Traveling Freels

We’ve been in Vicenza for about six weeks now, and even though we feel settled in, everything is still very fresh and new to our eyes. It is easy to love the group of Christians here: Despite all they have been through, they still have a heart for God and have happily supported us and actively tried to find ways to use us and whatever skills we have to grow God’s kingdom. All we’ve had to do most of the time is just to say “yes!” and go wtih the moment. Although we do have plans and ideas for what to do with this year, it has been an immense blessing to immediately get up to speed and start going. It has helped us get to know the church more quickly and given us a better idea of where we can best help out.

Anyways, the biggest thing to happen to me this past week was that I gave the Sunday morning sermon for the first time in my life. I have never really preached on Sunday before now, let alone in Italian. Moreover, public speaking has never been my strong point. Honestly, I can’t remember a time before this past year when imagining me speaking in front of a crowd didn’t send my stomach off to do cartwheels. Well, however I feel hasn’t changed what I’ve been called to do, which has been to lead Bible studies and give talks over the past year. God has grown me into the role of being able to do this task, and for that I’m incredibly thankful. It’s really neat to be able to look back on the past year and see myself changed–regardless of the significance of that change. Despite inexperience, lack of understanding, or just plain fear, God can and does grow a person into doing that which was previously impossible. So, this has been a steady process. It’s not like it was a big jump to do this (though I still had jitters) as I’ve done the same sort of thing in a more informal setting, but actially preaching on Sunday felt like some sort of threshold to be crossed, and now I’m over.

The meaning behind the title of this post and the real point of why I’m writing it isn’t some conquering of the weekly Sunday morning address, however. Instead, it’s this: After our weekend was all over and done, I couldn’t help but feeling at peace and content. Our schedule is the most busy with weekend events:

• Saturday: Evening Bible Study
• Sunday:
  • Italian worship
  • Bible class
  • Ghanaian worship
  • Afternoon Youth Group Meeting
• Monday: Evening Women’s Bible Study

The peace that both Lauren and I felt was the awareness that God is actively making us into what we need to be to serve Him here, and that he won’t disappoint us. So that’s what an average Sunday is all about.