Prayer Letter

Here is a letter (I meant to mail it to everyone but...) that explains my heart behind working with Mission of Hope. It has some prayer request at the bottom. Wednesday is the big day. I fly out from RDU to Miami, meet up with the other interns, and then on to Port au Prince. I'm excited and nervous. Thanks for the prayers.
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I wanted to write and tell you about my upcoming plans for fall of 2011. I know that I’m friends with all of you in different capacities, but you are receiving this letter because I’m confident in your love the Lord and belief in the power of prayer.

I have traveled to Haiti twice on weeklong mission trips with Young Life International. I went in 2008 and then this past spring. Each trip was unique and challenging in its own way. No words can describe Haiti. I was shocked at the level of poverty in 2008 and returning in 2011 after the earthquake was just as stunning. It’s hard to believe that the island of Hispaniola is only 1 and a half hours from Miami. This past year Haiti has been laid in my path many ways. First, I ran across The Apparent Project on a blog. The Apparent Project is based in Port-au-Prince Haiti, and its goal is to create jobs for Haitians in order that they might be good parents and citizens. The project makes beautiful jewelry out of recycled cereal boxes (http://www.apparentproject.org). After having huge success in hosting a jewelry party for them, I did a semester long project on how micro-business could be expanded. The spring semester of my Jr. year I also took a class on Caribbean women, where I did a research project solely on religion on the island of Hispaniola. In March of the spring semester I returned to Haiti with Raleigh Young Life to serve. It was a different experience than my trip in 2008 because I was older and had studied the country. I knew the history of corrupt political leaders and deforestation. I questioned more about how the Haitian’s felt about American missionaries and aid workers. I struggled with thoughts and questions that I still haven’t answered, but was reminded by each child that I played with that we are all made in the image of our living God. Once back from Haiti I continued my classes and work with the Apparent Project and prayed for my Haitian friends, often hoping that maybe next spring break I would get to visit again.

I met Laura Kirchofer in my social entrepreneurship class. She knew of my interest in Haiti because of my project and travels. She is active in UNC Greek Life which is a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ in which I participate. Laura asked me to go to lunch one day to talk about Haiti. She told me she felt called to take the following fall semester off and serve there. I was impressed by her clear discernment of God’s will and evident desire to follow His leading. I told her all I knew about Haiti, organizations, etc. I told her I would pray for her and give her all the help I could. Laura and I continued to meet over the next few weeks, talking about Haiti and becoming quick friends. Laura is very gifted in business and is fluent in French. She is passionate, faithful and intelligent. I can easily see how she will be an asset in Haiti.

After school ended Laura and I still kept in touch and she asked me if I would ever consider going to Haiti next semester. I responded “if the Lord showed me” (aka I don’t really want to leave Chapel Hill my senior year, so if I see a burning bush… maybe). I told her I would pray about it. I prayed and God started the process of changing my heart through Psalm 84. In Haiti when asked my name and responding “Becca”, everyone laughs. “Baca” “Baca”, they would chant and giggle. I didn’t get it until an older kid said your name means pig. They loved to tattoo me with the word Baca. Psalm 84 states “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage, As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they will make it a place of springs;”.The whole Psalm spoke to my heart and the “Baca” caught my attention. If “better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere”, then why would I worry about leaving for a semester? After many prayers and continual confirmation that I am supposed to serve in Haiti next semester I am ready to move forward. The Lord has worked everything so perfectly that I only need one more semester to graduate college, and I will graduate with my class in May of 2012! This summer I have so clearly seen the Lord’s faithfulness and provision. He is GOOD!

It has been a busy summer. I will be leaving September 7th to intern at Mission of Hope (mohhaiti.org). I’m excited. My main duties will be helping host and lead mission teams that come down for weeks at a time. The Lord has so graciously provided a subletter for my room and many other blessings along the way. As September 7th quickly approaches please pray for Haiti and the upcoming semester.

Here are a couple of things that you can pray for:
-pray for the people and poverty of Haiti. Pray that they would know the Lord and His glory would shine throughout the land.
-pray for the weather and political leadership of Haiti.
-Pray for the programs at Mission of Hope (Orphanage, Medical Clinic, School, Cord of 3 Strands Ministry, and the week long mission teams.)
-Pray for the leaders of Mission of Hope and Young Life in Haiti.
-Pray for both Laura and my heart, that we would love the Haitians with Christ love and have servant attitudes.
-Pray for safety and travel and against worry.

Thank you guys so much for your prayers. I have seen its power over the months.

In Our Fathers Love,
Becca Troxler

It's almost August 8th

It’s been awhile. Honestly, between the garden, the Loft, and being MOH, blogging has not crossed my mind. I came across a blog tonight and decided that I should write just for old time sake. There is not much to tell. Summer ’10 has been pretty much what I thought it would be. Lots of wedding talk, a little work, and sweet time with my crazy family. All in all, a wonderful summer. Here is a quick photo recap of all the main events from May-July.

-Hanging out with the family. Whether at the lake, dance recitals, or in the garden, family time has brought many laughs and fun memories.





-Taking Al and Steven’s engagement pictures at the lake. I love taking pictures and it was fun to have a photo shoot. What a pretty pair they make!





-Charleston for Al’s Bachelorette weekend getaway. Gotta love girl trips!



-More wedding craziness. Showers. Bachelorette parties. Who knew what being MOH entailed?




-4th of July at SML! Always one of my favorite holidays. We had the best time at the lake and we couldn’t have had a more fun group!




Although much more has happened since returning from Firenze, these photos seem to capture most of the excitement of the past 2 months. I’ve learned a lot being home. Some of the main things I have learned come through being MOH (maid of honor). For all of you (the two people who probably still read my blog) who do not know what being MOH requires, I’ll give you a brief synopsis of the requirements:
1.Fix the brides dress and hold her flowers when she says her vows. Hold the ring until she puts it on the groom’s finger.
2.Stay calm and reassure bride at all times. Try to keep drama to a minimum
3.Go cake testing. Eat lots of yummy cake  (my favorite part so far)
4.Give a toast (a little worried about this one)
5.Plan bachelorette party/ events

I’ve enjoyed being MOH. My favorite part about this whole wedding deal is the things you hear people say. I’ve been keeping a word document of my favorite quotes. Here’s a few for your enjoyment:

-(Alex and FiFi talking about wedding bands in Panera. Al trying to explain to Steven why he can’t get his wedding band from Walmart. Steven responds that he can always just get another one because all that happens anyway is…) “A human being is going to bless a piece of metal and call it special”. O’ males.

-(after I had been reading mom the His needs, Her needs book that describes how men and women need different things in marriage/a mate. The author says that one important thing to males is an attractive mate, while he suggests that women need is love, regardless of attractiveness. At this my mother scoffs and responds…) “Why do we have to suffer with the bald fat man…did a man write that book (after I laugh and try to explain)… and you think I’m kidding Becca.”

-And my personal favorite dad’s response to most situations that arise in the planning…. “Gosh girls, it ain’t that hard.” The funny thing is that most of the time he is hitting the nail on the head.

Aside from all the wedding laughs and fun, I have seen again how changing environments affect my heart and thoughts. Being home, reading books, having some time alone to read and reflect has once again shown me that despite my circumstances God is always the same. My days are not my own. If Christ is not the center, my everything, then my life is in vain. Despite knowing these truths, there is no use in worrying or working effortlessly for the kingdom if my work is for myself or with a heart that is not listening to Christ. Faith. Patience. Humility. Trust. Just a few very tough but cool lessons I’ve been learning this summer. It’s been quite the ride. I’ll leave you with a few quotes and passages that have marked my heart this summer:

17. Keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.
–Ephesians 1:17-20

10. “Be still, and know, that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10

“There comes the baffling call of God in our lives also. The call of God can never be stated explicitly, it is implicit. The call of God is like the call of the sea, no one hears it but the one who has the nature of the sea in him. It cannot be stated definitely what the call of God is to, because his call is to be in comradeship with himself for his own purpose, and the test is to believe that God knows what he is after.” (My Utmost for His Highest- Oswald Chambers)

“Obey God in the thing he shows you, and instantly the next thing is opened up. God will never reveal more truth about himself until you have obeyed what you know already…This chapter brings out the delight of real friendship with God.” –Oswald Chambers

I’m always being molded and shaped into the woman God has called me to be, and knowing that I have great HOPE and excitement! “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you” – Romans 8:11

2 weeks till the big day. I gain a brother and Al loses the last name Troxler. Weird!

Wing Wing. Meow Meow. Love Love.
Bec

Ciao Firenze. Ciao Brown Summit.

The blog is dead. Now it is alive again. For the time being anyway.
I’M HOME! In sweet little Browns Summit, with the garden across the road, Huey barking, and where the wedding planning has reached a new level! It’s been awesome to be home. All the fun little things I have missed like grocery shopping with mom and talking in the yard with Sue, seem extra pleasant after being gone for four months. I would be lying to say that I haven’t missed Bella Rosa though. Bella Rosa, Chicken Man, the Arno runs, Hil’s dancing, family dinners, sorority 24: miss them all.

I was thinking about how I could sum up my time in Italy and I decided that I’m not quite ready. I’m still learning things through my four months abroad, and I think that it will be quite some time before I can process all I saw and learned in Italy. While there are so many things I learned and could write about, I think Hil and my list of things we love about our time abroad is most fitting for my last Italian post. This list was composed while sitting on an airplane returning to the US of A.

Here it goes…

ITALY LOVES:
<3. Snell Up soda- 30 cent well spent
<3. Coffee yogurt with cheap brand flakes
<3. The Dante walking tour: talking Dante
<3. My busted bed with a mind of its own
<3. Iceland Volcano (this is a love/hate relationship)
<3. My little black Italian cell phone
<3. Acting like I know what Italians are saying, when really I’m as lost as can be!
<3. Family dinners. Brie cheese.
<3. Arno Runs
<3. Hearing Venice and Melis through the wall
<3. Hang drying clothes/ the sketchy basement and live in man
<3. The code: no keys!
<3. Sorority 24
<3. Free hostel breakfast
<3. Tutto .99
<3. Florence Gospel Fellowship. Tula.
<3. The many Panini shops: Veggie at Antiquo and walnut sauce at Oil shoppe
<3. “This is why I’m hot”. “OMG”- market men
<3. Walking by the wedding shop on the way to Italian every morning
<3. The 1000 stairs up to Italian at 8am (love/hate)
<3. 30 cent cappuccino machine
<3. Beds pushed together/ nightly prayers
<3. Wearing dresses to the Ital. DR’s office…O’ the lessons I learned!
<3. Piazza della Signoria singing guitar man: U2, Coldplay, and Robbie Williams.
<3. Little writing spot at Piazzale Michelangelo
<3. The cage/ skyping
<3. Coffee packets in the morning
<3. Exploring
<3. Rach and Venice’s artwork
<3. Cooking class girls
<3. Piazza Santa Croce in the spring: all the people and the puppet shows!
<3. Chicken man: “ciao Rebecca”
<3. Andrea’s Cinquecentro (car)
<3. FB stalking/ status updates
<3. Trying to speak Italian
<3. Playing songs on repeat
<3. Bus2Alps trips: Interlaken, Austria, Almalfi Coast.
<3. Stationary stores
<3. The Arno at night
<3. The illegal love lock on Ponte Vecchio…one day
<3. The nightlife around Santa Croce/ REX of course!
<3. Getting chased by Panini man
<3. YouTube with Chiara and Andrea

The list could go on and on! Overall, these past four months have been incredible! I thank God for allowing me to have this experience in Italy and helping me meet Chiara and Andrea. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them”- Romans 8:28. Thanks for reading the blog and all the many prayers. Ciao Florence and study abroad. Ciao Brown Summit and summer ’10.

“When a traveler returneth home, let him not leave the countries where he hath traveled altogether behind him.” – Francis Bacon
I’ll never leave Italy behind. It will always hold a special place in my heart, and I WILL visit often! Promise ;)

Giorni Felice

Update that has taken a while. Sorry.

Spring Break was great. I’m pretty sure I will NEVER again have a Spring Break trip to Greece, so I loved every minute of it. We flew into Athens, ferried to Santorini and Paros. Here’s a few favorite things from Greece:

-The Plaka in Athens. The Plaka was the main area in Athens where many shops, restaurants and street vendors congregated. I can’t say I have ever experienced anything quite like the Plaka before. It was very “Greek” but there were also little men selling fake bags and throw down tomatoes everywhere. The Plaka had a weird feel, but I enjoyed it. We could have sat there for hours and just watched all the people walk around. I also enjoyed the yummy Greek food. Best Baklava found in the Plaka, hands down.

-Paul’s rock in the Acropolis. I enjoyed all of the Acropolis really, but Paul’s rock was the coolest. I would not have known that Paul preached on the rock unless I had read the little plaque. Thank goodness we did! It was pretty neat to think that thousands of years ago the apostle Paul stood and preached, converting many, on the very rock which I was standing. We stayed on the rock for a while and had a great time just wondering around the Acropolis.






-The Greek people. Well most of them. Almost everyone we met in Greece was extremely friendly and nice. Everywhere we went we seemed to get free food, useful information and smiles! I’m a Greece girl! The only Greek who I do not like, is the person that stole Melis’s wallet on the metro. Luckily it was on one of the last days, and her passport was in her bag. God protected us once again.

-ATVs. When we went to Santorini we were advised by George (the owner of the Villas we stayed at, whom we loved) to rent ATVS and explore the island for the day! We didn’t know what to expect, but they were cheap and it seemed like the best option. Having the ATVs was basically like renting a car. They just drive them on the road, and since it was off season, our two little ATVs were the only vehicles on the road. We explored the whole island! It was great fun. Only about died once. We didn’t see a car coming…ATVs don’t have get up like cars…went on 2 wheels…but hey we are still alive and have a story to tell! Thanks for all the prayers, I could really feel them!

- Naousa. Naousa is the restaurant that we ate at twice for dinner in Santorini! It not only had AMAZING food but the owner loved us, probably because it was off season and we were paying customers, and he always gave us free stuff. Note -> if you give people free stuff they will come back. I’m gonna remember that for Wing Wings.

-Betty Apartments in Paros. We stayed in Drios Village in Paros. Drios village: population 80 on a good day. Betty, who owned the apartments, reminded me of a sweet grandma. Her restaurant, which was right in front of the apartments, just happened to open the night we got there! She cooked us a fabulous Greek dinner of chicken sufloki and yummy humus dip. We got free dessert once again. Since there was absolutely nothing to do in Drios village, we ended up just talking to Betty’s son about growing up in Greece and going to the university. It was quite an entertaining night. He told us about dressing up as the “Jesus baby” and going to psychedelic parties on the beach. Before we left Italy, Emily had a Rick Steve’s video on Greece and in the video Rick says “make sure you get to know some of the locals”. We definitely got to know some of the locals, and it was quite a funny experience.

-Greek animals. Dogs. Cats. Donkeys. Random animals seem to be everywhere in Greece. We always had a dog following us, or a cat poking around near us. I enjoyed all the funny animals.

-Greek sandals and pottery. We loved the sandal shops and brightly painted handmade pottery!

-The food. No more pizza and pasta but Greek salads, sufloki, and pita! Yum yum. I really enjoyed the Greek food and the way no one ever rushed in Greece. We would sit at dinner or lunch for two or more hours. I rarely take time just to sit and enjoy meals and company. It was great spring break!

We got home on Saturday and Mom, Al and Gram got into Florence on Sunday. If I wrote about everything we did, all me laughed at, and ate, then I might write a novel. We had the best time! We went to Cinque Terre on Wednesday. We had fun on the trains. Got on the wrong one, bout missed one, got caught in the automatic doors. Good times and great memories. The week they were here seemed like the fastest week I have had in Florence. I was very sad to see them leave on Saturday but there visit just reminded me of all that I love back at home. May 15th will be a sweet day.







-I was in Florence for Easter. There is this weird tradition called Scoppio del Carro. Basically there are 1000000 people standing outside of the Duomo, a mechanical dove flies into this cart full of fireworks, and then it all explodes. It was like the 4th of July but a lot better. The fire cart was legit, but we couldn’t quite figure out how it pertained to Easter/ why it is a Florentine tradition. If you would like to better understand the exploding cart please refer to http://www.ultimateitaly.com/festival-events/scoppio-del-carro.html. One more reason to love Firenze!



-While I greatly missed the annual Easter egg hunt, yummy food, and church with the family, we went to a wonderful Easter service at the English church near Bella Rosa! There are many funny things about the church service. From watching Michel W. Smith YouTube videos for worship, random testimonies, and the biscuits after the service; it’s not your traditional American church. Every time we have gone though, I have been reminded of what the Body of Christ looks like. Tula (the little missionary lady from Finland) starts out the service by saying “We come in the name of Jesus”. Everything about the church to me points to Jesus. The music might be YouTube videos, the speakers may be random people, and the English might not be perfect, but like Tula says: it’s all about Jesus. This week the speaker was a young woman from Kenya who had come to Italy to study design. Before she started she said “I don’t know what to say but the Spirit will lead me”. Her testimony was very encouraging and her story was permeated with the Spirit guiding her. She was dependent on Him, and He led her. Not your typical Easter Sunday message, but so clearly what the audience (I) needed to hear! He has risen!

-Yesterday Melis and I went to dinner with Chiara and her boyfriend, Andrea! We had the best time. They picked us up and drove us outside the city to a pizza place (Pizza Man). Pizza Man had some great pizza! It was so fun to be outside the heart of Florence and at a more local restaurant. We tried to speak Italian to the best of our abilities, but Chiara served as translator for us most of the time! After pizza we got gelato! It was probably one of my favorite nights in Florence! Next Wednesday we are cooking them typical American food. I'm exicted! If you have any suggestions that don’t involve an oven send them my way.

Well I have 2 very long papers due next week that I am procrastinating on terribly! It’s going to be a work weekend. Florence is beautiful in the spring. I love it more every day. Time is flying.

Love and miss you all.

PS….My philosophy paper prompt is: “Does God exist?” That should be a fun one.

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” – St. Augustine Confessions

Wing.Meow.Love.
Becca

Life in Firenze

This past week has flown by. Having my girlfriends here, midterms, and the promise of Spring Break, have all caused this week to seem like a blur. A good blur. I absolutely loved having Het and Kristen here. It was such a treat. There is nothing like good times with old friends. We had quite a few entertaining stories from their time in Firenze. Most of them seem to involve Italian men trying to sell us things, talking to us, or chasing us. Gotta love Italians. I was bummed to see them go, but really I couldn’t have asked for a better time with them! Studying was also a nice distraction from missing them too badly.






This week can be summed up with one word: midterms. Honestly, I don’t do much studying around here. Compared to the hours of studying I do at Chapel Hill, my time in Florence has been more about “the experience”, than actual studying. This week changed things. I had three midterms on one day, so needless to say that wasn’t fun. Melis and went to the Florence library on Monday. We tried to sit outside but ended up making our way into the children’s section. It was nice to be around/distracted by little kids. It’s always funny to hear little kids speak another language. You know it’s bad when you can’t understand on a 4 year olds level. Maybe I should study in the children section more often. Leaving the library I have to admit I was feeling slightly stressed and complaining to Melis about our test. I had been studying Italian Renaissance with its many artist and their creations. Walking out of the library, I looked up to the most incredible view of the Duomo. I had just studied the structure that Brunelleschi used to build the dome. It was one of those times I was disgusted with my complaining. How in the world could I complain about a couple hours of studying art and architecture that I get to walk past and see every day? You would think I would learn to not take for granted the beauty of Florence. Every day I have to remind myself to love and appreciate where I’m at. I think I’ll probably have to do that for the rest of my life, whether in Florence, taking summer school, or wherever God leads.

On another note I love my language partner. I’m really bad. I don’t think y’all can understand how horrible I am. Italian language classes at UNC are not a joke. I studied more for Italian than most of my other subjects (many of my dear friends can attest to this). In Italy you would think Italian class would be challenging. Not the case. Our teacher basically laughs at Hilary and I, and while this is nice, I am learning NO Italian. When I meet with Chiara I realize how truly horrible my speaking skills are. It takes me a good minute to think about how to conjugate the verb, and by that point I look/feel so lost the rest of the sentence makes no sense. It’s painful but hey, no pain…no gain. Thank goodness Chiara is as sweet as they come and is GREAT at English. When I have children they will go to immersion school. I love the simplicity of our meetings. We can laugh at me learning to say “ugly little bird”, or discuss the love triangle in Dawson’s Creek. I’ve learned a lot about Italian culture from Chiara, and hopefully I’m a good representation of an American girl (even though I can’t speak Italian). It’s been fun, and I’m excited for for her to meet Mom, Al, and Gram!

Ok well I’m writing as if I’m done with midterms, but lo’ I still have Literature tomorrow! We leave for spring break in Greece tomorrow (still haven’t packed) and then soon after I return Mom, Al, and Grammy will be here! So excited! I guess I won’t be able to write for a while but all my love from Italia. Miss y’all.

Wing.Meow.Love.
Bec



I added this photo for everyones viewing pleasure. Another highlight of the week was when Hil made black beans (not out of a can), and she thought she has messed them up. Note: you wash black beans off after you cook them to make them look normal. This photo was taken when she thought they were a lost cause. Never a dull moment in ol' Bella Rosa!

Hi. Ciao. Bonjour.

There is never enough time to do all I want around here! This weekend was an amazing whirl wind that culminated in coming back to Firenze to Het and Kristen (2 of my best buddies from high school) waiting outside my apartment! It has been an awesome couple of days.

We left for Monte Carlo, on the French Rivera, around 4.30 on Saturday morning. We didn’t get chased by Panini man this time-bummer. I love going with the school on trips because not only do they take you everywhere, but they explain all the history. Monte Carlo was the first stop. I signed up for this trip not knowing much, or anything really, about the French Riviera. Monte Carlo, in the princedom on Monaco, was unbelievably beautiful. Like something off the Princess Diaries. We went on a walking tour led by a French tour guide with a Canadian accent. It was pretty funny and entertaining. We learned a lot about Grace Kelly (famous American actress who married prince of Monaco and became the princess, also famous for the YouTube skit “can I have your number”). I loved learning about the history, but more than anything I loved the flower gardens and the view looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. After lunch in Monaco we drove to Nice. I know I always write about the views on the bus but really some of the prettiest views I have seen have been from the comfort of a bus seat. The roads were super curvy and narrow. No wonder Grace Kelly died in a car accident (I bet her driver was Italian). When we made it to “nice” Nice we checked into our hotel and opted out of the going with the French Canadian tour guide to explore on our own!

Nice was amazing. It was the Myrtle Beach of the French Riviera, except about 1000 times nicer! Both Elton John and Tina Turner have houses in the hills around Nice. My favorite part about Nice was the promenade or boardwalk on the sea. We spent a couple hours just walking, taking pictures, and admiring all the yachts! We explored on some rocks and got splashed by the waves. It was great fun. We had group dinner at 7.30 and I was very happy to eat French food aka NOT pizza or pasta! We walked around Nice at night and even went into the casino. It was no Vegas, but it was still fun to see. I was exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel.

The next day consisted of visiting three towns near Nice: St. Paul Vence, Cannes, and Eze. I loved St. Paul and Eze! I would live in St. Paul. The streets were all made of cobblestone flowers. The word quaint was created to describe St. Paul. I was very sad to leave, but it was one of those towns I will make a point to come back too! Cannes was neat, but rainy. It is home of the international film festival. The highlight of Cannes was putting my hand into Chuck Norris Hollywoodwish handprint, and discussing the impacts of globalization after going into yet another jammed packed McDonalds. In Eze we toured a perfume/soap factory. We left smelling like flowers and two hours later I had a legit headache. We climbed to the top of town and saw one of the most beautiful views overlooking the French Riviera. Such a fun day. I read and tried to rest on the way back, but I was too excited to see Kristen and Het!



We got back at the perfect time because Kristen and Het were trying to figure out how to work the pass code to our apartment! I was soooo happy to see them. It almost didn’t feel real. I’m so used to the little group of girls I see all the time, and here were two of my best friends from High School! It was a great night of catching up in Bella Rosa and the next day we explored Firenze. I loved getting to show them around. We climbed to the top of Duomo, ate gelato and hot chocolate, looked around the Ponte Vecchio, sat in a Piazza. It was such a great day. They left for Rome and Naples this morning, and will return to Florence on Thursday evening! I can’t explain how thankful I am for such good friends. My whole time in Florence I have continually been reminded of how blessed I am to have such genuine and sweet friends. Whether it’s been letters, Skype, FB, sharing an apartment, or even coming to visit; I am beyond blessed with friends. I thank God for all of you (esp. those of you that read my blog ;) ). Overall this week couldn’t get much better. Midterms are next week, so I better start studying…

Fun things…

*This week’s photo assignment were portraits. I liked this assignment. Here are a couple of my faves. I had great models, so I think all of my pictures looked good. My teacher was more critical but hey, to each her own!










*Monday was Festa di Donne (party of women). Basically it was women’s day in Italia. The day is known for little yellow mimosa flowers and women going out with their friends. It fell on the perfect day because Het and Kristen were here! We went to apretivo at this neat little place and took some funny pictures. Sadly, no one bought us mimosas, but we had a great time celebrating “Festa di Donne”!

*Last week I was pretty sure we had hit the homestretch for warm spring weather….WRONG. It snowed today. I’m ready for spring!

Time is flying by. I miss and love you all.
Wing. Meow. Love.
Bec

"For none of us lives to himself alone, and non of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."
Romans 14:7-8

"What's an edelweiss?"

The hills are alive with the sound of music! It has been a full week. Hil and I ventured to Austria this weekend. I really hoped we would get to see Austria, and while many of the girls went to Paris, Hil and I toured Vienna and Salzburg. We left Thursday and got to Vienna early Friday morning. We went with the bus tour group again. Vienna was a beautiful city. We did the ring tour on a tram to all the main palaces and museums, ate a famous piece of chocolate apricot cake (Sacher Torte…yum yum), and explored around St. Stephens church. It was kinda rainy, and I don’t have luck with umbrellas, but we had a wonderful time and enjoyed walking into all the shops. Our tour guide told us about the famous Opera House in Vienna and that they offered discounted tickets to students. On Friday night there was a ballet playing (Die Fledermaus), so obviously we had to go! I haven’t been to many ballets but I LOVED it! They sell the tickets that aren’t taken when the show starts to the students, so we figured we would have pretty bad seats. Boy were we wrong! We were about 6 rows back from the stage, in the most beautiful Opera House I have ever been in (not that I’ve been in many). It was such a fun night. Hil and I like to refer to this weekend as our “cultural weekend”. We toured the Habsburg Palace on Saturday morning and learned a lot about Empress Maria Theresa and the Austrian Empire. The gardens were beautiful and we enjoyed our sandwiches and fruit that we packed from hostel free breakfast (we’ve gotten smart with free food). We left for Salzburg around 2.




On the way to Salzburg we watched The Sound of Music! I had watched it with Mom the week before I left, but it’s one of those movies you can watch many times (right Blair?). The main reason Hil and I went to Austria was to go on the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, and because of the Billy Joel song “Vienna waits for you”. We were very excited for Sunday. We got to Salzburg pretty late, and it was dark by the time we explored. From what I saw of the quaint little streets, churches, and mountains, I can say Salzburg is one of my favorite cities. We went with the group to the famous Salzburg beer hall. I didn’t know what to expect, but from what I had been told I would be missing out if I didn’t go. The beer hall reminded me of my father and Harry Potter (for different reasons of course). I actually really enjoyed it. It was huge and full of these long tables packed with stone mugs and men. We got stared at because we were literally the only girls in the place. We sat beside an Air Force couple stationed in Germany, and they informed us that the beer hall was named by the History Channel as the “world’s best beer hall with the world’s best beer”. It was quite the experience, even if I couldn’t finish my half liter, and Hil was pouring hers into mine so she could say she finished “the world’s best beer”. The food was all vinegar based and very Austrian. I tried Wienerschnitzel. We walked around Salzburg a little more and called it a night! Sunday was the long awaited Sound of Music Tour! The tour was great but I have to admit, if Blair would have been there it would have been better. Blair, one of my best friends, LOVES the Sound of Music more than anyone I know. We took a picture of her with us on the whole tour. Blair, you were there in spirit. My favorite part was the hill town of Mondsee, where they get married in the movie! It was about a 30 minute drive up in the hills from Salzburg, around the lake region. It was BEAUTIFUL! Kinda reminded me of the beauty of the Interlaken area. We had the best apple strudel and ice cream. It was a great afternoon! We left Salzburg about 2 and headed towards Firenze. I tried to do my school reading on the bus but couldn’t because of the view. The drive was beyond amazing. I stared out the window for 4 hours. It was unreal. We were driving through valleys, so we were surrounded by the Alps on both sides. Because of all the traveling we have been doing lately, we’ve been missing church on Sunday night. It’s been a bummer, but looking out the window and sitting for 4 hours was a wonderful time to think and pray. How could someone look at the Alps and beautiful countryside and not praise the Artist who made them! Another highlight of the drive was when we stopped at a McDonalds with a panoramic view of the Alps. If the beer hall gets a world famous award, then this McDonalds should too! No kidding, it was that beautiful. We got back to Florence around 10.





Other fun facts:

-While in Austria I discovered a new painter: Gustav Klimt. His work was all around Austria and I LOVED IT! I normally don’t notice artist, but I really liked his paintings. I got a couple of his post cards.

-This week’s photo class assignment was “self-portraits”. My teacher is very broad when she gives us the assignments. She likes creativity. My self-portraits were creative to say the least. Hil got her laugh for the week. It’s not easy to take pictures of yourself. You either look like the middle school MySpace mirror kid, or really weird and conceited. I think I may even prefer being a creeper with my “feel the world” assignment. I managed to get 10 self-portraits but my professor wasn’t as positive this week. I’m learning a lot about Photoshop. Here is a self-portrait for your viewing and laughing pleasure!


-On Monday I went to a “cultural dance class”. It was girls only and taught by my cooking instructor. The more I’m around my cooking teacher, the more I like her! I had to go to her dance workshop! It was the funniest two hours. It was mainly Egyptian style and middle eastern dancing (basically belly dancing). She kept saying “feel the music”, but 35 American girls aren’t used to “feeling the music”. I loved every minute. It reminded me of when Al and I dance on Christmas Eve for Grandma Johnson. We just did whatever we felt. At one point we danced with scarves around our heads and I felt like I was in Slum Dog Millionaire. After dance class and the ballet, I’ve decided I have missed my calling: I was meant to be a dancer.

-Last week we went to a Fiorentina vs. Milan soccer match! I’ve never been to anything like it- not even a UNC vs. Duke basketball game. It was intense! We looked like the dumb American girls when we tried to find our proper seats. Some Italian man informed us that we should just find a free seat…good luck with that! We had on purple so we were fine as long as we stayed with the Fiorentina fans. Florence lost sadly, and we never spotted David Beckham! It was a great night and I will def. be going back to another soccer match!

-I really enjoy hanging out with my language partner! She is so nice and I look forward to seeing her every week! We normally meet on Wednesday.

I love y’all very much. I think and pray for y’all (the faithful few that actually read my blog) daily!
Love.Meow.Wing.
Bec

“The present of things past is memory, the present of things present is sight; and the present of things future is expectation.” –St. Augustine (talking about the concept of time in Philosophy class)