July 27, 2010
wide open doors, please pray!!!!
27 July, 2010
Wide open doors, please pray!!!!
Greetings, fellow pilgrims, in the name of Jesus Christ.
These are FULL days and weeks, and it is difficult to get to email. But our hearts are overflowing with thanksgiving to God, for we are dearly loved! In addition, God is allowing us to see Him at work in lives. What a privilege to be extremely busy in this way!!
God is granting us some wonderful, WIDE open doors in lives, something only He can do! We have more people actively seeking God than we've had in probably fifteen years. Please join us in praying that God would open the eyes of the blind and save these people!
Although our new English course has far fewer students than the first class (summers are NOT good times to begin new initiatives here), only six unsaved students, compared to about 35 in the first course, we have EXCELLENT open doors with almost all of them. God's ways are incredible!
At the end of each lesson I share a fifteen minute Bible lesson. We are in Genesis, understanding who God is, and who man is, and sin. The students listen very carefully, and then we have time to share one-on-one during refreshments!
Here are some of the people, some from the course, for whom we ask you to pray. (some of the names have been shortened for privacy)
Stef. is a single mother, about 50. Her twenty two year old daughter M. lives with her. M. is very, very much into heavy metal, dresses in all black and even makes up her face to look like death. She is extremely closed to anyone who is not part of her group of intimate friends, most of whom are also involved in heavy metal. When her mother told me about her, and mentioned that she likes photography, I asked if she would like to come and video the course for us. The mother was convinced that it would be impossible to get her to come. I contacted M and invited her to come and film the course for us. The God of the impossible caused M. to come, and she LOVES being with us.
Besides coming to film the course, M has come twice in recent weeks to spend several hours with us, during which I am teaching her a number of things about photography. (I used to be a commercial photographer) The first time she ate lunch with us, and later shared that normally, she categorically refuses to eat with outsiders, because she feels uneasy around them. But, she shared that she feels comfortable around us. We had a great lunch conversation, including our family Bible reading. The second visit, which was Sunday, she had a snack with us, and we were again able to share some good spiritual truths with her. After doing some nature photography together, M has acknowledged God as the Creator in a recent Facebook note.
Her mother Stef. believes God exists, but has never really thought much of him. But, as she is seeing M. changing so much as a result of her contact with us, Stef is convinced that there is indeed a God, and that He is doing a mighty work in M.. Obviously, this new awareness of God is also a mighty work in Stef.!!
Let me share an email that Stef wrote to us after M's first visit with us:
dear sweet friends, when I saw M after she returned from work she was radiant, she shared with enthusiasm the beautiful experience she had with you all. She told me that the day passed so quickly that she didn't realize that she needed to go to work at the photography store. The said that she really loved it at your home because you live in close contact with nature, but I am convinced that it is also because of your big hearts. This really moves me because this opening towards adults and people she doesn't know I would have never expected in her, since she has always been very closed and diffident. It is so true that God does great things. ...she was an overflowing river with all that she had to share with me to the point that she wasn't even able to stop and eat. Thank you for all that you are doing for us, you are very special. ...
Please, join us in prayer for the salvation of Stef and her daughter M. What a joy to see this young lady, who has been attracted to darkness, starting to see the light!!
Simone and Baira are a young unmarried couple who attend the course. He (Simone), about 30 and 24. Both are open to spiritual things, she EXTREMELY so. She is hungrily reading the Bible we gave her, and has many questions. She is a scientist in the field of molecular biology. Simone works in a building supply store, and though he's not yet reading the Bible, he listens very attentively to the Bible teaching, and they talk about the things of God they are hearing at home. Besides reading the Bible on her own, Baira has come twice after work for Bible study. Sunday night, while Simone was at work at a pizza shop, Ashley spent six hours with her studying and explaining the Bible and talking about God. Also present was a close friend of Baira, Shermine, who has now stated that she plans to start reading the Bible and wants to meet us to hear more.
I just received an email from Baira, stating: “I hope with all me heart that God will make me his and bless my life... Last night I prayed, I don't know if he listened... I hope that he'll touch Simone so that he'll seek the truth...”
This young lady is seeking, PRAY that God would open her eyes to see Christ Jesus!
K is an American young lady who lives here with whom Ashley has become friends. She is due to marry an Italian young man in September who is very attached to the Roman Catholic Church. When K met Ashley, she knew nothing of the Bible, and little of God, and never really thought of him. Now, she is attending a weekly evangelistic Bible study with Ashley, and has started reading the Bible Ashley gave her. She is becoming interested. Her fiancee is also curious. Please PRAY for K and for fiancee.
Angela, mid fifties, is from our first English course. She heard much there, gradually grew more convicted. She is now also attending the evangelistic Bible study with Ashley and K. PRAY for Angela's salvation.
PRAY for two other ladies who are considering attending that study.
Andrea is a young man (32) who is part of the new English course. He came to visit with me a couple of weeks ago. I shared biblical truth with him, and gave him an evangelistic tract about “True Life”. He later wrote me an email saying that he is indeed seeking true life. Pray for Andrea.
There are more contacts, more things to share, but time is short. Let me give you some bullet prayer requests.
PRAY for the salvation of Stef and M, and for Sim and Bai, and for K, and for Andrea, and for Angela, and others.
PRAY for our CHILDREN'S CAMP, which is due to be on August 15 through 18. There is MUCH to prepare, humanly speaking it seems impossible to find the time. Pray for grace and strength to make the time, and pray for God to work in hearts of the children attending.
This has been a season of providing some significant pastoral care in a variety of difficult situations. Time after time we have been amazed to see how Jesus Christ cares for his sheep. We have seen so many situations which have seemed humanly impossible to resolve, and then God opens doors and touches hearts. Truly, Jesus Christ is building his church!
Ladies Meeting
Sherrie /Serena had an evangelistic ladies' Bible study on Saturday. In years past, sadly, most of the believing ladies did not invite anyone to these studies. We rejoice that this time, almost all of the women invited other ladies. Besides two unsaved daughters of believers, two unsaved ladies came. PRAY for Adriana, Diego's mother, who shared that she is reading the Bible. PRAY also for Sara B, who is a student from our first English course. As she left, she shared with Sherrie that she wants to think about the spiritual truths which were shared.
Milan Province
PRAY for God's work in and through Giuseppe in the province of Milan. Last week, Giuseppe and his family moved from a tiny apartment to a much larger apartment which God provided for them. Before they went to bed on their first night there, they had a family prayer in which Giuseppe prayed that God would use the apartment for his glory, and that he would work so that the people who come to that home would know that there they can hear God and draw near to him.
In his letter to me, Giuseppe added that he knew that the privilege of proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ was by grace, and not a privilege which he deserves! Continue to pray for Giuseppe, and the various people whom he is evangelizing, several of whom are reading the Bible.
This weekend, D.v. we're planning to go to Milan to minister to Giuseppe and a number of the contacts. PRAY for our time there.
Giuseppe has also expressed interest to begin a weekly Bible study, probably in September, for those who are interested. PRAY for this, and pray with us that God would according to his will establish a church in Giuseppe's town, which is without a church which preaches the Gospel.
Pray for More Workers
As you pray, please PRAY for more workers for the harvest. We could use more help on the Italian websites (which are already heavily used, but they could be greatly improved, and much more teaching added), we could use practical help, which buys us time (including Americans coming and spending several weeks or a month giving a hand in practical jobs, let us know if you are interested), and we could use more co-workers who speak (or could learn) Italian. What a difference it makes that there are three of us full-time!!!. Just note how many of the above contacts are related to Ashley!
Rejoice with us for all that God is doing, and join us in praying that He would save more souls, and strengthen the saints!
working in his strength, rejoicing in his love,
Marco (and Serena /Sherrie) deFelice
Italy
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