PISTOIA SUMMER NEWS
JULY – SEPTEMBER 2009
Well, as I said in the last letter, after a very wet winter where it rained some almost every day for 3 months, we are now having complaints about how dry it is. There is reason. Now it hasn't rained to speak of (maybe 3 short showers) for almost 3 months. Burn bans are active due to the danger of wild fires and the surroundings are an array of browns and oranges. On the bright side of things, the weather has not hindered people from getting out to enjoy the beauty that God has created all around us.
Evangelism in Pistoia
The Lord's work is not always easy, and sometimes it may seem to be busy work. However, when we talk about evangelism it is clear that we must do something. We cannot do nothing and expect results. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples...” We tend to think that door knocking or passing out fliers is a way of the past that has seen its day of effectiveness and now it is just busy work. But distributing is one of the easiest ways for every member of the church to be involved in evangelism in a concrete way, even if we do not see immediate results.
In the month of July we obtained a permit from the city of Pistoia to set up a booth for the church at the local market. It is held twice a week in the center of town during the morning, and is a big part of Italian culture. Many people go just to be out of the house, while others are focused on purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables or clothing, or any number of other items. We were present almost every day of the month for the market and the Lord blessed us with days without rain. Our location was almost optimal. “Almost” because we were in direct sunlight on days when the temperatures reached into the 90s. The AIM students (apprentice missionaries at my brother's congregation down the road) came to help at the market one day and distributed house to house on a couple of other occasions. Numerous New Testaments were given away. I lost count of the fliers but we had to reprint after the first day. Many of the members of the congregation stopped by or helped to distribute. One even took time off of work to help on more than one day. Noah stood at the table saying in Italian, “It's all free! You don't have to pay anything!” More importantly than these numbers are the two individuals with whom we now have contact. Filomena participated in one of our midweek studies and promises to come back and another gentleman, Graziano, is participating in a Bible study with one of the members of the church and has attended worship on one Sunday. We pray that these two new contacts will be touched by God's word and will come to accept Christ in the future.
Family travels
We have been busy since the last letter. July was busy with church activities, and August was partially busy with church matters and partially busy with traveling. For the first time since being in Italy, outside of small trips with visiting family, we took advantage of the August slow down and we traveled to Sicily. One of the young couples from church got married on the 8th of August and we enjoyed the experience of a Sicilian wedding! Wonderful atmosphere! Wonderful food! It was great! The initial plan was to stay for four days and then return to Pistoia, but our friends twisted our arms (it really didn't take much) and we stayed an additional two days. In addition, we were able to witness the addition of a new brother into the family in Catania while we were worshiping with them. Noah was most excited about going up Mount Etna, the most active volcano in Italy. Elaina was happy to go to the sea on two days. Heather almost slipped into a coma from the granita and brioche we ate for breakfast each morning (think fruit smoothie and sweet bread). And I don't think I can put my finger on one thing. Sicilian canoli. Granita and brioche. Swimming at the sea. Fresh seafood. It was a wonderful experience we won't forget!
At the end of August a camping trip was organized for members of the church and friends. Five days of camping near the beach. Everyone had fun except for trying to avoid the jellyfish. For the most part, if touched by a jellyfish it was a semi-minor skin irritation, much like stinging nettle. However, for some there was a stronger reaction. But all in all, everyone enjoyed the fellowship, the playing on the beach, and the afternoon or evening Bible study. On the second morning we had a very special treat in witnessing the birth of a new sister in Christ. Antonella has been studying for a long time with her husband and members of my brother's congregation, namely my sister-in-law Antonietta and Debora (are you ready? My sister-in-law's sister-in-law). We rejoice with her decision and ask for your prayers as she begins her walk with Christ.
September visitors
I began writing this newsletter in the last few days of August. It is now October! Time has been flying. We have had a house full for most of the month of September. The last Sunday of August Tom and Cindy Croft from our sponsoring congregation in Richfield, MN stopped in for a visit. From the 4th till the 15th my mother-in-law was with us. From the 18th to the 23rd, my father-in-law and his wife were here. And on the 25th an old friend came to stay with until October 4th. One of my aunts suggested a revolving door. It has been very nice having so many guests! We were especially happy to have my father-in-law, since it was the first time he has been able to visit since we have been here. In addition to our visitors, the church hosted one of the past missionaries for a two day conference on the second weekend of October. Jay Young was with us from August 28th until October 8th, presenting lessons from I John on fellowship.
Upcoming activities
We will be beginning a young families and couples Bible study once a month. In addition, Heather is beginning an individual Bible study with Barbara. My English student and I have gotten back in touch and are getting back to our regular schedule. And our midweek Bible study is getting on track with the topic of worship and how we can improve our relationship with God through our worship of Him. Other activities and projects are planned as well, but I'll wait until the next letter to inform you of those so that this does not become too long.
In conclusion, we are eternally grateful to those of you who make it possible for us to be here. Your financial contributions to our family and the work in Pistoia is admirable and appreciated, especially as we hear stories of the poor economy in the US. We thank you for keeping this work high on the list of worthy efforts and we ask God constantly to help us to be effective in this field. May God's blessings be continually evident in all of your lives and may his kingdom increase.
Your family in Christ,
Roger, Heather, Noah and Elaina Mahan
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Newsletter
PISTOIA, ITALY
MAY/JUNE 2009
Another two months have past and it is time yet again for an update on the church in Pistoia. Spring arrived with a brief heatwave followed by a week or so of cooler weather. Now the heat has returned just in time for summer. The see-saw weather has caused a few health disturbances, but we are finally all healthy and cold free.
The last two months were quite busy as school wrapped up for Noah and as summer plans were getting settled. Between end of the year school parties and the International Choir practices, it seemed like we had several weeks of non-stop activity. We are indebted to our babysitter, Silvia, who watched the kids 3 or 4 nights in one week's time. And also to Dina, who watched them for an additional two days in that same week (once for a Saturday afternoon practice, and the other for the concert).
INTERNATIONAL CHOIR
Since the last update we have participated in two more concerts. Each went pretty well. The first was “Canta Maggio” and involved Italian folk songs. They are the kind of songs that stick in our head and are generally fun to sing, until you can't get them out of our head. The second was more elegant and was held in the main cathedral in Pistoia. The repertoire was religious with songs in Italian, Nigerian, Latin, and English. The purpose of this concert was the same as the concert back in April, which is to raise funds to construct a library for a school in Nigeria.
The choir has grown to about 30 people, some of whom know how to read music! Herein lies our greatest challenge. With a majority who do not understand how long to hold notes and whether the pitch rises or falls, many hours are necessary to teach the tunes. Plus our dear director likes to make last minute changes. But gathering with the group to sing various genre is enjoyable and periodically gives us opportunity to speak about God's word and hopefully have some influence on the other participants.
EVANGELISM
We have been very encouraged in the church by the presence of a young couple that had been attending elsewhere. They are now attending regularly with us. It was a decision which was made primarily for the sake of bringing this young man's mother and father into the church. His mother worshiped in Pistoia many years ago, but stop for reasons that I cannot go into now. He hoped that he would be able to encourage her to return and that he would also have the opportunity to lead his father to Christ. After worshiping with us for about a month, his mother and father both started attending worship. They have both been present every Sunday since that time and indications are that they will continue. We rejoice with their presence and pray that this man's father will one day also accept Christ.
Also on the evangelism front, we have recently obtained a permit to set up a table at the local market. Initially, we had wanted to simply distribute fliers and we probably would have without a permit had I not asked a policeman who was observing passers-by at the market. It was new information to everyone and it had been assumed that anyone could pass out whatever they wanted. In the end we are thankful that we asked so as not to be escorted publicly out of the market. Having a booth\table is probably a better situation because we can present a number of materials, without needlessly creating waste. Those who want to read the materials are welcome to pick up whatever may be of interest to them. The primary flier has three questions on it: “Does God work in the world?” “Does Jesus save us today?” “What does God want from me?” For those who stop at the booth, we will ask them which of the three questions is most interesting to them. We hope to use the opportunity as a type of survey as well. In this way, if a particular area is found to be of greater interest by those who respond, we can focus our efforts on that area of interest.
A few weeks ago, we also held a planning meeting for the fall. Some good suggestions came up and starting in September, we will implement them. The church will be inviting guest speakers to come once every two to three months. A young couples class will be held on Saturday before supper once a month. We are checking on opportunities to be involved as a group in a volunteer program. We will also attempt to establish a web page within the next two months.
CLASSES AND STUDIES
I now have two regular English students. Each week, we have two sessions that last from an hour to an hour and a half. One is a 9 year old girl, Diana, and the other a 70+ year old man, Luigi. I have to say that I am more enthusiastic about the study with Luigi. He comes to the church building just after lunch to study. If I'm working on a Bible lesson when he arrives, he asks what I'm working on and we talk about that briefly before diving into English. He has not shown much interest in knowing more from the Bible, but baby steps are required for almost everyone in Italy. We ask for your prayers that his heart will be opened to God's will for his life.
Heather has continued to study with Dina once a week, and has started walking 1-2 times a week with Dina and some of the non-Christian women that attend the church. This has offered an opportunity to be in a relaxed situation with them. We pray that this will open doors for God. In addition, Heather, Dina and Valentina continue to rotate teaching responsibilities monthly for children's Bible class. It has been going well and the class will probably continue during the month of August as well.
SUMMER PLANS
Shortly, things in Pistoia will die down for summer vacations. We distributed some fliers in a nearby neighborhood yesterday and saw quite a few families with packed cars getting ready to seek refuge from the heat, whether at the sea or in the mountains. In August we will have a couple of weddings to attend. One will be in Sicily. It will be our first time down there, and we are very much looking forward to it. We hope to take advantage of our last summer here to travel some and make some lasting memories for the family.
Its hard to believe we have been here for five years. Next summer when Noah finishes 1st grade, we will move back to the States. The church, as well as friends outside of the church, say they will make our return impossible and that over the next year they will cause us to be guilt ridden. We certainly have mixed emotions, but it is a decision we have made while asking God for guidance. We do not yet know where exactly we will be in the US. I have to begin my job search immediately and we pray that the Lord will provide us with another beautiful congregation with which to work. If any of you know of a position which might fit our family well, please contact us.
As always, we feel blessed to have each of you supporting us through prayer and funds. We pray for each of you and hope that you can find moments to make lasting memories for your families.
Your family in Christ,
Roger, Heather, Noah and Elaina Mahan
Pistoia, Italy
MAY/JUNE 2009
Another two months have past and it is time yet again for an update on the church in Pistoia. Spring arrived with a brief heatwave followed by a week or so of cooler weather. Now the heat has returned just in time for summer. The see-saw weather has caused a few health disturbances, but we are finally all healthy and cold free.
The last two months were quite busy as school wrapped up for Noah and as summer plans were getting settled. Between end of the year school parties and the International Choir practices, it seemed like we had several weeks of non-stop activity. We are indebted to our babysitter, Silvia, who watched the kids 3 or 4 nights in one week's time. And also to Dina, who watched them for an additional two days in that same week (once for a Saturday afternoon practice, and the other for the concert).
INTERNATIONAL CHOIR
Since the last update we have participated in two more concerts. Each went pretty well. The first was “Canta Maggio” and involved Italian folk songs. They are the kind of songs that stick in our head and are generally fun to sing, until you can't get them out of our head. The second was more elegant and was held in the main cathedral in Pistoia. The repertoire was religious with songs in Italian, Nigerian, Latin, and English. The purpose of this concert was the same as the concert back in April, which is to raise funds to construct a library for a school in Nigeria.
The choir has grown to about 30 people, some of whom know how to read music! Herein lies our greatest challenge. With a majority who do not understand how long to hold notes and whether the pitch rises or falls, many hours are necessary to teach the tunes. Plus our dear director likes to make last minute changes. But gathering with the group to sing various genre is enjoyable and periodically gives us opportunity to speak about God's word and hopefully have some influence on the other participants.
EVANGELISM
We have been very encouraged in the church by the presence of a young couple that had been attending elsewhere. They are now attending regularly with us. It was a decision which was made primarily for the sake of bringing this young man's mother and father into the church. His mother worshiped in Pistoia many years ago, but stop for reasons that I cannot go into now. He hoped that he would be able to encourage her to return and that he would also have the opportunity to lead his father to Christ. After worshiping with us for about a month, his mother and father both started attending worship. They have both been present every Sunday since that time and indications are that they will continue. We rejoice with their presence and pray that this man's father will one day also accept Christ.
Also on the evangelism front, we have recently obtained a permit to set up a table at the local market. Initially, we had wanted to simply distribute fliers and we probably would have without a permit had I not asked a policeman who was observing passers-by at the market. It was new information to everyone and it had been assumed that anyone could pass out whatever they wanted. In the end we are thankful that we asked so as not to be escorted publicly out of the market. Having a booth\table is probably a better situation because we can present a number of materials, without needlessly creating waste. Those who want to read the materials are welcome to pick up whatever may be of interest to them. The primary flier has three questions on it: “Does God work in the world?” “Does Jesus save us today?” “What does God want from me?” For those who stop at the booth, we will ask them which of the three questions is most interesting to them. We hope to use the opportunity as a type of survey as well. In this way, if a particular area is found to be of greater interest by those who respond, we can focus our efforts on that area of interest.
A few weeks ago, we also held a planning meeting for the fall. Some good suggestions came up and starting in September, we will implement them. The church will be inviting guest speakers to come once every two to three months. A young couples class will be held on Saturday before supper once a month. We are checking on opportunities to be involved as a group in a volunteer program. We will also attempt to establish a web page within the next two months.
CLASSES AND STUDIES
I now have two regular English students. Each week, we have two sessions that last from an hour to an hour and a half. One is a 9 year old girl, Diana, and the other a 70+ year old man, Luigi. I have to say that I am more enthusiastic about the study with Luigi. He comes to the church building just after lunch to study. If I'm working on a Bible lesson when he arrives, he asks what I'm working on and we talk about that briefly before diving into English. He has not shown much interest in knowing more from the Bible, but baby steps are required for almost everyone in Italy. We ask for your prayers that his heart will be opened to God's will for his life.
Heather has continued to study with Dina once a week, and has started walking 1-2 times a week with Dina and some of the non-Christian women that attend the church. This has offered an opportunity to be in a relaxed situation with them. We pray that this will open doors for God. In addition, Heather, Dina and Valentina continue to rotate teaching responsibilities monthly for children's Bible class. It has been going well and the class will probably continue during the month of August as well.
SUMMER PLANS
Shortly, things in Pistoia will die down for summer vacations. We distributed some fliers in a nearby neighborhood yesterday and saw quite a few families with packed cars getting ready to seek refuge from the heat, whether at the sea or in the mountains. In August we will have a couple of weddings to attend. One will be in Sicily. It will be our first time down there, and we are very much looking forward to it. We hope to take advantage of our last summer here to travel some and make some lasting memories for the family.
Its hard to believe we have been here for five years. Next summer when Noah finishes 1st grade, we will move back to the States. The church, as well as friends outside of the church, say they will make our return impossible and that over the next year they will cause us to be guilt ridden. We certainly have mixed emotions, but it is a decision we have made while asking God for guidance. We do not yet know where exactly we will be in the US. I have to begin my job search immediately and we pray that the Lord will provide us with another beautiful congregation with which to work. If any of you know of a position which might fit our family well, please contact us.
As always, we feel blessed to have each of you supporting us through prayer and funds. We pray for each of you and hope that you can find moments to make lasting memories for your families.
Your family in Christ,
Roger, Heather, Noah and Elaina Mahan
Pistoia, Italy
Monday, May 18, 2009
April 2009 Newsletter
PISTOIA, ITALY
March/April 2009
Greetings from the swamplands. At least, that is the way it felt until lately in Pistoia. The winter was very wet and we are not in danger of having the water rationed this summer. It still won't be legal to water your garden with city water, but we aren't too worried about a request to wash our car less frequently like they did several years ago. Of course, that didn't affect us too much anyway, heehee. Some might say we keep our car dirty. I say we are water conservationists!
Here in Pistoia, Spring is in the air. The jasmine vine in front of the church building is about to bloom and that always provides a nice aroma when entering and leaving worship. Often this serves as a sign that it is time to start preparing for a campaign group but we recently heard that there will be no campaigners this year. Maybe some of you would like to be involved in something like that. If so, let us know!
Outreach
For the past several weeks we have been extremely busy with the “International Choir of Pistoia.” It started as my brother and the AIM students that were working with him a couple of years ago. And now it has grown into a choir of more than 20 people, many of whom are from Pistoia. We have two members from Nigeria, 4-5 from the US, a bunch from Pistoia, and one or two from Sicily. At the end of the last concert our Nigerian director made an announcement of open enrollment to the public. I told some of our other members that he should have told them that we had already filled our quota of Italians so if they wanted to join they would have to establish citizenship somewhere else and then enroll. The choir has proven to be time consuming and a lot of work, but it is also enjoyable and most importantly provides us more opportunity to meet and possibly influence the people in the area. And that is just within the choir itself. The concerts also help in that respect. Heather did a wonderful job with a solo in Amazing Grace and has now been dubbed the new soloist.
Bible Studies
Our midweek Bible studies have shifted focus a little. You may remember that we had been studying evangelism. That focus has taken a shift to apologetic materials which speak of historical evidences for Jesus and the New Testament. Everyone is enjoying the studies. I am still trying to maintain some practical applications of how these evidences might come out in common conversations. In this way we can try to plant bits of truth in people's minds and see if they allow those seeds to grow.
As of next week, I will be having an additional Bible study to prepare. A few years back a young lady who once attended worship faithfully began attending our midweek Bible studies. She still has not made it to attend worship, but she has stated the desire to get herself back on track. We ask you to pray for her, that through her study of God's word she will fulfill her part in drawing near to God.
Two other individual studies are also supposed to begin in the upcoming months, but nothing solid has been established. One is with our landlord who attends worship almost every Sunday. The other is another young lady who is getting married this summer. Interestingly, all three of these studies are coming from within the same family unit. This young lady is getting married to our landlord's brother, and the other young lady is his sister. These three children, and their mother, essentially grew up in the church. Many have been in prayer for a long time for each of them, and we are encouraged to see these results.
Heather also has been active in studying with Dina. She has been studying the Christian graces from 2 Peter and seems to be enjoying the study. This was intended to be done as a ladies' Bible study, however with marriages, engagements and births it has been difficult to establish a time for the women to study together. However, rather than allowing this study to sit idle, Heather and Dina decided to study together and hope to use the material for the ladies study after the busyness of Summer is over.
Church building
You may recall that a couple of years ago we had some problems with the roof of the church building. The work was completed last year and we were thankful because this winter was very wet. Unfortunately, we began to notice a small spot near the gutter drain that began to show signs of dampness when it was raining. The problem got worse for several reasons, one of which was the insufficient drying time for the place where water was infiltrating. We would have only one or two days where the sun was out and it did not rain. We have finally repaired the water's entry point, and the top layers of the liquid rubber seem to be cured relatively well. However, even with longer stretches of dry, warm weather, that product has not completely dried after being applied 3-4 weeks ago. It seems that quite a lot of humidity is trapped underneath and is hindering the drying process. We are praying that a few more dry days will finally “seal the deal” and then we will proceed with cleaning the mildew from the walls and ceiling, and repainting.
English Classes
Our group English classes are still going strong. The children and parents alike are enjoying the class. These classes have been a good means of building upon pre-existing relationships. For the class with Noah's age group, Heather has tried to reinforce what is being taught in the school now. As of a month ago, an English teacher began going to Noah's school. She is using the book, “The Hungry Caterpillar.” The teachers were a little worried that Noah would be bored, but he is learning a bit as well. After the first class, we asked him how it went and what he learned. He responded by telling us how to say caterpillar in English with a British accent! Noah was also a bit intrigued by the fact that there are different kinds of English in the world.
I have also picked up an English student as a tutoring project. She is a 9 year old Romanian girl who doesn't live far from our house and I've been helping her out twice a week for a few weeks now. One of the members of the church put us in contact with her family because they participate in the same swimming program after school.
Distribution
In the near future we will be distributing fliers around Pistoia. Initially, we were going to distribute them at the weekly market in the town square, but we found out that a permit has to be obtained and that all the permits have been allocated until mid-June due to the upcoming elections. This does not limit us from placing the fliers in mailboxes (which isn't against the law here), nor from distributing at a park. The flier asks four questions: Is God active in the world? Does Jesus also save us today? What does God want from me? What do you think about it? And then the flier contains a scripture “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” It would be enough if people just asked, “What does God want from me?” But the idea is to get people to think about God and consider what, if any, responsibility they may have towards Him.
Family
We are all doing well, healthwise. Noah's desire to learn to ride his bike by himself has become fervent. Elaina has begun to show some signs of improvement in the realm of toilet training. And I have started helping out around the house more. WELL, two out of three isn't bad. Heather is always busy with one project or another.
I have started getting out early in the morning to ride my bike. It's been quite a while since I've regularly made it to the weekend group ride with Giovanni (actually, only one time since the end of January). So, since the weather is finally starting to cooperate during the weekends, I'm looking forward to getting back in touch with my friend from the Pentecostal church to have some “interesting” discussions from the Bible.
The school year is about to wind down and that leaves us with frequent dinner dates with school families, as well as a preschool graduation since Noah starts first grade in September. Elaina starts preschool in September as well, and between the two schools we have numerous engagements for informative meetings. We just pray that all the busyness doesn't keep us from being at the business we need to be accomplishing.
As always, we give thanks to God daily for each of you and pray that you receive the richness of God's blessings! We know that this time of economic struggle can leave a feeling of uncertainty. We pray that each of you can take comfort in Matt 6:28b-34: Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
We thank you all for the support you give us and the work in Pistoia, in the form of prayers, monetary contributions, and moral support. Your contributions make our presence here possible! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Serving Christ,
The Mahans
March/April 2009
Greetings from the swamplands. At least, that is the way it felt until lately in Pistoia. The winter was very wet and we are not in danger of having the water rationed this summer. It still won't be legal to water your garden with city water, but we aren't too worried about a request to wash our car less frequently like they did several years ago. Of course, that didn't affect us too much anyway, heehee. Some might say we keep our car dirty. I say we are water conservationists!
Here in Pistoia, Spring is in the air. The jasmine vine in front of the church building is about to bloom and that always provides a nice aroma when entering and leaving worship. Often this serves as a sign that it is time to start preparing for a campaign group but we recently heard that there will be no campaigners this year. Maybe some of you would like to be involved in something like that. If so, let us know!
Outreach
For the past several weeks we have been extremely busy with the “International Choir of Pistoia.” It started as my brother and the AIM students that were working with him a couple of years ago. And now it has grown into a choir of more than 20 people, many of whom are from Pistoia. We have two members from Nigeria, 4-5 from the US, a bunch from Pistoia, and one or two from Sicily. At the end of the last concert our Nigerian director made an announcement of open enrollment to the public. I told some of our other members that he should have told them that we had already filled our quota of Italians so if they wanted to join they would have to establish citizenship somewhere else and then enroll. The choir has proven to be time consuming and a lot of work, but it is also enjoyable and most importantly provides us more opportunity to meet and possibly influence the people in the area. And that is just within the choir itself. The concerts also help in that respect. Heather did a wonderful job with a solo in Amazing Grace and has now been dubbed the new soloist.
Bible Studies
Our midweek Bible studies have shifted focus a little. You may remember that we had been studying evangelism. That focus has taken a shift to apologetic materials which speak of historical evidences for Jesus and the New Testament. Everyone is enjoying the studies. I am still trying to maintain some practical applications of how these evidences might come out in common conversations. In this way we can try to plant bits of truth in people's minds and see if they allow those seeds to grow.
As of next week, I will be having an additional Bible study to prepare. A few years back a young lady who once attended worship faithfully began attending our midweek Bible studies. She still has not made it to attend worship, but she has stated the desire to get herself back on track. We ask you to pray for her, that through her study of God's word she will fulfill her part in drawing near to God.
Two other individual studies are also supposed to begin in the upcoming months, but nothing solid has been established. One is with our landlord who attends worship almost every Sunday. The other is another young lady who is getting married this summer. Interestingly, all three of these studies are coming from within the same family unit. This young lady is getting married to our landlord's brother, and the other young lady is his sister. These three children, and their mother, essentially grew up in the church. Many have been in prayer for a long time for each of them, and we are encouraged to see these results.
Heather also has been active in studying with Dina. She has been studying the Christian graces from 2 Peter and seems to be enjoying the study. This was intended to be done as a ladies' Bible study, however with marriages, engagements and births it has been difficult to establish a time for the women to study together. However, rather than allowing this study to sit idle, Heather and Dina decided to study together and hope to use the material for the ladies study after the busyness of Summer is over.
Church building
You may recall that a couple of years ago we had some problems with the roof of the church building. The work was completed last year and we were thankful because this winter was very wet. Unfortunately, we began to notice a small spot near the gutter drain that began to show signs of dampness when it was raining. The problem got worse for several reasons, one of which was the insufficient drying time for the place where water was infiltrating. We would have only one or two days where the sun was out and it did not rain. We have finally repaired the water's entry point, and the top layers of the liquid rubber seem to be cured relatively well. However, even with longer stretches of dry, warm weather, that product has not completely dried after being applied 3-4 weeks ago. It seems that quite a lot of humidity is trapped underneath and is hindering the drying process. We are praying that a few more dry days will finally “seal the deal” and then we will proceed with cleaning the mildew from the walls and ceiling, and repainting.
English Classes
Our group English classes are still going strong. The children and parents alike are enjoying the class. These classes have been a good means of building upon pre-existing relationships. For the class with Noah's age group, Heather has tried to reinforce what is being taught in the school now. As of a month ago, an English teacher began going to Noah's school. She is using the book, “The Hungry Caterpillar.” The teachers were a little worried that Noah would be bored, but he is learning a bit as well. After the first class, we asked him how it went and what he learned. He responded by telling us how to say caterpillar in English with a British accent! Noah was also a bit intrigued by the fact that there are different kinds of English in the world.
I have also picked up an English student as a tutoring project. She is a 9 year old Romanian girl who doesn't live far from our house and I've been helping her out twice a week for a few weeks now. One of the members of the church put us in contact with her family because they participate in the same swimming program after school.
Distribution
In the near future we will be distributing fliers around Pistoia. Initially, we were going to distribute them at the weekly market in the town square, but we found out that a permit has to be obtained and that all the permits have been allocated until mid-June due to the upcoming elections. This does not limit us from placing the fliers in mailboxes (which isn't against the law here), nor from distributing at a park. The flier asks four questions: Is God active in the world? Does Jesus also save us today? What does God want from me? What do you think about it? And then the flier contains a scripture “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” It would be enough if people just asked, “What does God want from me?” But the idea is to get people to think about God and consider what, if any, responsibility they may have towards Him.
Family
We are all doing well, healthwise. Noah's desire to learn to ride his bike by himself has become fervent. Elaina has begun to show some signs of improvement in the realm of toilet training. And I have started helping out around the house more. WELL, two out of three isn't bad. Heather is always busy with one project or another.
I have started getting out early in the morning to ride my bike. It's been quite a while since I've regularly made it to the weekend group ride with Giovanni (actually, only one time since the end of January). So, since the weather is finally starting to cooperate during the weekends, I'm looking forward to getting back in touch with my friend from the Pentecostal church to have some “interesting” discussions from the Bible.
The school year is about to wind down and that leaves us with frequent dinner dates with school families, as well as a preschool graduation since Noah starts first grade in September. Elaina starts preschool in September as well, and between the two schools we have numerous engagements for informative meetings. We just pray that all the busyness doesn't keep us from being at the business we need to be accomplishing.
As always, we give thanks to God daily for each of you and pray that you receive the richness of God's blessings! We know that this time of economic struggle can leave a feeling of uncertainty. We pray that each of you can take comfort in Matt 6:28b-34: Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
We thank you all for the support you give us and the work in Pistoia, in the form of prayers, monetary contributions, and moral support. Your contributions make our presence here possible! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Serving Christ,
The Mahans
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Earthquake
For those who might be wondering about the earthquake and if it is effecting us, I thought I would put up a short post. We are safe and sound and so is my brother and his family in Prato. The earthquake was pretty far from us and it happened between 3 and 4 AM so we didn't even feel anything. The Italian social services and rescue agencies are pretty well organized so a lot is already being done for those who were effected. Personally, we do not know of anyone who was involved or who has family or friends who were injured or worse.
We're praying for those who have been effected especially since the Easter holiday is so celebrated here by families. Many will have a difficult time this year.
We're praying for those who have been effected especially since the Easter holiday is so celebrated here by families. Many will have a difficult time this year.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Dec08&Jan09 news
We were out of touch for quite a long time after coming back from the US. Our internet connection was too slow for our VoIP telephone to work well. NOTE: WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE STORY OF GETTING OUR INTERNET SERVICE BACK UP. IF THAT INFORMATION IS OF NO INTEREST TO YOU, FEEL FREE TO SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. We started the process of changing to a new company, which should have taken 10 days. After two months of waiting, one of which was full of calling and being promised that it would only be a couple of days, they informed us that it would not be possible to receive the Internet service in our area. So I immediately contacted another company (about a week before Thanksgiving). Two days later, the first company called to inform us that the phone service that was packaged with the Internet service was ready. I informed them that they would have to cancel their contract. We also ran into the same delays with the second company. Each time I called, they said it would only be two more days until two days after Christmas, and then they said it would be two weeks before the advertised speeds would be attainable and the service would then be started. At that point I asked if we could have an inferior service in the mean time. This evidently is the magic question. They said yes and the service was up and running on the next business day. Their advertised speeds were 7meg down and 1 up. The first day while downloading I saw download speeds near 700Kbps. I guess that wasn't good enough for them, but it certainly made us happy.
HOLIDAY SEASON
This year the holidays were a little busier than the last. We have been participating in a choir that is more or less an extension of the group from last Spring, when we sang up in the mountains. This time four concerts were held within a 2 week period just before Christmas. Between practices and the concerts, we had a pretty full schedule. Each concert provided a different atmosphere. For two of them we dressed in tunics. One concert was at a nursing home. Another was in a lounge at the hospital. And two were in church buildings, with a couple of songs also being sung outside in the cold. The hospital concert was probably the most notable. One of the members of the group is a surgeon from Nigeria who works for the hospital in Pistoia. He organized a concert for the purpose of raising funds to build a library in his home region (€1500.00 was donated). I have always enjoyed singing, but more important was the opportunity to meet others. Our participation has provided many of these opportunities, and allowed us to demonstrate and to talk (or sing) about our faith in Christ.
MID-WEEK STUDY
Our mid-week study is continuing well after a brief interruption for the holidays. The study continues to focus on discussions of evangelism. We are placing special emphasis on how we can engage our families, friends, and acquaintances in discussions that lead to conversations about God. Too many people say they believe in God and yet only talk about him when life takes an unexpected turn. We are constantly trying to find ways to emphasize God's worth and to help others see and feel a need for him. In our studies, we are now turning to the questions that Jesus asked and the impact upon the recipient or hearer. In times of economic insecurity, such that we face today, instead of lamenting the difficulties, we ask, “What is the value in all of those things if when I die I my life is void of a relationship with my Creator?” Our time is much better spent nourishing our relationship with God and trusting Him to provide us with our necessities while we seek Him and His kingdom first. This is a hard lesson for those who have lived in relative luxury for the majority of their lives.
ENGLISH CLASS
Our English class outreach has now picked back up after a brief pause. Two of the mothers from Noah's class are very interested in learning English and they have come to each meeting. Due to age differences in children, whom Heather teaches, we now meet two nights during the week of English classes. The number of children has been steady this year. These opportunities continue to provide invaluable time to discuss our relationship with Christ. Since the studies are held in the church's building, any Catholic person who steps inside will immediately notice differences. Those differences, (the absence of statues, candles, a crucifix, and many other things) provide a springboard for discussions that might not come up when speaking in other settings.
LESSONS FROM THE PULPIT
Since the writing of our last newsletter/report I have finished preaching through the book of Ephesians. We continue to have three men preaching in a rotation, where I peach every other week. For my part, we will now be moving into a period of focus on Jesus' relationships and interactions with others. If we are going to call ourselves Christians, we should probably know how He acted towards others so that we can mimic Him.
I was recently talking with two ladies about the church of Christ. Both of them are Catholic. One asked about “my religion.” I said, “we are Christians.” She responded, “So are we.” The other said, “No we aren't. We're Catholic!” And with that statement she convinced the first lady that she was indeed Catholic and not Christian. The discussion regarding Christian and Catholic is interesting, but the fact that one could be so quickly convinced that they are not Christian is more telling of the state of things. Yes, I realize the ladies were not saying they did not believe in Christ. What they were saying is that they are firstly Catholic and then Christian would be a secondary explanation of their belief. Even in that fact, here in Italy it is sad to consider how many people do not know exactly what they believe (or what their accepted religion teaches). It can be disheartening to see so many talk about God and go through motions of traditions they have been taught for generations, and yet not know God. In Hosea 4:6 God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” For this reason we push ahead in our attempt to make God's word visible to others. We do this with the hope that someone will begin to notice the importance that God should have in their life. That the seed of God's word will fall on fertile soil and that healthy relationships with God through Christ will develop.
CHILDREN'S CLASS
Heather is continuing to lead the children's Bible class on Sunday mornings, preparing the lessons and crafts for each Sunday. She and two other ladies from the church are teaching their way through the New Testament, one lesson at a time. She is currently on a monthly rotation with the other ladies, allowing each of them to participate in the worship service two out of every three months.
OTHER STUDIES
God has provided some opportunities for us to serve Him in different ways. When we had returned to Italy after our summer in the States, Heather was excited to begin a ladies' Bible study. Unfortunately, with the different schedules and busyness that comes from weddings and births, we were unable to begin the study. However, with the New Year came new resolutions. For Heather, she determined that she would use the material to study with Dina in a one-on-one Bible study. This has also given her material to share with other members of the church elsewhere. Heather has been encouraged by the response that she has received from the study with Dina and is hoping that at some point in the future it can still transition into a ladies' class.
I have a Bible study in the making with Barbara, the fiancé of one of the members of the church. We will start our study in March since she will be traveling for the next two weeks. For a long time she has been regular in her attendance to worship and we are finally getting a study established with her. Please pray for her as she is searching for her relationship with God and also struggling with her father's poor health.
FRIENDS
We have been spending more time with the families of Noah's friends at school. Maurizio, Stefania and Arianna, as well as Gianluca, Francesca and Lorenzo, are the families that we spend more time with. We had received a huge compliment from Maurizio and Stefania the last time that we were able to have them over to dinner – they said that they felt at home in our house. This is a big thing since we are clearly not the Italian family and our ways of hosting vary from an Italian's way of hosting. It also has been encouraging to us to see how open Maurizio and Stefania are to discussing God and faith. We ask for your continued prayers on their behalf. We are still praying for Gianluca and Francesca as well. Our relationship with them as a family is not as close and Gianluca seems reluctant to ask anything about the church or what we believe. Francesca is willing to discuss differences, but typically only when she is alone with Heather, probably because they are the “traditional” Catholic, attending church only two to three times a year. Please, continue to pray for them as well.
IN CLOSING
We are thankful for all of you who contribute to these efforts in Pistoia. It is a very slow work, but we see that some impact that is being made. Thank you for your prayers for us and for those with whom we work. Please continue to bring these things before our heavenly father in prayer.
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