More than faithful

I wasn't planning on blogging today...I have a ton of schoolwork to do, and no matter how much time I spend with my books, stuff just doesn't seem to be getting done. And right now my heart is so full with joy and amazement at how wonderful God is!

This semester has been nothing short of amazing so far. Seriously. It has been one adventure after another, and I truly do learn something new every day. Living in a new culture has been so exciting and I've had a blast meeting new people and learning a new language and way of life. But over the past week or so I've been starting to feel really drained. It truly is exhausting to have to constantly be thinking about every little detail: body language, facial expressions, where or how you're walking, even just thinking about how to communicate with people. My schoolwork has started to pick up too, and I've just realized over the past few days how much there actually is to do. And although Amanda, Carey, and I are having a blast together, it's been a little discouraging that I haven't made as many friends as quickly as I would have hoped: I had been starting to get to know a few people in some of my classes, but the way to get to know most people is to "go out" (aka head to the discotecas and drink the night away), but that's just not my style.

So this is starting to sound like a really depressing post, and you're probably wondering how any of this could be good. Well, it doesn't get good...it gets amazing.

At the beginning of the semester when I realized I wasn't in Grantham anymore, I prayed that by the end of the semester I would clearly know what my convictions are and have the boldness to live by them every day. Of course, life goes on and we forget these little prayers...praise God He doesn't. One night a few weeks ago I was feeling kind of discouraged, and so I put on some worship music while doing the dishes and just started to pray. God so gently reminded me about my prayer and that he was using this time to teach me about convictions. Haha, don't you love it when he does that?

Since then, I've been reminding myself about that night and my prayer. It's still not always easy, but I finally came to a place where I was okay if I didn't come out at the end of the semester with a whole new group of "BFFs." I decided that I wouldn't not try to get to know people, but that it also wasn't realistic to think I'd leave with life-long friends.

Enter God stage right. Yep. Carey and I went to church this weekend at International Christian Fellowship, and I don't think I have ever felt so at home in a church so quickly. I'll post again at a later date all about church (once I have more pictures), but for now, let me just say that I have a church family here in Rome. It was so refreshing to be back in the house of God with other believers, and I am so excited to go back again next Sunday. It was just what I needed...God is so good!

And it doesn't end there. Today after class, one of the girls in the program was sitting nearby and asked me the time. She and I had been in the same van from the airport on our first day here, and we've chatted a bit, but I haven't gotten to know her too well. So anyways, after asking me the time, she kinda paused a bit, then carefully asked if I had been reading my Bible one day last week (it was the one morning last week when we had to leave super early for class and I brought my Bible and journal to school with me for my break between classes). When I said that I had, she asked if I was a Christian - after my affirmative reply, she said she is too! We were both so excited! We talked for a bit about churches and such, and I think she's going to come to church with us next Sunday. Then, not even two hours later, a friend from two of my classes was walking by and stopped to say hi to me and Amanda. The three of us chatted for a while (she has a friend who goes to Messiah), and throughout the conversation she mentioned a missions trip she had been on, Young Life, and praise music...I was pretty sure, but to make sure I wasn't dreaming I asked if she was a Christian. Yes! It was amazing. Almost five weeks of being here and in two hours I discover that two people I've known the whole time are sisters in Christ. Less than an hour after that I received a followup call from a member of ICF just wanting to welcome me and see how things were going.

I can't even explain the joy, peace, relief, and amazement I feel right now. I have never felt so blessed. At the times when I have been most discouraged, frustrated, and lonely, God has stepped in and reminded me that he is still with me, regardless of where I am in the world. No matter what has happened, God has proven himself more than faithful!