Her Royal Highness

See this cute adorable woman?

I stood two feet from her last.

Yes, yes that's right. Two feet from her.

No it does not matter that she was in her green jag. I was still two feet from her.

How did this happen you might ask????

Well, my brother-in-law has a thing for always being in the right place at the right time. One morning in London we got up and thought we would go to see the changing of the guards. As we got closer to the palace I saw that there was no one standing around and figured there would be no changing of the guards that day. I have been once previously and it was full of people.

We walked right up to the gates only to find a handful of people standing around. A few of which happened to be secret agent people. Well, Aaron being Aaron walked right up to one of them to ask about the changing of the guards. After almost being killed by looks, Aaron crossed the street back to where we were standing. And would you know, right then the procession of the Queen's crew drove out. Her car stopped right in front of us. We bent down, looked in at her cute red outfit, waved and smiled, and off she drove.

Two seconds later...... "Did that just happen?!?!?!?!"

What are the odds that we would be there right at that moment?

Go places with Aaron and you are bound to be in the right place at the right time for meeting those people more well known than the most of us. :)

Cheers!

My trip in bullet points

I will write more details in the days to come, but just for a preview....

• Stayed in the Westin Paris. nice
• Christy brought me nice treats
• Riverboat tour through Paris
• Ate real good food
• Went up the Eiffel Tower
• Met Barbara and "Mona" Wade
• Rode bikes through the royal grounds at Versailles
• Had me a crepe in Paris
• Rode the tunnel train from Paris to London
• Sat with a plastic surgeon from Rome
• Saw some mummies at the British museum
• Watched a jazz band in a crypt under a church in London
• Ate some amazing berry muffins everyday from the hotel in London
• Stood two feet from the Queen of England. yep. I did.
• Saw Wicked with Christy. :)
• Had tea and scones in Windsor
• Had my first Bed & Breakfast experience
• Worshipped at a church in Windsor
• Hung out in a GNC. great feeling
• Did some debriefing
• Ate food cooked by the cooked of a food blog I follow. hehe

In all, very good trip. Glad to be home.

and the weather is real nice. :)

My week and next week/s..... :)

This week was pretty exciting and eventful. It consisted of our first meetings of English club. Students actually showed up and we made new friends. Friends from our English club invited us to go to a British Community night. Apparently there is a group that meets every week to speak English. As English speakers ourselves.... we joined in on all the fun.

I've met up with a student from our English club, Valeria, to help her with some last minuted preparations for an upcoming English test.

I'm loving my favorite bar this week, as I occasionally get my cafe for free. :)

Do you feel rushed in reading this blog?

Sorry, I know. I'm rushing you.

It's because I'm rushing myself.

O yea, tomorrow I leave for Paris.

Christy, here I come!!!!!

I'll be traveling to Paris and London to spend some time with Christy and Aaron and then I'll wrap up my time with some debriefing in London.

All that to say..... see you when I return!

Perseverance and Pocket Lint

I still have not sat down to write through all of my thoughts from Highland's week in Naples. But I am afraid that I can not put this blog off any longer.

I am a seeker of wisdom. Notice, I said "seeker" and not possessor. I love to be around people who are wiser than myself; those that make me question my actions and motives; those that make me seek God harder just because I saw their life. I pray that some day, when I'm older, I will be wiser. Sure, God can grant me wisdom with the snap of His finger; but until He does that I must continue to seek out those who are wiser than myself and put myself in a learning position.

I asked of one wiser than myself to leave me with a "thought", "word", "encouragement", etc., (mostly, I still can't think of the word in English to describe what I was asking for) before they left to return to America.

The word I got:

Perseverance

Shortly after this word left his lips, I heard something else.

"Oh look, pocket lint!"

Thus begun the strange workings of my brain.

Perseverance and Pocket Lint

It was 5 a.m. and I was a bit tired. I caught a 6:30 a.m. train back to Naples and had much time to think and meditate on this "Perseverance and Pocket Lint" phrase. The more I thought, the more it fit.

As believers, we will always have good times and tough times in our lives. There is a season for everything. Naples is a tough place to do ministry. It's old; it's traditional; it's Italian. These people don't want or welcome change. But that does not mean they are not still in desperate need of the gospel. If I had 6 years left in Naples, I would seek to persevere. If I had 1 week left in Naples, I would seek to persevere. I have 4 months left in Naples, so I will persevere.

"...we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:3-5

No matter what the tribulation is, we persevere, because perseverance brings on much more. Through all of the tough things that may have happened here in Naples, I have learned. What may have seemed bad in the moment, will down the road be seen as beneficial and has spurred on growth. The end goal is not success. It is God. So I persevere, knowing that whatever it happening is an opportunity to know God more; and His love has been pour out within my heart, so I have no other needs.

Whereas perseverance may be a more weighty word, pocket lint is not so much. At the moment though, it holds the same weight. How can pocket lint compare to a thing such as perseverance? When I think of perseverance, I know it entails learning new things and learning more about God. Around of all the things I must persevere through, there is also "life." Everyday life. Which for me, here in Naples, I can describe as POCKET LINT.

Pocket lint. It is the stuff that just sort of collects in your pockets from day to day. Usually you aren't even aware that it is there. But it is, and it's accumulating. Then one day, you stick your hands in your pockets and pull out some pocket lint. Let's stop there with the analogy, because if you think even further through it, pocket lint is no longer of any value. :)

I learn so many lessons for life just by living here. Things like building friendships, learning languages, managing a home, parenting, child psychology, cooking skills, etc. Pocket lint. Yes, most of the time I am aware of the new lessons I am learning. But many times, I am unaware of how important some of these lessons will be later in life. They just keep accumulating in my pocket. One day I will pull them out.

And so, without putting much time and thought into it, and without proof-reading, I have written on Perseverance and Pocket Lint. In my time with Campus Outreach, I was taught how to label periods in my life. To help classify different times and to be able to remember what God was teaching me at different points.

Napoli/Journeyman ~ Perseverance and Pocket Lint

Behind in times...

This is a two-fold title.

First, Italy is behind in times. I just thought I would let you know that.

Yes, the Italian country side is perhaps an appealing life-style, but then one day you wake up to a cold-water shower and myth believing neighbors. My wet hair never made me sick in America, only in Italy.

Second, the real reason I am writing this post....

I am behind in times. I have been absent from the blog. Due to some of my favorite Americans being in Italy. Yep, you heard it; my favorite Americans were in Naples. Therefore, I had no time to write; and therefore, I now have much to write.

Vi lascio qua.

Small World

This is the world.

Small isn't it?

You don't agree?

I'll prove it to you.

This is Kuwait

Wait, let me pull out some to give you perspective....

There we go.

Do you still see it? It's marked with the red arrow. See it? Ok good.

MOVING ALONG

This is Louisiana.

Oh. Crud. Wrong picture.

There we go.

Sorry, I'm around too many people who have Texas pride. It seems that Texas PRIDE has rubbed off on me. Only, pride for the right state that is. :)

I was saying.....

In Louisiana there are Ragin Cajuns.

They eat things like this

and this

and this

Oh, sorry. I got distracted.

ANYWAY

This is Lisbon, Portugal

This is a piazza (I only know the Italian word for this type of space now) in Lisbon

Now. What is the point of this blog? Well, I'll tell you.

In this very piazza, in Lisbon, Portugal, I, Cortney, a true RAGIN CAJUN, from Louisiana, met a guy, whose name I do not remember because of it's difficulty, from Kuwait, who also graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2006 in engineering, with some very close friends of mine.

Now do you see?

I told you. It is a small world.

Gospel Choir in Italy

I miss Isaiah Gee Dugas and Kaelyn James.

I miss their music too.

But I'm grateful that God loves His children and sometimes we get blessing greater than we can imagine. Like Italian gospel choirs.

It just so happens that my church started a gospel choir right when I started going there. I love it. So I thought I would share it with the world.

Give Thanks [HQ]

Trading My Sorrow [HQ]

I Need You To Survive [HQ]

Haleluja [HQ]