A friend asked me to send a write-up of what I do in Italy. Here's what I sent her.
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What I do in Italy.
It is somewhat difficult for me to piece together what it is
exactly I do in Italy. What I am not doing in Italy might be easier to handle.
I learned long ago that we bring ourselves with us wherever we go, so all of my
energy, thoughts, and interests have followed me to Italy, and I have found a
way to engage and be engaged with all of me.
My day job, you could say, is teaching English as
a Second Language. My internship through the SITE (Study, Intercultural
Training, and Experience) program doesn’t pay enough to keep bread on the table and a roof
over my head, and so my second job is also teaching ESL, but with elementary
aged students. I also do private lessons, translations, editing of theses, and
other such things.
Despite the largely minimal interest in learning English,
I’ve had some wonderful times in the classroom, and I’ve always enjoyed a good
challenge anyhow. My real passion, however, is being a missionary. I pray for
my students, and my faith and desire to see them grow and reach their potential
helps me through the more difficult lessons.
When appropriate, I share my missionary heart with my
students. One of my favorite moments was when I told a class that my future
goals were to be a missionary in Italy, and they reacted with utter
incredulity. What followed was a wonderful discussion on the over emphasis of
Africa as the “starving continent” where the missionaries were “really” needed.
I shared that spiritual health and healing is important everywhere, and often “those starving people in Africa” are in
better spiritual health than the well-to-do people in Europe and the U.S.A. I
explained that to me a missionary is someone who has a mission, and that I can
follow my mission to serve God to the utmost wherever He calls me. It’s okay
that He didn’t call me to Africa. It wasn’t a fluke.
While pursuing this mission in Italy I have come across a
wonderful body of believers. I strive to encourage everyone I come across. I’ve
been praying that my mindset be changed so that I seek to serve, and not be
served, and that I always take advantage of opportunities to be loving. I’ve
been praying this for a month now and I am finding out that I am not nearly as
loving as I thought I was!
In my church here in Italy I serve by leading worship in my
small group and encouraging people on their walks with God. They encourage me
too. The praise and worship jam sessions at my apartment have been some of the
most fulfilling times of my life artistically, relationally, spiritually, and
emotionally. I’ve also gone to Poland to lead worship during a week-long
retreat with other members of my church, and I sang in Italian! Talk about amazing opportunities and experiences. I
love intercultural worship, and hearing other countries in Europe worship in
their languages was wonderful.
In April I plan
to be able to speak at a conference in Moldova for ESL teachers who are also
missionaries. By sharing experiences from my journey I hope to encourage them
on theirs. So, what do I do in Italy? To quote the great Jill Scott, "I'm living my life like it's golden."
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