Category Archives: Updates

Connecting

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It’s hard to wrap my brain around the fact that we are living in Rome! Yesterday we celebrated being here two weeks by getting Internet and phones. I hadn’t realized how much I appreciate technology until we spent some time without it. It’s easy to take it for granted when you’re used to having it so easily.  This week our electricity and gas were also connected. (Praise the Lord for hot showers!)

We’ve been busy painting and cleaning our apartment, re-connecting with friends at CC Roma and enjoying making some new connections with the people in our new neighborhood.

Some of these connections include, Tina, who runs a small Alimentari (grocery store) across the street, Dalia, the barista at the end of our block, the hardware store clerks, pizza guys and some of the neighbors in our building, Lina, Gabrielle, and Anna. Each of them has been so kind and patient with us as we try to learn their language. We’re praying the Lord will bless each of these precious people and we’re looking forward to turning these connections into friendships!

Please pray for each of them and all the new connections that God is arranging.

Please also pray for…

  • Daily improvement as we learn the Italian language
  • CC Rome’s free classes that start this Saturday (I’ll be co-teaching an English class)
  • Creative direction and wisdom as we consider Children’s Ministry ideas
  • The Bible Study/ Fellowship in Acilia
  • Upcoming Men’s Retreat
  • Constant in-flowing and out-pouring of the Holy Spirit through our ministry team and each member of the body at CC Rome
  • God’s abounding love and grace in all our relationships, here and back home
  • Open doors to share the life giving Good News!

Romans 10:1-4 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation! I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

 

We Have an Address in Rome!

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We made it to Rome on Wednesday, looked at an apartment on Thursday, prayed about it overnight, then put a deposit down on Friday. They let us paint it in exchange for most of the rent in March and April. It’s an old building and it needs some elbow grease, but it has a lot of potential with great big windows and 12 ft ceilings. It’s only about 4 blocks from the church and just half a block from the bus line.

We’ve been really busy ever since we arrived, but that has helped us with our jet lag (no time to fall asleep). We started a free Italian class at the library on Friday, went to church on Wednesday and Sunday and painted all day Saturday and today. In my wildest imaginings, I never thought I’d ever be fixing up an old apartment in Rome! I love walking with Christ!

Tor Bella Monaca!

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Mike and I feel very blessed to wake up to sunshine and blue skies in Tor Bella Monaca after months of waiting!

Yesterday we started our apartment search and surprisingly enough; we both liked the first one we saw! It’s in a convenient location (for a good price) near the church. It’s a rare find and we still feel good about it after praying, so we’re meeting with the landlord again today to go over details. We’re praying that God holds this door wide open for us if this one is His plan for us and that He’ll close this door if it’s not the right one.

Please pray with us for God’s grace to abound and His will to be done in all the details of our transition to life in this new country!

 

Rome 2015!

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A friend told me that flying standby is sort of like hitchhiking in the sky… You never know where you’ll end up. Life is like that. “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” ~ Proverbs 16:9

So, what better way to fly than to simply put our trust in the Lord, hold on tight and enjoy the ride. After all, the journey may be just as important as the destination!

Please pray for travel mercies as we take off for Rome next week. (God willing!) Where ever He takes us… however long it takes… we know He’s in control… we know we’re in good hands!

Nevertheless, His word says, “You have not, because you ask not.” So we’re asking Him to provide a couple open seats all the way to Rome!

Thank you for praying with us!

Fall Praises & Prayer Requests!

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Fall praises and requestsPraises:

  • Lord,  Thank You and Praise You for answered prayer!
  • Thank You for the success of Festa Autunno, the fall outreach in Tor Bella Monaca!
  • Thank You for your faithfulness, provision, grace!
  • Lord, we thank You and praise You for CC Rome’s new church plant near Ostia ~ Missione di Acilia! GRAZIE GESU!

Prayer Requests:

  • Lord, please pour out your Spirit on CC Roma
  • Bring in a harvest of new believers hungry to know you
  • Build up and encourage the body of Christ in Rome
  • Give grace and boldness to your witnesses throughout this city
  • Richly bless CC Rome’s new church plant, Missione di Acilia
  • Shine your love through your servants as they hold out your word of life
  • Draw many into a life saving relationship with You
  • Give us patience as we wait for the document from Italy that we need for our visas
  • Grant us favor with the Italian consulate as we apply for our visas
  • Please provide reliable renters for our house in Newport (It’s a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home for $975 per month)
  • Abundantly bless our home team as they partner with us in this mission
  • If it’s your will,  help fund our mission with proceeds from our “tent making” business, selling fine art prints          (etsy.com/shop/ShelleyKardosStudio)
  • Please prepare and equip us for our move to Tor Bella Monaca
  • Give us grace to learn conversational Italian
  • Lord, please send us and use us to share the Good News of salvation by grace through faith in this nation where less than 1% of the population are Bible believing, born again followers of Jesus Christ!

Flying Stand-by With Wet Feet

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“When is your departure date?” To that frequently asked question, we often respond, “We are flying stand-by.” Literally, we will be flying stand-by, because God has blessed our socks off with an amazing gift! (More on that in another post.) But figuratively speaking, anyone who steps out in faith is “flying stand-by”! Waiting on the Lord is a lesson that God wants all who follow Him to embrace. We would like to have our future nicely laid out before us, but that isn’t usually the way God works. He wants us to learn to walk by faith as He reveals one step at time.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” ~ Proverbs 16:9

We are aiming to move this fall and we’re asking the Lord to establish our steps and steer our course along the way. I’ve heard it said that it is easier to steer a moving vehicle than one that is standing still. So, by faith we are putting one foot in front of the other in the direction God is leading us. Yes, that involves risk! Everything of any value does. Mike is closing his business (unless you know someone who might like to buy it?) I am leaving a job that I dearly love. My last day as the Children’s Ministry Director for Calvary Spokane is July 22. We will be moving away from friends, family and our home church of 31 years. We have six beautiful grandchildren who will grow and change while we’re away. Yes, the cost is huge!…As it is for anything valuable.

We have counted the cost and determined our Lord, who gave everything for us, is worth it! There are still many obstacles that only the Lord can remove from our path. One being our visas, which are much harder to receive than we originally anticipated. But I am reminded of the path that God chose for the Israelites, as they journeyed to the Promised Land. God led them right up to the Red Sea… on purpose! It’s all about learning to trust Him as we walk by faith. Like flying stand-by, we will only be there when God takes us there. I’m also reminded of another time when the Israelites were dependent on God to open a path through rough waters in the third chapter of Joshua. God required them to get their feet wet as they stepped out in faith. Then God parted the water of the Jordan so they could walk to the other side.

So, here we are, stepping out with wet feet, dependent on the Lord to part the sea of obstacles before us as we fly stand-by on our journey to Rome!