Shocked but not suprised

I came to Rome looking for adventure, and I have certainly had more than a few so far. My most recent adventure, was quite ... exciting.


The family that I had been with is totally crazy (growing “herbs” in the closet, screaming profanity inches from the children's faces, type of crazy). I have enough material for not just a book, but a series of books on living with a crazy family overseas. Lets say that if this was happening in the States I would have called CPS 6564604985608 times. Though the situation I was in was less than ideal, I was happy to be there to show the children love and consistency, and to model to the parents more effective ways to communicate with their precious kids. Even when it was hard (and often it was very painful to see the way the children are treated) I wanted to be their Miss Honey . (A Matilda reference).

Unfortunately that was not in the cards. Through a series of events (mostly just receiving a text message on a Saturday afternoon) I found myself in need of a place to live in the Eternal City. I'm not going to lie, I was in total shock (though I cannot say I was surprised, the craziest things happen in my life, so even the unexpected is not really surprising any more.)

After receiving the fateful text message (and oddly, having very little face to face conversation following) I set out on a mission. I placed ads on an English speaking website, and I prayed. A lot. I made my Mom pray too. My awesome friends prayed for me, and the situation.

I started getting responses from my ads, some were obviously scams ala Craig's List, but some were very promising. I set up a lot of meetings and talked to a lot of people, and I kept praying my guts out.
Then this week I met with a family that I had been talking and emailing with for a few days (the first time they emailed me was when I just got home from Mass on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) after talking with them, and playing with their kids (ages 6 and 8) for a few hours, I knew this was a great fit, and they asked me to move in – the next day!


Though my heart is aching for the children that I left and the situation they are in, I am so happy to be away from their crazy parents. The new family that I am staying with is Catholic (they have a parish they go to each Sunday, and their kids are in Catechism classes) I know that doesn't automatically mean they are awesome people, but it does mean we have something huge in common. It means that they are trying to be good people, and do the right thing. It means that they understand something fundamental to who I am. I am SO thankful for this new situation. I am sure that there will be hard times, here too but I will be ok. I always am.

If you think of it, please say a prayer for the “C” family that I left, and their children “M” and “J”. It is a heartbreaking place, the kids need so much more than what they are being offered. The whole family is in desperate need of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (aren't we all).