As you've read in my previous post, I am in the middle of a transition. Angie and I have been vocationally part of Team Expansion for thirteen and a half years, now I am starting as the Youth Minister for Highland Park Christian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This month, I am playing double duty. I am still full-time with Team Expansion (but also planning to use some of my remaining vacation days) until December 31, 2012, but also beginning my role at HP. Some days, I feel like my mind has multiple compartments in which my neurons keep racing back and forth. My day may start with me working on Team Expansion transition tasks and then I move onto planning for HP. Then after lunch, I might go to a meeting then finish the day working on administration/financial details for the eventual closing of the books for Team Expansion.
Because my time with Team Expansion has meant so much, I do want to make sure I live in the moment of my exit as a vocational member of a great missions organization (you might remember I'm staying on as a volunteer to continue some of the projects I've been working on). I don't want to wake up in February and think, wait...it's already over? So, I am trying to remember the years and milestones of which we have been a part.
Of course, certain things come to mind readily....the first stages of planning for the work in Ancona, going through the arduous task of learning another language (and yes, I still practice it from time to time), the first gathering of believers in Ancona, the first outreaches, the first short term group, seeing a church formed in Ancona, the planning for the work in Verona, the survey trip to several potential and spiritually needy cities in Northern Italy, working on several creative resource projects for different countries around the world and on and on.
Other things, less monumental, stand out too, eating panserotti at Etrusca in Perugia, going to my first soccer game in Perugia, eating pizza by the slice at Pizzeria Centrale, watching the American style football team "The Ancona Dolphins" play in a 2000 year old stadium in Ancona, laughing with various team members over the years, fellowship with Italian Christians, walking down ancient alleyways and taking literally thousands of photos. Our memories cannot be contained within one post, short or long. I keep thinking of more like, going to the beach in Ancona, eating at Desiderio (all time favorite restaurant)
---------------------------------
As I paused writing this post and walked into the kitchen, I was happy to learn that Angie was making homemade pizza! She had already made the pizza dough earlier and was rolling them out. While this isn't Desiderio, it's pretty close. I miserably tried to help her throw/roll one of the pizza doughs, but apparently I need more practice and Angie fixed it for me.
With pizza prepping to go in the oven, and us getting ready to watch the DVR'ed Survivor finale, I'll close this post. Throughout the month, you'll continue hearing from us and seeing changes on our website and social media. Thanks for reading and caring about us.
"Using our life to point others to Christ"
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
July 2012 Newsletter
Here's our July 2012 Newsletter. Right click on any of the pics below and choose "save link as..." to download the pdf.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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).
Monday, June 11, 2012
June 2012 Newsletter
Here's our June 2012 Newsletter. Right click on any of the pics below and choose "save link as..." to download the pdf.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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).
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
The First Print of My New Curriculum Arrived
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.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Life Moving at Breakneck Speeds
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!
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!
Friday, July 02, 2010
Technology and Modern Day Ministry
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.
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.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Newsletter - January 2009
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.Friday, December 19, 2008
Newsletter - December 2008
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.Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Newsletter - September 2008
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.Sunday, June 29, 2008
Newsletter - June 2008
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.Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Newsletter - April 2008
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.Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Newsletter - January 2008
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.Saturday, December 01, 2007
Moving Again???
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.
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.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Newsletter - October 2007
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.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Newsletter - September 2007
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.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Newsletter - August 2007
Here is our August 2007 newsletter. Click to 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.Monday, July 23, 2007
How Does It Feel?
I have been asked the question "how are you feeling?" regarding our transition off of the Ancona team an onto the Verona team. It's a hard thought to formulate. I guess in many ways I feel numb. Not in a "I don't care" kind of numb, but in a I honestly don't feel affected inside. I know the way that I usually process things, means that once we are off of the team and we have returned back to the states, then moved to Verona, it will start to sink in and I will think fondly of the things I miss. If I stopped and thought, I know that I would feel nostalgic now, however, I haven't felt like I have time to stop and think right now. We have been going through this transition for almost eight months now and I have been taking it in little by little, and slowly moving towards this goal.
Before we joined the Team Expansion Italy team, I was working at Hastings Entertainment in Joplin, Missouri while working through college. Hastings, is kind of like a Barnes & Noble meets Blockbuster meets Best Buy (music and software depts only), in other words they had books, videos, video rentals, music and software. When I started there I was a cashier at the front. I remember telling my interviewer that I would be their best salesman. I'm not sure if that was too confident or not, but they did quickly see leadership abilities in me, as well as other character traits that prompted them to promote me as manager of the music department. I was good as a cashier and they saw that I might be good as a manager also. So for the next year and a half, until we heard the Lord's call to Italy, I was the music manager. They even started sending me to other stores to help them boost sales and do inventory. As a cashier and as a manager, I worked for Hastings. In many ways, that is how I see the two situations with the two teams in Italy.
In Ancona, we are part of Taking Christ to Italy, a Team Expansion PACE project (adopted and set in motion by Shively Christian Church, Louisville, KY). In Verona, we will be part of Taking Christ to Italy, the same Team Expansion PACE project. If God were leading us to another country I would be feeling very different I think. But God is leading us to another city, that is part of the same plan that we have been working towards for eight years now. It isn't a step away as much as a step forward in seeing this PACE project fully realized and God's kingdom grown because of it. I think it is because of this that I feel numb. It isn't because I don't love the people here in Ancona, I do. I know that God will add people from Verona to love in my heart. It isn't because I don't cherish the great memories that outweigh the bad memories with our team members here in Ancona. I do and will cherish those memories. I know this isn't the end, not really. I'll miss seeing our Ancona team members on a regular basis, of course, but at least we'll only be 3-4 hours away. We can visit and they can too.
It will also be tough to remove ourselves from a ministry that has seen great momentum in the past couple of years. The book "Good to Great" talks about momentum and how when people usually see momentum it is always after years of great effort and commitment working towards that momentum. I also know that God brings us momentum when we are ready, after he has taken the time to prepare us for what he has coming. This ministry in Ancona is at a good point and I look forward to seeing how God works here in the future. As we make the move, first in thought then in the physical realm, to Verona we have have to start over. Maybe not at square one totally, Angie and I already know much Italy....in any case much much more than when we arrived in Italy in March of 2001. But we do have to start over at learning a city, the people, their needs, the 'slang' for this region. We will start with very few acquaintances, like when we started in Ancona. But it is like a brand new canvas. One that we do not paint upon, but one where we are merely the tools of the Great Artist. Our new team are the brushes and paints, the oils and watercolors. When a master sets out to paint a masterpiece it is on the same blank canvas that anyone else can find. But it is through the particular strokes, colors, artistic talent and images one creates that it becomes a masterpiece. I greatly anticipate the two masterpieces that our Father is painting in Italy, in Ancona and Verona, along with the other cities where there are those that call out His name. I long to see the paintings finished and to see how we were used along the way.
So, how does it feel? I guess numb is only one aspect, the other is anxious. Anxious to see God's masterpieces of his people.
Before we joined the Team Expansion Italy team, I was working at Hastings Entertainment in Joplin, Missouri while working through college. Hastings, is kind of like a Barnes & Noble meets Blockbuster meets Best Buy (music and software depts only), in other words they had books, videos, video rentals, music and software. When I started there I was a cashier at the front. I remember telling my interviewer that I would be their best salesman. I'm not sure if that was too confident or not, but they did quickly see leadership abilities in me, as well as other character traits that prompted them to promote me as manager of the music department. I was good as a cashier and they saw that I might be good as a manager also. So for the next year and a half, until we heard the Lord's call to Italy, I was the music manager. They even started sending me to other stores to help them boost sales and do inventory. As a cashier and as a manager, I worked for Hastings. In many ways, that is how I see the two situations with the two teams in Italy.
In Ancona, we are part of Taking Christ to Italy, a Team Expansion PACE project (adopted and set in motion by Shively Christian Church, Louisville, KY). In Verona, we will be part of Taking Christ to Italy, the same Team Expansion PACE project. If God were leading us to another country I would be feeling very different I think. But God is leading us to another city, that is part of the same plan that we have been working towards for eight years now. It isn't a step away as much as a step forward in seeing this PACE project fully realized and God's kingdom grown because of it. I think it is because of this that I feel numb. It isn't because I don't love the people here in Ancona, I do. I know that God will add people from Verona to love in my heart. It isn't because I don't cherish the great memories that outweigh the bad memories with our team members here in Ancona. I do and will cherish those memories. I know this isn't the end, not really. I'll miss seeing our Ancona team members on a regular basis, of course, but at least we'll only be 3-4 hours away. We can visit and they can too.
It will also be tough to remove ourselves from a ministry that has seen great momentum in the past couple of years. The book "Good to Great" talks about momentum and how when people usually see momentum it is always after years of great effort and commitment working towards that momentum. I also know that God brings us momentum when we are ready, after he has taken the time to prepare us for what he has coming. This ministry in Ancona is at a good point and I look forward to seeing how God works here in the future. As we make the move, first in thought then in the physical realm, to Verona we have have to start over. Maybe not at square one totally, Angie and I already know much Italy....in any case much much more than when we arrived in Italy in March of 2001. But we do have to start over at learning a city, the people, their needs, the 'slang' for this region. We will start with very few acquaintances, like when we started in Ancona. But it is like a brand new canvas. One that we do not paint upon, but one where we are merely the tools of the Great Artist. Our new team are the brushes and paints, the oils and watercolors. When a master sets out to paint a masterpiece it is on the same blank canvas that anyone else can find. But it is through the particular strokes, colors, artistic talent and images one creates that it becomes a masterpiece. I greatly anticipate the two masterpieces that our Father is painting in Italy, in Ancona and Verona, along with the other cities where there are those that call out His name. I long to see the paintings finished and to see how we were used along the way.
So, how does it feel? I guess numb is only one aspect, the other is anxious. Anxious to see God's masterpieces of his people.
Friday, June 15, 2007
How God Comforts Us
We started out this morning on what could have been an incredibly exhausting and spirit broken day...but it wasn't. Every year or two, we have to renew our permits to live and minister here in Italy. We had reached the time to do that once again. We had gotten everything together during the days leading up to this day...the day our living permit expired. A couple days ago, I went to the police station where we have renewed and picked up permits many times in the past in order to ask a question. We had heard that maybe they had changed where and how to renew your permits, so I went to inquire about this. Now, change does not come readily to Italy nor Italians, but for some reason they love exercising their creativity and independence in changing how foreigners apply for and renew their permits. So, when I asked the lone guard at the booth that night, I expected to hear that they had made changes. Unfortunately, he didn't know and said that I just needed to come the next day (Thursday) to get a number for the following day, today. He said that would be my best course of action. So, I followed his advice. The next day came and Angie and I went on a scavenger hunt of sorts to gather all the paperwork needed for our renewal. A government stamp used on legal documents (worth about $20), copies of many legal forms, copies of insurance, four new photos (that ended up costing much more than they were worth since we noticed too late that the machine we used didn't give back change.....and we had used a 10 euro bill, worth about $14). All these things together and the number we had gotten earlier in the evening were enough to put us to bed soundly and uncharacteristically confident the night before going to the police station. That should have been our first sign.......
The next morning we got ready and prayed together before heading up to the police station for the morning....this is usually a two to three hour process, so we were prepared. So, we arrived at the police station, in Italian known as Questura. There were about ten people waiting in the entry way, which is a pittance compared to past visits. Our number was 86, they give out forty numbers for the morning, and ours was not at the beginning, therefore we arrived about forty-five minutes after they opened their doors. I went up to the booth and asked the officer behind the glass, what number they were on since we had just arrived. She said they weren't going in order, how novel. Instead, as long as you had a number you should get in, in fact it didn't matter which day you got it, as long as you had one. Ten would be let in at a time when she let you and those who had been there waiting would get first dibs. We shuffled back through the entryway and found a section of the wall to slide up against. As we stood there, the throng of us watched many Italians, who don't have to wait, as well as others with "supposed" appointments go through the doors. However, not a single one of us with a number went through the "magic" doorway. Finally, an hour and fifteen minutes of waiting and something seemed to be happening. The officer had come to the doorway, outside of her booth, and was pointing at people saying things like, "you're okay", "you can enter", "yeah you too". Angie and I pressed forward and I was trying to make eye contact with the officer. She looked my way and said "okay, you too". I replied, "and my wife?" The officer said, "of course". We were in. Finally we were in. It wasn't long now.
We walked into the immigration chamber that we have been in many times before to see a mass of people with no apparent organization. It seemed incredibly chaotic. I edged to a window to ask for the proper paperwork to fill out and the person behind the glass, seeming frustrated told me to hold on for now. Angie and I gathered with the herd of people that had just made it in near the window, while the man behind the glass told all of us to "stay behind the yellow line please". We all complied, with no real designation as to who would be next in either of the two open lines. In Italy, lines are not sacred, but desire is. If you desire to be next, then you will...if you try to wait for lines...then you will be waiting for a long time. Well, it seemed to be going quickly, in the man's line on the left, person after person seemed to leave the window. I saw my opportunity and when up to the window just as the current man left. I pulled out our paperwork, told the man we needed to renew our permits and happily handed the man our paperwork, knowing the worst was almost over. He looked over it and said, "this is for religious reasons?" I replied affirmatively. He handed the paperwork back to me and said you need to go the Post Office to renew our type of permit now, along with about twenty other motives for legalized permits. I said, this is why I asked the guard in the booth the other night where I needed to go to renew my permit and said that he didn't know, but that it would be best to just come here. The man shook his head, as if to say that guard should know better, we have told him a hundred times. Then said unfortunately, you still have to go the Post Office for this. I asked him if it mattered which, and he replied "asdlka asdhlkasd asdgoirwiohd". Yes, I speak Italian and yes, I understand Italian, however when thirty people are talking and people are yelling over maltreatment and problems with their applications it is hard to hear. I asked him if he meant the Post Office in downtown. He said, "no, not downtown, but sdj assd;j a;sdjjs train station." I said, "oh the one at the train station?" He said, "NO, not the train station, the PORT, PORT, PORT." I couldn't tell if he was yelling because he thought I was stupid, or couldn't hear him, or just because he was frustrated with his working environment. I am not sure at that point if it really mattered, because now, not only was it later in the day, but we knew we had to start all over with the process and it was now a completely new process to work through.
Now, you may be wondering....the post office?? Why would you do that at the post office? Well, in Europe, post offices are marvelous things indeed. You can accomplish many wondrous things at the local post office. You can pay utility bills, open a post office bank account and do banking, shop for books, music or DVDs and many other fascinating procedures. Add to the list, apply for legal residence permit and renewal of said permits. Angie and I were a bit incredulous to say the least. Really, what would it look like? Would they shove all the foreigners into one office and make them sweat until one by one they got their chance? Like the Questura, would they yell at all of us, when one or two, due to language hurdles, push them too far in asking questions and demanding respect? Would we have to get a number and come back the next day? Or on Monday, since the next day was Saturday? Our permit expires today, so we hoped against all hope it wasn't the latter.
We drove from the police station to downtown, where we live and could have walked to the post office if only we had known. Parking is always and issue and thinking it would be faster, since we were closer, we went to the parking garage that is near our facility. We went down the ramp and up to the gate in order to pull a ticket that raises the bar and.......the LCD said the parking garage was full. In this very technological parking garage each parking space is monitored and if all are taken it doesn't let anyone else in. Nice normally, but we were in a hurry, we didn't know how long it would take at the post office. Since there were two lanes and cars in both, I waited with my finger poised on the button waiting for the green light to come on showing there would be a space available. Flash, the green light lit, I pressed the button and the ticket started printing. The bar lifted and we followed the arrows until we found the space with the green light lit above it. We exited the garage and made our way to the post office.
On the way we passed by our friend, Yuri's family's Cafe. We stopped in for a quick bathroom and water break. This was the first oasis in the morning. It felt so nice to feel human. Yuri and I chatted briefly and Luana said hi with a smile. Then his Dad, came up from storage and greeted us warmly, finally as we were leaving, Yuri's mom, Francesca said goodbye dear Matt and Angie. It was the boost we needed to continue on in our journey. We briskly walked down the street the twelve or fourteen blocks until we got to the post office at the port. We walked in looking for something telling us where to go. There was nothing. No sign, no instructions. I glanced through the forms available to fill out, and there was nothing there besides payment slips and mailing forms. Angie saw a section that said customer counsel, must be some kind of help service. We waited about ten minutes for the employee to finish with the lady in front of us, all the while looking around for something to tell us we were in the right spot. The postal employee finished with the previous customer and told us she would be right with us and proceeded to do a couple of other tasks. I said, I just have a quick question. She listened. I asked, "Is this where you come to renew your resident permits?" She said, "yeah, is that all?" in a very sweet way. I said yes. She then pointed out that we needed to go stand in line number five. Line five was behind a pillar, so until she pointed it out we did not see the four people in the line who had also been at the police station earlier. So, we felt closer and waited.
Another ten minutes went by and we stepped forward to the clerk. He gently helped us understand what we needed to do and how we needed to do it. He said we could take this kit home with us, fill it out and then bring it back OR we could go over to the Immigration Office at the Prefecture building. He said it was free for them to help us fill out the paperwork and it would eliminate any risks of us filling out the wrong thing. Oh and we had a pay a new fee of about $35 per person, for what I don't know, but it was in the brochure we found at his window, so we knew he wasn't just ripping us off. We took the kits and went on our way. First we made our way over to the Prefecture building to the immigration office. The police at the door told us that the immigration office was closed and only open on Mondays from 9 to noon and Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:30pm....what great hours. But then he said there was something other kind of office we could go to around the corner that might be able to help us. We went around the corner and saw a few more of the guys from the police station that morning, it was like some kind of twisted city-wide scavenger hunt that we had not chosen to be in. We went in the door, there were no signs or instructions anywhere, except the ones that said they accept the public, Monday through Thursday 9-12. There was no title to this office either. The waiting room was small, hot and had about ten people in it. They weren't busy but the few workers acted as if they were all but ignoring everyone else in the room. In the corner, found some forms to fill out, which we for people on work permits. They were contracts for the foreigner to have filled out by their employer so that they could get work permits. This didn't seem to be the right place. After starting to sweat and feeling more miserable by the minute we decided to leave and try the kit on our own.
We left the office, and upon reaching the street we sat on a step to the side and composed ourselves once more. We were feeling drained from all this leading astray. It was already 1 pm. three and a half hours after starting this process. We decided we needed a little comfort food, so we headed to McDonald's. There is nothing like American comfort food to strengthen your soul! This fast food restaurant was another blessing used by God to comfort us. When we left we set out for our air conditioned apartment to refresh our selves and fill out the paperwork.
After a little time working on other projects, this wasn't the only thing we had to do today, we got back on the paperwork. We wanted to get it in today and the post office closed at 6:30pm. So we filled out the sixteen pages of form for Angie and I, made more copies to ensure we had all the right documentation with each request and put the packets together. Then around 5:30 pm we walked back down to the post office by the port. We got there waited in line behind a couple of other people and then stepped up to the clerk. She was very friendly and helpful. We showed her how her colleague that morning had not charged the right amount on the $35 fees that we paid, for whatever it is we paid them for. They laughed at him and his ineptitude and fixed the mistake. Then she noticed that we had only photocopied the page of our passport with our picture and information, she nicely informed us that we needed copies of every single page in our passport, including the blank ones. She told us there was a copy store down the street. So, we left with about thirty minutes left before the post office closed.
We found the copy store and she made all the copies of our passports and we grabbed a few other things at her store to purchase. We went to pay and after two tries she told us her bak card machine wasn't working, so she could only take cash. I had cash to pay her, but there was now a new problem. When we had gone to the post office I had put enough cash in my wallet to cover the next $45 charge that they were going to request for us to send in the renewal request. This was $45 per person and now after spending some of it, we would need to find an ATM to get a bit more out to compensate. Fortunately, there was one that worked right next door to the post office. We walked through the door, we could smell the finish line. We had almost made it.
We went back up the the woman's line that had helped us before, in fact it was the only one open for permit renewals. The sign at the desk said, "sportello amico" which means "teller friend". That is a nice thought that this stranger would be a friend to us, and in some ways had already been. We showed her where she had stapled a receipt of mine onto Angie's application, and Angie's receipt onto mine. We all laughed, now at her ineptitude instead of her colleague's and she fixed the error. She looked over the envelopes, through the check list of required documents, took our $45 per application and gave us a shiney new receipt. This receipt is our current proof that we are legally permitted to reside here and do ministry. I asked and she told us it could be as long as two months before our permits are ready. So, I guess now all we have to do is wait and we thankful for the ways that God comforted us through a potentially 'zapping' day.
The next morning we got ready and prayed together before heading up to the police station for the morning....this is usually a two to three hour process, so we were prepared. So, we arrived at the police station, in Italian known as Questura. There were about ten people waiting in the entry way, which is a pittance compared to past visits. Our number was 86, they give out forty numbers for the morning, and ours was not at the beginning, therefore we arrived about forty-five minutes after they opened their doors. I went up to the booth and asked the officer behind the glass, what number they were on since we had just arrived. She said they weren't going in order, how novel. Instead, as long as you had a number you should get in, in fact it didn't matter which day you got it, as long as you had one. Ten would be let in at a time when she let you and those who had been there waiting would get first dibs. We shuffled back through the entryway and found a section of the wall to slide up against. As we stood there, the throng of us watched many Italians, who don't have to wait, as well as others with "supposed" appointments go through the doors. However, not a single one of us with a number went through the "magic" doorway. Finally, an hour and fifteen minutes of waiting and something seemed to be happening. The officer had come to the doorway, outside of her booth, and was pointing at people saying things like, "you're okay", "you can enter", "yeah you too". Angie and I pressed forward and I was trying to make eye contact with the officer. She looked my way and said "okay, you too". I replied, "and my wife?" The officer said, "of course". We were in. Finally we were in. It wasn't long now.
We walked into the immigration chamber that we have been in many times before to see a mass of people with no apparent organization. It seemed incredibly chaotic. I edged to a window to ask for the proper paperwork to fill out and the person behind the glass, seeming frustrated told me to hold on for now. Angie and I gathered with the herd of people that had just made it in near the window, while the man behind the glass told all of us to "stay behind the yellow line please". We all complied, with no real designation as to who would be next in either of the two open lines. In Italy, lines are not sacred, but desire is. If you desire to be next, then you will...if you try to wait for lines...then you will be waiting for a long time. Well, it seemed to be going quickly, in the man's line on the left, person after person seemed to leave the window. I saw my opportunity and when up to the window just as the current man left. I pulled out our paperwork, told the man we needed to renew our permits and happily handed the man our paperwork, knowing the worst was almost over. He looked over it and said, "this is for religious reasons?" I replied affirmatively. He handed the paperwork back to me and said you need to go the Post Office to renew our type of permit now, along with about twenty other motives for legalized permits. I said, this is why I asked the guard in the booth the other night where I needed to go to renew my permit and said that he didn't know, but that it would be best to just come here. The man shook his head, as if to say that guard should know better, we have told him a hundred times. Then said unfortunately, you still have to go the Post Office for this. I asked him if it mattered which, and he replied "asdlka asdhlkasd asdgoirwiohd". Yes, I speak Italian and yes, I understand Italian, however when thirty people are talking and people are yelling over maltreatment and problems with their applications it is hard to hear. I asked him if he meant the Post Office in downtown. He said, "no, not downtown, but sdj assd;j a;sdjjs train station." I said, "oh the one at the train station?" He said, "NO, not the train station, the PORT, PORT, PORT." I couldn't tell if he was yelling because he thought I was stupid, or couldn't hear him, or just because he was frustrated with his working environment. I am not sure at that point if it really mattered, because now, not only was it later in the day, but we knew we had to start all over with the process and it was now a completely new process to work through.
Now, you may be wondering....the post office?? Why would you do that at the post office? Well, in Europe, post offices are marvelous things indeed. You can accomplish many wondrous things at the local post office. You can pay utility bills, open a post office bank account and do banking, shop for books, music or DVDs and many other fascinating procedures. Add to the list, apply for legal residence permit and renewal of said permits. Angie and I were a bit incredulous to say the least. Really, what would it look like? Would they shove all the foreigners into one office and make them sweat until one by one they got their chance? Like the Questura, would they yell at all of us, when one or two, due to language hurdles, push them too far in asking questions and demanding respect? Would we have to get a number and come back the next day? Or on Monday, since the next day was Saturday? Our permit expires today, so we hoped against all hope it wasn't the latter.
We drove from the police station to downtown, where we live and could have walked to the post office if only we had known. Parking is always and issue and thinking it would be faster, since we were closer, we went to the parking garage that is near our facility. We went down the ramp and up to the gate in order to pull a ticket that raises the bar and.......the LCD said the parking garage was full. In this very technological parking garage each parking space is monitored and if all are taken it doesn't let anyone else in. Nice normally, but we were in a hurry, we didn't know how long it would take at the post office. Since there were two lanes and cars in both, I waited with my finger poised on the button waiting for the green light to come on showing there would be a space available. Flash, the green light lit, I pressed the button and the ticket started printing. The bar lifted and we followed the arrows until we found the space with the green light lit above it. We exited the garage and made our way to the post office.
On the way we passed by our friend, Yuri's family's Cafe. We stopped in for a quick bathroom and water break. This was the first oasis in the morning. It felt so nice to feel human. Yuri and I chatted briefly and Luana said hi with a smile. Then his Dad, came up from storage and greeted us warmly, finally as we were leaving, Yuri's mom, Francesca said goodbye dear Matt and Angie. It was the boost we needed to continue on in our journey. We briskly walked down the street the twelve or fourteen blocks until we got to the post office at the port. We walked in looking for something telling us where to go. There was nothing. No sign, no instructions. I glanced through the forms available to fill out, and there was nothing there besides payment slips and mailing forms. Angie saw a section that said customer counsel, must be some kind of help service. We waited about ten minutes for the employee to finish with the lady in front of us, all the while looking around for something to tell us we were in the right spot. The postal employee finished with the previous customer and told us she would be right with us and proceeded to do a couple of other tasks. I said, I just have a quick question. She listened. I asked, "Is this where you come to renew your resident permits?" She said, "yeah, is that all?" in a very sweet way. I said yes. She then pointed out that we needed to go stand in line number five. Line five was behind a pillar, so until she pointed it out we did not see the four people in the line who had also been at the police station earlier. So, we felt closer and waited.
Another ten minutes went by and we stepped forward to the clerk. He gently helped us understand what we needed to do and how we needed to do it. He said we could take this kit home with us, fill it out and then bring it back OR we could go over to the Immigration Office at the Prefecture building. He said it was free for them to help us fill out the paperwork and it would eliminate any risks of us filling out the wrong thing. Oh and we had a pay a new fee of about $35 per person, for what I don't know, but it was in the brochure we found at his window, so we knew he wasn't just ripping us off. We took the kits and went on our way. First we made our way over to the Prefecture building to the immigration office. The police at the door told us that the immigration office was closed and only open on Mondays from 9 to noon and Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:30pm....what great hours. But then he said there was something other kind of office we could go to around the corner that might be able to help us. We went around the corner and saw a few more of the guys from the police station that morning, it was like some kind of twisted city-wide scavenger hunt that we had not chosen to be in. We went in the door, there were no signs or instructions anywhere, except the ones that said they accept the public, Monday through Thursday 9-12. There was no title to this office either. The waiting room was small, hot and had about ten people in it. They weren't busy but the few workers acted as if they were all but ignoring everyone else in the room. In the corner, found some forms to fill out, which we for people on work permits. They were contracts for the foreigner to have filled out by their employer so that they could get work permits. This didn't seem to be the right place. After starting to sweat and feeling more miserable by the minute we decided to leave and try the kit on our own.
We left the office, and upon reaching the street we sat on a step to the side and composed ourselves once more. We were feeling drained from all this leading astray. It was already 1 pm. three and a half hours after starting this process. We decided we needed a little comfort food, so we headed to McDonald's. There is nothing like American comfort food to strengthen your soul! This fast food restaurant was another blessing used by God to comfort us. When we left we set out for our air conditioned apartment to refresh our selves and fill out the paperwork.
After a little time working on other projects, this wasn't the only thing we had to do today, we got back on the paperwork. We wanted to get it in today and the post office closed at 6:30pm. So we filled out the sixteen pages of form for Angie and I, made more copies to ensure we had all the right documentation with each request and put the packets together. Then around 5:30 pm we walked back down to the post office by the port. We got there waited in line behind a couple of other people and then stepped up to the clerk. She was very friendly and helpful. We showed her how her colleague that morning had not charged the right amount on the $35 fees that we paid, for whatever it is we paid them for. They laughed at him and his ineptitude and fixed the mistake. Then she noticed that we had only photocopied the page of our passport with our picture and information, she nicely informed us that we needed copies of every single page in our passport, including the blank ones. She told us there was a copy store down the street. So, we left with about thirty minutes left before the post office closed.
We found the copy store and she made all the copies of our passports and we grabbed a few other things at her store to purchase. We went to pay and after two tries she told us her bak card machine wasn't working, so she could only take cash. I had cash to pay her, but there was now a new problem. When we had gone to the post office I had put enough cash in my wallet to cover the next $45 charge that they were going to request for us to send in the renewal request. This was $45 per person and now after spending some of it, we would need to find an ATM to get a bit more out to compensate. Fortunately, there was one that worked right next door to the post office. We walked through the door, we could smell the finish line. We had almost made it.
We went back up the the woman's line that had helped us before, in fact it was the only one open for permit renewals. The sign at the desk said, "sportello amico" which means "teller friend". That is a nice thought that this stranger would be a friend to us, and in some ways had already been. We showed her where she had stapled a receipt of mine onto Angie's application, and Angie's receipt onto mine. We all laughed, now at her ineptitude instead of her colleague's and she fixed the error. She looked over the envelopes, through the check list of required documents, took our $45 per application and gave us a shiney new receipt. This receipt is our current proof that we are legally permitted to reside here and do ministry. I asked and she told us it could be as long as two months before our permits are ready. So, I guess now all we have to do is wait and we thankful for the ways that God comforted us through a potentially 'zapping' day.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Kids English Finale
Here is Angie getting the kids ready for their Kids' English Finale. It went great and all the parents loved it. Angie did a great job putting the whole thing together.
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