With the smells of turkey and all the fixings from our Thanksgiving meal still lingering in the house, the holidays seem to be upon us. The kids are eagerly counting down to Christmas, with the next Italian holiday next week, the Immaculate Conception on December 8.
Church Update
Some of you know of the difficulties the church has been experiencing over the past year. It cannot be said that the best-case scenario resulted, but we seem to be on the mend. There are still some wounds that need time to heal and some wounds that need further care, but the church seems to be moving in a positive direction. Our small group is more unified than it has been in a long time, and that gives us encouragement. Of course, prayers for the church, its health and its healing are always welcome.
Mid-week Study
The month of November has come and gone without much news out of the ordinary. Our mid-week Bible studies have had sporadic attendance, mostly due to the cooler weather. Even if it has not been extremely cold, it tends to be easier to stay warm at home than to get bundled up and get out in the cold air. Or it may be related to the topic chosen by the church for the mid-week study – Revelation. We have ventured beyond the half-way point in the book and I am hoping to finish it very quickly. Although all scripture is good for teaching, there are so many more things that can be beneficial to the growth and encouragement of the church at this time.
Upcoming Events
For the past two years the church has hosted a conference around March or April. This year the same project is being organized with a slightly different format. The church expressed a desire to shift away from the theme of the past two years. No specific topic has been chosen, but among those being considered are: “Jesus for all nations” and “Who is God?” My preference would be on the second, with attention given to the character traits of God that are less often considered. We will solidify the topic within the next few weeks, and then move forward with the planning.
Family Happenings
As some of you know, we will be moving back to the US at the end of the 2011/2012 school year (end of June, beginning of July). It has been a difficult decision but, after much prayer and consideration, we believe it is the course of action we need to take. Noah will be entering into fourth grade when we return and, other than being behind in his written and spoken English, he should have no major difficulties with the transition. Even with her continual improvement, Elaina, on the other hand, continues to struggle. We have seen several different child psychologists and Elaina started speech therapy, but all agree that this transition to the US needs to take place sooner, rather than later. Elaina's recent appointments have verified what we already knew: she is a perfectionist who is reluctant to try new things; she takes much longer than other children her age to adjust to change; and even though her spoken language has been Italian, her understanding is based more in English. Of course, leaving the field will be difficult for the church here as well, and we ask for prayers for them and for us in preparing for this move.
Conclusion
As the month of November passes, we want to give thanks for all of your support and prayers during our time in Italy. We pray you never feel that we have forgotten this important aspect of our service here: giving thanks for the generosity we receive from you all.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
October 2011
Seven years! As of the end of September we have been in Italy for seven years. How the time flies. We are grateful to all of those who have made it possible to be here serving God and hopefully being useful to the church.
After many hours in airplanes, many hours in cars, perhaps many hours on foot (if you consider walking across all the airports), and even a little time on a tram, we arrived back in Pistoia for the last week of August. This year's trip to the US was about half as long as other years, but we enjoyed the time we had with our supporters, family and friends.
Fall Conference
As soon as we got back, the Florence congregation held it's annual end of summer retreat. I had been invited to speak at this last year, however remodeling at the Harding Villa after a fire caused its cancellation. This year all the renovations had been completed and the retreat went on as planned. It was my first time to attend and I was very encouraging, as I met many new brothers and sisters from around Italy. The theme was “beginnings” - times in the Bible when a new start took place. It was a great honor to have been invited and to enjoy fellowship with my brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, one of our bags was lost during our return trip and someone had to stay at our house to wait for it. It finally arrived at our house on the evening of the last day of the retreat, making it impossible for Heather to attend any of the activities.
Women's fellowship
Back in the spring, the women in the Tuscany region started to organize a time of fellowship, on a quarterly basis, between the women in the congregations. Because most of the churches are spread out and many women are not able to attend the Women's Conference in the spring, we don't know many women outside of our own congregations. There are five congregations of the Church of Christ in Tuscany: Florence, two congregations in Prato, Pistoia and Pisa. During the month of September, the Pistoia congregation hosted this activity with the theme of heroes. Each woman attending selected someone that shaped their lives and their actions, leading them toward a deeper relationship with God. At the end of the day, the women left refreshed and encouraged by the study and fellowship.
Family events
As I'm writing this I realized we have only been back for four weeks. It really seems longer than that! We've been busy as of late, getting things ready for the kids' school. Along with running here and there to get the supplies, there was a dinner for Noah's school, allowing parents and kids to reconnect after the long summer.
Elaina finally has an appointment to start speech therapy on October 5. We are looking forward to this time and praying that we can assist Elaina effectively, as a partner with the speech therapist.
With Noah and Elaina's schools in full swing, we are finally getting back into a pattern of work. Schedules are getting set and a routine is being established. We are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming period, with the hope of being productive in the Lord's kingdom.
Upcoming events
The month of October will be filled with visitors and activities. Our congregation participated in a National Day of Evangelism that was organized for the first Sunday of the month. The idea was to have a demonstration of solidarity among the congregations throughout Italy. On the 2nd of October, congregations all across the nation participated in distributing materials for the church. A flier was proposed for all the congregations to use (slightly modified for each congregation). We pray that this effort will produce fruit throughout Italy.
On the 9th of October we will have Stefano Gaudenzi from Rome as guest speaker. He first spoke for us back in March and the congregation greatly enjoyed his energetic presentation of Scripture. We were blessed to spend a week with him at the children's camp earlier this summer and it was encouraging to see his servant attitude as well. Stefano has also been invited to lead our youth study this month, since his visit also falls on that weekend. We look forward to hearing an encouraging message from him and hope to also be of encouragement to him.
On the weekend of the 16th, the congregation will host Jay Young for a series on the authority of scripture. Specifically: Is the Bible still useful? The inspiration and authority of Scripture. Jay and his wife, Piera, worked with the congregation in Pistoia years ago, and about once a year they stop in to visit on their way to the Ukraine with Christian Relief Fund.
Back in May, on the 5th Sunday of the month, we hosted an afternoon of singing to which we invited the congregations from Prato and Florence. October is also one of those months with five Sundays this time around and, since the idea was so warmly received last time, we will organize it again. Sometimes we get drawn into arguments about who believes exactly what on subjects which should probably remain secondary or tertiary and getting together just to sing to God can have a very encouraging effect. This is our prayer for the event.
In addition to all of the other events for the month of October, we are blessed to have Corene Everett coming to spend a week with us. It is always a blessing to be able to share our home, our daily life and our culture here in Italy with visiting friends and family, and this is no exception.
Conclusion
We want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving with safe travels. Your prayers and thoughts are much appreciated and we always thank God for you all in our prayers. May God bless you until the next time.
After many hours in airplanes, many hours in cars, perhaps many hours on foot (if you consider walking across all the airports), and even a little time on a tram, we arrived back in Pistoia for the last week of August. This year's trip to the US was about half as long as other years, but we enjoyed the time we had with our supporters, family and friends.
Fall Conference
As soon as we got back, the Florence congregation held it's annual end of summer retreat. I had been invited to speak at this last year, however remodeling at the Harding Villa after a fire caused its cancellation. This year all the renovations had been completed and the retreat went on as planned. It was my first time to attend and I was very encouraging, as I met many new brothers and sisters from around Italy. The theme was “beginnings” - times in the Bible when a new start took place. It was a great honor to have been invited and to enjoy fellowship with my brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, one of our bags was lost during our return trip and someone had to stay at our house to wait for it. It finally arrived at our house on the evening of the last day of the retreat, making it impossible for Heather to attend any of the activities.
Women's fellowship
Back in the spring, the women in the Tuscany region started to organize a time of fellowship, on a quarterly basis, between the women in the congregations. Because most of the churches are spread out and many women are not able to attend the Women's Conference in the spring, we don't know many women outside of our own congregations. There are five congregations of the Church of Christ in Tuscany: Florence, two congregations in Prato, Pistoia and Pisa. During the month of September, the Pistoia congregation hosted this activity with the theme of heroes. Each woman attending selected someone that shaped their lives and their actions, leading them toward a deeper relationship with God. At the end of the day, the women left refreshed and encouraged by the study and fellowship.
Family events
As I'm writing this I realized we have only been back for four weeks. It really seems longer than that! We've been busy as of late, getting things ready for the kids' school. Along with running here and there to get the supplies, there was a dinner for Noah's school, allowing parents and kids to reconnect after the long summer.
Elaina finally has an appointment to start speech therapy on October 5. We are looking forward to this time and praying that we can assist Elaina effectively, as a partner with the speech therapist.
With Noah and Elaina's schools in full swing, we are finally getting back into a pattern of work. Schedules are getting set and a routine is being established. We are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming period, with the hope of being productive in the Lord's kingdom.
Upcoming events
The month of October will be filled with visitors and activities. Our congregation participated in a National Day of Evangelism that was organized for the first Sunday of the month. The idea was to have a demonstration of solidarity among the congregations throughout Italy. On the 2nd of October, congregations all across the nation participated in distributing materials for the church. A flier was proposed for all the congregations to use (slightly modified for each congregation). We pray that this effort will produce fruit throughout Italy.
On the 9th of October we will have Stefano Gaudenzi from Rome as guest speaker. He first spoke for us back in March and the congregation greatly enjoyed his energetic presentation of Scripture. We were blessed to spend a week with him at the children's camp earlier this summer and it was encouraging to see his servant attitude as well. Stefano has also been invited to lead our youth study this month, since his visit also falls on that weekend. We look forward to hearing an encouraging message from him and hope to also be of encouragement to him.
On the weekend of the 16th, the congregation will host Jay Young for a series on the authority of scripture. Specifically: Is the Bible still useful? The inspiration and authority of Scripture. Jay and his wife, Piera, worked with the congregation in Pistoia years ago, and about once a year they stop in to visit on their way to the Ukraine with Christian Relief Fund.
Back in May, on the 5th Sunday of the month, we hosted an afternoon of singing to which we invited the congregations from Prato and Florence. October is also one of those months with five Sundays this time around and, since the idea was so warmly received last time, we will organize it again. Sometimes we get drawn into arguments about who believes exactly what on subjects which should probably remain secondary or tertiary and getting together just to sing to God can have a very encouraging effect. This is our prayer for the event.
In addition to all of the other events for the month of October, we are blessed to have Corene Everett coming to spend a week with us. It is always a blessing to be able to share our home, our daily life and our culture here in Italy with visiting friends and family, and this is no exception.
Conclusion
We want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving with safe travels. Your prayers and thoughts are much appreciated and we always thank God for you all in our prayers. May God bless you until the next time.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
June 2011
The time for our travel to the US is upon us. A little less than a week remains before our departure at this point. It is always a time of mixed emotions - happy to be heading to see family and friends, but sad to be away from the church family and friends here in Pistoia.
School Events
With the month of June came numerous social obligations for Elaina's and Noah's schools. Both schools held end of the year parties, as well as a dinner with many of the parents. To go along with those obligations was the end of year party for basketball. And to top it all off, everyone tries to get one last play date, or get-together in before heading our different directions for the summer. Now that July has arrived the case is the same for members of the church. The obligations of school have finished, and choir practices have terminated so it leaves more availability to try and spend time with members of the church.
Heather also had many school-related activities for the month of June. Her Italian classes finished up on June 6th, after which she took the CILS exam (Certification in the Italian Language for Stranieri (foreigners)) in level B2. There are five portions to the exam: listening, reading/comprehension, grammar, writing and verbal skills; and the exam is an all day event. The exam is provided by the University of Siena and the community of Pistoia pays for the exam fee for students attending the language classes at the Foreigners Center, or at least all are paid for except for US citizens. Originally, she wasn't planning on taking the exam due to expense, but her class took up a collection and paid for her exam fee. The results will be sent in September, so for now we will wait.
First Italian VBS in Florence
On June 18th the church in Florence put on a Vacation Bible School headed up by Ryan Stevens, one of the Avanti Italia workers. Heather helped with registration and the kids had a great time learning about the armor of God from Ephesians 6. Many people spent hours on preparation for the event, and their efforts were obvious.
Moments on the Mountain: Children's Camp
One of our more important responsibilities in the month of June was preparing for the children's camp. Heather was the primary teacher for the youngest group (ages 6-8) as well as the helper for craft time, while I helped in the oldest group (ages11-12) and with sports. I inherited the primary teacher position when the teacher was called back to work after the second day, but everything went well. It was a good experience and gave us opportunity to meet and to work hand in hand with more of our brothers and sisters from around Italy.
Pistoia Church Events
With the summer holiday upon us, we have already seen the impact on Sunday attendance. The church has taken on the task of reading through the New Testament during the months of July and August to help us feel united. If we cannot be together physically, at least we can be together in mind and spirit. Bookmarks were printed and laminated with a suggested reading program. I personally am challenging myself to read it all in Italian, which really only means an extra 5 minutes of reading each day since reading in Italian takes me a little longer than in English.
As of late, when preaching my focus has been upon true discipleship. It has been very challenging and thought provoking. In Matthew 10:25 Jesus said, “It is enough for the student to become like his teacher...” From this we have been considering how to be like our teacher, but not just in our actions. We are considering how to become like him in our hearts – seeing people the way Jesus saw them, and thinking the way Jesus thought about the human/spiritual condition.
Individual Bible studies have continued with Massimo, Barbara, and Antonio. They all are making progress in their relationship with God, but please continue to keep them in your prayers.
Upcoming Events
After our visit in the US, we will be returning to Pistoia before the last weekend in August. Last year I had been invited to speak at the End of Summer conference at Florence, but it had to be cancelled due to a fire and reconstruction afterwards at the Harding Villa. The program was postponed to this year, so we will return just in time to participate with them.
Family Happenings
The last day of school for Noah was June 10, and so we decided to take Elaina out of school at that point as well, allowing the kids to play together before we had to get back on schedule with Noah's homework and preparations for camp. Fortunately, Elaina was out of school when her preschool went through an outbreak of the flu, roseola and fifth's disease. Heather and I have been working with Elaina and her language development at home, since we are still on the waiting list for her to start speech therapy. She is making progress, just more slowly than we would like. We are hopeful that when we return from the States she will be able to immediately start with her speech therapy program.
In Closing
As always we are thankful for your prayers and support for the work here. We look forward to seeing many of you in the next month to month and a half. May God bless you and keep you!
Roger, Heather, Noah, and Elaina Mahan
School Events
With the month of June came numerous social obligations for Elaina's and Noah's schools. Both schools held end of the year parties, as well as a dinner with many of the parents. To go along with those obligations was the end of year party for basketball. And to top it all off, everyone tries to get one last play date, or get-together in before heading our different directions for the summer. Now that July has arrived the case is the same for members of the church. The obligations of school have finished, and choir practices have terminated so it leaves more availability to try and spend time with members of the church.
Heather also had many school-related activities for the month of June. Her Italian classes finished up on June 6th, after which she took the CILS exam (Certification in the Italian Language for Stranieri (foreigners)) in level B2. There are five portions to the exam: listening, reading/comprehension, grammar, writing and verbal skills; and the exam is an all day event. The exam is provided by the University of Siena and the community of Pistoia pays for the exam fee for students attending the language classes at the Foreigners Center, or at least all are paid for except for US citizens. Originally, she wasn't planning on taking the exam due to expense, but her class took up a collection and paid for her exam fee. The results will be sent in September, so for now we will wait.
First Italian VBS in Florence
On June 18th the church in Florence put on a Vacation Bible School headed up by Ryan Stevens, one of the Avanti Italia workers. Heather helped with registration and the kids had a great time learning about the armor of God from Ephesians 6. Many people spent hours on preparation for the event, and their efforts were obvious.
Moments on the Mountain: Children's Camp
One of our more important responsibilities in the month of June was preparing for the children's camp. Heather was the primary teacher for the youngest group (ages 6-8) as well as the helper for craft time, while I helped in the oldest group (ages11-12) and with sports. I inherited the primary teacher position when the teacher was called back to work after the second day, but everything went well. It was a good experience and gave us opportunity to meet and to work hand in hand with more of our brothers and sisters from around Italy.
Pistoia Church Events
With the summer holiday upon us, we have already seen the impact on Sunday attendance. The church has taken on the task of reading through the New Testament during the months of July and August to help us feel united. If we cannot be together physically, at least we can be together in mind and spirit. Bookmarks were printed and laminated with a suggested reading program. I personally am challenging myself to read it all in Italian, which really only means an extra 5 minutes of reading each day since reading in Italian takes me a little longer than in English.
As of late, when preaching my focus has been upon true discipleship. It has been very challenging and thought provoking. In Matthew 10:25 Jesus said, “It is enough for the student to become like his teacher...” From this we have been considering how to be like our teacher, but not just in our actions. We are considering how to become like him in our hearts – seeing people the way Jesus saw them, and thinking the way Jesus thought about the human/spiritual condition.
Individual Bible studies have continued with Massimo, Barbara, and Antonio. They all are making progress in their relationship with God, but please continue to keep them in your prayers.
Upcoming Events
After our visit in the US, we will be returning to Pistoia before the last weekend in August. Last year I had been invited to speak at the End of Summer conference at Florence, but it had to be cancelled due to a fire and reconstruction afterwards at the Harding Villa. The program was postponed to this year, so we will return just in time to participate with them.
Family Happenings
The last day of school for Noah was June 10, and so we decided to take Elaina out of school at that point as well, allowing the kids to play together before we had to get back on schedule with Noah's homework and preparations for camp. Fortunately, Elaina was out of school when her preschool went through an outbreak of the flu, roseola and fifth's disease. Heather and I have been working with Elaina and her language development at home, since we are still on the waiting list for her to start speech therapy. She is making progress, just more slowly than we would like. We are hopeful that when we return from the States she will be able to immediately start with her speech therapy program.
In Closing
As always we are thankful for your prayers and support for the work here. We look forward to seeing many of you in the next month to month and a half. May God bless you and keep you!
Roger, Heather, Noah, and Elaina Mahan
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
April- May 2011 News
What an encouraging weekend!!! We have just returned from the nationwide retreat for the Chiese di Cristo in Italy. More than 100 brothers and sisters from around the country were present to encourage one another in fellowship and in the study of God's word. It was an event that our family personally needed for some time. The only negative thing we can say about the entire weekend is that we are sad that it is over and we'll have to wait almost a year before the next opportunity.
The work with the church in Pistoia continues to move ahead. While we are having our struggles and difficulties, our spirits are also being refreshed by evangelistic studies. We also remember the prayers that you all offer on behalf of the church in Pistoia and for our family, and we thank you immensely for that encouragement.
Contacts and studies
One afternoon while I was in a teacher meeting for Noah, Heather took the kids to the park near the school. Noah, our social butterfly, played for an hour and a half with a boy and as a result Heather ended up visiting with the boy's father, Antonio. They spoke about the church and before leaving Heather invited him to visit us one Sunday. The following Sunday we were overjoyed to see him standing in front of the church building when we arrived. He has begun reading the Bible that the church gave to him and is excited to read it cover to cover. In fact he has already arrived at I Samuel after having started in Genesis about 3 weeks ago.
We have also received great joy from Barbara. She is the wife of one of the brother's here. While we have had many opportunities to visit and chit chat about the Bible, the church, and Christ in the past six years, a scheduled and organized study had never been established. In an answer to many prayers, she has expressed interest in deepening her knowledge and drawing closer to Christ. We pray that God's word will continue to grow within her heart.
2011 Italy Retreat
I mentioned earlier the national retreat for the churches of Christ in Italy. It has been held in Velletri for more than 10 years and last year was the first time we went as a family. This year I was invited to be one of the ten speakers as we considered the theme, “The Economic Crisis and the Providence of God.” It is good to be reminded of the promises of God and the ways in which He has provided for His people throughout history. Times are tough, but it often requires times like these to bring people to the point of searching for something greater than material wealth. As Christians, we must demonstrate our faith in God's providence and make the most of the opportunity to share Him with those who may be more receptive now than they have been at any other point in their lives.
Family happenings
In April, the kids enjoyed a traditional Italian Easter, with giant chocolate eggs and lamb for dinner. Noah and Elaina both enjoyed their time off of school, despite Noah's 20 pages of homework for the vacation. Both of the kids are continuing in mini-basket, which has allowed us to have continued contact with families outside of our normal contact area, as well as giving the kids an opportunity to have focused play time with others. We are still waiting for Elaina to begin speech therapy, and pray that she will being in June. Her language has improved but, as said in the past, she is still well behind her classmates. Heather is currently studying for the CILS exam (an exam for certification in the Italian language for foreigners) which she will be taking in June. In addition, Heather has been asked to participate as part of the planning committee for the 2012 Women's Conference. This will be her third year to participate with the planning committee and she is very much looking forward to the fellowship required during the planning process.
Summer plans
This summer we look forward to seeing many of you for a short visit. Heather's mother will be getting married and it will be a reunion for both of our families, since it will be the first time that our children and my brother's children will be in the United States at the same time, as well as the first time for Heather's family to meet the family of her mother's soon-to-be husband. Words cannot express how happy we are for our families. We are certain that the time we have there will not seem sufficient, but when we return to Italy, I have been invited to speak at the End of Summer Retreat hosted in Florence at the Harding Villa.
Prayer request
Among our other requests for prayers, we ask you to include one of the evangelists from southern Italy. Massimo Resta is being forced to consider secular work due to lack of financial support. He has been a tremendous help to the church in Mesagne, but with a wife and two children to support he has arrived at a critical point. Times are tough and I do not believe I have ever heard of a church or of individuals that were LOOKING for a work to which they could contribute; however, I believe this is a very worthy cause. With all of the difficulties that the churches in Italy are facing, loosing one of it's few Italian full-time workers would be a depressing blow.
We also covet your prayers for the church in Pistoia. Sometimes the road is difficult but we know of your concern for the Lord's church here and it encourages us. We cannot say “thank you” enough to express our gratitude for you all and the partnership we have with you in the work in Pistoia. The Lord bless you and keep you!
In Him,
Roger, Heather, Noah, and Elaina Mahan
The work with the church in Pistoia continues to move ahead. While we are having our struggles and difficulties, our spirits are also being refreshed by evangelistic studies. We also remember the prayers that you all offer on behalf of the church in Pistoia and for our family, and we thank you immensely for that encouragement.
Contacts and studies
One afternoon while I was in a teacher meeting for Noah, Heather took the kids to the park near the school. Noah, our social butterfly, played for an hour and a half with a boy and as a result Heather ended up visiting with the boy's father, Antonio. They spoke about the church and before leaving Heather invited him to visit us one Sunday. The following Sunday we were overjoyed to see him standing in front of the church building when we arrived. He has begun reading the Bible that the church gave to him and is excited to read it cover to cover. In fact he has already arrived at I Samuel after having started in Genesis about 3 weeks ago.
We have also received great joy from Barbara. She is the wife of one of the brother's here. While we have had many opportunities to visit and chit chat about the Bible, the church, and Christ in the past six years, a scheduled and organized study had never been established. In an answer to many prayers, she has expressed interest in deepening her knowledge and drawing closer to Christ. We pray that God's word will continue to grow within her heart.
2011 Italy Retreat
I mentioned earlier the national retreat for the churches of Christ in Italy. It has been held in Velletri for more than 10 years and last year was the first time we went as a family. This year I was invited to be one of the ten speakers as we considered the theme, “The Economic Crisis and the Providence of God.” It is good to be reminded of the promises of God and the ways in which He has provided for His people throughout history. Times are tough, but it often requires times like these to bring people to the point of searching for something greater than material wealth. As Christians, we must demonstrate our faith in God's providence and make the most of the opportunity to share Him with those who may be more receptive now than they have been at any other point in their lives.
Family happenings
In April, the kids enjoyed a traditional Italian Easter, with giant chocolate eggs and lamb for dinner. Noah and Elaina both enjoyed their time off of school, despite Noah's 20 pages of homework for the vacation. Both of the kids are continuing in mini-basket, which has allowed us to have continued contact with families outside of our normal contact area, as well as giving the kids an opportunity to have focused play time with others. We are still waiting for Elaina to begin speech therapy, and pray that she will being in June. Her language has improved but, as said in the past, she is still well behind her classmates. Heather is currently studying for the CILS exam (an exam for certification in the Italian language for foreigners) which she will be taking in June. In addition, Heather has been asked to participate as part of the planning committee for the 2012 Women's Conference. This will be her third year to participate with the planning committee and she is very much looking forward to the fellowship required during the planning process.
Summer plans
This summer we look forward to seeing many of you for a short visit. Heather's mother will be getting married and it will be a reunion for both of our families, since it will be the first time that our children and my brother's children will be in the United States at the same time, as well as the first time for Heather's family to meet the family of her mother's soon-to-be husband. Words cannot express how happy we are for our families. We are certain that the time we have there will not seem sufficient, but when we return to Italy, I have been invited to speak at the End of Summer Retreat hosted in Florence at the Harding Villa.
Prayer request
Among our other requests for prayers, we ask you to include one of the evangelists from southern Italy. Massimo Resta is being forced to consider secular work due to lack of financial support. He has been a tremendous help to the church in Mesagne, but with a wife and two children to support he has arrived at a critical point. Times are tough and I do not believe I have ever heard of a church or of individuals that were LOOKING for a work to which they could contribute; however, I believe this is a very worthy cause. With all of the difficulties that the churches in Italy are facing, loosing one of it's few Italian full-time workers would be a depressing blow.
We also covet your prayers for the church in Pistoia. Sometimes the road is difficult but we know of your concern for the Lord's church here and it encourages us. We cannot say “thank you” enough to express our gratitude for you all and the partnership we have with you in the work in Pistoia. The Lord bless you and keep you!
In Him,
Roger, Heather, Noah, and Elaina Mahan
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
February/March 2011
Time always flies! Its hard to believe it has been so long since the last update.
The Carnival season ended at the beginning of March and for that we are thankful. It can be compared to Halloween festivities. Kids dress up for parties and everyone eats too much. There is no trick-or-treating, however, in February we received a package that my father-in-law had sent at the beginning of October. And guess what was inside? Halloween Candy! Thanks Ron!
Women's Retreat
The end of January and beginning of February were very busy for Heather this year. She participated as a member of the planning committee for the women's retreat and was invited to help lead small groups. The topic of the retreat was the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. Heather and Dina, another woman from our congregation, led eight different small group discussions, specifically discussing Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” According to Heather, the retreat went very well, and all who attended were blessed by the discussions and fellowship between sisters in Christ. Of course, when Heather returned from her retreat, Noah had a surprise for her: a black eye and a cut near his eyebrow. It was a bike accident that occurred in the parking lot behind our house. Noah says his bike was being sneaky because he went one direction and the bike went another. He has a small scar but is otherwise fine now.
Congregational Happenings
The flu season hit our congregation hard this year. The usual symptoms were 6 days of high fever, with coughing that lingered afterwards. It hit every family, including Lucia, the wife of our landlord. Unfortunately for Lucia, her flu symptoms turned into pneumonia. She has now recovered well, thanks be to God. Due to the flu season, our attendance was down a bit, however we were encouraged by the attendance of a few Nigerians, who live next door to the Seminara family. The Seminara's have helped them out in numerous ways along with giving them rides to worship, and our church always feels blessed to have them in our number on any given Sunday.
Most of you know that we have been working a great deal on congregational unity for much of last year. Recently that focus has been placed directly on the topic of fellowship/communion. Simply being together as Christians can have a tremendous impact on our faith by encouraging us to live godly lives. Knowing that we have brothers and sisters who are concerned for us stimulates us to greater service and often results in the desire to contribute to the well-being of the other participants. This has been one of our goals and lately we feel that these lessons are being put to the test. Please continue to pray specifically for the unity of the church here in Pistoia.
The midweek studies are now looking at Ephesians 4 and 5 concerning how our lives change or should change when we become Christians. In Paul's words, we are to be imitators of God and we are to behave in a worthy manner. Our world is saturated with selfishness and questions of what God is going to do for us. Because of that, it is sometimes helpful to be reminded that God wants us to demonstrate our love for him and he wants our lives to reflect a coherent faith.
2nd Annual Pistoia Conference
This year we again hosted an open forum where people shared stories about becoming Christians. Last year, around 60 attended and after the presentations the church offered a buffet dinner. The format was the same this year. This year our distribution of fliers consisted of door to door distribution, leaving fliers in places of business and simply talking with friends. The forum again served as an encouraging element for the churches and we pray that it was all done in a way that was pleasing to God.
Upcoming Events
During the month of May the churches of Christ hold a national retreat close to Rome. We attended as a family last year, and this year I have been invited to speak along with 6 or 7 other men. The topic this year is the Economic Crisis. Last year's retreat was very encouraging for us, as it made it possible to personally meet many of the Christians from around the country. We are again looking forward to this time to study God's word and how it applies to our lives, as well as enjoy Christian fellowship with brothers and sisters from all over Italy.
We thank you all for your support and prayers. Financially speaking, everything helps to make ends meet. Spiritually speaking, we know the work here is strengthened by your prayers. We are tremendously blessed to have all of you praying for us and for the advances of Christ's kingdom in Pistoia. We want to specifically ask for prayers regarding a difficult situation currently in the church. Please pray that we will have wisdom in responding to this difficulty in a godly way.
Serving Christ in Pistoia,
Roger, Heather, Noah and Elaina Mahan
The Carnival season ended at the beginning of March and for that we are thankful. It can be compared to Halloween festivities. Kids dress up for parties and everyone eats too much. There is no trick-or-treating, however, in February we received a package that my father-in-law had sent at the beginning of October. And guess what was inside? Halloween Candy! Thanks Ron!
Women's Retreat
The end of January and beginning of February were very busy for Heather this year. She participated as a member of the planning committee for the women's retreat and was invited to help lead small groups. The topic of the retreat was the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. Heather and Dina, another woman from our congregation, led eight different small group discussions, specifically discussing Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” According to Heather, the retreat went very well, and all who attended were blessed by the discussions and fellowship between sisters in Christ. Of course, when Heather returned from her retreat, Noah had a surprise for her: a black eye and a cut near his eyebrow. It was a bike accident that occurred in the parking lot behind our house. Noah says his bike was being sneaky because he went one direction and the bike went another. He has a small scar but is otherwise fine now.
Congregational Happenings
The flu season hit our congregation hard this year. The usual symptoms were 6 days of high fever, with coughing that lingered afterwards. It hit every family, including Lucia, the wife of our landlord. Unfortunately for Lucia, her flu symptoms turned into pneumonia. She has now recovered well, thanks be to God. Due to the flu season, our attendance was down a bit, however we were encouraged by the attendance of a few Nigerians, who live next door to the Seminara family. The Seminara's have helped them out in numerous ways along with giving them rides to worship, and our church always feels blessed to have them in our number on any given Sunday.
Most of you know that we have been working a great deal on congregational unity for much of last year. Recently that focus has been placed directly on the topic of fellowship/communion. Simply being together as Christians can have a tremendous impact on our faith by encouraging us to live godly lives. Knowing that we have brothers and sisters who are concerned for us stimulates us to greater service and often results in the desire to contribute to the well-being of the other participants. This has been one of our goals and lately we feel that these lessons are being put to the test. Please continue to pray specifically for the unity of the church here in Pistoia.
The midweek studies are now looking at Ephesians 4 and 5 concerning how our lives change or should change when we become Christians. In Paul's words, we are to be imitators of God and we are to behave in a worthy manner. Our world is saturated with selfishness and questions of what God is going to do for us. Because of that, it is sometimes helpful to be reminded that God wants us to demonstrate our love for him and he wants our lives to reflect a coherent faith.
2nd Annual Pistoia Conference
This year we again hosted an open forum where people shared stories about becoming Christians. Last year, around 60 attended and after the presentations the church offered a buffet dinner. The format was the same this year. This year our distribution of fliers consisted of door to door distribution, leaving fliers in places of business and simply talking with friends. The forum again served as an encouraging element for the churches and we pray that it was all done in a way that was pleasing to God.
Upcoming Events
During the month of May the churches of Christ hold a national retreat close to Rome. We attended as a family last year, and this year I have been invited to speak along with 6 or 7 other men. The topic this year is the Economic Crisis. Last year's retreat was very encouraging for us, as it made it possible to personally meet many of the Christians from around the country. We are again looking forward to this time to study God's word and how it applies to our lives, as well as enjoy Christian fellowship with brothers and sisters from all over Italy.
We thank you all for your support and prayers. Financially speaking, everything helps to make ends meet. Spiritually speaking, we know the work here is strengthened by your prayers. We are tremendously blessed to have all of you praying for us and for the advances of Christ's kingdom in Pistoia. We want to specifically ask for prayers regarding a difficult situation currently in the church. Please pray that we will have wisdom in responding to this difficulty in a godly way.
Serving Christ in Pistoia,
Roger, Heather, Noah and Elaina Mahan
Monday, January 31, 2011
New Year Newsletter
PISTOIA, ITALY
Buon Anno a tutti!
Buon Anno a tutti! Happy New Year everyone! We want to wish you all the best for this new year and we pray that God can be glorified all the more in the service we offer as Christians.
After returning from the US the last week of August, the month of September was hectic due to getting back into a routine. The kids both finally got back to school and Noah started back to basketball. Heather had her Italian class twice a week provided by the city. And, I continued with my one English student twice a week. Beyond these normal familial activities/responsibilities, the work with the church was also very busy.
The ladies study began in September and was scheduled for the fourth Saturday of each month. The month of December required a schedule change so that the study was not held on Christmas day, but it has been good to get an established date to keep things on track. The ladies are rotating as hostesses and leading the study as well. This way everyone has the opportunity to share their thoughts from scripture and it serves to stimulate some of the ladies to prepare a lesson for the first time, or at least for the first time in a long time.
What was once called our young couples study began in September. Since one of the young ladies of the congregation is no longer together with her boyfriend, we renamed it. I suggested the “Second Generation” since neither the youngest children, nor the older couples are participating. Let's just say that it ranges from ages 18 to 45. The focus of this study has also changed. It no longer focuses on improving relationships, etc. Instead, it has an evangelistic focus. Once the study portion is completed, we order pizza and eat together at the church building, enjoying each others fellowship. Of the 12 present at the first study, five were non-Christians and we are hopeful that this number will be somewhat consistent as we move forward.
Here in Pistoia, as in most of Italy, grocery stores are closed most Sundays. One store, however, has a sign that reads, “Open each second Sunday of every month.” It often brings a smile to my face because there is only one second Sunday in any month, and because at least in the month of August it is closed on the second Sunday. After being here for 6 years, we are now ready to print a sign of our own at the church building that reads, “Fellowship meal every third Sunday of every month.” It is likely to be skipped around certain holidays, but at least we have a set Sunday with a goal to spend more time together as a congregation.
The rainy season officially arrived in November. During November we might have had 3 whole days without rain. That's not to say that it rained all day, every day, but we were definitely ready for it to stop. For accuracy sake, the internet reported 23 days of rain for Florence. The temperature also began to turn cold and floated between 32 and 55 degrees. The temperature inside the house gradually fell and we eventually turned on the heat for which I'm sure our landlord was happy. He lives on the floor above us and when our heat isn't on I imagine he notices a difference in his heating cost.
This year, Heather was again invited to participate as one of the committee members for the women's conference, which will be held in February, with the topic of the beatitudes from Matthew 5. She traveled with Anto, our sister-in-law, to Fregene for the planning meeting in October. Last year, Heather was also part of the planning committee but, unlike this year, all of the planning committee was located in Tuscany, where the conference was held last year. This year the conference will be held in Viletri, a small city close to Rome. In addition, Heather has also taken on the responsibility of being a small-group leader with Dina (from our church) for the conference, focusing on verse 7. This should definitely put her Italian language skills to the test.
The month of December almost killed us. Obviously, that is an exaggeration, but it was incredibly busy. It was also full of God's blessings, as always. Between the two choirs with which we participate and church activities, we were singing almost every day for more than two weeks straight. We had 8 different concerts during the holiday season and, after a break of 2 weeks, the practices are just now beginning again.
A while back, the congregation in Prato, with which my brother works, invited me to preach. The first Sunday in December was that opportunity. It was very encouraging to spend some time with them. In the past we had habitually attended their mid-week Bible studies, but as Noah's school became more time consuming, along with other difficulties in our schedules, we had to limit ourselves. We still regularly attend their fellowship meals each month, but it was encouraging to worship together with them.
Our own mid-week Bible studies have taken a turn. For the previous three months we had considered the Spiritual Disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, memorization, service, and a number of other disciplines we employ to train ourselves in godliness. We looked at how these tools can be used to exercise particular traits we should all have as Christians. As of the beginning of the year, we are now looking at Ephesians 4, while keeping these disciplines in mind. For example, if the trait we study is meekness, we make a conscious effort to pray for meekness. We can memorize verses on meekness, meditate on those verses, and choose an act of service which would demonstrate that meekness. In this way, the traits we discuss can be aided by concrete applications.
The children's classes continue to be led by three of the ladies. Heather, Dina, and Valentina have a monthly rotation. One element has been added for the children. At the beginning of worship, the children sit on the front row and together we recite the memory verse for the month. The adults are encouraged to recite the verse as well. Once the verse has been recited we sing a song with the children before starting into our time of worship.
During December we had a 4-5 inch snowfall, which I have been told is somewhat rare. However, last year we had a 6-7 inch snowfall at almost exactly the same weekend. The majority fell during the work day on Friday while the kids were at school, and when it was time to get Noah at 4:30, there was a line of traffic past our house heading toward Pistoia. We managed to get to and from his school without problems, but we also used all the back roads and avoided the bridges. We later heard that almost everyone was on the main roads and traffic was terrible all over town, but for those who chose the more narrow, less traveled roads, they had fewer problems. As I write about it, I'm reminded of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:14 - “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” I'm not saying that this verse applies to that snowy day, but I don't think we are going to just happen upon a relationship with God by following the masses. We need to honestly search for it, and the rewards for those efforts are great!
We again want to thank you all for your prayers and support of us. It gives us encouragement to know that so many care for us and are concerned about how we are doing and what is going on. Please keep the church in your prayers.
In Christ,
Roger, Heather, Noah and Elaina Mahan
Buon Anno a tutti!
Buon Anno a tutti! Happy New Year everyone! We want to wish you all the best for this new year and we pray that God can be glorified all the more in the service we offer as Christians.
After returning from the US the last week of August, the month of September was hectic due to getting back into a routine. The kids both finally got back to school and Noah started back to basketball. Heather had her Italian class twice a week provided by the city. And, I continued with my one English student twice a week. Beyond these normal familial activities/responsibilities, the work with the church was also very busy.
The ladies study began in September and was scheduled for the fourth Saturday of each month. The month of December required a schedule change so that the study was not held on Christmas day, but it has been good to get an established date to keep things on track. The ladies are rotating as hostesses and leading the study as well. This way everyone has the opportunity to share their thoughts from scripture and it serves to stimulate some of the ladies to prepare a lesson for the first time, or at least for the first time in a long time.
What was once called our young couples study began in September. Since one of the young ladies of the congregation is no longer together with her boyfriend, we renamed it. I suggested the “Second Generation” since neither the youngest children, nor the older couples are participating. Let's just say that it ranges from ages 18 to 45. The focus of this study has also changed. It no longer focuses on improving relationships, etc. Instead, it has an evangelistic focus. Once the study portion is completed, we order pizza and eat together at the church building, enjoying each others fellowship. Of the 12 present at the first study, five were non-Christians and we are hopeful that this number will be somewhat consistent as we move forward.
Here in Pistoia, as in most of Italy, grocery stores are closed most Sundays. One store, however, has a sign that reads, “Open each second Sunday of every month.” It often brings a smile to my face because there is only one second Sunday in any month, and because at least in the month of August it is closed on the second Sunday. After being here for 6 years, we are now ready to print a sign of our own at the church building that reads, “Fellowship meal every third Sunday of every month.” It is likely to be skipped around certain holidays, but at least we have a set Sunday with a goal to spend more time together as a congregation.
The rainy season officially arrived in November. During November we might have had 3 whole days without rain. That's not to say that it rained all day, every day, but we were definitely ready for it to stop. For accuracy sake, the internet reported 23 days of rain for Florence. The temperature also began to turn cold and floated between 32 and 55 degrees. The temperature inside the house gradually fell and we eventually turned on the heat for which I'm sure our landlord was happy. He lives on the floor above us and when our heat isn't on I imagine he notices a difference in his heating cost.
This year, Heather was again invited to participate as one of the committee members for the women's conference, which will be held in February, with the topic of the beatitudes from Matthew 5. She traveled with Anto, our sister-in-law, to Fregene for the planning meeting in October. Last year, Heather was also part of the planning committee but, unlike this year, all of the planning committee was located in Tuscany, where the conference was held last year. This year the conference will be held in Viletri, a small city close to Rome. In addition, Heather has also taken on the responsibility of being a small-group leader with Dina (from our church) for the conference, focusing on verse 7. This should definitely put her Italian language skills to the test.
The month of December almost killed us. Obviously, that is an exaggeration, but it was incredibly busy. It was also full of God's blessings, as always. Between the two choirs with which we participate and church activities, we were singing almost every day for more than two weeks straight. We had 8 different concerts during the holiday season and, after a break of 2 weeks, the practices are just now beginning again.
A while back, the congregation in Prato, with which my brother works, invited me to preach. The first Sunday in December was that opportunity. It was very encouraging to spend some time with them. In the past we had habitually attended their mid-week Bible studies, but as Noah's school became more time consuming, along with other difficulties in our schedules, we had to limit ourselves. We still regularly attend their fellowship meals each month, but it was encouraging to worship together with them.
Our own mid-week Bible studies have taken a turn. For the previous three months we had considered the Spiritual Disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, memorization, service, and a number of other disciplines we employ to train ourselves in godliness. We looked at how these tools can be used to exercise particular traits we should all have as Christians. As of the beginning of the year, we are now looking at Ephesians 4, while keeping these disciplines in mind. For example, if the trait we study is meekness, we make a conscious effort to pray for meekness. We can memorize verses on meekness, meditate on those verses, and choose an act of service which would demonstrate that meekness. In this way, the traits we discuss can be aided by concrete applications.
The children's classes continue to be led by three of the ladies. Heather, Dina, and Valentina have a monthly rotation. One element has been added for the children. At the beginning of worship, the children sit on the front row and together we recite the memory verse for the month. The adults are encouraged to recite the verse as well. Once the verse has been recited we sing a song with the children before starting into our time of worship.
During December we had a 4-5 inch snowfall, which I have been told is somewhat rare. However, last year we had a 6-7 inch snowfall at almost exactly the same weekend. The majority fell during the work day on Friday while the kids were at school, and when it was time to get Noah at 4:30, there was a line of traffic past our house heading toward Pistoia. We managed to get to and from his school without problems, but we also used all the back roads and avoided the bridges. We later heard that almost everyone was on the main roads and traffic was terrible all over town, but for those who chose the more narrow, less traveled roads, they had fewer problems. As I write about it, I'm reminded of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:14 - “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” I'm not saying that this verse applies to that snowy day, but I don't think we are going to just happen upon a relationship with God by following the masses. We need to honestly search for it, and the rewards for those efforts are great!
We again want to thank you all for your prayers and support of us. It gives us encouragement to know that so many care for us and are concerned about how we are doing and what is going on. Please keep the church in your prayers.
In Christ,
Roger, Heather, Noah and Elaina Mahan
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