Sept 21 - International Day of Peace

Today I celebrated Peace. It is amazing to me what happens when you are aware. In my case celebrating something everyday, even for just these few days, has made me so much more aware of things happening around me.

Today the flags were at half mast in Italy to remember the lives of six Italian soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan.

We were waiting for a bus for over an hour outside on the street and getting slightly restless, however, if we wouldn’t have waited we would have missed it:

As we waited there at the bus stop, slowly nuns, police, and civilians started gathering along the road with Italian flags. We knew something was going to happen but weren’t sure what. Slowly down the road came a military procession with the bodies of those six brave soldiers on the back of military trucks. People prayed and waved the Italian flag as they went by with police escort through Rome.

It was a very unique experience, but not one I would have wanted to plan for the day.

Next, it was on to the catacombs where persecuted Christians were buried after they were killed for their faith – it made me extremely glad I live in a place where I am free to love and serve God openly.

Tonight we all got rocks and wrote a message of peace on them. Jared and I took them and planted them outside of the “Roma Termini” (the main train station in Rome) to spread the message of peace.

Check out the webpage for the International Day of Peace for ways you can celebrate and spread the message of Peace.  http://internationaldayofpeace.org/about/background.html