Ciao from the Terrace

        I am currently sitting on the terrace with Rachel, gazing out over the rooftops. I can see the Duomo on one side and Piazzele Michelangelo on the other. There is a slight breeze and the sun peaks through the clouds every so often. It’s about 58 degrees here, so a light sweater is all I need to be in heaven. The birds are chirping an Italian song, and the clothes are hanging out from the windows to dry. My croissant with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella is giving my fingers a shine from the butter and a satisfaction in my stomach. I brush the crumbs from my lap cause the croissant is so flakey and light. It’s times like these I lock into my memory for years to come when I remember the semester I was in Florence.

Learning My Way Through Florence

On the bus ride from Rome to Firenze

           I have officially been in Italy for a total of one week. Crazy crazy. It feels like I’ve done so much and been so many places already; I hardly know where to begin. Normally a vacation to Italy would require spending maybe a day or two in a city, but it’s crazy to think that I’ll be living in Florence for the next three months. I don’t want to bore you with intricate details on what I’ve done so far, so I’ll try to give you an overview as best I can. I landed in Rome where we were met by the ISA staff. Thankfully, I was flying with about 20 other ISA students, so we all herded together. We stayed in Rome for the first three days, touring the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican and its museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the magic of Rome at night. My favorite part of Rome was probably walking through the ancient ruins of the forum. To think of people roaming the streets in 700 BC, and there I am, walking on the same ground, it was just really awesome to think about.

Jenn and I at the Coliseum 

           We arrived in Florence on Thursday where we, my roommate Rachel and I, met our host mom, Maria Gazia. She waited patiently by our bags that arrived earlier and greeted us with a kiss on the cheeks. Our apartment is situated a little bit outside of the center of the city, which I like because it gives us a little more of a homey feel in this part of the neighborhood. The flat is located on the third floor with a beautiful terrace that wraps around part of the building. The apartment is very spacious and Maria Grazia has decorated it well. She makes us breakfast every morning and dinner on the weekdays, so we get a taste of Italy without having to make it or go out for dinner. One of the many perks of a homestay! Rachel and I both settling in well to our room with our pictures of home next to our beds.

View of the terrace

Beautiful view from the terrace                                    

                I’m starting to learn my way around the city slowly but surely. I mentally run through the streets and demographics in my head before I approach them so it actually looks like I know where I’m going. If I can get to the Duomo, I can basically get anywhere. Basically. I can’t wait until going to the market becomes second nature to me. I’m also working on my “walking face,” which requires looking at the sidewalk and not smiling. Apparently, smiling is not mandatory when walking in Florence. But I know in everyone of the people’s hearts I walk by, they’re smiling inside. The locals are very nice, and I do my best at trying out my Italian, though they quickly figure out I’m a lousy American. I was proud of myself the other day when I did some finagling for a scarf for about 10 seconds in Italian, until he said something I couldn’t understand and I had to blow my cover as an American. Sigh, it didn’t last long. Eventually, my goal is to order something without them replying in English.

At Piazzale Michelangelo

Italy Bound

             I have to be honest, I almost forgot I had a blog. Shame on me. The truth is I am returning to the blog world to inform you that I am going overseas. I will be studying abroad in Florence, Italy starting in January. Studying abroad is something I have dreamt about my whole life. I haven’t done much travelling outside of the United States if you don’t consider Canada and Mexico. But I know the travel bug is in my blood, and if I had the opportunity to go to every country in the world, heaven knows I would. Now that I have the opportunity to go to Italy for the semester, I can’t help but feel like it’s a dream. For those of you that have been before, I used to envy you. Now that I will be one of those people, it’s almost like a shock to my system. To be immersed in a country with breathtaking landscapes, beautiful people, rich history, irreplaceable art, and food that puts America’s to shame is something I’ve longed to experience.

            While I’m there, I will be taking four classes, a contemporary Italian art class (something I know zippo about), Renaissance Italian Architecture History, an advanced painting class (yikes!), and an Italian class. I’m hoping my years of Spanish in high school help me out a little bit with understanding the language, but the truth is I hardly know any Italian. Mom and Dad got me an Italian program for Christmas. All I’ve learned so far is how to say is “hot” and “Turn right.” At least they’ll know how I like my coffee and how to get to the Duomo with only right turns. Trust me, that takes talent. But I’m going with an open mind to learn and I’m praying the complete immersion will help me adapt to the new culture. I’m looking forward to my classes, and I’ll keep you updated on how the language barrier is holding up. I’m hoping to lower it swiftly and painlessly.

            Because I am going with a program not directly connected to my school, I know hardly any, scratch that, no one else going. This excites me and makes me nervous at the same time. I enjoy the thrill of knowing no one, but I’m also the kind of person that likes to know if I will click with at least some, if not all, of the other students going. It’s just one of those things that you’ll never know until you get there. The other thing that excites me about this is the thought that it is basically God and I going on this trip. Because I don’t know anyone else yet, I will have to rely on the Holy Spirit more than I have before. This is something you can pray for me, as I will not have the same Christian support and fellowship as I have had at school for that past three years. This is an exciting and trying time for me, and I ask for your prayers. This is my mission field, and I don’t want to lose sight that Christ works in every area of the world and following God’s Will is not just for stateside.

              Let me know if you decide on visiting Italy between January and May, and perhaps we can grab gelato at my favorite Gelataria! I’m sure I will have many. Arrivederci for now.

What I Feel vs. What is Real

Disclaimer: Most of where I’m getting these thoughts come from Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney, a worth while book I’m reading this summer. This is my personal adaptation of the book.

Most of my unhappiness in life is due to the fact that I am listening to myself instead of talking to myself.

Here is normally how my mornings go: My alarm goes off. I annoyingly flop my arm around until I find the snooze button.  Make it stop! Three jarring snoozes later, my body and my thoughts roll out of bed. Why did Amy have to leave her towel in the bathroom? IT BLEONGS ON THE RACK! I have to work today. Another reason to be in a bad mood. I hate work. Why didn’t dad turn on the AC last night? IT’S SO HOT. GAH.

Life is just one big hot mess.

Every day I’m faced with two simple questions. Am I going to listen to myself and my constantly changing feelings about my circumstances, or am I going to tell myself about the unchanging truth of who God is and what He’s accomplished for us on the cross through his son Jesus? I am such a “feelings-focused” person, and that makes it even harder in today’s society when it’s telling me to “follow my heart.” But unless my feelings and emotions are Biblical based, I’m letting my feelings tell me what’s true, instead of letting the truth transform my feelings.

It is very easy to let my decisions be made by the way I’m feeling at a certain moment in time. But trusting my own decisions based on what I think my heart is telling me is risky. My feelings are so uppity and my emotions utterly unstable. They are filled with lies that I have convinced myself are true. What I need to recognize is that I need to believe the truth regardless of how I feel. When my emotions are controlled with Biblical thinking, it allows me to take those emotions into a realm of adoration for the Lord that I’ve never experienced. “Deep and profound feelings are the inevitable effect of the Scripture rightly believed and understood.”

Newark: A Belated Update

It’s been about a month since I’ve been back from Newark. I apologize for the cliffhanger and not updating you sooner, but I’m pulling the college card, which offers some justification for being tardy.

The trip to Newark was, once again, both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It was such a joy to see some of the kids and teens I met last year. They were taller, funnier, and crazier than I remembered. But what I loved was seeing how the Holy Spirit had moved in the past year. I saw a change in some of the kids. It is evident that the Holy Spirit is definitely moving, and although Newark is still in a place of darkness, bits of light are shining and it’s only through the power of Christ and the service of His people there.

I thought instead of boring you with countless journal entries documented throughout the week, I would give snippets and highlights to provide a perspective of the city and the people that live there.

Day 1:
Fun car ride up with Bethany, JC, John Tyler, and Tiffany. Full of worship, Disney, and African tribal songs.

Day 2:
Church with the locals.

Spent the rest of the day in New York City. Highlights: lunch at The Grey Dog, Central Park, experienced an arrest in the subway, and walked the Brooklyn Bridge.

Day 3:
SHAC (the after school program) began today. Hectic as usual, but lots of fun running around with the kids. A normal SHAC day consists of walking the kids over to the church from Hawkins Street School, snack time, chapel, and alternating between art class, values class, Bible class, and a physical activity of some sort.


Community Dinner. One of the most humbling experiences of the trip and probably of my life. All the team members were invited into the homes of some of the families involved with SHAC. Matt, Bethany, Liz and I went to dinner at Muriel’s house in the projects. She goes by “Munge.” Munge is the single parent of four children, one of them a newborn and one mentally challenged son named Anthony. Her two other children are Ashley, 10, and Timothy, 8. This was the first time I had ever stepped foot into a home in the projects. We walk into the living room. The kitchen is to the right and one bathroom and two bedrooms are down a shallow hall. It is darkly lit and I can hardly imagine that five people live here. Ashley is playing x-box zumba. I try to play with her, but my dancing skills do not even begin to compete with her rhythmic mind and agile body. While we’re dancing, Munge is making a true southern meal with fried chicken, mac & cheese, macaroni salad, bbq ribs, and corn on the cob. Yes, she went all out for us and it was delicious. The whole time she is in the kitchen, the baby is in the stroller sleeping. Matt tries to play with Anthony, who is running throughout the apartment. Anthony is about six year-old and wears nothing but a diaper. He climbs on the couch, pulls people’s hair, and tries to kick people for the sake of laughter. I gained a lot of respect for Munge that night. To have a full time job, make the best southern food, and raise four children with high demands, I just couldn’t believe it. When we left the apartment after dinner, I was in a state of shock. The dinner had opened me up to the life of just one family in Newark. To think of all the other families in the same position as Munge was almost unbearable. But, the community dinner was also a blessing because it was great to see the community serving us in their homes, on their “stomping ground.” It was a realistic reality.

Day 4:
We took a walk around the projects and had the chance to see the newly established health center. The health center is a wonderful thing happening in Newark. Some nurses have formed a health center right in the projects that offers in-home check-ups and trains the community of vital health issues to be aware of like high blood pressure, hypertension, a healthy eating habits. It was great to see the impact the nurses are making in the community.

Day 5:
Today we went downtown to North Reformed Church. North Reformed has a homeless ministry, and we were able to eat lunch with some of the homeless from the community. The interesting thing about starting a conversation with the people is they either love talking to you and practically talk your ear off, or they have absolutely no interest in discussing anything with you and prefer to eat their stew in silence. I met a man named Larry, and after finding out we both worked at camps in upstate New York, we instantly connected. He began talking about how he was a camp counselor for a boys camp in upstate New York in the 70’s. Sadly, it was not Camp-of-the-Woods, but I’m sure New York has plenty other fantastic camps. He had a lot of stories to tell, and I was grateful to have met such a friendly, talkative old man. He told me how he wants to fly in an airplane and see the Grand Canyon. In that moment, I wanted so badly to take him there so he could experience what so many people have the opportunity to right at their fingertips.

Day 6:
Today I went across the street with some other teammates to eat lunch with the elementary and middle school kids at Hawkins Street School. I got to see some of the kids whose class I volunteered in last year. After lunch, we partook in recess, which involved running frantically around on asphalt playing freeze tag. Personally, not my favorite version of tag, but the kids absolutely love it, so I complied. I have no idea what the home lives of these kids are like, but when I see them smiling, running around, and hugging me, it brings such joy.

Day 7:
Woke up at 4:30 a.m. not feeling too great. By 4:45, I camped out in the bathroom for the rest of the night. At 4:50, Bethany came in and asked if I was sick too. We were sick buddies that night and our bond grew speedily.

By the end of the week 16 out of the 22 teammates got the flu.

Despite getting sick, the trip was an absolutely moving experience. It is so awesome to see how the Lord is moving the lives of people in Newark. Please continue to keep Newark in your prayers and if you’d like to hear more about my trip, just ask me!

Newark: A Light in the Darkness

It’s Friday morning and the official start to my spring break. The first load of laundry is in and I will soon be packing up for NEWARK, NJ! I’m so very stoked to be spending my break serving the Lord beside some pretty amazing people. The ministry at Trinity Church in Newark, called Safe Haven, is dedicated to serving the Lord in the midst of darkness that envelops the broken areas of the city. They strive to make right what has been broken. Safe Haven lifts up the teens in the community to be leaders, setting examples for the younger children who most face physical, sexual, and verbal abuse in their homes.

I was struck by this darkness when I went last year. When we first arrived, we took a walk around the block. I felt safe with the men around me, but if I did not have a male close to me, the streets would be terrifying. Garbage lines the streets, people stand at every corner, and strange sounds fill the air. I had never experienced anything like that in the United States. It is a scary place, but the people at Trinity are there to be planters in this barren city, to sow what God has called them to sow, and to hopefully grow people that will continue to sprout and spread throughout Newark.

Safe Haven has faced tragedy in the past year. A child was killed, a teen was stabbed, and the laborers are limited. A person that does not have faith in Christ would find Newark a hopeless, beyond repair place. But to those of us who pray continually for revival trust that the Lord is present despite the tragedies. Let us not just pray for revival in Newark, but also in our own hearts. We are broken and only He can revive our hearts.

Safe Haven is a light in the darkness and we can see that the Holy Spirit is filling the city. God is working and healing the defeated. Please pray for the Spiritual warfare going on there and for protection for the team and the people of Newark.

If I don't get a chance to update on the trip, I will give you all the run down next week. I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself!

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." [2 Chronicles 7:14]

The Africa Project: Support Needed

If you’ve been a regular reader on the blog, you might remember my Africa Project Post. I’m so excited to tell you that we have raised the $30,000 plus an extra $5,000. The $5,000 will be used towards a clinic added on to the orphanage which will benefit not only the orphans but the surrounding community. We have the opportunity to send a team to Tanzania this summer to be there for the dedication of the orphanage and to spend a week with the orphans. This is both an exciting and nerve racking time for a small group of college students going. Raising support is new for a majority of the students and we’re at the point where we’ve been sending out support letters to everyone we know. ICM is helping us with the logistics of the trip but ultimately, it is up to us to raise the support needed.

Being a part of this club has been an extraordinary opportunity and experience for me. It is incredible to begin to take on responsibility and consider the needs of others above my own. To think that my efforts, as a college student, have the capacity to impact a village in Africa by touching the life of a child who is in serious need of a home and protection. The construction of this orphanage literally has the potential to impact a life for generations, not only the life of a Tanzanian but mine as well.

We’re planning on going May 24-31. I share all this information with you to let you know what is taking place in my life and the opportunity that I have to visit Tanzania. Every person going needs to raise $3,000 for the trip. During our stay, we will have the opportunity to meet the children as well as the caretaker of the orphanage. We will have the chance to show them love, just like Christ loves His children. I am eagerly anticipating the precious time I will be able to spend with the children. If you can support me in a financial way, I would be very grateful. And, most importantly, I also need your support in prayer. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God's leading in Tanzania.

If you would like to be part of this mission through your financial support, you can send me a check addressed to:

Kate Scheel
1000 University Pl#3107
Newport News, VA 23606

Please make your check payable to Kathleen Scheel and write "ICM The Africa Project" on the memo line. All contributions are tax deductible. We need all the help we can get, so anything you can give us, we would greatly appreciate it. The Lord is the ultimate provider, and He is the reason we can even go on this trip. I can’t wait to see how the Lord is going to reveal Himself in Tanzania.

This video was created by ICM's Kody Zenger, an amazing photographer and videographer. It shows footage of his recent trip to Tanzania. Please watch and enjoy.

AIDS, Orphans and Hope. Tanzania. from Kody Zenger on Vimeo.