MALTA

Day 1 (Wednesday)

Robin picked us up from the airport and took us to the house. Since we hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, we cooked eggs and bacon and toast and had a feast. Yes, Malta has real bacon. Mmmm….

That evening, we were headed to have dinner with a volunteer team that was in town. On the way down the stairs, I took a fall. In my defense, I was used to the large steps here in Naples.

Day 2 (Thursday)

Jason spent some time with the sports volunteer team while I stayed home and spent some quality time with Robin and put ice on my ankle.

Day 3 (Friday)

While my ankle was not completely healed, I was able to see the volunteer team in action. They were amazing and such a joy to get to meet.

That night, Elvis made an appearance in Malta. Okay, not really. But an impersonator of Elvis really was there. It was one of Robin and Earl’s outreach programs. And it was such a hit! There were so many people there and the gospel was presented.

Day 4 (Saturday)

Jason rented a car while we were there. I feel the need to explain that Malta used to be under British control, so they drive on the left side of the road. Like most of Europe, Malta has traffic circles. We like traffic circles and we're very familiar with them, because they are all over Naples. However, since Malta drives on the left side of the road, they go around the traffic circles in the opposite direction. Thankfully, Jason is a genius behind the wheel and did an incredible job driving in Malta.

While we're on the subject of driving and cars, Jason found this particular thing we found in Malta very interesting:

If you look really closely, you can see him pretending to be driving it through the window.

Since we had a car (not the silver one in the picture above), we drove to the edge of Malta and got on a ferry and headed to Gozo (a tiny island of Malta).

The Blue Window:

That evening, back in Malta, we were in search of The Hard Rock Cafè. During the search, we met three Italian women who were on vacation in Malta. We were able to speak to them in Italian and share with them that we also live in Italy and why.

Day 5 (Sunday)

Sunday, we attended church with Robin and Earl. In Malta, most everyone speaks English pretty fluently, but they worship in their heart language (Maltese). It was strange to listen to the language because occasionally we could hear an English word or an Italian word. One of the speakers that morning shared about a ministry he is involved in. We were able to have lunch with him that afternoon and learned a great deal about that ministry.

We traveled around Malta and saw some really beautiful places.

Peter’s Pool:

Day 6 (Monday)

We returned to Peter’s Pool so that Jason could have a wonderful snorkeling experience. When we reached the water, however, there were jellyfish. In spite of the jellyfish, Jason jumped in and snorkeled until the jellyfish came to the little cove he was swimming in.

It's hard to see, but those spots in the water are jellyfish:

On the way back to the main road out of Peter’s Pool, we met a girl from Belgium (Isabelle) and her mother. They were both extremely nice. The mother could only speak French, but Isabelle could speak English. We gave them a ride, since they were headed to the same side of the island as we were. On the way, we were able to share with them that we live in Italy, why we live in Italy, and a little bit about Jesus.

Here we are:

Day 7 (Tuesday)

Tuesday, we spent most of the day shopping. We found some things in Malta that we cannot find here in Naples, so we took some stuff back with us. That evening, after dinner, we headed to a school gym where the basketball team was having another workshop for some students. They shared the gospel with everyone who was in the auditorium. Afterward, one lady came forward to say that she had prayed the prayer that Miss Betty led just minutes before. What a blessing!

Day 8 (Wednesday)

We woke up early and headed to the airport to get back home. After one plane ride into Rome and two LONG train rides from Rome into Naples, we were finally home. Malta was amazing and beautiful!!

Prayer Requests

We know that you are waiting on the blog post about our trip to Malta, and it is coming soon. But until then, we have a few prayer requests:

1. This week, we are preparing for a large volunteer team who will be here on Friday and stay for one week. They will be doing ministry in the piazzas. Please pray for the members of this team that God would prepare them for the work ahead and that while they are here, language would not be a barrier.

2. While we were in Malta, I hurt my ankle. It's not broken or sprained, but it is still swollen and hurts if I'm on it for long periods of time. Please pray for healing and that this would not slow me down when the team is here.

3. Please pray for the team this week as we prepare for the busy summer ahead. Pray that God will continue to draw each of closer to Him and speak His truth into our lives as we host volunteer teams, have English Bible camps, attend meetings, and continue our regular ministries in our neighborhoods.

4. Next week we are saying goodbye to two teammates: Kala and Ellie. They have been here since January and have become part of the family. We will miss them terribly!

5. We have added two other members to our team: Brittany and Jenae. They will be here for six weeks. Please pray for an easy adjustment into this new culture and that God would use them in a mighty way while they are here.

Sweet Fellowship

Something that we missed the first week we spent in Italy was our home church and the sweet fellowship. We missed being able to stay after the sermon and talk with friends, laugh, and just enjoy the company and encouragement of fellow believers.

This past summer, we found an evangelical church in our neighborhood. At first, we attended mostly out of obedience. We did not understand much of what was being said during the sermon. The people in the church attempted to talk to us, but the conversation depth was not sufficient. Once the pastor and congregation realized that we were not just there for vacation, they began to ask more questions. And by that time, we were able to explain why we are here.

We started attending a home Bible study with a few members of the church. Through spending more time with this congregation, we have grown to love them. They are now a huge part of our life here in Naples. When we are unable to attend, we miss them. This past Sunday, we had an incredible time worshiping with them, digging deep into The Word of God with them, and then we had a sweet time of fellowship afterward, laughing, talking, and just being together. It's nice to have that again. Please pray for Pastor Franco and the congregation of this church.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Happy Mother's Day to the best mother in the world!!! I love you so much. Ten reasons you are the best mother ever:

1. You are my mother.
2. You love Jesus and taught the Bible to your children.
3. You offered (before I could even ask) to watch my dogs for 2-3 YEARS. I can't think of anyone else who would have done this???
4. You wore (in public) the most hideous gold spray-painted puzzle piece homemade earrings and necklace because I made them for you (in elementary school).
5. You got in a plane and flew half way across the world to come visit me (and brought Dad with you).
6. You took me to Disney World 6 times!!!
7. You stayed up many nights with me when I couldn't yawn.
8. Vitamins....You know what I'm talking about. ;)
9. You drove to my house to kill a wasp for me.
10. You love me no matter what...

These are really only a few of the many things that make my Mama truly special.

Missing Parents and Sickness

We took my parents to the airport on Saturday morning for their return to the states.





They made it home safely, with no interruptions due to the ash from the volcano in Iceland. Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement!!!

As soon as we had our last goodbyes, I no longer felt well. We returned to our apartment, where I stayed for nearly 5 entire days. I finally left the apartment for a get together last night with some friends. It was nice to get out of the apartment, but I might be paying for it today. This morning, Jason is now experiencing the beginning of whatever illness I'm still trying to get over. Please be praying for health for both us as this greatly affects our ministry if we are unable to leave our apartment.

This weekend we are headed to Rome for a team meeting. Please be praying for our team to have open hearts and minds to receive the information being given to us. And pray especially for the leader of this meeting, Charlie, as he guides us in learning how to use our spiritual gifts in our ministry.