August is the vacation month. People are out and about traveling and so each Sunday has had different amounts of people. Once it was just us AIMers, our coordinator's family, and two Italians. Other times, the Hondurans would show up which adds a good number to the group. This past Sunday we had a pleasant surprise- a visitor!
We approached the building and saw a man standing outside looking at the door and then at us. He was holding a paper in his hand. No one else had arrived at the building yet so it was locked. We unlocked it, introduced ourselves, and went inside just the 6 of us and him.
He name is Kingsley and he is a Nigerian who moved to Prato to work. He had gotten the address of the church from a friend. He was very friendly and interested in the church here. He spoke English to us and I'm not sure how much Italian he knows. It was nice to see a new face and have someone else worship with us. Since so few people come in August, we don't have bible class. We use that time to just fellowship with whoever is there. We have espresso and talk. So we got to use that time to visit with our visitor.
It appeared to be another empty Sunday with just our visitor and 2 Italians, but shortly after starting, a group of Hondurans showed up. I like getting to talk to them. It's weird because now I'm getting my Spanish and Italian mixed up more and even forgetting the Spanish words for things.
Jackson led the songs in Italian and English and Ryan helped with the Lord's Supper.
After church I got to talk with the Hondurans some and their little kids. They are so cute! I was able to talk to Alessandro who is 6 and Daniela who is 3. The kids can be pretty shy so this was cool. We talked more with Kingsley for a while and then went our separate ways. It was a good Sunday. Very refreshing.
Monday, August 23
Mensa
On Wednesdays and Saturdays a few of us go into the soup kitchen to volunteer. We cut up fruits or veggies, wash dishes, and serve food, clean up afterward, and whatever else they tell us. I really enjoy when I get to go in because of the interaction I have with the Italians. The good totally outweighs the bad.
When I say bad, I mean the times that I get frustrated with not being able to speak Italian well. Sometimes the main chef will give me an instruction and I understand what he says, but I'm confused about the details...like once he told me to help a lady cut vegetables. I knew what he wanted but I didn't know where the knives were. He looked annoyed that I was confused and said, "Coltello, coltello" [knife, knife]. As I looked around for a knife he goes to them points and says coltello again, then points at the lady who needs help. I knew what a coltello was, and I knew what I was supposed to do with it, I just didn't know where they were. I got a little frustrated because it seemed he thought I was stupid, and he walked away with an annoyed look on his face. Other times he'll tell new volunteers off the bat that I'm American and don't speak Italian, so then they don't even talk to me. They'll just point or grab my arm and move me. It can be frustrating sometimes, but these really aren't big deals.
I've met people at Mensa who are very friendly. There are a few who speak a little English, like Sergio, Ornella, and Ricardo. They try to speak some English to us and we try to answer back in Italian. They are so patient with our broken language and they always make us feel welcome. I love getting to talk to these people. There are some who don't speak English at all and are still friendly. They speak slowly for us and repeat themselves so we can understand. There was an old lady named Anna who helped me serve bread on Saturday. She was so sweet because I didn't know the names to all of the different types of bread, so she would point them out to me and tell me the names. When the people going through the line were impatient with me or I couldn't understand them, she stuck up for me.
Not everyone who comes to get a free lunch at Mensa is so grateful. Some come through the line and are very picky. They want extra servings and specific amounts/types of foods. They don't smile and don't say thank you. They snap and just seem bitter. They are getting a blessing but don't seem to realize it. Other people that come through the line are the opposite. They are patient, they take what they're given, they smile and say buon giorno, they ask instead of demand. These people make me smile. :)
At Mensa, the people are served very well. They get pasta, lots of bread, fruit, yogurt, a dessert, and sometimes salad or another dish. It's very good food. After helping all the volunteers get to serve themselves and eat. Mensa lunches are awesome!
This past Saturday we met some new volunteers. Two young guys joined us and to our surprise, they not only spoke English, one of them was from the States. He was from Missouri and the other was from Ecuador. They are Mormons. It was great getting to talk to them and ask them about what they do. We got to tell them that we are also here to help with a missionary. We got along great with them and hope to see them at Mensa again and maybe even play soccer with them. They could be leaving soon, but the opportunity to talk, get to know them, and discuss spiritual things is so exciting!
When I say bad, I mean the times that I get frustrated with not being able to speak Italian well. Sometimes the main chef will give me an instruction and I understand what he says, but I'm confused about the details...like once he told me to help a lady cut vegetables. I knew what he wanted but I didn't know where the knives were. He looked annoyed that I was confused and said, "Coltello, coltello" [knife, knife]. As I looked around for a knife he goes to them points and says coltello again, then points at the lady who needs help. I knew what a coltello was, and I knew what I was supposed to do with it, I just didn't know where they were. I got a little frustrated because it seemed he thought I was stupid, and he walked away with an annoyed look on his face. Other times he'll tell new volunteers off the bat that I'm American and don't speak Italian, so then they don't even talk to me. They'll just point or grab my arm and move me. It can be frustrating sometimes, but these really aren't big deals.
I've met people at Mensa who are very friendly. There are a few who speak a little English, like Sergio, Ornella, and Ricardo. They try to speak some English to us and we try to answer back in Italian. They are so patient with our broken language and they always make us feel welcome. I love getting to talk to these people. There are some who don't speak English at all and are still friendly. They speak slowly for us and repeat themselves so we can understand. There was an old lady named Anna who helped me serve bread on Saturday. She was so sweet because I didn't know the names to all of the different types of bread, so she would point them out to me and tell me the names. When the people going through the line were impatient with me or I couldn't understand them, she stuck up for me.
Not everyone who comes to get a free lunch at Mensa is so grateful. Some come through the line and are very picky. They want extra servings and specific amounts/types of foods. They don't smile and don't say thank you. They snap and just seem bitter. They are getting a blessing but don't seem to realize it. Other people that come through the line are the opposite. They are patient, they take what they're given, they smile and say buon giorno, they ask instead of demand. These people make me smile. :)
At Mensa, the people are served very well. They get pasta, lots of bread, fruit, yogurt, a dessert, and sometimes salad or another dish. It's very good food. After helping all the volunteers get to serve themselves and eat. Mensa lunches are awesome!
This past Saturday we met some new volunteers. Two young guys joined us and to our surprise, they not only spoke English, one of them was from the States. He was from Missouri and the other was from Ecuador. They are Mormons. It was great getting to talk to them and ask them about what they do. We got to tell them that we are also here to help with a missionary. We got along great with them and hope to see them at Mensa again and maybe even play soccer with them. They could be leaving soon, but the opportunity to talk, get to know them, and discuss spiritual things is so exciting!
Tuesday, August 3
Roma
Last weekend I traveled with 4 of my teammates to Rome to meet up with Shae's brother, Lonn Baker, and see the city. We took a train out of Prato and made it to Roma in about 3 hours. I discovered I love riding in trains. I've always wanted to ride in a train because the idea of sitting in a coach and looking out at the land around us is wonderful.
We got to Roma and had to ask how to get to our hostel. It was a few blocks away from the station, thankfully, so we didn't have to walk to far.
Sunday, August 1
Praying for Powerline
Last Monday was a day off for our team. On our days off, we either just chill, take it easy, or go somewhere outside of Prato to do something fun. Last Monday the team decided to go to the beach. We had been doing a lot of traveling on our days off and I felt like this time I really did need to take a personal day. I needed some time to myself and some alone time with God to pray and meditate. I also thought it would be good for me to be in town and soak in Prato-to pay more attention to the little details of the city and to its people.
When the rest of the team was leaving for the beach, I had them drop me off in the centro so I could start my day there. I first went to the church for singing and prayer. It was a place that I could be alone and just sing out. It was a good start to the day. Then I went to one of our little coffee bars for a panino and reading time. I got to read through some psalms and journal. I noticed the barista behind the counter, the other customers at their tables, the business men at the cassa ready to pay for their coffee and pastry. Every one of these persons has a life and a soul. I was glad to be around them and see them for the significance they really have, and not just a body. So many times its easy for me to see past people, instead of seeing them for how the Lord created them, each beautiful and loved greatly.
After my panino and reading time, I did a lot of walking. I walked throughout the streets, past the castle, past the duomo, past a bunch of places that I recognized and some that I didn't. I'm pretty sure I went in circles a couple times. I looked around at the buildings and watched the people that I passed (it was lunch hours so there weren't too many people walking the streets), taking note of individuals so that I could say a prayer for them. They're strangers, but they're important to me. I noticed a lady and her little girl, an old man standing by the river, a group of older men in the park, a man riding his bike, and others. The man riding his bike through the narrow streets, very easily caught my attention though.
He was riding a street/racing bike and dressed in the appropriate bike gear, very bright colors. He had on sporty shades and his hair was slicked back on the sides. He had a smirk on his face that seemed to be there naturally, like it would be there at any point of the day, even if he wasn't thinking of anything that made him happy. His eyebrows looked raised and slightly pointed. He was thin and very tan with black hair. He looked, to me, the human version of Powerline-pop star of A Goofy Movie. One look at him and I laughed to myself and said, "Powerline". So I said my prayer for him
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