Post 53

As if I needed another late night...

This here post is my down time in Biella, where I've gone to visit for the weekend. Visiting Biella this weekend has proved challenging for a number of reasons, the main one being staying out late again on Friday and then getting up early Saturday morning to bike across town and store a bike I'll be using in my apartment. Keep in mind also that I've been fasting.

Now, I might have liked to sleep in, but it seemed that no matter what, that wasn't going to happen. I was in touch with one girl in particular from my cell group, and she wanted to hang out on Friday, expecting me to ensure Andrew's attendance ;). I was willing to go out for her sake, but even more so willing to go out when a certain someone texted me asking if I was going out this evening, and telling me about the group hang out the other girl had already told me about. Now, a text is not much, but when I guy says multiple times that he's shy, it's nice when he musters up the courage to at least type a few words and hit 'send'.

Anyway, my usual Friday night praise and worship was moved to Sunday, so I felt no qualms about going out. Well, then my friend called asking when I was free to worship, and I reminded him we said we'd do Sunday. Alright, so that was cleared up, and I was free to hang out. Andrew hangs out all night with his old friends from Milan, which makes sense since Friday was his last night in town, and I hang out with my cell group buddies.

I end up splitting a crepe with Mr. Shy Guy, and at the end of the evening everyone pretty much put us together in their minds. Well, that's what I'm assuming, at least. Now it's time to wait and see if God does ;). I imagine that's the more important matter. 

There was another new person, and so we all talked and had a nice time. However, I am used to worshipping and praying for long periods of time at least once a week, and so on Saturday as I was rushing through my lunch of bread and cheese (all I would allow myself for the fast, mainly because I didn't want to pass out from biking across town), at the last minute I grabbed my guitar to bring it with me to Biella. This turned out to be an excellent decision.

What ended up happening was a rather intense spiritual battle involving worship and prayer working together with one of my partners (!) in missions, Alisa. It was so nice to be able to work together in two, because as I was worshipping, people would try to distract me. Seeing Alisa continue on undisturbed really helped to keep me focused. I really feel like there was an important spiritual breakthrough that took place in the lives of some of the people present where we were worshipping and praying.

It was really intense! One man kept trying to come in and three times his dog ran away from the courtyard of the church's cafe/restaurant, sending him chasing after. We were doing this for about two hours, and one of the guys in the courtyard kept joking about wanting to unplug me, because I just kept going. Afterward Alisa and I rested and went to the pastor's house, and that was when I took the time to rest and do some writing. Just amazing.

It really was a day of divine appointments, because even on the train that I caught at the last possible moment, Alisa and I met an American woman who we were able to share our testimonies with. What a day!