The Story

This is a story I still read about in my journal or remember from the memories I experienced from the summer of 2007 and find it hard to believe. It is the story of how Antonello and I met.



June 17th, 2007

"It was a great day-understatement of the day...or of the year. I had one of my most rewarding experiences today; Italian church service in the morning under a scorching sun, then a wonderful pranzo (lunch) with my host family, the Scognamiglio's-Franco, Marina, Antonello and Emanuela-I love them and will truly miss them. After lunch we had the sweetest fruit I've ever tasted, a wide array of beautiful desserts and some caffe. A family I never knew even one day ago, a grande delicioso meal and kisses accompianed with a ciao delivered memories that will leave a permanent place in my story."



We met on that hot day as I sat melting at his lunch table while given the new nickname, "pazza", which means crazy in Italian. How fitting. After Sunday lunch, Antonello and I would see each other periodically through the day as I helped run, along with groups from around the U.S. and Italy, a community-based, God-centered festival for the families of Napoli. Falling in love with the chaos, colors and beauty of Italy I sadly flew back home at the end of June.



Our friendship grew over email and long hours over the phone and before I knew it, it was December and I was back on an airplane headed to Napoli to see how these two very different lives would work. I guess it helped that we had the time of our lives and before Antonello knew it, he was on a plane headed to California 2 months later. Through trials, laughter, grace, tears, language barriers, love, and our faith, Antonello proposed on a windy yet beautiful Friday evening on the shore of Twin Lakes Beach.



So now, I have 64 days left in the U.S. before I leave to travel 17+ hours to spend the summer with my fiance in Italy; hoping and praying for an opportunity to arise that allows me to stay longer. Another country, another language, another culture, another family, another community, better food :), and a place in my life where I've never been before. To say this has been the most stressful and complicated time in my life holds some truth...



...but it doesn't comapre to how BIG God is and how He has blessed me with such a tender, compassionate, forgiving, and gracious man which helps to chip away at the doubts, the questions, and the unknowns of our future together. People keep asking both of us where we will live after we get married and where we will work and where we will raise kids and so on and so on. All I know is that I will leave America in 64 days to see my man and finally my time with dating a webcam will be over!



That is all I know and that is all I need to know.



...io ho pace nel mio cuore...