Oh, the places you'll go!

Well it finally came.  A few weeks ago our lovely postman delivered what I had been longing for since I bought our tickets to Italy...my Moleskine journal.

I don't know how many of you have used one of Moleskine's travel journals, but I {heart} them.  I bought my first one the year we went to Paris.  It was great!  Just inside the front cover are city maps and a little map showing all of the Metro stops in the city.  And then there are blank pages upon blank pages for you to fill in all of your travel notes.  Things like...where you are staying...the sights you want to see...the places you want to eat...the stores you want to shop...the things you want to do....and how to get there.  And did I mention just how chic you look globe trotting with just this little black book?  No more bulky travel books with Rick Steve's picture pastered on the front to make you look and feel all the more like a tourist.  I love this thing.

You would think that I have already filled mine up with all the little gems of information that I have gathered during the last several months of literally pouring over travel books trying to figure out some sort of an itinerary.  Nope.  Nada.  Not one single word.  Here's why...

I can't.  Everytime I think that I'm ready to nail down the itinerary I hear this small voice telling me to wait.  (not a literal voice...that would be crazy.  but you get the idea, right?)  I have exhausted every possible itinerary for this trip.  Staying in Italy for the 2 weeks, going to Germany for a week, taking a cruise...  Suddenly the other day, I had this sense that God had given us these tickets to Italy for a much greater purpose than just vacationing.  Not that there is anything wrong with just taking a vacation to Italy, but I don't feel that is what God has in store for us.  I strongly believe that God has blessed us not only to bless others, but to also glorify His name to ALL the nations.   So why not do that during our time in Italy? 

I have contacted a couple of missionaries on the field in Italy to offer our services during our time in Italy.  Josh and I don't speak a lick of Italian, but we are ready and willing to assist them in reaching Italians with the gospel of Jesus Christ any way we can.   And honestly...I can't imagine any better way to see the country of Italy than that. 

Ciao!

Katie