The Main (5) Thing(s)

Ashley Howell
Apr 24, 2017
4 min read

It's almost the end of the month which means it's time for a new blog post! I hope these blog posts are helping you understand why we are here, what we are doing here, and what we are learning! This post is going to be dedicated to things I (Ashley) have learned ALREADY in these short 3 months since we touched down in Italy. Then I will talk about what we have been up to lately.

5 Main Points of Things I've Learned:

Flexibility.

If any of you have been around me for like... a day, you knowww this is not my strongest attribute. I love to plan. I love to make lists. I love to know other's plans. I love to know what I'm going to do today, tomorrow, next week, and maybe even next month! BUT I'm learning to let those things go a little. I remember sitting in training some months ago and someone saying "you'll need to be flexible". I was secretly hoping they were joking or that I could work around it, but no. It's a true fact. Flexibility is key here in Italy and glorifying God and I'm becoming more cool with that. Having goals doesn't go out the window, but plans do leave room for sporadic Godly conversations to happen.

Remember who you and and what you stand for.

It's very important here as a missionary, to remember your gifts, remember what God has blessed you with as a person. The minute you forget is the minute that you overlook what you have to offer and what you can do here.

Everything takes time.

Another thing that maybe I'm not good at, but hey, at least I'm learning! Missions (and by that I mean sharing the gospel) is ALL about relationships. Building a relationship takes time. Being patient in the Lord's time is necessary. I'm trying to remember that.

Your cup can't be empty to fill others up.

I'm pretty positive this wasn't an original idea ;) But I'm claiming it for a few seconds. How in the world am I (and others) suppose to fill someones else's cup with love, encouragement, the Word of God, and prayer if my own cup isn't full to pour? I'm learning this. Taking time for myself is necessary to recuperate and recharge from all the awesome things we are doing here!

Be joyful and glorify God in everything you do.

I don't have much to say about this point. It speaks for itself. I'm very thankful for my little bracelet that says, "glorify". What a great reminder throughout the day to do everything for the One we put our Hope in.

Recap of the Month of April

Wowza we've done a lot!

Of course we've continued with our classes, and added a few! I've added a group class of two and Nathan has added a new student (to him, not new new). We also took over the advanced English class taught at the church building on Thursday nights. We are happy about it and love it, but we took over for our sweet interim assistant directors, Milo and Karen, who left this month. We were sad to see them go. One of the students in this class was baptized recently, so keep him in your prayers! We have also continued with our classes at the Scandicci Library and Nathan has continued playing in the bands. He has a concert and parade coming up! I'm very excited to see him play again!! It was our sweet Bible School baby's birthday this month. She turned one. We gave her a cake to smash. It was beyond adorable!

A few weekends ago, people came to the Bible School so we could have a meeting about the Youth Camp that is happening at the end of the summer. It went well and I'm looking forward to helping/experiencing an Italian camp.

Obviously it was Easter last weekend. It was wonderful to worship with the Florence church and then we headed to the Harding Villa for lunch and fellowship.

We've been blessed by different visitors, with many more to come! James and Meredith's Mission Minister came to visit. It was very uplifting to here their stories of being on the mission field and wisdom from their experiences. We also have had a mom and daughter who are missionaries in Rwanda who are here to see Florence. It's been very encouraging to have others here who know what it's like!

We have almost finished our 3 months of language school. We are so thankful for it and will continue to grow in our knowledge!

We've also had a team meeting to discuss what we will do this summer when we don't meet with our students. A lot of fun and exciting things are being planned and I can't wait to share them with you soon!! That's all for now!

Please pray for:

The Avanti Italia Team

Our wonderful directors

Our newly baptized brother- Giuseppe

Making the right decisions for summer plans

Serving the church and people of Italy in a way that is pleasing to God.

Ciao for now!

-A

Enjoy the pictures!