Lord, Make Me Brave

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There are days when time stands still. Everything you are, all your hopes and dreams are caught in a holding pattern while you wait. Everything stops. All your important plans, meetings, and chores no longer matter. Swirling questions collide with emotions in a jumble of unspoken thoughts while you pray, fervently and unceasingly, “Lord, make me brave.”

Seven days ago Mike and I went into the San Giovanni Hospital in Rome. While we were at church last Sunday, a doctor friend told him he should get a blood test because he seemed jaundice and felt really itchy. The blood test showed his liver wasn’t functioning properly, so he was admitted. A series of tests revealed that the bile duct between his liver and gallbladder was crimped due to pressure from blockage in his gallbladder. On Friday they put in a stint to drain the backed up bile. They also took a biopsy of his liver and sent it to be tested, to determine the cause of his issues. They told us the results probably won’t be in until Tuesday, so now we wait.

Since the hospital will only let visitors in from 12:30pm – 2pm, then from 3pm -4pm, and again from 6pm -7pm, I spend a lot of time sitting in the hallway, wandering through this ancient hospital while waiting to see my husband.

I’ve learned that waiting always has a purpose in God’s plan. So as I wait, I bring all my questions to the only One with all the answers… The One who holds the entire universe together and still takes time to paint a sky while He holds my hand!

He doesn’t owe me any explanations. I know my husband belongs to Him. I know that from the beginning of time, He knew the exact number of days I would walk with this man I love. He saw this day. He knew my heart’s cry. None of this is a surprise to Him.

He also knows that I’m a visual learner (He should, He’s the One who wired me that way) so He often speaks to me through pictures. Today, this is what He showed me…

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“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? (Jeremiah 32:27)

As the most brilliant colors I’ve ever seen illuminated the dark swirling clouds, He whispered in the depth of my soul, these words that I will cling to…

Do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you; I will help you;

I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.”

 – Isaiah 41:10

Please pray for Mike’s complete healing… for wisdom for the doctors and medical staff… for the light of Jesus to shine through us where ever He brings us… And Lord, please make me brave! Perhaps the light of Christ shines brightest in the midst of clouds.

Please pray for our Women’s Christmas Tea

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Today the ladies of Calvary Chapel Rome will celebrate the birth of our Savior with an Festive Christmas Tea. We’ve been busy baking and decorating the church for an afternoon of fellowship, treats, Christmas music and a special guest speaker.

We’ve invited some ladies from the neighborhood and we would also like to invite you to join us in the most important part of any ministry event – PRAYER.

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  • Please pray that the ladies we’ve invited will be able to come
  • That the Lord will prepare their hearts to hear the Good News
  • Pray for our guest speaker, Maria
  • Pray for sweet fellowship with the Lord and each other
  • Pray that the Lord will minister to every lady He brings

“God’s child can conquer everything by prayer. Is it any wonder that Satan does his utmost to snatch that weapon from the Christian, or to hinder him in the use of it? How now does Satan hinder prayer? By temptation to postpone or curtail it, by bringing in wandering thoughts and all sorts of distractions; through unbelief and hopelessness. Happy is the prayer hero who, through it all, takes care to hold fast and use his weapon. Like our Lord in Gethsemane, the more violently the enemy attacked the more earnestly he prayed and ceased not till he had obtained the victory. After all the other parts of the armour had been named, Paul adds: ‘with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit’ (Eph. 6.18). Without prayer, the helmet of salvation, and the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit which is God’s word, have no power. All depends on prayer. God teach us to believe and hold this fast!” ~ from The Prayer Life by Andrew Murray

 

Giving Thanks!

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We have so much to be thankful for as we scan the horizon of blessings God has given us… a beautiful, healthy family who loves Jesus… great friends to partner with us… a mission assignment that incorporates the gifts God’s given us… many miraculous answers to prayer… and the joy of working and worshiping with Calvary Chapel Roma!

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“May You be praised, LORD God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand.”

1 Chronicles 29:10-14

Thank you so much for your prayers as we journey through this mission!

Prayer Requests:

  • Today we are having a Thanksgiving dinner to reach out to some of the less fortunate people we’ve met during our market evangelism. Please pray that the Lord will touch their hearts, cover all the details, and be glorified as we thank Him for His amazing lovingkindness and blessings.
  • Please pray for healing for Mike as he has been experiencing debilitating sciatic nerve pain for the past three days and nights. He can barely walk and hasn’t been able to sleep.
  • Please pray for strength, wisdom, guidance, and all the fruits of God’s Spirit as we navigate the daily minefields of spiritual warfare.

Festa di Autunno

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Please pray for our autumn outreach festival, “Festa di Autunno”, this Saturday.

Please pray for all our preparations this week, including invitation flyer distribution, outdoor venue clean-up, successful carnival games and gospel skit prep.

DSC05790Strategizing Our Game Plan! 

Pray that we have nice weather, abundant candy donations for prizes, plenty of food for the BBQ, much grace to cover all the bases, lots of guests with hearts hungry for the Good News, and many divine appointments!

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The Scarlet Thread of God’s Rescue Plan

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As we serve in Rome, one of my favorite jobs is working on Children’s Ministry curriculum.  This year our Children’s Ministry team will be taking our kids through a survey of God’s Word, tracing His Scarlet Thread of Redemption from Genesis through Revelation.  I thought it would be fun to share a little of it, so you can be praying for us as we write the lessons, as well as for the translation, for the teachers and for the kids who will be learning. When everything is finished… lessons, crafts, games, color sheets, puzzles, etc., we will be putting this curriculum online to be available for other Italian Children’s Ministries.  For now, here’s a sample of the teacher notes from a couple of the lessons…

Lesson 1: And God Saw That It Was Good

NOTES FOR THE TEACHER *The “Notes for the Teacher” section is intended for the teacher and assistant’s advance preparation of the lesson. It is not written for children or expressed in language they would understand.

This curriculum is designed to teach our children that the Bible is more than a bunch of unrelated, disconnected stories. As you read through God’s Word it becomes obvious that the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation is one message with one central theme: the story of God’s amazing plan to rescue mankind and bring us into His family. Our goal in each lesson will be to trace this scarlet thread of redemption that is woven into the tapestry of various characters and settings to create one beautiful compelling picture of God’s sacrificial, redeeming love for us!

Jesus is clearly the central character of God’s story and it is only through Him that this picture makes sense. Jesus and His scarlet thread of redemption ties the entire Bible together so we can see its message: the Messiah had to suffer and die in our place in order to redeem us from the penalty of our sin.

Jesus completes the picture that is sketched out in the Old Testament. He said in Matthew 5:17,“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

During His ministry, Jesus told the religious leaders that the scriptures were all about Him. “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” (John 5:39)

After His resurrection, Jesus clarified the message of God’s Word while walking along the road to Emmaus, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.“ (Luke 24:27)

God, the Creator of the Universe, the author of the Bible and the Master Weaver of this picture had a bigger purpose than merely giving us a list of rules or a bunch of heroic stories to teach us good morals. His primary purpose was to show us the mess that we are in, how we got in this mess and how He planned to rescue us through the sacrificial life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

God’s story of redemption begins with His creation. The main point we want to make in this lesson is the fact that in the beginning God created everything and His creation was perfect. Each day of creation we read this repeated statement, “and God saw that it was good”. This should make everyone wonder what changed to take us from the perfection of God’s original creation, to the pain and suffering that we see in the world today. This lesson sets the stage for the chain of events that are set in motion when sin enters the world.

Read Genesis 1 asking the Lord to teach you as you prepare to teach our students.

Lesson 3: Paradise Broken

NOTES FOR THE TEACHER

Read Genesis 3 and pray for God’s leading as you prepare to teach His children.

All our lessons about the Scarlet Thread of Redemption will hinge on this lesson, because without an understanding of how everything changed when sin entered the world, we would have no comprehension of our great need for a Savior.

In chapter three of Genesis we are confronted with the biggest problem known to man – SIN. This chapter shows us that sin is a much bigger problem than just “making mistakes” or “breaking a rule”. At its core it is an issue of wanting to make our own rules, independent of God (in essence, to be our own god – the lord of our own life). This prideful desire for the position that belongs only to God is the origin of all sin. We also see the devastating consequences of sin, resulting in the fallen world we live in today.

The devil is often presented as God’s counterpart, equal to, but the opposite of God. Nothing could be further from the truth! Satan is merely a created being who is subject to God’s authority. Lucifer was created to be the most beautiful worship leader in heaven, but like us, he was created with free will. He chose to use his freedom to rebel against God’s authority. He was jealous of God’s position and wanted to be like God. Satan is powerful only because that’s how God made him, but in no way as powerful as God! When he chose to rebel against God, he was sentenced to separation from God and a final destination of eternal punishment in the lake of fire. He knows his destiny and to spite his creator and judge, he is determined to take as many of us down with him as possible. He wants us to be jealous of God’s authority, just as he is, so he tries to convince us that God is holding out on us. He whispers to us that we can decide what’s best for ourselves and that we don’t need God’s guidance. In the Garden, Satan tempted Eve by saying, “Did God really say…?” That is still one of his main strategies. He wants us to question God’s word, God’s authority and God’s love for us. “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

In this lesson, we see that God gave Adam and Eve one rule in the garden. They were not to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because if they did, they would die. So, why didn’t Adam and Eve die immediately when they ate the forbidden fruit? Adam and Eve died spiritually when they disobeyed God. Their disobedience also started the process of physical death for every living thing on earth. Yet, the biggest problem was that their relationship with God was severed, causing immediate Spiritual death. This condition would be passed on to every member of the human race like a lethal virus. When they chose to turn from God and disobey Him, they made the choice to follow the path of Satan (as well as his judgment – eternal separation from God and punishment in hell).

Immediately, their innocence was shattered and the shame of their new sin nature took hold. They tried to cover their guilt by sewing fig leaves together and hiding from God. This is a crucial point in this lesson. There is nothing that we can do about our sin problem, only God can. To show that mankind cannot do anything to make itself acceptable to Him, God rejected their attempt to cover their own nakedness and instead, He provided animal skins as a covering. That meant that an innocent animal had to die! From the very beginning, God wanted them (and us) to understand that sin has severe consequences. He wants us to have a clear picture of His justice, mercy and grace, because all three of these important concepts will come together in His plan for our redemption. God also wanted them to understand the idea of sacrifice. This realization, that their sin had caused the suffering and death of an innocent life, would have left quite an impression on Adam and Eve. Especially since this was their very first experience with death.

Thankfully, in this chapter, we also see our first glimmer of hope in the scarlet thread of God’s redemptive plan when God hints (in Genesis 3:15) that an offspring of woman will come to our rescue and God announced this judgment to Satan, “he shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Looking Up

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We love living and serving in Rome! Who wouldn’t? Right? We’ve been blessed beyond measure as we’ve watched the Lord pull everything together to bring us here. We know we are in the center of His will and feel right at home with our new church family at CC Roma. Yet, we left a big part of our heart back in the States… The part that belongs to our family. We were so blessed to spend lots of quality time with our children and grandchildren this summer while we were wedding hopping back in the States! But then came the goodbyes. When our youngest granddaughter said, “Bye-bye Ma-mah”, like we might see each other in just a few minutes, I had to turn around so they wouldn’t see my struggle to hold back the tears. The next time I see her, she’ll probably be able to pronounce “grandma”. We’ll miss their birthdays, programs and holidays, their hugs and spontaneous visits. They will grow on without us and we will continue to “Look Up” to the One who holds our tomorrows and holds all our hearts together.

Last spring, after we had been in Rome for a couple months (long enough for the newness and excitement to wear off) we even started to miss the little things that we left behind, like cool quiet nights, green manicured lawns and clean sidewalks. We don’t live in the postcard Rome, we live in Tor Bella Monaca, the most impoverished zone in Rome. And I confess, all the graffiti and garbage were beginning to steal my joy. So I started to pray about it (the kind of prayers that David prayed when he was in the pits, the desparate kind that can easily be confused with whining). Thankfully, the Lord reminded me to “Look Up!” It’s always such good advice to look up and put your focus on the Lord. I started reading and re-reading the Songs of Accent (Psalms 120-134) and let the hope in His Word wash over me like rain on a parched desert. ” I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me.” ~ Psalm 120:1DSC05269

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” ~ Psalm 121:1

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” I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven.” ~ Psalm 123:1

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Then, while we were walking along, dodging litter, the Lord again, whispered the words, “Look Up”, and I realized He also meant it literally. I raised my gaze above the graffiti covered cement walls to see beautiful green trees laden with flowers, lemons and a variety of new fruit. You’ve gotta love new fruit (especially the hard-to-grow varieties)! God sure has His work cut out for Him when He wants to produce new fruit in His whiny children!

Our top five Prayer Requests

Our number one prayer request… Lord, teach us to be content with our heart in two places! Grow your fruit in our lives and in our family as You grow our faith in You. “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.” ~ Psalm 126:5-6

We were blessed to spend the last two weeks at Calvary Chapel’s Conference Center in Austria. One week was spent at the European Missions Conference, followed by our CC Roma Conference. Please pray for lasting fruit for all who attended each conference.

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Please pray for divine inspiration in the writing and artwork for our ongoing Children’s Curriculum project.  Pray also for our Children’s Ministry Team, the students and the start of our new Sunday School year this month.

Please pray for hearts to be receptive to the good news, for the salvation of our neighbors and all the people God brings across our path.

Please pray for continued progress in our language acquisition (in both the Italian language and the stronger language of love)!

 

In the Twinkling of an Eye…

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Please pray for these precious people to receive the love and grace offered through Jesus!

Children’s Ministry Curriculum Project: Pray for the Lord’s divine inspiration in the writing, artwork and translation of our new Italian Sunday school curriculum project for preschool through elementary age children.

Summer Fun Sports Outreach: Pray for all the details and that God will bring many participants. Pray that new relationships will be made and that many will hear and respond to the Good news!

Italy’s Migrant Crisis: Please pray for the illegal immigrant population flooding into Italy from war torn regions south of the Mediterranean. Last month over 4200 migrants were rescued from fishing boats and rubber dinghies on their way to Italy. Over 35,000 people have migrated since the beginning of the year and over 1800 are presumed dead or missing. One article said that as many as one million Muslim migrants are estimated to attempt the crossing this year. Read more about it on the following links…

http://news.yahoo.com/more-4-200-migrants-rescued-mediterranean-crisis-grows-114431237.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/16/world/europe/migrants-in-rome-try-to-recover-after-ponte-mammolo-camp-is-destroyed.html?_r=1

http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2015/03/07/one-million-or-more-illegal-alien-muslim-invaders-set-to-flood-into-italy-and-the-rest-of-europe-from-libya/

Thank you also for praying for us while we are in the States for our son’s wedding!

“Welcome to Rome!”

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We’ve been having internet issues. The local response to that statement is, “Welcome to Rome!”
We went to the place where we got our internet contract to find out why our internet was barely moving at a snail’s pace and they told us we had already used all our high speed for the month and now we only have a very, verrrry slowww speed internet until May 5 when it renews for next month. I guess we used all our high speed on skyping with our kids and grandkids. Today, kind friends invited us to their apartment to borrow their internet.  (Big thank you,  Jen and Tessa!)
So here’s an update and some prayer requests…
  • There is very little Sunday School material available in Italian. So, Hope and I have started working on a curriculum project for preschool – elementary age children. This is one of the reasons that I believe God brought us here. I’m so excited to see what God intends to do in and through this project! Please pray for God’s leading, creativity and grace as He establishes the work of our hands, as well as lasting fruit that will bless both teachers and children as we hold out the Word of Life!
  • Last week and the week before we had a nice conversations with a man from Egypt who runs a Kebob place nearby. He spoke some English so we asked him what brought him to Italy. He said that he was tired of the religious persecution in Egypt. He’s from a Coptic Christian family. There were no other customers, so we asked him to sit with us and tell us about what they believed. It opened the door for us to share our faith and the main difference in our beliefs, primarily, the difference between religion and a relationship as well as our strong conviction that we are saved by grace through faith in the finished work of the cross. We quoted Eph. 2:8-9, then he quoted James 2:18 “You have faith; I have deeds. “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” It was a very friendly conversation (not argumentative in any way). But then he went on to say that he knows that he’s not walking with the Lord. He said that it may be easier for us because we probably haven’t seen real any persecution. He believes in Jesus, but said that he told God, “You are there and I am here. Let’s just keep it that way.” I had to do everything I could to keep the tears from flowing as I felt God’s heart for this young man. To make a long story short, he said that he knew that God probably sent us there that day! We invited him to church and yesterday he came! Please pray that he gives his heart to Jesus!
  • Also, the other day I met a lady named Alexandra from California. She’s lived here for 15 years and makes a living singing in a bar. When the conversation started turning toward spiritual things, she quickly said, “I’m pretty much a pagan.” So I said, “Well, that’s where we all start out before we meet the Lord.” Please pray her and for many more open doors to share the good news!
  • Pray also for grace in learning conversational Italian! In the mean time, praise the Lord that He seems to be strategically placing us in the paths of people who speak English!
  • Refugees and immigrants are everywhere. Most of the locals are a bit frustrated with the situation, in part, because the job market is pretty slim as it is. You may have heard about the 700 people who died trying to get to Italy, but their boat capsized in the Mediterranean near Libya last week. Reports like this are in Italian news every week. One boat load of people threw all the christians who were onboard overboard, so it’s a good possibility that radical muslims make up a percentage of the immigrants coming in on boats. Italy’s migrant crisis is starting to draw the attention of the EU and UN as they try to figure out what to do with the boatloads of people entering Italy from the war torn regions south of the Mediterranean. Pray that they will come up with reasonable ideas to rescue the thousands of immigrants who are just seeking safety, yet find a way to keep those with wicked motives away. (Or better yet, that God will impact and change their hearts with His love!)
  • This week we are going to Perugia for the Italy Calvary Chapel Conference. Please pray for God’s anointing, grace and much lasting fruit!
  • As always, your prayers mean the world to us! Thank you so much!