An Italian Christmas

It was the first Christmas I spent away from my family and it couldn't have been better.
We had a huge, and when I say huge I mean HUGE Christmas Eve dinner with all of Aurelio's family...most of them are from Sicily. If you ever get the chance to have Sicilian Canoli you must, must, must try it. I think the best way to describe it's taste is like heaven in your mouth.

After all the family left, the doorbell rang and Babbo Natale had left a wheelbarrow full of gifts at the doorstep. Now the story of Babbo Natale is the Italian version of Father Christmas...not to be confused with Befana (the old lady who got lost trying to bring a gift to baby Jesus) who brings goodies to fill the stockings of good little children and put coal in the stockings of bad little children on Epiphany (Jan. 6). Anyway, Babbo Natale (Fiorella) got me a sweater and a popular Italian book. :)

Christmas morning we went to mass at 11 with Fiorella's parents and afterwards we had a huge lasagna lunch. After lunch we all had major food comas and took naps. The whole day was one of rest. Other family members came by to say goodbye as they were heading back to Sicily and other parts of Italy. Everyone was very kind and welcoming of me and I'm very grateful that Fiorella went out of her way to host me during Christmas time.

It has been very difficult to focus on anything past my own experiences in a new place but I am learning a lot about how everyone thinks, feels and believes here and it is SO much more complicated than I thought it would be. It is so much different than I thought it would be.

I'm hoping that through this trip I can better understand the heart of Italy so that I can better communicate with the hearts of all the Italians I meet. Because that's what it all comes down to, the heart of a person and I serve a mighty King who is jealous for all people's hearts.

It has been VERY cold here and yesterday morning I woke up with a cold which got worse through the night and I still have it today. My mom sent me with propolis, anti-viral and vitamin C which I've been taking daily and I also brought de-congestant with me, but being sick is not good and I actually ended up getting a migraine during dinner last night. It was very difficult to explain it in Italian to tell my family that it wasn't because of anything they had done but simply because I get them frequently. I would greatly appreciate prayers for restoration of my health...I need as much energy as I can muster for all the translating I do on a daily basis.

I send my love to you all and hope you aren't freezing away this December. :)
Happy New Years!
(Felice Anno Nuovo!)