As a child I went through difficult times due to the separation of my parents, and I lived in a boarding school for a period as well. I was a naughty and rebellious child. . .I beat up my classmates, ripped their school uniforms, took their notebooks and books and threw them out the window, etc. . .I was mad at myself and with whoever was near me because I did not understand the reason for me life, my existence, and my situation and difficulties. Whent hey spoke to me about God and told me to pray I was contrary to the idea- I was angry with God too, giving Him the blame for everything in my life! One day I found myself at a Christian camp, similar to the one where we were in Moldova and there I prayed to God and said, “If you really exist, come into my life”..

In that moment everything changed…a warmth inside me and a joy and peace…and the voice of God that whispered to me that He was with me and that He had always been with since the very first days of my existence, even when I was angry with Him, even when I blamed Him, even when I cursed Him, and even when I cried and desired not to live any longer. ..

I found myself sharing this testimony with the children in Moldova. They were incredulous to hear me speak, and to hear a story so similar to their own. And in this way I explained to them how the immense love of God is everything for me…and how His love is greater than the love that any mother or father could have given me…and how God had never let me down or abbandoned me and that He would never do that. After my testimony and a brief message from the BibleI explained to them that choosing to follow Jesus is not a choice that you make only one time in your life, but it is a choice that we need to make every day with our hearts..and so I made this challenge to them: “Who wants to choose Jesus today with me?” and all of the children stood up and came forward and hugged me. I wanted to cry and called the entire team forward to pray and prophesy over the children that had come forward; it was amazing!

What I brought home with me is a greater understanding of the love of God and of His grace that abounds in my life spiritually and materially. . .because the needs that we may have every day, for those children are unimmaginable things…and something that for us is taken for granted like warm food or a shower before going to bed, for them is a dream. And I realized that I have a gift that is to great- faith! As it is written “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith and this is not of yourselves but is a gft of God so that no man may boast.” Ephesians 2:8 This is a gift that sometimes I hold onto to tightly…caught up in my own situations, and problems and everything that is going on around me in selfishness, instead this gift is meant to be shared and brought where maybe no one has ever heard the message of salvation not even once in their lives. This important to understand because the purpose of our faith is the salvation of others, “for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (I Peter 1:9).” You are important because God has a plan for your life, unique and perfect…just for you!

The Modugno Church will have the honor to host Nico Battaglia in a concert Saturday August 28 at 8:30. Pray with us that it will be a great opportunity to evangelize and to bring new people into the church and to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Wow!

What a great week with a great group of young people! Around 60 young people from around Italy (and mostly from our own church here in Modugno) gathered at il Rifugio in Ruvo for a week of summer camp- 4D. God did amazing things this last week and we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to be part of it! Gianluca was invited to teach a daily workshop on Missions and I was invited to participate in teaching one of the workshop sessions in the series “Heart for the Church” on Pastoral Care. A lot of fun was had by all through games, and silly evening sessions….but it was also a very intense week. There were young people who gave their heart to God for the first time, young people who got their lives back on track with the Lord and young people who were challenged in their calling to serve the Lord.

It was a tough challenge going straight from Greece into a summer camp, but God renewed our strength daily and now we are looking forward to a few moments alone as a couple and as a family unit. The kids had a blast with all the youth and playing outdoors all day at the camp and going “to church” every day. God is good and we are thankful for the chance to serve him and the strength to do it in spite of our tiredness!

Here I am, I think for the second time ever to write on our blog. Wow!

We had a blessed time in Greece. We were in Sparti (Sparta) and it was an honor to fight the good fight where so many bad fights have been fought. We had an intense six days of fellowship with Greek, Romanian, English, American, South Africans and other brothers from around the world. Together every morning we fellowshiped in the word and then there was crazyness as everyone started loading bibles in the cars, some others started studying maps, some added oil to the car, some picked up lunches and water and in a matter of minutes everyone was gone from the camp site. 140 of us total, reaching around 800 villages with 60.000 Greek new Testaments by the end of the week. It was a shockwave of blessing I believe for the whole country.

Us Italians had a great time serving the Lord and our Greek bronthers. We had many great encounters and opportunities to share the gospel and God’s love. One incident was very interesting- we just got finished with one village and we were heading back to the car. An orthodox priest was waiting there by the car, I said to myself ‘oh, oh trouble’. For those of you who do not know the Orthodox church is very opposed to evangelicals and proselitism. The priest asked me what we were doing (at least that is what i think, it was all greek to me as well) and I answered in italian ‘Non capisco sono italiano’! (translation: I do not understand I am Italian) To make a very cool long story short, the Priest who at first seemed very grumpy and upset that we stormed his village with the N.T. ended up buying us a drink at the local snack-bar. The conversation was limited but what we were able to point out was that we have no patriarcs, no pope our head is Jesus Christ. Amen!

The Italian team was deeply touched by the need for Crist in Greece and I was deeply blessd by seeing God at work in their hearts and challanging the six of them with the call and need for missions!

Thank you all for your prayers God is at work all over and it is just a blast to be part of it.

ciao,

gianluca

The kids had an amazing time this year with their cousins. They got along great and had a blast playing together as much as possible. It was great to visit with them!

Couples Nite Barbeque!

We were so blessed to have a barbeque with all of the couples who have passed through our premarital and newlyweds courses. It was a great time of fellowship and encouragement- we were able to play games, eat, read the word, and challenge them in their spiritual life as a couple (and now as a family unit for many of them who have since had babies!). It was fun to see how the group has grown and to welcome so many little ones to our home as well. We continue to pray that God will use these preparation courses to help these couples protect their marriages and work hard to keep them pure and healthy and in the center of God’s will.

This weekend was no different. We had a great group of 15 young people join us at il Rifugio, Ruvo this weekend for a weekend of preparation for the upcoming mission trips to Greece (Jul 20-Jul 29) and to Moldavia (Aug 4- 17). It was a special retreat for me because I had the opportunity to help out this year thanks to my parents who were able to stay the weekend with the kids and keep them for us while we were away at the retreat.

It was a lot and fun, filled with a lot challenges, and learning time too. God was really challenging the teams this year on team work, unity, and self sufficiency. There were a lot of encouragements to live as the body of Christ, and to work together as such.

This year we have one leader from a church in Andria, one leader and 9 team members from the church in Modugno, one team member from Milan, and another from Turin! We are excited to see the work that God began in the hearts of thos who attended the retreat this weekend and confident that he will bring that work to completion (Phil 1:6) through the upcoming trips and His will for each person who will be joining us.