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The weather warmed up in May, and it seemed that everyone wanted to be outside.
We celebrated in the park the graduation of two girls we have had to pleasure of watching grow up.
There was cultural dancing
And reuniting with friends I hadn't seen in a while.
Caleb entertained some little ones.
And the girls were happy to be outside with people.
I had an incident with our outside water tap, and got some second degree burns on my toes and leg.
But that didn't hold me back from visiting some friends who flew to Europe to see me!
This sweet lady planned the whole thing as a way to encourage me and love on me.
We had a great time!
We saw a church that has been being built since 1882. It's still not finished!
Its projected completion date is 2026, but it's still pretty amazing to see what has been done so far.
Every part of the church was designed with meaning and purpose, and as you walk around the outside and stand in the inside, everything you see tells a story.
This is a panoramic view of the inside, and you can see that even the colors of the glass which follow Jesus' birth from a spring evening (blues) to the intensity of his death on a cross (reds) make this building an incredible example of architecture.
Another exciting place for me was standing in the harbor where Edmund Dantes, "The Count of Monte Cristo" would have sailed. Looking out to sea, I could also catch a glimpse of the Chateau d'If (the small tiny island in the middle) where his fictional prison would have been.
Of course, I was inspired to read the book again, and I started that very night. It took me all summer to finish. I'd forgotten how long and in-depth the reading was, but it was so good!
I had never studied much about the tower in Pisa, and I think I imagined it so much larger.
But my favorite part about that location wasn't the leaning tower at all, it was the magnificent church and dome structure built beside it. It was Sunday, so we didn't get to go inside because there was a service, but the outside was pretty awe-inspiring.
Another favorite was seeing Michelangelo's statue of David. I wouldn't have thought that a statue would be that "awesome" for me, but I was wrong. I was really in awe over the sculptor's workmanship and just learning the story of how he created it and under what circumstances.
What a special trip for me, and I was blessed to spend it with such dear ladies who loved on me, laughed with me, and also gave me time to rest, study and have some rejuvenation time.
