Spring break was awesome

Spring break was amazing!! Thank you for all your prayers as we traveled
For my Spring break, I had an amazing opportunity to go to Italy with 4 other wonderful girls! We wanted to make this trip cheap, beneficial, fun, and glorifying to the Lord! Before we left, we prayed for opportunities to witness to everyone we met! ONE of the coolest things happened to us, when we were leaving!! On our plane trip over, i started to talk with two guys sitting behind me! They were from Italy, and were apart of a band who played in Budapest! We got talking and I told them about the bible school! They jokingly asked me to share a bible story with them! Which weas an awesome opening! I was excited! By this point almost half the plane was watching me and listening! I had shared about why we have Easter! What a PERFECT timing right!! Told them all about Christ and what he did on earth and his love! How he died and rose again from the dead, and how we can put our faith in Him! The other girls joined in as they asked many questions! There was one guy that was asking some tough questions, but I was so thankful for this bible school! everything that I have learned here, even just the past several classes we just took, i was able to back up my faith with scripture!! one of the guys said... "wow, u guys are a lot younger than I, and you can recite scripture by page!" it was so awesome and encouraging!! When we got to our Hostel in Rome, we had one other girl stay with us! She joined us in our devotionals in the morning and we had an opportunity to hang out with her a lot! we met several people at our hostel from all over the world, and had good conversations about God and our testimony! There was one guy that worked there! We called him Uncle Charley! He told us of free things we could see and do in Rome, and told us that he always wanted report when we got back! haha it was so funny! I think the coolest thing that I saw in Rome was when two other girls and I walked up 500 stairs to the top of the Vatican! It was so beautiful! You could see everything! It was so worth it! It was really cool to see the Catacombs where the many Christians were buried when they were persecuted! We saw the Colosseum! It was so amazing how all of this history that we were seeing... wasn't just history. It was REAL! and what struck me the MOST was that the names of the leaders, the times and dates.. ALOT of those are in the BIBLE!! In almost everything that we've seen, had the picture of Christ in it! It just reminds me how Christ is EVERYWHERE!! and the sad part is... He's right there, RIGHT next to you! and many people don't ever see HIM! How could someone when they are at judgment day say "I never knew you, or saw who u were. no one told me about you!" Yet He has always been there infront of their face!
>> On Saturday, we headed to a missionaries family (Tim and Marcia Monaham) They were absolutely so sweet! This was my most FAVORITE part of the trip! They picked us up at the train station in Napoli, about two hours away from Rome and they were so kind to us! When we got to their home, we each had a bed and a little chocolate egg on it for Easter! =-) really made me feel like home! They were such a sweet couple! We went to their church for Easter and had a chance to get to know a lot of people! Several people from the church came over for an Easter dinner, and we also went to a Military families house that night... I guess it pays off to be a pastor ;) you are popular! haha
>> Monday morning we went to a woman's bible study at their church! Fannie and I had a chance to share our testimony and about the school here! Afterward we pulled weeds for three hours! it was a good feeling to be doing something for them! Marcia brought us into Napoli and to a church where Paul the Apostle stayed for 7 days! we saw many beautiful sites and ruins! it reminded me of how nothing on this earth will last forever! We had a chance to see the Mediterranean sea! Even got to swim in it! =D burrr lol... Italy is beautiful! I loved all the laundry hanging outside of peoples houses and windows! felt like i was in a downy commercial! haha. I really enjoyed staying with this family! It felt like I've known them forever! I would really love to work with them again someday!
We arrived back home Wednesday night at midnight! Than on FRIDAY and all weekend I went to DANUBE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH retreat. I worked with the Kid's from sunday school! We did a weekend bible course with them! It was so much fun! The theme was "going on a safari!" It was so cute! we had a blast working and hanging out with the kids all weekend! It was also so good to get to know a lot of the people from the church! I would be glad to share more with you!! e-mail me amandajoy143@yahoo.com

PRAYER REQUEST!!
* My mom is coming to my school for graduation May 13th!! She'll be able to stay till June! pray that she will make it safely!
* Please pray for my friend Georgia Cristian, she is thinking about coming to WOL next year. however her little brother needs some treatments and she may have an opportunity to get some treatments for him in Budapest! So pray that this is possible!
* Pray that I can stay focused on my school work and give fullest these last 6 weeks!! woowhoo! I want to learn all I can and GROW more!

SpRiNg BrEaK! <3

WOW soo much has been going on! i am completly busy trying to cetch up on school work and finish things! THANKS to all of you who have been praying for me! I was sick for a week several weeks ago, and went to the doctor two weeks ago. My results back are well. Nothing serious like allergy. I am feeling alot better and most likely it is a culture bug or bactieria. I will get more results on Tuesday!
I have had a really busy past two weeks! We had a class on the book of ACTS! It was a difficult class and LOTS of memorizing. i think i could tell you what happens in ever single chapter by memory! It is so interesting how the book of acts is set up and how much is in it! I learned alot. We also started a class on "Christian Family" about roles in marriage and how to live as a Christian family! The girls in my room this week led girls devotional's on Tuesday night! We decided to do a skit! A reminder before our "spring break." We had three points!
1.) TO PUT GOD FIRST 2.) TO PUT OTHERS FIRST and 3.) OURSELVES!
We had a really good time and it was fun making up skits! It is really important though! To always put God first in our day! It is so important to have a personal relationship with our amazing creator! He wants us to know him!! He wants us to be close with him!! US!? wow it is just soo awesome to think! We need to remember to do out devotionals in the morning and pray! We also need to remember to think of others! not just on our break but through out our lives! It is just a great testimony! even when you want to do what YOU want to do, instead take time to help someone in need! and finally, it is good to rest. When you are on a break, on a weekend, it is good to take time to relax. =-) this was just our devotional and reminder to all the girls and we had bible verses!

MY MINISTRIES!!

Sunday School! -
This week went so well! We had such a great time with the kids, and even had time to play some fun games with them! Please keep praying for Eli, the little boy that is sick in the hospital! also for the children to listen and obey!
OPEN AIR - I had an amazing last minute oppertunity to go with the Open Air team on Friday!! It was so awesome! Every second I get a chance I like to go with them! My friend Kristina helped walked around with me and helped translate when we talked with people! We had a chance to talk with 6 girls about Christ and what His precious gift is! There was one girl named Timi, I shared my testimony with her and walked through the scriptures. We got to know here, and she seemed interested, but still wasn't totalyl understanding. What was so cool about her, was that her and her friend just started readign throught the bible just for fun! And NOW God brought us to her to explain it! How awesome is that! Also we talked with two young ladies named Vivian and Sammantha, and they went to a Christian church and were Christians, but they said they had a hard time believing because of so many "Christian's" that take God's gift for granted. and they use it in a wrong way. Saying things like "Yea well I can do (this) and Christ forgives me already." The girls opened up to us and told us about their dad that says he's a christian but ruins their lives! They told us how much we encouraged them and reminded them about God! It was so amazing! one of the girls were almost in tears and they wanted to keep in contact with us! Please pray for them!
ITALY ~ So I had a GREAT oppertunity to go to Italy for Spring break!! I am going with 4 other girls and we will be staying in Rome for 5 days and praying that God will use us in amazing ways to witness to people! Also we are going to Naples Italy for 4 days with a missionary family who is providing us to stay! We will be sharing out testimonies for Easter Sunday and will be helping in small groups and other ways! So please pray for Tim and his wife that missionaries we are staying with and also that God will keep us safe!!
When I get back, I will be helping at Danube International church. The same church that I am a Sunday School teacher at, and serve at their "weekend retreat!"

I wil update you on everything when I get home!!

GOD BLESS!! <3 Amanda Joy