There's So Much to Love

Thanksgiving went fine over here in Italy.  They don't even really know what it is, so we tossed stuff about gratitude into lots of lessons and English Class.  That was a lot of fun, getting our students to think about and express in another language what they are grateful for.  Even in difficult circumstances, there's so much to love.

Love has been more and more important to me.  I think I really learned about love in November of 2014.  I'll be grateful forever to Heavenly Father for the lovable people He put in my path.  Those feelings were missing.

Now it's suddenly December, and you can tell in our apartment.  We're singing Christmas songs like nobody's business.  Anziano Vaclaw, the new guy in the apartment, is a really good singer and an excellent harmonizer.  He and I are like songbirds, singing about sleighbells and winter wonderlands as one of us hangs up laundry and the other makes a sandwich, ha!

Everyone's telling me how close I am to finishing.  It doesn't feel all that close... until I look at a calendar.  Even so, eight weeks is a long time.  Lives change in a fraction of eight weeks.  Hopefully I can continue to change for the better and inspire someone else to do the same.

I'm praying a lot lately and thinking about how we communicate with God.  I think He's always trying to talk with us.  It's not that we need to get better at talking to Him, but listening to Him.  Lots of people get that mixed up, I think.

The weather is grey and cold and cloudy.  Yay!  Everyone but me is talking about how much they miss the sunshine.  For me it just reinforces my idea of living in Seattle someday.

I love you guys, and I believe you love me.  That's an amazing feeling, and I hope it never leaves.  Honesty and trust are crucial in communication.  That's another thing I've learned a lot about out here: sharing ideas.  I remember when my mom was going back to college and taught me about filters of communication.  That has taken on a huge meaning here in Italy.  I'm trying my best to communicate my observations with others through many, many filters.  I just want to understand, and to help others understand.  Maybe it'll be easier in English.

Ciao tutti,
Anziano Burton