La Piazza Press

La Piazza Press is our monthly newsletter that we use to keep our friends, family, and supporters informed of our progress towards our goal of becoming missionaries to Italy.  We update this newsletter monthly with current pictures, stories, prayer requests, and anything else that happens along the way.  Our vision is to see the piazzas filled with evangelical Christians.  Would you be willing to share in that vision with us?  If so, please click the register button above to receive our monthly newsletter.  For more information, you can visit our website at www.littlesitaly.com

Current Happenings

November 3, 2006 

Our Mission - Saints Equipped to Evangelize

Saints Equipped to Evangelize (S.E.E.) has been serving in Italy since 1995.  S.E.E. is committed to apostolic church planting and is aiding in this by equipping and sending short term teams who work alongside the nationals and local churches.  Saints Bible Institute is committed to imparting a Biblical view of God, Passion for the Lost, and Love for the Church.

This month we wanted to give you a taste of what is going on in our mission field in Italy.  These are the activities we will be engaged in once we raise our support and hit the field running.  As we look at all these activities it makes us long all the more to be there with our brothers and sisters in Christ serving our most awesome God.

Our Church Plant in Udine, Italy

Last month two open philosophy nights were held at our church led by a philosophy professor from Bryan College.  Several believers and two non-believers, Rafaela and Nicola who was the translator, participated. Nicola is married to Kari.  Kari and her two sons are new believers but Nicola doesn't want anything to do with their newfound faith.  However that night, he heard and proclaimed the gospel through his own lips. There is an internal struggle going on inside of him now as he no longer can object to many answers that he has been shown from scripture.  Please pray for him and his family of believers!

The church plant is currently conducting a 30 week Bible study on the gospel of Mark.  They currently have two unsaved attendees Eugenia and Ilaria.  Please pray for their salvation. 

S.E.E.'s "English as a Second Language" School 

S.E.E. offers ESL for free each year in Udine and Valvasone, Italy.  The purpose of these classes is to build relationships with non-believers and create opportunities to share the gospel.  This year there are 50 students attending these classes.  These students are invited to weekly dinners in various missionary homes for the purpose of building relationships with them and sharing the gospel.

Thanksgiving is S.E.E.'s largest gospel outreach in Italy.  Last year S.E.E. hosted an American Thanksgiving dinner and invited all the ESL students.  Seventy came last year and they anticipate over 100 this year.  This is an opportunity to share a bit of American culture with the Italians (they will have a traditional feast) and most importantly, share the gospel.  Three of the students from Saints Bible Institute will give their testimony and share how Jesus transformed their lives.   The gospel will be presented as well.  Please pray for this outreach event on November 23^rd.

On Dec. 2, S.E.E. is planning a Battle of the Bands.  This is an outreach event targeted for the youth in Italy.  They anticipate 10 bands will be participating.  They will be sharing the gospel as well as recruiting more ESL and guitar students for the January semester.

Saints Bible Institute

Saints Bible Institute provides a semester abroad for American Christian College Students.  This year Dr. Ruth Tucker, author of "From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya", and a professor at Calvin Theological Seminary is one of the instructors.  Other professors come from Bryan College, Moody NW, and Luther Rice University.

Last month the Bible students participated in "Ministry week".  This week is set up much like our summer evangelism teams as the students take everything they have learned in their missions and evangelism classes and put it into practice on the streets of Udine. Each day, they distribute tracts for a few hours in the morning, have lunch in the missionaries' homes, have a devotion, and then spend the afternoon and evening doing children's ministry and street evangelism. They had some good conversations with people who are interested in hearing more about the gospel.  Some of these people are Alan, Stefano, Federico, and Renato.  Pray that the Holy Spirit opens their hearts to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Preparations

October was a month of adjustments.  Maureen survived oral surgery and steroid shots in her neck for three compressed discs that have caused her much pain.  We had to adjust to Tom being unemployed and Maureen's last day of work, Oct. 26th.  We have been going through a Bible study entitled "Walking by Faith", by Jennifer Rothschild.  One of the chapters is entitled 'Fear is a Feeling; Trust is a Choice'.  Several verses are included in this chapter that we are clinging onto.  "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."  (Ps. 56:3).  "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind."  (2 Tim. 1:7)  We believe the Lord is stretching our faith, but still we will trust him.  Please join us in prayer as we move forward in faith and preparation.  We continue on in our language studies, support raising, selling our home and furniture, moving belongings to Pennsylvania, culture training, etc.  We had an open house 10/29 but no buyers.  Real estate is very slow in Ft. Myers.  We have no idea how our finances are going to work out between now and February, but we are sure that God knows.  Please pray for wisdom!

November Schedule

Tom                                                 Maureen

Support Update

We are at 54% of our outgoing expense and 30% of our monthly expense.  Support raising is going slower than we had hoped for but we have confidence that God will supply our need in his timing.  Our greatest deficit is ongoing monthly support.  We are praying that more individuals will make a commitment to support us monthly.  At the moment, we are $3,360 a month short of our goal.  That equates to 33 people at $100 a month, 66 people at $50 a month, or whatever God decides the combination to be.  We don't know how God will supply this need but we do know that he owns all the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10), and he has entrusted his people with his cattle.  We shall all rejoice when we see which cows are sacrificed for the mission field in Italy.   

If you would be interested in becoming part of our financial support team, make your check payable to Saints Equipped to Evangelize.  Put our names on the memo line and indicate whether it is a special or monthly gift.  Mail your check to:    

S.E.E. - P.O. Box 31968 - Philadelphia, PA - 19104

Praises and Prayers

Praises

• Two of the three medical procedures Maureen had to have done are behind her and have been successful. PTL!
• We have been invited to participate in the Global Impact Conference at McGregor Baptist Church in February.  This is an awesome missions conference that will give us many opportunities to share the need in Italy.
• We have 40 prayer partners and 15 financial partners.  We praise God for all of you!

Prayers

• The Lord would provide for our financial needs between now and February.  Pray for our house to sell quickly and that the Lord would provide an affordable place to live until we leave.
• God would continue to raise up sufficient donors in order to arrive on the field by 2/07.  Is God calling you to be one of our financial supporters?
• Maureen has to have minor surgery in January.  Pray for  a positive outcome and a quick recovery.