December Prayer Update

We have finished work on campus for the semester, and are preparing to go to Emily's house in Oxford, England for Christmas. I don't have much time to write now, but I did want to post my December update. 

Ciao, and more updates coming soon! Buon Natale!

Elizabeth

John 10:10

Cena di Ringraziamento, Agape Lunch at Forte Torre and Christmas in Bologna

Our Thanksgiving outreach event several weeks ago marked the beginning of holiday activities here in Bologna. With the help of a group from Minnesota, we managed to host 200 people total for two Thanksgiving dinners (November 24th and 25th)! Thank you for your prayers. We were encouraged to see so many people attend these events--several new friends from outside Bologna even went to the trouble of commuting into the city just for Thanksgiving dinner. We spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week preparing massive amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, pies, stuffing, and everything else that comes along with Thanksgiving dinner. Italians are fascinated with Thanksgiving, and this holiday provides a great opportunity to talk with people about thankfulness and the history of the holiday. Italians also typically eat their meals in courses. "Primi piatti," or first courses, typically consist of pasta or a soup. "Primi piatti" are followed by "secondi piatti" (second course--usually meat or fish), possibly a "contorno" (side dish--usually vegetables), finally "dolce" (dessert) and "cafe" (espresso). The idea of placing all of these foods (or dishes) on one plate, as we do in America, is so strange to them. This is one of the many things that they find interesting at Thanksgiving.

Our whole group after a full day of cooking--Jon, Peg, and Eddie Anderson along with Kate Wenzel came all the way from Minnesota to help with the Thanksgiving dinner outreach. Steve and Cindy Thompson are TEAM missionaries here in Italy. Andy and Linda Brucato are TEAM missionaries and have been in Bologna with Nuova Vita for about 30 years. Linda Ambrus also works with TEAM at Nuova Vita and works closely alongside Agape.

Linda, Ashley, Tricia and Emily making sweet potato casserole

Ashley, Tricia and I trying our best to stay warm--the ovens provided a needed break from the cold Bologna temperatures

Jesse after a long day of cooking. We've had a lot of fun as team, and it's amazing what parts of people's personalities come out after three full days of Thanksgiving preparation : ) 

Jesse and Matt after a long day in the kitchen

Ashley and Emily cutting pumpkin, apple and pecan pies to serve to guests.  This year also marked Emily's first Thanksgiving experience. 

The church that our STINT team is attending, Forte Torre, also hosted an "Agape Lunch" during the same week as Thanksgiving. All of the church members came together for a potluck lunch after the service. Though our church is very small (maybe 20 members), we enjoyed this time to spend time together.

Everyone eating lunch together

Everyone from Forte Torre together for a group picture after lunch. Our pastor, J.P. (in the purple sweater in the back) and his wife, Sue (in the purple shirt in the front) are from the UK and have been in Bologna for about 4 years.

We have continued meeting with students we have met on campus and building on these relationships. As the fall semester is coming to a close, many of the students are busy preparing for exams in December and January. In Italy, students must take exams over all of the material presented in the class over the course of the semester--their grades depend on one comprehensive exam. Many of them are feeling pressure as they study for tests. Today, we will be preparing for a Christmas party for students tonight at the Hannah's apartment. Next week will be our final week on campus before taking a break for the holidays.

Here are a few pictures from Bologna's chocolate festival, as promised, and some pictures of the lights that are up for Christmas in the city center.

Chocolate shoes on sale at the chocolate festival in Piazza Maggiore a few weeks ago

One of the Due Torre in the city center decorated for Christmas

The Christmas tree in Piazza Maggiore

Making Christmas cookies before watching White Christmas at Jesse and Tricia's last Saturday

Ashley and Emily making Christmas cookies at Jesse and Tricia's

 Thank you so much for your prayers--our team is so grateful for your prayer support, and here are several new requests:

• Praise God for all of the guests at the Thanksgiving dinner and please continue to pray for those who have indicated that they are interested in studying scripture and learning about Christ. Praise God for how smoothly everything went at the dinner.
• Praise God for the number of students we've had the opportunity to interact with this year--those who have been in Bologna for a long period of time continue to remark on how God is moving in this city. 
• Please also praise God that my dad came home from the hospital on the Monday before Thanksgiving!! He is still recovering, and this will take some time, but my family is so thankful that he is home--and so grateful for your prayers. Please continue to pray for him as he heals.
• Please continue to pray for students who are interested in learning more about their faith and for those we are building relationships with. Pray that God would bless our times together and that students who don't know Christ would come to know Him. Pray for students we have met who are searching for answers. Pray for wisdom as we plan for the Spring semester in Bologna.
• Please continue to pray for Italy as a whole. Berlusconi recently went out of power, and this has led to interesting conversations with students.
• Please pray for our Christmas events through Agape and the churches in the city. Pray that God would bring students to these event and work through conversations.
• Please pray for our team as several other team members have had family members with medical problems. Pray for us especially as we deal with these things away from home during the holidays. 

 Ciao,

Elizabeth
John 10:10

November Prayer Letter

Just wanted to tack on a short addition to yesterday's post--here's the November prayer update. More updates from Bologna coming soon!

It's an interesting time to live in Italy with all of the political changes that are taking place (Berlusconi just went out of power a week or so ago), and it's been surprising to learn more about the culture itself since I've been here. I've had several books mentioned to or recommended to me since I've been here that provide insight into Italian culture or are connected to Bologna. While I haven't had time to look over them yet, I wanted to list them here in case you're interested...

The Dark Heart of Italy by Tobias Jones

It Happened in Italy by Elizabeth Bettina

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

Ciao, and hope to post more pictures and updates from Thanksgiving, etc. soon!

Elizabeth

Cioccolato and Castagne

One of my favorite things about fall is watching the leaves change color. It is so fascinating to me how quickly the leaves can change and how many different colors surface during the transition from summer to winter. I always thought fall in Fayetteville was especially beautiful (nothing against Little Rock--I think it was just something about being in the Ozarks on a college campus), but I have to say that the fall colors in Bologna have certainly rivaled Fayetteville's fall hues. It's amazing to me how the colors of the buildings here complement the colors on the trees...

Leaves on a sidewalk around the corner from our apartment

One of the streets that goes to the center of town. We walk on this street almost daily to get to the university campus

The outside of our apartment building--we live on the top floor

I only wish the leaves would last longer--winter is coming soon (temperatures have dropped significantly--close to or below freezing--and it's starting to get dark close to 4:30 or 5 p.m.). Emily and I are trying to master the art of maintaining the right temperature in our apartment. Europeans are very conservative with their utilities, so leaving the heat or electricity on for too long can take a toll on finances if you aren't careful. I caved and bought a fleece blanket the other day...after hearing that January and February in Bologna can bring even colder temperatures, I thought this a blanket would be a good investment.

Two weeks ago, we decided to change our weekly event and invited students and young adults from the local churches to David and Nicole Hannah's (missionaries with TEAM, a church-planting organization) apartment to hang out and eat castagne (chestnuts). Castagne are a huge part of fall and winter in Italy. It's typical to see vendors on the streets in the city center roasting and selling castagne. The event was a huge success! We were so blessed and encouraged to see about 45 people show up and stay at the apartment for a couple of hours.  We had everyone from Italian university students, to young adults from one of the churches, to Erasmus students (European study abroad) from France, Germany, and the UK, to Italian high school students, etc...

The Hannah's daugher, Ruby, helping Emily with some of the castagne

Emily with some of the castagne--roasted and ready to serve

Castagne! David Hannah spent most of the night roasting chestnuts for everyone

We have also had the to opportunity to spend more time with students we have met during our first few weeks on campus and have been encouraged by the number of students willing to get coffee, help us with our language-learning, or just spend time with us. Please continue to pray for these students and that God will continue to ordain conversations. Pray that God would be working in these people's hearts outside of our interactions.

Every year, a chocolate festival takes place in Perugia, a city south of Bologna. Festivals similar to this also take place in other cities throughout Italy, and this week marked Bologna's chocolate festival. Piazza Maggiore (the square in the city center) has been filled with everything from shoes sculpted from chocolate to chocolate with chili peppers for the last week. Pictures of this coming in the next post!

Next week, we will be helping Nuova Vita with their Thanksgiving outreach event on Thursday and Friday night. Thanksgiving ("Ringraziamento," in Italian) is fascinating to Italians, and Nuova Vita has seen a lot of response to this event in the past. We will be working on Wednesday to help prepare for dinners on Thursday and Friday night, and we're hoping to host about 100 guests each night. Please pray for these events--that preparation will go smoothly and the dinners themselves will also go well.

Here are a few new prayer requests, and more posts coming soon!

• Praise God for our castagne event and for the positive response we've had in meeting students on campus. Continue to pray for these relationships to grow.
• Pray for the Thanksgiving event at Nuova Vita and those who will attend.
• Continue to pray for our team as we work on learning Italian. This is coming more easily but is something we are constantly working on. 
• Pray for wisdom as we plan for the spring and wrap up the fall semester. Pray for students who are believers to continue to grow in their relationships with God.
• On a more personal note, please pray for my dad as he has been in the hospital over the last week with pleurisy and pneumonia. He is getting better and should be able to come home soon, but he still needs prayer as he recovers. Pray also for our team and other medical issues that have come up with family members at home. 

Elizabeth
John 10:10

October Prayer Letter

I just wanted to post an update with the October prayer letter, and write a little more about what's been happening here in Bologna. I had every intention of posting more information last week, but time has just flown by--we're very busy, but we're beginning to settle into more of a routine. First, here's the prayer letter:

Over the last month or so, our team has attended two conferences and a church retreat, completed an intensive language course, and begun meeting with students. The first conference, Nuovo Inizio, was held in a small Tuscan town called Grossetto. This conference is specifically designed as an orientation for new staff and STINTers. We enjoyed the opportunity to escape the busyness of city life for a few days to learn more about life and ministry in Italy. Our second conference was a fall conference for all of Agape Italia staff. We heard from several pastors throughout the country (Florence, Sienna, etc.) and Agape Italia leadership. The perseverance of these people in the face of all of the challenges to ministry in this country was especially encouraging to me. Many of them had spent 15+ years in prayer for God to move in specific ways before seeing any response. Our director, Franco Basio, spoke a lot about humility. This topic has come up over and over again in the last several months. God continues to reveal to me how utterly dependent I am on Him for everything--for life itself--but how reassuring to know that, while I don't really control anything...He is in control of everything, and He is my Father. 

We also attended a retreat for the young people at one of the two churches, Nuova Vita, here in Bologna. Our team enjoyed the opportunity to get to know some of the believers from our city. The group was small, but very international. At one point, we were able to go around and share testimonies. It was incredible to be hearing from people from all over the world--Italy, Spain, India, England, the U.S.--about how Jesus has changed each of their lives. All of the testimonies were told in either Italian or    English and translated to Italian or English so we could all understand. 

Our language intensive lasted for one week. It's been helpful to have a crash-course on language, as this is something so critical to interacting effectively with students. We will continue to study the language throughout the year on our own and, hopefully, with a tutor or through another class. On our last two days of class, one of our teachers asked that we present on each of our countries (the other students in the class were from Turkey, Khazakhstan, Poland, and several other places). Matt and I were able to present on our states, since we were from the same country--we introduced them to peanut butter cookies (peanut butter is not common in Italy, and, if it is available, it is usually expensive), and I tried to teach them to call the hogs. I wish I had a picture of the looks on their faces after I tried to explain in very broken Italian why we "call the hogs" in Arkansas and how we do this--needless to say, I think they were a little confused and thought it was pretty amusing. 

In the last week or two, our lives have settled into a more consistent routine. We typically spend mornings together as a team--praying, studying scripture, planning and language learning. It's a blessing to work alongside people with such great hearts. In the afternoons, we spend our time on campus. We are currently in the process of talking with students to get a better idea of spiritual attitudes here in Bologna. This has been amazing to me. The lack of hope in this country is so evident, and it is heartbreaking. As we ask students if they ever think of God, and what they think of Him if they do...so many of them have told us that they are either "ateo" (atheist) or agnostic. The statistics that evidence this reality are out there, but it's something wholly different when you can attach statistics to specific faces and names. It has been encouraging, though, to see how many of them are willing to spend time with us, though they don't know us at all. Italian social groups can be somewhat difficult to break into--many of them have known their friends for a very long time. 

On Wednesday nights, we hold an aperitivo event in the city center. This event is more social, and allows us to invite students to spend time with us in a more relaxed atmosphere. We are also in the process of starting a discussion group for students who are interested in spiritual issues. 

In the last few weeks, I have been reminded so much of how my idea of who God is impacts every area of my life. Oftentimes, our life experiences have more of an impact on our idea of who God is than what He tells us in scripture about His character. Right thinking about God can truly transform our lives. 

Here are a few prayer points:

• Praise God for the students that He has brought into our lives. In the last several years, Agape staff  in Bologna were not able to name any students who might be interested in truly getting involved with the ministry. We now have several names.
• Praise God for His continued provision--time and time again He has answered little prayers about everyday life here.
• Pray for the students we are meeting on campus. We have had so many great conversations in our short time on campus--please pray that God would grow relationships with students who are spiritually interested, and that God would continue to ordain conversations on campus with the students He has for us to meet. 
• Pray for the believers on campus here in Bologna. There are only a couple that we know of, but pray that God would grow them in their relationship with Him and use them to witness to His glory here. 
• Pray for the churches here in Bologna that we partner with and their witness in the city, Nuova Vita (New Life) and Forte Torre (Strong Towers). Pray that God would grow these churches and work in and through the members. Nuova Vita has been in the city for about 30 years and is a church-plant from TEAM ministries. Forte Torre is newer in the city--this is the church that everyone on the STINT team has decided to attend. Right now, there are only about 20 or so people who attend regularly.
• Please pray for our events with students--the discussion group and our weekly aperitivo. Pray also for our Thanksgiving outreach with Nuova Vita. 
• Pray for Italy as a whole and the churches and Agape ministries throughout the country--Florence, Rome, Salerno, Milan, Sienna, Sanremo, and Palermo. 

Emily shared this song with our team during our last meeting, and I thought it would be worth posting here, too...

Ciao,

Elizabeth

John 10:10

September Prayer Letter and an Overdue Update

I am happy to say that I am currently writing this post as I sit in the living room of a very nearly fully- furnished apartment just outside of Bologna's city center, a cup of peppermint tea in-hand and a working washing machine whirring in the background. Most people wouldn't find much solace in these things, but, after the last month, the hum of the washing machine (coupled with the tea, of course) is, for me, quite comforting. Emily and I have finally settled into an apartment (pictures coming soon!), and I think that we'd both agree we're very pleased with (and grateful for) the results. Locating an apartment in Italy can turn into a complicated process, but God has provided a place that is the right size, the right price and the right distance from the university.

I am LONG overdue for an update and apologize for not posting sooner! The last month has been a chaotic mix of the administrative details of moving, two Agape Italia conferences, language school and everything else that comes with adjusting to a new city.

That being said, I want to use a few posts to update you on what's been happening in Bologna and how you can be praying for our team and the city. For now, here's the September prayer letter...

I don't have much time to write tonight (Ashley and I are about to make an American dessert for our Italian language class--more on that later), but I would like to ask that you continue to pray for this city--that people's hearts would be softened and that they would turn to Christ. I'm not sure if my descriptions could ever do justice to the bleak reality of the spiritual situation in this country. I'd like to challenge you to use this map of the Bologna city center to "prayer walk" the city with and for our team...

I wish that you were all here to walk these streets and pray with us, but the beauty of this experience is that we as a STINT team are not praying for Bologna alone--I fully believe that God has you reading this post for a reason. Your prayers are so critical. Please ask that God would be glorified in this city, especially among university students, and that our team would be a unified testimony of life-change possible only through Christ.

More updates on the last month coming soon! Ciao!

Ciao from Bologna

After about 17 hours of travel and 3 flights, the Waltons and I arrived in Bologna at 9 a.m. Bologna time on September 13th. I think we were all excited to finally reach the city after months (and years, in the Walton's case) of planning and preparation. Our flights went very smoothly--no major delays, missed flights or lost luggage. Thank you for your prayers. Jesse and Tricia managed to keep me awake for the rest of the day (to avoid jet lag) and took me on a walking tour of the city. Emily joined us Wednesday night, and we enjoyed a tex-mex meal at the Marcos's apartment in celebration of her arrival. Check out Emily's blog here.

We've spent the last few days searching for apartments, orienting ourselves with the city and meeting people connected to Agape in Bologna. Currently, we're staying in the apartments of other ministry staff. David and Nicole Hannah and Linda Ambrus work with TEAM church-planting ministry and have been very hospitable and very helpful in introducing us to the ins-and-outs of Bologna. The Waltons are staying with the Hannah's and their daughter, Ruby, until they are able to find an apartment. Emily and I are living at the Marcos's apartment. 

This weekend, we're all headed to a fattoria (a converted farmhouse) in Tuscany for Nuovo Inizio, a conference for all of the new Agape Italia staff. Please continue to pray that God would provide apartments. Also pray for our Bologna team and other Agape Italia staff as we go to the conference this weekend.

On another note, here are a few pictures from our walks around the city...

A view from Piazza Maggiore in the city center

Bologna is known for its porticoed walkways

Nettuno, a famous fountain in the Bologna city center...complete with a banner from a small Communist
demonstration near Piazza Maggiore on Thursday morning

On Thursday, I also ran into a friend from Texas who is studying at the Johns Hopkins campus in Bologna. We knew we would both be spending this year in the city and had been trying to connect. We were both excited to finally see each other. It's always reassuring to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar place. 

Ciao, and thank you very much for all of your prayers over our travels!

Elizabeth

John 10:10

First Prayer Letter...and Visas!

September 12th is quickly approaching, and I just wanted to write another quick update to share my first prayer letter...and let you know that our team got our visas last week!! Thank you so much for all of your prayers. It's been so amazing to trust God with this situation and to watch Him respond according to His time. 

Here's the prayer letter, and please email me (Elizabeth.Bostwick@uscm.org) if you'd be interested in being added to my prayer update email list.

STINT Briefing and A Visa Update

Last night, I got back to Little Rock after a week-long training conference in Chicago. My team and I joined about 400 STINTers going to over 50 different countries for the week. I think we all came away refreshed and encouraged... and eager to get to Bologna. It was a great experience to be together as a team (minus Emily, our teammate from the UK) and celebrate God's provision while preparing for the upcoming year. Most of our time was spent in meetings and seminars over different aspects of living and working overseas. As many of you know, our team is still without visas. Though the situation is looking better, we still need prayer that God would provide these visas in time for us to leave on our planned departure date. It was amazing to be in a community of people where the 70 STINTers from our region (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, etc.) actually came together to pray specifically over our visa situation.

Our STINT team minus Emily Spicer (me, Matt and Ashley Walton, and our directors, Jesse and Tricia Marcos)

The conference was eye-opening. God is doing so many things around the world. We took shuttles from the airport to the hotel, and it was crazy to be surrounded by hundreds of people talking about going to so many different places...Slovenia, Australia, France, Venezuela...just to name a few. My roommates were two girls from a team going to Ioannina, Greece who I had met at our Intern Kickoff Weekend in April. We had a great time catching up and talking about what God had done over the summer.

On our last night at the conference, Crusade staff commissioned us and prayed over us in a native language from the area of the world we are going to. Being prayed over in Italian was a crazy experience--the reality of going back overseas is still sinking in for me. At the end of our time together, we watched this short video:

It really captured my heart. It's so easy to get tunnel vision and forget about the greater purpose of what God is doing around the world. Looking forward to staying in touch with those of you reading and excited to write to you from Bologna!

Thank you for your prayers, and here are a few new requests:

• Praise God for providing for everyone on our team and for blessing us with time together in the U.S. before we go overseas.
• Please continue to pray for the visa situation. Things are moving forward, but we still need prayer that we will be able to get our visas by our planned departure date, September 12.
• Please pray for our team as we transition overseas and begin searching for apartments. Pray that we would be unified and that God would work in and through us on campus.
• Pray for the students in Bologna. Pray that God would continue to prepare their hearts and orchestrate interactions with the people He would have us meet. 

Fully Funded, Abundantly Blessed.

What a journey the last three and a half months have been, and what a delight to be able to write a post with this title!! And this is only the beginning. God has truly done some incredible things in my life over the last few months--this process has been as much about developing my character and my relationship with Him as it has been about working in Italy. I'm thrilled to write you today to let you know that my team and I have reached our goal of full support for Italy by August 1. There were certainly more than a few moments throughout the summer where I sat down to look at support goal numbers and thought to myself... there is absolutely no way I can make this happen. There is absolutely no way I can raise $50,000 in three and a half months in one of the worst economic times in U.S. history. And those are true statements... I could not come up with $50,000 in three and half months. But God could. And He did... abundantly.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

                                                                                                                Philippians 4:19

I have no doubt that many of us have heard this verse before, but it now has, for me, a deeper significance. God provides. He really, truly does. My greatest fear upon committing to STINT was, quite honestly, raising support. I love to travel, and I'm not really afraid of finding my way around in or adapting to a new culture. I like languages. But placing myself in a situation of total dependence and faith in relation to finances... that is terrifying. Calling people I hardly know to present them with an opportunity to support the ministry in Italy... asking people I  hardly know for money... that is terrifying. Sure, it shouldn't be. Sure, this is a great cause. And, yes, I saw the need. But something about me being the one to sacrifice my perceived independence for this... seemed so scary. The thing is, though, that we never really do have control over our finances like we think we do. If God wants you somewhere, He's going to provide the resources to get you there. And what I've found with God, and something I'm still learning about Him, is that He doesn't like to do things halfway... God is a God of abundance. He loves His people jealously, He lavishes His grace upon them. He is a detailed and extravagant God. He has supplied for my needs and more.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.

                                                                                                                                     John 10:10


I've also learned--in a new way--the importance of prayer. God is so dynamic. He longs for us to come before Him in prayer, and He wants the glory for answering those prayers. We must recognize Him as the source of these blessings. During my junior year of high school, I had one teacher who repeatedly emphasized part of the Westminster Shorter Catechism in our morning devotional time...a statement that has stuck with me over the last several years..."Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." God longs for us to enjoy His blessings and glorify Him for His work.

This has been a longer post, but I just wanted to take the time to let you in on a few of the things God has been teaching me (sometimes re-teaching me) over the summer. Thank you again for your prayers--I know those played a tremendous role in my experience this summer, and I know they will continue to play a tremendous role in my team's experience in Italy.

Prayer requests...

• Please praise God for how He has worked in providing financially this summer! Matt and Ashley Walton, a couple on my team, went from 70% of their support to 100% support in about two weeks. Visit their blog for more of this story. It's been amazing to watch this take place.
• Please continue to praise God and pray for new believers in Bologna.
• Please continue to pray for our visa situation. We've begun to move forward with this process, but we still need prayer.
• Pray for STINT briefing. From August 13-19, my team and I will join STINTers from all across the  country going all over the world for a training conference in Chicago. Pray that God would bless our time and that He would continue to prepare our hearts for our time overseas.

Lake Como, Italy
Fall 2010

Houston Visa Trip and Some New Prayer Requests

Hello everyone! Last week, my team and I went to Houston to work on getting our Italian visas--the trip was a great experience, but we ran into a few unexpected problems.

God did some amazing things in the process, though. The Italian Consulate for our region is located in downtown Houston, and Houston is about a seven hour drive away from Little Rock...meaning traveling to Houston for a visa wasn't going to be a short day-trip. I quickly realized I'd need to stay somewhere in the city overnight. My parents/ aunt and uncle had a some old Crusade staff friends, the Swansons, in the Houston area and connected me with them to see if they would be able to keep me at their house for a couple of nights. I told Mrs. Swanson the dates for my trip, and, as it turned out, my trip overlapped with a visit from their extended family--something that rarely happens but would leave them without any extra room in the house to keep me. Mrs. Swanson eagerly volunteered to contact some of her friends in Houston to find somewhere for me to stay. Houston is a big city, though, and she wanted to make sure to place me in an area of the city where I would be close to my team. She asked for the zip code of the places they were staying, said she would ask around and get back to me soon. Several days later, she called back as promised and began to tell me about a family friend from her church in the area who would be able to keep me. Mrs. Swanson and I had talked briefly about my STINT, but she had forgotten the name of the city I was going to. "What was the name of that city again?" She asked. I told her I'd be in Bologna...spelled like the meat. "You're not going to believe this," she responded. "But the couple you're staying with has a daughter who's a year older than you and she actually went on a summer project to the same city two years ago and she knows your director and his wife." We finished talking, and I got off the phone amazed by God's concern with the details. It's crazy to me to think about how He took all of the changes in my original plans to orchestrate something so specific. All that to say, I loved my stay in Houston and enjoyed the opportunity to connect with new friends.

Matt and Ashley Walton and I had our visa appointments at the consulate last Friday. Crusade had provided us with letters from Agape Italia leadership and other documents indicating we had training necessary to obtain religious worker visas, and we assumed the visa application process would go seamlessly. However, when Ashley went in for her appointment, the consulate official flipped through her papers, glanced over her certificate and proceeded to tell her that her documents were insufficient and she would not be able to obtain a religious worker visa because she was not an 'ordained minister.' We were a little surprised with his response, and began to contact Crusade staff and the lawyer who'd been working with Crusade to secure these visas. We also contacted Jesse and Tricia Marcos, our directors from Bologna, who were in Houston before going to CSU for staff training. Though we were unable to get our visas as planned, the consulate officials allowed us to satisfy the in-person appearance requirement for the visa application process. Crusade staff are working on this situation, and it should be resolved soon (the Italian consulates throughout the U.S. are notorious for their inconsistency--the documents we had worked for STINT teams at the Miami consulate). Please continue to pray for wisdom for those working on our visa applications.

After a chaotic morning, we went to lunch with our campus director and his wife and enjoyed some time talking about Italy. It was so refreshing and encouraging to be together as a team. Some exciting things are happening in Bologna.

Here are some prayer requests ...

Florence, Italy
Fall 2010

• Praise God for what He's doing in Bologna and please continue to pray for new believers at the university. 
• Please continue to praise God for His provision! Pray for full support in-hand for my team and I by August 1 (a little over a week away!). Please pray specifically for Matt and Ashley Walton as they are working to raise a significant amount of support in these final weeks.
• Continue to pray for our visas. Pray that God would give Crusade staff wisdom in working on this situation and that God would allow for us to get our visas quickly. 

"The cattle on a thousand hills..."

Psalm 50:10 has come up in conversation and prayer time and time again over the last several months. Never before has this passage about God's character been so relevant to my everyday life. God is truly the owner of every material thing on this planet--He provides and withholds resources as He pleases.

For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.

 Psalm 50:10-11

In the last several days, God has once again abundantly blessed me in terms of financial resources. Again, I do not want to focus too much on this aspect of serving in Italy, but I want those of you praying to be encouraged and to know how those prayers are working. This week, God has provided the equivalent of about $600 in monthly support and filled all of my one-time needs (and much more!). With less than four weeks remaining until August 1, I can certainly see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I am already so grateful for the people God has brought into my life and chosen to come alongside me for the next year. Last night, I was skimming over the list of people who have committed to joining my support team, and that list is really just amazing to me...

God is so specific--He knew exactly who He would use before time began. He ordained every one of those conversations--some with friends I've known since I was born, others with people I hardly know at all. He brought specific people across my path at so many different times, knowing they would eventually play a role in this season of my life. I firmly believe--I know--He has assembled and is still assembling this team with a purpose in mind.

On another note, His timing is so perfect. Most of the amounts listed above literally came in in the span of several hours, which is mind-boggling to me. His timing is teaching me so much about trust.

Trevi Fountain
Rome, Italy
Fall 2010

Here are a few prayer requests...

• Praise God for provision! He has been so gracious in answering prayers for financial support.
• Continue to pray for new believers in Bologna. Also pray that God would go ahead of my STINT team and staff on the University of Bologna campus.
• Pray for safety as my STINT team and I travel to Houston next week to get our Italian visas. Pray that that whole process would go smoothly.
• Continue to pray for God's provision in these final weeks for me and my team. Please pray that God would raise up committed monthly supporters or the equivalent amount in one-time gifts.

5 More Weeks!

Time is flying by, and it's so hard to believe that I'm only five short weeks away from my August 1 deadline. I recently heard some more encouraging news about exciting things happening in Bologna--three Chinese students in the city received Christ last week.

On another note, I came across a few verses recently that really impacted me...

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him.

Isaiah 51:1-2

So often it's easy for me to get lost in the clamor created by the different voices surrounding me--other people, the media, my own anxious thoughts, etc. It's easy to allow distractions to drown out the truth. In the passage, the prophet encourages the believing remnant in Israel to remember their spiritual heritage--to remember where God has taken them in the past: how He has guided and provided. Is He not capable of doing so again? God knows exactly where each one of us has been. He knows where He has taken us and why He has taken us to where we are now--circumstantially, spiritually, emotionally. The key in the midst of the chaos is to remember our foundation--the "rock" from which we were "hewn"--even when circumstances and outside voices tell us otherwise. The same God who provided a son for Abraham and Sarah is our provider today. God delights to do the impossible for the sake of His glory.

Here's a recipe for pesto from one of my Italian cooking classes that you might enjoy:

Pesto

• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed, or more to taste
• 2 oz. pine nuts
• Salt
• 2 oz. or more basil (weighed with stems)
• 4 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 5 fl. oz. light olive oil

Put garlic, pine nuts, and chopped basil leaves in a blender. Stir in the grated cheese and mix very well, then gradually beat in the olive oil.

Finally, prayer requests...

• Praise God for students' response in Bologna, and continue to pray that God would be working in students' hearts on the campus.
• Praise God for support. As of today, He has provided 94% of my one-time support needs, and I am on target with monthly support goals. 
• My biggest request is still that God would provide committed monthly supporters. Please pray that God will supply all support needs by or before August 1. I know that I list this request every week, but these prayers are still so needed and they are working. 

Mom and I in Lucca, Italy
Fall 2010

More Encouraging News

I'm going to keep this post pretty short, but I want to share more encouraging news with you about what God has done in the last week. As I've mentioned in some of my other posts, college students are on summer projects right now in several different places throughout Italy, including Bologna. Last week, I got a message from the director of the ministry in Bologna with some very encouraging news--an Italian girl prayed to receive Christ! Praise God for what he's doing in Bologna, and please continue to pray for staff in Bologna as they work with the students there.

Also, I wanted to include a link to the website for Agape Italia. They recently updated the site, and it has a lot of interesting information about the ministry and Italy. The Jesus Film Project (part of Campus Crusade) introduced the Maddalena Film in Italy in April 2010. Agape Italia and Jesus Film staff have shown and distributed the film through churches, special events and other Christian ministries. I think I might have misinformed some of you about Agape Italia locations throughout Italy. Here's some more information on the Bologna ministry specifically, and a map of the cities throughout Italy with Agape Italia staff. 

Personally, this week I've been continuing to meet new people, contacting extended family who live in different parts of the country and connecting with people in the Little Rock area. I've also had a few conversations with several of my parents' friends from staff--it's been wonderful to hear their encouragement and hear more about their lives. Not too much different from the usual routine, and again, thank you for all of your prayers.

A few prayer points for this week...

Florence
December 2010

• Praise God for what He's doing in Bologna and for His provision!
• Continue to pray for students and staff in Bologna and throughout Italy. Also pray for my STINT team as we prepare for the upcoming year. 
• Please continue to pray for full support in-hand by or before August 1 for me and my STINT team. Pray that we would all reach 50% of our support by July 1. Please continue to pray that God would provide committed monthly supporters and more contacts. 

A Very Encouraging Week

Hello all (Ciao tutti)! First of all, I want to apologize about the delay in posting over the last couple of weeks, but here's a quick update.

The biggest lesson I've been learning lately is the importance of separating my emotions from the reality of what God is doing throughout this process. I'm still learning more and more that I simply cannot approach conversations about Italy or support with any expectations. God is truly the one in control of everything taking place, and He is the only one with the power to move people's hearts. My role is simply to make people aware and present them with an opportunity.

Over the last few weeks, one of my primary prayer requests has been for more committed monthly supporters. I've said it so many times before, and I'll say it again--your prayers are working! Thanks to those of you who have been faithful in joining me to bring this request before the Lord. In the last post, I mentioned that I had more monthly support come in during that week than I had seen come in all summer. I can say that this week, I had more than double that amount of monthly support commitments come in-- God blessed me with over $500 in monthly support commitments. I hesitate to get ahead of myself--there's still a pretty big financial gap between me and Bologna, Italy, but I tell you this so that you'll know that God does provide and He does answer prayer. I know that not every week will have such encouraging results, but I don't want to miss an opportunity to give glory to God for His blessings. Please praise Him for these wonderful gifts. It astounds me how some people will suggest monthly support amounts--exactly what I'm prompted to ask for--before I say a word about numbers. This isn't always the case, but it has happened more than once. And His blessings extend beyond finances to the conversations I have with the people He places in my path and the prayers friends and family have prayed with me over this experience. Please remember that God has used you to speak into my life in specific ways.

It's amazing to look back over the last month or so and see where God has taken me--how He's grown my faith in ways I wouldn't have expected and answered big prayers I tentatively prayed. Last semester, as I was praying and wrestling through the decision to apply for STINT and other opportunities to pursue after graduation, I read a quote in a devotional that captured my attention and convicted me of my tendency to place limits on God. The devotional dealt with Joshua 1:3 and essentially discussed claiming God's promises--and many of God's promises are very big commitments. The devotional ended with this quote, "The Marquis of Salisbury, an English statesman and diplomat, upon being criticized for his colonial policies, replied, 'Gentlemen, get larger maps.'"So often I reduce my "map" of what God can do or His plans for my life to my previous experiences or limited human understanding.

Though I spent most of my week in Little Rock, I've been able to spend some time in Fayetteville and tomorrow I'll be going to a wedding in Fort Smith. I'm eager to catch up with a few friends I haven't seen in awhile and to have a little change of pace.

Here are several prayer points:

Siena, Italy
Fall 2010

• Please praise God for His gracious provision, and continue to pray for His abundant provision in upcoming weeks. Continue to pray for more committed monthly supporters and for full support by or before August 1. Pray for appointments and positive responses to letters and phone calls. Please also remember the other members of my STINT team in these prayers.
• Please continue to pray for students on summer projects throughout Italy. Pray that God will work both in and through them.
• Pray for the students in Italy--that God would be softening and preparing their hearts.

Elizabeth

John 10:10

Goals and Accomplishments in Bologna

Over the last week, I have continued to adjust to raising support in Little Rock. I have had the privilege of meeting with several former teachers, old friends from high school and friends from church. Every conversation has been an absolute blessing. The beauty of this process is that, through conversations that are focused on God and ministry, I am able to get glimpses of people's hearts that I wouldn't otherwise see in daily interaction. I want those of you reading to know that God has used you to speak to and encourage me in specific ways. Each and every one of you is an answer to prayer.

I had my first major support deadline today, and, while I won't get into details, I do want those of you praying to know that God has been very gracious, and He has allowed me to exceed these goals. I still have a ways to go, but I do want you to know that God is answering those prayers in tangible ways. Please continue to praise Him for His goodness and faithfulness.

I'd also like to share some more information about Bologna, just to continue to give you a clearer picture of how to pray. 

Here are the goals for Agape Italia's ministry in Bologna:

• To build a full time team that will share their faith on campus and see Italians that will in turn reach their country and the world for Christ.
• Build partnering relationships with the local churches in Bologna in order to reach more Bolognese for Christ. Also to be a testimony to the unbelievers who only see infighting amongst churches.
• Language learning along with the culture for our team.
• Build relationships at the university with professors, administrators.
• Build relationships in the community using the Family Life Ministry of Agape.
• We pray Matthew 9:37-38 that we would eventually see laborers raised up from Bologna to go to the world.

And here are some of the ministry's accomplishments thus far:

• Family Life was launched in February of 2011. The church some of the staff members in Bologna attend, Nuova Vita, was involved. As a result, they are now beginning to make plans for another conference involving other local churches in Bologna.
• We have good ongoing relationships with students that we hope to become studies which result in ongoing discipleship.
• As a result of the outreach this year with the astronaut Charlie Duke, we opened doors in the Astronomy faculty. This gave us credibility with the professors and administration. Currently we are in the process of opening doors with the Agriculture Faculty with a unique outreach we are doing in Afghanistan.
• Youth for Christ saw the doors opened to new high schools that has never allowed any Christian influence in their school.

Before closing out this post, I wanted to let you know about a talk that a man named Christopher Coleman gave at my church a couple of weeks ago. It was a great message--very different than any message I'd heard before--and it definitely brings life into perspective. If you have some time (it's about 40 minutes long), I'd highly encourage you to listen here. I think we've all encountered circumstances that have left us to question how God is working, but the truth is that, though we may not understand, He is truly doing something beautiful. 

Here are a few prayer points:

• Always continue to praise God for His provision. Also praise Him for the work He's already done in Italy.
• Pray for the points listed above. Also pray for the students who are currently on summer project in Bologna--pray that God would work both in the lives of the Italians they interact with and in their own hearts. Also continue to pray for the staff working in Bologna and in Italy as a whole.
• Pray for my STINT team and I as we prepare for the next year--pray that God would continue to provide.
• Please pray for more committed monthly supporters, and praise God for the committed monthly supporters that have joined my team in the last two weeks (God's been answering this request!). Also pray that I would use my time wisely, work diligently, and that those I contact would find time to meet. Continue to pray for full support by August 1.

Rome, Italy
Fall 2010

Some Interesting Statistics...and a Recipe!

The first week back in Little Rock has gone well. I'm still working on getting organized after moving home, but I've enjoyed some time to catch up with family before things get busy again. In this post, I'd like to share some more statistics about the spiritual situation in Italy, just to give those of you reading a better picture of what the ministry looks like and what to pray for. Once again--thank you SO much for your prayers. God has continued to work over the last week, and I know those prayers have played a huge role everything He's doing.

I'm going to steal and repost some information from one of my teammates' websites to give you a better idea of what's going on spiritually in Italy right now : )

Why Italy?

This is a question a lot of people ask. Italy's close connection to the Catholic Church leads us to believe that this country is not as critical of a mission field as other areas of the world. However, this is not the case. The spiritual climate of Italy is surprisingly bleak. Italy has one of the worst economies in the EU. Every time a new president is elected, the government completely changes. This has happened 62 times since World War II. Corruption is so rampant that in a study on the "happiest" countries in the world, Italy ranked last.

• Population of Italy: 57,592,000
• Percentage of Protestants: 0.82%
• Percentage of Atheists: 20%
• Only 5% of Catholics practice their faith.
• There are 616 official religions in Italy. Jehovah's Witnesses are as numerous as all Evangelicals put together.
• Number of missionaries: 464 (1:124,000)
• Number of full-time magicians: 100,000 (1:575)
• Only 10% of expatriate missionaries on average return for a second term.
• Out of 33,000 cities in Italy, 31,000 have absolutely no evangelical witness.
• In northern Italy, there are 4.4 million people and only 400 evangelical Christians. That's one believer for every 10,000 people.

More about Bologna...

• The University of Bologna, Alma Mater Studiorum, is the oldest university in Western Europe.
• Bologna has a population of 500,000. This includes the 100,000 students from the university.
• Before Crusade established a presence in Italy 4 years ago, there had not been an organized Christian ministry on the campus in over 20 years.
• My team and I will be partnering with a few local evangelical churches in the city as well as TEAM (a church-planting organization) and Youth for Christ.

Here is another video about the ministry in Italy created by some students on summer project in Bologna.

Just for fun, here's a recipe for eggplant parmesan that I learned in one of my Italian cooking classes last fall in Florence. I've been able to make it with friends a couple of times over the last few weeks, and we've really enjoyed it. Try it some time and let me know what you think!

Parmigiana di melanzane

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Salt

1.5 lb eggplant (about 1 eggplant), thickly sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

Olive oil

1 lb ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 tsp sugar

Pepper

2 tbsp chopped basil

8 oz mozzarella, diced (use fresh mozzarella if you can find it)

5 tbsp grated parmesan

Salt the eggplant slices and leave on paper towels for 30 minutes to let the juices run out.

Fry the garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil until the aroma rises. Add the tomatoes, sugar, a little salt and pepper adn the basil. Cook vigorously to reduce to a thick sauce.

Rinse and drain the eggplant slices. Dry them and deep-fry in hot oil, turning over once, and drain on absorbent paper towels.

Arrange the slices in a baking dish, cover with the tomato sauce, sprinkle with the cheeses and bake in the oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.

Finally...keep praying for Italy! Here are a few prayer points for the week:

• First and foremost, praise God for his provision!
• Also, pray for the points listed above--especially for the students in Bologna, the staff team and my STINT team.
• Continue to pray for my transition to raising support in Little Rock. Pray that God will provide committed monthly supporters, that He'll create time for people to meet and that He'll bless conversations.

Elizabeth

John 10:10

Transitions

After a weekend filled with family, friends, and graduation celebrations, I'm back in Little Rock. There were so many wonderful moments this weekend--it's always such a treasure to spend time with my family because it seems we're rarely all in one place. My Grandma Bostwick from Arizona even made the trip to Fayetteville for the event. I'm going to take a moment here to brag on her because she's such an inspiration to me--if I'm able to become half the woman she is, I'll consider myself a success. She raised five children single-handedly after her husband passed away when her youngest children (my dad and his twin) were two. She then returned to college and pursued a degree in art education. She's now a fiber artist and her work has been featured at the Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio. Check out her website if you're interested. I am so grateful for everyone in my family--I'd brag on all of them if space allowed. I love all of you who are reading!

Me and my two wonderful friends, Sarah Griffis and Katie Russell, at Sarah's graduation party on Saturday.
We met on a study abroad trip to London after freshman year of college.

Mom, Grandma, Dad and I after the Honors Commencement on Friday.

God has continued to bless the support-raising process. Again, I don't have the words to express how much your prayers are appreciated, and I wish I could just write pages about all of the amazing conversations God has blessed me with over the last week. I already have so many wonderful stories of unexpected generosity. I am learning so much about God and His character through these conversations and experiences--even in just the last few weeks.

Something I've realized about myself, especially in college, is that I really love to be in control. I'm one of those people who loves my planner (and, yes, I do sometimes use pens and sticky notes and other things to color-coordinate). I like to have a plan and to know exactly how that plan will unfold. I love the security of stability. However, surrendering your life to Christ means surrendering control, and I'm beginning to learn what this means in a very tangible way. God is my provider and He will meet my needs according to His plans, not my own. Though I might, at times, feel that I have control over a given situation, the reality is that I do not really have much control at all...God is a very big God, and I'm a very finite person. Many times in making appointments to meet with people about prayer or financial support for Italy, my schedule has been rearranged. I'll wake up with my agenda, expecting to talk to certain people, and my plans change completely. And yet, despite all of the changes, God provides. He doesn't need me to do His work, He lovingly allows me to join in the process. Why not just rest and lean on Him, glorifying Him by enjoying His goodness? Control is, I'm beginning to realize, overrated.

Another lesson I'm learning has to do with being fully present in the present. In other words, living where I am right now and not viewing the time between now and going to Italy as a means to an end. The process is a crucial part of the experience. God has so many things to show me and others here and now, and preoccupation with the future will rob me of sweet moments here in the present. A Jim Eliot quote on this topic has always impressed me-- "Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God. "

Again, your prayers are an incredible blessing and they are working. I recently heard a sermon about the importance of prayer and I'll never forget one thing the pastor said--"Preparation without prayer runs ahead of God."That being said, here are a few prayer points for Italy:

• Praise and thank God for His provision!! Support has continued to come in. I have a little over 25% of my one-time needs in hand!
• Pray that God would continue to provide--pray for full support by August 1. Pray especially that God would provide committed monthly supporters. 
• Pray for my transition from Fayetteville to Little Rock. This week, I'll begin contacting and meeting with people in my hometown. 
• Continue to pray for my STINT team (two girls from LSU, two girls from England, and a couple from Oklahoma) and for the students in Italy--especially those in Bologna. Pray for the staff members who are already in Bologna (Jesse and Tricia Marcos and the Phipps family).

Ciao, and know that I am praying for you! Also, here's a video about ministry in Italy that you might find interesting. And, I think I've told many of you about the documentary, Beyond the Gates of Splendor....watch it here : )

Elizabeth
John 10:10