Six trains two car rides, one taxi and a bus…and well worth it!
Thank you for praying for my visit to Dr. Riccio. He was impressed with my progress and doesn’t want to see me until April.
I wish I could say that we had deep theological conversations, but he did say that I am well on my way to recovery “If it pleases God”! Pray for the salvation of Dr. Stefano and his family.
And thank you you for praying!
PS I didn’t miss any trains either!
Psalm 127:1-2
[1] Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
[2] It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (ESV)
Yesterday we went to a park with our children to take advantage of the last days of Summerfall (word I just invented to describe our warm October weather).
Noah and Eva have become much more courageous after this summer in America with slides and swings and climbing things.
Cousins at the park
Suddenly, I saw Noah, my normally cautious firstborn, do something I had never seen him do…slide head first at rapid descent down a steep plastic tube with somewhat of a drop at the end. He was proud of himself for stopping before he fully ejected into the unknown below. You should have seen the smirk on his face!
Mom and Dad were a little less impressed…he has a good brain and we hope to keep it inside his head. And keeping his new jeans nice for school would be a plus.
Quite frankly, Melodee and I feel a bit the same way about jumping into this fall; maybe you feel the same way. There are more opportunities than there is time, and we want to be wise about how we commit. That’s why I’ve dropped everything to write you. We need backup!
Can I ask you to pray for seven things?
1. This weekend we have a Bible conference to encourage the church at large with the help our good friends of the Italian Theological Academy.
2. Our ministry has gotten really busy already this fall with Young Couples group, Choir preparations, Staff and Church leader training, Preaching, Discipleship, Melodee teaching English and Piano (she already got to share the Gospel in her first English lesson!!).
3. On a personal level we are trying not to over commit with family, but both Noah (6) and Eva (4) are taking a music class and we’re debating on signing Noah up for a sport to help the arches in his feet (at his pediatrician’s suggestion).
4. Thursday I head to Como to have my regular checkup with my oncologist…it’s an all-day trip there and back for a fifteen minute visit, but well worth it! Pray that I don’t miss any trains and that the appointment will go well.
5. Pray for the salvation of the many people we are in contact with…We share the gospel so often, but there are so many people to reach and so little time! Pray for Holy Spirit’s work!
6. Pray for us as we are praying about the completion of this church plant and about where God would move us, and that God would provide Italians to go plant the next church with us! There are so many cities and towns in Umbria still unreached by the Gospel!
7. Pray for good stewardship of time, energy, money and all our other resources!
I know that your time is precious. Thank you for taking time to read this and especially for praying. There is nothing in the universe that God uses more than your prayers to do His will in this unreached heart of Italy.
Love,
Jon, Melodee, Noah and Eva
P.S. Have you been on our website lately? We have made some fun changes!
You also might want to check out Dann and Liz’s cool new website, with a few recipes to boot!
After hundreds of miles of blessings and smiles, the time has come for us to say our goodbyes.
Tuesday morning we fly back to Italy.
Thank you to all who have made this furlough extra special by your hospitality, your prayers, your encouragement and your gifts.
I’m sorry that we weren’t able to see everyone, but we look forward to seeing many more of you next summer, when we plan on completing the second half of our furlough.
In the meantime, please pray for us. Many challenges lie ahead, but also many opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Keep in touch!
Greetings from Ohio!
This week is the halfway mark of our summer furlough.
We spent this week at the Baptist Mid-Missions annual conference in Elyria. What a great culmination to two months of blessings!
How have we been blessed?
I’m glad you asked!
1. Reconnecting
Reconnecting with all of you who are passionately praying and giving to the ministry in Italy.
The hardest part is always saying goodbye, knowing it will be a long time before we meet again.
2. Making new friends
We are always excited to see how God is working in people’s lives. This week for example we met the brother of a friend we knew from college!
Even Noah made a new BFF!
3. Sharing the spiritual need of Italy.
Ultimately we are here because of our great burden to raise awareness for the great need and harvest awaiting in Italy.
One family (you know who you are!) drove two hours to hear us share!
Tomorrow night we will be speaking to a group of concerned Christians in Columbus, OH.
We have even started scheduling for next summer!
We appreciate our prayers and your faithful giving. God is so good to us, allowing us to have a small part in His perfect plan.
The Whitmans
