The Markets

We went and did our shopping at the local markest yesterday. They are a road about half a kilometre long lined with vendors selling vegetables, meat, fish, cheese and other bits and pieces. A lot of bustle with people yelling. My favourite stalls were the fish mongers with all sorts of srange loolking fish, some still flapping - none filleted. There were manta rays and octopus you could buy for dinner!

A Horrifying Story from McDonalds!

We went to Mcdonalds the other night. We were actually quite excited as we ahdn't had a burger of any description for a long time and it seemed to be a nice change of pace from pasta and pizza.

We arrived at the store and everything as how it should be with a few extras that we don't have back home. Andrea and I both ordered a McChicken meal. The cost - 13.60 euro - about NZ$35! Mama Mia (as they say in Italy!) RIP McDonalds until we are back in NZ!

Unless our European friends help out. A currency will tend to become more valuable whenever demand for it is greater than the available supply. It will become less valuable whenever demand is less than available supply (this does not mean people no longer want money, it just means they prefer holding their wealth in some other form, possibly another currency).

Increased demand for a currency is due to either an increased transaction demand for money, or an increased speculative demand for money. The transaction demand for money is correlated to the country's level of business activity, gross domestic product (GDP), and employment levels. (I can't see that changing too much).

The speculative demand for money is from people buying the curency hoping it's value will increase. If all our friends in Europe start buying NZ$ the value will increase! So please, pass the word around - BUY $NZ. You can sell all the $NZ at the end of the year and make a huge profit.

It's Snowing

It has been snowing here all week!! First time in about 10 years.

Our Apartment

Our Town

Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Puglia region, on the Adriatic sea. It is the second economic centre of mainland Southern Italy and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas. The city itself has a decreasing population of 328,458 over 116 km², while the fast-growing urban area counts 653,028 inhabitants over 203 km². Another 500,000 people live in the metropolitan area. So over 1.1 million in the Bari area.

Bari is made up of four different urban sections. To the north, the closely built old town on the peninsula between two modern harbours, with the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Cathedral of San Sabino (1035 - 1171) and the Castello Svevo of Frederick II, is now also one of the major nightlife districts. The Murattiano section to the south, the modern heart of the city, is laid out on a rectangular gird-plan with a promenade on the sea, and the major shopping district (the via Sparano and via Argiro). The more modern city surrounding this center was the result of chaotic development during the 1960s and 1970s over the old suburbs that had developed along roads splaying outwards from gates in the city walls. Finally, the outer suburbs have been in rapid development during the 1990s.

Bari

We are finally back online after a few days with no internet.

We travelled by train to Bari from Florence. It took all day, but was quite beautiful as we travelled down the coast and at times right next to the beach.

We have been put in a very nice apartment in a good part of the town. Pastor Giovanni and the others have been looking after us tremendously well.

The church is growing quickly and there is a need to go to two Sunday morning services. It looks as though one will be an international service in dual langauges (Italian and English) and translated through headphones into French. we have a meeting with the Pastors and leaders tomorrow to discuss the details of the change. Hopefully my experience in the multiple services at Harvest will be helpful.

We were having dinner Thursday night before being picked up to go to the church's Bible Study when i had a phone call asking me to preach. The pastor had to take his daughter to hospital with a suspected broken hand. So a quick look over some notes and I gave my firstt message to the church. I made it farly intrctive (getting them in groups etc and getting feedback).

We are spending most of our time at the moment just settling in. There is a cafe at the bottom of our building where I get my daily macchiato (espresso with a bit of milk) and a grocery shop just up the road 100 metres. We have meetings most nights and have had a few meetings with the Pastors bout what we will be doing. There are a number of churches around Italy and the region that want us to minister so we are working through that.

We are being looked after by an engaged couple Lorenzo and Emilie. He is from Bari, Emilie is French. They met each other doing Jesus Generation which is an Evangelistic Mission that travels around Europe. They have been atthe church for several months as Youth Leaders.

New Shoes

I found some new shoes in Via Santa Spirito (Holy Spirit Road). Very nice and only 420 euro (about $900). Unfortunatly I they didn't except visa, so if anyone is passing by perhaps you could grab them for me. You know I'm good for it.

Florence

Florence is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of 364,779 (696,767 in the urban area).

The city lies on the Arno River and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture.Florence was originally established by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as a settlement for his veteran soldiers.

The best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city, Santa Maria del Fiore, known as The Duomo. The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world.

At the heart of the city in Piazza della Signoria is Bartolomeo Ammanati's marble sculpture, the Fountain of Neptune.

Florence is cut in two by the Arno river. The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) crosses the Arno and is famous for its housing of gold and silver merchants.

Famous Florentines:

* Leonardo da Vinci
* Niccolò Machiavelli
* Galileo Galilei
* Dante Alighieri
* Michelangelo
* Giotto
* Donatello
* Raphael
* Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning
* Florence Nightingale
* Sandro Botticelli
* Guccio Gucci, founder of the Gucci label.

Duomo

There are some amazing images on the Dome of the Cathedral in Florence. Especially graphic are the ones of people being tormented by demons. Here is one of demons ramming burning sticks up peoples bottoms! I don't recall the exact scripture for this...but can you imagine the sermon!!

San Gimignano

Today we trained and bussed to a small town called San Gimignano. It is a walled city on a hilltop known for its tall towers. It is often referred to as little New York. It has an amazing network of little cobbled paths and alleys along with several imposing towers dating back to the 13th century. From the citadel at the top there were some beautiful views over the Tuscan landscape. The photos do not really do it justice. We spent the afternoon there wondering around the streets.

Florence

On our first day in Florence we walked around the city. It is a beautiful, medieval city. We went into the cathedral, saw the statue of David and the Ponte Vecchio.

We are staying with Giuseppe and Claudia in a lovely apartment about 25 minutes from the centre of Florence in a place called Prato. They are a lovely couple. Our contact with them is through Thomas Hansen. They met at Bible College in Denmark.

Last night we had a nice meal together with Giuseppe, Claudia and Claudia’s sister Julia. The three of them have started an interdenominational ministry to singles. They explained that with the close family units in Italy often single people can be left out of community life. We had a long talk about church life and culture in Italy. There seems to be a real challenge with the church to break from tradition, and to move to an empowerment model of church leadership. We had a long talk about concepts of grace, postmodern worship services and effective preaching and discipleship with emerging generations.

Our Roman Family

Our last day in Rome was great. We met up with Alec in the morning (we met at the colleseum!) and showed him how to get around Rome. We wondered around to the Pantheon and the Trevi fountain. We then caught a tram to Pastor Agostino's and Antionetta's for lunch with their family.





















The church where we stayed.

More of Rome

The roman forum ruins

Spanish steps

Pauls prison in Rome

Kaira at the Colleseum

My first kiss

I had my first Italian kiss yesterday. It is much different than a French kiss - much to my relief, as the gentleman was much older than me. Just a kiss on both cheeks.

Actually, some of the guys I have met aren't sure whether to go for the kiss or not. They shake my hand becasue I am a foreigner, awkwardly, then lean in, hesitating, not sure of whether to go for a kiss or not.

Out of interest, did you know that the French call a french kiss an English kiss?

Babies

I was a little bit worried about travelling with a baby, but it has been awesome. She gets us attention wherever we go. Officials let us jump queues and complete strangers come and talk to us. Brilliant. One lady on the plane was watching her sleep for a while, then came and put her arm on my shoulder. Actually, maybe that was disturbing. At least she wasn't watching me sleep I guess.

Some German tourists started taking to her when we were up the top of the Vatican. Kaira said 'Ya' back (that is her sound at the moment). They were very excited.

Next time you travel, you should take a baby with you - anyones.

We arived in Rome safely. The plane trip from London to Rome was the best ever. We flew over Paris and could see the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel tower. Then over the Swiss Alps. We looked down the French coastline and flew down the Italian Coastline.

We arived Thursdy afternoon and were picked up from the airport by Jesse Schafer. He is from a Canadian missionary family who have been here for over 30 years with Christ is the Answer. It is a mission that does tent crusades around Italy. He took us to accommodation being provided for us at a Pentecostal church (Alpha and Omega) in Rome. The Pastors are lovely and looking after us. The church is one of the only ones in Rome with a building. They have 4 floors and one of them are apartments which are not used yet, so we have a 3 bedroom apartment with a balcony to ourselves.!

I spoke at their youth on Friday night and am speaking at their church service Sunday night.

They are one of the biggest Pentecostal churches in Rome with about 200 people. The biggest church is Romanian which meets in the samer building on Sunday mornings. Alpha and Omega only meets Sunday nights. The second biggest church is Chinese.

We have spent the last couple of days wondering around Rome and trying to practice our Italian.

I had my first 10pm dinner last night with the Pastors - pizza and pasta. It was very good.

It is pretty cold. The weather has been atrocious, but cleared the day we arrived. It is supposed to rain again tommorrow.