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.  We named our newsletter La Piazza Press because the piazza, or what we would call in America, a courtyard or town square, is where life takes place in Italy.  It is where friends encounter friends, relationships are formed, and meetings take place.  It is where one goes to shop, hear a concert, or relax after a hard day’s work.  It is the center of activity.  If you were to visit a city, town or village in Italy you would find a multitude of piazzas.  If you went to a piazza it would be easy to meet new friends as the Italians are a friendly, outgoing people.  However, if you went to the piazza in search of Christian fellowship, you would have difficulty finding a brother or sister in Christ.  The piazzas, and Italy as a whole, have very few evangelical Christians.  Our vision is to see that change.  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

October 6, 2006 

Italy Mission Trip - Team Accomplishes More Than Expected

On Sept. 7th a team of sixteen people (mostly retirees) went to Saints Equipped Bible Institute in San Lorenzo, Italy to complete needed repairs and prepare the dorms for this years students.  They told us that they would hit the ground running, but we didn't believe them.  After all, they were no spring chickens and it was a very long flight.  Well, they taught us a thing or two!  Basically, they left us in the dust.  As soon as they arrived, they were looking for hammers, nails, paint, anything they could get their hands on for work; and they never stopped.  We marveled at how these senior citizens went non-stop for a whole week.  The Lord strengthened them for the task and protected them from injury.  By the end of the week, they had accomplished many more tasks then planned.  They painted two buildings, laid laminate flooring, tiled bathrooms, repaired plumbing, built exterior wood shutters, renovated part of the kitchen, rewired lighting, cleaned, weeded, planted, etc.  We praise God for this wonderful team of believers who came alongside our ministry.  I know the Bible students are enjoying the benefits of their labor.  May God bless them richly!

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting S.E.E.'s church plant in Udine.  They've had 4 new converts since January.  We met three of them and they are on fire for the Lord.  It was wonderful to be able to worship with them in Italian.  Another highlight was watching the excitement of the E.S.L. teachers during registration week.  The first day they registered 30 people and the second day 15.  This represents many opportunities to share the love of Christ.  Please pray for revival in northern Italy.  They have also started a weekly Bible study working through the book of Mark.  They've had two new visitors, Eugenia and Ilaria.  Please pray for their hearts to be open to the gospel.  All of this makes us so very anxious to be in Italy serving our Lord!

Things we learned on this trip:  1) We need to learn a lot more Italian; 2) We hope to live in Valvasone due to the proximity of the Bible Institute and Maureen's work; 3) Everything, and I mean everything,  is very expensive; 4) Catholics use to do immersion baptism (see the picture to the left); 5) In 300 A.D., the Catholic church wanted to build the Vatican near Trieste instead of Rome; 6) Maria, the chef at the school,  has a son named Mathia.  He is as cute as our grandchildren;  7) Never underestimate the ability of a senior citizen.     

Guatemala Mission Trip - Fifteen People Receive Christ

Maureen returned from Italy on Sept. 15th and left with another mission team for Guatemala on the 22nd.  The focus of this team was medical and evangelism.  The team consisted of two doctors, two RNs, a veterinarian who functioned as the pharmacist, and 10 willing helpers.  They visited McGregor Baptist's Sister Church in Chipel which is located in the mountains at 8,00 feet.  This is a small cement block church with 15 families.  At night the church became the sleeping quarters equipped with army cots and chamber pots.  During the day it was converted into a medical clinic serving the surrounding communities.  After the patients saw the doctor, the team would offer to pray with them and ask if they could tell them about Jesus. It was amazing how many women said they had never heard of Jesus.  The team learned that most women and many men in this area never have an opportunity to go to school.  If their parents don't attend church, they never hear about the Lord.  Most of the people wanted to hear about Jesus, but weren't ready to make a decision.          Women making tortillas.   

After Maureen received many NOs to her presentation of the gospel, Pastor Howard said, "You know what's happening, don't you?  God is preparing you for your difficult field in Italy."  She knew in her heart that what he was telling her was true.  Over the next 3 days, the team led fifteen people to Christ through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!  And yes, the Lord did allow Maureen to lead several of them.  The team also held a Vacation Bible School for the children and a Women's and Men's Bible Study.  It was a very busy week and a wonderful blessing! We are seeing our Sister Church grow in God's grace and mercy in many ways.  Most of them can't read or write, however, last year we provided the Bible on tape along with a boom box and they have been meeting together several times a week diligently listening to the Word.  With many new converts added to their assembly, it will be even more exciting to return next year to see how they've grown in their walk with the Lord.

Preparations

Sometimes it is better not to try and figure out all the details in one's future.  It seems that just when you think you know how everything is going to work out life throws you a curve ball.  That's the way September started out for us.  Two days before we left for Italy, Tom was laid off from his job.  That was a devastating blow to our financial plans.  We thought we had our finances all figured out.  Sometimes the fanciful plans of mice and man are just that.  As we prayed through our dilemma we received some sage advise from some of our missionary friends.  They told us that perhaps this is just what God had planned.  They said that the last six months before you go to the field is the most critical for preparation.  You can't work full time and accomplish everything that is needed.  It became clear to us that God was asking us to take another step of faith.  We must totally trust him with our finances and do what is required to get to the field on His schedule.  After much prayer we decided that Tom will spend the next five months concentrating 100% on preparations for our move to Italy.  This will include language study, support raising, selling our home and furniture, moving belongings to Pennsylvania, culture training, and the list goes on....   Maureen has work through the month of October and will then join Tom in the preparation stage.  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 us!

October Schedule

Tom                                                 Maureen

Praises and Prayers

Praises

• The short term mission team that went to Italy accomplished more than they planned.  Thanks to them the Bible Institute has a fresh coat of paint, new flooring, improved plumbing, new shutters, a more functional kitchen, etc.  We praise God for all of you.
• The short term mission/medical team that went to Guatemala lead 15 people to Christ.  The Holy Spirit was working and we reaped a great blessing.
• Thirty-five people have agreed to pray for our ministry and support raising.  We praise God for our faithful prayer warriors and supporters.

Prayers

• The Lord will keep our faith strong, that we daily delight in Him, and that we will trust him completely.
• 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.
• Maureen has numerous medical procedures coming up.  Pray for positive outcomes and the finances to cover the expenses.

Support Update

We are at 50% of our outgoing expense and 30% of our monthly expense.  Our Lord continues to surprise us with his blessings as we journey down this path.  A friend of ours gave us this quote, "A coincidence is God working behind the scenes and choosing to remain anonymous."  We experienced one of God's coincidences when we returned from Italy.  We went to Merritt Island where Tom met with the missions pastor at First Baptist Merritt Island.  As only God could arrange, Pastor Hale turned out to be the nephew of Don and Alyce Morgan who had just been with us in Italy.  Needless to say they had a great meeting together and there were several positive outcomes.  The senior pastor is planning on going with McGregor's mission trip next summer to experience first hand how S.E.E. leads short term evangelism teams in Italy.  They are considering sending a team in 2008 and this experience will help them in their decision making process. 

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