March and April in Bologna

Hello all! I am overdue for an update--so sorry for lagging behind by a couple of months. We have been so busy here--I have lots of news to share.

In March, Emily and I had the opportunity to take one of our friends, Jenny, on a "vision trip" to an Agape event in Rome. The event, "Tu Sei Anima e Arte," is designed to celebrate International Women's Day, an important holiday here in Italy. Students in Rome shared different types of art--visual and performance--at the event. All three of us had a great time--we were very encouraged to see what's going on with Agape in a different part of Italy. We hope to see something similar to this event happen in Bologna in the future.

Jenny and I out to dinner in Rome

A performance at Tu Sei Anima e Arte

Jenny and Emily in Rome

Jenny, Emily, and one of the Salerno STINTers, Jonathan, talking after Tu Sei Anima e Arte

In March, we were also able to host several other events for students. We invited several friends over to the Hannah's apartment for a March Madness/St. Patrick's Day party. We've also begun working alongside our pastor, JP Aranzulla, on a series of discussion-oriented events about issues students have mentioned in our interactions with them on campus. Many of the Italian students we've spent time with list "vivi e lascia vivere" ("live and let live") and "carpe diem" as their philosophy of life. Many of the students also list "freedom" as the most important human right. We have used these ideas as topics for discussion with students on campus--hoping to process with them what these phrases really mean and the practical implications of living them out...while connecting these ideas to the gospel. Please continue to pray for these meetings with students and the discussions that develop.

A lot of our time in April has been spent continuing to get to know many of the students we have met and meeting new students on campus. I have enjoyed seeing these relationships deepen, and would so appreciate your continued prayers over our team as we approach our final few months here in Bologna with the people we have met. We've been invited to a few birthday parties, enjoyed dinners with friends  who have volunteered to cook real Italian food for us, and met for coffee and language exchange. Please continue to pray for our times with these students.

Easter is a major holiday for students in Italy. Classes are cancelled the week before Easter Sunday, meaning our team had a break from our normal schedule. My friend Jenny invited me to her home in Perugia for a few days, and I had such a sweet time getting to know her family and friends. Jenny's mother is Brazilian, too, and she made certain to cook a Brazilian meal for me before I left. This was such a great opportunity to get to know Jenny (and other parts of Italy) better. 

We have also started language lessons with a tutor. I have so enjoyed this opportunity to learn Italian--having one-on-one lessons has helped significantly with learning the language. Please continue to pray for us as we develop in this skill. 

Last week, we celebrated two baptisms at our church! It was such an encouragement to watch two of our friends share their testimonies and make this commitment. It's rare to see these things happen. 

This Thursday, we will be hosting an event for students to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Please pray for the students that come and the conversations that will take place. I'll look forward to sharing more about this in my next post.

Finally, please do pray over our final few months here in Bologna. Some of us are preparing to go home to the U.S. next year, and others will stay for a second STINT year. We would so appreciate your prayers over our final two months--that we would finish and transition well. I'll include another update with more about this transition soon. 

Ciao and thank you for your prayers!

Elizabeth