Rome with the Karrs!!!

Well last week was our last week of language school, and we also had another volunteer team in town from Anderson, SC. We had a great time with them. Since last week was a little busy and this week is Christmas, we decided to take a little trip up to Rome to visit our friends. So I'm in Rome for a couple days hanging out with the Karrs! I just wanted to write a short update. I will blog more when I get back home!

LOTTIE MOON

It's Little Lottie time!!!

It's Lottie Moon season in the states and that means a lot for us here in Napoli. Considering that Lottie Moon supports every thing that we do, have, eat, etc..... I like Lottie Moon time. But more than just the offering, I just like Lottie Moon. There is a reason that the offering is named after her. I love what she fought for. I love that she fought for people to support what God has called us all to do. I am thankful to be a part of the SBC and I am thankful that my work is fully supported. I'm thankful for all the people who faithfully give year after year. I pray that our work here and all over the world would continue to be supported by all the great people back at our churches!

I'll be posting a video soon of what Lottie Moon does for us here in Napoli.

Thanksgiving in Napoli

Thanksgiving was our first holiday in Napoli, away from home. And it was great. We had a volunteer team here last week. They were from Sulphur, Louisiana. It was good to have a little bit of home here in Napoli! On America's Thanksgiving day, we had a big dinner at Peppe and Assunta's house with the volunteer team. It was good time with good food and way too many people in that house.

Our team celebrated Thanksgiving on Sunday. We had way too much food, but it was so so good. Apparently no one outside of Acadiana eats rice dressing for Thanksgiving. Which I think is silly because that is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, that's what I wanted, so that is what I had to cook. Except that became difficult when I realized there was no Richard's rice dressing mix here or a rice pot to cook my rice in. But being the amazing cook I am, I managed, and I made some real good rice dressing from scratch. All of the food was good, and again I ate so much I felt sick. That seems to be something I do a lot here. I need to join a gym, soon.

Yesterday I wasn't feeling good. But I got a lot of rest and today I'm doing better. Good thing.

The Saints are 11-0 and that means the world is all good! WHO DAT!!! the saints are going to the super bowl. Of course. when i'm not in america!

here are some pictures of our already eaten thanksgiving meal.

Life with Peppe

Ok so here in Napoli we do things differently than in America. Except it takes me a while to figure that out and to learn how to live like they do. Peppe doesn't like that. Peppe has expressed to me more than once that in Napoli we hang the clothes outside to dry, not inside. But I keep hanging them inside because I don't want them out all night. Well I tried hiding the clothes from him last night. But he is not stupid and he barged in our room because he knew I hid the clothes in there. And he found them. and it was really funny. I tried explaining, but remember he doesn't speak English and my Italian is limited, so it didn't work. We laughed really hard though. And then decided that we would finally surrender. So from now on I'm leaving my clothes outside!

Sloppy's Video

Sloppy Joe

So I have some bad news.... Sloppy Joe is in bad shape and quite possibly will no longer be with us soon. Sloppy is our team van. We like her because she gets us places. But not only us...she gets volunteer teams from America who come here places too. But sadly, on Sunday Sloppy began having some health problems. Here are some pictures for you mourn with us. There is also video footage. We hope and are praying that Sloppy will get through this rough time. :)

here's the picture that didn't post....

Legal stuff and lines......

So today Grace and I had to go to the Questura di Napoli, to request permission to stay here in Napoli. Sort of like getting a green card. It's an experience to go down there. The doors open at 8:30 but the line forms much earlier. We got down there at 6 in the morning. There was already a line starting. But here in Napoli lines work a little different. It's not really a line, just a secret line. Whoever gets there first starts a list, and as you show up you sign the list. That's if you know the list exists. Luckily, thanks to everyone else on the team doing this before us, we knew the list existed. Well, Jason brought us and he knew the list existed. So we got our names on the list, number 13 and 14. Then we just waited until the doors open and the "line" is a huge crowd pushed up against the doors. The guards chose to take the list and follow it so we got the numbers 13 and 14 and we got inside. We waited a couple more hours but eventually everything went great and we got all of our stuff done. THANK YOU JESUS. this process was not easy for everyone so we are grateful for such an easy process.

and here's a picture for you!

Team Retreatment and Italian Cooking!

well the mountains in Italy sure are nice! We had a great time at our team retreat in the mountains this past weekend. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast. The house was great and had hot water. So I was happy! Every meal we had was made there and from scratch. It was so good, except I almost died from eating too much. That part was almost miserable. It was good to be together with the team though. I took a ton of pictures.

Language school is going good. I'm picking up some of the language; I just need to practice more. I'm getting some good practice in though. Yesterday I went to buy a sim card for my cell phone and today I went to the Apple store to buy a new charger for my computer. Mine blew up. Good stuff....NOT. But at least I managed to do those two things on my own and in Italian and got what I needed. I'm pleased with that.

Yesterday was a good day for cooking. Maria and Ana (Peppe's sisters) showed us how to make pizza at home. Or at least Maria did the cooking and Ana just talked about it. Those pizzas are amazing. I love them and need to cook them at my house everyday. We did that for lunch. I ate way too many!!!! but then last night we went to Peppe's so Antonio could give a lesson on cooking gnocchi. And again I ate entirely too much. It tastes so good but it makes me miserable. I have issues with eating this much food. Today I took the stairs everywhere. :)

I love living in Napoli. I get excited walking around the University "area". I'm ready to start meeting people and building relationships.

We have a team from a church in Louisiana coming here tomorrow to work with us for a week. We'll be busy with that next week, but I'm excited.

Come back next week for more!!!!

so I don't have internet....but I'm in Italy!

ok so maybe it has been forever since I have blogged. sorry. I guess that last three weeks have been a little busy.....

well let's see, I made it to Italy! It was a long trip here, we had a delay in Munich and spent the day in the Munich airport. But we made it Naples and started off with some pizza of course. We got all moved in to our temporary apartment. It's temporary, but we love it and it's home. We share a family "courtyard" with an amazing family. They cook us food all the time and it's amazing. Last night I ate the best pizza I have ever tasted and it came from them. One night soon they are gonna teach us how to make it. What else.... they don't speak English, but they do speak a lot of fast Italian and occasionally some Napoletana. When we hang our clothes out to dry, they fix them because we do it the wrong way. :) We must be family! I'm so grateful for them and everything that they do for us. But like I said, this place won't be the whole two years.

When I got here almost our whole team came down with swine flu. Luckily I already had my dealings with swine flu in Brazil and didn't go through it again here. But it really knocked our team out. So the first week here was a little slow because of the sicknesses... but now things are moving along. I started language school last Thursday. I like language school, but I need more time to study. Or maybe I just need to study more.

The team is great! and they're gonna read this so I'll say it again... the team is great! haha. They let us bum their internet all the time. But obviously I am not always productive on the internet since this is the first blog I have written in Naples. :) Anyway there are a few pictures.... the courtyard and the city. It's big by the way. I love Naples. I don't like walking in the rain, and I have gotten over my issues with my shower yet. I'm praying about it. It's a little cold, sometimes. ok that's enough for now.

Pray for language learning, I need it.

Pray for our team retreat this weekend.

Pray for Peppe and Assunta, that we can continue to have good time with them.

bye for now!!!

Birthdays and Leaving

well well, we got our visas! Yay! We should by flying out sometime next week. I can't wait to get to Naples and join the team. So exciting. I don't want to say goodbye though. I might not be good at goodbyes. I'm good at just leaving though.... but I won't. haha.

Emily ( my niece ) had her 5th birthday this past Saturday. She celebrated by having a tea party birthday party. It was a blast and she and her friends thought the same, as the pictures show.

and tomorrow is my birthday!!!! I'm getting old. But embracing it!

They have started to cut the sugarcane in town and I've decided it will be bittersweet to say goodbye to it. I sure hate the stink that comes from the sugar mills and I hate the mess that comes from all the tractors. BUT this stinky, muddy town is home and I'll miss it. I guess I can't complain too much since I am moving to Italy!

PRAY for my time management this week, as I get final time in with friends and family. And I need to be packing and finishing up things at home.

Cortney

The Great City of New Iberia

well not much has gone on this last week. But I am enjoying my time at home and hanging out with friends and family. I am loving hanging out at church and with youth. As you can see from the pictures they are having a great time also! Saturday was FNL ( friday night live ) on saturday... it was a great time of junk food and karaoke. Gotta love it!

The new music minister started this week at church. We finally have a full staff. I like the new direction. I like that I get to play music too. Thanks Jesus.

Last Thursday the Highland Bears had a football game. They lost terribly but the fans had a good time. I'm just glad that they have a football team and I think the guys are doing great, so keep it up! It has to start somehow.

Last Tuesday Grace and I drove to Houston to apply for visas. They accepted our papers and now we are just waiting. Waiting is not fun. I just want to know what's going on and maybe I am a little impatient. Good thing to be in prayer for.... :)

One good thing about still waiting is that I get to be home to celebrate Emily's birthday this weekend. I'm really excited about that. And I get to celebrate my birthday next week! I'm getting old.

Well there is just a little update about my last week. I keep saying I'll update more but never do. I'll work on that....

~ Cortney

Back in Cajun Country

well I might be a little behind in updating the blog.....whoops. I'm back in New Iberia for the time being. FPO is over and it is sad. really sad. I much rather be around 300 people all day every day. I'll be home for about a month, and though it seems like a long time I feel like it will fly by. Let's have a little update though....

Well the last few weeks of FPO were great. We celebrated Elbert's birthday! Had a little 10 minute surprise birthday party for him at his house. It was great. We love Elbert. Probably the greatest man around.

We went to DC on our little FPO field trip. Had some Italian style pizza.... I'm so ready to eat it in Naples! Looked around for some Italians, and stumbled upon the White House. Great day! haha

I permanently marked myself the last week of FPO. So if I ever forget the life God has called me to, all I have to do is look at my wrist and remember... O yea tell people about Jesus.

So now I am back in Louisiana, and like I said it's kind of weird to not be around so many people all of the time. It is good to be back with friends and family though. I had a great day at church yesterday. I've really missed my church family and the great people I get to be around there. This weekend was the Sugarcane festival in New Iberia. I participated in none of the festivities but at least I was home for one last Sugarcane Festival weekend. :)

I finally got my new camera. I love new toys. I can't wait to use it in Italy, but for now New Iberia will be a good place to take pictures. My sister's kids are also great for taking pictures, as the pictures show.

Last night was a little farewell dinner for the Belmore's and myself. Highland finally has a music minister, which means finally a full staff! yay! Caroline had a little too much fun with the camera. But a great night there.

Tomorrow I drive over to Houston to apply for my visa. Pray that Grace and I will have the right answers for the people at the consulate and that the visa process is smooth. We need them!

I think I have a pretty busy week, but I will keep this updated... if I don't forget!

Cortney