First, the headlines of 2010…
Dennis Quick Announces Early Retirement
Karen Quick Inc. Continues to Experience Healthy Growth
The Quick’s Announce Plan to Live in Italy in 2011 for Four Months
The Quick’s Partner with Delta Ministries for Mission Opportunities in Italy
Dennis Quick Writes His First Breakout Suspense Novel
Dennis Quick to Launch New Blog in 2011
Catching Up With the Quick’s…
As 2010 comes to end I think I’m beginning to see a New Year peaking over the horizon. The year 2011 has been the topic of many conversations around our house for some time. The strange thing is 2011 has always been spoken of in terms of being a long ways away. Well, I just tore the last page off my giant office calendar and realized - 2011 is here!
Many people have things they want to experience before they die. I know my wife wants to visit every state in the U.S. and she has informed me that a layover in an airport doesn’t count. I’ve already experienced the joys of being terrified in Oklahoma while waiting for a tornado to touch down, repulsed in Kentucky by insects the size of small aircraft and nearly suffocated in Florida by oppressive humidity. To be honest, an airport layover doesn’t sound too bad to me. One destination she had always been particularly excited about was the east coast - specifically Boston. Well, we checked that one off her list in 2010.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I like the east coast, but if I had my way we would skip over the east coast and keep going to a “real” destination. You see I have a bit of an obsession. John Grisham once wrote, “I love Italy and all things Italian.” Now there’s a man after my own heart. Even though we travel to Europe about once a year I never tire of Italy.
Here are a few of my life dreams. I want to learn to speak Italian fluently. I want to live in Italy for a season of my life. I want to write at least one book… preferably… in Italy. Do you see a theme? The wine, pizza and pasta don’t even need to be mentioned. So, in May 2011, it’s off we go to Italy for four months!
Depending on how this first adventure goes we may repeat this four-month Italian adventure every year after each tax season. That’s right, Karen has no plans to retire. (That sound you just heard was all of Karen’s tax clients breaking out in spontaneous revelry.)
Last year we got the chance to lead another mission trip to Naples, Italy. We ran a college-age camp that was incredible! It was an amazing experience for everyone involved. We couldn’t have had a more amazing team to work with on this mission trip.
Even though we have a pretty good idea what we will be doing in Italy, there is no way we can know all that God has in store for us while in Europe. Our immediate plans are to get an apartment in Florence and use Tuscany as our home base. From Florence we plan to support missions, churches and ministries both in Northern Italy as well support ministry opportunities we have in the south. In addition to supporting local evangelical ministries in Florence we plan on working camps as well as supporting an evangelistic city festival in a suburb of Naples. “Festival Arzano” will be in the first week of September and we plan on joining the team coming from Abundant Life Church to support this mission.
Europe is composed of many, many people who have given up on religion. In the wake of Catholicism, many modern Europeans see no relevance in God, Christianity or for that matter spirituality. Unfortunately most western Christians view Europe as nothing more than a tourist destination. But, that my friend is the topic of another blog post…
As soon as my new blog is launched I will announce it on www.coolchurchitaly.com as well as Facebook. My goal is to keep anyone interested up to date with the Quick’s, especially when we are in Europe. As we know very well, we all make our plans - but ultimately - God has the final say. So, with each turn in the road before us we hope to keep you informed along the way.
Yes! Sounds great - thanks for keeping us updated!
Posted by: Jen Proehl | 12/26/2010 at 08:02 AM