SUNSHINE!!!!!!!!!!

The sun has finally come back out and life is sooooo much better. I'm figuring out how much I love the sun. It had been raining here for like the past three weeks. Not pleasant. I mean, I like rain. I actually really enjoy a nice rainy day. But not when it is every single day. For three weeks. That is just not cool. When the rain falls so does my spirit. I'm just not a very cheerful person.

But thank goodness!!! The sun is shining again! So very thankful for this and many other things this week. I've really been reminded of the goodness of God. When we follow Him, He is faithful.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11

I be scared of dumbness.

I’m afraid of two things. Snakes. And mushrooms.

Frightening!!

I’m also fearful of certain situations. Recently, the situation has been dealing with the Italian language. For instance, if I need to go to the grocery store, anxiety builds up inside of me before I ever leave the apartment and I start to freak out a little.

What if the cashier says something to me that I don’t understand and they get mad at me? What if someone on the way there stops me to ask a question and I don’t know how to respond? What if I need help but don’t know the words to say? Lots of thoughts like that run through my head. I’m sure it sounds so very minor. You may even be thinking, “Gosh Kala, that is so not a big deal. Just get over yourself and go do what you need to do.” And I’d say you’re right. I do need to get over myself.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the ministry of Jesus. He is fully God and yet he was fully human. He became like us to minister to us. That blows my mind, especially as I try to learn the Italian way of life and realize how difficult of a task it is for me. It is not an easy thing to learn a new culture, plus a new language. And one of the big reasons why it is so difficult is because of my pride.

People that know me well can tell you how much I try to avoid looking like an idiot. I like to appear like I have it all together and know what I’m doing. I don’t like to show emotion or insecurity. And I especially don’t like to ask for help. I’m prideful.

Paul says this in his letter to the Philippians, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil. 2:3 ESV) Yep, Kala needs to get over herself. It is better for me to feel stupid when trying to understand and speak Italian if it means that I can enter into a relationship with people. It is better for me to look like an idiot if it means that someone hears the gospel. The people of Naples are more significant than me. My insecurity is trumped by the need to hear the gospel.

This week I’m going to work on getting over myself, because me being in Italy really isn’t about me. I could definitely use some encouragement in this area, so if you’ve got any, send it on over!
Pray for me this week as I’m hoping to find some folks that speak a little English. How can I pray for you?

 Mt. Vesuvius + boats = pretty. 

P.S. At the end of this week I will have been in Europe for a month. How crazy is that?

S.A.D.

My favorite day ever is this weekend. Yep, that my friend is what one would call sarcasm. Valentine’s Day, also known as Single Awareness Day, is on the horizon. And how am I spending Valentine’s Day this year? In the land of lovers known as Italy. Seriously, I’m almost positive that everyone in Naples is in love and they often show everyone in public just how much they love each other with their very public displays of affection. Ew gross. But, such is life.

I could let this day pass by like any other. I could sulk all day and eat lots of chocolate. I could stir up some bitterness in my heart. OR…I could not make Valentine’s Day into a big deal, but still take away a valuable lesson from it.

Everyone has a desire to be loved. Well, I’d say that is a fair assumption to make. It probably looks different for every person. But we as humans were created to be relational, especially with our Creator. If you read the Bible in the book of Genesis, God is very intentional in creating man and he creates us to live relationally with Him. Now because of sin this is often not what happens, but through Christ that relationship is possible.

So on Valentine’s day and all the other days of the year, I’m going to search out those people who are desiring to be loved. Not so that I can give them a candy heart or a box of chocolates, but so that I can share with them the words of life, the good news of Christ. 

Me and my Valentine this year: Mt. Vesuvius. 

Where Am I From?

I could probably blog every day about food but I won’t do that. Promise.

I will however tell you about my ability to be Spanish, Bosnian, French, British, and American. [Notice how I didn’t say Italian. Still working on that one.]

Not too long ago, I was in a store when a man approached me and began speaking to me in a language that I did not recognize. I’m sure I was giving him a weird look, but he just kept on talking until he realized that I was not answering. Then he asked in broken English, “You Bosnian?” I say, “Nope.” He tells me he thought I was so-and-so’s daughter and that I looked Bosnian. Um, okay. That’s a new one to me. But hey, I guess if I look like I’m Bosnian that means I get bonus points for being interesting.

Last week Ellie and I were in a coffee bar and there were some guys chatting by the door. They were speaking in Italian to each other. As we were leaving, one guy moved out of the way of the door and excused himself in French. He wasn’t French. So did he think I was French?

Ellie and I were walking around taking some scenic pictures when a guy approached us and began speaking in Italian. We kindly explained that we didn’t speak Italian and so he wanted to know if Spanish would be okay. Nope. I’m not Spanish either. Never been to Spain.

We also found a bookstore that has a few English books. There just so happened to be a man who worked there that spoke a little English and we got to talk to him for a while. And then he wanted to know if we were from the UK or the US. I giggled to myself in my head. It cracks me up that someone would think that I am British. Maybe it is difficult to distinguish English accents. Or maybe I look like a British person.

Random side note: A lot of people have dogs here. We were walking around a park and there were like five dogs running around playing. It makes me miss Rufus. He is basically the coolest dog that has ever existed.

Back on track: Here’s to hoping that crossing cultures is easier if you look like a hodge-podge of cultures. That is probably the weirdest comment I have ever made about myself. 

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