death

My aunt is dying of cancer.

It feels so strange to type those words. Everytime I think about it, my mind sees her laying in bed, with her weak body and bald head surrounded by her four children that are watching their mother die. Before future weddings. Before more grandchildren. My heart breaks to think of it, to picture her, to picture my cousins, to picture my already broken family, and to picture my own mom...and can't imagine having to go through the same thing with her.

So many feelings are racing through my already crowded heart. I fly home this Friday for two weeks to be with my mom and to spend time with my aunt. I don't know if there will be a funeral that I am going to have to attend while I am home; I am just praying/begging/hoping for some kind of unity/peace/reconciliation within my family during this time, through our grief and sorrow.

She is scared to die...and is just waiting for it to happen. What a lonely place to be in. I'm sitting here at my computer, crying, writing this blog in Italy, and feeling how extremely far away, physically, I am from her. I can only cry out and ask God to cover her, my cousins, and her brother and sisters with His tender touch and comfort.

Would you join me?

climbing mountains

Antonello, his best friend, Fabio and I, all went for a beautiful hike up Mount Vesuvius this past Saturday. It was absolutely spectacular...on so many levels. Here are some of the amazing sculptures we saw on our drive up to the hiking point.

Here is Antonello on the way up the mountain. The whole time I just kept thinking, this is an active volcano, not that I think it would erupt or anything, but just the fact of how much force and power it had and has. From my studies on Pompeii, which was the city that was buried under the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, this area of Napoli is the most dangerous and most highly monitored area because of how active this mountain has been and how incredibly dense the population is here. It was awesome to look out on the Bay of Napoli and see where I live, right on the waterfront. :0)

The hike was pretty steep all the way to the top. And when I say 'top', I mean the outer rim of the volcano because after the eruption of 79 AD and another in 1948...the 'top' is a hole now.

Here I am standing in front of the "mouth" of the volcano...it was really special for me because only a couple months before, I was studying about Pompeii and about Mount Vesuvius and all the characteristics of the eruption and then to see the actual evidence left over...remarkable.

the "mouth"

aerial view of Mount Vesuvius - the outer rim is where we were able to walk around!

It was an incredible day. After we hiked up, I spent a little time just looking out over the bay and foggy mountain tops and felt quiet. Not only was it quiet up on the mountain, but also quiet in my soul. I love being outside and part of God's beautiful world.

My project now, besides studying for my online TEFL certification to teach english, is printing on these old tiles for some of the faithful servants who work at the Old Mill Camp (Vecchio Mulino) where Antonello volunteered this summer for an English camp. I love being able to use my artsy side! :0)