So Encouraging!

Recently, Lauren & I went to Noemi's apartment to have dinner with her, her fiancee (Emanuele), and another friend (Giuseppe). Noemi and Emanuele are both Christians, and they are getting married in June. Noemi has been a believer for a while, and so has Emanuele, who spent time in England last year, studying at a seminary there. It was incredibly encouraging to spend time together with an Italian couple who is my age, super-fun, and also are believers. Noemi and Emanuele made us fresh basil pesto-- and we had different kinds of Italian cheeses with different types of honey for dessert. It was a beautiful evening spent with friends, and I wanted to share these pictures with you so you could see their sweet faces and be encouraged by our brother & sister in Christ--- Emanuele & Noemi! :)

Please pray for them-- that the Lord would continue to give them a desire to follow Him and share the love & hope that they have with other Italians!

The fresh pesto!

Emanuele, using a knife to slice pieces of cheese off the block. What a fun & fancy dessert! :)

Lauren, Noemi, & me. What a lovely evening with sweet friends!

Decorating our little Roman apartment :)

I wanted to share some pictures with you from our Christmas decorating time (on Monday, November 30th). It was a sweet evening where all 6 of us who live in our little Roman apartment could spend time together, decorate, drink homemade hot chocolate, and finish the evening by watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Enjoy the snapshots--- and Merry Christmas! :)

Here's almost all of us! (Lauren, Lauren, Courtney, me, Becca)-- with Jenny taking the photo!--- as we put the lights on the tree :)

Courtney & I with a little ornament :)

What it looked like the other night when I spent time listening to Christmas music and journaling by candlelight/treelight!! Oh how I love this season! :)

Christmas decorations make our little home even MORE homey! :)

the Roman sky takes over

I walked home from campus last week and the sky was BREATHTAKING. It was such a sweet time of praying and meeting with the Lord---- I wanted to share the sky with you! :)


Psalm 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork."

More pictures from our Thanksgiving Outreach :)

Thanks for praying for our Thanksgiving Outreach on Saturday, November 28. It was a sweet time--- with 4 turkeys, tons of trimmings, and about 70 Italian friends! Enjoy these pictures from the event!

I made a big sign for the party-- and here is my roommate & teammate Lauren, posing with me. :)

More art projects-- Italian friends with "hand turkeys"-- they thought this was hilarious! :)

Becca and I-- being "Mary" and "Sarah" - pilgrim wives in our skit that a few of us performed for all our friends. :)

A group of our friends-- I love candid shots! :)

Steve (on the right) having a conversation with 3 Italian guys about what thankfulness means... and who/what they are thankful for.

Thank you for being part of this ministry!! :) Your partnership means so much to me-- and all of us!-- in this city!

A Farewell

Our friend Lucia recently graduated from La Sapienza University (below is a picture of the central part of this university.)

Lucia just graduated with a degree in biology; she is moving to Holland to be with her boyfriend (who is also Italian but he lives there). She was a good friend of ours last year, and has been processing the Gospel with us for over a year. We love her so much and want her to have a personal relationship with her Creator who loves her dearly. Would you please join me in praying for Lucia-- that God would send believers into her life, even in Holland, and that she'd continue to take steps toward knowing Jesus? (Below is a picture of me and some other girls who work with Agape as we met with Lucia on her last day at the university to say goodbye to her.)

back row: Beth Ann & Jenny
front row: Courtney, me, Lucia, Amy

Thank you for praying!

Fall Staff Conference & Prayer Requests

Dearest readers--
I am making a commitment to post every Tuesday, rain or shine. Alas, it is *Wednesday* today and I am posting today instead of yesterday. Whoops--- thanks for extending grace to me! :)

Three things for this post:
1) a highlight from this weekend's Fall Staff Conference
2) a prayer request
3) a few pictures :)

1) Our Fall Staff Conference was held last weekend (Oct. 29-Nov. 1), and it was a really encouraging time. I got to meet the three Italian interns who are currently working with Agape Italia. They spend one week every month, being trained and equipped with how to share their faith. One intern, Davide, just graduated from college last spring. He is choosing to work with Agape for one year, and he said something to me at our staff conference that really encouraged me. He said, "I have learned that being a missionary is not something you do, it's something you are." Oh, I praise the LORD for my brother Davide and his dear heart. He is a man of God and being transformed into the likeness of Jesus with each and every day. Would you please join me in praying for him-- as well as the two other interns (another guy, Cristiano; and a girl- Adriana) -- that they would be encouraged, uplifted, and blessed as they walk with the Lord? That they would rest upon His yoke because it is easy and light? And that they would find abundant faith, hope, and love as they walk with Jesus and share Him with their fellow Italian friends? O I pray that the next year will be a sweet one in the lives of our friends: Davide, Cristiano, & Adriana!

2) Would you please pray for me in this season of my life? I feel like I am learning a lot about myself, figuring things out about my life, family, past experiences, etc. and how they have shaped me to be who I am today. Would you please pray for me that I can continue to process WELL, and that I would have ample time with the Lord to think, pray, dive into Scripture, listen to His Spirit, and that I would just be able to wrestle with my past and rejoice in how the Lord has redeemed me--- and is continuing to redeem the brokenness in my life? Thank you so much!

3) Here are just a few pictures of recent-- the first is an ancient city close to Rome. I snapped this picture at our staff retreat and thought it was beautiful! The other pictures are all of pretty yellow flowers.... I just thought they were lovely, and I wanted to share them so you could enjoy them with me, too!

Please email me and let me know how I can be praying for you! I'd love it if you even sent me a recent highlight of your life---- and maybe even a couple pictures! :) It is such a privilige to serve the Lord with you! :) Love, Ella :)

The Colosseum & Bumping My Head

Two updates:
1) Recently some friends and I went on a night tour of the Colosseum. Our tour guide (in English) was Ilaria-- a sweet girl who is actually an archaeologist. We had a lot of fun experiencing the Colosseo at night; it is usually not open at night, so we got to have a really sweet experience that only happens once a year. This time was especially sweet for me because I did not go into the Colosseum at all last year, so it was fun for me to go. Why not-- I live in Rome!? :)

Also, before the Colosseum night-time experience, we got dinner with several people-- including my best friend in Italy, Alessandra (and her boyfriend, Justin, too-- he's Canadian). Below is a picture of me, Alessandra, and one of my roommates, Courtney (who met Alessandra even before I did, on a summer mission trip to Rome in the Summer of 2008- right before I got here).


2) Also recently, we have been settling into our apartment (where 6 women live now!-- Mamma Mia!) :)... and when we were re-arranging our living room furniture, I bent down to move a lamp, stood up, and crashed my head up against a marble shelf that sticks out from one of our living room walls. As one of my roommates said, "When you put Marble vs. Head, the marble wins." :( Ohhhh my goodness it hurt SO BADLY! I sobbed for about a half hour in my bed and iced my head-- and felt like a little girl! However, I learned a lot about what to do for head injuries, as I tried to be an adult and take care of myself. I researched at the Mayo Clinic's online website and read a great article by a nerosurgeon. Click HERE to check it out: it's short, sweet, and very informative!

Above: the marble shelf of DOOM in our living room: that corner is where I cracked my head! Ouch!

Thanks for reading about my life in Rome... I'd LOVE to know about what is happening in your neck of the woods! Email me and let me know if you would like!--- I'd love to hear!

MONDAY!

Hey everybody--
I fly out on Monday, September 14th to ROME for a 2nd year of life and ministry there.

Would you please join me in PRAYING for me and my wonderful teammates:

• that we could say "see ya later" well to family and friends
• that as we pack, that we would do that that *efficiently* and *quickly* and that we would NOT forget anything!
  
• that we each would spend SWEET time sitting at the feet of Jesus each day
• that we could REST well on the flight over? (sometimes I don't sleep well on long overseas flights... and I really would like to, to help me combat jet-lag!)
• PRAISE THE LORD that I am personally *finished* raising financial support! BUT- Please pray for my team, as a whole, that we would FINISH RAISING FINANCIAL SUPPORT so that we could all meet our financial support goal, set for us by our wonderful Sending Team at the Regional Office in Indianapolis

THANK YOU for being in this with me.
I LOVE being on a team with you.
Please email me if I can be praying in a specific way for you in this season of life!

From August 29th--- some of my teammates from last year in Rome at our teammate Sam Leopold's wedding in Knoxville, TN. :)

This is the 2009-2010 team of interns that will be doing life and ministry in Rome, Italy. In this picture, we were hanging out at my teammate Jimmy's house in Vail, Colorado, when we were out West for a big conference with other intern missionaries just like us, who are all going to live life in another country next year. From left to right in the back: Brian, Jimmy, Jenny, Rebecca.. and then I kind of start the front row-- and from R to L it's me, Courtney, and Lauren. :)

5 August 2009

Hey y'all. It's been a while! Hoping each & every one of you are enjoying your summers.

My summer has consisted of:

• My Grandpa Manken getting chosen as Grand Marshal of the Van Wert Peony Festival. My sister and I got to ride with him in a horse-drawn carriage down Washington St. in Van Wert during the Saturday Parade. It was my first time in a carriage!! :) I will never forget this day and how extremely proud Grandpa was.
• Driving around Ohio/Indiana. MAN I missed having a car overseas! I LOVE driving with the windows down, radio up, watching corn fields fly by and seeing the scenery of flat, flat, FLAT northwest Ohio.
• Eating absolutely fantastic Mexican food at restaurants with legit, authentic cooks. :)
• Going to gigunda-American-consumer places like Wal-Mart, Target, and the mall for the first time in a year. Totally mind-blowing!! but-- I love it how you can get so many things in ONE place. That's neat!
• Enjoying late-night grocery store options. In bella Roma, we have to get our groceries before the store closes at 8pm. In America... you can go whenever you want! Late night grocery shopping is great, and SO needed sometimes!
• Living up the high-life with wonderful American treats like: A smoothie maker/blender thing; Air conditioning; a clothes dryer; salad dressing; corn dogs; and getting to be with my family & friends!!! :) :) :)
• Learning how to make rhubarb pie and pickled beets at Grandpa Manken's house. :)
• Taking care of my sweet Grandma Zuber as she battled cancer & chemotherapy all summer... and eventually lost her fight on July 27th. :(
• Celebrated my good friend Kelly as she got married to her wonderful fiancee, now husband--- Kyle!-- on August 1st!
• Connecting with ministry partners. I made a scrapbook with ministry highlights from last year in Rome, and it's been a blast to sit down with individuals, couples, and families to share nuggets of what the Lord taught me and how I saw Italians' lives changed in the last year. I love being on a team and really enjoy connecting with teammates!
• Annnndddd, to connect with above... I have been re-raising all of my financial support in order to return to Rome for a 2nd year of life and ministry. Visit this website to read more about my heart for Rome, and for a chance to financially support my ministry if you feel led to do so.

What have YOU been doing this summer? Email me! I would LOVE to know! :)

Gotta love the Elliotts!!! :)

A couple weeks ago, after our Friday morning Bible study, Kanda and I went around Rome with the Elliott family (Kip & Tammy and their four kids). It was such a fun day! Being with children and families is something that I LOVE, and I know that I just come alive in a special way when I am around kids. As I have moved to Rome to serve Christ here in campus ministry, I really enjoy working with college students. However, kids definitely have a special place in my heart, so how SWEET of the Lord to provide me with such great kids to hang out with while I live in Rome!

Here are some photos from our adventures! :)

At a Kosher fast food restaurant in the Jewish Ghetto (neighborhood) of Rome: complete with Kosher hot dogs and Buffalo burgers! :)

Baby Rhett (almost 15 months) and his dad, Kip! :)

Tammy, Rhett, and Lily (6) :)

Ethan (8) and I, being silly with our yummy food! :)

Lily-- the walrus with French fry tusks! haha :)

Ethan, Kip, and Jackson (10) chow down! :)

What a sweet friend!

Heading over to La Dolceroma: a delicious bakery and gelato place!

Ethan & Lily with the giant cone!

A street to remember the Roman victims of the Holocaust. (October 16, 1943 was when Rome's Jews were surrounded by the SS).

Jackson, Ethan, and Lily explore the ruins around the Teatro di Marcello.

Kanda and I enjoying the beautiful day!

Lily and some chamomile flowers :)

Buona Pasqua, tutti!
(Happy Easter, everyone!) :)

I pray your Easter was lovely. Everyone in Rome spent Easter Sunday at Amy's apartment-- she cooked beautiful food, decorated with beautiful eggs, flowers, and other lovely things, and gathered together beautiful people to talk about the MOST beautiful news in history------ Christ, dying for the sins of every person who has ever/will ever live--- and rising from the dead--- to claim victory over death, sin, destruction-- and allowing US to claim that victory, too, as we choose to receive Him as Savior, Lord, and Redeemer!!!!!!! What a beautiful, beautiful story. I pray I never tire of listening to, or telling that story--- for it has changed my life, and continues to, on a daily basis. Praise Jesus--- He is risen!!!!!!

Here are Amy's beautiful eggs she dyed! (They look deeper even than the "normal" pastel colors because she started out with *brown* eggs... cause that is what the grocery stores normally only have!) Cool, huh? :)

Speaking of color, everybody really got a kick out of using the Color Select feature on my camera (a Canon PowerShot-- I highly recommend it! :)... so I decided to include one of myself in my blue Easter dress! :)

Jenny and I, celebrating the joy of Easter--- Christ is Risen!! :)

Getting everybody on our STINT team together for a picture-- always hard when everyone is so FUN! :)

There we go! What beautiful friends. :)

Ostia Antica & the beach :)

On Tuesday, April 7th, I went with some friends to Ostia Antica (read more about the ancient port city of Rome here).

It is a beautiful city, even though it is now in ruins.

I love bees! :) I think the Lord uses them in my life to help me remember to stay busy and be a good steward of my time/energy! (even though I sadly don't always do that).

Then, after walking around the ancient city, we went to the beach that is nearby. (Ostia is right on the Tyrrhenian Sea-- the sea right West of Rome).

Above, Chris, and below, Jimmy, play some Frisbee @ the beach.

April and Amy, enjoying a warm blanket and curling up with the Word of God-- to be refreshed and restored! :)