| | Hi,
It's great to be back on the summer schedule. Milan winters seem LONG. People just don't want to be outside of their houses. Here in our neighborhood people leave early to go into the city to work and then get home when it's already dark. It's possible to run into them in our buildings' shared garage but other than that people stay a bit to themselves. When the time changes it's a different story, it's like people are out of their state of hibernation and want to hang out. So to make a short story long...it's good to have a few more hours of light.
March was a good month. Luca and Chiara had their birthdays, and a good time was had by all. Chiara is now one, and is ready to rumble. She walks around outside and of course wants to pick up all the cigarette studds and gum. Luca's birthday party was a blast. He's recently discovered strawberries and wants them all the time, so he was pleased with his strawberry cake. Thanks to those who sent birthday cards and gifts.
A few weeks back I was invited to go to another gathering of the Jehovah's Witnesses. I was blown away again by the gathering of over 500 people from our area. What is it about those guys!? I've gotten to know a few of them and one talked me through the session. My "elder" friend did the main speech and one of his sidekicks explained to me the customs (i.e. why they celebrate the Lord's Supper once/year, why they don't eat or drink the elements, why they have 2 classes of believers, etc.) The speech was "biblical" but I was interested in pointing out to them the parts of the passages they skipped over or spiritualized. I'm starting to realize that when they say "oh that's really deep doctrine" it usually means "we'd rather not deal with that".
We're thankful for the work God has called us to do here in Milan. We praise God for every chance He gives us to sow the Word and know that it's His job to "convince the world" of their need for Him. I leave you with a few prayer requests.
Thank God with us for
1. The encouragement He gives us to plow forward in the work He's given us to do
2. His provision of our needs (health, life, finances, family) so that we can be here
3. The confirmation He's given us that this is where He wants us (does anything else matter?).
4. A good time had with Don Marshall, EBM Europe coordinator
Please pray for
1. The many friends/contacts we are seeking to bring to bring to Jesus (I don't write names here for privacy sake)
2. Deeper knowledge of God - if we have the right perspective of Him and His power we won't be discouraged or lack faith
3. Wisdom as we prepare Luca and Chiara to live in this world
4. The building we are asking God to bless us with
5. Patience/Endurance- We need to fix it in our minds that this work TAKES TIME: many don't make it
6. Fruit among the J.W.'s: a ministry to that group is strategic and not much work is being done among them in Italy. With them it is possible to go directly into the Word into the claims of Christ. In some ways they're very close...and at the same time infinitely far away from the Truth.
Thanks for your friendship
Keith Debby Luca Chiara
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| | Posted 4/2/2008 12:24 PM - 13 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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