Almost done with the "How", can't wait for the "Why"!!

Well it has been exactly 24 days since I came here to Italy.  I can’t believe it’s already almost a month!  Things are going pretty well with my job.  The little boy can be a huge trial (apparently rich Italians don’t like to discipline their children).  Although I pretty much have it made here-air conditioning, comfy bed, BIG closet, a shower I don’t flood BECAUSE IT HAS DOORS!!!,  a Nonna who cooks every meal for me and does my laundry…I still can’t wait to sweat it out in Bologna!  I know that returning to Bologna will provide me none of the aforementioned things, but I know I will be happier.  This whole six week experience has really made me appreciate Jehovah’s people so much.  They are BEAUTIFUL and there is no one like them.  I have to admit that I feel like I have taken our organization for granted in the past-most likely because I have always been in the center of things.  I mean, I LIVE where we meet for service J. Between pioneering, having the majority of my family and all of my friends in the Truth, and having limited worldly association with my work situation, this has really been a culture shock!  I can really see the emptiness in the lives people lead outside of the Truth.  I have lived with this family for almost a month, and even though the Nonna is a sweetheart and the family is pretty civil, I really don’t feel at home. When I stayed with Oscar and Tabitha when I first arrived I felt right at home within the first couple hours.  The same goes for when I stayed in Pisa with my new friend Daisy in her tiny apartment last weekend so we could do the convention invitation campaign there.  Her apartment is the size of my bedroom at home and I slept on a tile floor, but I can honestly say that I felt more comfortable on that floor in Pisa with Daisy than I ever do here.  Shared love for Jehovah is something that just instantly unites people-no matter where you are in the world.  I really feel privileged to be a part of this. 

I have only been able to go in service a few times here in Forte dei Marmi because I work full time, but I have had a couple good experiences.  I have been able to witness a little to Nonna Rita with my very limited Italian.  She has made a few comments while we watch the news before dinner and I try to use the few Italian words I know to say something about the Bible.  It can be super frustrating not being able to express myself sometimes, but I try not to get too discouraged.  I was assigned a sub talk last week, so I was carrying my notebook around with me all day trying to write my talk in between playing Uno with the Kid and helping make lunch and clean.  She asked me what I was doing and I managed to tell her I was going to speak about...well I said King David because I know how to say King and David but not how to say Jonathan…anyhoo-close enough!  When I got home from the meeting that night she asked me how it went.  I had brought home the July magazines about prayer and changing the world in Italian so I told her my talk went well and showed her the magazines and asked if she would like to read them.  We ended up spending a good 30 minutes talking about the magazines!!  I would point to an article or paragraph I liked and then she would read it OUT LOUD in Italian.  When I showed her that I had mine in English, she was impressed to see it in two languages so I showed here the front cover where it tells you how many languages the Watchtower is printed in.  I still can’t believe that with my limited (LESS than limited) Italian, we were able to talk for so long about the Bible and its promises!! 

My other experience happened on my way to service while I was waiting for the train.  I saw that the lady sitting next to me had the Awake!  in her bag in another language.  I pulled my English one out and showed her.  I was kind of expecting the exchange to end there being that I didn’t even know what language she spoke, but it turned out she spoke English as well because she works for an American family as a nanny!  She also had the Bible Teach book and said she was studying-even thinking of joining the school!  She was unsure though b/c of her job situation.  I tried to encourage her the best I could using the magazine about prayer.  She told me that she loves to see how happy Jehovah’s Witnesses always are and that she and her husband talk about wanting their daughters to experience the joys of preaching.  It seems like something is holding her back from taking the next step though.  My train was coming so I encouraged her to keep praying about it because serving Jehovah is the best way to live your life.  I told her that while the chances of us meeting up again were slim, that I would see her in paradise! Hopefully I do J

So that pretty much catches me up-nothing too exciting yet,  I really can’t wait to be done with the HOW I got back to Italy and start the WHY I came back : )

Until then!!

Kimmie

                         Here are some pics:

Taking this picture made me miss my train from the airport

Forte dei Marmi-my place of employment ; )

Town of Forte dei Marmi

Very cheesy smile due to finding wifi behind a laser printer store

My walk to the meeting