Sunday Update from Flight Control

Dan (or someone else from the team) may be able to give more information, but I wanted to make sure to post an update for those of you who are praying for the team as they're in Italy.

I heard from Betsy yesterday and again today, and the team arrived safely and has enjoyed a few great Italian meals thus far. They connected with the team on the ground in Florence and attended church this morning (Sunday) at the church they'll partner with for the Vacation Bible School this week. They seemed to be in good spirits and excited about the week ahead.

The team had a rough couple of days of travel the first day. They were stuck on the runway at JFK in New York for around 4 hours, which meant they missed their connecting flight in Brussels. Trying to get a team of 17 on the same flight to Florence from Brussels proved to be a test, but one they were able to pass with flying colors.

When the team arrived in Florence, they learned there was a communication challenge with the hotel - just for future information, the words "Staying through the night of the 19th, leaving the 20th" don't communicate the same thing to an Italian as they do to an English-speaking American. So, the team is working on alternate plans for where to stay Thursday night. Fortunately, the Agape Italia group is used to making hotel arrangements on the fly for other teams, and have stepped in to help the leadership team.

A couple of things to be praying for in the next couple of days:

First, be sure to thank God for safe travel, and for a great team of mature young adults who were able to be flexible and maintain an even keel despite some adversity. Pray that the challenges would unite them as a team and allow them to work even more purposefully throughout the next week. Pray that God would give them a great start to the vacation Bible school tomorrow, and that some of their conversations will be fruitful as they work on the campus.

These are a great group of people to work with. Thanks for your prayer and financial support for the team as they've journeyed down this road. You've picked some great people to partner with.

Chris