6 months.
its been about 6 months since i've seen my family. which includes my friends. i could say family and friends, but really, my friends are just as much family. my mom, my dad, my brother, my brothers, my sisters, my church family, my dog Pixie!
i was lucky enough to get to spend a couple of days with my friend Esther in the U.K. and apart from her, I've not seen anyone in person that I knew prior to coming here.
it's a very weird feeling spending 6 months away from those you love and care for the most. even though i've been in italy, where its really similar living conditions to the US (minus SUVs and air conditioning and plus a lot more pasta), it can by quite hard and difficult to be "alone" or "on your own".
i've definitely grown during this time. i've had high times and low, times with God, times away from Him. i've experienced so much that, Lord willing, i'll never forget. i mean, i'm a west virginia boy. always have been, always will be. i've never lived in VA, OH, or KY or any other state but then i took up after 21 years and made a town the size of huntington and the night life of kenova in Italy, my new home.
i've not seen everything there is to see here, i plan on coming back next year and seeing more of the south of Italy like Naples, Sicily, and other coastal cities, they're quite beautiful.
there were times here where i felt like i wasn't really supposed to be here and there were the exact opposite times too. as i finish my work here, i hope and pray that those i've served feel that i've accomplished a lot and that i've been helpful. i was lucky to recieve an email from the coordinator for Europe's IM (International Ministries) about my time here and it partly inspired me to write this entry. i wish i could have done even more for the radio, i feel like i've been blessed more than i've been able to bless.
God gave me a couple of mothers while i've been here. they've been great. Luciana especially has been so amazing to me. She has invited me to dinner countless times, made me food that i like, made tiramisu (the greatest dessert in Italy) multiple times, and has bought me groceries several times. It's nice to have people here looking out for you when it seems like no one is, or no one normally would be.
i encourage anyone that is considering missionary work to serve a short term position, either for a summer, for 6 months, or for a year. a lot of me just wants to go home, raise some more support and go serve again somewhere new. i really feel God is calling me to finish with school though, after school, with more education, i might be able to be used in new and better ways.
that's another great thing that's happened while here. God's given me some direction in my life and where i should be going with it. It is definitely a HUGE answer to prayer and has calmed my heart greatly. i'm going back to Marshall in the fall and studying Philosophy. God didn't show me the full path though, He just gave me the next step, so i don't know where i'll go after i finish with my Phil. degree. It seems there are a few paths after school, all of which just mean more school, but three different places. My three options are Seminary, Law school, or a Master's program somewhere. If God calls me to ministry, i'd really like to go to Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. For law school, anywhere but WVU (haha), and for masters, i'm not too particular on that either.
i guess i write all this stuff, to try and show some of the changes that have occurred in my life over the last 6 months. These 6 months have been as influential about as much as my first year in college, my christian school education, and all that stuff. It's been HUGE.
i guess i've written enough, probably more than the average person will read. if you made it this far, way to go!
now for the next 6 months!
grace and peace,
-bryan
i was lucky enough to get to spend a couple of days with my friend Esther in the U.K. and apart from her, I've not seen anyone in person that I knew prior to coming here.
it's a very weird feeling spending 6 months away from those you love and care for the most. even though i've been in italy, where its really similar living conditions to the US (minus SUVs and air conditioning and plus a lot more pasta), it can by quite hard and difficult to be "alone" or "on your own".
i've definitely grown during this time. i've had high times and low, times with God, times away from Him. i've experienced so much that, Lord willing, i'll never forget. i mean, i'm a west virginia boy. always have been, always will be. i've never lived in VA, OH, or KY or any other state but then i took up after 21 years and made a town the size of huntington and the night life of kenova in Italy, my new home.
i've not seen everything there is to see here, i plan on coming back next year and seeing more of the south of Italy like Naples, Sicily, and other coastal cities, they're quite beautiful.
there were times here where i felt like i wasn't really supposed to be here and there were the exact opposite times too. as i finish my work here, i hope and pray that those i've served feel that i've accomplished a lot and that i've been helpful. i was lucky to recieve an email from the coordinator for Europe's IM (International Ministries) about my time here and it partly inspired me to write this entry. i wish i could have done even more for the radio, i feel like i've been blessed more than i've been able to bless.
God gave me a couple of mothers while i've been here. they've been great. Luciana especially has been so amazing to me. She has invited me to dinner countless times, made me food that i like, made tiramisu (the greatest dessert in Italy) multiple times, and has bought me groceries several times. It's nice to have people here looking out for you when it seems like no one is, or no one normally would be.
i encourage anyone that is considering missionary work to serve a short term position, either for a summer, for 6 months, or for a year. a lot of me just wants to go home, raise some more support and go serve again somewhere new. i really feel God is calling me to finish with school though, after school, with more education, i might be able to be used in new and better ways.
that's another great thing that's happened while here. God's given me some direction in my life and where i should be going with it. It is definitely a HUGE answer to prayer and has calmed my heart greatly. i'm going back to Marshall in the fall and studying Philosophy. God didn't show me the full path though, He just gave me the next step, so i don't know where i'll go after i finish with my Phil. degree. It seems there are a few paths after school, all of which just mean more school, but three different places. My three options are Seminary, Law school, or a Master's program somewhere. If God calls me to ministry, i'd really like to go to Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. For law school, anywhere but WVU (haha), and for masters, i'm not too particular on that either.
i guess i write all this stuff, to try and show some of the changes that have occurred in my life over the last 6 months. These 6 months have been as influential about as much as my first year in college, my christian school education, and all that stuff. It's been HUGE.
i guess i've written enough, probably more than the average person will read. if you made it this far, way to go!
now for the next 6 months!
grace and peace,
-bryan