i love my roots and i love where i'm at

so, it's been almost 3 weeks since we have been back in italy. we had so much fun in the states but it went by way too fast. we got to spend a week at the beach with ryan's family, 3 days at the lake with my grandparents, and all the days in between with my family and all of our friends in memphis. we ate way too much (as usual) , but it was a really great time. 

everyone was so worried that we were having "culture shock", whatever that is, but we didn't, i guess. i just feel/say "this is my american life and that is my italian life". to compare them in any way would probably make me crazy. not to say that there aren't some ways of living we have acquired here that we won't continue there someday, because that's definitely not true. and this doesn't mean that just because it's culturally disgusting to take your trash out (or do anything beside sleep) barefooted in italy doesn't mean i stop doing it here. AND this doesn't mean that one culture is better or worse, it's just that the way of doing basically everything here is different from the way we do it there and that isn't BAD...it's just DIFFERENT.  i love my roots and i love where i'm at. ok, enough of that. 

just to make sure we weren't going through culture shock, we tested ourselves by arriving back in italy 1 day before our church hosted 90 italians at the harding villa for a 5 day family retreat. ryan and i were the "dorm parents" for all the people staying at the villa and assistant teachers in the teenager class. the retreat was wednesday through sunday and our days consisted of meals together, devotionals, singing, classes, sports, card games, a talent show, a day at the park, and a beautiful worship together sunday morning complete with a potluck. it was really special to be able to catch up with all the kids and teenagers we had gotten to know at camp and be encouraged by the example of so many around us. 

debbie and mario having too much fun in the kitchen

jonathan, me, and em

the whole group during a devo

all of the children


i hope everyone has had an equally enjoyable august and i plan on blogging tomorrow to get you caught up to what we are doing now. thanks as always for your love and prayers.