is it wrong i still think wine is gross?

its our last weekend here in italy :( i know i have been lacking with posting lately so i will give you a quick recap of my days.. last week we went to the Palatine Museums, right above the Forum, we went out to Ostia Antica and saw the ancient ruins of an early settlement outside of the city, of course we went to some more churches where we saw more Caravaggio paintings and to a beatiful church called the "chandelier church" because of its stunning multiple chandeliers.. Saturday we went out on our own to sketch and we wanted to go back to a certain church Leslie is doing a project over. We ended up getting there right before a wedding so we decided to stay and hide inconspicuously under the side arches.. an italian wedding is very different than an american one but it was beautiful and typically roman catholic.. we went back to the chandelier church where we caught yet another wedding in progress! we didn't stay long but decided to go shopping! i of course came out empty handed besides a swift little pasta cookbook im super excited about! Oh yea i almost got pickpocketed on the Metro but the lady only got my bag half open before i discovered she was trying to rob me! All is accounted for and i survived the scary attack.. well sort of. Last night Cassy cooked for all of us and it was wonderful! I don't know why i haven't made cheese and spinach tortellini myself.. it was definately a treat! Tonight we are having a group dinner and going to keep relaxing the day away which we've been doing since we awoke! Rome was crazy the last 2 days with all the President junk, there were more policemen, sirens, helicopters and riots than you can imagine.. I believe bush is now gone so we can enjoy a last week free of swat teams, i hope.. I have a few more items to get for people so i am hoping i will have good luck shopping.. Tomorrow I talk with my teacher about my final project ideas so I hope she likes them and is willing to let me do the ones i want and shape them around my fields of design and photography.. We only have a few more sights to see and a few more pasta dinners to have but the trip has been life changing and definately stretching and rewarding.. Thats about all for now i will try and post tomorrow or tuesday sometime! Hope you are all well and blessed. Eat some chips and salsa for me until i can taste that exquistie cousine for myself! Love you all and will be seeing you, or talking with you soon! Enjoy your sunday!

Love <3

Ps. I am already starting to miss my friends at Pizza Family and the Internet cafe.... cant i bring them home with me? we know how to communicate now.. we've got the hand signals and the regular orders down.. they are my daily fix of food and the web.. :(

Dubya

Bush is coming to Rome today.. we were down where he is coming in.. its a little church at the Piazza del Popolo where we were shopping and like a gazillion policemen and swat teams were there.. i could have met him im sure :) its about to rain like crazy so im going to walk home quickly but i will add more to this post tonight. .all is well in Italia and i have enjoyed the week back "home."

love to all

my Roman home!

We finally arrived back in Roma after our excursions to Florence and Venice.. we stayed 3 nights and 3 days in each city..its crazy how each city is completely different from the other in the same country! i absolutely loved Florence.. i dont know if it was because a lot of people spoke english and there were so many american tourists that you heard english chatter rather than italian.. the shopping was great there too! i spent more money in 3 days than i had the whole trip i think! the art is so great in Florence too.. Rome has some notorious buildings but Florence is so rich in art that I think I liked it better! Our hotel in Florence was literally right on the Duomo square and yes i did hear the bell tower chime every half hour.. grr..the food was pretty much the same excpet i finally found some white cream sauce(what we call alfredo sauce) on a menu and it was the most amazing thing i have had all month! Then came Venice.. and is it the strangest city or what! Its really neat that there isnt 1 car in the whole city.. all the streets are either paved or you take boats through them... It rained the first two days we were there but it was an adventure.. It was super cold those 2 days too! We explored the little islands there.. we went to Murano the little island where they make all the Murano glass! it was awesome! We saw a demonstration of glass blowing.. thats art and talent if you ask me.. The food in venice is a little different- the pizza looks american in the triangle slices and there is more pesce or fish on the menu than a non-fish lover could dream about! I had some good pesto pasta and a lot of pizza.. We took a 5 hour train ride back to Rome yesterday and we got in around 7:30.. traveling is fun but a little hectic with a group but we all made it alive and safe back in our Residence.. we have the day off today so we are going grocery shopping and washing clothes! Im starting to get just a little homesick but i think its just because im tired and this is like the last leg of the race and i can see the finish ahead.. but i am going to enjoy every last moment here before its gone! Continue to pray for me while im here and pray for a heart to love the people here and to unconditionally love the group im here with all the time! Also pray for the staff at Pine Cove as they are in their first full week of campers! I love you all and will post again soon.. i will put picutres up again if i have a few hours to do so! Love you all so much and thanks for all your support and love!!

ps. i totally forgot to tell you i went on a gondola ride at night! it was super amazing.. its so quiet and serene at night because there really arent many people whoh live in venice.. its too expensive so they live on the mainland across the ocean.. giovanni was our little paddler man and he was very sweet and kind.. we spent most of that day with our teacer Jacque and she is a lot of fun to hang out with.. she just has this goofy personality and she lightens up a lot when in small groups..

this post is uber long but i thought why make a new post when i could modify this one.

today we had a short day and we went to a few churches and the pantheon.. the pantheon is really neat.. i know dad would love most of the buildings i am seeing..

i am so ready to be able to drive a car because everyday the public transportation really scares me more and more.. plus i miss florence and venice where i felt more safe from the people and surroundings. but its teaching me that its my job to change the way people are by being an example of Christ because they are so oblivious to his grace..

well im going to get some pizza and fold my laundry.. i really miss washing machines.. this whole turning my bathtub into a laundromat is hard work! plus our room is strung out with clothes lines.. it just makes me appreciate them so much more!

im doing great and enjoying the time here! wish you all could jump over here for a bit! take care and ill post soon.. love you all

Cheese

im trying this out.. here is a link to Flickr where some of my photos are.. these are just a few but.. you get the idea!

http://www.flickr.com/gp/8052644@N03/70GyU6

"sketches a lot"

i typed a whole post earlier and the computer spazzed out on me so i will attempt to recreated my post.. it rained for the first time here today and it made things so much cooler! i am actually a little cold but i love it! things keep going like nothing happened even though it was a downpour... we are leaving for florence and venice in the morning and we will be gone 8 days or so.. we are taking a train and i am super excited because i have always wanted to ride a train! this weekend was super good and i finally slept in and relaxed.. saturday night we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3.. the theatre was so nice and i forgot for a minute i wasnt in america.. i forgot until the movie started and realized the whole thing was in Italian.. we hoped for an english showing with italian subtitles.. no such luck.. it was fun though and we.. the americans would just laugh when everyone else did and even sometimes when they didnt and we were the only ones. we got out of it at 1:45 in the AM so we caught a night bus and then walked the rest of the way home.. sunday we slept in and made a family style dinner that night in our room and had 5 people over for spaghetti and chicken.. we played scrabble and watched friends! it was nice to feel like i was with family.. the public transportation here scares me more everyday.. the trams wont start and dont move.. and the whole subway scare thing.. but whats an adventure without some suprises along the way.. well im hungry and i need to go pack for the trip.. pray for me that my quiet times would increase in length and that i would find more time that i thought possible to spend with the Lord in my day thats crazy and jam packed with stuff.. he is so gracious and giving and rejoices with me in the opportunity i have.. if you talk to me ask me how 1 Peter 2 is going! well thats about all for now so until next time mucho amore and blessings!

halelujah, praise the lord, jesus saves!-betsy

Officially my internet doesnt work in my hotel anymore and i dont ususally stop here in the internet cafe so my posts will be even less frequent.. the last few days have been a blast but definately interesting. we went to the modern museum of art yesterday, it was really awesome! then we went to the spanish steps and the ritzy shoppping district.. its crazy how you can go from the ghetto here to so much money in just a few bus stops and no one cares about the other person really.. last night we had dinner at a little restaurant near our hotel. the whole menu was in italian and none of us know a lick of it- dinner was a suprise for most of us and even when we thought we knew what we were getting it was slightly different. someone ordered shrimp scampi pasta and they got the entire shrimps.. eyeballs antennaes and all on top of some noodles and oil.. i got ravioli which was good but i think they forget to add the sauce here a lot.. we played scrabble last night and watched friends and just rested a little.. i love who is here with me in italy and i am so blessed.. today we got up early to go to the beach and i think its the first day in about 2 weeks that it was cloudy and about to rain. we were only at the beach about an hour before we heard some big announcement on the beach we figured meant leave because there is a storm coming. the subway ride home was super scary.. it kept stopping at random times for a length of time each stop and there were policemen looking in the windows at some of the stops.. im not sure im going to take that again.. and we heard that the tram we ride everyday got highjacked a few days before we got here and the passengers were held hostage for 3 days.. i get less confident in the public transportation every day! but hey we are still alive.. in just a few minutes jess and betsy and i are getting pedicures!!! they are cheaper here so we will see how this adventure pans out for us... i think tonight we are cooking and hanging out at the residence to get prepared for our marathon shop day tomorrow! i need to do some more laundry before we leave for florence on tuesday morning! i promise next time i come i will bring my camera and the hook up cord so i can post some pictures on here of my marvelous trip! ok well thats long enough for now for an update but i miss you all and love you and hope wherever you are you are being blessed and filled by a God so great that nothing can stop you from bringing him glory! much love and happy saturday..

<3

ok.. so im so tired but im having a wonderful time! we went to the coolest church today- the church dedicated to st. clemente.. it is 3 levels of buildings.. they built a house first.. then a church.. then another church- and we went all the way down.. so cool.. we have a marvelous lunch at this cute little restaurant away from other tourists.. we had the afternoon off since we were all dragging along- the fact that it was crazy hot today didn't make it better. i should be used to this heat coming from texas but man its hot.. the best part was tonight.. we walked for about an hour to get there but we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe... it was in a ritzy neighborhood and being there was a little slice of america.. I had a gigantic chicken salad and i can honestly say i don't think i have ever had a better one.. it was so refreshing to have a little boost from a familar place.. oh PS.. they served ice with the drinks-- i straight up ate the ice alone! tomorrow we are going to the jewish ghetto and a few other churches.. and im sure we will make a gelato stop in the afternoon.. anyways im pretty tired but i will hopefully get on and write a little more tomorrow..im so blessed by this opportunity and i have always heard that it would be life changing,.. but it really is.. if i can be here and get around and survive i can do it anywhere! i am just learning more about myself and about people and i love seeing how we are all so different yet so much alike at the same time.. but anyway i hope all is well with you guys and im sending lots of amore from this side of the world!

Help ive lost my spaghetti!

so the beach was fantastico! it wasn't destin but come on it was the mediterranean! it was so nice to be outside the city for a while, and although there were still a baszillion people out there, it wasn't as push and shove and fast pace as the city.. we are definately going back whenever we can. The subway ride there was interesting-i thought the new york subways were scary but they have nothing on these roman ones.. today we went to the Vatican City.. we waited in like for like 2 1/2 hours with about 10,000 other smelly tourists.. the painting gallery and the walk through the rooms until we got to the Sistene chapel were awesome. I saw a lot of things that i learned in art history this last semester and just seeing things that are so old is really cool. The Sistene ceiling was gorgeous-- there were like a freaking million people in there but i got my view! we finally made it out of that madhouse and got a little pizza and jess and i found our way back without the group cause we got separated.. but i must say we felt accomplished making it home alone! i got to use some of my fresh veggies from the market tonight.. i made some amazing pasta since we missed out on the group dinner.. oh well, i love to cook and when you have such good produce.. why the heck not! tomorow we are going to the rose gardens and having pretty chill day since today was a marathon of craziness. Jessica and I are doing splendid- enjoying the beautiful weather and trying to comprehend that we are actually here doing this! on another note yet one of more importance God has been slowly teaching me about his varied grace.. as i read in 1 Peter 4 today. each person has something to teach you whether they are a believer or not. i have met some pretty sweet people from my university and getting to hang out with them is a blessing. not a whole lot of them are believers but even though they lead differnt lives than me, i can be richly blessed by their character and share in their lives as they teach me more about myself and more about my Creator... ok well my battery is dying since i have to come down to the lobby to use this thing.. but i will write more later.. keep joyfully serving and ceaslessly praising our awesome God.. love you all so so much! -- amore

Ciao bella

So its saturday and im doing much better thanks to some tylenol pm and some fresh produce and food! things are so much better and i am so thankful for Gods grace and mercy and his hand in everything.. he is my God everywhere and all the time.. nothing is out of his sight and the cry of his children isn't forgotten.. its still crazy here and there area ton of people but they are very nice and thigns are becoming more familiar.. the metro is easier to figure out and i can do a little shopping and get by. we went to campo de fiore this morning to buy some fresh produce.. i think i had the best peach of my life and i bought more fruit and veggies.. i found this cute little sun hat- i feel a little more non-touristy now! tomorrow we are journeying to the beach and relax on a day off. hopefully i can put up pictures soon.. i havnent taken as many as i thought i would have but my camera is heavier than i thought and lugging it around is sort of a pain.. but.. im only in italy once.. well maybe :) the city is beautiful and the people are so colorful. I had my first taste of gelato last night.. i had fragola (strawberry) and it was so good! definately not my last cup of it.. thanks for your prayers and thoughts.. Glory to my King for bringing peace and a little more comfort into this foreign place! Jonathan's wedding is today and im missing it-- im sure it will be lovely.. I am going to go get ready to head out on the town for the night.. ill post again soon! love you all and hugs from italy!

so i made it to rome.. my internet doesn't work very well in the room so getting on and skype will be a hit and miss kind of deal.. im freaking out now that im here.. its just so different than i expected it to be.. just pray for me that i will get comfortable and enjoy the experience that i have in front of me.. im at the hotel because i was sick this morning and i am missing the st. peters and pantheon sights today.. i will have to go back on a day off to see them. i love you and miss you all at home! im gonna sleep.. CIAO

[Isaiah 41:10- i know the people were in different tribulation and fear but the Lord still promises in every facet of life to fear not for he is at our right hand... O Jesus help me not to fear what is so foreign to me and to fear not what could happen to me and to fear not my own mind that places things that are not of you inside it... Lord pull me in close to you and allow me to rest in you and be filled in you and to be found only in you.. I love you Lord.. fear not]


And I can see that my hands are trembling, I can see that my legs are weak
I can see that my head is spinning, but I will overcome
And I know that my heart is hurting, And I know that my soul it aches
And I know that it seems I'm failing, but I will overcome, yeah

O Lord I'm strong in You, O Lord I am wise in You
O Lord I can see in You, so I will overcome
O Lord I'm loved by You, O Lord I am free in you
O Lord I'm complete in You
So I will overcome, I will overcome, I will overcome

God listen to me shout, I'm so far from anywhere and I'm calling out
Lead me, lead me to the rock that is higher than I
You're my breath, You're my breath, You're my very life
Infinite, Holy King meets weak and frail Christ in me
And I will overcome not by my strength but by Your grace and love

travel itinerary

here is what im doing everyday and where i will be at!
also the website to where im staying is... www.pontebianco.com
much love <3


May 15- Arrive in Rome- rest, shopping, visit to the Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo) in the evening.
16- Orientation to the city, St. Peter's Basilica, (restaurant lunch), Piazza Navona, Pantheon
17- Campidoglio, Roman Forum, (bring lunch), Colosseum (on your own)
18 - Santa Maria in Trestevere, Villa Farnesina, Piazza Farnese
19 - ½ day optional - Rome walk - Campo di Fiori
Sun. 20 - Day Off
21- Vatican Museums, (siesta), critique/discuss work
22 - San Francesco a Ripa, Santa Cecilia, Jewish Ghetto, Theater of Marcellus
23 - San Pietro in Vincoli, San Clemente (lunch/siesta), Quattro Coronari
24 - S. Maria in Cosmedian, Rose Gardens, Santa Sabina, the Aventine, (bring sack lunch)
25 - Il Gesu, Capitoline Museums
26 - ½ day optional - Rome walk - Orto Botanico, Palazzo Corsini
Sun. 27 - Day Off
28 - San Pietro in Montoro & Il Tempietto
29 - Florence: Check-in Hotel Aldini, Duomo, Museo dell' Opera, Santa Maria del Carmine
30- Bargello, (lunch break), Uffizi Gallery - 1:30 (reservation # 1405861)
31- San Marco, San Lorenzo, Medici Chapels, (lunch break), Accademia - 2:00 (reservation # 1405865)
June 1- Venice: Check-in Hotel Bernardi, Piazza San Marco, Palazzo Ducale
2 - Accademia, (lunch break), Guggenheim, Frari
Sun. 3- Venetian Islands, Ca' Pesaro
4 - Return to Rome
5 - Day Off - group dinner/critique of work
6 - San Luigi dei Francesi, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Galleria Doria Pamphilj
7- Ostia Antica, (self-serve restaurant)
8 - S. Maria Maggiore, Museo Nazionale Romano
9 - ½ day optional - Rome walk - Palatine
Sun.10- Day Off
11 - Santa Maria della Vittoria, Santa Maria degli Angeli, (lunch/siesta), Santa Costanza
12 - Modern Museum, (sack lunch or snack bar) San Giovanni in Laterno
13 - Tivoli
14 - Galleria Borghese (sack lunch or snack bar), Villa Guilia, Santa Maria del Popolo
15 - Presentation of final drawings/critique & Farewell Dinner
16 - Departure

here we go

it's been almost 2 years since i have done an online blog but i wanted to set one up so i can journal things from italy this summer so people i love will know what's going on. more than just seeing some pictures from my trip and reading all the cool things that i get to do i want this to be an encouragement and testament of God's faithfulness in my life to you all so as to share in the riches of his glory and the war i fight daily with satan. i will post as much as i can when im on my trip but until then good luck on tests and enjoy the start of summer! be blessed <3