Firenze to Roma

Wednesday 8/31/11

Today we have to make runs around town returning things that we have borrowed to prepare for our trip to Napoli. We have the guitar and projector from the Florence Gospel Fellowship, and we have 3 bikes that were lent to us by the pastors of the Methodist church who lets us use their church for worship. Our days in Florence are coming so close to an end.. I met a girl named Annelie yesterday that told me a story about when she first got here. It was December, and she hadn't met any christian friends that could encourage her. 

She was praying that God would show her to a place where she could be with some. God put into her head the song “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet”. She said that it was in her head all day, and that evening she went for a walk down where the Christmas decorations were and heard the same song in the distance. She followed the sound to find a Latin congregation worshiping together and they welcomed her in. She struck me as someone who leans very much on the strength of the Lord; It was so awesome to hear how God had provided for her needs. I thought it was a wonderful story of someone allowing God to step in and lead her to a place where there is comfort; leaning not on her own understanding. The song that he gave her was his word and it was a lamp unto her feet and a light unto her path.. It led her to a place where she could be encouraged and strengthened. I love that.

Thursday 9/3/11

I started to pack up my things, I don't have a whole lot to pack so it didn't take very long, but I spent most of the morning reading the in John and Romans. I took a (platonic) walk with Annelie in the afternoon, we ended up walking for the rest of the day. We talked about anything and everything. I got to know her and she is a girl that walks with Jesus everywhere she goes. We read the bible together at Palazzo Pitti, and walked all over the city. We met up with Dennis, Joubert, Aniola, Mary, and Albiola at 9:00 to get Gelato and to say our goodbyes. Annelie wanted to walk up to Piazza de Michelangelo afterward so she and I walked some more. Everyone else in the group decided to stay. We prayed together for friends, for family, and for each other. It was really wonderful to be with her that night.

Friday 9/4/11

We packed all that we had left into our bags, settled our bill with the Landlady, and Joubert helped us over to the train station. We said goodbye to Joubert, and headed off to Rome. I have to say that I didn't really feel like smiling very much. All of the friends that I have made in Florence have made me not want to leave. I don't know how I can keep from coming back. Dennis and I checked into our hotel and then it was pretty much nap time, so the hotel room shut down. I didn't really feel like sleeping, so I went outside to what turned out to be the smoker's lounge with my bible and read the rest of Job. I had a few people come out and smoke here 

and there, but for the most part I was oblivious to them; just me and God... and the occasional breath of smoke. After a few hours I went back into the room and rousted Dennis out of bed so we could go for a walk. We went and walked by Trevi Fountain, and then over to the Pantheon where we sat down for dinner. When we were finished we went started to head back to our hotel.. we turned the corner to go down the stairs into the Metro, and they had closed the gates... We couldn't take the metro. I was totally disoriented, so we took a taxi back. Luckily Dennis speaks enough Italian to explain where our hotel was.

Saturday-Sunday 9/5, 9/6

Karen and Micah are now with us, so we are all four in a single hotel room. I love being cozy. They have a double bed, and then twin sized bed over in the corner that actually is a bunk bed which collapses. I chose to sleep in the bottom bunk, assuming Micah would want the top. I was right, Micah wanted the top. So I must tell you about this bed. It is a child's bed. I have never had a problem fitting onto a mattress before. 

Since it is the bottom mattress of a collapsible bunk bed there are large gaps around the edge of the mattress so that the hinges have a place to go when it is collapsed. I cant tell you how many times my foot or knee has slid down into these things. Not to mention that it is encased in a hard laminate board. The board goes up above the level of the mattress, so if my arm flops off the bed in the middle of the night, my arm bone (Ulna?) on the outside of my wrist collides with this board and it feels like running into something with your shin. If that does not wake me up my hand goes numb because it holds my hand above my heart. ...or my ankle will get pinched down in the crack between the mattress and the board right on that bone that sticks out, or I get to wrestle with the metal spring/hinge that is on the other side of the mattress and is always very cold... On top of all of this, it squeaks every time I move. Don't roll over in the middle of the night, or you might wake everyone up. I think it might be more comfortable just sleeping on the floor. The bed is a very creative design, but I wouldn't score it so high in satisfaction. I don't mean to complain just because I think it is ridiculous, I think it is actually quite comical. So maybe you all can enjoy that at my expense. :)

"Hey Bob? If you want to talk, you are going to need to come in here, I'm a little busy."

We have been walking Karen and Micah around to try and keep them vertical. I think they are doing pretty good. There are no shortage of beautiful churches to see when you walk around. I swear we were not even walking in an overly touristy area and we kept running into them. We meet up with Shawn and Greg Strannigan tomorrow, so we will have to do the same for them.. Got to stay vertical! Get over that trashy jetlag.