Prayer letter - settling in

Settling in: We knew before we arrived that travelling with our dog was going to be “a good thing”. In fact, she has helped us talk to people from day 1. Our Italian has slowly improved, but she was quick to learn that “Che bella!” was usually directed at her. It seems the Italians are quick to praise and caress children and pets, so Gabrieli certainly feels right at home. With her, we are distinctive, and our neighbours quickly realized that we are not just tourists, but here to stay. However, without her, it has taken a few more months to reach the stage where we can smile, wave and “ciao” people as we pass by.