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!