i just wanna celebrate

ryan baptizing paulo on our last sunday

our last day at the nursing home

i've used so many words over the past 2 years to describe the events and experiences of our time in italy.

now words seem so feeble. so inadequate.

the only words that come to mind are thank you. 

thank you to my fellow workers who through rain and shine showed the love of jesus to me and everyone around you. thank you for holding me accountable, making me laugh, washing my feet, praying  with me and for me, being a servant, working so much harder than i ever knew possible, keeping a smile on your face, listening to me...you preach the gospel every day whether you open your mouth or not. 

thank you to our directors who lead with love and kindness every day and showed us family in a faraway place. 

thank you to all the friends and family in the states who loved and supported us in 1000's of different ways every day. whether it was a card, money, skype dates, facebook messages, reading the blog, whatever. it made a difference. 

thank you to all the italians, albanians, moldavians, americans, slovenians, russians, south americans...who we came to know and love in the past 2 years. you are so much a part of us now and the love you showed us has made an impact more powerful than you will ever know.

thank you to our god and savior for the ways he uses people when they let him and the ways he loves and takes care of us. 

i could write for 2 days and it wouldn't make me feel better about leaving or being away from such close and powerful friendships so i'll just leave it at this.

you are always welcome wherever we end up on this earth and we know we have a family in italy. 

thank you