Pressing Towards the Mark...

We are packed, and ready to go!
Tomorrow morning, Lord willing, our first leg of our journey will commence at 11:45am, flying us to NYC, and then on to London, where we will pick up the flight Tuesday morning (London time) that will take us to Athens. If all goes well, we will reach Athens at 1:30pm, Tuesday afternoon, go through customs, and head towards the Cristal, a ship that will be our home for the next 7 days. After finding our room, and touring the ship, we have dinner and begin our orientation of the events to come.
To be honest, the planning of this trip has been such a pleasure, since I have had very little to do with it's preparation. Normally, I act as travel agent for the entire family, which is tiring, but worth the effort. This time, I can relax with the rest of the family and enjoy!
We look forward to finding our "sea legs" and "planting our feet firmly in the steps of Paul" (as my friend Karen put it). As I've mentioned, Scripture will come alive, and we will have the privilege of seeing the New Testament in a whole different light.
Just having celebrated Easter, the Christian's most significant "holy day", it occurs to me that our faith, and it's companion freedom, did not come without a price. History's path is strewn with martyrs that have paved the way. We have them to thank...may we never forget the faith for which they have so boldly stood.
Hopefully, I will be able to blog every two to three days, when the internet is available on board. Again, we would appreciate your prayers for safety, contentment and a bold witness for Christ. Oh, yes, that we will share our tracts with wisdom, and be received by tender hearts.
We look forward to sharing our journey in person with you as well..."grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity" Ephesians 6:24

Bring the Books, But Especially the Parchments...

It was exciting to finally receive the parcel that contained our e-tickets, itinerary, luggage tags, ID "packet" (shown in photo), and a booklet describing the ports and places we will be visiting, with accompanying Scripture. I was thrilled to find a tiny hymnbook (words only) in each of our packets...evidently we gather to worship together at certain points. What a memorable occasion to recall: meeting and worshiping with other like-minded Christians in the cities where Paul preached!
So what does one do to prepare for such an experience?
For the last few weeks, we've been using a children's devotional called, "From Paul with Love...", which is a brief summary of his journeys and letters. Mario and Olivia have completed a study of their own on the "Missionary Journeys of Paul". We have also watched a few videos of Paul's life, and one that highlights the seven churches of Revelation.
I have done research on my own, and am bringing a novel entitled, "Great Lion of God" (the life, of course, of St. Paul) by Taylor Caldwell, and to balance it with Scripture, "A Prayer Journey with the Apostle Paul", a devotional by Michael Green. I will also carry a small New Testament to concentrate on Paul's writings. This will be the bulk of my reading, with time in between to take in the sites, journal, blog and take photos. Good thing that we are taking buses just about every where we go...there will be time, hopefully for these pursuits.
The kids are taking a pile of reading books, their Bibles, journals and sketch pads to keep them busy...Dan will decide last minute what he will bring besides his Bible and camera. Mario, being the resident photographer, will be toting two cameras with lenses and plenty of memory on his digital card.
I have asked each one in our family what he/she is looking forward to most on this adventure. Here are the responses: Dan: "This will be the biggest dose of ancient history I have experienced in the last 20 years. I look forward to seeing the ancient Greek and Turkish sites...especially Ephesus." Olivia: "I can't wait to visit Philippi, where Paul and Silas were imprisoned. Also the artwork in the Sistine Chapel" (we have been studying the Renaissance). Mario: "Rome...and the Sistine Chapel" (something tells me he's looking forward to an expresso!) And me? Istanbul (Constantinople)...there is so much intrigue that surrounds that city, and it's a place like no other I have visited. I have already asked a friend for help in composing a prayer for the citizens of that place to be used whenever I hear the "call to prayer" from the minaret. A highlight for me (which will be ongoing) will be never seeing scripture in the same light again, as I bring to mind Biblical cities that I have visited.
Things are slowly falling (like the snow outside) into place as we look towards our departure date...we appreciate your prayers!

Perils of the Pauline Traveller...

I can't remember a time when I have had so many frustrations that
barred my way to a goal. I feel as though I have done something very
right, or very wrong to cause my perils. I believe I am doing
both...it just depends on the point of view. We would like to be a
testimony, and share God's Word on our journeys, in places that are
considered "enemy territory". That explains the road blocks thrown
in the way. On the other hand, the Lord just wants us to have a
taste of slipping into Paul's shoes, just to test us. He wants to
see if we are willing to let go, and watch Him work. He wants us to
be content along the way as well. I am understanding in a miniscule
way, what Paul went through to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.
For instance...the first barrier was Mario's passport. We renewed it
in exactly one week. Amazing. The second, my 98 year old Mother was
admitted to the hospital a week ago to rule out TIA's which the
physicians discovered she did indeed have. The unexplainable thing
was that it did not impair her speech, thinking or mobility. How is
that for a miracle?! But there was a road block...she couldn't go
back to her assisted living facility (where she dearly wanted to go),
unless they could transfer her from bed to chair with one person
assisting. That's no small feat for my arthritic Mom, who was lying
in a bed for a week without therapy...one loses muscle control. But
it is no problem for our awesome God, and that afternoon, she was
able to transfer easily with one therapist, and was on her way back
home. Double amazing! I now didn't need to stay behind to arrange
her stay at another facility.
Thirdly, Saturday evening, I began having upper molar pain, and
thankfully, was able to schedule an appointment for Tuesday morning.
When I arrived, they took x-rays, and determined I probably needed a
root canal, but the endodontist, who was great with child, was
working out of her Chicago office that day (I was at that point, in a
far western suburb of the city), but they would call and see if she
could take me. I breathed a prayer to my omnipotent God, and
waited. To make a very long story short, by 5:30pm that evening, my
root canal was successfully completed. The God who asked,"Is
anything too hard for Me?", answered with another miracle. Two
patients had cancelled, leaving time to finish the job, and the tooth
had only one root, simplifying the procedure, which normally takes
2-3 appointments.
That same day, we received our itinerary, name tags, electronic
tickets and other important documents. Now, two more potential
perils stand in our way...the upcoming snowstorm from the west, and
our three long flights scheduled close together. I think you can
imagine the possibilities without much thought. Our first leg of the
journey (Monday, March 24th at 11:25am), lands in NYC, which is where
the storm is headed after it hits Chicago tonight. If that is
delayed, the connections fall like dominoes (I believe you can
visualize that one,too) and we will be seen running a breakneck speed
with our luggage yelling, "Wait for us!!", as the StepsCristal throws
anchor and leaves the dock (that's the most fun to visualize.)
But, instead of worrying, as I traditionally do, I think I am going
to pray again to our almighty God, and leave the results with Him.
You all can pray, too. "The fervent prayer of a righteous man
avails much..." Book of James

All Things Through Christ

Our departure date is drawing nigh...one week from tomorrow!
This last week has been one of testing, especially for me. But one praise item before I begin. Mario's passport arrived on Thursday, and for that we are most thankful to the Lord.
Besides the passport incident, my 98 year old Mother was admitted into the hospital on Thursday, to rule out TIA's which, upon closer look, was the case. Tomorrow the rehab doc will evaluate her, to see if she goes back to her Assisted Living quarters, or to the Alexian Brothers Rehabilitation Building. Although this was the last thing I or she wanted to happen, the Lord is working this out to everyone's good...she now will have lots of attention. Mom needs that to keep her mind off the fact that we will be gone. In fact, the doctor has requested that we keep our departure from her if possible, so she doesn't get worked up and return to the hospital again.
Now, it looks like sore throats are in order for us, and my upper right molar is causing me grief. I have left a message with my dentist, hoping that he can attend to it before the weekend. And so it goes on. I can't remember a time when so much uncertainty surrounded us as we approached our travel date. As Paul, I am learning to be content in all circumstances, and have been experiencing peace as I do. Please pray that everything will work together for good, and that we will be a good witness through it all.
Our itinerary packet with all our travel documents should arrive early this week. My next blog will include more news and info concerning our tour. Oh, by the way, we just discovered that we will be on three flights (count them...three) before we reach the shores of Athens. That spells exhaustion for me...but...I am learning that whatever state I find myself...I am to be CONTENT.

...Almost Missed the Boat!

Something happened on Tuesday that proved to us once again that God is working on our behalf,  behind the scenes, when we are totally unaware of a need.

I had visited our local library to return some school materials, and noticed a display of cruise related books.  I thought it might be a good idea to spend an hour or so flipping through a few of them, in case there were some tidbits of info on packing, embarking, touring, and the like.  So, I checked out three of the thinnest (I don't have much time to spare) on the topic.  One in particular, was the size of a jello container (kind of cute...I'm a visual learner), so I began with "The Essential Little Cruise Book" when we reached home.  Little did I know how "essential" the book would be.  Within 15 minutes, my eyes fell on a tip that made me panic: "Make sure that your passport's expiration date is more than 6 months from the time of embarkation, or you will not be allowed on the ship".  Mario's passport immediately came to mind, so I rushed to my "safe keeping" drawer, opened his passport, and to my dismay, discovered his expired in 5 months.

I immediately emailed my travel agent, who is a liaison  between the Greek company who is organizing the tours, and ourselves.  She confirmed that yes, I needed to renew Mario's passport by the time we left for our trip, which at that time was a little over two weeks.  Well, at first, I panicked, but I am learning to take everything to the Lord in prayer.  I did some research, and in doing so, almost used an agency that would have charged us over $100 extra to expedite the process.  Again, the Lord was with me, and I discovered it just in time, with help from my agent.  I was able to gather all the documents (photos, renewal form, Mario's immigration and birth certificates and a signed and notarized form that allowed Dan to give his consent without his presence and a bona fide itinerary to prove the necessity to expedite the renewal) in less than a day.  My experience gathering adoption documents was a help at this point.  I took it to our local PO, (an approved passport processing center), and mailed it Wednesday.   On Thursday, it arrived at it's destination.  It's now in the Lord's hands...we pray that it will arrive back in time for our travels.  Had the Lord not brought that to mind, we would have been sent home when we arrived to embark on our cruise...

To quote a verse of the hymn, "Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart" will summarize how I feel at this point:

With voices full and strong, As ocean's surging praise,

Send forth the hymns our fathers loved, the psalms of ancient days:

Rejoice, rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks and sing!

Dan and Vicki Del Boccio

http://www.shaklee.net/creatorsway

A Friend that Sticks Closer than a Brother

Here is a great photo that Becky sent me that represents us
perfectly. Even tho' the miles separate us, we can pick up were we
left off, and have the blessing of bringing to mind many memorable
times spent together. Being best friends since the age of 4, we have
a treasure chest of memories to choose from, and never seem to run
out of things to say.

 

A Journey Begins with a Single Step

My travel bug hit me long before my exposure to missions. Since my dear father's death when I was 4, my single Mother, having a school social worker's schedule, would drive to various parts of the US to visit family and friends during our summers off. One year (around the age of 58) she drove all the way to Alaska with her girlfriend and I. Neither one of us could drive (I was 8), so my brave Mom drove the entire distance, with me navigating. Then, when I was 13, I took my maiden voyage to Europe, which included Czechoslovakia, where many of my relatives lived. I remember beforehand pleading with my mother NOT to go to Europe...I was afraid something would happen. My Mother laughed, but not for long, as we missed the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia by 10 days!!

The next year, I had the delightful privilege of travelling with my best friend Becky Flint to Dublin, Ireland, where her parents lead an Emmaus Bible School team for the purpose of evangelizing the Roman Catholic population. At the end of the summer, we travelled to Italy and Paris. I'm embarrassed to say that my impression of Europe was "a bunch of dirty old buildings". It didn't help that, after eagerly addressing a bookseller with my "one year under my belt" French accent, she annoyingly responded in English, "NO, I don't have a French dictionary." I quietly slinked away, bearing a red face and vowing to return some day...better prepared.

While in the Metro, Becky's father was pointing out all the awesome sites we would soon tour...Arc of Triumph, Eiffel Tower, etc. My eager eyes scanned the large map, struggling to contain my excitement as I burst out, "But, but, but...where's Paris?" Mr. Flint, with a mock tone of disgust said, "The whole thing is Paris"! Somehow, I thought I was looking at a map of France, but it was obvious to everyone that I did not excel in World Geography.

Becky and I still managed to giggle our way through Europe, pointing out the idiosyncrasies of each culture. We both remember driving up to the top of Mt Vesuvius in the cab of a most colorful and effervescent driver named Mario, who waved his arms so furiously as he spoke, that we were sure he would drive off the edge of the cliff. Being afraid of heights, I was not amused, especially at Becky's attempt to "look over the edge" of the volcano, to which the concerned tour guide, in broken English said, "No, no, Miss...you go down and come up next year!" I was thankful to finally be on "terra firma" as I made my way up and down the streets of Pompeii, my Dr. Scholl's wooden clogs alerting everyone within a half a mile of my whereabouts.

As you can see, travelling has been an enjoyable hobby of mine and one that has given me many hours of pleasure in the retelling. So, why wouldn't I want to expose my family to all the wonderful experiences I had as a child?

A Light on the Path

I've actually had this trip in mind for quite a few years ,
which is why I began our home school field trip fund in the first
place. But, it was really my good friend Karen DuBert, my former
"roomie" and friend since our Trinity College days, who decided that
this was the year she would take her children on the ultimate field
trip to Italy. Her blog, by the way, is found at:
kareninq@blogspot.com if you wish to follow her journeys throughout
Renaissance Italy. But let me go back to my friendship with the lady
who has always addressed me as "Jarm" (short for my first name,
Jarmila). I'm pictured with her above...

In 1979 I flew to Swaziland, a tiny country near the south east
coast of Africa, to visit Karen, who at the time, was a single
missionary teacher at Florence Christian Academy. During my 7 weeks
there, my eyes were opened to the realities of bush missionary life.
I fell in love with conserving energy, supplies and food; living off
the land, and walking everywhere we went. I liked the idea of giving
up the "comforts" of home for the simplicity and focus of a
missionary's life. And it was because of that visit, that in 1985, I
travelled to a remote village in Papua New Guinea, to work as a short
term missionary. There, for 2 years, I taught three out of the four
Anderson children, acclimating slowly to the heat, physical
isolation, and constant examination of the nationals in Yellow
River. I definitely gained more than I gave those two years, and I
learned the most important lesson of my life: When you have given up
everything but God, you discover He is all you need.
So, when Karen emailed me from Mozambique, (where she and her
husband are career missionaries with TEAM), last fall to reveal her
plans, I immediately pulled my dream from the dusty corners of my
mind, and thought, "Why not?". Of course, there was a gentle nudging
from Karen, saying, "wouldn't it me nice if we could travel together
around Italy?"

It didn't take much to convince me that now was the
time. I have been the fearless travel agent for our family since
1991, when Dan and I were married, and have not stopped since. As
Dan has pointed out quite often...it just takes a scent of a possible
trip to send me into action. Literally, within 48 hours, I have
research flights, hotels, sightseeing possibilities, and all with
frugality in mind. It's "gone again Vicki" meets "stay at home Dan".
We are definitely opposites, but Dan has always been a good sport,
and truly is glad we made the effort to go.
So what has made me so eager to travel?

Plans Realized, Preparation Begun!

Hello Friends!

     We at the Del Boccio home are excited about the doors the Lord is opening for us.  On March  24th, the four of us will be leaving for the Mediterranean (D.V.) for a "Footsteps of Paul/Revelation of John" tour that takes us to Greece, Turkey and ultimately, Rome.  I, being the primary educator of our children, and dubbed "the field trip queen", have been planning and saving for over 5 years to bring this about.  Of course, we can make our plans, but the Lord directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

     We will fly to Athens, where we will board a small cruise ship (that allows us to access tiny ports), and make our way to Thessaloniki, Philippi, Istanbul, Pergamum & Sardis, Ephesus & Miletus, the Island of Patmos, then back to Athens/Corinth.

     From the port of Piraeus, we head via ferry to Bari, Italy where we "cross the boot" and land in Pompeii.  Here we will walk the cobblestone streets, tread upon by the citizens of that ancient town during the eruption of Mt Vesuvius (A.D. 79), which destroyed everything in it's path.  Hopefully, we will be reminded that life can be short, so we need to live for the Lord.

     Then on to Rome, where we visit the Coliseum (where many Christians were martyred for their faith), Mamertina Prison (I believe Paul was sequestered here), the Forum, Vatican, and of course, the Catacombs, where many Christians hid to enable them to freely worship the Lord their God.  Do we really appreciate our freedom of religion as it stands today?

     We fly from Rome, then, on April 5th, somewhat reluctantly, but definitely weary (I am already, just thinking about it!), towards home...please pray that every aspect of this trip will honor our Lord.  We trust that this experience will allow us to view Scripture as never before, and that it will change us so we can be more like Christ.  Bible tracts, in Italian, Greek, and Turkish, which we have purchased, will be passed out as the Lord lead...again, pray for wisdom in this task.

     I plan to blog (best laid plans...they keep us very busy) every other day, so you can live vicariously through our travels, and maybe add a photo or two... I will need to rely heavily on the males in our family for that technical support.  If we could take unlimited baggage, you all would be joining us!

     We would love to hear your comments, and look forward to sharing our trip with you in person when we return.