Rome City Team - Brian and Sarah Bennetch

"Sex Sells"

2011-11-29T07:08:00.010-05:00

Sex Trafficking: Coming to a Neighborhood Near You
I used to believe a couple myths: such as the myth that human trafficking takes place in dark corners of faraway, third-world countries. And then there’s the myth that women in prostitution are just “that type” of women, choosing that lifestyle. I also believed that in our advanced, western civilization -- with democracy and equal rights and education -- we had put an end to barbarism and slavery.

Appallingly, certain human realities persist in the 21st century: greed, lust, poverty, abuse of power, the misuse of sex, the corruption of the Free Market, and the woeful vulnerability of women and children. If any issue confirms the basic depravity of man, it is human trafficking.

Yet, when we take action to protect the victims -- who aren’t even our own kin -- we reflect the image of God. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, behaved in radical contrast to the norms of His day by esteeming and defending women – all of them. He sheltered and valued children – all of them. He called for justice for the oppressed, release for the captives, and restoration for the broken.

What I’ve learned about sexual exploitation today has blown away my preconceived ideas. Reluctantly, I have come closer to this reality and now I cannot deny it or turn away. Let me share some things I’ve learned.

The Scope of the Problem
Commercial sexual exploitation involves the maximum benefit to the exploiter and a suspension of basic rights, dignity, autonomy, physical and mental well-being. It can include stripping, prostitution, live sex-shows, and pornography.

We are talking about no less than a global and local industry of rape for profit.

In the EU, 120,000 women and children are trafficked into member states each year, 90% of whom end up in the sex industry. In Great Britain there is a growing number of child prostitution rings whose men “groom” teenage girls for commercial sex, through every tactic from wooing to rape to enslavement.

In the U.S. it’s estimated that 100 - 200,000 kids – many as young as 12 years old -- are exploited in the domestic sex trade. Many of these youth in Britain and the U.S. were runaways, from troubled homes, or victims of abuse at home.

The home should be the safest place for a child, but for many, it is a place of sexual violence to them. Ultimately many girls reach adulthood still trapped in prostitution. Remember that often a woman in prostitution began as a child enslaved.

The Lord God told the Israelites in Leviticus 19:29: “Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.”

Demand and Supply
According to one advocate, "Sex trafficking happens when and where there is a demand for prostitution and a context of impunity for its customers." The demand for commercial sex has increased with the availability of online pornography and a consumerist view of sex. Trafficking occurs because criminals take advantage of poverty, unemployment, and a desire for better opportunities. Young victims fall prey to traffickers because no one is there to protect them.

A Salvation Army spokeswoman says:
“Children cannot protect themselves from the insidious and overpowering dangers of those that wish to use and abuse them. The responsibility therefore falls upon the larger society to protect and ensure the safety of these, our most vulnerable citizens.”

What Can We Do?
The first thing is to understand the heart of God about this issue. How does He view the people involved? Jesus showed the love of the Father for every person, without partiality. No one is beyond the reach of His love. God’s justice compels His people to act justly and to speak up for the oppressed. His grace compels us to show compassion and mercy. God’s desire is to redeem and save and restore both the victim and the victimizer. And, we need to better understand God’s design for sexuality.

Second, pray for the victims, pray for the ones you see on the boulevards, for the advocates reaching out to help the victims, for the clients. Pray for the young people – girls and boys -- in your sphere of influence. Pray the Lord would open your eyes to see what you must, in order to intervene if necessary.

Third, create awareness of sex trafficking by talking to your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and church members about this dangerous and evil reality. Educate at-risk girls on self-esteem and “Lover Boy” scams. Advise young women to be wary of job offers that seem too good to be true.

Then, address demand issues: including pornography and sexual addiction. Ask your church to run a program on Male Sexuality and addiction. Help teenage boys avoid the vicious trap of online porn which leads to a demeaning view of females as objects and a warped approach to relationships. There are ways we can protect minors and help them develop a healthy respect for self and others.

Churches can make a great impact in combating and preventing sexual exploitation in our communities.

We can lobby or boycott travel agencies which sell sex tours to other countries. Name and shame such companies. A current example is Ryan Air whose CEO promises to make in-flight porn accessible to passengers.

Campaign against the legalization of prostitution, which degrades and corrupts everyone involved, raises the risk to vulnerable minors, and correlates to an increase in the crime of trafficking -- contrary to popular belief.

For those who are set free: physical, emotional, and spiritual healing is needed for victims who are rescued.

For more insight, I've posted two links (see below for previous posts) to excellent short videos about this scourge: "Jacob's Story" from the point of view of men, and a brilliant documentary focused on Europe. Please dare to draw near to this dark corner where so many are suffering and trapped.

Watch this space for more. Let's talk about this; let's shine the light.

2011-11-25T09:54:00.001-05:00

For My Brothers....

Jacob's Story from Unearthed on Vimeo.

The Global Sex Trade: A 21st Century Evil

2011-11-25T09:12:00.002-05:00

Sex slaves - Slavery: A 21st Century Evil - Al Jazeera English (follow the links to watch this)

No One Volunteers to Be Exploited • EFCA Today

2011-08-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

No One Volunteers to Be Exploited • EFCA Today

"The Tectonic Shift of Christianity..."

2011-08-09T07:31:00.014-04:00

I've been doing some reading on current and future trends in global Christianity. At

the same time, I'm reading about the spread of Gospel faith during the Roman Empire (Cities of God: The Real Story of How Christianity became an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome by Rodney Stark). Between the two, others may see a disconnect -- where I see thrilling connections!

Jesus made this public declaration: "I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it," (Mat 16:18) and He has been ensuring the spread of His Message across borders and barriers ever since. Both then and now, one most effective means for achieving this is via migration. During the Roman Empire, Christ followers carried the Good News with them as they traveled and where they settled. They were fleeing persecution and severe conditions and emigrated to other lands. Numerous are the accounts of upper class Roman citizens who were introduced to the Gospel by their foreign servants. Stark notes that "Christian community in Rome seems to have come as a result of migration of men and women from Palestine and Syria."

And today the journey continues.

Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor describe this trend:

"The tectonic shift of Chrisitanity from the Global North to the Global South teaches us that the Spirit is moving South without abandoning the North. And the new glocal mission call is 'from all nations to all nations.' Our global missional partners truly reflect 'from every tribe, nation, tongue, and people.'

"The nations of the world have come to the West, a great opportunity to tell them the great Story of Christ. It is also an invitation for Western churches to be infected with the family and celebratory values of these younger Christian communities now implanted in the West.

"The surprising faces of 'missions from the margins,' from the nobodies, from the 'underside of history,' from the Chrisitans migrating around the world - legally or otherwise. They are on the move, following freedom, jobs and a better place for their families, and they take the Gospel with them.

"The revitalization of the Christian church of Europe will come in part from the vital faith and conversion of migrant peoples, especially from Africa and Latin America."

"Today's missions movement (and I would add, Church growth in our cities) is a truly globalized mosaic, with servants from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the South Pacific."

Yes, we live in tumultuous times. But God is using geopolitical upheaval for His excellent purpose of spreading the Good News. The Lord of the Harvest is raising up laborers by mobilizing people for such a time as this.

Signs of Life

2011-07-30T12:49:00.004-04:00

Sarah and I do not have too many 24-hour periods when we have the opportunity either to share the Gospel or broach spiritual subjects with five of our neighbors. We are keenly aware that our brothers and sisters are praying for us in these days surrounding the English courses, so we wanted to let you know how the Lord has been working.

Sarah met Joanna (Italian, not her real name) in her English class at the local library. She came once to the class, they were introduced, and she came back the next week just to ask for an appointment with Sarah. Joanna is an art history expert, and this was the lens through which she was familiar with so many scenes from the Bible. She was really intrigued to know someone like Sarah who gave credence to the original biblical accounts. Believe it or not, Sarah was the first person she had ever met during her lifetime who believed in the validity of the Bible. What a privilege it is to be able to speak for God in this way. So, Monday afternoon, below the walls of the Vatican bastion, they met for coffee and talked about the reality of Christ and his Message.

Tuesday morning Sarah was asked to help keep some order at the sports camp that a group of Dutch young people were putting on in cooperation with our Italian Baptist Church. Normally I could have helped out with that, but 1) my foot is still healing, and 2) I have no soccer skills. An Italian mom and grandma showed up with a young boy to participate in the camp. It is great how God teams us up with people. Karen is a summer intern, our age, with International Teams’ Refugee Highway. How beautiful to see the gift of evangelism demonstrated in a believer. What becomes evident is not a method, but a passion for the Gospel. Karen has only been here a few weeks, so she needed Sarah to translate as she presented the Good News to this very open mother and grandmother. Those two women were equally floored to hear about the reality of a Message that they had discounted because of an organized religion they no longer respected. Forget the religion; they were very interested in hearing more about the Truth. Grace and Stephanie (not their real names) live in the same neighborhood as Zach and Naomi. They may be able to attend a new group if the Lord continues to lead us to start that in September or October.

About the same time I was hobbling out my front door on crutches (if you didn’t know, I broke my foot about a month ago during my regular morning run – bright sun in the eyes, deep pothole). It is amazing how many people talk to you in Italy when you’re injured. Almost every neighbor in our building has stopped to talk to me this month, the same people who hadn’t said “Ciao” for two years. General rule about ministry in Europe: own a dog. General rule about ministry in Mediterranean Europe: have a young child, at least one. General rule about ministry in Italy: break a bone and appear to be infirm or in need. All of these lead to multiple conversations!

I finally learned my upstairs neighbor’s name as we stopped on the sidewalk to compare crutches. She told me about her hip replacement. When I mentioned getting injured just before organizing the English classes with our Italian church, she asked the inevitable, “So what’s the difference between Catholic faith and yours? Is it Christian?” So we began that discussion, talking more about the authority of the Bible than about religion. She confided that she held very little respect any more for the religion she had grown up with. So I planted a seed about the possibility of reading the Bible together. We’ll see where that goes.

Just a couple of hours later I met with Andrea (not his real name), a refugee I had met during the English course. Andrea is from the Muslim world, but had received a Bible in his language some years ago when he met a group of Christians in Finland of all places! It’s amazing how Christ pursues us in life and upheaval. Before an open Bible we were able to piece together three languages to begin to take a look at the Good News in John. We spent two very good hours together and feel like the Bible itself, through the Spirit of God, did the communicating. This was a promising start. Stay tuned.

Changes

2011-07-22T07:16:00.004-04:00

This summer has been full of changes for us! First of all, we've been adjusting to the disappointing news that, for personal reasons, Trinity is unable to continue her assignment here with ReachGlobal. But then, to our great rejoicing, Zach and Naomi have joined us in Rome! They arrived 6 weeks ago and have been on the path to adapting and integrating with much grace. We are comforted and encouraged by their presence, and we all have expectant hearts for serving together to do God's work in this city.
As for our Home Group, summertime has proved to be a transitional period for all the members, and we are seeking God's guidance for the direction ahead. It has been an awesome journey with the many individuals who have joined us over the last year and a half, and we've seen lives touched in countless ways. I (Sarah) will continue to mentor young ladies from our faith community.
Meanwhile, together with our church leaders we are exploring a path of training and vision-casting for launching cell groups in the neighborhoods represented by our congregation. This is such an answer to prayer and we're excited about the possibilities for disciple-making and reaching out through a network of organic small groups.
Recently, we organized an Intensive English Course to serve primarily the refugees in Rome, along with church members of diverse ethnic backgrounds(including Italians!). What a fantastic collaborative effort between our church in Rome, our church in Ohio, and numerous Christian workers on site. This was a sort of experiment ("They said it couldn't be done") to bring together such a variety of people under the church roof, so to speak.We give thanks to our Heavenly Father for its success.

Team Spirit

2011-05-06T14:41:00.010-04:00

The esprit de corps that exists on a team is a major contributing factor to their effectiveness and endurance. The Rome City Team is growing and going deeper, and the Lord is forging bonds between us even as we’re all dispersed, on the move to reach our goal.
Brian and Sarah are in the U.S., to participate in Brian’s wedding and to visit with various supporting churches in the Midwest. Trinity is packing up to go home to California, for a period of raising her support that’s lacking. Zach and Naomi (and son Anthony) are in Illinois are busily waiting on the last trickle of support (and their VISA’s) to come in so they can finally get to the field. Scott and Elaine, in Wisconsin, are actively raising funds to be released so they too can join us soon.

We are very encouraged by the progress made and by the support team members whom God is prompting to participate in the Father’s business in Rome. Every one of us is aware of the blessed “tie that binds” our lives in this calling to make the Gospel known in this city. And we fervently cheer one another on in this race to reach the goal of being where God has called us and bringing Good News to the people of Rome.

Take a moment to click on our teammates’ blogs: links are to the right.

Body Building

2011-04-04T05:58:00.002-04:00

“‘Tis a gift to be simple” goes the song. There’s beauty in the simple things of the Kingdom. There is also beauty in diversity. God calls us to community, and in Rome we are experiencing both diversity and simplicity in fellowship. Recently on Friday nights we’ve had a range of Europeans – including Italians. But the Lord has brought into our midst an Israeli as well as both a Somali sister and Afghan brother converted from Islam. We are walking through the early books of the Old Testament as we show how God’s plan has been to make a people for Himself through which to bring the Message of salvation to the world. We draw links to the Savior as we prepare our hearts for the Passion Week. Our intention is to celebrate the Seder (messianic Passover meal) on Good Friday.
Brian continues to disciple a young Italian guy in our fellowship, and two other men from our Baptist church. With our partners Joe and Mary we hope to “bring in the sheaves” among the peoples in Rome through a simple expression of the Body of Christ.
Currently the atmosphere in Rome is becoming charged, leading up to the Beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1 at Saint Peter’s Basilica – right down the road from where we live. It is often a surreal environment in which to be Gospel workers. We pray the Lord gives us a word “in season” for the people around us.

Getting to Know You

2011-03-29T08:53:00.007-04:00

It has been a slow and steady path towards getting to know the precious members of Trastevere Baptist Church of Rome. Through home group Bible Study, Sunday service, and other gatherings like our monthly Couples' Evening and Ladies Day,as well as inviting church folks over for a meal, we have gotten more familiar. Along with Trinity, I (Sarah) recently attended the Ladies' event. From the photo you can see that I am sitting with a table full of lovely latina's from our church! We are so grateful for the warm welcome, and this month we will be officially recognized as members. We hope to build up this local body of believers (Eph. 4:12).

Shhhhh! English Lesson in the Library!

2011-03-29T08:42:00.002-04:00

After a year or so of seeking a way to reach out in our neighborhood through English lessons, the Lord finally opened an unexpected door. The Head Librarian asked me to teach a conversation class in the local library. So I started a weekly class for adults a few weeks ago, and it’s been going well, offering an opportunity to get to know people and to shine the Light. I have a dozen students; we can’t fit more than that in the tight space provided. Public libraries in Europe are far smaller and more basic than those in the U.S. They nonetheless serve as a major though modest crossroads in every community.

“Do-You-Speak-English?”

2011-02-01T15:43:00.001-05:00

Time and again, it’s been our experience that teaching English can be a valuable way to connect with people. Every Tuesday, the members of the Rome City Team join other Christ-followers in the city to run English classes of 5 levels, at the Rome Baptist Church. Recently, I (Sarah) did a lesson on from the Gospel narrative of Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute. I introduced it with a discussion about the film “The King’s Speech,” linking it to the issue of speech impediments: giving vocabulary to talk about them, their categories, the treatments, and the social implications. Then we looked at the miracle healing of someone with an extreme disability and we focused on Jesus’ treatment of that person. Sound like a Bible Study? Instead it was English class, and my Italian adult students engaged the topic with gusto.
After class, a first-time student came to me and said, “That was the best hour and a half I’ve spent in a really long time!”
Then, a mature Italian lady from another class wandered into my classroom - raving about her teacher - and asked me: I just would like to know if you would let me into your weekly Bible Study here at the church? The Bible is difficult for me even in Italian, but I’d love to come and try in English!”
One of my students, herself a school teacher, asked me to help with her high schoolers in conversational English, as they prepare to take the Cambridge Standard English exam. It has opened up a friendship and led me to meet some of the faculty in this private Roman high school where I volunteer once a month. The kids are serious and appreciative and I find yet again how language learning builds bridges and broadens our perspective.
Meanwhile, I’ve been working on an online TEFL Certification Course. TEFL is “Teaching English as a Foreign Language”. It is a rigorous course and I’m learning a lot.
As the Rome City Team we want to be effective in touching people’s lives and being Good News to them. Communicating is an essential part of our presence in Rome. So, whatever it takes, let’s get the conversation started all around!

Just Open the Door

2011-01-09T15:09:00.004-05:00

On December 20 Brian and I ventured in faith “to boldly go where no man has gone before” (a la a certain inter-planetary voyager). Last Christmas season, the mere mention of planning a Christmas Tea for neighbors received a hearty rejection from my language tutor and other Italians as being culturally infeasible. “It’s just not done” they said: in other words, “Do as the Romans do” translates as “Just DON’T”. Then, Brian’s Dad sadly passed away that Christmas week and it became clear that such a social activity was not in God’s plans. Then this year, God put it on my heart with even more motivation, being so burdened to reach out to my neighbors. So we culturally adapted the concept to be more appropriate: “Natale a Casa”: a sort of Christmas theme cocktail party with a purpose. We really wanted to gather in our neighbors for a warm, fun time and to share with them what Christmas means to us. I made up invitations, ran them by one of my English students for correction, a charming, cultured Roman lady, who reacted with: “I can say they’ve never done this before, but why not be the first?” Who knew a quaint but common Anglo-Saxon custom could cause such a stir?? The fact is most Italians in metro areas lead very isolated lives; great value is placed on family ties and so there’s very little socializing outside the family at holiday time.
But we thought: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We put invitations in all the mail boxes of our neighbors, we planned, and we prayed. One by one the RSVP’s came in. Some expressed astonishment and some expressed genuine regret at having another obligation. Everyone was in favor of such an “unusual” gesture. The moment arrived, and so did 15 people! Turns out most of the residents in our building have lived here for at least 20 years, and not once have they come together. But we gathered, made acquaintance, ate, toasted in Christmas, laughed, reminisced, and Brian shared a brief message from Scripture on the meaning of Christmas. Warm words were exchanged and sincere appreciation for this experience. They concurred that it shouldn’t be the last! We made new friends and felt truly welcomed, and so grateful for the arms of God which are always open wide.

Rethinking Ethically

2010-11-12T05:03:00.022-05:00

We all need to be challenged to go deeper, to think more biblically about what we're doing morally, why we're doing it, and who we are. It is an incredibly rich experience to gather with other believers, with diverse experiences, in order to ask each other the hard questions about the underpinnings of who we are as a community. What does it mean to live for Christ, in Christ, in the dawning of His Kingdom on this planet? We, the city team leaders of Western Europe ReachGlobal, had the rare opportunity to interact with a brother and scholar who has given himself to the study of these questions for the sake of the Kingdom. Dr. David Gushee, author of Kingdom Ethics (IVP Academic, 2003), joined us in Lyon, France for three solid days of lecture and discussion on some very pertinent topics:

1) Sexuality in post-modern, post-Christian Europe

Hmm. There is a lot we could say about sex in Europe. That's not really the point. What does the Church have to say to Europe about sexuality and the nature of God? So far, the organized church of most stripes has said a lot more about what is not permitted than it has said about what God has intended. Part of the reason is that believers are not always so clear on what God has intended. God has certainly intended a covenantal, intimate partnership that mirrors his own image. Europeans (and most human beings) are desperate for this sort of relationship, and it is an integral part of revealing the character of God to our society. Problem: believers have also bought into Walt Disneyan, and Colin Firthian ideals of marriage: the be-all end-all pinnacle of human experience. Even our Evangelical churches (I include myself in the criticism) have sometimes given us a fantastical idea of marriage that has little to do with the day-to-day reality of living out Christ in a broken world. Bottom line: the world needs to see committed married believers, walking out their lives in an authentic way, and reaching out to those around them. It is a lifeline.

2) Political Impact

It’s important to pay attention to definitions. What do we mean by politics or political activity? The fact is that the Christian community has always had a political impact on the society that surrounds it. Dr. Gushee brought us back to the origin of politics, that is, all that has to do with life in the polis, Greek for the “city.” Living our life in any other situation than the cloister or the monastery is an exercise which always has political ramifications. (And, indeed, the monastery has its own politics!) Many believers have varying views on what we classically understand as political engagement. I have come to understand (and even more deeply this week) that at worst or at best, the mechanisms of politics are by definition spiritually neutral . At one end of the spectrum, experience might suggest that political engagement by classic political means (numbers, pressure, voting) requires a certain amount of compromise, an involvement in what in practice is a corrupt sphere. The other end of the spectrum sees political tools wielded by believers as a necessary part of being a Christ-like influence in this world. You and I are somewhere on the spectrum. What kind of tools should we as the Church, we as citizens of heaven, we as strangers and aliens in this world pick up? Sometimes we pick up a hammer to turn a screw. If you're really lucky, that might work. I would like to call my brothers and sisters in Christ to pick up our spiritual gifts in Christ, employing them in such a way as to make an impact in our neighborhoods, in our world. I know for a fact that the Kingdom reverberates in the polis.

3) Justice

The word justice usually evokes the forensic idea of punishment of those who have infringed rules. The Bible most often uses the overlapping concept of righteousness/justice as doing what is right for the good of all concerned. The application of justice sometimes means the punishment of wrongdoers. Most often it challenges believers to do the right thing, be the right person. The point of the Good Samaritan story is to point out to the religiously proud that being a right kind of neighbor is more important than talking about it. The Golden Rule before Jesus was posed in the negative. Don't do what you don't want others to do to you. Jesus turned this saying on its ear, telling us to do righteousness/justice. Do to others the very thing that you would consider the right thing done to you. Justice is not something we exact from others, but something that we owe to our neighbor.

4) Sanctifying Life

Dr. Gushee hopes to finish a new book with this title in 2011, to be published by Eerdmans. It is a holistic look at life and its sacredness at every point on the age spectrum, and at every point on the globe. We know that fetuses are little people who often have their rights trampled. Their voices are not heard. Decisions go against them in court. It would be the right thing to have laws that did not permit the murder of these innocents. And supporting the sanctity of life, of all who are made in God's image, goes much further. Supporting life means that we as a community of believers must be ready to take in those who have been left outside to die. Sarah told Dr. Gushee over lunch about the catacombs outside of Rome. It has been discovered that many of the occupants of Christian family burial galleries in the catacombs do not have the same DNA. Why would that be? It turns out that Christians, unlike their pagan neighbors (the majority population), took in the babies that were left out in the fields to die. Our brothers and sisters in the early Roman empire would go out searching for the most vulnerable in the population; those who had no power, and little voice. These children became a part of the family, and part of the family of Christ! Our commitment to the vulnerable goes beyond armchair politics. Are all humans human? Let's ask ourselves about those who have no rights, no voice, no pull, no judicial process. Are our "enemies" human?

It's been a stimulating week.

Follow Zach & Naomi Baliva's 30-day guide to prayer for Rome. It's excellent. Pray them and support them all the way to joining our team in the next few months!

http://lafontanablog.wordpress.com/

(Photos by Lonnie Smith)

All People to All Nations in Roma

2010-10-20T04:00:00.009-04:00

Recently I (Sarah) sat down with a new friend who is French, from Paris. I'll call her Simone. She shared with me her story. Simone comes from a traditional Reformed background. She had put her faith in Christ, but along the way Simone married an Italian who did not share that faith. For his part, he had a disdain for the church. This was because growing up, it was no secret that his local priest frequented prostitutes. Simone moved to Rome and began a family here. She found a church within her denomination, but eventually became disillusioned by the legalism and lack of warmth and vitality. Simone, seeing no other options in Rome, gave up her quest of finding a community of faith to share life in Christ. Meanwhile, she hired a babysitter from Ethiopia: a Christ-follower. This woman lovingly persisted in urging Simone to seek out a Gospel-based church. She challenged her to keep the priority of spiritual growth and service, and to pray the Lord would lead her to a church. Thanks to this Ethiopian woman's insistence and prayers, Simone was led to the church we attend. When we met together, she exclaimed, "It is really just as that German pastor said! (A visiting pastor who preached on the changing face of missions). "It is true: believers from the Global South are coming to Europe with a sense of calling to spread the Gospel among us Europeans. I thank God for sending them!" Amen. Now we are meeting for discipleship, and Simone has gained a sense of calling to reach her Italian neighbors with the Good News.

The Contest Results

2010-09-14T21:28:00.020-04:00

Bravo to all those who sent in an educated guess as to the Roman monument which inspired the Ohio State University Football Stadium. We are very impressed with your cultural knowledge! And the winner is..... First, let's talk about the answer - and it's complicated. A number of you guessed the PANTHEON (easily confused with the Parthenon in Athens). It turns out that all of you are right, according to general online consensus. However, bear with us because we contend there's another partial answer. At first glance it reminds us of the BASILICA OF CONSTANTINE OR MAXENTIUS. Of course, overall they had a Roman theme, since the Stadium is modeled on the Colisseum (as all stadia are). The "Rotunda" seems to evoke the Pantheon in some details (early 2nd century) and the basilica in other (early 4th century). Check out these photos and decide for yourself.
So to all our smart friends who participated and guessed right, here is your reward: a pasta sauce recipe as promised. This is a super-simple version, which I learned in Rome.

Artichoke Cream Sauce
1 jar marinated artichokes or artichoke bruschetta spread (e.g "Gia Russa" brand). No canned artichokes in water! If they're in chunks or halves, pour the contents in your food chopper and puree, leaving small bits.
Cook 12-16 ounces good Italian pasta with ribs to catch the sauce, like Roman rigatoni. A few minutes before the end of cooking time (al dente!), scoop out about 1/3 cup of the starchy cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta, then pour artichoke cream into same saucepan and heat over low heat. Swish the hot water around to rinse out the jar, then add water to cream. Add 1/2 cup freshly-grated parmesan; stir to warm up sauce. Add the drained pasta back to the pan. Gently toss. Serve. Buon Appetito!

Transitions and Encounters

2010-09-06T09:42:00.039-04:00

You haven't heard from us here while we have been in the U.S. over the summer. Brian and I have been doing our job of parenting - playing catch-up - with our kids. Each one is going through a major transition or two, and it's certainly more pleasure than duty to help see them through these milestones as they move into adulthood.

Paul married Emily on August 9 in Pleasanton, California. We all joined them out there for the week of festivities and getting acquainted as extended families and circles of friends. It was an incredibly meaningful and joyful ceremony with Christ as the Host.

Later we held a reception for the newlyweds out East. This weekend Brian, Philip, and I went to see them in their new home in Ithaca, NY. Paul returned to his studies at Cornell while Emily works. As parents it will help ease the separation to visualize them settling into their new life together.

Sarah Grace, our eldest, moved house as well. She felt led to reside in a more urban context - the near westside of Cleveland, OH - where she works as an RN in a city hospital. She loves the ethnic diversity of the neighborhood (reminds her of growing up in Bruxelles!). We've enjoyed giving her a hand in making this characteristic duplex house a home.

Philip has been our companion this summer, and we've truly been blessed to be with this young man before we release him to college. We attended a 2-day orientation at Ohio State University, and we're doing all the necessary preparations before we take him to campus this month. And what a blessing to get our kids together and see how much they love and support each other.

The Lord has kept us occupied with more than family matters (don't forget our parents and siblings in the mix). We've been able to devote considerable time to catching up with prayer and financial supporters as well as fellow gospel workers in Ohio and Pennsyvania. Opportunities were given to present our ministry at Sunday, Saturday, Wednesday and chapel services, to mission committees and elder boards. Twice, Brian was honored to preach a message the Lord laid on his heart. It has been delightful and so encouraging to meet and reunite with so many who seek first the Kingdom of God.

Contest: In the photo of Philip and Brian they are standing in front of a section of the Buckeyes' Football Stadium. Who can identify which monument in Rome this structure replicates? If you guess correctly, I'll send you an easy recipe for a typical Roman pasta sauce.

Meanwhile Back in Rome...

2010-09-06T09:32:00.009-04:00

Our colleague Trinity continues to gracefully adapt to Roman life, language, and culture. She's made friends and gotten involved in significant ways. Check out her Blog, in fact, be a "follower" of this very articulate blogger and her faith adventures as a Rome City Team worker!

www.FollowTrinity.blogspot.com

Our partners in house group ministry, Joe and Mary, are also faithfully forging Gospel initiatives (often hand-in-hand with Trinity) while we're away. The House Fellowship has carried on through the summer under their loving care.

We'll eagerly return home to Rome and to these and other co-laborers in ministry by late September.

Ultra Cool Kingdom Partnerships in this Ultra Hot City

2010-07-13T15:30:00.001-04:00

"These are the ... fellow workers for the Kingdom of God who ...have proved to be an encouragement to me."
We praise the Lord for the arrival of our new teammate Trinity Kay, from Santa Cruz, California! After about a 2-year journey of prayer and preparation, of support-building and training, she has finally reached her holy goal of getting to Rome to join us in sharing the Good News with the people of Rome. We last saw Trinity as we served together in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Now we are launching into service side-by-side in this great city. She has a big heart for youth and is so gifted; we are thrilled to see the Lord grow our team through Trinity!

Joe and Mary: With a meal and prayer, last week we four marked one year since the Lord of the Harvest brought us into each other's orbit to be co-laborers in Rome. Once again, we gathered our Friday Night Fellowship for a picnic-in-the-park on Sunday afternoon. Our hearts have been knit together as we have ministered together in an informal partnership as we spur each other on.

Our Friday Night Fellowship is going through transitions this summer, and we pray and work towards stability and growth.

Friends New and Old: Hellos and Goodbyes

2010-07-13T15:13:00.014-04:00

It has been a season of hellos and goodbyes for us. In Bruxelles, we rejoiced with our church family to celebrate young friends Matthieu and Christella getting married, visited with longtime coworkers Joel and Dennise, and fellowshipped with our precious Iranian friends too.

In Kandern, Germany, on the occasion of our son Philip's graduation, we hooked up with dear friends and fellow missionaries Kim and Jenny, and Reach Global mates the Gibbons and Carlsons.

Back in Rome, we had a lovely birthday party for Sarah to which we invited new Roman friends (below, Sarah and her language partner Silvana). Then goodbyes to some members (Stephanie, Lydie, Pete, and Shelley) of our Friday Night Fellowship who returned home to France and to New Zealand.

We need you in Rome

2010-06-14T09:53:00.000-04:00

Lights, Camera, Action! on the Streets of Rome

2010-05-02T13:49:00.006-04:00

This week we hit the streets to hear from the people in Rome. We asked various individuals a lot of pertinent questions, listened to their answers and invited them to share their thoughts. In a limited way, we strove to “take the pulse” of our city in terms of world view and spiritual quest.
We encouraged people to express themselves honestly, in order for us to gain a better understanding of how they view and experience matters of faith.
These efforts were actually part of two projects which coincided - providentially.
The first was an initiative in collaboration with the Rome Bible Institute. We’d approached the school faculty and students in September by proposing a “Neighborhood Survey Project” as a service to us and to fulfill their curriculum requirements for ethnographic research. So they arrived this week – 8 Bible students: equipped with clipboard, a list of questions, a map, and prayer. We dispatched them to public places nearby where they interviewed passers-by. We had them going for two full days, with a break for lunch, espresso and a time of debriefing and prayer at our apartment. Brian and I can use the data they collected to enable Rome City Team to address the felt needs of our community. But perhaps even more, we wanted these young Italian Christian leaders-in-training to catch a burden for the lost and a vision for urban ministry.
The second project is called “Moving Europe Pictures”: an initiative of ReachGlobal is that of producing a DVD addressing the spiritual state of people in places where our personnel are ministering, such as Berlin, Amsterdam, a city in Turkey, and Rome. So this week we hosted a two-person film crew, and we ran them all over Rome with their equipment in order to capture perspectives on spiritual issues among people in Rome. As the video camera rolled, each of us got to interview many individuals on the street (in Italian!), as well as more extended interviews with friends here. All of these people willingly, even eagerly, shared their diverse personal experiences of God and faith. The sum of all this interaction was a deeply revealing and moving impression of the spiritual needs in our city. We’re so glad we had this rare opportunity to get out into our city and ask relevant questions. We probably wouldn’t have dared this without the camera and microphone! Yet everyone was gracious, patient, honest, sincere, and so articulate in expressing their heart and mind. Some say that no one wants to talk about God these days, that it’s a taboo subject. We beg to differ. However, if there is one emphatic declaration that we heard repeatedly, it is that religious institutions are irrelevant anymore.

The One-Another Gospel Part 1

2010-03-31T07:42:00.017-04:00

"...For Paul the Gospel bound believers to one another as well as to God. Acceptance by Christ necessitated acceptance of those whom He had already welcomed,... The Gospel is not primarily a purely personal matter. It has a social dimension. It is a communal affair. To embrace the Gospel, then, is to enter into community."
(Paul's Idea of Community by Robert J. Banks).

We are passionate about connecting people to Gospel community, and helping them experience the truth and grace of this Message in their lives. in our photos are glimpses of what we've been up to in Rome and abroad. Our aim with ReachGlobal is to encourage "Gospel gatherings" of people committed to spiritual health and growth to take root. We love to see Christ's disciples partner together for the Kingdom, as we saw in Amsterdam, Lisbon, Rome, and (coming up) Bruxelles.

The One-Another Gospel Part 2

2010-03-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here is our Friday Night Gathering in northeast central Rome. We meet in Joe and Mary's apartment, or in ours (across the street). Even though it is an international group, we all make an effort to go about the evening in Italian (patience!). We have an "open-door" attitude and there's always room for one more at the table. The idea is to share this Gospel light and life with one another through food, prayer, Bible study, song, and conversation.

"I Am a Social Justice Christian"

2010-03-17T14:19:00.022-04:00

Apparently the declaration above is controversial - perhaps even scandalous in some circles. How did it come to this? Throughout the Old Testament God unmistakably reveals His concern for the poor, the downtrodden, and the oppressed. Through the prophets, He reveals His requirement that the people called by His Name actually honor His name by defending and embracing such victims. Consequently, He judges His people for neglecting to do so. In the New Testament the Lord Jesus - God in the flesh - again reveals God's will for His people to show compassion and to act justly. Jesus Himself reveals His mission, citing the Old Testament:

"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21)

In this way we preach the Kingdom of God to the oppressed: in ministering to the whole person and seeking justice on their behalf. We are called to make the church a safe and welcome place (Isaiah 56:1-8) and to love them as brothers. This has nothing to do with politics, except for the politics of Jesus! And to a watching world, we display the intention of our Creator for humanity and the true character of Christ. But "If I have not charity," says the Apostle Paul, "I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13).

Goodbye Haiti. We shall miss you.

2010-02-27T20:31:00.009-05:00

It's Saturday night, and Brian and I are staged in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. We made the long bus ride yesterday, after finding out that the UN lost our names for the flight we requested seats on. Any wonder? We went round the team for warm goodbye hugs at the "Haitian Queen" (= HQ of Touch Global in Haiti)and realized how much we've been through together in such a short time. We reluctantly left our Rome City Teammate Trinity Kay - reluctant because we KNOW how effective and efficient a servant she is, and we are all the more eager to get her to Rome!

Arriving here, it's just hard to believe that we're on the same island.With its lush and verdent landscape, paved roads, relative prosperity, and being untouched by the earthquake - this city in this country is a world apart, next door.

Sunday we journey back to Rome. Thank you for following us along the way, and we ask you to continue to pray for the Lord's work in Haiti, and for us in Rome.

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/13907

2010-02-25T17:49:00.000-05:00

Check out Our Interview/Article on Mission Network News:

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/13907

Shaken

2010-02-23T20:49:00.003-05:00

Monday started awfully early. At 4:30 AM we were shaken out of our beds quite literally by a 4.7 magnitude "aftershock" (in any other place it would have been labeled an earthquake, but doesn't qualify compared to the Big One on January 12th). All things considered, a 4.7 gives you a pretty good shake when you're 8 miles or less from the epicenter.

Following a few calm nights (no tremors) in the tent, we had decided it was safe to go back inside the house to sleep. ("Jaws" theme, please) Awaking in pitch black we heard a rumbling noise. I was utterly disoriented, wrestling with our mosquito net, I clawed my way to the wall, and stumbled over luggage as the floor shook. Feeling for the door, I stumbled into the closet till Brian grabbed me. By that time the aftershock had ceased. We all made it outside without the help of any light to guide us. Since every Haitian we knew had already abandoned the idea of sleeping indoors, we were in great company standing in the driveway, looking at the house. No apparent damage, but no real desire to go back in. Just like in the movies, every animal in the neighborhood was announcing the strange event.

Tuesday night, there were more of us sleeping in the tent. Imagine our surprise when we woke up at 1:30 AM to a sloshing motion back and forth to yet another 4.7 magnitude shake. Same epicenter; 7-8 miles away. There were five or six more noticeable tremors througout the rest of the night. I shouldn't say "rest" of the night. There was none. (Sarah)

The Lord's Day

2010-02-22T20:50:00.006-05:00

Sunday we joined the church service held at the mission compound of Christianville, near to our house. Benches were set outside under the trees, but not enough to seat the crowd. Attendance has climbed in most Port-au-Prince churches since the quake. So it was packed, and many of us sat on the grass or the wall. Hundreds flocked: young families, old people, and so many young men! All were impeccably dressed in the very finest: women and girls in dresses and heels and perfect coifs, men and boys in pressed white shirts and ties. The majority had slept under tarps and walked through the dust and rubble, yet they arrived dignified, serene, and smiling.
They had neither a sound system nor instruments for the service – their accordion got too wet to play from the rain. The congregation sang hymns and gentle praise songs in a capella 3-part harmony. They lifted their voices to the Lord and the music carried across the property. There were testimonies from new believers who gave their lives to Christ since the quake, special solos and duets, several sermonettes, babies dedicated, and Communion shared.

Once again I was moved to tears in Haiti. Is there anything more beautiful than a testimony of God’s power and grace, or God’s people gathered to offer a sacrifice of praise? The Church in Haiti has nothing left to give but their most precious offering of praise. Later that afternoon Brian and I walked up a hill to the top and listened as more congregations assembled outdoors throughout the countryside. Their praises carried and bounced off the hills to the valleys. A farmer stopped to chat and we prayed for him and for a bountiful harvest of millet and manioc. He said he was a Christian too and was happy for the surround sound outdoor worship too! Then back down the hill as the sun set, church goers streamed passed us on their way home before dark. I thanked them for their song and a woman smiled and replied: “We sing to the glory of our Almighty God!” Amen sister.

What's in a backpack?

2010-02-20T18:21:00.007-05:00

This is probably not terribly eye opening, but I thought you might get a little taste of the relief worker’s life in Haiti by taking an annotated tour of my backpack.

1)Backpack – this is the incredibly cheap backpack I bought in the Chinese store in our neighborhood of Rome. It is worthless, so I thought I’d be able to finish it off in Haiti. I was right. Notice the dust all over it. Any road travel in Haiti on a sunny day includes beaucoup dust.

2)Travel wallet – While setting up a base to the west of Port-au-Prince we spend lots of money every day! We need a constant supply of Haitian Gourdes (HTG). The 5 Gourde coin is known as the Haitian dollar, which is the unit most prices are quoted in. Some prices are quoted in US dollars, so sometimes you’re not sure because they both use the $ sign. Then again, some prices are quoted in HTG. A calculator is handy.

3)Passport - not only do you need your ID on your person, it is the only way to get into the UN meetings at the airport complex. Hope I don’t lose this. I brought my Belgian one, too, just in case I lose the American one!

4)Cell phone – everyone needs his own Haitian SIM card here. Many times the network is completely full, but you have to have the reflex of sending text messages which almost always get through. Sorry I’m not answering my Italian phone these days .

5)Sunscreen – yes, I violated rule one. Pale white guy rides in back of pickup truck all day in Caribbean sun. White guy becomes red guy…peels. OUCH!

6)Baseball cap - same reason. See no. 5.

7)Sunglasses - same reason. See no. 5. You don’t see my sunglasses because I lost those last week.

8)GPS unit: Wow. How do you get oriented to a new city in one week? Set waypoints on your portable GPS unit! Don’t forget to add text notes so you remember what they were. It’s still a little tough to find your way with the GPS because 95% of the streets in Port-au-Prince are not labeled. We label orphanages, ministry venues, churches, houses, and most important of all, turning points off the main roads!

9)12 V. DC cell phone charger. See no. 4.

10)Camera – got to take photos for the blog.

11 Extra batteries – see nos. 8 & 10

12)Drinking water – it is a strange new habit to have to calculate how long it might be till you’re near a source of clean water. Take as much with you as you can carry.

13)Hand sanitizer – very handy in countries (including all over Europe) where you’re lucky to find soap or water. There has been some heavy rain on and off for the past 10 days in the Port-au-Prince area. Authorities are fearing the worst about the disease and epidemic scenarios. I noticed today that the government has begun an advertising campaign to remind Haitians to wash their hands…with soap.

14)Rain poncho – haven’t needed that yet.

15)Extra phone recharge cards – see no. 4.

16)Protein or granola bar. Often lunch. Sometimes breakfast.

17)Little bottle of energy drink – this is more strategic than you might think when you are stuck in traffic for half a day.

18)Pocket knife/pliers combination - handy for setting up tents.

19)Palm Pilot - yes, I know this is dinosaur technology, but I still have 3000 contacts in this dinosaur and I'm too cheap to start paying for a data plan! Anyway, I need my contacts with me all the time, especially in a new situation.

20)Roll of toilet paper….

Thursday in Port-au-Prince

2010-02-18T21:36:00.005-05:00

Most of us have been sleeping under one big tarp after a few nights in a row of tremors. But due to snoring in stereo, I've been unable to sleep for 3 nights. This morning, after my third sleepless night in the tent, with my first sip of coffee on my lips, our team leader asks me to get in the truck and go. Off we head to PaP airport to drop off a teammate, then to a partner ministry center to check in, on to the only hardware store for screws, hooks, tarps, lock and chain for the generator, then to pick up a pastor and his wife at the hospital so we could take them home and have a moment of prayer with them. It was a blessing to encourage and pray for this dear couple in French – and this is why we’re here. SEVEN HOURS later, we arrived back at the HQ. Brian, for his part, attended a UN Food Cluster meeting: a four-hour activity with driving, in order to get Touch Global on the official UN list of aid organizations. These are little things that mean a lot.

Nights and Days on the Haitian Queen

2010-02-17T18:12:00.009-05:00

This past weekend was a historic occasion on many fronts. On Friday our team of about 10 moved into what was to become the Home Base, or HQ, of Touch Global Southwest in Haiti. We have named it “The Haitian Queen: HQ.” It is situated near a town called Gressier, not far from the epicenter of the quake, in fact. The area is relatively rural with open spaces and friendly country folk. Yet the destruction and loss are evident even here.

There was a mood of excitement and camaderie as we mobilized and got to work setting up. From the get-go we were confronted by challenges such as electricity, plumbing, shopping, security, sanitation (no drinkable water) and ongoing earth tremors. The guys rigged up a gasoline powered generator to supplement the solar panels, a water purification system, and installed a satellite dish for internet. We found a Haitian team cook, a night guard, a handyman, and a driver. We met the neighbors, including the mission compound nearby whose staff has helped us immensely. We went shopping, and outfitted the kitchen and bathrooms. While some stayed at “home” others went into town to meet with pastors and others in ministry, or to run errands in Port-au-Prince. We checked in on the orphans, checked in on those to whom we’d distributed tents. One errand or one visit can take most of the day just because of the horrendous roads and the obstacles (traffic, debris).

On Saturday we invited the staff from the mission compound over for dinner: our first day in the house and almost all stores were closed for the weekend of mourning. But we found enough food and our fabulous cook just in time to offer a celebration feast. We enjoyed sweet fellowship with these doctors, nurses, and teachers who lost many of their own buildings and cared for 100’s of wounded and dying in the days after the quake. We prayed together and encouraged each other in the Lord.

On Sunday we joined the Haitian believers in worship, and Brian preached in French. Linda and I were asked to pray over as many of the children as we could, so we weaved in and out of the crowd of mothers and little ones in a big room off to the side. We knelt and prayed with kids who were standing in praise while mothers brought their babies for us to bless. That was a powerful moment for us as women.

On Monday, more Touch Global volunteers arrived, including 5 robust guys to build the second floor (destroyed in the quake) and bunk beds for starters, and our own future teammate Trinity Kay of the Rome City Team!

I described the weekend as “historic” primarily for how God moved among His people in Haiti. A truly spiritual phenomenon took place: the president had declared 3 days of fasting and prayer for the people. For 3 days straight, droves of Haitians gathered and overflowed into the streets on every city block. The public park in the center became the scene of a massive revival meeting. From sunrise to sunset they called upon the Lord in song and supplications. They fasted - even the children joined in adoration and fasting. Lamentations and victory chants, multiple sermons and altar calls. For more than twelve hours each day the streets were filled with preaching and prayers and hearts crying out to God. Before and after the meetings, people poured into the streets to make their way, in their best clothes (many in white) and with Bible in hand. Most churches saw dozens or 100’s of decisions for Christ. The earth shook once more in Port-au-Prince but this time with the power of the Spirit of God. The Haitian people have thrown themselves on the mercy and compassion of the Almighty God. They have nothing else but Him. They are richer than we.

No internet connection!

2010-02-14T21:53:00.002-05:00

Just a little note to explain why we've been out of touch this week. We just moved out of the hotel to our new base in Gressier...no internet.

Tuesday: Four Weeks Since the Quake

2010-02-09T17:03:00.048-05:00

An e-mail with an offer, followed by a phone call. Sketchy directions with a boost from the GPS. Jump in the truck and head to the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. Several
kilometers down the dusty road which is strangely devoid of any population. Just when we fear we're on the wrong path - hallelujah, in the middle of "nowhere" stands the mission compound we were searching for - bustling with missionaries and children. We met a team of visiting Christian volunteers there with "Global Aid Network," and true to their name, they connected with us to bless Haitians. They had a roomful of baby food and formula powder to get into the right hands, and they trusted us. So we loaded our truck, with the school-age orphans happily pitching in.

Back into the city, we head to the orphanage where we had established a rapport last week with the women in charge. Once again, directions are vague. We prayerfully follow our noses as we weave down streets past huge piles of rubble on each side, and then we spot the gate: "That's it!Thank you Jesus!" says our driver. Smiles greet us, and kisses from the ladies. We ask them how was their food supply, and they admit that it's quite a stretch to feed the children every day. Most of these are under four - many under two years old. I explain that this "baby food" can feed any and all of them, for a long time. I encourage the cook to be creative in blending it into the pot of sauce for the rice, their one daily meal. Just think of all the nutrients they'll get from that stuff! The powder milk should go first to the babies. Frankly, I don't know if the cook has any clue. But thank God, there's a lady pediatrician who visits three times a week. She has a big heart for this flock of the littlest lambs. She'll give them a lesson on how to nourish them with this strange food. The ladies are so grateful for the food, even though a little befuddled.

Apparently she's not the only one whose heart is touched by these most vulnerable ones: a team of French volunteers with "Protection Civile" are making rapid progress building a house for them! It is rising at the foot of the mountain of rubble.

After kisses goodbye, we turn around to make our jumpy bumpy way back to the hotel. That little errand took us 6 hours! We are happy the Lord connected the dots and orchestrated this delivery. Happy to be His instruments. Humbled and filled with admiration for all those who give a hand, like those French volunteers. But especially, those heroic women who used every ounce of strength to rescue all those tiny tots from a collapsing orphanage,four weeks ago today.

Haiti Day 10

2010-02-08T21:23:00.006-05:00

Apart from a very short sprinkle during the Super Bowl, the rain has held off here in Port-au-Prince. Yes, we did see the Super Bowl last night. It was fun to see the NBC crew here set up their satellite to pull down the CBS broadcast. Decent game. Gutsy.

But the fact that the rain held off is more important, as well as for the whole day today. We thought you might like to see what one of the units looks like set up, so here it is. Along with that is a photo of what 90% of the "tents" look like around Port-au-Prince: random pieces of cloth usually, sometimes plastic, strung up over a few pieces of rope or some branches. Most of these will not resist the run up of wind to the first thunderstorm. We were very glad to be a part of setting up 50 units over the next couple of days. Our partners with an orphanage and church in Titayen, and some other partners with a school and church in Gressier also started distributing and setting up tents today. Thank the Lord for our brothers and sisters in the UK who support this Shelterbox work.

As networking does, it eventually brings people to you instead of having to go out to look for them! Yet another person at the hotel approached us today saying, "Hey, I saw what was written on the back of your T-shirts ("Showing the love of Christ to those in need") and I just thought you should know about ________." Today it was about another orphanage that has little or no help from any big organizations. We hope to check it out tomorrow...unless we're able to pick up the pallet of baby food and get it out.... Let's see what tomorrow brings...in Christ.

Haiti Day 8

2010-02-06T20:38:00.004-05:00

Sarah and I are alone this weekend in this strange country. We had thought that we might not get anything accomplished besides "holding down the fort" this weekend, but our logistics chief, Mark, sent us an e-mail saying he was having trouble getting hold of the Shelterbox people. Shelterbox is a non-profit that provides an incredibly useful assortment of tools and household goods, including an impermeable tent, all packaged in a Rubbermaid crate sized box. They are designed to be dropped or delivered in disaster areas. Check out the website at www.shelterbox.com . This Cornwall, UK organization has brought 10,000 units into Haiti, but like all big organizations here, has no infrastructure for delivering their resources. That's where we come in. Smaller NGOs and non-profits are being called on to help with distribution. It's something you don't think about much, but you can't just show up in a crowd of desperate people and start handing out resources. It creates chaos, bad will toward the ones who receive, and sometimes business opportunities for the shrewd ones in the crowd.

Shelterbox gave us permission to distribute 50 of their units for starters. They want to make sure we are prioritizing the most vulnerable sectors of the population before they give us free reign, and we are just as happy to work within those parameters. The meeting was one place in town, and the storage was on a military base elsewhere. It was worth the trouble, the waiting around, and the driving. These are great units, and Tom at Jesus in Haiti ministries was thrilled with his consignment of 15 to be used in the villages of Titayen province as early as Monday. Rain is forecast, so pray that Tom is able to get these out in time. After dropping of Tom's load, we were able to pick up a second load of 15 and store them at our hotel for a day or two. The only problem is that the same guards who are supposed to be guarding our boxes all want one for their own families in need! What to do about that one? Pray that they are all left in the morning.

About the time we showed up at the hotel with the load of tents, Pastor Absalon and his wife, Fousane, arrived for the meeting I asked to have with them about the distribution of their tents, between 5 and 10 units. They are just the kind of people who can help us distribute the supplies without causing bedlam. I hope to take a first load into them Sunday afternoon. Again, it may seem strange, but we have to sneak a few at a time into their very dense neighborhood so that it does not draw any attention, good or bad. Fortunately, Absalon's brother is a policeman in the neighborhood! We'll see what tomorrow brings. By the way, I'm scheduled to preach there next week.

Thursday

2010-02-04T22:03:00.004-05:00

We began the day just after midnight awakened by a tremor. Three colleagues on the floor in one room, one in a bed, the two of us in another room, with two single gal colleagues on our floor. Yes, Touch Global staff are basically camping in this so-called “hotel” room. So many hotels in PaP were destroyed, that there are 2 in

this area near the airport - filled to capacity. NBC News crew is here, and some of the journalists are intrigued by our presence. We end up hanging around together in the evening because NO ONE wants to be out after dark in Port-au-Prince. Let me say that these foreign-run hotels are taking advantage of the catastrophe: bonjour price gouging. Most of us did feel the tremor, and some of us were ready to scram. Brian didn’t feel a thing. But it was a reminder that experts predict another earthquake, someday…. No one who lived through the first quake and dozen aftershocks wants to sleep indoors. But rain is in the forecast for Monday, and it will be yet another disaster for those tens of thousands sleeping outdoors.
By the end of the afternoon, six colleagues have left Port-au-Prince, and now Brian and I are holding down the Touch Global “fort” till others join us on the 9th. A “Romantic Caribbean Getaway” … not. But we are glad to be serving the Lord side by side at such a time as this.

This afternoon we drove through town to reach an orphanage which our colleagues had found last week. They’d brought food for the kids and become acquainted with the director. We wanted to do a follow-up visit. Keep in mind that driving around PaP is neither for the faint of heart, nor for the weak of stomach. It is always a major ordeal on several levels. Today in fact, the floodgates finally broke inside me along the way, and I could not hold back the tears.

We arrived at the orphanage and found about 50 little ones huddled on a tarp with their minders. They showed us their former home: a literal mountain of rubble. And to our horror, a couple children told us that in that rubble are buried 80 of their playmates. For some reason, almost all the living are babies and toddlers. There are about half a dozen grade-school boys who had been playing soccer that afternoon in the courtyard, so they survived.

We brought a bag of candy, some crayons, and coloring sheets – and stickers! I sang French lullabies with them. A group of French adoptive parents have sent tents for the children as they waited to be united (adoptions already in progress). While with these precious little ones, I wasn’t sad; my heart was filled with joy. But for Brian, the filthy conditions they were forced to live in and with no parents broke his heart. This is a loving Dad for whom “bath time” with his own kids was truly quality time. But with all our being, we both resisted the urge to load up the truck and take some of them home.

Wednesday in PaP

2010-02-04T20:24:00.006-05:00

Here was an experience that encouraged us and gave us a glimpse of hope. Mid-morning a couple Haitian pastors came to meet us, at our hotel. They had been so eager to meet Reach/Touch Global personnel! Pastor Daniel lives now in Florida, but has a vision for church-planting in his homeland. He has been mentoring a number of Haitian pastors, and he brought with him one of them, named Absalon. Absalon shared the story of his calling into ministry, and we had a good exchange about God’s people and His purposes in Haiti.

Then they took us to the side of town where they live and minister: “Cité Militaire” is their neighborhood. This was one of only two occasions we’ve had so far to actually get out of the truck and walk around a neighborhood. Haitians seem protective of us; given the instability and tensions in Port-au-Prince, and by the same token we do not want to be tourists at a time of such pain and loss. It is just not advisable for us to wander.

We strolled (as it were) around Pastor Absalon’s community with the two pastors, stopping to greet people: his neighbors, his friends, his church members, his church building. It is enlightening to visit a community with a pastor; he knows and is attentive to their needs, and he is committed to caring and being incarnational. We stopped in the street to pray a couple times, and people gathered ‘round. I was standing in the street as Brian and the other men chatted, and this woman beckoned to me, heading towards me with a beaming smile. She said in French: “I’m a member of the church - that’s my pastor. I survived and I’m so thankful to be alive! Glory to God! Hallelujah!” She kissed both my cheeks.

Women were cooking and grooming each other, and bathing their children. Men struggled to erect a solar panel tower amongst their tent village (what had been a little neighborhood park) next to the basketball hoop. An old man smiled and said “Now, we will have light after dark in the streets, and we’ll be safer!” Two smiling children told us they were heading to the market to buy some chicken. They are all going about the normal daily tasks – it’s comforting. Yet as we mingled, a Christian charity worker who has been connected to this community for 25 years stopped to inform the pastors about starting up food distribution. They all agreed: “We are still in an acute crisis. Our main concern is to find food, water, and shelter for our people”. The charity worker, who knows and loves his fellow ministers in the community, spoke up firmly: “As for food distribution, the UN and US can go home because they have failed us. Christian organizations are now effectively functioning in getting needs met. But, he said, we ministers don’t want to be hunting down bags of rice and donations from foreigners long-term. We must help people overcome this dependency to where they can be empowered to serve others. Meanwhile, he said, our homes are a pile of rubble and many of our neighbors remain entombed in their houses. We walk by them every day.”

The stench reached our nostrils. But we smelled hope in the air.

Tuesday in Carrefour

2010-02-02T21:18:00.006-05:00

And I don't mean the France-based megastore! Carrefour is a district just west of central Port-au-Prince. This morning we had to reassess and shift directions. Coincidentally, that is what "carrefour" means: intersection. It is said that in Chinese, the character for "crisis" means when danger and opportunity intersect. An apt description of Haiti post-earthquake. This is an ever-changing situation. We had thought we would rent and set up a certain house in a district called “Delmas” as a home base, but the last 2 nights there've been marauding guys in the neighborhood (same as Tom's house) and shots were fired to fend them off. The owner had fled a few months ago because of an attempt to kidnap his daughter. But now, many zones of Port-au-Prince have increased in tension because people are desperately hungry. The Lord thus steered us away.

So today we followed a connection in a zone near Carrefour, yet still relatively rural, inspecting another house as a potential base for ministry. We engaged with several members of the community to help us gather info and seek out a rapport. Nearby, we visited with staff on a missionary compound called "Christianville." There is a school, orphanage, and hospital, though the hospital was destroyed. They have a good presence in the area, and told us how they sewed stitched up wounded survivors who were brought to the compound for 12 solid hours immediately after the quake. They delivered babies, held the grieving, and performed amputations. Those who rescued and tended the wounded and dying still have not had a break. We want to support them and bless them in any way possible.
Then we went into the heart of Carrefour, which was the EPICENTER of the quake: “Ground Zero.” We checked in with a holistic ministry there, where the press of humanity is stifling. And the loss was staggering. The pastor of the church told us 1500 neighbors were lost. The road is scarred where the earth split, and in the neighborhoods rather tall crumpled buildings teeter dangerously leaning into the narrow streets. It felt claustrophobic and the stench was terrible. Doctors from Singapore sack out at their ministry center as they’re working at the nearby makeshift clinic. The pastor and his staff are doing an admirable work in the Lord’s name, and they entrusted us with a list of supplies which they need. One specific item they will need is large tarps for 40 families, for when the rains come. They are all living in the street in front of the broken houses, which is already such a narrow single lane. At the end of the day they pile the trash and set it on fire, and by dusk the streets are blindingly smoke-filled. We’ll have to acquire such supplies by coordinating with Christian workers in the Dominican Republic as costs are rising in Haiti now.
Christian ministries can and do work together well under these circumstances, perhaps better than ever before, and perhaps better than the bigger aid agencies are managing. Trust, good rapport, prayer,and a sense of Kingdom purpose unites us in blessings these wounded people.
We know you are praying. Thank you.
Sarah

Haiti Day 2

2010-01-31T22:46:00.008-05:00

It is humbling to sit in the midst of 700 Haitians in a Sunday morning service. In a country that doesn’t really work in the best of times, two weeks after the worst disaster in their history, smiles come easily again, joy exudes in their energetic worship, and daily life is getting back to normal. What do we have to bring to people who are able to surmount these kinds of obstacles with grace? There are many parts of it that aren’t pretty…the price gouging, the gangs, but the fact is that many of us are coming to Haiti because WE need our Haitian brothers and sisters. And they need us, too. I spoke with several of these teenagers at Tom’s house today (Jesus in Haiti Ministries). They expressed genuine gratitude for our presence. They are pleasant, polite, and just want to have as much contact as possible with Christian role models. Pray for us as we try to invest in this group of young Haitian believers, the future of the Church here, and the country. We are going to be spending more time with the Jesus in Haiti Ministries this week.

TouchGlobal would like to establish some kind of guest house for the long term work we would like to do in Haiti. A house located on the west side of Port-au-Prince would allow us to be close enough to the airport, JIH Ministries, and some work that is going on west of PaP. We looked at this house today and are praying about renting it to set up for ministry. What do you think?

Just a couple more snapshots from today: You'll recognize the ruins of the presidential palace in downtown Port-au-Prince. The scale of devastation is difficult to take in, especially in the center of the city. Just across the street from that powerful image, just under the equestrian statue of the country's first president, a tent city of homeless people has sprung up,one of the hundreds. A huge job of rebuilding is in order here.

Safe in His Arms in Port-au-Prince

2010-01-30T09:30:00.022-05:00

We have arrived! We spent Thursday in Santo Domingo, for the most part in a church lobby with a guard at the door as we waited to meet up with the local pastor and a few missionaries. Friday we took a bus all the way across the island of Hispaniola (= Dominican Republic + Haiti). It should have taken 5-6 hours but we were stuck for 2 hours at the border. It was a frightening journey at certain moments, as desperate people gathered around the bus each time we slowed down, to be met with some soldier with a machine gun. Already so many refugees were amassed at the border: in makeshift tents, wandering, scavenging, sitting despondently, looking hungry, some dipping buckets into the stream (run-off from God knows where). All waiting - waiting for what? To get out. For food. For help. For a lift somewhere, anywhere but Haiti.

Then further on as we crawled towards Port-au-Prince we arrived in Petion-ville, which I'm sure you've seen in the news. A recently–set-up tent city is the new home to at least 50,000 people in the park there. The bus pulled into the terminal, and everyone left but us. But our contact person didn't know which bus station to find us. So many Haitians approached us to warn us that it was getting late, that we should not be outside. Late - because of the darkness (6:30 PM). It's not safe in the dark here. But we had to wait, regardless. We prayed. Our ride came to fetch us 2 hours later. It was Tom, a missionary, in an open truck with a logo "Jesus in Haiti" (http://www.jesusinhaiti.org/). What a welcome sight! He had 3-4 Haitian orphan teens whom he had taken in to his home. Tom has a host of orphan children under his personal, fatherly care. They were late because they were playing a soccer game with 600 kids, and one of his boys ran across the street and got hit. They'd had to get him to the Army hospital. We stopped for snacks: dinner for us was a pack of raisins and a shared bottle of Coke.

Tom drove us to meet our guy with Touch Global, Mark. Mark set us up to share a little apartment with him in a hotel next to the PaP (= Port-au-Prince) airport. He briefed us before bedtime. This will probably be our base along with other Touch Global/EFCA staff who are coming, and only some of us are lucky to have a bed! Speaking of bed, when we arrived within the hotel courtyard, it looked like a campground: tents were packed-in lining the pool and the yard: the base-of-operations of NBC News crew. One of their guys said to us: “So, you reserved a room here? Most of them were damaged, so we are camping out because there’ve been so many aftershocks, we don’t trust the structure.” Mark responded, “Our room’s on the top floor.” The journalist: “So, you’re just gonna ride it down, huh?” I should say that given the condition of the room, staying in a tent may be more pleasant! The place was falling apart before the earthquake, I imagine. But we are grateful, so grateful. Army helicopters and others fly right over our heads, and NBC broadcasts from the roof.

Today, Saturday, It’s 81 F and climbing to 90 F. We will go with Mark to pick up some more colleagues then drive to inspect a house for rent outside of PaP which could serve as a base for Touch Global in the long-term. He wants us to give a hand at the “Jesus in Haiti” home where Tom is caring for all those orphans. Originally, it was thought that the outflow of refugees from the capital would move north to where Reach Global partner ministry Vision of Hope is located in Cap Haitian. But the predicted exodus never took place in that direction. Mark wonders if the death toll was so much higher than thought, because calculations of those who would flee were so much greater in number. But under these circumstances we will not be needed up north. So we are flexible, adapting to a situation that is ever unfolding, and staying in PaP for now.

We are counting on your prayers! Pray for our health and strength. Pray for Mark, Tom, Steve, and the rest of Reach Global personnel to discern the needs here now and in the future. Pray for God’s provision to be able to help people best. Pray that we can be Jesus’ hands, feet, and mouth to touch lives in this broken place. Thank you!

On a Wing and a Prayer

2010-01-26T13:16:00.017-05:00

"Carpe diem" is an expression that some have characterized as "unchristian." But why? Let's seize the day, seize the moment - for the sake of the Name. We heard the knock on our door via e-mails to "Come" to Haiti, then within hours we heard a sermon telling us, "Go. Seize the day!" Neither one of these calls came with our name on them, and yet, the Holy Spirit was clearly calling us by name. I confess that the number of occasions I have already neglected is grievous.

On the Lord's Day we decided to seize the day, and by Wednesday morning Brian and I will be en route to the Dominican Republic in order to make our way to join Touch Global (EFCA) workers near Port-au-Prince. We have committed to spending one month to serve as needed.

As we scurry about preparing for this last-minute trip, I am intensely aware of the awesome Body of Christ!
Those who have ministered in the past and left a part of their hearts with the Haitian people. Those who are on the ground now, serving obediently, tirelessly, skillfully, sacrificially.
Those who wish they could go because the Lord has also moved their hearts to compassion but are unable.
Those precious Haitian brothers and sisters who must persevere and hold fast to the Living Hope.
Those whom the Lord will call to serve in the future of blessing for Haiti.
Those who already praying (all of the above?)
Such a great cloud of witnesses!
We stand in awe of our great and gracious heavenly Father, who does not wish that any should perish...

We will do our best to check-in on this site to keep you updated. See also the Blog of Touch Global personnel on site: www.touchglobal.org/haiti. Go to Blog. Pray as the Lord leads you. To be honest we cannot even tell you what or how to pray. Just pray in the Spirit. This whole thing must be in reliance on the Spirit. We do not go alone; we take so many with us for the sake of the Name. May we bring many with us to Him.

Carpe diem for Jesus.

Let's Get Personal

2009-12-08T10:56:00.011-05:00

Just for fun, we thought you might enjoy a bit of special family news. Our son Paul has asked his beloved Emily to marry him, in a very dreamy scene at Carmel Beach. He traversed the continent to show up on his knee in the sand in a dazzling marriage proposal. An August wedding is planned, then the young couple will settle in Ithaca, NY, as Paul continues his studies at Cornell University.

"Rome is never silent; every stone speaks."

2009-10-27T06:41:00.064-04:00

Case Romane del Celio
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/42858885@N00/

Domus Ecclesia

Welcome to the home of John and Paul. No, not the Apostles, and not the Beatles, but these were two Roman Christians in the 4th century. The church gathered in their home for worship, as was the norm until medieval times. This householder adapted a complex of small shops and flats (including what had been a pagan nymphaeum--a Roman shrine with a fountain consecrated to water nymphs) into one family dwelling - and a larger room was adapted for corporate worship. Frescoes adorn the walls, with themes such as shepherd and sheep, worship and confession, the Eucharist, the Crucifixion. The two men were martyred under Emperor Julian the Apostate, for refusing to join the imperial army and become involved in its idolatry. History tells us they fellowshipped with Jerome.

Case Romane del Celio
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/42858885@N00/

But they were killed, then buried in their own house. Soon after, when 3 believers from the church came to pay homage to their fallen brothers, they were martyred as well, and buried on the site. But as I walk about these rooms I can imagine the joy among the brethren as they gathered every week to break bread, to listen to the Apostles' teaching, to worship and intercede, to share their lives and attend to needs.

Case Romane del Celio
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/42858885@N00/

House Church Interior (1st Century) Then they would go out into the streets of Rome in the Name and power of the Risen Savior, filled with courage and peace in the midst of danger and instability.

Then there was the house of Clement - otherwise known as the "Bishop of Rome" (late 1st century). The church met in his home. In this same apartment complex, down the alley beyond the courtyard was a pagan temple to Mythras: imagine members of a mystery cult worshipping nearby during your service!

Case Romane del Celio
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/42858885@N00/

Soon the authorities struck that shepherd and God only knows what happened to the flock. But they left their imprint on Rome. Let's not forget Sabina, Prisca, or Lucina - women of noble birth who embraced the Gospel and opened their homes to the church so they would have a place to meet. "Domus ecclesia" is Latin for house church. The remains of numerous other ancient houses in this city and as far as Ostia and Pompeii eloquently testify to the Christian faith of the householder and to corporate worship within those walls. When you view them in contrast to the overwhelmingly pagan, carnal, and decadent lifestyle in surrounding homes, it is striking to consider their bold yet winsome Gospel witness in society.

The Apostle Paul spends a lot of time, ink, and parchment gratefully acknowledging his "fellow workers" in Rome, in the last chapter of Romans. He refers to several examples of "the church that is in their house" throughout the city. Christ continues to build His church in Rome!

An almost surprise trip by Phil to Rome...

2009-10-06T02:28:00.003-04:00

What a wonderful gift to have a visit from Philip on his BFA senior class trip to Italy! And his short visit with us also coincided with his 17th birthday. We were able to celebrate a (very brief) birthday meal and cake with him over lunch break during their visit to the Vatican Museums. Just a 15 minute walk home. On Monday (October 5th) Sarah and I each took about half of his class (78 students) on a 3-hour tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Forum. It was a real privilege to spend this time with Phil's classmates. We were exhausted. They were hungry! So, we got to take Phil, his roommate Josh, and Spencer out for lunch and a gelato.

"It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"

2009-09-19T16:44:00.011-04:00

Did we tell you about Joe and Mary, our neighbors? The Lord in His wisdom plopped them smack dab in our neighborhood. (Ask us to tell you the AMAZING story of how we found each other). They are Kingdom-Seeking, Gospel-Workers like us, called by God to reach Romans. We met on the Fourth of July, and the Lord knit our hearts together from then on.

One of the many blessings we have shared has been our Italian tutors! Mary and Joe met these college students on the street and set up lessons with them. Then they graciously proposed their services to us. The Lord knew just what we needed; now we have such good teachers at the kitchen table that language school is no longer necessary! We've come to deeply appreciate their help, and we have a lot of fun with them. It's clearly the fruit of effective prayer, for which we are so grateful.

Here Comes the Bride!

2009-09-08T04:12:00.051-04:00

Personally, we're in a season that seems to highlight the theme of weddings and marriage, to our delight! Last week we were so pleased to spend time with Zach and Naomi, our future teammates here on a vision trip. They're "young marrieds" expecting their first baby. With them, we met for dinner with brand-newlyweds Rachel and Kevin, who happened to be on their honeymoon from California. Later in the week, together we invited yet another couple of young marrieds from New Zealand over to dinner. Then at the weekend, Brian and I attended the sumptuous wedding in Naples of two wonderful people we'd gotten to know in Rome, and had encouraged them as they purposed to make their wedding day a testimony of their faith. Each young couple shines as an example of the bond between beloved spouses, with the Lord as their foundation. Such abiding love and companionship give hope to others, in a society that is sadly disillusioned with the prospect of marriage.

During this time we planned a little getaway to mark our upcoming 24th wedding anniversary later this month. Our "Covenant of Companionship" is to God's glory!

In the same week, my language tutor candidly explained to me the threats to marriage in Italian culture. Between the demands of career and family on the wife, the interference and rivalry of the mother-in-law (which few men resist as their loyalty to Mamma is stronger), and the banality of adultery - according to her - few marriages flourish. Cynicism about marriage prevails here. The evangelical pastor who performed the wedding in Naples boldly denounced such pessimism and destructive practices by reiterating that faithfulness to God and His Word are the only sure foundation for marriage.

And this is the crux: Marriage is God's invention. It is His idea to unite a man and a woman for a lifetime of devotion. Why not follow His guidelines for success? "Leave and cleave" seems basic but so many couples ignore this to their peril.

The other truth in all this is how Christ loves the Church, His Bride. Listen to how it is expressed in The Message (Ephesians 5:25-33):

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church––a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her,dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor––since they’re already "one" in marriage. No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That’s how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh". This is a huge mystery, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.

Christ loves His Church! As Christ-followers we ought to love the Church too. One one hand, a good marriage relationship provides clues for us about the quality of relationship between Christ and His beloved. Likewise Christ demonstrates real love to us; He has set the example of self-giving devotion for us in marriage. What a mystery!

We Believe There's a Future for "The Eternal City" Rome

2009-09-05T13:22:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSKXA3HJJd8

Presenting Zach & Naomi, new team members for 2010

2009-09-05T03:27:00.005-04:00

Our bags are packed, our gadgets are charged, the grass is cut, and our bills are paid—it’s time to say “arrivederci” to Illinois and “buon giorno” to Rome… at least for a week or so.
Since we joined ReachGlobal, so much has happened. Despite two different doctors telling us that it could never occur, Naomi is nearly 15 weeks pregnant. Needless to say, we have a whole new list of questions as we prepare for two years serving overseas.

As we visit Europe from 8/25 to 9/5, we ask you to consider supporting us in the following ways:
Pray: We fly to Rome, Italy on 8/25 to meet with ReachGlobal leaders, see their day-to-day operation, learn the needs of the community, and discover where we will be able to serve full time. Please pray for clarity, discernment, safety, wisdom, and energy as we take our first steps of faith on this journey.

Give: All full-time ReachGlobal missionaries must have 100% of their budgets pledged before leaving for the mission field. Our goal is to leave in August of 2010. Please consider supporting us in this way with a special gift or monthly donation via www.efca.org/give-now (Code: Baliva 1695).

Over the last several months, we have felt more strongly called to Rome as opposed to our other options. With a metro area containing more than 4 million people, Rome is a strategic capital city of influence in the world. As an historic, cultural, financial, and diplomatic capital, a healthy evangelical church in Rome has great potential to reach out in Italy and send workers into the rest of the world. ReachGlobal plans to launch inner-city, immigrant, university, house church, and other outreaches in Rome.

Thank you for your continued friendship and support—we look forward gaining vision, focus, and excitement on this trip and can’t wait to share it with you when we return.

Zach and Naomi Baliva

http://goreachglobal.org

ReachGlobal Rome City Team on "Prime Time America"

2009-08-27T11:39:00.006-04:00

Recently, the radio program Prime Time America featured an interview with Reach Global's Director TJ Addington and video producer Troy Gronseth, regarding an exciting project: Visually Documenting Europe's Spiritual Condition. Click below to hear about the vision for Rome and other key European cities.

Sierra bikes across Rome...and heads home!

2009-08-22T10:00:00.017-04:00

Philip, Flat Sierra, and I had a wild ride across Rome yesterday. Man, it was hot! Dad (that's me) decided he wanted to take a closer look at the remains of some of the ancient aqueducts of Rome. Our first stop on the city bus was the tomb of Augustus Caesar. We didn't necessarily set out to go to this tomb, but it just happens to be near the place where you pick up your rental bikes...and the end of the line of bus 913. Most of what is left is a circular brick wall circumscribing the mausoleum. It is of historical significance, however. Augustus was the first Emperor of Rome and died almost on this date, August 19th, the year 14 A.D. This would have been a place of worship for the Romans who practiced the imperial cult, believing that their emperors were divine, and divinely chosen for their responsibilities.

Thanks, Kate, for the bike rental cards. They came in handy. I would highly recommend seeing a city like Rome on bike. You save an immense amount of time getting around. The traffic is a little tricky, but you get used to it! It was a pure blast to pedal up via del Corso, around Piazza Venezia and down to the Colosseum, and all that in about 10 minutes.

We stopped on Via del Corso at Piazza Colonna to have a look at one of the beautiful victory columns in Rome. This column was erected in honor of Marcus Aurelius between 180 and 196 A.D., commemorating his victories over the German peoples and the Sarmatians. It is thought that these conquests held off the barbaric invasions for several centuries. Every portion of the 20 spirals tells part of the story.

Next we headed around Piazza Venezia (Napoleon's mother lived here in the Palazzo Bonaparte) and down the road that separates the Fora (forums) on our way to the Colosseum. Here we took a shortcut past the Arch of Constantine and made a left around the bowl-shaped crater that was the Circus Maximus. A couple blocks later Philip and I stopped for a water break, appropriately in front of the Baths of Caracalla. This was a huge bathing and sports complex built by Emporer Caracalla to accommodate 1500 people at a time, at the height of the Roman empire in 216 A.D.

Yes, it was appropriate to be looking at the Baths of Caracalla and aqueducts on such a thirsty hot day in Rome. It was a 96° F day with very low humidity. It was not an uncomfortable heat but we went through our water bottles fast. We each drank about a dozen bottles of water throughout the whole day. Fortunately there are fresh water fountains all over Rome, so we were able to fill up a dozen times free of charge! Some of these fountains are still fed by the original, ancient aqueducts.

The next stop on our jaunt was a remnant of the aqueduct that was built to feed the Baths of Caracalla. Only one arch remains of the aqueduct and has been named the Arch of Druso. This arch is found near the beginning of the Appian Way, the ancient road that runs from Rome to Brindisi on the east coast.

Not far from the "Ancient" Appian Way is the New Appian Way, and several blocks farther north you begin to find the miles of aqueduct ruins that lie on the east side of Rome, near the highly traveled via Tuscolana.

It was a good thing we were not on foot, because we started at one aqueduct park, then followed our noses into the city to what seemed to be one end of the different aqueducts, then finally back out to the eastern edge of Rome where there were still more long lines of them. We saw the ruins of the Marcius (144 B.C.), Claudio and New Anio (both 52 A.D.), and Felice (16th century A.D.) aqueducts.

By the time we were done with our inspection of the aqueduct system, we still had an 11 km. bike ride back into the center of Rome to drop off our bikes, and finally the bus ride home. We were pooped.

Sierra's plane leaves Rome on Monday. She's going to miss all the history and excitement. I wonder where she's going next?

Flat Sierra hits Rome!

2009-08-01T05:37:00.008-04:00

Sierra has been hanging around Rome with some cool young people. Brandon (guy on the right chomping gelato) is Philip's RA at Black Forest Academy. He and his siblings, Bethany and Blake sacked out at our apartment for a couple of days on their European tour. They invited Sierra along for their whirlwind tour of Rome.

Gelato: No surprise that the gelateria is at the top of Sierra's must-do tourist list. What makes Italian gelato so good? Here is an answer from About.com (http://cookingequipment.about.com/od/icecreammachines/f/gelatovicecream.htm?r=et).

"There are actually a few main differences between gelato and ice cream. To find out, I asked Alon Balshan, owner of Alon's Bakery and Market in Atlanta, whose own gelato is quickly becoming a favorite among frozen-treat connoisseurs there.

Alon explained to me that while ice cream legally has a minimum of 10 percent fat, gelato is made with a greater proportion of whole milk to cream, so it contains more like five to seven percent fat.

But don't expect to be able to get Italian gelateria-style results by making a gelato recipe in your home ice cream machine: Alon also said that gelato is churned at a slower speed than ice cream, so it's denser because not as much air is whipped into the mixture. (Gelato contains about 25 to 30 percent air, while ice cream can contain as much as 50 percent air) Finally, while ice cream is typically served frozen, gelato is typically stored and served at a slightly warmer temperature, so it's not quite completely frozen.

As for that amazing, rich flavor, Alon says, 'Since there's not as much fat in gelato, it doesn't coat the mouth in the same way. So the flavors are more intense.' "

The Colosseum:

Most of us know this symbol of Rome, Roman history, and the Roman Empire as the Colosseum, but this was the popular name derived from the structure's proximity to a colossal statue of Nero. Its original name, The Flavian Amphitheatre, honored the family of Vespasian who began building the amphitheatre in 70 AD, the same year that his son, Titus, sacked Jerusalem. The Colosseum was finished in 80 AD by this same Titus, much of it being built with the spoils of Temple and the city of Jerusalem. The Arch of Titus was built in 81 AD by Domitian to commemorate Titus' triumph in Judea. Notice the amazing detail of the first depiction in history of the Jewish menorah being carried off by the Romans! Few if any Christians were martyred in the Colosseum, contrary to popular belief. (Alta Macadam, Blue Guide - Rome and environs)

Pantheon:

As the name implies in Greek, "pan" = all, and "theon" = god (s), but meaning that it was a temple built to all the pagan gods. This structure is my favorite in Rome because it is almost entirely intact since it was rebuilt and finished in 125 AD. When I go on my run in the morning I get a view overlooking the city, and I always look for the Pantheon and think about the fact that someone standing on the same hill almost 2ooo years ago would have seen the same sight! This pagan temple was the first one to be converted into a Christian church building in 609 AD. Its most striking feature is the 142' diameter dome (43.3 meters) and is a marvel of ancient architecture. Even the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, built 1300 years later, is smaller.

Trevi Fountain:

Apart from the gelato, the Trevi fountain is much newer than all the other sites that Sierra saw. The immense fountain was designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and finished 30 years later, after his death. The real bit of history to note here is that this fountain, along with those on Piazzas Spagna, Navona, and Farnese are all fed by the Acqua Vergine, an aqueduct built by Agrippa in 19 BC to deliver water to his baths! It is still functioning. There are five other ancient Roman aqueducts that are still functioning in Rome. Amazing!

"The Road is not Long to the House of a Friend"

2009-07-23T05:28:00.047-04:00

Several years ago I cross-stitched the old saying (above) for a dear friend, when yet again, she or I was moving away. I embellished it with a quaint little house at the end of a winding path. Then there's another old saying which we all know, "All roads lead to Rome"! Here we are in the middle of this metroplis Rome, in a tiny apartment in a forest of buildings and many windy hilly streets... and this summer quite a few people have been finding their way to our home to stay a while! We've been blest with a steady stream of houseguests and dinner guests throughout the summer. It's been delightful to share in the journey with visitors along their way. To eat, to love, to pray, to explore and experience together life in this place, if just for a while. Yves-Pascal and Jude from Belgium, Kate from Cleveland, Jim, Cindy and family from Avon Lake, John from Cinci, Brandon and sisters from Germany, and our own Philip have all graced us. And others have joined us in table fellowship around our living room (coffee table =a dinner table) or in our kitchen.

What's more, our precious friends from Brussels, Daniel and Latifa, came to vacation in Italy (see Brian's post), and it was our turn to find them in our newly adopted country, across the mountains to the sea. The road we took is one of the most ancient - literally one of the very "roads that lead to Rome" according to the adage.

Ahh, but sometimes we needn't go far to find a friend; sometimes God puts them right under our noses!

Brian and I had heard about a couple of Gospel workers coming to Rome early this Spring. Their newsletter was passed to us and we prayed for them "wherever God placed them" in a city of 4 million inhabitants. One day I came out of the metro, and a couple walking along the street caught my eye: was it because she is blonde, a rarity in Rome? No, there was a glimmer of deja-vu in my mind. A sense of the familiar - but how? As I walked, the image crossed my thoughts: the prayer letter - I've seen them there! I came home and told Brian, and we prayerfully pondered that possibility. We combed through our e-mail basket, searching. Bingo! We searched for their address in Rome, then looked at the large map of the city and lo and behold - found their street is facing our building. In fact their apartment looks down on ours! Brian marched over to ring their bell, and can you imagine their surprise? The Lord has led us to the same neighborhood to make the Gospel known - isn't that a wonder?? Pray for us to discern His will in this divine coincidence. In the meantime we are overjoyed to "find" each other and fellowship as neighbors.

Flat Sierra hits the beach!

2009-07-22T07:48:00.007-04:00

Brian's note: I'm hoping that some of our regular readers are enjoying Abigail Gouldsbarry's "Flat Sierra" project. Abigail's family are members of one of our Free churches in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. When Abigail asked about doing this project with us we thought it might be a good way to show some other facets of Rome and Italy. Here is the latest installment:

Sierra came with Sarah and me to the Adriatic Coast for a few days of vacation with some of our good friends from Brussels. There's not a lot to tell about a beach vacation in Alba Adriatica. We all know what a beach vacation looks like. I will say that Alba Adriatica is a good beach destination in Italy. Most of the "tourists" here are Italian, so the prices are not inflated like they might be in some other more well-known places. The town is well-maintained and clean. As far as hotels go, you get two more stars for your money here!

Sierra is a bit shy, so she decided to do some sunbathing in her usual outfit. Then she met this tall dark-haired guy....

Before our trip back to Rome we ate a quick lunch with our friends, and then they were nice enough to drive us to the train station in town. We had tickets for the 3:19 PM train to Pescara, then from Pescara to Rome. Upon arriving at the train station with time to spare, we learned that the train was running 35 minutes late. Once a train in Italy gets behind this far, you assume it's going to keep getting worse. I knew we were going to be in trouble for changing trains in Pescara. I could already see us getting back to Rome after midnight...

So I did the Roman thing and said to the agent, "So what am I supposed to do?"
He said, "Why don't you take the bus? It leaves in 20 minutes and gets into Rome hours earlier than either of the trains."
"Great," I said. "So can you just exchange the tickets?"
"Sorry, it's a different company."
"Oh, well why don't you just reimburse my train ticket and sell me the bus ticket?"
"Ok."

And that's how things work in Italy. That sounds like an exchange to me, but using his method I got 4 Euros back in change!

The bus was a fine way to go. We basically went from the east coast of Italy almost to the west. The west coast is about a half hour further past Rome. But about an hour into the journey I began to notice that the road was called via Salaria. And it was called that in every town we went through all the way to where our bus stopped in downtown Rome. It turns out that Sierra and we traveled all afternoon on the via Salaria, one of the oldest Roman roads, started in the 4th century BC. It was built to facilitate the salt trade (hence "salaria") with the Sabines who lived northeast of Rome. If you want check out the via Salaria more, click on these links:

http://www.sambenedettoggi.it/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/via_salaria.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_Salaria

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/_Texts/PLATOP*/Via_Salaria.html

Flat Sierra arrives in the heat of a Roman summer

2009-07-17T10:47:00.006-04:00

Hi! My name is Flat Sierra. My good friend Abigail has agreed to send me on an adventure this summer. A few years ago I went on a journey to Topeka, KS, Branson, MO and Wrightsville Beach, NC. She says it is time for me to travel again. She is trying to learn about different places in the world and decided it was less expensive to send me than to travel by airplane herself. I could hardly believe it when she said that this time I will be traveling to Rome, Italy! I can’t wait!!

Abigail wants me to find out some interesting things about your life in Rome and some of the famous sights there too. She would appreciate if you could keep her updated regarding my travels on your blog. She plans to share all about my trip with her friends at church, Chippewa Evangelical Free Church in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, USA.

(Brian writing) So you can see that Sierra has arrived in Rome. She just showed up in the mailbox of our apartment this afternoon. And it is a hot one, about 31°C. You figure it out. A good approximation for converting centigrade to Fahrenheit is to multiply the degrees centigrade by 9/5, then add 32°. In any case, she was tired after flying over the ocean and is taking a nap.

At the top of the picture you will see the little balcony of our apartment. Like many city dwellers in Europe, that's all the "yard" we get! Our whole apartment is only 915 square feet. But that's normal, too, for Europeans in a big city. The other detail to notice in the photo is that the shutters on the balcony door are closed. It keeps the apartment cooler (in theory) to shut it up completely during the heat of the day, especially the mid-afternoon.

Rome has always been hot in the summer. Emperor Hadrian escaped the heat at his Villa situated in the mountains outside of Rome, in Tivoli. And the Popes have summered in Castel Gandolfo, just 15 miles to the southeast of Rome since the 17th century.

Core Values for the Rome City Team

2009-06-22T09:02:00.004-04:00

The Priority of Mission
Mission is the central purpose of the church in the world.
All believers are witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Worship is about the whole of life rather than just meetings.
The gospel drives us out of our cosy, safe ghettos.
Gospel ministry is contemporary, daring and biblical.
It is better to take gospel initiatives that fail than to fail to take gospel initiatives.

The Priority of People
Church exists wherever believers are covenanted together under the authority of the Word of God.
Effective gospel ministry is long-term, low-key and relational.
Involvement in society is best done with other Christians.
Leaders provide an environment in which people can flourish.
Church activity is people-centred rather than programme-centred.
People are essential to a gospel ministry while buildings are not.

The Priority of Community
The church is an extended family.
A Christian community is a persuasive apologetic for the gospel.
People need to understand what is happening in Christian meetings.
Local churches grow by starting new churches.
All church structures and activities should be evaluated by the imperative of the gospel.

(Borrowed from The Gospel-Centred Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis)

The Priority of Partnering
We partner across artificial boundaries with like-minded believers to do kingdom work.

Sometimes Rome Makes Me Cry!

2009-06-14T13:14:00.006-04:00

I must confess that Rome moves me to tears at times.

A couple weeks ago Brian and I took the Metro across town to the birthday party of our new friends' daughter. Coming out into the street, we drank in the gorgeous early evening air. I said, "Let's go for a passagiata!" (the Italians' customary evening walk). Now there's a benefit of being empty-nesters: impromptu change of plans just to seize the moment! Yet we had celebrated the first year of a cherubic little girl's life -- a few days after celebrating our own little girl's college grad in Ohio -- and our hearts were warmed by the blessing of children.

Anyway, we pondered where to go for our evening stroll. The challenge in Rome this half of the year is to avoid the hordes of tourists. I exclaimed, "Let's go up on Aventine Hill!" -- a spot that new friends from Agape had shown us. Yes, let's, and watch the sunset from there. So off we went, climbing up the road away from the Circus Maximus. There's a park filled with orange trees, next to an ancient cloister. The park looks directly over the Tiber River, and there's a sort of platform with a marble wall on which to lean, or if you dare, to sit. And from here is one of Rome's incomparable panoramic vistas.

When we approached we discovered quite a number of Romans already "waiting"-- and not one tourist -- only locals out on their passagiata too. Here they were, gathered as if summoned on a sultry Tuesday evening to admire the sunset! To my right, an old gentleman at the wall played the poet and philosopher as he eloquently described how a sunset should give pause for reflection on one's day, as one's life. To my left, a young woman and her sweetheart leaned while she was sketching the event with rapid strokes on a scrap of writing paper. "Ahh, just look", everyone murmured to each other. The sun was descending behind St. Peter's dome, behind Janiculum Hill's row of umbrella pines, casting a pink hue over all the ancient Roman architecture. I said to the artist, "Bravissima!" (You're very good!). She smiled and didn't stop.

Finally the show was over, and with sighs of satisfaction, the small crowd broke up. Can you imagine what romantic souls these are who seek out a vantage point on a work night just to witness such a routine occurrence? To ooh and aah such a "common" spectacle? It makes me appreciate the Romans: they are definitively Romantic! As we left to head down the hill, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the artist. She held out her completed sketch. "Oh no, I said, I couldn't accept that." She insisted, with an broad smile. Tears came to my eyes. Such exuberant generosity! Me, a total stranger -- she joyfully gave me a beautiful gift for the sheer pleasure of sharing a moment not to forget.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive," Jesus said. I felt so grateful to God: for the exquisite sunset over Rome, for the spontaneous gesture of generosity, for this sign from my Maker that he loves me and has me just where I belong. It moves me to tears.

scala sacra

2009-06-14T13:08:00.003-04:00

scala sacra
Originally uploaded by bargainville

This also makes me cry...

We had been invited to our landlords' book signing in a local shop in town. Our landlords are both published authors, and they have been very kind in inviting us to cultural events in which they're involved. We are blessed indeed to be on such a congenial basis with them. On our way, we passed by the Pope's home church (no, it's not actually St. Peter's, in case you're asked this bit of trivia!), which is San Giovanni di Laterano. It is one of the most ancient. Across, are the famous "Scala Sacra" or Holy Stairs, known and revered by Catholic pigrims all over the world.

According to legend, these were the very steps at Pontius Pilate's palace which Jesus Himself climbed up to stand before Pilate. The story goes that Helena, Constantine's mother, brought them back from the Holy Land in the 4th century. The door to the stairs was open, and pilgrims were filing in. They are required to penitently mount the stairs on their knees.

Now, it must have been the cumulative effect of having seen innumerable expressions of religious devotion in the very center of it all, Rome. But the sight of these people streaming in and out -- sincerely believing that the act they were performing somehow made them more acceptable to God -- brought grief to my spirit. I began to sob over the burdens people carried up those ancient steps: sickness, sin, sorrow, fear of Hell... believing what they were taught -- that those burdens would be lifted and removed at the top of the stairs.

Yet Jesus said neither this mountain nor that place made any difference, rather, "true worshippers worshipped the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshippers must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4) The Word of God tells us "You have not come to a mountain that can be touched... Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe..." (Ch. 12).

It's another reason Rome sometimes makes me weep.

On the Move

2009-05-11T12:39:00.013-04:00

Brian and I have been on the move lately as the Lord guides us through this adventure of faith! We are delighted to serve Him in Rome and to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. And we are continually reminded of the blessings poured out to us as members of the Body of Christ.

This past month we spent a week in London for meetings with our fellow City Team leaders. We're so thankful for our colleagues, that we can spur one another on to love and good deeds.

Then I (Sarah) went to Lyon, France to participate in a Conference on Human Trafficking, particularly in Europe. There were 14 countries represented. As the vast majority of trafficking consists of sexual exploitation of women and children, this was our focus: forced prostitution especially of immigrants. In fact, there are a growing number of ministries, local churches, and individual Christians who are responding to this injustice. Therefore many of them are networked into the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hear from believers who are involved in rescuing, in advocacy, evangelism, deliverance, care and restoration of victims of the sex trade. I am humbled by their deep compassion and courage in the face of such pain and evil. We pray the Lord shows us what we should do about this scourge in our city too.

Brian has been meeting weekly with a young man (Italian) for a walk through the Gospel of John. They alternate one session in Italian, the next in English. It's a stimulating compromise that they both appreciate and benefit from!

At this moment we have a visit from Craig, our future teammate. Lord willing, he will join us next winter. The Rome City Team is growing, and we're overjoyed that the Lord of the harvest continues to raise up laborers.

Lastly, three cheers for our daughter Sarah Grace for graduating with a B.S. in Nursing with honors! We are immensely proud of her, and it is the fruit of her seeking first the Kingdom of God. Her greatest desire is to serve the Lord in her profession.

We cannot say enough how grateful we are to our supporters for making it possible for us minister in Rome. We recognize that this calls for faith in God and trust in us - and amounts to great sacrifice. We are humbled and honored.

This is True Religion

2009-04-13T10:17:00.044-04:00

We would like to give glory to God for the response of His believers in Italy to the crisis situation in the Abruzzo region. Rome is about 60 miles from the scene of the earthquake, which doesn't seem far to the outsider. Presumably the best response of believers in Rome would be to load into buses and make a bee-line to the tent villages over there - "to help." I admit that this was my first reaction. When people are in trouble, the impulse to go and serve is strong. Alas, this initial impulse is not necessarily the wisest. Nor would it be feasible or useful at this time. And that is a humbling admission when it comes to crisis response, because it can make us feel so useless!

Let's talk about limitations. First, the location of this tragedy and recovery is a mountainous area; many of the narrow roads are blocked or clogged with traffic since the quake. Help must be expedited, but it's no help if we block the way, or upon arrival - if we become a burden to those who are already stretched to capacity. Reports tell us there is a massive number of volunteers on site - praise the Lord for that. But volunteers must be fed and lodged too! Second, we don't have the level of language to where we could be of competent service without requiring translation, which would be a burden.

But how then can we serve, and how can we love our neighbors in such a crisis? Well, the Lord is building His church in Italy, and has moved the Body of Christ to to an effective and appropriate first response. An alliance of over 25 churches in that region is collaborating with some assistance from such agencies as Samaritan's Purse, and Operation Blessing. I stress in that region because it is crucial that local churches be encouraged to personally reach out to the victims. They are their neighbors! And they are the most trustworthy channel for getting resources to them.

Yet, we the larger Body in Italy and beyond were asked to give and give generously. Special collections are being taken in all the churches (1Cor 16:1-4;2 Cor 8:1-15). We are urged and committed to pray. On Easter Sunday in Rome believers wept as they prayed. We were exhorted to get out and share the Good News of Jesus Christ - the Living Hope - with our neighbors! According to a pastor in Rome, there is a national mentality fixated on tragedy and death, and needs to turn from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection! Churches in the surrounding regions will be on "stand-by" to minister in other ways as further needs (pastoral or material) surface.

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, reflecting on the issue of compassion ministry, write:

"Our first instinct when faced with someone in need is to give something to them or do something for them... But the poor need more than that... They want to participate in community... They need community. They need Christian community. They need the church.(...) The best thing we can do for the poor is offer them a place of welcome and community. Our first priority in social involvement is to be the church, a community of welcome to, and inclusion of, the marginalized." (The Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community, Inter-Varsity Press, 2007)

I would suggest that later on - beyond this immediate crisis - local churches will be the ones ready and able to offer a welcome for these homeless and traumatized folks, just as they extended a loving hand in the wake of the tragedy. The faith community is a powerful witness in this way. We want to support the congregations of the Abbruzzo as they corporately love their neighbors.

By the way, you might ask: what did the Vatican first send to those who were struck by this tragedy? As far as we know from the media, they sent chocolate eggs, holy water blessed at St. Peter's, and some cardinals to perform masses for the dead.

Jesus said: "I Am the Resurrection and the Life"

2009-04-09T12:51:00.005-04:00

Please see these clips (2) from the Italy earthquake relief effort.

1) Here is the text from the BBC World Service:

"Preparations are under way for the funerals of some of the victims of the earthquake in L'Aquila in Italy.
The death toll rose to 278 after three bodies were removed from a collapsed student building.
The Christian Evangelical Church as well as other churches have set up tents in the camp for people who have lost their homes."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7992231.stm

2)

2009-03-26T13:20:00.021-04:00

Members of God's Household

"For He himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility... Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.... And in (Christ Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." (Eph. 2)

This week we participated in a weekly home group gathering of our Italian church. We were invited to join them a few weeks ago, and we've become "regulars." The group consists of 3-4 Romanians, a Honduran, a couple Italians, and ourselves: American-Belgians. It is one of our greatest joys to participate in the life of the Body of Christ in all its diversity. No borders or dividing walls in God's household! This is a striking reality given the social unrest in Rome concerning a certain ethnic group here. Actually, there is a prevailing distrust of foreigners; the public and private fear is palpable. But in Christ there is a new creation, and we know our brothers or sisters according to the Spirit, not ethnic origin.

It is so sweet fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Rome. They warmly embrace us in this small group, accepting us despite our limitations. They gently encourage us to speak up in Italian: whether reading the text out loud, sharing thoughts on the text, and Brian was even called on to pray in Italian! I (Sarah) was applauded for a 2-minute testimony! We feel loved just as we are, yet they're not satisfied to leave us on the sidelines.

The Church is an alternative community. We can show the world around us a radically different way to live. I am humbled and envigored by the holy calling to "joined together" in Christ with folks from all corners of the earth. What is more beautiful than this?

2009-03-04T09:17:00.018-05:00

"Make new friends but keep the old; One is silver and the other is gold."

I learned this little ditty when I was in Girl Scouts at 10 years old. You might presume that I'm referring to the wonders of Facebook. True, that has been a great help in staying in touch.

But we want to testify to our faithful God and to the wonders of His Big Family in this world. To think that 6 months ago we moved to this place where we scarcely knew a soul (and I despaired... Oh me of little faith).

Since Christmas, in the midst of an exceptionally cold winter, our hearts have been warmed by old and new friendships. We are struck by the Lord's reminders that We are NOT alone. Friends come alongside us in the journey; this is God's precious gift to His children.

The Lord sent a retired pastor and his wife from Ohio just to encourage and pray with us. And He has sent brothers and sisters from our church in Brussels. They all wanted to make sure we were faring well - and that we didn't forget our French!

We have delighted in inviting new friends to our little apartment: our Italian landlords (with whom we spoke English), a Swiss retired missionary and a German Bible School student (in Italian), A Dutch Gospel worker and a Dutch law student, the pastoral couple of our church, an American family, and tomorrow, a fellow language student and her fiance. In turn, we were blessed to be invited to a young American couple in a fledgling ministry here.

God's people have no borders and her bonds are eternal. In His time, we long to see the family grow even more in this place as we invest ourselves in people.

Nos Nouvelles pour les Amis à BXL

2009-02-01T13:37:00.011-05:00

« Je remercie mon Dieu au sujet de vous chaque fois que je pense à vous... Il est bien juste que j’aie de tels sentiments à l’ égard de vous tous. Je vous porte en effet dans mon cœur, car vous avez tous eu part a la faveur que Dieu m’a accorde… » (Phil 1.3)

Voici nous nous adressons à nos chers amis en Belgique. Certains nous ont gentiment rappelés que ce n’est pas évident de déchiffrer l’anglais afin de suivre nos nouvelles. Nous sommes touchés par votre intérêt et votre patience a notre égard ! Nous en sommes très reconnaissants.
Désormais, nous allons nous efforcer de faire un résumé de notre bulletin en français de temps en temps. Ainsi vous pouvez rester au courant, et surtout, savoir mieux comment prier pour nous si vous vous y sentez amenés. Bonne lecture !

• Brian et moi sommes bien installés dans notre petite demeure romaine. L’appartement se situe dans un quartier résidentiel prés du centre, dans les environs du Vatican/Basilica di St. Pietro/Castelo St Angelo. Nous avons la facilité parce que il y a le bus, le Metro, et un train local pour nous déplacer. On a décidé de ne pas avoir de voiture, et je vous assure qu’à Rome, c’est beaucoup moins stressant et moins cher ainsi ! On a chacun l’abonnement annuaire (prix très modique), ce qui nous permet aussi de bénéficier du Car Sharing (nous l’attendons). Je devrais dire que ses 2 jambes sont le moyen le plus fiable a Rome, étant donnes les grèves et le trafic !

• Nous allons ensemble au cours d’Italien du lundi à vendredi la matinée. Puis nous avons un cours particulier chez nous un après-midi, et récemment, des possibilités d’avoir des échanges de langues. Ca c’est un exaucement de prière ! Nos enseignants nous conseillent de regarder souvent des feuilletons (pauvre Brian, il le fait contrecœur mais il faut dire que c’est un devoir !) et des films en italien. De toute façon quand on allume on n’a pas de choix : ils doublent TOUT. On n’est pas à BXL.

• Nous rendons grâce au Seigneur de nous avoir amenés a une église évangélique baptiste italienne qui est chaleureuse, progressiste, et multiculturelle (20 nationalités). Aujourd’hui nous avons eu une agape après le culte, et ils nous ont demandes de nous présenter « officiellement ». Ils ont été tres accueillant. Bientôt nous allons nous asseoir avec le couple de pasteurs (=mari et femme) pour discuter de notre vision de ministère et la leur. En voici un autre exaucement de prière !

• A présent nous suivons deux stagiaires missionnaires qui se préparent à nous rejoindre avant la fin de l’année. Ils ne se connaissant pas, à part l’orientation qu’ils ont suivie ensemble à notre siège in Minnesota. Chacun a senti l’appel de Dieu de venir dans notre équipe a Rome, sans nous connaître ! Mais nous sommes contents de les connaître et d’agrandir l’équipe d’ouvriers ici.

• Nos enfants vont tous super bien. Sarah Grace est à Kent State University in Ohio, Paul est dans l'état de New York à Cornell University, et Philip est au Black Forest Academy en Allemagne dans la forêt noire. Ils sembleraient s’épanouir la où ils sont, grâce à Dieu. Ils sont tous « rentrés » chez nous pour d’excellentes vacances de Noël ensemble a Rome. Ils découvraient la ville et se sont amusés à fond. Quelle joie de se retrouver en famille dans un nouveau « chez soi ».

• Nous nous plaisons à Rome. Certes, il y a une impression du chaos dans cette ville, et nous avons bien des moments ou nous nous sentons perdus. Rome n’est pas comme Bruxelles, et rien ne nous était familier ici. Mais tout doucement ça commence à s’améliorer au niveau de la langue et de la connaissance des environs. Nous avons tant à apprendre et à découvrir, et estimons que ça vaut la peine de s’y investir ! Merci de nous suivre….

2009-01-29T11:55:00.002-05:00

"For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk, it is living by God's power."
(1 Cor 4:20, New Living Translation)

Just as I was inclined to do in French, and then in Turkish, I seem to have fallen into the same trap as a novice language learner. That is, the expectation I set for myself to acquire a level of proficiency before I can really explain the Gospel clearly to someone! I tend to presume that I am not yet capable of doing so adequately. I figure that such a consequential task of communication is worthy of good grammar skills, masterful pronunciation, and vocabulary to convey the depth and breadth of the Message. In my attempts to explain the Good News as a beginner in a foreign language, including Italian, I've had the feeling that I sound like a child or a simpleton - woefully unsophisticated. A Master's in Theology doesn't help in these circumstances! Truth be told, it is my pride that is cringing, not Jesus - for He said I must become like a child to live in His Kingdom.

The Bible says that the Kingdom of God is not about a lot of bla-bla-bla (an international expression by the way!). It is not a matter of impressive speech. Rather, it is about experiencing and demonstrating the power of God's love and grace to transform us, for which we are eternally grateful and at peace. This reality should be readable in my life and on my face !

A friend sent me a brief video from a church service, called "Cardboard Testimonies." I was so deeply moved by the content, far more than any clip or live sketch on spiritual themes I've seen. We see here real people, out of real situations - no slick professionals. They are silent as they display simple, honest phrases on cardboard, but their faces speak volumes, and their very brief personal accounts are incredibly eloquent. Each testifies to the grace and power of God with just a few words and a glimmer in the eye. Ah, the beauty of simplicity. Please watch it, praise the God who saves, then let's go out and "use words if necessary" to proclaim Him.

http://www.rhchurch.org:80/pages/cardboard-testimonies

2009-01-08T09:21:00.017-05:00

When the Spirit Speaks

I (Sarah) have used a devotional book on and off throughout the 25 years since it was first given to me. I know that many fellow Christ-followers have been ministered to in a deep and striking way by the prophetic words in this book. That is to say, the Lord's Spirit speaks to many of us from these daily entries. This classic book is Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest.

Actually, I haven't opened it for a couple years, till this new year on January 2 (OK, I was a day behind!) Like countless times before, it was as if I came upon these admonitions for the first time. The Spirit spoke to me personally, convincing me that I needed an 'attitude check' as Chambers suggests. It is a reminder that He knows what He is doing and I can trust Him with tomorrow in this 'strange' season of ignorance, ineptness, and unknowns.

Yet I was also struck by how applicable the exhortation is for all of us in this new year of pervasive and numerous crises. I want to encourage you in the Lord to take these words to heart and mind and to surrender our plans, goals, future security - our all to Him! It's hard for me, because I take fleshly comfort (and pride?) in seeing those ducks lined up in a row...

May the Lord prepare us all for spiritual renewal and fruitfulness as we step out in faith, each according to His calling. The best is yet to come on this pilgrim way!

Will You Go Out Without Knowing?
"He went out, not knowing whither he went." (Hebrews 11:8)
Have you been 'out' in this way? If so, there is no logical statement possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the difficulties in Christian work is this question - 'What do you expect to do?' You do not know what you are going to do; the only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually revise your attitude towards God and see if it is a going out of everything, trusting in God entirely.

It is this attitude that keeps you in perpetual wonder - you do not know what God is going to do next. Each morning you wake it is to be a 'going out,' building in confidence on God. 'Take no thought for your life,... nor yet for your body' - take no thought for the things for which you did take thought before you 'went out.'

Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is. Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you go out in surrender to Him until you are not surprised an atom at anything He does?

Suppose God is the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him - what an impertinence worry is! Let the attitude of the life be a continual 'going out' in dependence upon God, and your life will have an ineffable charm about it which is a satisfaction to Jesus. You have to learn to go out of convictions, out of creeds, out of experiences, until so far as your faith is concerned, there is nothing between yourself and God.

New Year’s Eve in Rome

2009-01-01T12:01:00.005-05:00

In the interest of providing more cultural information about Rome to our friends and family, I wanted to give you a view of our New Year’s Eve on the Piazza del Popolo (square of the people) last night. After a very nice family dinner of two roasted chickens, some lovely asparagus and saffron risotto, we headed out to the catch the Metro at about 10:30 PM. We arrived on the square just a few minutes later and wondered what the fuss was about. We had expected lights, music and a whole program. About 5,000 people were standing around holding various alcoholic beverages and bags of their own fireworks! Sounds like a safe combination. Some people were running around and lighting some of the fireworks out of their bags, but other than, it looked like the prospects of enjoyment were pretty slim while waiting for midnight. By the way, nobody counted down anyway. We just all watched our cell phones .
By the time the hour had passed some 15,000 people were amassed in the square. The number of firecrackers ended up being impressive. I don’t know what they were, but some of them had to be partial sticks of dynamite, way more powerful than the M-80s and M-160s we knew as kids. Several thousand people stood in the middle of the square and the rest were gathered around the outer edge. Between the two areas a no-man’s-land developed into which firecrackers and empty bottles were tossed. Brave folk seemed to enjoy “running the gauntlet” between the two “safe” areas. The kids climbed up onto a wall and watched and photographed the goings-on for most of the time.
At midnight the official half-hour fireworks display began. Very nice!

Merry Christmas from Rome

2008-12-13T06:49:00.023-05:00

(Photos: On the rooftop of our apartment building; the Colosseum surrounded by water, Sarah's Class at Lunch; Brian's Class Dinner; Philip and friend at the BFA Christmas Banquet; The Tiber Overflowing & Parts of Rome are under Water).

This past week has seen some of the worst flooding in Rome in 50-100 years! We read once an early Christian in Rome who wrote that Christians were blamed when there was a drought or when the Tiber flooded - because they did not make sacrifices to appease the pagan gods. Last night was spent "on alert" for those who live closest to the Tiber River. We live a few blocks to the west of the Tiber, but far enough up a hill that we did not have to worry about the rising waters. There was quite a bit of chaos in the city on Friday, and unfortunately a couple of deaths caused by the floodwaters.
Many have been asking how they can pray for us. Thank you so much for standing with us. You can pray for encouragement (read: courage) right now. In many ways we sense that we are quite alone in this new venture. Don't worry, we know that's what we signed up for, but knowing that in advance doesn't really make it any easier. We have come to Rome to start something new, to launch something in a place of spiritual need. The neighbors and other people that we have met and deal with are kind, but it is going to be many months before we feel like we are communicating effectively in Italian. We are making progress from week to week, but you understand that it is difficult to connect on a social level when you don't have language in common. We are actually thankful that the only language you can use in this city is Italian -- it forces you to learn! At the same time, it is hard when people look at you like you're an imbecile or they use the word "foreigner" constantly in your presence (referring to you). We said many months ago that God was calling out of our comfort zone. OK, we're out...way out !

Sarah is now on Christmas break from her Italian classes and will be firing up the oven to make Chocolate Krinkles to take around to our neighbors in the apartment building. Again, we have had a chance to talk with a few, but please pray that we can build some friendships over the next few weeks. We would also like to talk with the pastoral couple from the Baptist church in Trastevere. We would like to discuss teaming up with them to reach out in our neighborhood. And there are some other international friends we would like to get together with for mutual encouragement over the holidays.

Your prayers for encouragement are bound to bring fruit. The first three answers to prayer, Sarah Grace, Paul, and Philip, are already on their way to stay with us a few weeks. They all arrive between the 18th and the 22nd. Paul studied the Roman Empire and Latin longer than anyone we know, so we're all waiting for him to take us on a tour of Rome even though this will be his first trip to the Eternal City.

Another answer to prayer was the trip we were able to take for a long weekend over
Thanksgiving to the BFA campus in Kandern, Germany, to visit with Philip and be with some of our dearest friends the Garritys. We were relieved to see how well Philip was doing and glad to be there as he went to his first formal event, the Christmas Banquet (If you are a "friend" on Facebook, look at some of the videos and photos on Sarah's Facebook).

We are deeply grateful for all your support and especially your prayers for us. You are helping us launch this team! We are grateful for the friendships and kindred hearts which sustain us. Mostly we are gladdened to know the King of Kings, who made Himself small and helpless - holy incarnation! - to dwell among us and reveal God to men. Our prayer for you is that you will sense His Presence and Power in your lives and rejoice in the Good News of salvation this season.

Blessings in Jesus Christ,
Brian & Sarah

So what's a typical day like?

2008-11-09T08:22:00.014-05:00

So many people have asked this question that I suspect that most of our friends would like to know. Life has settled down to some sort of routine for the moment. It's not a routine that we're altogether used to, but there are identifiable markers in our days and weeks now, and we are glad for that.

Italian classes: We are both in our respective Italian classes now and we are making progress. At this early stage in language it's not hard to feel like you're making progress. I see language learning like drops of rain on the hood of a newly waxed car. Everything you learn in language is like one drop of rain sitting there on the surface. At some point enough drops hit the surface that they begin to gloop together (consolidate). When the whole thing comes together you're speaking and understanding with fluency. At this point we're just adding a lot of drops, but that feels like progress.

Here are some photos from my school. I feel fortunate to have found a good school for a good price pretty much in our neighborhood. I pay a regular group price, but as you can see, the student to teacher ratio is not bad. On top is a dinner gathering of the advanced class (not mine), but the only guy in the photo is my teacher during the second hour every morning. Below that is the intermediate class. From left to right: You know that guy, student teacher, our teacher, (very lively, likes what she's doing), a nun from Sri Lanka, S. from Poland, and I. from the US. I am not the only guy in the class, but D. from Brazil was not there.

Sarah has a very similar kind of class, just a little longer bus ride from our apartment. Her school is really in the center of Rome, a great location with gobs of stuff to see all around. So, Monday to Friday we're up and out the door in the morning and spend till about 1:00 PM in class.

Interesting note: This is a photo of the Vatican post office. Many people have told us that you can't trust the Italian postal system. We can't really say with our limited experience if this is an accurate description of the situation, but we've taken note. If I need to send a check through the mail, or something else that I deem to be important, I wait till after my Italian class and then walk the five minutes to the Vatican. Just to the right of St. Peter's square, hidden in the colonnade there, you will find the Vatican Post Office (photo above). The Vatican runs its own very efficient and trustworthy service completely independent of the Italian system. Thank God for Papal Post.

What about the afternoon?

This is a temporary routine, but a routine nonetheless, for now. Usually after lunch Sarah supervises me in one of the many jobs on the list of honey-do projects in the apartment. As in Belgium, most projects are made that much harder by having to drill into plaster, brick, ceramic tile and concrete. No wood joists or studs to find to hang things up. It takes all my tool boxes every time. We are making progress, but you're going to have to come by to see the apartment, no photo exposés in this blog!

I am really glad, and sore, to have gotten back to my running routine. I begin my run a couple of blocks from the apartment at the bottom of Monte Mario, a hilltop overlooking the north side of Rome, complete with an exclusive hotel and an observatory! But it's a nice, green place to run with less traffic and an incredible view. From there, I come back down to our neighborhood and can continue running on a nice bike/running path along the Tiber River.

Eventually, we would like our afternoon routine to include what we call a language route. The LAMP method of language learning (Dr. and Mrs. Tom Brewster) requires learners to develop a regular route of language helper who will be willing to work through carefully prepared practice session with you. Fortunately it looks like our Italian friends are open, helpful and nice enough to make this an enjoyable activity. Why don't you check back with us in another month and make sure we're doing this?

Weekly routine on Sunday:

Sarah and I have begun attending the closest Italian-speaking, Evangelical church we could find to our neighborhood. Remember that one of the reasons we are in our neigborhood is that there are no evangelical churches! So, for the last three Sundays we have been attending services with a community that meets in Trastevere, a well-known and popular section of Rome. The Trastevere section of Rome is in itself a fine tourist destination in its own right, filled with great restaurants and quaint streets. The last two Sundays we have been able to take a slow, twisty walk home from the services, stopping for lunch and finding the tourist spots along the way.

This is a photo of Sarah from last week's "passegiata," from a bridge overlooking the Isola Tiberina.

THOUGHTS ON MISSION IN EUROPE...

2008-11-04T16:21:00.006-05:00

"It is a myth that Europeans are no longer interested in truth. Yet their search for truth is hidden within the search for identity and community. Local missionary churches as visible communities of the Kingdom of God consisting of women, men, youth, and children trusting Jesus Christ in their daily lives are the plausibility structures for the uniqueness of the Gospel and its mission in pluralist Europe today. They will function as a 'semeion' (Greek: symbol) woven into the texture of European culture and pointing to the hope found in the sure promises of God. Europeans need Christian friends and communities that can show them how the Gospel works in real lives."
Dr. Friedemann Walldorf, Lausanne Bad Boll Commitment '93

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

2008-10-11T13:59:00.002-04:00

One Day at a Time...

2008-10-05T09:42:00.008-04:00

While living in Italy in the 18th century, German poet and philosopher Goethe exclaimed:

"Rome, thou art a world!"

This is still true today. It does seem like we have fallen into another world! We are indeed strangers in a strange world. But after all, Scripture reminds us that as Christ-followers we are just sojourners and aliens; Brian and I are only more aware of this reality in this sort of situation. We want to testify to the Lord's kindness to us in these days! We could not have gotten this far without the help of others in the process. Everyone tells us that PATIENCE is required to get anything accomplished in Italy, especially in Rome. And we have been treated so graciously as we move step by step towards settling here.

Last Saturday, our landlady took us to the furniture store to design and order a kitchen in Italian. Monday, she took us to the bank to introduce us in order to open an account. One can't just walk into a bank without a recommendation! At the bank, it took 3 employees (including the manager and one to translate), our landlady, us two, plus the former manager of FIAT on the phone (a friend) to put in a good word on our behalf. Over 2 hours later we had finally jumped through the right hoops and met with their approval! PATIENCE. Friday night, over a glass of bubbly, we signed the contract with our landlords and they passed us the keys. Saturday, we headed into the center to our apartment to check it out. We can't move in yet because the electric company won't open our account till the former renter pays her overdue bill! PATIENCE. In Italy, renters take everything they can manage to wrench out of the walls with them. Literally, the water pipes are uncapped, left to drip. PATIENCE. And we discovered that Brian's brand new tax code registration, which is the necessary document to get anything legal done here, has the wrong birthdate - they misunderstood the month in French on his Belgian ID card. So, we can't proceed till that error is corrected. PATIENCE.

We arrived in the neighborhood, stopped for an espresso at the corner bar (aka café) and introduced ourselves to the barista and 2 locals in the bar. We said we were from Belgium, and he warmly welcomed us, complimenting us on "our" excellent trappist beers! We asked him where the nearest grocery store is, and all the men wanted to point us to the best one. Brian is sure to be a regular fixture at that bar - uhh, café! Then we got into our apartment, and immediately had to ring the neighbor to ask where the building's fusebox is. He kindly left the family dinner table to show us and explain, and heartily welcomed us to the building. We have already begun to make friends! We're excited to go around and introduce ourselves once we move in, and we're sure that others will be just as friendly and helpful. Italians are famous for it!

This week: Monday, movers deliver our stuff that's been in storage since we left Brussels last June. Tuesday, our kitchen will be installed. Wednesday, IF we have electricity, we can move in ourselves. Thursday, we go to Hungary for meetings with our Mission till Oct 17. For the moment we are taking a break from Italian class, till we move in. From here, the commute to class has been 2 hours every morning each way! Hopefully, we can jump back in at the school later in October. From the apartment it's a hop, skip, and a jump (masterfully navigating the sea of Vatican tourists on the way!).

God has shown His goodness to us! Know that He is answering your prayers. We are so eager to "dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness" (Psalm 37) as His ambassadors in this district of Rome.

Thanks to all who have been accompanying us in the spirit on this transitional part of the journey. God has opened doors so far. It's just the beginning! Blessings.

The apartment will be ours!

2008-09-22T06:00:00.011-04:00

We are temporarily staying in an apartment southeast of Rome. Maybe you've heard of Frascati, or the Frascati vineyard and wines. We're very close to the town of Frascati and it's about that time of year, time for harvesting the grapes. The vineyards really are lovely, and I've even seen local want ads for workers to harvest grapes. Maybe I should do that for a week!

More news: Sarah started her first Italian course today. This is a photo from our outing downtown this past weekend, including a picture of the clock tower on the square where her class meets.
Thought you would enjoy this photo taken near the Spanish Steps.

The big news is that we do have a verbal agreement from the owners of the apartment in the Balduina neighborhood. We're very happy to be able to move forward on this. We will begin paying rent in mid-October. The previous renter had just put in new kitchen cupboards and then had to move out on short notice. She is taking the cupboards with her! So, it looks like we will have some major work to do. We hope to move in around November 1st. Thank you for caring about these things. By the way, it looks like all of our friends will have a bed in Rome. :)
Ciao for now.

Apartment Search

2008-09-18T13:56:00.006-04:00

This process of confirming a rental contract is complicated, and it's not a done deal till we have the key in our hand! The real estate agent reminded us of this with a serious tone. By Saturday, we have been told, we will have the necessary documents in hand to go forward. The agent has asked to meet us (with his wife!) at a pizzeria downtown, to finalize. But the "bottom line" is still nebulous, and so we cannot be sure of anything. Please pray for our meeting that the Lord makes things clear. Even if this apartment does not open up to us, we still sense a strong leading to this particular area of the city: "Balduina." We thank the Lord for His clear guidance. (Photo: Apartment buildings near the center of Rome, taken from the Appian Way).

2008-09-18T13:56:00.002-04:00

"I know a few italian words and several phrases, and along at first I used to keep them bright and fresh by whetting them on Angelo; but he partly couldn't understand and partly didn't want to, so I have been obliged to withdraw them from the market for the present. But this is only temporary. I am practicing. I am preparing. Some day I shall be ready for him, and not in ineffectual french but in his native tongue."
--Mark Twain, Autobiography, 1892

We attended the Wednesday night Bible study in a local brethren church. It's a good thing we knew the passage or we would have been lost! Brian studiously tried to follow along in his new Italian Bible. Afterwards, the elderly lady sitting next to me addressed me in french: she noticed that the little dictionary I was combing through during the study was french-italian. So it was a great relief to have a real conversation with this sister (a Salvation Army officer in Geneva many years ago). But, it felt like I was cheating, to speak in french. Just the same, I was blessed to make the acquaintance of this dear Christian Roman lady.

We'll get by with a little help from our friends...

2008-09-10T15:24:00.003-04:00

First, let me explain this photo. Sarah and I saw this interesting procession as we were looking for apartments. Notice the priest at the head of the column of gladiators, or Roman soldiers. A local vendor was kind enough to tell us it had something to do with the Pope. We were just a couple of blocks away from St. Peter's.

It is amazing how helpful the vast number of Italians on the street can be. Folks really do go out of their way to help. Last night we were coming back to the Bible Institute late from a day of appointments and apartment hunting. We got ourselves lost and a young Romanian woman overheard us asking for directions in very bad Italian. She said she was going to the Metro, too, and did we want to follow her. She said this in better Italian. As she herded us into the correct Metro, she insisted on giving us 3 extra Metro tickets. I'm sure this young Romanian woman living in Italy needed them more than we did. Once in the Metro car, we found out we were going pretty much the same place. It was her first time on that bus, so we helped her find it. Somehow, though, in our Tarzan Italian we communicated that we didn't know the way to where we were going once we got on the bus. "I new here. Where go you? Me, too. First time (we meant for her, but we don't know how to say that!)" You get the idea. The whole bus was discussing how to get to our address. Then, the bus driver pulls over and comes back to talk to everybody, trying to figure out how to get us home. Finally, I checked my dictionary and was able to communicate "I already know." I'm sure it sounded rude, which is always how you sound when you're learning lanugage. People here are so helpful on the street. I wish Romans enjoyed finding apartments for foreigners like us as much as they enjoy giving directions!

First impressions from Rome

2008-09-03T12:02:00.016-04:00

I wanted to give you a stream of consciousness review of the last few weeks. Read on if you're interested in what has happened since you last saw us. Take a look at this first photo.

Before leaving the USA: It seemed urgent to get some of those parental lessons in before we left Sarah Grace and Paul in the US. Two days before we left the country Paul had a blowout on the way to youth group with SG and Philip in tow. The next day I rounded up the two drivers and gave them the tire changing lesson. You can see how well the scissors jack works. Hmm. Do they take me seriously?

Our first stop was Brussels, arriving right on time via JFK and Dublin on August 16th. Thanks for praying for our travel. We did not know of the tornado warning for NYC when were taking off. I'm repeating some of Sarah's last posting, but that's ok.

It was truly strange to be back in a place and with people so familiar yet know that you're "just passing through." We saw as many people as we could in the space of seven days, but still not enough. Sunday the 17th was special. We were able to participate in worship services at La Communauté Chrétienne de Laeken, and were even asked to give an update from the year's activities and the plan for the future. The services were followed by a combined potluck meal with many of the members of the Iranian Church. We stayed all afternoon for the Iranian service. I had the chance to speak at that service. We were encouraged by our faithful brothers and sisters in both churches. We spent the week visiting with those dearest to us...and shopping for school supplies for Philip. By the way, Philip was pretty much kidnapped for most of the week by his friends. Some days we didn't know where he was.

Speaking of Phil, next stop was Kandern Germany. We're thankful that Philip is an adaptable guy. North Olmsted didn't kill him. Looks like Germany won't either. This corner of Germany is really a beautiful place to be. I guess the weather isn't always as nice as the few days we had there.... We also had the chance to reconnect with some long lost friends including Andrew Schaeffer, missionary to Burkina Faso, whom we haven't seen for 20 years! We are very happy that Phil now has, for the first time in his life, a room all to himself. He was very proud to hang his Belgian flag from the ceiling! On Tuesday we left Black Forest Academy after the opening ceremonies. Director Tim Shuman gave a very interesting, historical, and inspirational review of the life of the mathematician Euler, who was from the area, near Basel. I'm not kidding, it was very interesting.

Pulling out of town, to head for Italy we got a good bit of sticker shock at the gas pump. We filled our rental utility van for part 2 of the journey and paid 92€, or $134! Thanks, too, for praying for our moving logistics. I found out that to haul Philip and his stuff to Germany, and from there to take us and our luggage to Rome, renting a work van was a lot cheaper than renting a car. It was a good solution...except that I couldn't drop it off in Rome. I had to drive it back to Brussels again. That's later.

That was the morning of August 26th. Since we didn't have our temporary housing situation till the 30th, we decided to take a few days of vacation in Northern Italy, on Lake Garda. It was a heaven-sent time of rest and recuperation. Thank God.

Drive from Lake Garda to Rome. Traffic was heavy partly because that Saturday was the last day of vacation for many Europeans and many were heading home. The highway was a bit of a war zone. Over the next couple of days on the road I saw several serious accidents, including truck-sized smoldering ruins at 3 different spots along my way. It made me nervous enough so that I experienced no drowsiness on the road whatsoever. Thanks for praying for travel.

Our trusty GPS took us right up to the Istituto Biblico Evangelico Italiano, dirt roads and all. The folks at the Bible Institute got us settled in a much bigger room than we were expecting. That was a really nice surprise. Alessandro, the administrator of the institute has been a great help to us in many practical ways as we got settled. The picture of Alessandro was taken during the winter of 2007. Believe me, we aren't wearing sweaters right now. It's in the mid-80's every day.

Sarah and I had arrived in Rome at 6 PM on Saturday, and at 6 AM on Sunday morning I left to drive the van the 1000 miles back to Brussels. I drove 12 hours through some of the most beautiful spots on the planet -- Tuscany, the Alps, past Lakes Como, Maggiore and Lugano in Switzerland.... The only problem was that I couldn't take my eyes off the road :(

I was able to pull back into Kandern, Germany, and have supper with Philip, and get a debriefing after his first week at school. That night I stayed with our friends the Garritys. Monday morning I drove the remaining 6 hours back to Brussels and immediately caught the shuttle bus to Charleroi (thanks Dan) for my budget flight back to Rome. Thanks Alessandro for the pick up on the other end.

Our impressions: Rome is officially a crazy city. My first full day back we took the Metro all the way across this city of 4 or 5 million people. If Rome were a clock, where we are staying is the 4 and where we are looking for housing is the 10. Where we are staying at the Bible Institute is farther out than we want to be. There is a strange mix of houses, dirt roads, construction, chickens and vineyards. Lots of barking dogs. Lots of mosquitoes, too. There are not really any high-rise apartment buildings here. Everyone has a fenced-in yard with a big metal gate and seem to be very private. It's not really the city here.

Anyway, getting across the city took 2 hours, but I think that was a bit exceptional. It turns out that someone had been either fatally injured by accident, murdered, or had commited suicide on the tracks as we were going across town. We couldn't tell what the story was and neither could the Italians.

We talked to a couple real estate people on the northwest side of Rome. And we were encouraged by our visit of the neighborhood. Looks like a good possibility and may even be affordable. Keep praying. Apartments for rent do not become available very often.

Here ends my babbling.

WE'VE ARRIVED BACK IN EUROPE

2008-08-16T12:06:00.004-04:00

We (Brian, Philip, and Sarah) landed safe and sound in Brussels after a tearful goodbye to SG and Paul in the airport and three flights. Despite tornado warnings for NYC at the time of departure, we left on time. Faithful friends from church welcomed us at the airport. Now we're back in "francophonie" though we feel a bit rusty in French. It truly feels like coming home, yet we are only passing through!. We're staying in our dear friends' Anthony and Isabelle's house, who graciously stocked the fridge and waited to greet us before leaving on their vacation. Blessed hospitality! Philip was spirited away directly from the airport by his friends to stay with them. He was thrilled to see his bro's.

Tomorrow we will joyfully join our two church families: CCL in the morning, followed by a combined lunch with the Iranian congregation, then worship service with them at which Brian will bring the message.

Again, it is with bittersweetness that we leave our loved ones in the US. Thanks to all our friends and supporters for getting us here. We thank God for you!

DEPARTURE DAY!

2008-08-14T16:52:00.001-04:00

We are saying our goodbyes this week to friends and family. Providence Church has re-commissioned us and gave us a lovely send-off. Tomorrow we fly to Europe. But we must first say goodbye to our 2 kids and to all the Counes (Sarah's family in Ohio). Lots of mixed emotions! But we rejoice that the day has come for us to take up God's next assignment. And we praise the Lord for His faithfulness and provision. We're grateful that our kids will each be in a good place.

We appreciate your prayers for us all at this point with all the transitions ahead. Our flight beginning Friday afternoon from Cleveland to NY, NY to Dublin, then from Dublin to arrive in Bruxelles Saturday AM. We will stay with church friends in Bruxelles for a week, then with friends in Kandern (Germany), along the way in Italy, and then at the Bible Institute in Rome. So we will be in transit for some time. it's all good, because God is guiding us step by step.

COUNTDOWN TO ROME!!

2008-07-23T11:22:00.004-04:00

On the Move: we are packing up, each and every one of the Bennetch Family. Sarah Grace will move into her first apartment off-campus at Kent State, Paul's getting ready to start at Cornell in New York State (thanks to his Grandma and Grandpa Coune for driving him!), Philip is packing up all his gear for boarding school in Germany, and we two are packing for Rome!

Our Itinerary:

Temporary move to Mom and Dad's in Berea (1-440-234-9056) July 30
Commissioning Service at Providence Free Church, Avon Lake August 10
Flight to Brussels, Belgium (Brian, Sarah, & Philip) August 15
Visits with Friends and our 2 Churches in Brussels; rent/buy a car August 16-23
Settle Philip in at Black Forest Academy, Germany August 23-26
Drive to Italy with stops. Arrive at Rome Bible Institute accommodations Aug. 30
Apartment Search in Rome neighborhoods
Attend "Missione 2008" Conference in Rimini, Italy September 4-7
Continue Apartment Search and Move ...
Attend Church Planting Institute of ReachGlobal City Team Leaders in Hungary Oct. 9-17

Please pray for us as we move through all these transitions and adjustments, as the Spirit leads you. Prayer at this juncture is so crucial and deeply appreciated!

the kids

2008-03-21T17:54:00.012-04:00

Sarah Grace (22 yrs): a senior in Nursing School at Kent State University, Ohio. Involved in the campus ministry Coalition for Christian Outreach.

Paul: (19 yrs): After a gap year at Capernwray Bible School in England, now a student at Cornell University, New York.

Philip (16 yrs): in 11th grade at Black Forest Academy in Germany.

How can I support this ministry financially?

2008-03-21T13:33:00.014-04:00

ReachGlobal (the international mission of the EFCA) works diligently to ensure that all resources given to ReachGlobal are used for the accomplishment of our mission statement and the well-being of our ReachGlobal family.If you would like to give a gift via your credit card now, please click here. If you would like to set up a regular credit card donation, please click here. If you have any questions about online gifts via credit card, you can contact Lisa Theurer at (952) 853-8434 or (800) 745-2202, extension 434.If donating by check, please do not make your check payable to the individual missionary you are supporting. Instead, make the check payable to EFCA or EFCA ReachGlobal and mail it to:

EFCA - ReachGlobal

901 E. 78th St.

Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300

accompanying remittance slip (even handwritten):
“Bennetch – Rome City Team – acct. no. 1167 ”

Please also refrain from writing the missionary's name on the check. Instead, enclose a separate note indicating you are supporting the ReachGlobal work in [name of country] carried out by [name of missionary]. Thanks for following these tips when sending your donation by check. Automatic monthly donations are easy! Save time and trouble through electronic funds transfer. The first automatic deduction from your bank account will occur in about four to five weeks. EFCA Advancement Services will send confirmation that we have enrolled you in this monthly plan and note the date of the first deduction. From then on, everything is automatic! A record of the deduction will appear on your monthly bank statement. You can stop or change your monthly deduction at any time. To receive your Automatic Monthly Donor brochure, please click here.

Global Vision Partners are men and women of vision who will help underwrite the service ministries of ReachGlobal's office staff. This will ensure that our growing family of missionaries is well cared for and that ReachGlobal is able to take advantage of unprecedented opportunities in our changing world. Global Vision Partners are invited to support the ReachGlobal leadership team in prayer and by committing to an annual gift of $250 to $1,000. Together, the team of Global Vision Partners will enable ReachGlobal to remain on the cutting edge as a launcher of church planting movements internationally. To receive more information about becoming a Global Vision Partner, contact Daryl Anderson at danderson@efca.org. Global Vision Ambassadors are a growing number of individuals, families and foundation representatives who seek to make significant ministry investments. Through special or annual gifts, the Global Vision Ambassadors enable worldwide growth and expansion of the ministries of ReachGlobal. Accepted gifts are $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 or more and include cash, securities, real estate, insurance policies, charitable trusts and wills/living trusts. To receive more information about becoming a Global Vision Ambassador, contact Daryl Anderson at danderson@efca.org.

Vision for a City: The Why and How

2008-03-21T12:24:00.007-04:00

Rome is a strategic metropolitan area:

With a metro area containing over 4 million people, Rome is a strategic capital city of influence in the world. In such a European, historic, cultural, financial and diplomatic capital, a healthy evangelical church in Rome has great potential to reach beyond to Italy and send workers into the rest of the world. ReachGlobal has never had a team in this important country till now.

The challenge of Rome:

Significantly less than 1% of the population of Rome is evangelical. The church does exist, but local believers characterize it as weak and divided. 90% of missionaries leave Italy after their first few years of service. It is of crucial importance to establish a ReachGlobal team with a multi-pronged approach in order to strengthen and expand Christ's church, in a city where buildings come at a premium or are not available at all!

Who are the team leaders?

Brian and Sarah Bennetch have 16 years of experience in church planting and Muslim work in Brussels, Belgium, another influential European capital with a largely Catholic population. During that time, they were part of the church planting team of the Communauté Chrétienne de Laeken, one of the largest French-speaking evangelical churches in Belgium, with over 20 different nationalities represented. The Bennetches also planted the Iranian Church of Brussels with another ReachGlobal couple. They have particular experience reaching out to various Muslim peoples. The Bennetches helped mentor new missionaries sent out by other organizations.

How do you reach a city like Rome?

Many areas of Rome have no enduring Gospel witness or congregation. We desire to reach neighborhoods for Christ by starting Gospel-centered communities. We can multiply the impact of the Gospel in our neighborhoods as we equip local believers to work together in reaching out to their city and to the rest of the world. We will serve people holistically with the Good News by working with like-minded believers to launch inner-city, immigrant, university and other urban ministries. We envision a network of simple, organic, and reproducing household-based churches which embody Kingdom principles.