Nov-Dec 2006

PISTOIA, ITALY

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2006

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We trust that you all had a safe holiday, whether at home or on the road. And we pray that as the old year passed and the new year began, everyone was able to recall the numerous blessings we have received from our Heavenly Father.

In Italy, our holiday season doesn't end until January 6^th (the epiphany) and then things return to normal. Last year we went to the center of Pistoia for the event and ended up being seen on local television. This year we enjoyed watching a parade in Florence with the kids. We have enjoyed having Noah home from school during the holidays, but we were quite pleased to see him go back to school on Monday and resume his normal routine.

RECENT HOLIDAY EVENTS

Our November and December schedule was a little fuller than last year, since we participated with the Prato church in a singing event. They had decided to go to a couple of nursing homes to sing for the residents. It was a great opportunity for them to be able to make a demonstration of the church's presence in the city of Prato. It was also enjoyable to see the faces of the residents light up as we sang about Jesus and as Noah, Miriam (Noah's cousin), and Luigi (Miriam's cousin) played together after the singing. We have also already discussed attempting this with the church in Pistoia next year. The idea was warmly received, but will take a bit of planning and probably, much more practice than that which the church in Prato required.

This year we planned our second New Year's Eve party with the church members in Pistoia. This year we had several visitors besides our normal visitors for fellowship meals. It was an encouragement to see each of them. For a congregation that does not see groups of non-Christian visitors on a regular basis, it was also an opportunity to see how we interact with those outside of our little circle. We sometimes get into habits of whom we speak with and need reminders to extend ourselves for the purpose of drawing others closer to Christ. Our visitors have helped us to look more closely at our comfort zones. We ask for your prayers concerning the seeds that were planted with these guests, as well as growth and maturity for our members in dealing with visitors from outside of the body of Christ.

CHURCH STUDIES

Our mid-week studies came to a transitional point during the holidays. For most of December, we made a shift toward asking God's guidance and blessings on the activities we will undertake in 2007. We finished our series on prophecy and fulfillment at the beginning of December and this month (January) we started looking at an Old Testament Timeline. Many members showed interest in having a better understanding of the interweaving of the individuals and examining their character.

Attendance at worship recently has suffered a bit, but it is almost entirely due to work schedules that cannot be changed. Heather and Dina are now guiding a children's study during the time that the sermons are being presented. The children are benefiting from lessons at their level and the adults are benefiting from a reduction in distractions.

The sermon rotation among three men continues to go well and the congregation benefits from the insights of three rather than just one. On my part, the sermons are taking a look at practical Christianity. If we want to make a real impact on our community we have to show that we will practice what we preach. We have to be more than just nominal Christians who attend worship and Bible study. In a recent sermon we looked more specifically at Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:30 regarding our generosity. Beggars are more common in Italy than the places where I lived in the US. After a while, one begins to develop a common reaction to them, especially when stories circulate about some of them driving Mercedes SUVs. We rationalize many ways to refuse and then we run the risk of caloused hearts towards those who are really in need. Jesus said simply, “Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” We are not encouraged to enable sinful living in which we suspect some of them may habitially participate, but we can be generous and help in many ways.

At the end of December the ladies had their third monthly study. Heather has been leading the discussions from the book, “The Power of a Praying Woman.” The preparation is helping Heather with her Italian and the participation of the ladies in Pistoia has been good. One young lady, in particular, has been regular in attendance for both this and the mid-week study. She was baptized years ago but has since stopped attending worship. Any encouragement to righteous living she receives is a blessing. We pray that one day she will return to worship and a more active commitment to God. Please keep Silvia in your prayers.

2007 PLANS AND EXPECTATIONS

In December we took time one night to discuss 2007 and what the church would like to see accomplished. Among the more passionate discussions were the topics of more efficient usage of the building, becoming more visible in the neighborhood, and opportunities for fellowship.

One effort that surfaced was the organization of a meal for individuals who may be seperated from families at the time of traditionally family focused holidays. So we will be considering an organized traditional meal around the time of Easter. The purpose behind it will be simply to provide companionship for some who are feeling lonely.

Near the end of January we will distribute materials near the church building. It is a bit less confrontational than door-knocking in the United States because we can place the information in the mail boxes of the houses and apartments. One never knows how this small seed may spark interest. And before we know it, we will be planning more puppet shows in the park and will meet some of these same people. In addition, with Noah being in school close to the church building, we are having more opportunities to meet parents and become more recognized as individuals in the area. We pray that God facilitate and increase these meetings.

FAMILY NEWS

Our family is doing well. We are continually thankful for how God provides for us through many of you and we know that we are blessed by your prayers as well. Noah is doing well at school. We've found that he can be quite sly and independant at times. When he does not want to do what the teachers at school are asking, he will sometimes act like he doesn't understand Italian. Sometimes it may be the case, but more often he is exercising and testing his boundaries. He is also an exceptional big brother giving toys to his sister and making her laugh.

Elaina also doing very well. Everyone says that the second child will be the opposite of the first. Elaina shows us the truth in that statement in several ways. She is not quite the eater that Noah was at her age. She does not sleep near as much as Noah did. And she is very selective about giving out smiles, although she will smile at herself in the mirror every time we hold her in front of it. In addition, we are still looking forward to the day she sleeps through the night.

Heather is glad the holiday season is over. She was cooking for two full weeks in preparation for cookie baskets for the church families. Now she can recover from that and get back to her other responsibilities.

I have been keeping busy with study preparations and continue to study the language. Each day I spend half the day at the church building studying. Usually, I'll spend about an hour with Giovanni visiting or sometimes going on a little errand. Other days I will also go to see Nedo at his warehouse, drink a coffee and visit with him, his brother, and sometimes one of their workers.

IN CLOSING

The church in Pistoia sends their greetings. It is a tremendous blessing for us to be here working alongside them. We pray that our partnership with them and with you will be an asset to the Kingdom of Christ. The support that we recieve from the US shows us God's generosity and faithfulness through you.