The Couch

We noticed last week that one side of our couch was making lots of creeking sounds when you sat one it. One day I had to take the cover off so I could wash it and when I did you could see that the arm of the couch was seperating from the rest of the couch! Not a good thing. We have only had this couch less than 4 years and already it is falling apart. Matt assured me he could fix it. So yesterday I was at LaVia with Brandy and we came back to my house to eat lunch. When we walked in the door there was our couch all ripped apart! The apolstery pulled back and the arm taken off with pieces of wood laying everywhere. Matt had started working on it and it was at that point where it looks really bad and in the back of my mind I am thinking 'I sure do hope he can put that back together'. But sure enough by last night he had it all put back together and stronger than ever. He is such a handy guy to have around!

Weekend with the Roterts

The Roterts were here this weekend. They just left to catch the train. I am always a little bit sad when they leave. We had a good weekend though. Friday they didn't get here until around seven but we had taco salad for dinner and watched some TV together. Saturday was a kid's ministry activity day and we went bowling. We had a really good group turn out, about 27 people including 4 families that are not members of our church. Today was life group and McDonald's for lunch. All in all a very fun weekend! Always made more fun when our friends are visiting.
This week begins Brandy's last week here in Ancona as my intern. I am really going to miss her! Not only because of her friendship but because when she leaves I will have the whole kids English outreach all on my own. Brandy don't leave!!!!

Sorrisi Videos!!!!

One of the things that Angie and I do each week is prepare and lead a children's church time called "smiles" which is 'sorrisi' in Italian. Each week I make a video that we show the kids to help teach them the story. Follow the link included here (click here to see the video) to see one of our past videos, which is the story of Jesus walking on the water. Or you could also right click the link above to choose to download the video. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the video.

It's been a long time.....

Whew.....it has been a couple of months since I took the opportunity to post anything. We have been incredibly busy the past couple of months. At the beginning of March, Mary Ann & David (Angie's sister and her husband) got to visit for about a week. Then a couple of days after they left a group from Ozark Christian College arrived. The OCC group was here for about 9 days and four days after that a group from one of our team's main supporting churches sent a group over. The group was from Shively Christian Church outside of Louisville, Kentucky. They got to be here about a little over a week as well. It was great having all the visitors, now we are just trying to get back on schedule.

While the group was here from Shively the pope died. This was a major occasion that our team had been anticipating for years. We were already scheduled to be in Rome with the group on the day of the pope's funeral. We got up early and headed to the Piazza at the Basilica of Saint Peter (where the funeral was going to held). After about two hours of pushing and shoving through throngs of people we made it to an open spot with allowed us to literally walk straight ahead into the piazza. So, we were in the middle of the piazza during the pope's funeral. An amazing experience to be sure, no matter what affiliation we feel towards the Catholic Church. It is one of those days that I will remember for the rest of my life.

We returned to Ancona and about a week later the Rotert family arrived on the field to begin their next phase of ministry (language and culture learning). We excited to have them here (they are staying with us a few days before heading to Perugia where they will attend language school for several months). Soon enough they will be back in Ancona where they will join our church planting efforts. We definitely look forward to that!

Four years in Italy

Today we are celebrating four years since our arrival in the country of Italy. When I look back at all the things that has happened over the last four years I can’t help but look forward with great anticipation to seeing all the things God has planned for us, our team and the people of Italy in the next four years.

- There is a church (body of believers) that consists of more than just our team!
- Many, many relationships have been formed with unbelievers in Ancona.
- Our church celebrated it’s first baptism (last October).
- We have had the assistance of ten short term groups, with another to arrive in a couple of weeks.
- Our church started our weekly Life Group (small intimate group of believers that meets in a home).
- Our church started our weekly Celebration service (Sunday worship service).
- Our church started Project Loving Ancona (reaching out with kindness to the community).
- Our church started La Fonte (a tri-monthly special study in God’s Word)
- Our church started Altissimi (a tri-monthly worship event)
- Our church started Collegamento (a tri-monthly prayer event)
- Our church started Gruppo di Slancio (a monthly small group for unbelievers seeking the truth).
- Our church started Sorrisi (Weekly kids programming during Celebration).
- Our church started Kid’s Time (Weekly kids’ ministry during Life Group).
- We are continuing to grow our presence in the community and the city.
- Numerous foundational documents and strategies has been laid down.
- Bible study series for foundational truths has been translated, illustrated and created.
- Worship resources have been found and we are continuing to find more.
- Children’s/Youth resources have been found and we are continuing to find more.
- Plus many, many, many more details.

In May we are going to launch our celebration service to the community. We will have been having celebration for about three and a half months by then. Many details have been and will be worked out by then. We hope to put out thousands of invitations and/or mailers. We hope to have raised the funds to construct two rooms in our attic for children’s classrooms (as well as storage). We hope to have raised funds for a new kitchenette for hosting events and fellowship dinners.

Kid's Curriculum

Here is a pic from the new John curriculum we are creating for our kids ministry. I hand drew and colored this picture.

Here is the first drawing I made for the new curriculum.

New Celebration Service

Whew...for a few months we have been busy preparing for a major new addition to our ministry, our weekly celebration service. Having celebration ready to go, meant having our kids ministry setup, planned and ready to go as well. We came up with the name "Sorrisi" which means 'smiles'. Then we took the book of John and fleshed out curriculum for several months (the rest of the church is studying it as well at the same time). We asked Marta to write the stories, Angie has been coming up with crafts and activities and I have been drawing original story pictures, videos and art for crafts. Celebration and Sorrisi started last Sunday and it went really well. We have been working this week on the next few Sorrisi kids times. I'm glad that it has gone so well and felt so normal to add this new aspect.

Mid-Winter Rally

We were low on funds but several supporters enabled us to go to the annual Mid-Winter Rally. It was in Hermeskeil, Germany (which is near Frankfurt, Germany and the country of Luxembourg). A week before we were supposed to go to the rally, our differential went out on our car and our mechanic told us that our transmission probably only had another 500 km left on it. If we took care of it then, we wouldn't have to pay for labor twice, since they already had it apart for the differential. Two of our supporting churches took care of the expenses and provided us with a very safe and secure means for travelling to Germany for the rally.

The sessions went well and the fellowship provided much encouragement. During the week were gone we were able to eat some American food! We at Chi Chi's in downtown Luxembourg, Pizza Hut also in Luxembourg and Kentucky Fried Chicken in Frankfurt, Germany. On our return trip to Italy, we saw the Frankenstein Castle near Darmstadt, Germany. Our trip took us through the following countries...Switzerland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria and back in Italy. We also were able to visit a Christian bookstore in Vicenza, Italy on the way home. We purchased many books, cd's and resources to help with our new Celebration services and kids' time "Sorrisi". The trip definitely refreshed us to start our year out right.

Thankful for the internet

One of the things that I enjoy doing in my free time in the fall is listening to OU games on the radio. We are probably going to Germany right after Christmas time, which means I won't be able to listen to the OU bowl game, so tonight is the last time I get to hear or see a game for another year. The season has gone well for them (12-0) and therefore enjoyable for me. This year there was even a few of the games live video streaming through the internet. That has been really cool, since I haven't had the opportunity to watch live games during my time in Italy. Maybe next year, all the games will be streamed through the net. I guess I can always hope.