ITALY~ day 3

 This picture got out of order for some reason...but it is believed that these chains were used to restrain the Apostle Paul.  This was our first stop of the day...  St. Pauls Basilica.  It was breathtaking~ as are all of the places to visit in Italy.
If you read the New Testament at all those chains are equal parts beautiful and brutal.  A vivid reminder that we are indeed slaves to Christ.  Yet ~He is our freedom.  Paul lived that out for us to see and emulate.

 Chelsey was insistent that we ride a Vespa.

 I was not incredibly optimistic about the experience of doing that....however, "When in Rome", right?

It was actually a lot of fun.

 Look how mammoth these statues really are...I look very small beside it.

 All of the doors there are gorgeous and inscribed with words, pictures and scripture.

We took off from there to see the Spanish steps...and another fountain that I have forgotten the name of ....

 But now~ this pasta dish~  I WILL never forget.  Carbonara.  My absolute favorite.  I could make myself sick eating it...

 Chelsey and I had a ball.  We filled as many moments as possible seeing all that could be seen or eating what could be eaten:)

These last two pics actually represent the entire reason we went to Italy in the first place.  Chelsey's oldest niece was being baptized and welcomed into the family of God.

It is not my place to use their faces or even their story.

But my place was watching from the background...taking in the glorious sight of a precious little sister testifying of her faith in Jesus despite many hurtles of sorrow in her young little life.

It was an unspeakable honor to witness such a sacred event.

And it was one I did not take lightly.

Our faithful God called this little girl's mother home to heaven 2 and a half years ago...yet I witnessed the answer to that mother's prayer with my own eyes.

Her prayer lived on after she went to Jesus.

And these eyes saw that faith come to fruition.

I will never forget it.

Italy was wonderful on every level.
The entire experience will be a treasure to me always.
Crossing an ocean and visiting places of grandeur topped even my wildest expectations.

But crossing an ocean and witnessing the faithfulness of my God was the sweetest moment of all.