October Update

Luka holding his icepack after arriving at the hospital

Accidents Happen

Parenting young ones is never dull, never boring and almost always keeps a good amount of surprises. During our Wednesday morning staff meeting last week, Renata’s cell phone rang and it was Luka’s elementary school. Typically when the school calls it’s not for a good reason. The teacher requested Renata come in to see Luka immediately. He had been in an accident with his friend Edoardo, both of which had been running in the backyard of the school during morning recreation break. Amidst the crowd neither of them saw the other coming and they collided headfirst.

Luka and Matea visiting Edoardo in hospital

When Renata arrived at the school it was not a comforting scene. There was an ambulance parked out front with the lights flashing. The doctors were attending to the children. Edoardo had a neck brace on and was being carried away on a stretcher. He was losing consciousness and was much more seriously injured than Luka, but it was recommended that both children be brought to the hospital. Luka was kept in for observation until late afternoon while his friend Edoardo needed a CAT scan. The results of which were serious enough to warrant reconstructive surgery on the orbital floor of his eye socket. When Luka’s forehead smashed the upper part of Edoardo’s cheekbone it caused a fracture into which one of the eye muscles fell and from which it could not free itself, rendering uncoordinated eye movements.

As I write this, Edoardo has been out of surgery for some hours and is doing fine. He does, however, have double vision in his eye. We pray that returns quickly to normal. Please join us in praying for little Edoardo, and that the Lord might use this for good in the life of his family and even the school. We can’t wait for him to come out of the hospital and return to school as the happy, playful 2^nd grader that he is.

RIP! My beloved MacBookPro.

Dead MBP

Just a couple of weeks ago my beloved MacBook Pro perished with the defective Nvidia chipset that had been installed in that particular model of early 2008. I was hoping to make it to the five-year mark (or more) before upgrading, but I only made roughly 4 ½ years. I guess that’s kind of old in computer years, eh? T'was a bit of an unexpected snag in our day to day ministry and life activity as missionaries, so I felt it was newsworthy. We're almost over that hump now and thankful to be so. 

Retreat

It's tradition to snap a pic on the last day before departing.

We held our 5^th annual retreat September 7-9 and had a pretty good turn out. As always, it was a wonderful time. Pastor Brian Cambra from Calvary Chapel Montebelluna spoke, teaching four sessions on the sufficiency of God for our lives. His wife Maria led us in worship and ran the children’s ministry. We could not have asked for better weather. The pictures we took seem like they are out of a travel magazine (friends on FaceBook can see them here CC Treviso Retreat 2012). The downtime in fellowship one with another was the icing on the cake. We were even able to swim in the lake it was so warm. Our prayer is that the fruit of the Word and work of the Spirit in us all will yield abundant, lasting results. 

Everyone is Significant

As you know, Nathan has been coming to church regularly for some months now and is blown away at how God speaks to him, week after week. Our Lord is indeed good and personally interested in our lives. Recently he brought his 13-year-old daughter, Isabel, for the first time. I was so encouraged to see her come back every week since then, sitting attentively in service. Yesterday Nathan shared that Isabel really enjoys coming and plans to continue. What a joy! Please pray that God would stir up or send over a youth leader with a heart and vision to shepherd these young people. This is one ministry area we really hope to see get established soon. Our youth are few in number but slowly multiplying and their needs are many. I firmly believe a strong youth ministry here would have a great impact in the city of Treviso.

The Lord has also brought a few other new families these days as well. Some of them are wounded sheep from abusive shepherds. We pray the Lord will heal these folks with the balsam of his grace. Pray these families settle into their new church home, experience God’s love in and among his people, and get radically blessed by Him to "Grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ" (2 Pet 3:18).

Bob and Lori Scata

Seasonal Change

Just as the landscape changes all around us with the shifting of the seasons, so it seems with all of life and ministry. As we welcome in new and friendly faces to the fellowship, we find ourselves also sending off our missionary co-laborers, Bob and Lori Scata. After four years of faithful service their time has come to an end and they must return to the states this coming January to begin the next chapter God has for their lives. They will be sorely missed but we’re thankful for the time we have had together and the fruit of their labors here will remain behind them. Please pray for their transition. Pray also for the church as our leadership adjusts itself to this change in our team.

Ministry Needs

I felt it would be good to include in this newsletter some of the basic ministry needs we currently have or expect to have in the very near future. Please pray for the following requests.

1. Worship/Sound
2. Youth ministry
3. Website and IT service
4. Sunday school teacher/Caregiver
5. Administration

Burek, Boxers and Baptisms: August 2012

Sharing in John 4 at CC Subotica

Burek (Serbia)

Our visit to Serbia in July was busy but blessed. We try to go once per year to see family but a large part of our time is always spent ministering in those churches with whom we have a longstanding relationship, as well as visiting friends. 

I (Mark) was blessed to teach in two different churches on the same Sunday for two weeks in a row (the Brethren Church of Subotica and Calvary Chapel). 

Sandwiched between, we shared at the leadership/servants ministry meeting Tuesday to encourage those serving in Calvary. On Saturday, we had a brief visit in Backa Topola during a joint conference and baptisms with a few of the other Calvary Chapels in the area.

Protestantska Hrišćanska Zajednica, Novi Sad

On Wednesday, we headed south to the amazing city of Novi Sad to minister to the men from Duga (Rainbow), the drug rehabilitation center run as a ministry of the church pastored by our longtime friend Danijel Kuranji and his wife Vera. The Lord is doing a great work there but they do need help to keep up with the growth. Pray for that. 

Enjoying some of the finer things in life :)

It just would NOT be a legitimate visit to the Balkans without Burek. So we ended our time in Serbia with some of Subotica's best at our last breakfast with Renata’s family. 

Boxers

We are thrilled to say that the Lord is continuing to reach new people and draw them into the fold. Many of you will recall our mentioning last time the variety of individuals that come through our doors, one of them being a boxer. Nathan has been coming faithfully and made a commitment to the Lord some weeks ago.

Since then, he seems genuinely to be a changed man. We just love witnessing such transformation the Lord makes in people’s lives. People who know Nathan can see something is different and often ask him what’s up. He speaks about his experience and others are now asking if they can "come along" with him to church service. How great is that!

Camila and Frances glowing after the baptism!

Baptisms

Frances who made a commitment to Christ some months back, has grown in giant leaps and bounds. The Lord is using her to reach others also, and one of those people is Nathan. 

But we are excited to say that last Sunday, we had the pleasure of baptizing both her and Camila for their public profession of faith. We held the joint baptism at the Piave River with others from CC Montebelluna and Feltre. It was a wonderful day. Scroll down for pics of Camila and Frances in the water.

A Few Odds and Ends

Quickly for those who are wondering the latest, my father is doing well. Still fragile, but stable to the amazement of the whole family!

The earthquakes have also stopped for now, we had become so used to the tremors that things seem a little flat these days. But we’re not complaining.  

Next week we head to Austria for the annual missions conference at Schloss Heroldeck. Looking forward to the refreshment of fellowship with many missionaries from all over Europe. 

September 7-9 we will be holding our annual church retreat for CC Treviso. This year, we are excited to have pastor Brian Cambra (director of CC Bible College, Italy) as our guest speaker and his wife Maria who will be overseeing the children’s ministry and leading us in a time of worship.

So excited for Camila. We baptized her mom two years ago!

God is doing great things in Frances!

Thanks for reading our news and praying as the Lord leads you.

June Update

Piazza dei Signori

Earthquakes
Many have heard about the recent quakes in Italy. On May 20 a 6.0 rocked Emilia Romagna. Then on May 29 another 5.8 came about 9:00 AM, followed by another 5.2 then 5.1 in the early afternoon. We have thankfully not had any serious damage in our area, although some minor cracks and openings have appeared in older buildings, one here in the center at Piazza dei Signori (see picture on right) is partially blocked off for a safety assessment. But the greatest concern are the children’s schools. In fact, officials are discussing the need to prepare for more earthquakes, and first up are the modifications that need to be made to the schools and hospitals. And we concur. Case in point, Luka’s school is concrete poured 100 years ago, and was quickly and wisely evacuated during the quake last Monday, May 29. For the rest of the day and over the week, teachers of all schools in the area have tried to keep the kids busy outdoors as much as possible. Old concrete buildings like these cannot withstand being shaken, so you can never be too cautious. And some now are reacting with a panic in our area due to a fault line under the Montello in Giavera, about 20 minutes from us. They say when, not if that fault shifts, the quake will be severe!

To answer the questions that many will surely have, the epicenter of these previous quakes is about 90 miles south of us, in the region of Emilia Romagna. Sadly, they have not faired as well as we have, and we ask that you pray for the many dispersed who cannot return to their risky homes until deemed safe by inspection, and those who have lost loved ones. Pray also for any open doors the Lord might give us to reach out and help in practical ways. We've asked to be informed about needs. In addition, Italy is facing the now-apparent problem of other imminent earthquakes. Geologists continue reporting extensive seismic activity due to a new break in the fault line. Tectonic plate movement has not taken many lunch breaks these days. Just the other night alone 60 smaller quakes were recorded, ranging from the 2.0s to 3.0s on the richter, all between the hours of midnight and 8:30 AM. We do not want anyone to panic, but we do ask you to keep this all in prayer. Thankfully, the school year is coming to end this week, so the children will be out of those aged buildings for the summer.

New skirt and belt (on head) made by Mama!

Matea 
Thank you everyone for the notes, calls and concern for Matea. Our prayers were answered for her surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids. Everything that didn’t go so well with Luka’s procedure (for which we were prepared this time around and praying) went really smoothly. We were called in to pre-surgery prep immediately upon our arrival at the hospital. Matea drank down the calming liquid without blinking. She had no adverse reaction to the anesthesia. No sudden post-surgery hemorrhaging to require another emergency admittance into the hospital. Precisely everything that we prayed for, but was contrary to our experience with Luka. Matea did, however, take a REALLY long time to recover and had a lot of ear pain that plagued her at all hours of the day, especially waking her during the night. She also refused to eat, lost a lot of weight and started looking like a bag of skin and bones. Now she’s back to her old self and won't STOP eating! Matea returned to school yesterday, after a three week absence. Thanks for praying and thank you Lord!

Perside
She’s home and recovering well from her hip surgery. We thank you for praying for our dear sister. The whole procedure went smoothly and her first attempt to walk was exhilarating because she felt no pain. All that remains is the rehabilitation over the coming weeks. She’s also anxious to have the tingly feeling in her foot pass, but doctors say this is normal and will take some time.

Ministry Mix
The Lord has been bringing a diversity of visitors on recent Sundays. From a duchess to an ex-pro boxer from England, He never ceases to surprise us. We just really are thankful for how hearts are being touched and pray this continues in all of us.

This summer we've got an overflowing plate. In July we'll be heading to Serbia for our annual visit to family, friends and the various churches. This trip always entails a good amount of visitation and speaking commitments, all of which we look forward to! Shortly after Serbia I'll be off again to Austria to speak at a joint church retreat with CC Herborn, Germany and another fellowship from the area. We've also got a baptism for two precious sisters from CC Treviso who recently have committed their lives to Christ (Frances and Camila), which date we have not slated yet. Hoping to do this together with our brothers and sisters from CC Montebelluna.

A few other things are converging at the same time, making this a season of much stretching for me. Papers for two Seminary courses (Biblical Hebrew and African Christian Ethics) are due and exams are pending. Being that this is my last year and I'll be completing my BTh with the South African Theological Seminary in December, things are a bit more intense than usual. I welcome prayer for grace and clarity of thought to get through all the study prep, writing, speaking, travel and the usual ministry of pastoring the fellowship in Treviso and working part time. May the Lord be lifted up in it all, and use it for his purposes.

Every blessing to you, and thanks for reading and praying!

April and May Update

Piran, Slovenija for May 1st holiday.

Somehow April managed to get by us without an update, but we'll sneak it into this one for May! Don't forget to click-the-piks to enlarge.

What better way to start off this update than by mentioning our 17th anniversary just passed on April 29. We can hardly believe it's been this long already that I stole away my little Serbian lady from her home town of Subotica! We're so blessed and thankful for each other and for our two children, both of which are outright miracles! And on that note, please pray for Matea as we'll explain below.

May is Matea's Month

Ice Cream in Piran.

From taking off training wheels to taking out tonsils, we have big news for Matea these days. She learned to ride her bike a little over a week ago, and now she's scheduled to have surgery on next Monday, May 14. Her adenoids and tonsils need to come out. We have long suspected that she might need this procedure because of her great difficulty breathing. She often goes into apnea and it is unnerving to hear her gag, choke and cough at all hours of the night. Poor little thing must not be getting quality rest with that kind of broken sleep. 

Her visit with the specialist over a month ago confirmed the problem, but we've had to await a call from the hospital to give us the appointment. Since it was getting down to crunch time (the procedure must be done within two months of being seen), we prayed this morning specifically that they'd call TODAY. And...they did! We're really looking forward to having this behind us all. 

You might recall that when Luka had the same operation, he hemmoraged badly after being released and it was rather scary to find him asleep on the couch with blood coming out of his mouth. It turned out to be an emergency re-admittance for another 3 days. We pray for a smoother recovery and that she will not have the adverse reaction to the anesthesia the way Luka did, which was really violent upon waking up. Please join us in praying for Matea's surgery this coming Monday, and that she'll stay healthy from now until then, otherwise we'll lose her slot.

Perside watching the kids perform.

Perside

Pray also for Perside who has long suffered with arthritis and hip problems. By the way, Perside oversees our children's ministry and is the wife of Nino, one of the elders at CC Treviso, and a mother of three young girls. She'll be getting a hip replacement done and as you can imagine, she's pretty apprehensive about it all. 

We trust that this will be a great blessing to her in the end though, bringing relief from the constant pain and limitations of movement that she has endured for years. Pray for peace for her, a smooth surgery, and for Nino and the girls while Mommy is down for her recovery period.

The Scatas

Bob and Lori Scata

Bob (one of the elders at CC Treviso) and Lori Scata will be departing for the USA on Tuesday, May 15, for a long visit. They have much to do while there, including prepping their house to become a weekly rental unit during the Summer break. 

They've had some trouble with previous longterm tenants abdicating their contract, thus leaving them with a lot of unpaid costs to cover. It's vital that this house be finished on time and, we pray, booked by vacationers. Without this, Bob and Lori would be forced to remain in the states to sort out the situation, being unable to return to serve with CC Trevso. We certainly pray they can return, and that during their absence this summer God would stir others in the fellowship to step up into any needs with gladness. 

Sunday School Show and Lunch

All the kids were up front doing their demo with the teachers.

This past Sunday we had our end-of-the-Sunday-school-year show, followed by a lunch together. Each teacher had the group demonstrate something specific they had learned. 

Lori covered the ten commandments with a technique that makes memorizing them in order very easy! Emma did the lampstand from the tabernacle, sang the song "This little light of mine," and talked about good deeds. 

Stop, pensa (think), prega (pray). Steps to avoid angry outbursts!

Perside did a theme on the giants we face, in particular, the giant of anger. Luka narrated it (his first time) and did great reading in Italian.  They closed out with a cute dance. 

We couldn't help being warmed by these little faces. We love them with all their simplicity, enthusiasm and innocent transparency. Not to mention how thankful we are for the wonderful teachers who pour into them every Sunday, month after month.

March Update, 2012

A walk through the woods of Raleigh, NC.

First, a big "Thank you!" 

We want to give a sincere "Thank you!" to all who pray for us, and give to support our ministry. Please know that your prayers are answered and your giving really makes a difference in our lives and service here. (2 Corinthians 9:8-12)

Visit to Dad
Last you heard from us we were heading to the USA to visit family due to my (Mark) father's declining health. We thank you all for your prayer and care towards the family during that time and since then. Dad's health continues to hold everyone in suspense, and he has surprised us with his 87th birthday! He's been in and out of the hospital and each time it is serious enough to be his last. During our visit in Raleigh, he had another episode of congestive heart failure with complications and it wasn't clear if he'd make it. He was released a week later, on the eve before returning to Italy. A few weeks ago, we nearly lost him again. So here we are, just leaning on the Lord and trusting He knows what is best.

Mark and Dad. Christmas lunch 2011, Raleigh NC,

We're thankful we got to see Dad because, although only the Lord knows, with each reoccurrence his condition worsens and it becomes less likely that he'd still be here this coming June/July, which is when we had initially thought to visit the states. With the cost of travel, we are not planning to walk on US soil again in 2012, unless the Lord through circumstances and his provision shouts loud and clear that we need to go. Our disappointment though is that we were unable to make it up north to visit friends and supporting churches in New Jersey. Lord willing, we'll see you all in 2013.

Maintaining our sanity is important to us!

Back in the Saddle
The four of us have been knocked off our horses more than once since we returned to Italian pavement in January. This season has brought some resilient viruses that seem to have made our family their preferred place of residence. In fact, I've been sick since December. But we're thankful to be back in the saddle again, albeit only for a slow trot.

Admittedly, we've been running pretty hard and the Lord has probably chosen to get our attention by decreasing our pace in this way. Plus as most of you know, Matea just got over Scarlet Fever, which was in addition to the usual seasonal gunk that is customary to pass around to one another. Looking forward to sunshine hot enough to kill these lingering germs and revive our weakened winter metabolism.

Church In-house News

Bob's Ordination, Jan 15, 2012

On January 15, we were blessed to publicly acknowledge Bob Scata as one of our elders. The Lord has been building up our leadership team as He sees fit, and it's a joy to watch.

Continue to pray for Bob, and Nino, as they help feed, tend and shepherd God's flock with me. Their service in this area is vital and I'm so thankful to have likeminded men who love, fear and serve God so faithfully.

Fighting for food...I mean courteously serving one another.  

Yesterday we ended our service with a potluck lunch (Agape as they call them here), followed by our Annual Association Meeting, which we are required by law to hold for the purpose of informing the congregation about various aspects of the church's current status.

Although we missed some of our usual faces from Calvary Chapel Treviso, it was a joy to gather with most of the fellowship for a meal (a feast, really), and then some amazing desserts. We closed out the day with lots of laughs during the "pillow game."

December Update

Dad after his stroke this time last year.

Urgent Update – USA Trip to see Dad December 13

By now many of you know that my (Mark’s) father has been ill, and nearly died on the day after Thanksgiving. After a week of recovery in hospital he was released to live out his remaining days at home with family, where he longed to be.

We do not know how much time he has left, could be months, weeks or only days. For this reason, Renata and I felt we should visit the family while we have the chance to see my father again and say “goodbye.”

We are flying to the USA tomorrow (December 13) and will be with the family through Christmas and New Year, the first time together for these holidays in about 11 years. This will be a special time in many ways.

Please keep us in prayer as we have 16 hours of travel tomorrow with three layovers. The kids usually do pretty well, but we’d ask for extra grace. 

The bride and groom right after the ceremony

Wedding October 29

Here is a picture from the wedding of our beloved Daniel and Eleonora, where we had the distinct pleasure to participate in worship and in the Word of God. Many will wonder how this came about and neither time nor blog space will allow a full explanation. But in short, at the request of the bride and her family, the ceremony was held at the church of Santa Maria del Rovere, and Don Adelino granted me the freedom to share from the Scriptures as the Lord led. I spoke on God’s design for marriage, the union and the mystery of marriage as a picture for the Lord's heart and desire for us.

Renata, Bob and I were also the choir and band, and while this was a very unique experience singing in a large cathedral, the sound was beautiful and it seemed as though the Lord lifted our voices to every corner. What a joy to hear the voice of others join us from the seats.

The day was special, as are the bride and groom. But the way we all sensed God move in hearts during and after the ceremony was special too. God used the day to open doors into still more lives, and we were so blessed to have had the chance to minister in this unique opportunity. Pray for Daniel and Eleonora as they embark on their journey of two-become-one!

Bob and Lori Scata

Ordination of Bob Scata, January 15

I am personally very excited to share that we’ll be recognizing God’s call on yet another dear and faithful brother, and good friend, Bob Scata. He and his wife Lori have been serving diligently with us since the summer of 2008, and we have seen God prove their calling to both the ministry in general, and their service to the body of Christ at CC Treviso in particular. We look forward to publicly acknowledging this call at our Sunday service, January 15. Pray for Bob and Lori as they continue to seek the Lord and serve His people with us. It is special to see God forming his team of leaders here; so essential to the continued growth of this fellowship.

Continued Growth

We’ve seen a slow but steady influx of new and precious people at Calvary Chapel Treviso these last two months. Giovanni, Francesca, Isabella, Frances, Debora and Dorota. But we’re blessed beyond measure to share that a few weeks ago, Frances and Rosana prayed to receive the Lord. We’ve seen some neat growth already in Frances and we pray God continues to shower her with the special touch that has transformed her countenance before our eyes. Pray with us, also for Rosana’s desire to follow Jesus faithfully. Lift up Andrea who is new but has been working and therefore missing the Sunday fellowship. Pray for Giovanni who’s come out for his third Sunday service now. Isabella and Francesca are both believers but Isabella has now made our fellowship her new home and Francesca has just come for the first time this past Sunday. We hope the Lord blesses them both greatly here. Pray for Dorota and Debora to open up to Christ. Many good things are happening and challenges are of course accompanying these high times. Pray the outpouring of God’s Spirit on this beautiful little flock.

October Update

Nino asking for prayer as he serves the body of CCT.

Ordination, September 18
On this particular Sunday, we held the ordination service for Nino Converso to recognize him as an elder in the body. Although we have a few men serving faithfully in leadership, as well as a few very faithful women, this is the first time for CC Treviso to welcome a brother into the eldership of the church. I’m blessed to see how the Lord is raising up, and working through, imperfect vessels such as us. In particular for pastoral ministry. None of us are in the ministry because we deserve it, or because we have ‘arrived.’ It is by God’s grace and sovereign choice. As the Apostle Paul said, “I am what I am by the grace of God” (1 Cor 15:10).


Wedding, October 29
Keeping in line with this theme of ‘firsts’ for CC Treviso, we have our first wedding fast approaching. Our brother Daniel Santos will be taking the hand of Eleonora Franceschi in less than two weeks from now. We’re looking forward to celebrating with them and to having the opportunity to share the Word with the many guests that will be present.

School Mayhem (all the time)
Next but not less important, our little Matea’s class became the center of attention for two big news papers, Il Gazzettino and La Tribuna. I would need more time and pages of text than are available to me at the moment to explain all the drama and the history of trouble in the poorly structured educational system here.

Suffice it to say that after many short term substitutes came and went, adding to the confusing experience of these kids, a ‘permanent’ assistant teacher was brought into Matea’s class to help maestra Maria who has been waiting for aid several weeks now. However, this new teacher has a long and less-than-assuring track record of problems with other schools, teachers, and parents whose children have experienced her tutelage.

Our class representative, Nadia, speaking on behalf of all the parents from Matea’s class, made our concerns known to the director of education in our jurisdiction. This resulted in a chain reaction and flurry of calls to and from the director, the teacher, and finally the news papers. Before we knew it, journalists were calling Nadia and showing up at our school to interview us parents. Renata was asked to comment by one journalist but she (wisely) declined. Please pray for the quickest and best solution for all our kids in this class, and for their safety as emotions are escalating.

Luka doing his homework!

Elementary Opportunities 
I’ve been given the opportunity to volunteer at Luka’s elementary school. His English teacher tries each year to bring in a mother-tongue speaker that will expose the class to the native pronunciation of the language. However, it’s difficult to find someone who will come in for free. So I (Mark) have made myself available to help prepare the class for a Christmas presentation, but I’m limiting it to four visits from me as I really don’t have much time to commit. The school is very thankful and I believe this will be yet another open door to meet new people and make the Lord known in a practical way. Pray for this, please.

First grade! It's a big adjustment both for Luka and for us. We were encouraged to hear the good report that Luka is doing really well, and to our surprise is one of the few in his class that knows how to read in Italian. Go Luka, we’re proud of you!

Just a random officer walking down the street.

Carabinieri and Motorcycles
Recently I met Enrico, the father of Luka’s classmate, Edoardo. Enrico runs a motorcycle club in Treviso, to which he has invited me. Those who know me will remember that I am a motorcycle fan and have been riding them since my youth. Here in Italy I’ve chosen not to own a motorcycle yet, but I do have the next best thing which I use for commuting to work etc., a large “Scooterone.” The interesting thing about Enrico’s motorcycle club is that it is primarily comprised of Carabinieri. For which, incidentally, Enrico works as an undercover officer. When he found out my diversified and somewhat adventurous history, he asked me to come share my ‘stories‘ with the other members of the club. Not to mention join them for a ride! Here is yet another great opportunity to pray for.

Sid and I at lunch some time ago.

Lastly, here is a picture to remember and honor my beloved friend and brother in Christ, Sid Mace. Sid went on to glory with his Lord August 8, 2011. We miss him very much!