Arrival!

We have arrived in Genova! After a long day of flying, we finally made it to Italy. Our flight from Chicago to Munich was 8.5 hours long.

Flight to Munich

Then, we still had to board a small prop. plane to Genova. The view of the Alps was beautiful!

Alps

We had quite the adventure upon arrival in Genova. We had received a letter the night before we flew from the team in Italy explaining some of what lay ahead. We were to have no contact with our team (except in emergencies). We had been given the address to our apartment, where a "contact" would meet us with minimal instructions. So, after changing some money, we hailed a cab and were off. Our driver did not know English, and we did not know Italian. It almost felt like The Amazing Race!

In the Taxi

God was watching over us, and we found our apartment. It lies up on a hill with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean. Dustin from the team was there to meet us. All we would need was on the table, he told us. He gave a few basic instructions and was gone.

The Table, including journals, maps, cell phones, an Italian dictionary, and folders labelled "Cultural Immersion Project" only the first of which we were allowed to open

What has followed since is a time of exploration of Genova. We have taken the bus to a beautiful fountain area, seen the port, gone grocery shopping, and even been to school. Yes, Rebecca and I are enrolled in Italian class every Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Today was our first day. Thankfully, we had explored the area the day before and knew where to go. We left our apartment at 8 a.m. and were right on time. Class was overwhelming because our teachers only spoke to us in Italian. I felt very much at a loss for words! Imagine someone talking directly to you and you not knowing what they were saying or asking! A humbling experience, to say the least. I hope it will get better over the next weeks!

Thank you again for your prayers. God has definitely gone before us, and we would appreciate your continued prayers for our safety. Pray that we would grow closer to God and rely on Him when we do not know what to do.