buon natale.

merry christmas from alabama!

after a day or two of crazy snow and cancelled flights, i finally made it back home for christmas! it's so great to be back with family during this special time of year. there's just something about the expectancy that comes with christmas that i love. waiting for presents, waiting for the arrival of loved ones, and best of all: waiting for a savior.

our italian pastor said it best: we are not awaiting a small helpless baby, we await the arrival of our Almighty God- in human form. we await the moment when He took on flesh so that we might have a relationship with Him. oh how powerful. how wonderful the depth of His love.

remember this christmas to take time and reflect on the sheer power and beauty that is our God- here on earth.

merry christmas!

tag team. back again.

it's been 3.5 weeks since i arrived back in florence, italy. and i am so happy to be back.

it was hard to leave oklahoma. to leave my stateside teams, both in edmond and in stillwater. to leave my family. and to leave a slew of friends that i had so enjoyed being around.

but oh how sweet it has been to return. to a country that needs a Savior. to italian friends that have such a zest for life. to people who walked alongside me during one of the hardest years of my life. to a new beginning.

i have loved every bit of this beginning. i am so thankful for all the newness it holds. my new team. new apartment. new roommates. new perspective.

so here's to another year of living and serving in florence. i am full of hope.