March Madness

Just a quick update and a few things to pray for.

We leave for the castle in Austria today. I've been asked to come share with the discipleship group over the next few days. We look forward to the fellowship of the saints there and some time away with Renata and the kids. Especially after 3 months of non-stop sicknesses in the house. Please pray for our travels and for my words to be from the Lord's heart to ours.

Services in the new space have been a real blessing. One of the most important but missing elements to ministry in our old building was the opportunity for fellowship after services. But here, the congregation just flows into the fellowship hall and starts enjoying koinonia! This brings me great joy and I pray that it flourishes into stronger, healthier relationships centered on Jesus.

The English Club has been going wonderfully on Wednesday evenings. The penultimate meeting we had about 30 attendees with great conversations about the Lord afterwards. But the real treat is what we're starting to see beyond the Wednesday; the start of new friendships between believers and non-believers which lead to greater opportunities in a natural and simple way.

A few days ago we responded to an invitation to dinner at Emanuela's house. She wanted all the teachers from The English Club to join her family and a friend for homemade pizza. What an amazing evening we had talking about the Lord. Please pray for her, her friend Daniela, her partner Adolfo and their children Andrea, Mattia and Marco.

Last Saturday Pastor Jim Stewart from the CC Padova church plant came to share with our men's group. A great time in the Word! Not to mention an awesome breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh toast and fresh Italian pastries! We burned off those 2,000 calories playing ping pong! Great time. Pray other men will catch the bug and join our small group.

**Prayer!

This morning we found out that our little nephew Kaleb, the son of Renata's brother, is in the hospital. He is being tested after a few strange symptoms, such as a high fever, tremors, and one hand turning blue. So far he's tested positive to a bacterial infection but more tests are being done to identify what the infection is from.

Just after hearing about Kaleb, we received a call from Helen about 30 minutes ago. She had given birth on Saturday to a beautiful little girl named Milena and we're thankful for a smooth and safe delivery. But please pray for Milena. She is already quite small and underweight and now is in the neonatal intensive care unit because she is not keeping down her feedings.

Love and blessings to you!
Mark

Prayer for my Father

Please continue to pray for my family and for God's will to be done regarding my father who has been in hospital again for some days. He has had another stroke, is battling pneumonia and, from his fall in an incoherent state, leg and hip pain. He needs to be admitted into a rehab to regain his ability to walk. Currently, this last stroke has left him with short-term memory loss and confusion about time and place for him. Thank you for praying!

Men, Food, Traffic and Prayer

Nino is happy to have make-believe maple syrup

This past Saturday we kicked off our first of the monthly men's meetings  scheduled for 2011.

I was so blessed to see a few of the brothers that don't typically make it out.

We've got some great plans for this year, things that men like to do. Paintball in Venice, indoor Cart racing near Treviso, Bowling, Pingpong and Billiards! Looking foward to it and hoping others will be able to join us.
 

This first meeting was held at our church building. I'm learning that if you want men to fellowship, you need to feed them.


Notice how happy they are in the pictures where they are eating or at least NEAR food. Then notice their faces during Nino's bible study without food. I rest my case! 

Jonathan is hungry and happy to have that pancake!

Next Sunday, January 30, we have our church members' meeting planned, as required by law for legal associations such as Calvary Chapel Treviso.

But there is one thing that may stand in our way. The blocco traffico totale. Translation "Total Traffic Block" set for 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM.

They always do this on a Sunday, and it's to cut down on air pollution. In the past the municipality's website offered a PDF form you could print, fill out and then take with you as an explanation and self declaration for why you MUST travel somewhere. In our case, church service.

But they aren't offering that on their site this time round. Will need to see what our options are, otherwise no Sunday service :-(

Daniel demonstrating the disappearing quiche

Pray along with us as we step into 2011 asking the Lord for clear and fresh vision, to hear his voice clearly and to love him supremely in all we think, say and do.

Pray also for Luka whose elementary school we've just chosen. He starts 1st grade this coming September and we've of course got some apprehensions about the company he'll have there, but also without getting into details I'll just say that the whole school system is a challenge here in every way, for parents and students alike. It's a political issue, the boredom of which I will spare you.

Please pray for me/us in this members' meeting to be clear and concise in those things we need to communicate to the body, such as vision, financial status etc. etc.

Lastly, we've been going through Revelation on Sunday mornings and the heaviness of the book is felt by some more than others, which is causing those few (because they are resisting the Lord) to dislike what they are hearing.
 

Despite the faces, Nino's message in Galatians 5:22 was great!

Knowing this is a battle for me but I know I must remain faithful to the Word. Pray for the whole body, as there seems to be stagnancy and some staleness in personal lives. We need a shot in the arm from the Lord. Moreover, we continue to battle with the building situation. There is always something that blocks us. We're wanting to trust and REST in the Lord through it all, but I sometimes wonder....

Dad's Stats

Dad in Summer of 2009

Thank you everyone, once again, for keeping my family in prayer.

Dad is home now, and recovering. He seems not to have any lasting effects from the stroke, other than a little residual dizziness, which should pass, and the need to use a cane or a walker to get around. That's to have something to hold on to if he feels he's going to fall. Nurse-aid will be coming twice per week to help. And with a special diet and lots of pills daily, another stroke could be evaded for a time. The picture here is for you to have a face with the name.

It's strange seeing my parents age so quickly. Perhaps in part it seems sudden because of the ocean between us. The changes come in leaps and bounds, all gradualness is lost.

Bless you all,

Mark

Little Prayers with Big Faith

As a father, I have no greater joy than being able to tell you that our 5-year-old son Luka, prayed to receive Jesus on November 17. And the way it all happened is marvelous! The morning started like most others, coffee in one hand, Bible in the other. Then the sound of little feet approaching. Before I knew it, Luka was on my lap and being his curious, bubbly self.

He took immediate interest in my Bible's bookmark (click the pic on left to enlarge) and the images that communicate man's inability to cross the gulf (death) without a bridge (the cross). The message struck Luka when he asked me why the people in the upper image were falling downward into the flames, but the others in the lower image had the cross and could walk over the fire to safety (heaven).

Moving over to Mommy's lap at the table, Luka said, "I want to walk over the cross and go to heaven." He was relentless about the cross, the fire, and wanting to walk over it to heaven! As Renata tenderly explained more of the gospel, proof that even a child can understand its simplicity, Luka said he wanted to pray. I was then called to take over. We sat together on the couch, the three of us, and had the blissful joy of leading our son in what we believe was truly a sincere prayer to trust Jesus as Lord and Savior...praise God!

Well, this is the first of the REALLY exciting news I promised to share this week.

More to come....

Family Matters

Just a quick note as many of you are asking the latest on my father's status. There have been some complications so he is still hospitalized. He seems to have had an adverse reaction to the anti-stroke medications, which caused a host of troubles. Apparently, he will require care by nurse visitation twice per week in the home. My mother is 80 and can't do it all. He's also not able to walk independently at this time.

Thanks for praying everyone!