First Week in Salerno

Ciao Tutti! (hey everyone)

I hope that everything in America is going well. Here in Italy, I am the happiest that I have been in a long time! When I landed in Germany last Monday we took another short flight to Rome and landed in Italy around noon last Tuesday. After a 5 hour long bus ride in an un-air conditioned bus, we finally made it to Salerno! Our group of 18 college students and 5 adults comes from very different locations in the States: Florida State University, Mississippi State University, University of Miami, University of Colorado, and -you guessed it- NORTH GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY! All 23 of us are already building strong relationships, though. I can honestly say that after a week, I know that I can go to any member of our team for any issue and that we will all be friends even after this summer is over. These fellow believers are now my family. Last week after settling into the hotel (which is SO cute), we took time each day to get to know the city and spend time growing as a group. Salerno is such an amazing city. From my room in the hotel (which is really just a large house kept up by a precious Italian family), I can see the crystal clear waters in the ocean. It is in the mid 80's here but there is always a steady breeze, which we Americans can appreciate. And while I'm wearing sunscreen (don't worry!) my skin is turning brown and I am looking more Italian every day, haha. I have learned to eat vegetables and lots, LOTS, of cheese. Everything here is SO fresh and so much healthier than America. But it'd be hard to be here if you didn't like carbs because bread and pasta are essential to the Italian diet. On Saturday we went to Positano, which is about an hour north of here by boat on the Amalfi Coast. I had no idea what to expect, but every Saturday our group gets to have a travel day where we see more of Italy, so it is very special to have this outting! When our boat docked onto the shores of Positano, I cried a little. Seriously. It is hands down the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life, whether in person or in pictures. It was like a dream! The city is perched on the side of the mountain overlooking the sea and it is literally indescribable. Here, I sat in on an Italian Wedding, which I know that I shouldn't have done...and I also cried there. My new friend Katie and I climbed to the top of the village and had a picnic, which was amazing. Did I mention the food here?! AH! After some afternoon shopping, Katie and I rented kayaks and paddled along the coast and into some caves filled with staircases leading to castles, etc. It was like being on a movie set! I loved Positano. Then on Sunday our team had a worship service at the hotel and talked alot about why Christ had to die. We talked about the fact that because God is just, there had to be an atonement for sin. And because Christ paid the price of our sin in full, and because God cannot inflict punishment for the sins of the world because it's already been done, we do not have to carry the burdens of sin anymore. Pretty amazing, right? The past three days our team has spent the afternoons on campus in Salerno. We go to campus and literally approach Italians and try to make friends. Through these meetings we strive to bring up their beliefs, tell them what we believe and challenge them to be open to the Gospel. Which is not at ALL easy. It's hard to go up to a stranger and talk about such heavy things! And ironically, I am the girl on the team that knows the most Italian so I have been translating like crazy. And I now speak about as much Italian each day as I speak English. Which has been a shock. I have just let go of myself and surrendered everything to God. And here I am, speaking Italian! I have been asked from Italians about God and I have been approached by 3 girls who want to know God more. We will be hosting a BBQ tomorrow night and all 3 of those girls will be there, so I pray that God will open their hearts to hear the Gospel and use me as He wants to speak to them. Everyone, God is doing amazing things here and we have only been here for 8 days! Please continue to pray as things will inevitably become harder. I love you all and feel free to keep in touch!

PICTURES:

#1. Me Translating Italian.

#2. Some of our group on campus (I am in the back in a white shirt and jeans)

#3. Positano, Italy.

#4. The View from my hotel room.