Hello everyone! Its Jess - the American who stayed with Tchad and Andrea this past summer. Just a quick update and some thoughts. This past week I have been hanging out in England. When I initially made my trip plans the intention was to check out some doors that God had been opening. About a week before I was supposed to leave I was on the phone with Anna (from Oxford Vineyard who came to Rome this summer) talking about plans for when I arrived in Oxford and we agreed that it would be great to surprise Tchad and Andrea and Marco and Cinzia with a visit. At the time we both were so excited but not sure how it would all work out. After a few days she said that Paul Grainger was planning a visit and that we could go with him. It was amazing how in the next few days God had worked out all the small details. He was already working them out from the very first time the plan was discussed between Anna and I. Long story short we arrived in Sicily this past Tuesday (which by the way Tchad and Andrea and Marco and Cinzia still had no idea).

The visit was amazing. Sicily is beautiful. To see everyone again was incredible. Just to be a part of the community there completely encouraged, challenged and provided an intentional chance for God to really speak clearly to certain areas in my life. The past couple of months have been a little bit difficult trying to sort through things and I let myself get caught up in those details too often and begin to worry. I let school, family issues, looking for a job, trying to figure out what God is calling me to and what ever else take the place of the first person I need to turn to - God. I felt challenged through the time in Sicily to stop that habit. We spent time praying and waiting for God to speak. Just to be able to talk through things was awesome and something I have not done for ages. I am so grateful for the time there this past week. It was so good to just be back with everyone and spend time with them even for a short time. We went up Mt Etna which was really cool and had the best pizza ever in the brick oven! And of course UNO!

We had a bit of adventure on the trip back to England. We left Catania at 6 am and made it to Palermo in great time. But then hit the worst traffic jam. It took us about 2 hours to move 2 km. The cause of the jam? A lorry was blocking two of the four lanes. Cars were every where trying to push through. In the end we missed our flight and we were redirected to Rome where we had to switch airports and then fly to London Stansted. It was definitely an adventure but one that allowed us to have an extra day away and to think more about what had happened in Sicily. All in all it is so amazing to see how God is moving and working in everything. I am leaving for the states tomorrow still with no job and unsure of where I might be (I have some ideas) but being able to visit with everyone there blessed me and allowed me to refocus and be refreshed to move forward. I have a new sense of peace that everything is going to work out. I am walking away with so much more than I arrived with. And all of that is due in a large part because of the surprise visit to Sicily.