Italia

 Beginning July 5 and ending August 2, our family was ministering in the nation of Italy.  It was our first time to go to Europe to preach the Gospel.  What an incredible trip it was for us!  Whenever we as Americans think of missions, the tendency is to imagine developing nations with windowless grass huts, abundant insects, and an occasional snake visiting the village.  We imagine congregants whose pre-salvation wardrobe included feathers in their hair and maybe a bone through their nose.  Italy fits none of these descriptions.  As a nation of Europe, tile roofs replaced thatched ones centuries ago, and modern automobiles traverse paved highways at what Americans would consider reasonable speed.  The problem is that all of Europe's innovation and education have not brought them any closer to God.  In fact, Europe today is the dark continent spiritually.  

When it comes to religious freedom, Italy is the newcomer of western Europe.  Many alive today remember all too well the persecutions of the Catholic church well into the Twentieth Century.  Today, those persecutions are passed and Italy is ripe for the Gospel.  Speaking of his ministry in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul noted, "A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries."  This same could be said of Italy.

For four weeks, our family traveled in Italy preaching the Gospel in four different churches.  We were in churches in Grosseto, Pisa, Sardinia, and Sicily in that order.  In every church, there were people in the services who were lost and needed to be saved.  Some of the adults were hearing the Gospel for the very first time during our services.  Although our Italian ministry did not meet with many professions of faith--there were only four--we were able to see some great things happen.

Giuliano is a converted atheist in Grosseto who is now being used of God as an Italian Bible teacher.  His work is print-worthy and his grasp of the Italian language is superb.  Please pray that the obstacles will be overcome to get his works into print for the Italian people.

Marco was saved years ago, but spent a lot of time in New Evangelical churches in Italy.  Having had his fill of interpretive dance, contemporary music, and shallow preaching, he found his way to the Bible Baptist Church of Pisa.  He believes that God has called him to be an evangelist and has just begun a course of study toward that end.  Please pray that Marco would continue to let God work in his heart.

Antonio had never stepped foot inside a Baptist church, but came to hear me preach in Sardinia.  The obstacles that Satan erected to his attendance were mind-boggling, but in the end, the Spirit of God won the victory.  Antonio heard the Gospel for the very first time in his 74 years.  At the end of that Sunday, he told the pastor, "The Crows are family now.  It is time to look for an apartment for them."  Please pray for him that he would be saved.

God is at work in Italy, but there is a great need for laborers.

The next weeks will be whirlwind ones for us as we recover from jetlag and take our second child off to college.  After that, we hit the road again in meetings in the United States.

As always, thank you for your prayers.