Doin this thing we do...

For the past year and a half, the Bologna Inglese congregation has been very busy preaching to the many African refugees that were brought here from Libya.  Our growing congregation is proof that Jehovah is blessing the efforts of the brothers here!  I am so amazed at the growth just in the past year!  The Italian government is planning the camps at the end of the year, so many of us have been wondering-"What is next?!?" 

Bologna is known for having the oldest University in the world-founded in 1088!!  It's so crazy to be somewhere that has ANYTHING that's been around for almost a thousand years.  The only thing that old in Atlanta is dirt!  Haha.  The University has students from all over the world and many of them speak English.  The camps have taken up a lot of you time and the efforts have been well spent, but we are now focusing more attention to the University students.  One brother in my hall is already studying with two students from the University, and I am studying with an American student (I had to come all the way to Italy to get a study from America!!  haha)  who is doing so well!!  We study twice a week and she attends almost all the meetings.  I really view her as a blessing from Jehovah-there is no greater joy than sharing the Truth with someone who really appreciates it and wants to please Jehovah!! I already view her as my sister and a future pioneer partner!!

Before he left, Zech got this table together and had these posters made so we are now doing our trial run to see where and what works best.  If you watch the short video about the Annual Meeting on www.jw.org you can see a little about the success these tables have had in other cities.  So we will see what success we have!

Here are a few pics you might have seen already on fb or instagram...

 

 

These two Eritrean brothers serving in Norway saw us doing the literature stand at the University and later we happened to see them again while we were eating lunch. They insisted on paying for our meal because they said it encouraged them to see young ones serving Jehovah abroad!! So loving!! Jehovah provides!!

 

 

 

Last Thursday I had a great day in service-THREE studies!!  But the best part of my day? Conducting a study while looking on as my new brother Moses conducts his own at the next table



 

 

So there you have it!  A little service update-I'm really terrible about taking pics in service but I will try to be better!! 

 

Love to all!

 

Kimmie

WE ARE ONLY GETTING STARTED!!

WARNING: MAJOR SAP SESH...

 

 

After almost six months away, I have to say that the hardest thing about GOING somewhere is LEAVING people behind.  But as this past weeks WT brought out, to maintain our joy in this life we need to focus on the positive!  And so begins the sap sesh...

 

Is it weird to say that anyone who knows me also knows my best friend Jessie??  Even people here in Italy know her at least by name because I mention her often.  How can I not?  She has been a part of my life for 25 of my 26 years!!  Almost every memory I have involves her in some way.  Starting out as the only two girls our age in our congregation in New York with Moms as best friends, and followed by 10 years living next door to eachother in Georgia spending almost every single day together-we are closer than sisters!! Even when she got married 5 years ago (HAPPY ANNIVERSARY)  we remained super close.  Getting to pioneer alongside my best friend for so many years has really been such a privilege, and our friendship has really made me into a better person than I think I would have been without her. 

 

Where am I going with this??

 

I got a Voxer message from her the other day where she said she wanted to make a comment Sunday at the WT study on the paragraph on different life experiences published in our magazines and yearbooks that have encouraged her.  She started telling me about the article called Friends for 60 years and Only Getting Started  (which I had yet to read because we study the simplified edition in our hall)

 

Here is the link from www.jw.org:

 

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20121015/friends-for-60-years/

 

It is about four young brothers who were great friends and were super close because they all wanted to reach out for more in Jehovah's service and got to serve together in Germany for awhile, but eventually they were split up because of different responsibilities they were assigned. But even after 60 years they were still friends and still helping each other out because their mutual relationship with Jehovah kept their friendship strong even when they were far away. 

 

So here we are-me serving in Bologna Italy, and Jessie about to move where the need is great in Kentucky with her husband. So even when (if) I go back to GA she won't be there.  It's an end of an era! I don't think either of us ever thought that our lives in Jehovah's service would lead us where it has!! But I'm pretty happy with where we have ended up! 

 

I liked this part of the article:

"How wise then to rely on his leading rather than on one’s personal desires! He who has learned this lesson will be happy serving Jehovah anywhere and in whatever assignment he is given."
 

So true!  Jehovah always leads us to where we will be happiest! 

 

Before one of the brothers died he wrote:

“In all the 60 years of our friendship, I cannot remember any unpleasant moment. Our relationship has always been something very special to me.” To which his three friends, with a continuation of their friendship in the new world clearly in view, quickly add, “And we only got started.” 
 

So we are 25 years into this friendship, but like those 4 brothers-we've only gotten started!  We might be serving an ocean and several time zones away from eachother, but we are sharing in the same work and we can really be Best Friends FOREVER ;)

SUPER CHEESY!!!

 

Yeah...I think this pretty much sums it up ;p