Dancing Feet...

It's strange...when you really love something and is so much a part of your life that it's almost like breathing, it is always a part of you. It becomes more than just something you do. It becomes the language you speak, the food you eat, the music you hear, the colors you see. It starts to permeate every part of your existence.

When we find something like this, I think it is easy to begin to force this thing to grow and thrive. We start looking for ways to make things happen..to incorporate it into every single part of ourselves. I don't believe this to be wrong, necessarily. But I do believe it can become an obsession that is so fierce, this thing that was once natural and organic becomes fake and unfulfilling. When we attempt to take control of this thing, we can stunt its growth and make it less than what it was originally intended to be.

So what happens when we step back and see it again for what it was intended to be? When we go back to the start and remind ourselves of the joy and fulfillment with which we were filled when this gift...this thing...was first discovered? That all depends on you. For me? When I stepped back and let the Creator of this love take the reins again, stuff started to happen. Real stuff. Not stuff that seemed like the original but turned out to be empty and unfulfilling. Real. Live. Stuff.

Dance happened. He moved my feet and I let Him. Well, I'm still letting Him. It's a process..."a marathon, not a sprint" as someone once told me. And no, running is not a part of this...I still think I'm allergic to running...

I started fearing that I was losing dance. That it was going to go away and all of these years of thinking it was part of me were gone...it was time to move on. Not true. It was simply time to let go.

Anxiety and stress does nothing to help. Nothing. For anyone. Let it go.

Fine.

Then the Source reminds you of why you have this thing in the first place. Where it came from. What it needs to grow and be most alive. What it's all about.... Well?

Last year during the school I met a wonderful woman named Chiara. A dancer. We did a couple of events together with the other dancers and absolutely found our common ground in dance. Over the year, we kept in touch...a few emails here and there (complete with bad Google translations). When I found out I would be coming back to Italy even with the school not happening, I sent her an email. Was there anything I could do to help her? Any dance opportunities she knew about? Etc, etc...

Yes, in fact there were. This past Saturday, over a glass of wine, with the translation help of my darling, tesoro, something started to glow again. Dance became the language barrier breaker. The friendship had been formed via a common gift and love. There was purpose in this connection, we all knew that last year. We found a common ground and beyond that, I see something...I can't fully explain it, but there is something in her that is searching. Like she's looking for more, but not quite sure what "more" is. Dance is a way for people to connect. People who don't speak the same language or come from the same training still find an unspeakably strong bond through dance. Ask any dancer. It creates and relationship and understanding that goes beyond the surface. It gets into the deep places beyond words. Chiara and I haven't needed a lot of words in order to understand each other. Honestly, there aren't a lot of words we can share. But the One who gave us both dance...this thing that permeates every part of our being...has decided it necessary for our paths to cross. Maybe it's as a reminder for both of us. A reminder about the Source of this love. For me, I'm here, in a foreign place. Not for the original purpose I thought. Currently not sure of my role. Not sure of much at all. But certainly not forgotten. I think I see that now...again. For her, she's working her tail off with two daughters and a dog...on her own...to keep this dance business afloat. She is doing this on her own.

But now, I am here looking for a purpose. However, I can't actually have a "real job." Good, because she can't actually pay much..if anything. She needs help. She needs someone who has the same vision. Someone who wants to share a love of something. I don't know if either of us know what it will look like. Right now there are projects and other relationships that need be built. But the foundation is laid. The connection has been established and....we get it. There's something more to this thing. It has permeated both of our lives and is bubbling over. It needs to grow and the time is here. Spring is just around the corner after all...

Please keep Chiara and this friendship in your prayers. It is a really exciting ministry opportunity as well as an opportunity to connect with a bigger dance community here. I have already done one workshop with her (traditional southern Italian dance...awesome) and this coming Saturday her and I and two of her friends from dance in Torino are going to dive into the world of vertical dance (like hanging from the ceiling...really awesome). She's got some great vision for bringing dance into the valley for the people, but she needs help. God is up to something with this friendship so please be praying that His purpose would be the driving force behind it all. It will be a beautiful piece to watch unfold, as long as our Awesome Choreographer is in control!

Also, a few of us who are involved in the ministry I am here helping, met last night for prayer. There was a lot of encouragement for this relationship with Chiara as well as other ministry opportunities from other relationships that have been built. Currently, we are working with the local Salvation Army to organize weekly soup/pasta kitchen here in Torre Pellice. Tomorrow we are meeting with a man in Bobbio Pellice to discuss future sports camps, and Friday we are meeting with another representative from Salvation Army to discuss management of outreaches here in the valley. I am so excited to see how God is forming ministry opportunities and would love your support in prayer for continued opportunities as well as guidance for these that are already happening.

If you would like information on how you can give financially to support my ministry here please email me at dancinLo488@gmail.com. If you have questions about the way financial support works (since it is not connected with OM as it was previously) please do not hesitate to email me these questions as well!! Any and all support that we receive is so appreciated and recognized...the prayers are not in vain! You are all a part of this team and I want to make sure, as much as possible, that there is no confusion with what is happening.

Grazie mille tutti!!! Ciao...

One Year Later...

Here I am, back again in the beautiful Val Pellice...almost exactly one year later. Monday morning I was welcomed with a blanket of snow on the ground, much like the welcoming of last year...it's good to be home...

the view from my balcony...I know...

Upon arrival, Domenica sera, I moved into the flat I will be sharing with the dear Jill McAfee in Torre Pellice. Lunedi mattina brought a lovely jaunt into town to meet Marco for a cappuccino. And a surprise meeting with Chiara - she owns a dance studio here and we had connected during the school in Bobbio last year. As dancers, we were able to do some collaborations with her, and since leaving her and I had stayed in touch, discussing opportunities for further collaboration when I returned. Simply coincidental that we met on my first day back? I think not... God takes it again... This Sunday I am going to her studio to participate in a "seminario danza dal sud Italia" or "southern Italian dance workshop." Awesome. 

Let's trek back in time to the "today I have to learn Italian" lesson...starting tomorrow I will be attending local language classes twice a week here in town...for free. Amen and praise God yet again. Prayers for understanding are incredibly appreciated. 

Also, something that many of us school participants noticed last year was that during the few weeks before and the beginning of the school, there were a lot of incidences of family and friends suffering attacks and illnesses. I can see it happening again since returning and I want you all to know that you are in my prayers as well. I pray that God watches over each one of you and meets you where you are. Please, PLEASE email me with any requests or praises that are happening. Without you, I don't think I'd be here right now...let's fight this battle together. 

Also, I will be setting up an official email newsletter in this coming week so if you would like to get them, please either send me a facebook message, leave a comment on the blog, or email me (if you already have my address..I just don't want to put it publicly on here). 

At the end of the day, I can say...God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. 

From Band-aid to Bling

I'm guessing some of you will remember this lovely incident from last year's adventure in Italy....

Not so wonderful initially. However, I was completely unaware that this tragic incident (no exaggeration..it was awful) would eventually lead to something quite wonderful indeed. No where in my mind did I expect good ol' Doc Marco to become more than just the resident (self-proclaimed) "Doc"....

On my honor (contrary to some claims) my mind never went there  until after this....

Which was a good few weeks after the toe incident. Also, I recently found out that never again will I be getting a birthday cake this big, because "the goal has been achieved." Rude. 

Many of you have been expecting some sort of news of an...advancement lets say...in regards to this relationship. Maybe you had something like this in mind...

Good call. That's exactly what happened. On February 7, 2013 on the shores of Lago d'Orta around 9pm, the relationship went from band-aid to bling...

THE spot...good job Doc....

Sometimes things start with a band-aid and some hobbling. Then as things heal you start walking normally...ease into it so as not to re-injure anything. Then it becomes regular...pleasant...and you keep going wondering what's around the next cobblestone street corner (yes, the streets were stone, the buildings were old...just like in the movies folks...).

Are you ready? Are you ready to round that corner? 

He asked...

I said yes...

:)

Today I Have To Learn Italian...

Imagine this...you have an endless to do list. You make a habit of waking up two hours before you have to leave to go somewhere so that you can sufficiently have a moment of peace and quiet before rushing off to start another day filled with countless activities....wash, rinse, repeat. Day in and day out you are always, ALWAYS active. Suddenly you are transported into a different world. A world where stores close from 12:30-3:30pm. A world where your normal to do list suddenly makes no sense at all. A world where you cannot drive. A world where you don't speak the same language. A world where your body decides to rebel against normal functionality because...well..things just don't make sense here. Awesome.

The last week in Italy has been wonderful, trying, difficult, beautiful....(insert various contradicting adjectives of this sort here). I'm understanding much more of the language than I did just a week ago and can somewhat muster a response longer than, "Si!" or "Bene!" or "Grazie!" So yes, things have begun to look up, but there was still sort of a dark cloud looming over the whole picture. That is until the lovely Antonietta said something to me at church. We were discussing the difficulty of adjusting to a new schedule when you make some significant change of life. A lot of the conversation (through translation, thank you Marco) revolved around time and to do lists. First, it was a great comfort to know I wasn't the only one who got so crazy with the idea of having no normal schedule or list. After some time of sharing exasperated tales, she said, "Instead of waking up and thinking, 'I have nothing to do!' think, 'Today, I have to learn Italian!' and suddenly your whole day is full!" 

Simple as that. Today, I have to learn Italian. Benissimo! 

Well ok, it's not that simple. There is this deep underlying lesson that God is making crystal clear to me right now in this time. A lesson that I think is so key and simple, in theory, to the base of living a life of faith. It's the lesson of Dependence vs. Independence. When we make that jump into a life of faith, we are commanded to claim complete dependence on God. Total. 100% surrender. (enter O-Town's "'Cuz I want it all, or noooothiiing at all!!) How in the world are we, people who so easily make our own schedules and follow our own ways, supposed to just drop our nets of fish, to do lists, or whatever and follow? How does one go from complete independence to total DEpendence? I don't know. Honestly. But right now, I'm learning. Like crash-course, make it or break it, just get it lesson. God help me please...

I may not have a schedule or list right now, but I have time to learn. I have time to adjust and listen and just BE. It's rare that we are given these moments to be still and understand the purpose of these times in our lives, but I am realizing now...I have them. I have the time and the space. And my oh my what a beautiful space it is.

So for today, I have to learn Italian...

Marco 8:34-35
"Chiamata a sé la folla con i suoi discepoli, disse loro: "Se uno vuol venire dietro a me, rinunci a se stesso, prenda la sua croce e mi segua. Perché chi vorrà salvare la sua vita, la perderà; ma chi perderà la sua vita per causa mia e del vangelo, la salverà."