September 2010 News

PISTOIA, ITALY
September 2010

Ah, Fall! The leaves will start changing soon and the coolness of the morning and evening are so enjoyable! This is the time of year that we appreciate so much, especially the opportunities we have to resume our schedules and reunite with church family and friends who have been away on holiday.

Church Activities
It has been pretty hectic since returning at the end of August. We have had several weeks when almost every night, one or both of us have been out of the house from about 8:30 to midnight. The busy schedule sure makes time fly, but we'll try to keep on top of our newsletters and keep you all informed of what is going on.
Our midweek studies started the week after we returned and we have had many moments of encouragement. The topics we have covered began with Respect for God, Respect for HIS Word, and Respect for the brethren. Obviously, each topic could be an entire series, but we've briefly hit each one moving forward with how we as Christians ought to live and how we can discipline ourselves to improve.
Some of the high points have been visitors who have participated in the studies and consequently also come to worship. Massimo is one who lives down the street from the church building, having moved to Pistoia about 8 months ago. He has very complicated life circumstances, but has expressed a desire to learn more and be more involved.
Our other regular visitor, Antonio, came as a result of a one of the members of the congregation, Sergio, distributing some fliers at a park while he and his wife were out for a walk. Antonio is also demonstrating a desire to learn. For both of these visitors, we are grateful for their presence and pray for their continued interest and fertile hearts to receive God's word.
Children's classes resumed, along with a new format. The kids now say their memory verse with the church before the services begin. This allows the members to participate with the children in memorizing verses and encourages the children as well.

Other Activities
Our weekends have also been quite full with three meetings on consecutive weekends. First, I was invited to a weekend with 8 other church workers from around Italy. The following weekend was the ladies turn to spend together. And finally, 10 other preachers and myself were present in Florence for a weekend discussing some topics which have come up in a number of the Italian congregations. These weekends have taken a toll on our budget, but we thought it important to participate in each of these events.

Family News
Noah and Elaina started school and Heather has been enjoying the quiet, at least in the mornings. Noah had been complaining about starting school again, telling us how much he hated it, but when the first day of school arrived, he informed us that he had changed his mind and now he liked it. Of course, when he arrived home from school on the following day with 23 pages of work that wasn't completed during the previous year, he soon lost some of the thrill again. It seems the teacher was trying to re-familiarize Noah with the finer points of homework! Elaina started school without any problems. She was excited to go and see her teachers and friends again, and even left our sides on the first day without tears. We count that a true blessing. Although Elaina has improved her communication quite a bit this summer, she started speech therapy this month. The therapist confirmed what we already knew: Elaina is intelligent and can follow complex instructions, but has difficulty forming sentences and words. At this point, the therapist will continue to evaluate her before recommending a more focused speech therapy program. We will wait to see how she progresses over the next two months and, if a significant difference is not seen, we will get a referral to Meyers Hospital, one of the top children's hospitals here in Europe.
Prayer Request
In the past we have asked for prayers on behalf of our sister Silvia, and she has been doing quite well. However, a few weeks ago she was readmitted to the hospital due to difficulty breathing. The family and doctors were worried that she developed another blood clot, but found that her previous clot had not completely dissolved. The doctors gave good news that this was not serious and just a matter of the level of medication, however now there is the task of diagnosing why she is having a clotting problem again. Please pray for Silvia and her doctors, that they can find the issue and resolve it quickly.
During the summer we commented on the new life coming into the church. We ask for prayers on behalf of the two expecting mothers, especially on behalf of Barbara. She was admitted into the hospital a couple of weeks ago due to premature labor. Her placenta is separating from the uterus wall, and she still has three months to go for a full-term delivery. The doctors stopped her labor and sent her home with strict instructions for bed rest. Pray that her pregnancy can continue without problems.
Finally, we ask for prayers on behalf of Elaina's progress in speech therapy, and for our patience during this process.
Closing
We thank you all for the prayers you offer on our behalf and on behalf of the church here in Pistoia. The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective! Know that you are making a difference in our work for Christ's kingdom.

In Christ,
Roger, Heather, Noah, and Elaina Mahan
rogermahan@juno.com