-09-15T16:10:00.000-05:00

So, since Memorial Day weekend, my back has plagued me with aches, pains, lost sleep, etc... Actually, my back pain started in High School after a car accident I was in. However, during the past several years I haven't had many problems with it. In Italy I was walking, I had changed my eating habits and lost weight, and our bed was nice and firm. Since my brother's accident a year ago, I stopped walking, ate whatever was given to us, slept on whatever we could find (hospital beds, recliners, benches, couches, air mattresses, etc....) and gained some of my weight back on. A dietician we met with said stressful situations will add weight on, maybe there's something in my survival instincts that tells me body, 'whatever problems we are facing, if you brace yourself, find a cave to crawl in, put on some hibernation weight and hunker down until things settle, we'll be okay'. Well, the dust has been settling and my back pain has worsened due to the situational and habitual factors.

My chiropractor told me today that it is my sciatic nerve running down my right leg that's bothering me. He asked if it feels like a dagger is digging into the top of my right leg, to which I replied wholeheartedly, "Yes". For a few weeks now, I have been trying to walk Brinkley each day. It also gets me out into the neighborhood, something that I would have made a goal to do in Italy. Been working on exercising some with a big RED ball and trying to be more discerning into what goes in my gullet. Hopefully, next time I write about this, I can title it, "Back no more".

Humbled to Have Help

2010-09-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

So, I've been working from home today, sitting at the kitchen table looking out onto a very cool sight. Fifteen to twenty volunteers from American Airlines and the United Way have been in our (Kevin's) backyard since around 8. They have been laboring without complaint all day. We were asked what projects needed done around the house for us and Kevin. Since, a couple great guys at Highland Park Christian Church built a ramp out front for Kevin's wheelchair, that didn't need done, but there were other needs. We talked about having a deck to take Kevin out onto, they countered with the idea to have a covered deck. I told them that if we had a privacy fence, we could take Kevin outside to give him a shower. We knew we needed a storage building to put things like the mower away to protect it from the elements. And every time it rains, a small lake is formed in the back fifteen feet of yard. It causes mosquito issues as well as potential flooding, if we ever get a really hard rain.

They are doing all the projects. Wow. I am humbled by their sacrifice. I appreciate their gift of hard work. I am thankful for the good things that God gives us through them, whether they realize they are the conduit of that gift or not.

Newsletter - August 2010

2010-09-09T23:53:00.000-05:00

Here's our August newsletter. Make yourself up a cup of coffee or warm tea and enjoy reading! Let us know if you want to receive a paper version of our newsletters.

Global Leadership Summit by Willow Creek

2010-08-09T15:28:00.001-05:00

Angie and I got the opportunity to attend the Global Leadership Summit put on by the Willow Creek Church outside of Chicago. We didn't have to go to Chicago though, they use satellite locations all around the globe, including close to 200 in the states. Our location was at First Baptist in Owasso, Oklahoma. It's a city about 10 minutes from Tulsa. There were around 31 attenders from our church alone. It was a great two day event, but our favorite session was called "The Land Between" by Jeff Manion. You can pick up the book at Amazon. Just follow this link!

The book and session follow the premise of going from one "place" to another in our lives. The time that takes place between those "places" is called The Land Between. It's initial idea comes from the story of the Israelites, going from the land of slavery in Egypt to the land of promise in Canaan (near the Dead Sea). That time period for them and for us is fertile, even though it is in the desert. On one hand, it is fertile for complaints, on the other it is fertile for transformational growth. It depends on what choices you make during this 'time' on who you will be when you arrive at your next destination. We bought the book and I am already a couple chapters into it. If you are looking for a good book to help you through a difficult transition, this seems to be it. I'll let you know once I finish reading it.

Newsletter - July 2010

2010-07-17T15:40:00.000-05:00

Here is our July 2010 Newsletter. If you want to get this in your postal service mail, let us know and we can add you to our mailing list! Check out the new look as well as the new Project Showcase on the backpage!

Technology and Modern Day Ministry

2010-07-02T15:59:00.000-05:00

Whew, can you imagine Simon Peter, saying, hang on Andrew, let me respond to this text message? Matthew the tax collector asking for the rest of the disciples to hold on ten more minutes because for some reason his Turbo Tax software is not recognizing his printer and won't print! Or what if Simon the Zealot had the tools of Facebook and Twitter? Sometimes, it seems like I can't live with technology and I can't live without it. Today has been one of those, I could take it or leave it days, which believe me does not come around very often. I haven't had major issues, but just the little bumps in the process that wouldn't be there without technology.

However, to put it in perspective, a hundred years ago you would be receiving this via pigeon or pony express (which was anything but!). My hand would be cramping from gripping the feather that I continually would have had to dip in indian ink and back to the page. I would have lost touch with many of you years ago, due to either the enormity of the world and vastness between cities or to the plague, since technology would have not brought us the simple things like vaccines and modern medicines to help us live past thirty.

I guess, all in all, putting it in perspective, technology has brought us some pretty amazing things. It enables me to get out a prayer request to several hundred people in a matter of seconds. It lets me keep fellowship with people that live more than 100 miles or more away from me. When I see your status updates, I rejoice with you, empathize with you and pray for you. I work with a ministry team that lives in another city doing missions that reaches out across the entire world. I create artwork and resources to be used all over the world for the expansion of God's kingdom. And depending on my job load, I can respond with something within ten minutes! Yeah, I guess you could say that technology has changed things. The landscape of modern ministry is different because of it.

So next time you read a status update, don't just think of it as someone's boring dribble. Ask yourself how God wants you to respond to that invitation into someone's soul. And find a way to be involved with the church from afar, taking the opportunity to be interactive with missionaries in far away lands that would not have even been possible ten years ago!

Technology, I'll take it, speed bumps, frustrations and all.

This Was On Our Back Door During The Storm

2010-05-19T21:35:00.001-05:00

We found this froggy hanging onto the back sliding door for dear life during the severe thunderstorms rolling through Tulsa tonight.

Newsletter - April 2010

2010-04-17T15:18:00.002-05:00

Here is our April 2010 Newsletter. If you want to get this in your postal service mail, let us know and we can add you to our mailing list!

A New Season of Life

2010-04-14T23:52:00.000-05:00

So, I have hesitated posting anything on our blog in awhile. I guess, I really didn't know what to say. On August 20th, 2009 my brother was involved in a car accident leaving him with a traumatic brain injury. After a few days we returned to the states from Italy. We had only lived in our new apartment in Verona for three months. We have yet to return. We have felt compelled to be in the states to be with Kevin, his kids and our family as he goes through the excruciatingly long process of recovery. For six months, we functioned under a medical furlough and helped Kevin get from the hospital to an acute care facility to home. We are currently living with him and caring for him as he recovers.

Last month, we made the decision to transition out of our ministry in Italy to a support role for all the missionaries of our organization, Team Expansion. We will continue to raise the support for our salary and ministry budget. We will be based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, yet reaching out to many countries in the world through graphic design, illustration, website design, curriculum creation, video editing, etc....

This blog will continue to be about our lives as we try to follow God in whatever we do. We are redesigning our website. thecrossers.com to reflect the changes and direction we are taking in missions around the world. If you want to check out some of my art projects, personal and ministry related, go to my sketchblog at http://mattsketchpad.blogspot.com/. If you want to read more about the medical and faith journey we are going on with the recovery of my brother, Kevin, head over to http://www.prayforkevin.com/.

Thanks for sticking with us and reading our news, following our ministry, praying for our effectiveness in missions and supporting the work through regular gifts. If you would like to help us out in any way, please write.

This blog has moved

2010-04-06T04:44:00.001-05:00

This blog is now located at http://crosserslife.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://crosserslife.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Weekly Exploration - Home Follow Up

2009-08-14T11:46:00.003-05:00

This is a follow up to my earlier post, Weekly Exploration....

When I go out exploring, I like to find the streets off the beaten path. It's easy to find the 'touristy' streets, there are signs to them! But where do the Italians go? There is a street called, Via Mazzini that leads from Piazza Bra' (the largest town square in Italy, the guidebooks say) to Piazza Erbe (the site of the ancient Roman forum in Verona). This street, Mazzini, is lined with ice cream shops, newsstands and expensive stores. It is almost always packed with people! Italians would say, 'pieno di gente' while holding their fingers tight together and pointing them up, which means 'full of people".

I love that area, it is always bustling and full of life. Sometimes though it is so packed with tourists you can't imagine locals wading through the raff of people. So I love to meander through the alleys finding new passageways and nooks. Sometimes I'll walk all the way down an alley only to find it leads nowhere! Maybe a few doors, but nothing more. Today I found several streets that seemed out of the way for the out-of-towner. I found one street that was closed off to cars, set up for a two day blues festival (here's the program). Several restaurants with their outdoor seating were preparing for tonight's program of blues bands and tomorrow's full day of events. Another street held all the new stores that I listed on my earlier post. And other streets were brimming with people, but there were no tourists in sight. This is Italy. These are the people that we have come to tell about Christ and the relationship that they can have with him. For now, I will continue to explore the city, praying as I walk.

For more on:
Piazza Erbe
Piazza Bra

Weekly Exploration

2009-08-14T10:20:00.000-05:00

Here I am sitting on a little street in Verona. For awhile I will have a weekly exploration as part of my schedule. Earlier I helped an old man whose receipt had been stolen by the wind and swept under a nearby car. Then I looked longingly at the charcoaler and attachments in the window of a garden store closed for the holidays. The 15th of August is a major holiday here. So far I went into a tiny little catholic church, found a comic book store, a music store, a handmade jewelry store where I want to take Angie, and several new restaurants including another japanese sushi restaurant. There are several of these in Verona. It was closed. Yet not everything is closed...so off I go exploring and praying as I do.

New Prayer Journal

2009-08-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a new prayer journal. I saw the idea in a magazine. It is a crafty little project and that is right up my alley. I love crafts!! I bought a photo album/scrapbook. The kind that is spiral bound and has cardstock as pages. Back when we were in the states I did the crafty part by decorating all the pages and laying out how I was going to divide it up. I decided on family, nieces and nephews (yes, I know they are family but they get their own section), friends and our team. Then you print off pictures of each person and put them on their page. Around their photo you write things you want to pray about for that person. Then you can flip through and look at their face as you pray. I finally, with the help of my hubby, printed off the pictures today. Tonight after dinner when we are watching some TV I am going to put my pictures in the album. I can’t wait to get up tomorrow and start praying though the faces that I love!

Installing Our Kitchen

2009-07-18T15:55:00.006-05:00

So, we've shared this before but when you rent an apartment it comes with an unfurnished kitchen. Normally there are only pipes sticking out of the walls, but no fridge, stove, oven, cabinets, etc.... We brought our kitchen from Ancona to Verona. The problem was that the apartment we moved into had a sink built into the kitchen. We already had a sink built into our previous cabinets. So, what that means is that we had to reconfigure our kitchen. This meant making one side smaller than it was before so it would fit on the wall and we added the section from that side to the other. Then we had to get new countertops and I had to install them after I installed the cabinets. Here are some pictures taken over a couple weeks of me installing the kitchen.

Getting To Know Verona

2009-07-06T05:31:00.002-05:00

I just wrote a post on our Go Verona News blog....

April arrived a little over a week ago and we have gotten her moved into her new apartment. We are finally starting to get things set-up and stabilized here in our own apartment. As we have been getting settled you can imagine the numerous trips around town we have had to make. What that has done has shown us parts of the city that we may not have seen otherwise. It finally feels like we are getting to know the side streets. The streets that....(read more here)

Check out other team posts at the front page of Go Verona News found here:
http://www.goveronanews.com/

Conversational Relations

2009-06-30T06:24:00.003-05:00

So how do you get to know people in a new city? We have had many different repairmen coming to the house to fix things that probably should have been fixed before we got the apartment. Since we have people coming to us, I have been taking the opportunity to converse with them. Every so often I come up with something specific to talk about, so that I have something to keep the conversation going. The past couple days I have been asking people about Lake Garda. It is a beautiful lake, or so we're told, that is only about 20-30 minutes to the west of Verona. Angie, April and I are going to head to Lake Garda this Saturday to celebrate Independence Day. We'll spend the day of the lake/beach and then return that evening home where we'll grill hamburgers and watch something patriotic. There are dozens upon dozens of cities surrounding the lake, so we have been asking which ones are the best. It depends they say. Do we want colder water that's clean? Or warmer water that is a bit more polluted? Lots of wind in the northern part of the lake, they say, that's why there's lots of sailing, wind surfing and parasailing. There are lots of great restaurants all around the lake. Our electrician told us we should head out between 7:30-8:00AM so that we get around all the traffic. Of course that is just regular traffic, since Italians don't celebrate the Fourth of July! From the suggestions so far, we have several options. I guess over time, we'll just have to try all of them and see which place will become "ours". Ours for going to the beach normally. Our version of a "lakelot" without actually having a "lot" on the lake.

Team Member Arrival

2009-06-25T09:32:00.007-05:00

So, in about two hours one of our team members, April Houk, is arriving at the airport in Verona. She is travelling with a friend of ours from college. That way she has help travel and baggage. Once she arrives, we will begin guiding her through her first steps in this new culture in which she finds herself living. It will be an adventure for us together!

Pizzeria at Home

2009-06-25T09:25:00.002-05:00

So, did we mention that we live above a pizzeria? There are many other stores too, but I want to focus on this little pizzeria. Some days, the oven smells waft up through our fourth story windows and it makes a little mouthwatering. A new ingredient that this place uses is cream cheese. You might not think it would be good, but it is great! Angie and I have both enjoyed different types with cream cheese on it. Not it's not slathered all over the crust. It is like any other ingredient on an Italian pizza. It is used sparingly. Good stuff, makes me hungry thinking about it, maybe I'll go get one of their "popeye" pizzas. They have spinach, cream cheese and a couple other ingredients. Good Eats!

The Main Piazza of Verona, Piazza Bra'

2009-06-21T06:13:00.002-05:00

Here are several pictures that I took while sitting in Piazza Bra, the main piazza or square of Verona.

Various Pictures Around Our New Apartment

2009-06-21T05:52:00.004-05:00

I couldn't help taking this picture. This bicycle is just sitting outside the door of our apartment.

This is the tree lined street that takes you to many local stores , including our grocery store.

Here's our puppy, Brinkley, sitting in our new apartment buildings' private courtyard.

And here is a picture of our local grocery store. It's called MiGross. It basically translates "Give it to me in bulk!"

This is the walkway on the backside of our building. This covered walkway leads to each of the four stairwells that make up our building.

Sick as a Dog

2009-06-18T18:21:00.002-05:00

I have been sick as a dog for over a week now. We arrived in Italy a week and three days ago. I was still recovering from three pulled teeth when I started showing cold symptoms. Those quickly turned to a sinus infection, with bronchitis tempting its way in. After a few days in Ancona, we moved to Verona one week ago on June 12th. Angie and I came down and got the keys to the apartment from our rental agents. We then cleaned some, got some pizza from a nearby pizza by the slice place and proceeded to sleep on air mattresses, the kind you go camping on. The next morning around 6:30 AM we got a call that the movers were looking for our building. They arrived and we started the process of getting everything put into rooms around the house. They used the same method as when they moved us out of our apartment in Ancona, that is they used a ladder with a motorized platform. It raised and lowered, bringing all of our stuff from the ground to our fourth floor apartment balcony. The owner, Pino, was at the top of the ladder getting stuff off. After he and I would remove the boxes/furniture from the platform, he would send it down, I would tell him where stuff went, then he and I would carrying to each room. Every once in awhile I had to head to the bathroom to cough up congestion. As the day went on it got worse and worse. After getting all of our stuff moved in, we just crashed. For the first time in over two years we are in a stable living situation. Between my illnesses and our tiredness, we couldn't do much that day. Angie and I have been doing what we could as the week went on. We didn't even unpack the TV until tonight!!! We just watched some stuff on the computer.

The thing is I don't even remember the last time I was this sick, oh wait....yeah I do, it was in March/April 2001 right after we had arrived in Italy the first time. I had stomach issues, got bronchitis and fell down two slippery marble stairwells landing right on the middle of my back. I think the enemy would love to use my sickness as a way to get us off balance from the start here in Verona. It didn't work when we first arrived in Italy and its not going to work now either.

On that note, I am retreating to bed to rest. In six hours we are getting up so that a plumber can fix a few things that should have been fixed before we moved in. But if that would have happened, we would have never met the man we are going to meet tomorrow. Maybe God has something in store for him.

How Things Are Going

2009-06-11T01:23:00.003-05:00

So, we have not last night, but the night before. Our entire trip has gone really smooth. So much smoother than previous years. Marcus, Emanuela and Ugo met us at the airport and helped us with luggage. Ugo's van carried all our bags and we took most of them to our storage unit, since we move to Verona this Friday. All of our stuff in storage seemed in fine condition. No mold, no dirt. Great! Yesterday, we met our landlord from our storage unit and picked up our car. He had a nearby mechanic do a full onceover, filling fluids and tires, etc... He also changed out most of the filters, which he showed me were a mess. Then we went to check on our car insurance. Our agent wasn't there, but we talked to him and said we could pick up the paperwork today. After that we went out and got new phone numbers for our phones. In the mall, we sat and had a cappucino and some Italian breakfast. Once done, we took off to the pet store to get a few things for Brinkley (check out his blog here). He has been great!! Not barking when we have left him and getting on his regular routine of food and sleep patterns. The funny thing is, as I was writing that last sentence, he let out a loud bark from the other room! After the pet store, we went by the post office and Angie went in to pick up the packets we have to fill out to apply for legal living permits. We have to do that within our first eight days.

Anyway, last night we headed to dinner with several of our friends, Valeria, Luca and two of their kids, Emanuela and her boyfriend, Luca, Daniel and Simona, Maurizio and his girlfriend, Antonetta, Novella and Giulia, Marcus and Kyle (both on the Ancona team). It was a great evening of dinner, laughter and reminiscing. Maurizio's eyes bulged with excitement when I told him OU was listed in the preseason top five and that he was welcome to come visit us in Verona to watch some of the games and have barbecue! He came over many Saturdays here in Ancona and grew to love American Football. He is looking forward to coming.

Really, the only downside to everything has been my health! It's crazy. Because I had three teeth removed last week, I have been dealing with pain and headaches. The oral surgeons' office insisted that the pain would be better next week. Also, apparently, I slept with my right foot in a funny position on the middle and longest flight. It felt like I had a huge internal bruise. For the past two days, I have been practically limping at times. It is feeling much better this morning. The last thing is my reoccuring bronchitis. It is showing its ugly head once more. I can feel it down in my chest and I am having difficulty getting it out. I am praying for it to keep from getting infected and just getting through it. We have a full day ahead for our last full day in Ancona. We make the move to Verona tomorrow.

Three Days To Go

2009-06-05T12:27:00.004-05:00

How do I explain the veritible swirling of thoughts and emotions. "To-Do" lists keep flying through my mind. I do one task and then another while making sure we've got time with family and friends too. In three days, we leave for Italy. We'll be gone for over two years. All the things that I love about Tulsa and the USA in general, will out of reach and sight for those two years. We are looking forward to being in Verona, but time is sooo crunched right now it is hard to wade through the feelings.

We heard from the landlord of our storage in Ancona. He has been graciously making sure our car is up to speed for us. This is way above and beyond any repsonsibility he has. He had a nearby mechanic check the fluid levels, the shocks need work and the tag is out of date, all of which the mechanic is doing before we return.

Also, our rental agents in Verona have gone the extra mile for us. They already have our electric and water running. They were going to have it painted and cleaned for us too, but the cost was more than we were willing to pay right now.

We spoke with the manager of our apartment in Tulsa and she said everything looked great and we would be getting our entire deposit back within the next 30 days.

Last night, I found out our first flight had been changed which in turn didn't give us enough time to change planes in Chicago. So this morning, our travel agent got our new reservation for a few hours before. So, now we leave earlier, but still in America the same amount of time. We have a layover in Chicago for four hours!

We found out that excess baggage prices have almost doubled since we last flew internationally. So, we will be going through our previously set aside stuff to determine its "weight in gold" and therefore take it with us.

Lots to think about. Lots to be emotional about. We are metaphorically straddling two continents. My mind bounces back and forth like I'm watching a tennis match in my head. In a week.....things will again begin to sharpen in focus.

Crunch Time

2009-05-23T10:41:00.000-05:00

Just a little over two weeks in the states is all we have left. It is crunch time. It doesn’t matter how much we plan ahead and try to get things done ahead of time these last weeks are always crazy. There are just some things you can’t do ahead of time. You have to do them at the last minute. That is where we are now. The last minute.

I am so thankful for the time we have had here in the states. I never would have guessed that we would have a year and a half in America at this point in our lives. I see it as a gift from the Lord and I have thanked Him every day. He knows the desires of my heart. I am happy to serve a God who loves me and cares for me. A God who provides not only what I need but what I desire. I love you Lord!

Stuck at the Airport

2009-05-19T14:48:00.002-05:00

So, here we sit at Starbucks inside the Louisville airport. Appartently, when the time change switched my phone's time to Eastern, it automatically switched over all my appointments to Eastern time zone too. Which means, since I input our return info in the Central time zone it changed it by one hour. We got here to the airport to check-in and found out our flight had already left.

About ten minutes later, we had new tickets, no charge...thanks Northwest! The downside was it was four hours later, we thought we only had to wait an hour!!! So, I'm on my laptop, using my cell phone's data connection, writing emails and drinking a nonfat Caffe Latte with shots of sugar free Vanilla and Caramel, and four packets of splenda.

Hopefully, there will be no issues with this flight and we'll arrive at 8:42 PM in Tulsa. We will be in Italy, three weeks from today!!! We don't have time to wait, but then again maybe God is giving us an opportunity to rest. We do have soft chairs, magazines and internet access. God knew about this, and maybe He decided to use it as a gift of refreshment. Thanks God.

Newsletter - May 2009

2009-05-14T01:45:00.004-05:00

Below is the link to our latest newsletter....
If you would like to receive this through the US mail, just email us your mailing address and we'll add you on the list!
Go here to read past newsletters!

Time Confused

2009-05-05T02:24:00.002-05:00

So, at night for the past several weeks I have been staying up to call various agencies, businesses and people in Italy in order to prepare for our pending arrival in June. At night, I mean late....from 2-4 AM are the best times for me to reach people. I have also been writing lots of emails to people and places in Italy. When I write them I think about what time it is for the recipient and will they have time in their day to write me back. Will their reply come before I go to bed at 4 AM? Or by the time I get up around 10 AM? Then I go back to writing emails to people in other states where we are traveling and I forget and think they are in the same time zone as the others I write in Italy. My mind is getting exhausted thinking in five time zones at the same time.

Newsletter - April 2009

2009-04-30T04:27:00.003-05:00

Below is the link to our latest newsletter....
April 2009 Newsletter

If you would like to receive this through the US mail, just email us your mailing address and we'll add you on the list!

Go here to read past newsletters!

Contracts and Visas

2009-04-30T03:49:00.003-05:00

We got our passports back after expediting their renewal (the expired February 2010 and they needed to expire after September 2010 for the yearlong visas we are requesting. So, last week we made our way to Houston, Texas where the Italian consulate is that has jurisdiction over the state of Oklahoma, among a few others. We had to go in person to present our application and documents. We are requesting a visa for "religious reasons", which is one of the valid reasons listed on the consulate's site. The visas are good for one year, but renewable in Italy, in the form of living permits issued by the main police station of the city you are living in. In our case, Verona. After inspecting all the documents, they told us the visas should be ready in 7-10 days. Not sure if that is literal or "business days". It literal, we could expect them as soon as Friday, May 1st or as late as Monday, May4th. If it is business days, then it would be somewhere between Tuesday, May 5th and Friday, May 8th.

(A building in Houston reflects another much like a Monet painting)

This week, the rental agency sent us the contracts to sign for our apartment in Verona. They also sent the bank information for the international transfers which would need to be done for deposits, first month's rent and agency fees. We did the transfers on Tuesday and emailed them copies of the contract Tuesday as well. We will be mailing the originals this week.

An Apartment in Verona

2009-04-16T13:33:00.008-05:00

So, we heard back from our real estate agents in Verona this morning....it was actually around 2:30 AM last night when I called, that is 9:30 AM their time. Giulia told me she had "Buone Notizie" (Good News) for us! If we met the landlord between what he was asking and what we had offered the apartment was ours! I said okay and they are now preparing the contracts for us to sign. They will get us the landlord's bank account info for us to do an international transfer. Giulia, and on another occasion Elio (another agent), had told me they would be able to help us get utilities turned on. This is amazing, especially for the internet since one time we waited three weeks to get the internet on!

And here are some photos that the agency had emailed us.

Living Room:

Balcony:

Kitchen:
Bathroom:

Hallway coming from the bedrooms (living room is straight ahead):

Master Bedroom:

Matt's Office/Guest Bedroom:

Angie's Office/Guest Bedroom:

Private Parking area:

Here is the location of the apartment in Google Maps:

View Via 24 Maggio, 37 Verona, Italy in a larger map

Route 66 - Galena (Mater & Red)

2009-04-15T15:18:00.003-05:00

These photos are from a trip taken on Route 66 from Joplin to Tulsa.

Galena, Kansas. In person it felt like we were standing at the end of Radiator Springs looking down main street.

We were told this 'ghost writing' inspired the "Welcome to Radiator Springs" sign.

This firetruck got brought into town after CARS came out, so he's not the original "Red", but pretty close!!

This was the truck that inspired Mater. Obviously, the eyes were added later.

Apartment Hunting Continues

2009-04-10T03:26:00.003-05:00

So, we have been talking with a real estate about one particular apartment in Verona for about a week now. They have sent us a layout of the apartment so we can better see how the rooms fit together.

They sent us a sketched version of layout. After I figured out which building it was on Google Maps, I overlaid the apartment layout sketch on top of the building in Google Maps. Google Maps has a scale on it, so once I scaled down the size of the layout to fit the building, I had the scale to determine the lengths and widths. The measurements may not be exact, but I think they are pretty close.

One of the things that we were asked to send to the rental agency was a "permesso di soggiorno". This is living permit for foreignors. We will not get one until we arrive in Verona and go apply at the Police Station, or Questura. Even then we will just get a receipt for one, sometimes you can wait up to six months for a permesso di soggiorno. However, a receipt should work. Since we are trying to take care of as much of this on this side of the ocean, I asked if there was another document we could use instead of a permesso. For example, could we use our visa, once we get that from the Italian consulate? You have to get a visa to get a permesso, so I thought it might be comparable. He said I should ask the Italian consulate, that they would know better than he. I called the Italian consulate. A man gave me the woman's email address that I needed to write for the information. She wrote back that she didn't know, I would need to check with the rental agency!!! Not sure what we'll do on this one.

I did call to see if they were waiting on that to show the landlord. Giulia is who answered and she said she would need to talk with Elio (the boss) to find out. I asked if they were still showing the same apartment to anyone. She said no, when someone makes out a proposal, like we have, they cancel all showings of that apartment. That means we are the only ones in the hunt for it at this time. We offered a little less than the requested monthly rent, which is common in Italy.

Tomorrow around noon, they are supposed to call and tell me where things stand with showing the proposal to the landlord. It may be a little hard to go to sleep tonight, with all the anticipation! Here's hoping and thanks for praying as you read this. Mainly, we just want to be where God wants us to be in Verona. We believe it is He who called us there and we are just excited to get there and see what God has in store for us!

One of the Things We'll Miss Over the Next Couple Years

2009-04-06T23:16:00.003-05:00

Living one mile from Pei Wei, which is PF Chang's more ecomical faster food restaurant, will be something that we will miss when we return to Italy in two months. Mmmmm...lettuce wraps, me miss you long time.

There are chinese restaurants in Italy, but they are an Italian version of chinese food, much like the chinese food we are used to here in America is not real chinese food, but an American version of chinese food. In other words, it's just different, not bad, just different. We'll miss it.

Earthquake In Italy Near My Great Grandfather's Hometown

2009-04-06T02:59:00.004-05:00

Apparently, there has been an earthquake in Italy this morning. It's center was near the city of L'Aquila that's in the region of Abruzzo. Abruzzo is the region just south of the Marche where Angie and I lived in Ancona. The province of L'Aquila is where the city that my Great Grandfather came from, Pratola Peligna. I haven't heard anything about that specific city, but in other areas of the province there are at least twenty are dead as buildings fell. Here's a link to an article about the quake...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/world/europe/07italy.html?ref=europe.

Here is a site about Pratola Peligna, my Great Grandfather's hometown...
http://abruzzo.indettaglio.it/eng/comuni/aq/pratolapeligna/pratolapeligna.html

Matt's Sermon on Biblical Leadership

2009-04-05T03:46:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I preached at Sandusky Avenue Christian Church, one of our supporting churches. I preached on Biblical Leadership. I used several Italian examples, good and bad, to support the sermon. If you want to take a listen, I'll post it below...

Biblical Leadership - Italian Style by Matt Crosser (64 MB)

Reality Entices

2009-04-04T03:13:00.004-05:00

Now, that we have our pre-departure date set for June 8th, reality is setting in. First off, we know there is lots to do before we leave but so far God has been providing for us a smooth ride. One of the things we are doing is apartment hunting. This has been surprisingly exciting. I mean, I knew that Angie and I would enjoy this, but it has felt great. I am finding that part of myself that burns for Italy growing and growing. The thing is, while we have been living in a state of uncertainty, we could not dream of Verona all the time or it would have consumed us. In order to live in contentment while God was preparing us and our team, we needed to have balance. But now, it is unbridled. Three of the past four nights, I have stayed up very late, so that I could call about apartments in Italy. At 2 in the morning I am reaching them at 9 AM when they open. The other night I worked and called until 6:30 AM! The next night I went to bed at 11:30 PM, hence the one night out of four staying up. Previously, we have planned on picking out an apartment once we arrived in Italy, after gathering possibilities. However, we have been presented with a really good option. At this point we only have a couple more questions and we might proceed to put down a deposit, if they will let us from here in the states. As we put down roots, we create a stability that we have not had since we moved out of our apartment in Ancona in October 2007. This will feel nice. I have been searching in the neighborhoods nearby for stores, pizzerias, churches, coffee shops, restaurants, etc... It has been fun exploring with Google Maps! Hopefully, we'll know soon if we will have an apartment and I can post links on Google Maps.

Brinkley, Our New Puppy

2009-03-24T03:09:00.003-05:00

So, Angie and I got a new puppy. His name is Brinkley and he's a Yorkshire Terrier, or Yorkie. We want to put up photos of Brinkley online, but rather than inundate this blog, we've made a new blog that is all about him. Check it out if you want to see our new little buddy. Follow the link below...

http://apupnamedbrinkley.blogspot.com/

Matt Preaching

2009-03-12T17:52:00.000-05:00

Matt Preaching
On Sunday, March 22, I will be preaching at Sandusky Christian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. If you desire feel free to join us, the service starts at 10:00 AM. It is on 11th street between Yale and Harvard. I will be preaching on Biblical Leadership – Italian Style. I’ll be sharing some examples from Italian culture and history that illuminate the kind of leadership that God calls us to in the church. Maybe we’ll see you there!!

Where Things Stand

2009-03-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

Where Things Stand
So where does the recent support increase leave us standing? There were two main areas of support raising that we were focused on. The first area was in one time support. We originally had a goal of $38,521 which included $10,000 towards future facility which, as we reported, decided to postpone since we didn’t need it until the majority of our team is out of language school. That left $28,521. God brought in $27,471, leaving only $1050. That is amazing and we are incredibly grateful to all of you who partnered with us in that or that prayed for it to be. Pray for that last $1050 to come in!

The second area of support raising was towards monthly funds. Our monthly budget sits at $6,976 (based on $1.47 per 1 euro). Of that God has provided monthly committed partners in the amount of $6460, which is 93% of our total monthly budget! That is incredible and we are very grateful for the prayers, commitments and sacrifice that goes along with that. Of course, even from the field we will have some focus on that last 7% of support raising. Please pray for monthly commitments to cover the remaining $516 per month!

New Prayer Topics

2009-03-12T17:47:00.000-05:00

New Prayer Topics
You’ll start seeing some new prayer topics filtering through our prayer updates. Just write us if you would like to receive our prayer updates, which normally are sent twice per month. Some things you can begin praying about is our visas, apartment search in Verona, team separation and travel.
· Visas – we have to apply for religious worker visas from the Italian consulate in Houston. In order to apply, we have to meet all the requirements that the Italian government has for that particular visa and then compile all the documents that prove so. Then we must present those documents in person in Houston and wait once more while they pour over the application. It is a process that can take as little 7-10 days and as long as three months.
· Apartment Search – Starting next week, I will be contacting our real estate agent in Verona to begin putting together options for us to look at (and pray over). Hopefully, they will be able to send us photos via email so we can better imagine the situation and evaluate each apartments merits’. We plan on making our choice upon arrival in Italy during our first weeklong stay in Verona. Please be praying about this. We want to be where God wants us to be, not just down to the country or city, but the neighborhood, building and specific apartment. We believe that God has just the place in mind for us to do His work and help us to not get in the way of His plans!
· Team Separation – It is one thing to be in separate states within the same country, it is quite another to be a team separated by an ocean with differing roles and functions. Please pray for all of our remaining team members, as they continue advancing during this time of preparation and support building. Pray for us and April upon arrival to not feel lonely without the rest of our team in Verona.
· Travel – During the remaining three months, we have much travel planned. This includes travel to Houston for visa procurement, Louisville, Joplin, Kansas City and other potential sites. We would love to provide a final visit with each of our supporting churches, pray for there to be time and finances enough to allow that.

Pre-Departure Stage Has Begun!

2009-03-12T17:43:00.004-05:00

Pre-departure Stage Has Begun
This week we received confirmation from a church that is supplying $4,000 out of the last $5000 that we needed in one time support. Since that is 96% of what were raising in one time support we are moving forward into our pre-departure phase. We are currently shopping for tickets around June 7-10th. That gives almost three months to do everything we need to do before heading back. Several tasks had to wait until we had confirmation, so now we can begin those tasks and in fact have already begun some. Thanks for your prayers, your gifts, your sacrifice and your support as we have gone through this very flexible period of preparation, training and support building. The time has not been wasted and we have been grateful for the extra time with family, friends and an America that we love.
April Houk, who is also ready, will be joining us in Italy about three weeks after we arrive there. Arriving prior to any team members will allow us to set up a more stable environment as they arrive and experience the culture, Italian style. It also allows us to take care of some of our specific legal and logistical tasks and then be allowed to put more focus on April and all subsequent team members that follow.

Newsletter - January 2009

2009-02-16T20:16:00.006-06:00

Here is our January 2009 newsletter, which is the first newsletter for 2009. Click above to view it or right click and choose "Save Target As" to download it to your computer. You need Adobe Reader installed to view it.

Newsletter - December 2008

2008-12-19T04:41:00.002-06:00

Here is our December 2008 newsletter, which is the fifth newsletter for 2008. Click above to view it or right click and choose "Save Target As" to download it to your computer. You need Adobe Reader installed to view it.

Team Expansion Meeting

2008-11-19T23:41:00.002-06:00

So, we spent the day helping facilitate a special Team Expansion meeting in downtown Tulsa. It took place at the Centennial Park Community Center around 6th & Peoria. That is a really nice facility! It was a great day seeing some familiar faces and meeting some new people. It was a good start to lead into the National Missionary Convention that starts tomorrow.

A Little Bit of Italy

2008-09-27T23:52:00.004-05:00

Some of our Italian friends and their family are visiting the US right now. They are members of the church in Ancona. We were able to visit with them last Thursday, September 25. It is the most that we spoke in Italian since we arrived in America. It was very encouraging for Angie and I, because most of it came back very quickly. We conversed and translated for the American host family they were also visiting. We know that God has us in the states for His reasons, however, it was very nice to have this slice of Italy. It added fuel to our already existing fire to return. We look forward to the time in which God has planned for us to return. Check out the smiling faces below.

(Listed from left to right; Angie, Stefano, Emanuele, Matt, Matteo, Sylvia).

Featured in Horizons

2008-09-21T01:00:00.002-05:00

We were featured in the August 2008 issue of Horizons Magazine. The article is about missionaries when they are in the states for their Home Assignment. Horizons is "devoted to publishing news about cross-cultural mission work among the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. "

Go check out the article at Horizon's website, click on the August 2008 magazine:

http://missionservices.org/horizons/horizons.html

Or here is a direct link to the latest issue:

http://missionservices.org/horizons/2008_08.pdf

Newsletter - September 2008

2008-09-10T23:44:00.003-05:00

Here is our September 2008 newsletter, which is the fourth newsletter for 2008. Click above to view it or right click and choose "Save Target As" to download it to your computer. You need Adobe Reader installed to view it.

In Southern California

2008-08-23T00:03:00.004-05:00

We've made it to Southern California. Here are some pics of us with John & Judy Webb. We are looking forward to a refreshing time with these great encouragers.

Off to San Diego

2008-08-21T20:16:00.001-05:00

We have been travelling and going to camps and vbs's since coming back from Colorado Springs at the end of June. We have also had good meetings with some of our churches as well. We are going to San Diego to spend time with our team pastors, John & Judy Webb. They live in Oceanside, California and are always a joy to visit. While we are there I will also get an opportunity to speak to some of John's classes at Hope International University. We'll be back in Oklahoma next week.

You Never Know

2008-08-12T03:51:00.007-05:00

So you never know who you will be inviting to study God's Word. Sometimes it's a cafe owner's son, and sometimes it could be a terrorist's son. Christians just need to trust that God will take care of them in all situations and do what they have been called to do. The following article is incredible interesting -
Read article here

Newsletter - June 2008

2008-06-29T23:41:00.002-05:00

Here is our June 2008 newsletter, which is the third newsletter for 2008. Click above to view it or right click and choose "Save Target As" to download it to your computer. You need Adobe Reader installed to view it.

Camp, Camp and More Camp

2008-06-14T17:00:00.003-05:00

The last two weeks Angie and I have been the missionaries of two different High School camps. First at our home camp, Sunset Bible Camp in Mannford, Oklahoma. Then we went to Mission Lake Christian Camp in Horton, Kansas. We had never been there, but we had a great time sharing at both camps what God is doing and wants to continue to do in Italy. This Monday Angie and I have double duty with a VBS in the morning and Junior High camp at night. Then the next week we will fly out to Denver and Colarado Springs, Colorado for various meetings to advance the ministry. We are going to be exhausted by the end of the month.

Newsletter - April 2008

2008-04-29T23:35:00.001-05:00

Here is our April 2008 newsletter, which is the second newsletter for 2008. Click above to view it or right click and choose "Save Target As" to download it to your computer. You need Adobe Reader installed to view it.

Get Your Pops on Route 66

2008-03-20T15:47:00.006-05:00

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that even though the title is "Life in Italy" when we are in the states it changes. This blog is about our ministry and personal life. Whether we are in Ancona, Verona, Tulsa or Louisville. When we travel to different cities where our supporters are located we try to take in as much as we can of the sights, the sounds and the tastes. So we were delighted to be introduced by Vince and Penny Brown to a section of Route 66 that we hadn't experienced before on a recent trip to Edmond, Oklahoma. I had inadvertantly left my camera at their house, so on our return trip to Edmond, we went back to the formerly mentioned sights.

Outside of Edmond is Arcadia, Oklahoma, the home of the Big Round Barn and Pops. The Big Round Barn is from the heydays of Route 66 and is now historically preserved and cared for as a musuem and a rented upstairs loft for events. Pops is modern, but fits right in on Route 66 with it's giant contemporary soda pop bottle monument out front. Within its A-frame building lies hundreds of different flavors of carbonated beverages! My favorite is the entire refrigerator full of root beer. It is root beer, vanilla soda, fruit soda, etc... from all over the world. You can go in and choose several and take them home to try out and savor.

On the last trip after we left the Big Round Barn and Pops, we continued down Route 66 halfway between Edmond and Tulsa (about 50 minutes). We saw some other cool looking buildings as well as an old rock filling station that once housed counterfieters and was the site of a homicide investigation. Crazy stuff, if only you get off the highways onto the byways.... Check out the pictures below.

Pops - Arcadia, Oklahoma, Route 66

Big Round Barn - Arcadia, Oklahoma, Route 66

Old Filling Station - Route 66

Internal Longing

2008-03-13T00:18:00.002-05:00

So, usually while we are in the states, we go through stages of contentment. When we first arrive we are thrilled at everything around us, food, family, culture, etc..... Then in the middle we start evening out and feeling less tempted to see, smell, taste, touch and hear everything. Then our last period of time before returning to the field is spent saying farewell to things and people here while getting exciting abouting getting back to our other "home". Well, about halfway through our time in the states, the longings start. Tonight sitting here on our couch in Tulsa I had one. It was very short, but intense. I imagined streets in Italy that I have walked on and how I longed to be there. I am excited about the prospect of getting back. I am excited about the new team that God is forming. I am excited about what our new team is going to do once we arrive and they go through language school. I am excited about what the Ancona team is doing, as well as the other friends in ministry throughout Italy. I think God allows that longing to lie dormant during the first months of our Home Assignment, or it would make it terribly difficult to be content. In recent weeks we announced that we would be extending our stay in America from the end of June until the end of September. We will be balancing those feelings of contentment and longing a few more months, so that our team can be more fully ready to head to Verona.

Cravings of Pizza

2008-02-25T01:26:00.002-06:00

So, when we are in the states Angie and I are usually enjoying the many foods that we miss when we are in Italy. And we have been. However, tonight I was watching a show about Italy on the travel channel.....then they showed pizza! Oh man it hit me all of a sudden, the flavors, the types (thin restaurant and thicker pizza by the slice) and of course the simplicity of it. Wow, is my mouth watering.

Newsletter - January 2008

2008-01-30T23:18:00.002-06:00

Here is our January 2008 newsletter. Click above to view it or right click and choose "Save Target As" to download it to your computer. You need Adobe Reader installed to view it.

Perspectives

2008-01-11T00:28:00.000-06:00

So, last night Angie and I went to our first night of a semester long class called "Perspectives". We are taking it to broaden our understanding of missions in order to be better leaders for the Verona team. We were in a room full of people from several denominations in a classroom at First Christian Church in Owasso, Oklahoma. It is a three hour class, every Wednesday night for several months. If the first night was any indication, it is going to be a great class. It feels like it is not only going to make me a better leader, but understand the heart of God better too! As we go to classes, I may try to post something here or there. As for last night, some verses that stood out were Genesis 12:1-3. They were verses that we grew attached to as we sought the city that God was sending us to and we talked about those verses last night. Then tonight at a small group of one of our supporting churches, Edmond Christian Church, we talked about those verses again. Is God trying to tell us something? Affirm something to us? If you get a chance read those verses and ask God what he wants to tell you through them. And also if you want to be challenged in your faith, check out "Perspectives". So far, so great. I'll let you know more as we go along.

If You Watch LOST

2007-12-20T19:43:00.000-06:00

There is a great new promo trailer for LOST, which starts January 31st! You can check it out here...

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/james-hibberd/2007/12/abcs_new_lost_trailer.php

I am getting excited about the return of one of my favorite shows.

I'm Vexed

2007-12-17T03:50:00.000-06:00

So, I realized something tonight.....I am having difficulty allowing myself to feel comfortable in our new apartment. Don't get me wrong, I love it. Angie and I have already made it feel more like home. Friends and family have already come over and helped us make some great memories. Friends and family have also loaned us stuff to furnish the home, which is greatly appreciated. But the problem is this.....since we moved out of our apartment in Ancona, we have stayed in approximately eight different bedrooms in seven different places. Some of those were hotels, some were by the hospitality of friends or family, yet none were for very long.

We moved out of our apartment on October 23, which is about eight weeks ago. That means we have stayed in as many bedrooms as weeks since moving out of our apartment. That means we have had very little stability. That means my mind has gotten more accustomed to staying briefly in places, than for lengthier periods. And that has created a habit. Now, a couple weeks into our new home, I am realizing the difficulty in letting myself relax. We will be in this apartment six months. It's okay for me to let my hair down.....even thought my hair is short. I don't have to pack up all of my belongings tomorrow, next week or even next month. We can put down some roots. I have met a couple neighbors, "D" and Steve. Seem like two nice enough guys. I want to allow God the opportunity to refresh us while we are here in the states. I want to relax in the Lord. Will I feel that feeling of relaxation? I think so. But I wonder, when that will happen. Will I wake up one morning two months from now, and realize it happened slowly and I missed the transition? My Lord knows. My job is to be content. We don't know the future. We can't trust in the things of this earth. What is a home, but shelter that God has provided. Hasn't He always provided everything for us? Hasn't He always taken care of us in every situation no matter how grim it appeared to be? Yes, yes a thousand times yes. Now, I just need to reconcile my heart and my mind.

Ice Storm in Tulsa

2007-12-12T01:00:00.000-06:00

So, we had only been in our new apartment in Tulsa for a week, when a major ice storm hit. It has been pretty bad, with up to half of the Tulsa residents being without power for one to three days. We have been very fortunate that our lone apartment complex has managed to keep its power on throughout the entire process. Our apartment has only had a few blinks off and on of our electricity and internet, other than that it has been great. Angie's sister, Mary Ann, and her two kids have been staying with us, while her husband, David, has been getting extra time making sure cable stays on for the homes that have electricity (he works for Cox Cable). My parents, and one brother lost their electric, so they went over to my other brothers house and he has two fireplaces....which ended up coming in handy since his electric finally went off today. At Wal-Mart today (my first journey out for two days) I picked up some more items in case the electric still does go off, like three cans of self-heating soup, a bag of beef jerky, several candles and heat bags, that once popped will provide small amounts of heat for 10-24 hours (depending on which bag you use). At Wal-Mart several of the food shelves were low or completely empty....my cashier has not had electric since Sunday. It's bad, but hopefully getting better. Here are some pictures.

Check out the thickness of the ice on these branches (above and below)!

Below you can see one of the many trees that fell in our complex...this one just happened to fall on one of the townhouses...ouch.
Below you can see the icicle beard along the truck we have been driving.

You wouldn't want one of these icicles to fall on your head.
This was the hot dog section at Wal-Mart (for all those using fireplaces and outdoor grills for cooking, I imagine).

The section below looks like it was part of the dairy section. Not sure if this was because it was shopped over, or because it went bad when Wal-Mart lost electricity.

And here you can see the empty pizza shelves, with one lone DiGiorno pizza left behind. There were more around the corner, but this sight was pretty shocking to see.

Moving Again???

2007-12-01T01:42:00.000-06:00

So, here we are on the eve of yet again, another move. Tomorrow, Angie and I are moving from my brother's house into an apartment. Staying with my brother has been good and I'm glad we had the opportunity. Moving into an apartment however, will give us some routine, family space, stability and normalcy. Starting in January we will be travelling and speaking at several churches to promote and communicate about our ministry, and when we aren't travelling the apartment in Tulsa will be a great homebase to return to. Also, we are planning on inviting over family, friends and supporters to the apartment and providing them with some great hospitality.

Tomorrow will be busy, but good. In the morning we will get to the apartment, clean up after the bug bombs, and straighten what few things we already took over this evening when we got the keys. Then from 10 AM to noon, the cable guy will come to install internet and cable. Sometime after 10 AM several guys from Highland Park Christian Church will be coming over with all the furniture that many at the church have so selflessly loaned us while we are in the states for Home Assignment. We are awed and overwhelmed by the support our churches give us, and this is a great example. Later in the afternoon, we will work on the apartment, unpacking and moving things into their permanent position, then that night we'll come back over to my brother's house to watch OU play Missouri for the Big 12 football championship. Great stuff. I can't wait.

Breaking the Silence

2007-11-24T00:21:00.000-06:00

Well, we've been back in the states six days shy of one month now. We are just now starting to relax. Five days after returning we headed out to Louisville, Kentucky for the Team Expansion team leader summit. It was a great experience for Angie and I to get to know other Team Leader's and become more prepared as a leader for our Verona team.

After the team leader summit, we stayed in Louisville a few more days going to various meetings with personnel at Team Expansion's home office and visiting our PACE church, Shively Christian Church. One day I got incredibly sick with fever and bronchial congestion but the next day it was gone and we were ready for to leave once more.

We then headed to Cincinnati, Ohio for the National Missionary Convention. We were able to connect with many old friends which is always good and hang out with Team Expansion missionaries as well as others. Our two main goals were find new churches for support and recruit for the Verona team. We spoke with several contacts in churches, but none seem to be able to help financially right now. However, we were able to interview and informally chat with several potential recruits. Many top notch candidates and we are in various stages of development with them. All in all, it was a good trip for us. We left Cincinnati Sunday and got back in Tulsa Monday evening.

The last few days have been spent with family and friends, enjoying the holidays and down time. There have been some negative stressors too, but the good definitely outweighs the bad and God continually supplies what we need in every given moment.

Tomorrow, I am looking forward to a good football game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys....go OU. Then tomorrow night I will be watching the Kansas and Missouri football game. The winner of that game will determine who OU plays, if OU comes out on top versus the Cowboys. Overall it should be a good day for college football.

We'll be working on things next week and then taking some vacation time during December which will combine with the holidays in order to provide us some great refreshment and recharging. We will be start doing presentations in January of 2008, so I will be putting the finishing touches on our promotional materials next month. And now to bed. G'night.

Moving Day...

2007-10-29T16:41:00.000-05:00

Things have been a little crazy and abnormal since we moved, but still good. We have been able to bid farewell to most everyone that we wanted to before we left. We are thankful to the Casey family for allowing us to crash and work at their house during our last week.

Our moving day was very frenetic at first. The movers arrived at 7:30 AM on the dot (which if you know me is earlier than I like it) and they immediately installed the electric ladder. It is a ladder with a platform that raises and lowers. Check out the pics below.

Jason, Brian, Heather and Heidi all helped us throughout the day, which really helped the process happen. Jason wrote a great article describing many of our feelings at his blog found here: http://marchegiansun.blogspot.com/2007/10/moving-day.html.

We are not homeless. Tomorrow we head out to America where will be staying with family and traveling until December 1st. At that point we will move into a small apartment in Tulsa that we will stay in during our Home Assignment.

It has been hard these many months as we prepared to leave. We went through many different goodbyes throughout the months. It seems we are always saying goodbyes. Fortunately we only have a few more before we leave Ancona and then we won't have to say goodbyes like this for some time. See you on the other side of the ocean.

Moving Tomorrow...Really?

2007-10-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

We are moving tomorrow. Even though I am sitting with boxes stacked up all around me and each room of the house looks more and more bare with each passing hour it still isn’t sinking in. Yes, it looks like someone is moving but is it really us? We have moved seven times (this will be move 8) during our eleven years of marriage. But we have lived in this house for six years! This has been home to Matt and I longer than any other place we have lived our married life! For me it is hard to say goodbye. It is hard for my mind to understand that this is my last day to call this home. I am sure it will sink in……probably about this time tomorrow when I look around and most of our things are outside on a moving truck…but for now I want to enjoy this last day as much as I can. I love my home here in Ancona and I want to remember this last day.
One more tidbit about moving. Out of the seven times we have moved it has rained every single one of those days. Guess what’s in the forecast for tomorrow? You guessed it….rain! Looks like we could be 8 for 8. I wonder what it is like to move in the sunshine?

How God Takes Care of Us

2007-10-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

So....these last couple of weeks, we are constantly reminded of how God is there taking care of us, when we ask and even when we don't.

For instance, two days ago I was out for a meeting and was returning home. I had just talked with Angie and told her I could stop by our favorite pizza by the slice place and pick up some pizza for lunch, when she asked if I had been able to pick up some dishwasher calcium cleaner. I hadn't and she said not to worry about it that she would get it later in the day. I decided to go ahead and go by the store to pick it up to help her out. As I was walking I thought of the two air conditioner holes in our windows and how I needed to call the glass guy (in Italy you have a glass guy) to replace the panes before we moved. I thought of how difficult it can be to get ahold of this guy and kind of started to worry (my bad). You see we don't have much time left. So, I got to the street where our grocery store is (in Italy you have a grocery store - it's one block from our house) and I walked right by a guy carrying a pane of glass. Funny, I didn't think a thing of it...yet. I looked in at the grocery store at the line was extremely long...I thought about it and didn't think that Angie would want me to wait in the line that long just for the cleaner, so I turned around and headed home. Then I passed the guy carrying another pane of glass. I walked right by him and then stopped dead in my tracks. At first I just thought he was putting up some glass shelving in the store he was going in, but the panes were big....was he a glass guy? Could this be God's way of setting something up with some other glass guy so that we could get things moving in the glass department? I turned around and he was bringing another pane of glass up and I asked him, "do you work for this store or do you work with glass?" He said, "he was a glass guy." I said, "Good because I have two windows with holes that I need to get replaced before we leave." He said, "You'll have to ask the boss," then pointed behind me. When I turned around, there standing before me was our glass guy! I explained what we needed and that we were moving and he said he would come over right after that and measure them. He came and the next day they came and installed the new panes of glass. It was only 60 euro!

Then today, I planned on solving our moving problem. You see living in an apartment has some problems when you have large furniture. In Italy, they have these elevated platforms that you can rent that come up to your balcony and you put your stuff on it. You can also put smaller stuff on it and it saves you from using the elevator or going down the five flights of stairs (we're on the fifth floor). So, Angie helped me find some numbers and I started calling. We had a friend who had told us he knew someone who did moving and he would try to get some information for us. He didn't come through. So that's how we found ourselves four days before our moving date looking through the yellow pages. After calling a few places, it looked bleak. Many couldn't do it that soon because they were booked. And the prices for renting the elevated platform, moving van and having them help move was looking to be too expensive. The average move has a cost of 2,000 euro or more. Just the platform has a cost of 450 euro for a five hours. Remember we take even our kitchen with us, that means it needs to be taken down and then moved to storage as well as the rest of our furnishings. So, I finally called one guy by the name of Pino and he said the elevated platform was available for Tuesday, but we still needed a rental van. He graciously said he could be over in thirty minutes to give us a precise estimate for everything. He came and fifteen minutes later we had hired three movers, the moving van and the elevated platform. The Ancona team is going to be helping us that day too and he took that into account for how many other men he needed to bring. It is going to cost 600 euro for everything. God is awesome and he always takes good care of us.

Newsletter - October 2007

2007-10-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

Here's our latest newsletter, enjoy. Click the thumbnail above to view it or right click and choose "save target as" to download it to your computer.

Missing Ancona Already

2007-10-09T21:44:00.000-05:00

Boy am I going to miss Ancona. In two weeks, we are moving out of our apartment and staying with the Casey's for a week. In three weeks we fly out from Ancona to Tulsa. We will no longer be residents of the city of Ancona. We have been moving towards this for over nine months, but now it is real. Now it is happening. All around me is the evidence. Boxes clutter our home constantly reminding us of the coming changes. We are excited about Verona and what the future holds, but that doesn't mean we won't miss Ancona when we go. When we left Tulsa to come to Ancona (via Perugia for language school) we missed Tulsa, even though we were excited to "finally" get to Italy after raising initial support for almost two years. This December we would have lived in this same apartment in Ancona for six years. Except for our parents' homes, Angie and I have never lived as long in one home. And since we have been married, it has been the home that we have lived in the longest, six out of eleven years in December. That too is interesting, because we moved in our apartment on our fifth wedding anniversary, December 21, 2001. We have celebrated our marriage and our arrival in Ancona on the same day for almost six years now. As we go through these last few weeks here, we are saying goodbye to people and places that have been a large part of our adult lives. And we will miss them. That isn't to say we won't visit, and people from here won't visit us in Verona, but the convenience of being in this city near these things will be gone which causes a bit of sadness. We won't be sad forever, and each city we live in here on earth will pale in comparison to what God has in store for us in heaven. It's okay to allow ourselves to experience sadness, its part of our humanity and God made us this way. He also provides the wings of cover for us to run under and rest in his comfort. So, to Ancona.....thanks for all the memories, friendships, christmases, thanksgivings, beach days, short term teams, birthdays, ministry, laughter, church community, life, love and happiness you have provided through the providence and blessings of God. God is great and he has always provided what we needed and we believe he always will.

Look at the Size of That...

2007-10-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen a strawberry this big? It fit in the palm of our hands!

What's That Smell?

2007-10-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

So, Angie and I were at church yesterday when I leaned over and asked her, "do you smell that?" She looked at me and replied, "No, what did you do?" I was referring to the good smelling food that was being heated up for the monthly potluck. She thought I had meant something else and we had a laugh about it.

It's Almost That Spooky Time Again

2007-09-27T10:23:00.000-05:00

I love music. I love using music to celebrate life as we go through it. I love most holiday music or television specials. Combine that with the fact that I liked to get spooked. I know, I know, there aren't such thing as ghosts, but tell that to my goose pimples and standing hair. I like movies that get me a little scared and stories that make me second guess if someone is staring at me in the dark. So, when October hits, I like listening to halloween music and spooky stories. Alas, I broke early this year and listened to some already. One annual favorite is an old armed forces radio show where a journalist is sent to describe the old frankenstein castle in Darnstadt, Germany. Each year, it was replayed each year on the Tulsa news/talk radio station KRMG. By following that link you can find the six minute radio clip online. It was also featured on Boing Boing. It is definitely one of my favorite old radio stories. Make sure you dim the lights before you listen.

In January 2005, Angie and I were driving back from the Mid-Witner Rally in Germany and we stopped in at the old Frankenstein Castle. I first reported back in January 2005, but I am finally getting around to posting some pictures from there.

Also, one of my favorite spooky songs is "Hey There Little Red Riding Hood" by Sam Sham and the Pharaohs. It isn't the lyrics particularly, although they sing them a little scary, but rather because when I was little my brothers (who were ten and twelve years older than I) would play it at night, while telling me there was someone skulking around in the backyard. There wasn't.

Kebabs, Not Shish-Kebabs

2007-09-27T09:52:00.000-05:00

So for years, our team in Ancona has enjoyed a delicacy which does not hail from here. It is....(hold for it)....the Kebab. Not to be confused with the shishkebab, which is the small cubes of meat and vegetables skewered for grilling. But this comes from the Döner kebab variant, which in Turkish literally means "rotating meat". It's called this because the meat is on a vertical rotating spit that turns so that it is slowly roasted in front of a vertical glowing orange oven. As it turns the outer edges cook and the slice it off. They put this in a pita bread with various vegetables, including french fries, and mayonnaise and yogurt sauces. If you like it hot, they will also put some hot red pepper sauce. Wikipedia refers to the popularity of the take out kebab throughout europe..."Döner kebab is said to be the best-selling fast food in Germany, Poland and Romania as well as being popular in the UK, France, The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Canada, and Australia." The meat used is usually beef, chicken or lamb. Our favorite place in Ancona has beef and chicken. Here are some pictures of our last outing at Tunital.

Homemade Stuffed Ravioli

2007-09-27T09:16:00.000-05:00

So, one of the great things about living in Italy is experiencing the food. Another great thing is learning new recipes. Contrary to popular belief not everyone in Italy can cook, no more than everyone in America can barbecue. However, great recipes can be found. We try to share some of these in our newsletters as a way of involving you in our cultural experience. If you aren't receiving our paper newsletter and would like to receive it, email us.

Angie decided she was going to take some of what she had learned so far and create something of her own creation. She made homemade stuffed ravioli! It was good, as you can imagine. Here are some pics from cooking to plate.

Elvis in Ancona?

2007-09-26T21:41:00.001-05:00

So, we were leaving our facility awhile back after easter and on the wall of a communist social club was this poster....

That's right. It's a resurrection party with the other king. However, as much as I like listening to Elvis, I don't plan on putting my afterlife in his hands.