Tuscany

The second part of our trip was spent exploring the region of Tuscany. This was, by far, my favorite part of the trip. In Venice, we stayed in a quiant little town called Montecatini Terme at the "Grand Hotel Francia e Quirinale" . The hotel's elegant lobby, small but friendly staff, tiny elevators and small but clean rooms all reminded me of what 1950's elegance in Italy must have looked like.

In Tuscany, we visited the ancient town of San Gimignano and took a whirlwind tour of Florence (called Firenze in Italy) and made a stop in Siena. San Gimignano is a medieval, hilltop village with breathtaking views of the Tuscan landscape at every angle. Florence is the capitol of Tuscany. We only had a few hours here, not nearly enough time to enjoy the food, shopping, art, culture, and beauty offered by this amazing city. However, we were able to take in the Accademia and Michelangelo's David, do some leather shopping, enjoy a farmer's market and eat a delicious lunch at a friendly little sidewalk winebar/restaurant called "Note di Vino" during the time we were there.

After Florence, we spent the evening a Tuscan farmstead the Fattoria Il Poggio where we enjoyed "slow food" (everyting we ate-olive oil, meat, grains, wine) had been raised, grown and produced on the farm. Amazing food and wine, music, dancing and laughter...it was an unforgettable evening!

The next morning we left Montecatini and traveled to Siena for an overnight stay. Siena has an interesting history and a wild, gaudy cathedral, but it wasn't my favorite stop. I would have much preferred an additional day in Florence over the stop in Siena.

Double click on the slide show to view pictures at your own pace.

Italy 2008--Venice

Venice

On October 28, 2008 my mother and I along with two friends, Terrie and Cindy, left for a 10-day tour of Italy. We were part of a group of about 25 on the Friendly Planet "Italian Treasures" tour. It was the first time in Italy for all four of us and my expectations were ridiculously high. I had always dreamed of traveling to Italy some day. Could the "old country" possibly live up to what I was was hoping for?

After roughly 9 hours of air travel we landed in Venice. A bus ride delivered us from the airport to a depot of sorts where we then boarded the small boat that took us to our hotel. Our lodging in Venice was at the Hilton Molino Stuckey, an elegant hotel housed in a former flour mill on Giudecca Island, just across the lagoon from Venice.

As we walked around Venice that evening, exploring the narrow cobblestone walkways lined by shops and cafes and crossing over countless bridges while gondolas passed below, my mom commented, "This is like being at Disney World, but it's the real thing". Venice certainly offers that magical feeling. And to some degree, it is like an attraction at Disneyworld, in that much of Venice is a facade, kept in place to delight the tourists. There are very few Venitians living in those canal-front apartments. Most of Venice's residents live off the main peninsula.

The food in Venice, from what I was told by those in the know, is the worst in Italy and everything is overpriced. However, the Murano glass is spectacular and definitely worth consideration. I was also warned that Venitians are known by other Italians to be generally rude and a bit stuck up. We encountered that with some people, but certainly not with everyone.

My conclusion of Venice is that it is one of those places that everyone should experience once, because there really is nowhere else like it in the world. However, our day and a half long visit was enough for me. While I hope to retrun to Italy someday, Venice is unlikely to be on the itinerary.

Family Camp 2007

For the 3rd year now, our family has spent Labor Day Weekend at Camp Bethel in Wise, Virginia. Camp Directors Jeff and Susan Rolen along with all of Camp Bethel's wonderful staff do everything they can to provide families with 3 days of precious time together. Forever friendships are forged, adventure abounds and fantastic food is feasted upon. We, as always, had a wonderful time and the kids are already counting the days until next year. Thanks Jeff, Susan and the gang for working so hard to provide our family with the opportunity to refuel, reconnect and refresh.

For more infomation about Camp Bethel and their many ministries to kids, families and their community, visit their website: www.campbethel.com

Here are some pictures from this year's Family Camp Weekend:

Update on Baby Paola

I recieved news recently that baby Paola died the week after we left Guatemala. I have such mixed emotions about this. I will never understand, this side of heaven, God's purpose for sending her here to live as an orphan and suffer from poor health for 3 months, only to bring her back home.

On the other hand, I am so thankful that He sent our team when He did. There were a few of us that felt led to give her special attention, the kind of earthly love that she may not ever have had a chance to experience. And, because we were there and loved her, there are now people mourning her loss, who have pictures of her and feel pangs of sadness when we look at them.

I am so happy that she is with her Father now. It warms my heart to think about Jesus holding her in his arms. And, I'm so relieved to know that she finally has a home...our only true home and the one we will all share some day!

The Martyr's Song
-By Todd Agnew
Sing! O son of Zion! Shout! O child of mine!
Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind!
I’ve been waiting to dance with you in fields full of colors you’ve never seen.
And I’ve been waiting to show you beauty you never dreamed
That’s always been in you.
And I’ve been waiting...
To see you tremble as you’re embraced
By a world saturated with My love.
And I’ve been waiting for The Day
When at last I get to say, “My child, you are finally home.”
Sing! O son of Zion! Shout! O child of mine!
Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind, for you are finally home!
I’ve been waiting to watch you realize what all your longing was for.
I’ve been waiting to show you the thread of grace
that ran through all your pain. And I’ve been waiting...
to let you drink the water of which your greatest joy on earth
Was just a taste.
I’ve been waiting for the day when at last I get to say,“My child, you are finally home.”
Sing! O son of Zion! Shout! O child of mine!
Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind!
Sing! O daughter of Zion. Cry out! O child of mine!
Dance with all the strength that you can find...for you are finally home!
Every tear you cried dried in the palm of My hand.
Every lonely hour was by my side.
And every loved one lost, every river crossed—
Every moment, every hour was pointing to This Day...
I’ve been longing for This day!
I’ve been waiting to dance with you in fields full of colors you’ve never seen.
And I’ve been waiting to show you beauty you never dreamed
That’s always been in you. And I’ve been waiting...
To see you tremble as you’re embraced
By a world saturated with My love.
And I’ve been waiting for The Day
When at last I get to say, “My child, you are finally home.”
Sing! O son of Zion! Shout! O child of mine!
Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind!
Sing! O daughter of Zion. Cry out! O child of mine!
Dance with all the strength that you can find...
for you are finally home!...
for you are finally home!

Please Pray for Baby Paola. I met this baby girl at the orphanage in Guatemala. Doctors don't know why, but she is severly malnourished. I found out today that she is back in the hospital and may not survive. I pray that she is not alone and that there are loving people surrounding her. My greatest fear is that she will suffer and die alone in a hospital. I am trusting God, the Father to the Fatherless, to provide this baby with love, comfort and protection.

Guatemala Slide Show

Home Again!

The last few days of our trip were perhaps the most fun, but also the most emotionally draining. On Thursday, we took a boat ride across Lake Atitlan to the village of Santiago Panabaj. This area has seen more than it's share of heartache. In the late 80's through 1990 there was a civil war and many of the locals were slaughtered in the fighting. Then, in 2005, Hurricane Stan devastated much of Mexico and Central America. The heavy rain caused two massive mudslides in Panabaj, killing over 250 people instantly and completely destroying most of the houses and buildings in one of the villages. Here you can see two half-buried front doors that were once attached to houses.

Here are images from the now-abandoned school and hospital buildings. You can see the mud line.

This field was once filled with houses. They were instantly destroyed and swept away by the mud, water and rocks. You can see the trough made my the mud as it poured into the area. 250 people were killed here, only 150 bodies have been recovered. This area is now considered a mass grave.

The people that were not killed in the mudslide were left homeless. The Guatemalan government along with several relief agencies built a village of temporary housing units made from 2 x 4's and nylon sheeting. Unfortunately, almost 2 years later, people are still living there because they have nowhere else to go. Sewage is backing up, disease is spreading and the area is rodent infested. The area has been classified as high-risk due to the possibility of more landslides, so the government will not build permanent housing for the people here. Other options are being considered, but no real action is being taken, so the people are left living in these horrible conditions. We were not permitted to enter the temporal housing area because it would give the people false hope that we were there to help or give them things. But here are some pictures of the area from a distance.

This little girl and her brother live in the temporal housing area. She joined our group while we were standing outside the village and followed us around during our entire tour of the area. She very quietly asked us for money. We were instructed not to give money to anyone, because word would spread among the villagers and future tour groups might be surrounded by people looking for money, which could turn into a dangerous situation. It was very difficult not to answer the request of this child for money. Some of our team members held her hand as we walked along. If nothing else, we could show her love.

This is an elderly man who walked the long road from the village with the help of a cane. He is carrying a large load of firewood on his back. As he got closer I could see that he was smiling.

A Mennoniote Missions group has helped a group of women from this area build a better life by forming a co-op. They work together to build houses, grow food and raise poultry. They also make exquisite beaded jewelry which they sell to folks like us who come to tour the area. It is an effective project which operates on a "Teach a Man to Fish" philosophy. Here, a woman from the co-op makes jewelry as her child watches.

After our tour of this area, we ate lunch and then took a WILD boat ride across a now stormy lake. It was lots of fun and I wasn't nervous until the boat's captain told us all to lean to one side!

That afternoon we visited Solomon's Porch, a Christian Cofee house in Panajachel. Panajachel is a "touristy" area with a large population of young European visitors. Marijuana is legal in Guatemala, one of the reasons that so many people flock here. This "hippie" population is primarily who Solomon's Porch is attempting to reach.

That night we all ate at the beautiful Hotel Atitlan. It is quite luxurious and was a lovely experience; however, more than once I felt conflicted as I ate a gourmet meal knowing that people nearby would go to bed hungry. The extremes of wealth and poverty are hard to reconcile.

Jose and his wife Blanci joined us for dinner. Jose works at Vinya and Bianci is the Principal of the Christian school we visited earlier in the week. I felt an instant bond with these two lovely people. They are both bright reflections of God's light in Solola. I hope we will meet again someday.

Friday we said goodbye to the kids at Eagle's Nest, a very emotional time. Then we rode to Antigua, a very old and beautiful city. We ate at McDonalds which was a great taste of home. It was the nicest McD's I've ever seen! It had fountains, artwork and a carefully landscaped garden. And, yes, there was a Play Place. Here is a fountain in the McDonalds. Look at the golden arches carved in the marble!

After Antigua, we continued on to Guatemala City where we visited another Children's home called Hannah's Hope. They have done an excellent job creating a home for the children until they are matched up with their forever families.

Early Saturday we left Guatemala, and Praise God, after a lengthly layover in Dallas, the team arrived back home safely as our plane touched down in Greensboro at 12:35 AM on July 1. I spent most of my first day back sleeping... I was EXHAUSTED! It was a wonderful trip, but it's great to be back home with my family. I'm also really enjoying the simple things, like drinks with ice, flushing my toilet paper (a big no-no in Guatemala), and not having to use bottled water to brush my teeth.

I'm still processing everything from the trip, but I can say for sure that God used this trip to open the eyes of my heart to see him in new ways. I learned that words are unnecessary for worship. I learned that our understanding of fairness and justice is entirely different from God's. I learned that true joy is found in living in each moment and trusting God with right now. Worrying about the next moment or lamenting over the previous one is consuming, unproductive and a joyless way to live. I also discovered the importance of serving His servants. It's important to remember that those who minister to others also need ministering to. Finally, I learned that God's work will get done with or without me. It is an act of love when He calls me to be a part of His work. In doing so I am given the opportunity to see Him in new ways and to grow closer to Him.