I am now entering into week 3 of being here in Italy. What this week will hold, I’m not sure, but it will most certainly be whatever God wants to make of it. But first, let me tell you about what’s been going on since I last updated you guys. So I’ve been working on the new church building a lot. This last week or so has been really focused on upping my skills with drywall. In the time I’ve been here, I have helped with and witnessed an entire space of the building add 5 rooms and a hallway. Drywall is up in most of it, piping for electrical is almost finished, insulation has been added to almost everything, and the stucco process has been started in areas. It is incredible how quickly and efficiently things come together when believers have their mind in unity to do a task for God and to follow it through to the finish. In other areas of the building, bathrooms have progressed, the sanctuary is basically done and the dorms are making progress as well. One skill that God has blessed me with is being able to reach the taller areas of the drywall and being able to put in screws in. I haven’t used my height like this before, so it feels nice to use the body God has given me.
On the tourist aspect, I was able to go to Venice last week. It was neat to see the city that is built on water. Quite touristy, but in the end, it was cool to be able to say that I’ve been there and seen it. I did take my camera and I’m pretty happy with the way the shots turned out. I didn’t end up doing the gondola ride – it was $80 – so basically the price was cranked way up because of the tourists who have the dream of being able to do it and have the accompanying photos to show it. I did order some fries from McDonald's and a real nice raspberry sorbet from a gelato shop and those were pretty good!
I played basketball with some local guys this last Sunday, and due to the height difference and my preponderance to be under the basket for tip-ins and rebounds, I was given the nickname, “Shaq Bianco” or, “White Shaq” from one of the local guys. I hadn’t played semi-competitive basketball in a very long time, so I showed my inexperience, but in the end it was fun and the guys were friendly enough to not get too mad at me when I would mess up.
Got a grill to have here and use this summer. It was a desire and need to have one for us guys in the apartment so it worked out well that I was able to afford it. It’s a basic charcoal grill, so it’ll be nice to have this summer to grill up some burgers and veggies.
Fun fact, shopping carts at the grocery store here in Italy are locked in to each other through a little chain system. When you want to use one, you have to put a 50 cent euro piece into the cart handle, which pushes out the chain connected to the other cart ahead of it. You then use it for shopping, and then take it back, put the chain back in it from the cart ahead of it in the cart corral and you get your 50 cent euro back. I looked like a complete goof trying to figure this out and eventually had a little help getting one on the second trip. If there’s one thing you need to be as a missionary, someone travelling abroad or just someone living in another country, it is to have the ability to be very observant. You are the alien to their world, their culture, their language, their lives. You need to figure out what they do and how they do it if you want to be similarly connected with them in the basic everyday tasks and errands you need to complete. It is a great advantage to have others who have gone before you and are willing to help you assimilate into the culture. I am very grateful for Adam, Tyler, Savannah and several others who have helped me so much already in the process of getting used to being here in Italy.
My body is adjusting to the humidity which is good. I still like the dry air, but the humid air has actually helped my body feel better and be able to breathe better.
So overall, week two was good. Lots of good work accomplished, culture experienced, pizza and pasta consumed and friendships gained.
If you have made it this far in reading this and are willing to pray for me, please be praying that I would continue to adjust well to being here - especially for my allergies currently, that I would have my eyes, heart and mind on the Kingdom of God, and that God would make it known to me if I should come back for a longer term in the future. So thanks in advance for the prayers and for reading this blog!
God bless y’all, Nathaniel Hibbs
