Thursday, February 19, 2009

Roma!


Caio ragazzi! Sorry it's been so long since my last post but the wireless internet in Rome is garbage. I'm having a BLAST here. I've had so many wonderful opportunities! When we arrived, we got to tour St. Peter's Basilica and the day after that we got to go on the Scavi tour! We got to see St. Peter's bones!! and an old Roman burial city. We're staying at the equivalent of a decent country club. We have an awesome gym, sauna, pool, tennis courts and bar right where we're staying and we're just a 15 minute trip from the Vatican! I'm having such a great time and I'm being showered with so many blessings!! I have the blessing of being able to go to Mass every day and sometimes it's even in English! I'm learning some Italian but not enough to talk to people yet. The food is DELICIOUS!!! I've had my fill of pizza and pasta but I'm definitely not tired of it yet! I'm addicted to wine and cappuccinos! I put some new pictures up on facebook but I have just been enjoying it to the fullest and not taking too many pictures. There are churches at every corner here in Rome and there are incorrupt bodies of saints in most of the churches. This is SUCH a great place. I can't wait to tell all of you about it when I get home!! I have so much more to say but only 23 minutes of laptop battery left. God bless you all and keep me in your prayers! You are in mine!! 

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Wicklow


Hello blog friends! Today was magical. I got to experience the wonderful wicklow mountains! It was a blast. we went out to the mountains with a quick stop by the EMO gas station to pick up some wine and club orange. We headed out to the park and after a short walk we were in the middle of INCREDIBLE graveyard and monastic church ruins. The old graves and churches we a reminder of eternity and how important developing the soul is rather than material things. God blesses me continually. We took some great pictures and joined in the morning prayer before embarking to our next destination... LUNCH! We had some great sandwiches and digestibles (that's what the amazingly yummy cookies are called). After that we hiked around to a wonderful lake with the sun finally coming out to say hello. As I was getting Pat to take a picture of me some vibrantly colored ducks swam right up next to me and started skimming the water with their bills and it brought me joy. I walked a little up the hill to an ancient church with what appeared to be a tabernacle with a burning votive candle inside. It reminded me of the warmth Christ shares with us even on the cloudiest of days. Upon looking at some graves, Adam and I thought about how we were amongst the bodies of saints and how God calls all of us to be holy. Towards the end of the day we too a hike up by a waterfall and went venturing through the woods. God's earth is beautiful! It's amazing how something that's been still for many many years can bring you so much joy. Speaking of joy, yesterday we went over to Killmyshall to volunteer with Mother Light in a small Irish village. We stopped by the top of the mountain where the wind was blasting the rain sideways at us with such epicocity that we couldn't help but scream FREEDOM!!! When we went to volunteer, the little Irish children brought us so much life and at the same time made us very tired. We operated a pinata beating for them with some american candy inside. They pinata was a box with a picture of St. John Bosco on it and it said "St. John Bosco, Pray for us" on it. I thought it was a bit strange but Mother Light assured us he wouldn't mind. God shined through Mother Light and showed me that He continues to bless me on my journey. Please feel free to send pray requests as you will be continually in my prayers. God bless. Peace be with you!!!