Author Archives: jonathan

Great opportunities ahead!

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Five ways everything is about to change.

As I write this note to you from the comfort of my in-laws’ dining room, I’m conscious about the fact that everything is about to get a little crazy.

I’ll admit, this summer has not been the epitome of relaxation:

  1. PreachingWe spoke almost 20 times and tried to meet with as many friends and family as possible.
  2. We have slept in about 20 different beds.
  3. We racked up over 5,000 miles of driving on our borrowed car. (Thanks Mom Z!)
  4. We have had physicals and dental work (for a total of nine fillings!).
  5. We have been in three week-long conferences.

All the while trying to keep up with people in Italy and Noah’s summer homework.

One man innocently asked us: “Why are you here?  Do you need money?”  The simple answer is that more than anything we need prayer.

If we have prayer God will provide the money too.
But if we don’t have prayer, all the money in the world will not suffice to meet our needs!

We need prayer because we are about to embark in some of greatest adventures yet:

  1. Sunday evening we will be speaking at Starkey Road Baptist Church, in Seminole, Florida.  This will be our greatest chance this summer to share our vision with people who are not already familiar with our ministry.  Please pray that we can make significant new connections and partnerships!
  2. Tuesday morning Melodee’s Dad will take us to the airport to fly back to Italy. We will be arriving Wednesday morning in Rome. (Thanks Mom and Dad W!). We are still waiting on a few important things we ordered online, such as extra suitcases.  Yikes!  We’re cutting it close!
  3. We begin strategizing to reach the unreached city of Foligno, a half an hour drive from Perugia.
  4. We continue to invest in people and train leaders for ministry at the Centro Evangelico Battista.
  5. We continue to reach people through personal evangelism; connecting with people at our kids’ schools, through music (my quintet already wants to plan the next rehearsal).

Pray that we can make the best use of our time and organizes our life around the most important things.

Pray that we can make the most of every one of these opportunities! 
It’s so easy to fall back into the routine and neglect the most important things that God is calling us to do.

Will you commit to pray for us every day this week and, why not,  this whole next month?

There are great opportunities ahead, but we can’t do it without you!

Lost and Found

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DepartureI’m sure you can relate…that sinking suspicion that something is missing…
As we stood in line to re-enter the United States Tuesday evening, we realized that with all the craziness we had left Melodee’s purse on the airplane.
All of Melodee’s Italian and American documents (except for her passport, gratefully), money, credit cards and wedding band were in that purse.
We knew exactly where it was.  We even knew how to get there.  But we could not go back.  It was too late.  Would we ever see it again?  There was no guarantee.  Nobody seemed to know where it was and kept passing us to another office.
As we went through customs, as we waited for our next flight, as we flew on, as we arrived in Fort Myers to the welcoming arms of Melodee’s parents, as we tried to sleep…all we could do was pray that her purse would be found.

Jesus knows that we can relate to that theme.  In fact, he equated our salvation to something precious that had been hopelessly lost.

Sometimes you have to realize how much you are lost to truly appreciate that you’ve been found!

Praise God for his precious gift of salvation!  Why is it so hard for us to remember that there is nothing more important in the world for us?

Our trip has had other adventures. 
We had to purchase a top carrier to fit all our luggage as we drove through tropical storm Alberto.
Obviously, without a driver’s license, Melodee could not drive.
A little before Daytona, our service transmission light went on.  God provided a mechanic who promptly took us in, right there in the car racing city.
God provides above and beyond.  The purse was found.  The car is fine.

First Week Itinerary

First Week Itinerary

We get the idea that perhaps this message we must share is important enough to attract the attention of the devil.  So much to share! Such important news!  God is a work in Italy!

Sunday we will be at a Meet and Greet at First Baptist of Elkhart, Indiana (see the rest of our itinerary here.)

From there we will settle in to our mission home for the summer in Grand Rapids.

Here are a few quick prayer requests:

  1. Travel protection
  2. Spiritual protection
  3. Refining our presentation and making good connections
  4. Preparing worship for the Baptist Mid-Missions Family Conference
  5. Keeping connected to people here and Italy

Our theme this year comes from Colossians 4:2–3

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. [3] At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison. (ESV)

Thank you for praying!  We never want to leave home without it!

Five important prayer requests

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Five Important prayer requests:

  1. We had an appointment yesterday at 2PM (8AM EST) in Rome for an important document for our legal status.  Pray that the Perugia officials will accept it. We have spent so much time and resources on this!
  2. My mother has a severe infection on her foot. Pray for wisdom and healing.
  3. As always, please pray for my message! Colossians 4:7-11.
  4. With a little over a month left before our departure we are FAR from ready.
    1. We need Italian Passports.
    2. Completion of the Furlough presentation and sermon.
    3. Wrapping things up here at church and at home.
    4. Packing
    5. Health
  5. Tonight at 7:30 PM (1:30 PM EST) we will meet for our first prayer meeting with Paolo and Beatrice regarding God’s will for a new church plant.  Will you join us in prayer at that time?

Will you join us in prayer at 1:30 pm?
Would you join us every week at that time?
Here are the requests for the prayer meetings:

  1. That God would allow us to train and establish Italian non-missionary pastors.
  2. That God would allow us as a church to determine the location and send workers to the next church plant.
  3. That God would make clear to us HOW he wants us to be involved in training leaders and reaching other cities.
  4. That God would equip us more and more to do His will.
  5. That God would reach all 92 towns in our region (Umbria) with the Gospel.

Thank you for praying!

Keep praying! Prayer is the key.

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Please continue to pray for tomorrow’s service.

This message on prayer from Colossians 4:2-6 has hit me hard.

Prayer is crucial to the future of this church and to God’s glory!
Pray that God will do what only God can do!

In 1995, when the vision fore prayer started and in 2002 when it bloomed God blessed.  We need that same spirit in our church now if this work in central Italy is to go forward.