Where oh where have I been?

I know, I know...you have all been going crazy with curiosity, pacing back and forth, up all hours of the night wondering where in the world is Margie and why hasn't she updated her blog in so long? Well, my friends, rest assured, here I am, ready to type away, post a few pictures and share my goings on with you.
We have been so busy in the past few months. We went to L'Aquila to help with the earthquake area, came back for a couple days and Jim left for Switzerland for a 10 day outreach with some of the bible college students. After that, Pastor Rob came to town with Danny and the three of them went to Hungary for a couple days, back to Italy for a day and then off to Austria where Rob was speaking for Speakers Week. Denise and Amy arrived in Venice midweek and we all went to Austria for a couple days.
It was a great blessing having Rob and Denise here-it's always fun to be in the states and see and talk to everyone but we can have more one on one time when people are here visiting and not as many distractions. It was great hanging out, walking around Padova and sharing our new city with them. I am hoping it will be an annual trip from now on!! Amazing things are going to happen here...I just know it! It was neat too because we got to enjoy Amy's company so it was fun to have a youngster in the house again!!
The Salvatos left and I started my whirlwind of changing sheets, linens, etc to get the room ready for the Engs! Yep, a couple days later Greg and Brenda came over. They had a great visit too-Greg was in his glory looking at all the sites and all the architecture over here. We were blessed with the goodies they brought over too....corn tortillas!! Yeah!!
A few days later, our daughter and her boyfriend arrived. Rosalyn and Matt were here a little over a week. Jim got to meet Matt for the first time....he gave him a thumbs up !! We had a fun visit with them. Of course it never lasts long enough but I am sure they will be back!
So, now you know where I have been...busy with friends and family, but enjoying every moment of it! We have a few weeks before our next visitors arrive. Jeff and Karen Stewart are coming at the end of the month for 10 days. Yeah!!
Oh, I have to say, I got one of the greatest surprise gifts....an Ipod Touch. Christina (daughter of a friend of mine) came over and she left it here. I thought she forgot it and she said she left it for me! Well, I never understood all the commotion about these things until I started to play with it. Oh my, I love it!! I can put my family pictures on it and show everyone! Thing is now with digital cameras we don't put pictures in our wallets anymore..atleast I haven't been. When people ask to see our kids and our beautiful little granddaughter I have no pictures to show them. With this, I can put the pics on it and voila! Then there is the music aspect. I love it!! I have been pain stakeingly (is that a word?) transferring music from my cd's to my ipod. Wow-what a chore. I get a bit tired from it actually! Then, there's the whole thing about ordering music. Wow, just wow!! Too much to choose and once you buy one song it has the credit card number and you just hit "buy" Well, had to stop after buying 5 songs even though they are 99 cents I still have to be careful! I have found some new music and love love love the songs. I will try to You tube you up later this week with some of the songs I purchased.
I was listening to some of the music yesterday and started to think about in the book of John when it talks about how people went back and didn't follow Jesus anymore. Jesus asked the disciples if they would go away also and Peter said Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. (Jn 6:66-68) I just sat here thinking-really, where would we go Lord? Sometimes things can be frustrating. I mean we can be honest...even ministry is frustrating at times. Situations, hardships, etc. There were times I just wanted to "get out" I found myself listening to some words of songs about God's grace and that interaction between Jesus and Peter came to my mind. Where would we go Lord? There is no where on this earth I would want to be that is apart from Him. Nowhere out of His perfect will, no matter the sacrifice or hardship. I cannot imagine my life without my Savior, my King! All He has done for me and has planned for me. What could ever compare? NOTHING!!
Oh, praise Him for His goodness! Amen!!
here are some pics of when Rob and Denise came to visit-

Happy Birthday Baby

Beautiful little Juliet is one year old today! She is a doll! We have an appointment to talk on the webcam tonight and Nanu is going to be surprised! He thinks we will just talk on skype but Christina got Juliet a webcam for her birthday! Ha ha.....isn't that so adorable! Baby gets a webcam!
Sunday we went to the airport to pick up Greg and Brenda in Venice. It was one of those God moments for us. Jim has been having a really hard time not being with Juliet and being Nanu to her in a personal way. It's hard! But, at the airport we saw a young couple with a baby. We figured they were a military family and Jim asked if they were waiting for the grandparents to arrive to see the baby. They were actually waiting for another family member but it was a neat reminder for us.
We were gently reminded by the Lord that in a sense we are in the military too. Paul likens the Christian life as being a soldier. I told Jim it's kind of like we are on deployment right now. We are not the only ones away from our kids and granddaughter. I couldn't help but think of all the dads who are fighting for our freedom and miss the birth of their first child, the first tooth growing, first words, first smiles, etc. For me, I have to keep this perspective to help me to feel sorry for myself and to walk around so sad.
God is good and He made Juliet with the sweetest temperment. It takes her no time to warm up to you so when we do see her she takes to us right away. She loves to play, to laugh, to dance, and especially to give kisses! I can't wait til she is a little bit older and we can bring her over to us for an extended vacation with Nonna and Nanu!
I think we will have to have a gelato in her honor today!!!
Happy Birthday sweet baby!

We just had a wonderful week with Rob and Denise! It was a blessing for me to have Denise here to talk to and just have fun with! It's fun to go to the states and see everyone but there's never a long enough time to enjoy each of your friends and family long enough so when people come out here it's great since we can have one on one time!!!
They got a bike for me!!! LOL....this is going to be quite the experience. I haven't ridden a bike since we first moved to Hungary! I rode to the store, fell off and all my groceries fell on the ground. I am excited about my bike though because I can ride it to the train and then go into Padova and go to the market and other stuff without having to bug Jim for a ride all the time. Unless there is a miracle one day, I don't see myself driving in the city. It's just too confusing for me. I like to drive during the siesta time in some places since there aren't a lot of cars on the road and I even made it to Montebelluna one day when Rose was with me. Oh the adventure of it all :)
Things are good. Yes my last post was a bit depressing, but it was one of those days. Right now I am really feeling refreshed and also free. All the things I needed to have peace about have been given to me and it's great. My heart is truely at rest now and I am so excited for what the Lord has in store in our new journey!
So, I will write more next time, just wanted to let everyone know all is well, thank you for praying, writing, thinking of me. I really appreciate it more than you know!
Karen, you are the sweetest sister too!!!!! love you and miss you!
No pictures today because I am too tired to upload them but I will post some next time. I might even give the blog a make-over......no promises though!
May the Lord bless you and shine His face upon you!!!
ciao!

Long time no post

Days just seem to go by and I have every intention to post on the blog but don't get around to it. Hmm, that reminds me I once saw a picture of "a round toit" Maybe I should pick one up.
It's not for a lack of things to write about, rather a check inside as to whether or not I should write what's on my mind. Proverbs 29:11-A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. After reading that years ago, it makes me stop in my tracks at times and consider my words.
I am struggling now in the place where God has called me to be in my life. On the outside it's as though I live in a dream. Beautiful country, great food, friendly people, etc. Yes, on the outside. Yet, on the inside I find myself struggling to be content with the way things are at the moment. There is nothing dramatic, no seeminlgy difficult trial-it is just life in general. Of course what follows is the guilt of questioning why I even feel this way.
I miss friendship so much. It feels so isolated where I live-people are all around me yet they have their own lives and other than a hello and good-bye they really aren't interested in much else. The language barrier doesn't help much either. I live in a place so unlike Baja now. In Baja I could walk everywhere, people could comoe over all the time, I could go there, be at the church, doing this and that. There was the opportunity to do something at anytime because we were all so close to each other. Here, it's huge and yet I live in the countryside which is absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong. It's just that there is noone near me that I can just call up and go get a coffee with. I feel so isolated.
Jim is busy a lot and that is good. I don't want to bring him down with my sorrows and make him feel guilty, but there are times I actually do feel like complaining to him about it so he can feel miserable too~what a good wife huh!
There was an Italian conference last week and I couldn't go because Jim had to be in Hungary and it made me so sad to not be able to be a part of it and hang out with the other people in ministry here and just have fun together. So he went to Hungary and I stayed home 4 days alone with noone to talk to but the cats. He came home Sunday night about 11:30pm and left on Monday afternoon for another couple days. I'm not the type that needs him by me every second. It's just that when he's gone and there's noone around to talk to it gets a little depressing at times.
I really miss the women and the fellowship we had in Baja. We had such a great time together in God's Word. Here, it just doesn't seem like the women have time for such a thing. Maybe in a couple years-who knows. Plus, a new language to learn...will I ever be able to speak fluently? I am trying so hard to study the language on my own but it's challenging! If we had the money I would go to school so that I could practice it with other people.
So, there you have it. Wallowing in self pity I suppose, but you know what, life isn't all roses is it. I am not looking back at what was and longing for that. I know better than that. I am praying God will bring us a team of people that want to work here in Padova. It seems like a good idea to have some other people around us and help with the work here. There's much to be done-it's a huge place!

I found this quote when I lived in Baja and we were going through difficult times. I have it in my bible and it's a good reminder for me -especially now! I think it is from Frances Havergal but I can't remember.

Well, praise God that He always pulls us through the rough patches!

(you can click on the image if you are old like me and can't read the writing)

Good Friday

Learning

Well it's not for a lack of words that I haven't been keeping up with the dear ole blog. Those of you who know me know that lacking in speech is not one of my problems. Lacking in proper speech or self control when speaking is probably more the problem than anything else!!!! Proverbs says "A fool vents all his feelings". Reading that verse causes a little check here and there when I feel like just pouring it all out there!!
So, last night we watched the movie Joseph. I had a different perspective in that I didn't actually watch the movie but sat at my computer and only listened to the dialogue. This wasn't because I didn't want to see the movie, I have seen it before and it is good. It's just that my heating pad plugs in by my desk and I needed my heating pad on! Most times this is how I watch movies....by listening! Well, I was talking to Jim this morning about this and how I was able to pay more attention to what was being said without being distracted by the pictures. Of course we keep in mind the movie is made by Hollywood, therefore things are added/deleted and not exactly as told in the Bible.
I doubt there is anyone in this life who hasn't been hurt by someone else, felt wronged or falsely accused of things, etc. There's that part in all of us (well atleast I think most of us)that desires to be avenged. We want justice done! We can spend hours, days, months, years entertaining thoughts about what we will do when we do meet up with the person(s) we had a conflict with. We will show them! And then that day arrives....all the emotions and feelings that have been built up inside of us are ready to come out. All the well rehearsed paragraphs are ready to be spoken.
Did Joseph think about this? He named his first child Manasseh which means God has made me forget my toil and all my father's house, but what were the first thoughts that came to his mind when he was reunited with them? I would want to say to them...see guys...my dream was right and you all laughed. Look where you are and look where I am. Joseph could have pretended not to know them and sent them away or even kept them in prison on false charges.
When they were all reunited the second time, Joseph revealed who he was. Imagine the looks on the brothers faces! Oh my! What were they thinking? Were they trembling? Did they wonder if they would now get what was coming to them?
How was Joseph able to respond with such kindness? Was it that the things God had made him forget weren't the acts themselves -but the anger, bitterness, the sense of being betrayed that God caused him to forget. Was it that Joseph was so free of all these things that his heart was pure before the Lord and able to respond to his brothers in a way they would not expect!
How I long to have that heart! A heart that is tender and merciful! Praise God that with Him all things are possible!

Getting back to normal

What a whirlwind of a week! My body is so confused as to where I am and somedays I even think it wonders who it is! I fall asleep around 2 or 3 am and wake up sometimes at 10am, 2pm, or even 3pm! Yikes! What is up with this jetlag! I decided not to fight it anymore and just let it happen. At my age you can't allow to much shock to your body because it has a mind of its own and get confused very easily.

It's so good to be back in Italy. This past weekend we had a couple girls from the bible college stay with us. We went to the market in Padova on Saturday. I even made myself get out of bed at 8:30am for that! The secret must be to tell yourself you are going shopping and your body will automatically make the necesarry adjustments. Until of course you tell it that you are only looking and not buying.....we keep that a secret til we get to the marketplace :) While we were there I was once again surrounded by Italians and all the people talking, yelling, etc. It was wonderful! I realized then that I was home where I am supposed to be. I fell in love with the place all over again and had such a strong sense in my heart of where I belong. The language sounded great and I can't wait to tackle it and speak it fluently. I told Jim that I want us to be so natural in Italian that we just speak it at home. Ha ha.....I wonder if that will ever really happen!

I do miss my family and all my friends in the states. My trip home was so good and the Lord really blessed me in many ways. I cherish the time I was able to be there. I do miss the wonderful conversations and the encouragement. Sometimes I have to sit back and get amazed that I have been blessed by God with the true friends I have. That is something I have been thinking about for the past week. I feel like the most blessed gal in the world sometimes!

My granddaughter is a jewel. There is noone sweeter than our Miss Juliet. Her personality is terrific and she is so easy going! I can't wait to see her again!
Well, I have so much I want to write today but not enough time. Jim is on his way to Baja to meet with the leaders in the church so keep his travels in prayer! The weather is good Praise God for that!

til we meet again............