What are your mission fields?

Posted on Thursday, March 31st, 2016 by Jonathan
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Before we get in today’s topic, we have an Urgent Prayer request:

It looks like my request for Italian citizenship is in its final evaluation phase.

Please pray!! 

Gaining Italian citizenship would:
1. Guarantee our stay here for as long as possible.
2. Allow me to continue to minister here freely for as long as possible.
3. Allow me to reside in the country I have known as home for my whole life!
4. Permit me to be a dual citizen.

Please pray!!

kids on our streetOne of my favorite moments of the day is driving Noah to preschool.

We talk about what we’re thankful for, I try to model sanctification though my driving (a daily challenge), and I pray for his day.
Last week on our way to school, out of the blue, Noah said: “I want Jesus to be my Savior.” Way to melt a Daddy’s heart!
Of course then he changed the subject to elephants… But I’m so glad he’s thinking!
The more I think about it, the more I think what a tragedy it would be to reach the whole world and neglect the mission field that is closest to home! In some ways you could say that there are several different mission fields that we are called to.  Some are closer than others.

 

What are your mission fields?

In 1st Timothy 2:1Paul reminds us: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,”  He concludes this thought saying (v.4): “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

 

It’s hard to imagine a time in my life when things around the world have seemed less certain.  The world is hurting, but they are looking for solace in all the wrong places.  It is our responsibility to point them to the right place!  While we can talk to them until we are blue in the face, God is the one who opens hearts to respond. So if you’re wondering where your evangelism should start, it should be with  prayer.

 

VillelmaVWe recently lost one of the great prayer warriors in our church.  Villelma, well into her nineties, was one our charter members.  She would pray every day for all of our members, present and past, missionaries and visitors. We have never known the church without her prayers.  Pray that many will heed that sacred call — in Italy, in America and around the world!

Will you carry that torch?

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Baptisms!

Posted on Saturday, February 6th, 2016 by Jonathan
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This morning I got an unexpected call from Roberto. We were supposed to meet this afternoon for discipleship. He couldn’t come because he is sick. Immediately I asked him: “Will you be OK for tomorrow?” His answer: “I’ll be there tomorrow, even if I have 40º degree fever (104º F)”.
You see, tomorrow is not your average Sunday for Roberto…he and nine other people are scheduled to be baptized! He is so excited you would think he was getting married!

teaching

Dann teaching. Roberto is the first on the left.

Tomorrow is the culmination of months of preparation, study, reflection, prayer, and yes, even selection. For the first time aided by our new deacons in the interview process, we are happy to present these candidates to the congregation and to their unsaved relatives and friends. They will stand in front of a crown of potentially 150 people to share their faith in Christ and follow him through the waters of baptism.

Honestly, our part has been minimal. God has done the saving, the believers in our church have done the witnessing and my colleague/brother-in-law/friend Dann Ransom has done most of the preparation.
God is so good!

Please take time today to pray for these baptisms.

Pray for:
1. Clear testimonies and preaching.
2. Good health, especially for Roberto.
3. Good attendance.
4. More people to come to faith because of tomorrow.
5. For God to be exalted in His church!

Thank you for taking time and being part of this great event through your prayers, through your giving, though sharing with others the vision of what God is doing in Italy!

Jon, Melodee, Noah and Eva

Whitmans Christmas Portrait 2015
P.S. Make sure you connect with us through Facebook and Twitter too for quick prayer requests and news throughout the month!

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Merry Christmas from the Whitmans!

Posted on Thursday, December 24th, 2015 by Jonathan
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Merry Christmas from the Whitmans!

Whitmans Christmas Portrait 2015

We thank God for you this Christmas season!  Thank you for sticking with us through thick and through thin!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Whitmans

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Happy Thanksgiving from the Whitmans!

Posted on Thursday, November 26th, 2015 by Jonathan
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There is so much to be thankful for, despite the difficult days in which we live in.

Here are a few thing we are thankful for:

  1. We are thankful for our Savior!  God in his mercy reached down to you and me and made us his!
  2. We are thankful for you!  We don’t take you for granted…not even for a minute.  We are able to do what we do because of your prayers, your gifts, your encouragement.
  3. We are thankful for all God is doing in Italy! 

I want to keep this short so you can go enjoy your family and your turkey, but in case you want a few more details, I will put them at the end.

Italy, along with the rest of Europe is shaken up by the events of Paris.  We talk about what it means to live in this new world.  If you think about it, Paris is closer to Perugia than Grand Rapids, Michigan is from some of our furthest supporting churches!

Despite the uncertainty in which we live today, there is so much to be thankful for and much for which we are certain.

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
(Deuteronomy 33:27a ESV)

What more can we ask for?

We are blessed!  We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Jon, Melodee, Noah and Eva

Exciting times at the Centro Evangelico Battista

Sunday we had our own Thanksgiving festival at our church.
The Italians wanted it.  My Dad showed a PowerPoint sharing some highlights of what God has been doing at the Centro Evangelico Battista in these many years.  The Italians shared all that they were thankful for.  They thanked God for their salvation, for bringing them out of the darkness. They thanked my parents for serving them for over forty years.  They even thanked Melodee and me for our small part in their lives!

God is doing amazing things in our new small groups!
Our group has chosen to have a meal together once a month.  Last time we met our family was sick, but it went well even without us!  Our believers are really opening up in the groups and inviting their friends. Half of the group even showed up for the funeral of the father in law of a member of our group.

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Three undeniable answers to your prayers for Italy

Posted on Sunday, November 8th, 2015 by Jonathan
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Last night, as I led the deacon training time, I looked around the room and was struck by how committed and engaged these men were, even at 10:30 pm!
God truly does work, despite the challenges and even through the challenges he brings about in our life and ministry.

I apologize if in my last letter you sensed desperation or dismay.  My goal was to help you pray more earnestly, and certainly not to make you feel sorry for us!

Someone said: “If you don’t feel inadequate or overwhelmed you are not working at something only God can do!”

God is doing things only He can do here. Here are
Three undeniable answers to your prayers for Italy:

1. You prayed for Noah’s adjustment.
Noah and EvaEvery morning on our way to Noah’s preschool, I take time to pray with Noah for his day.  One thing he ALWAYS asks me to pray for is that the new teacher will not yell at him (She is an old school Italian educator.).  Today after I prayed, he mumbled something from the back seat.  When I didn’t understand, he got a little frustrated with me: “I want to pray too!”  If that does not melt a parent’s heart, what does?  God is working in Noah’s heart!

2. You prayed for the trials of missionaries to Italy.

  • The Standridges and the the other missionary family I mentioned are both scheduled to return!  Please pray for them!
  • Sunday my Dad will begin his regular preaching, just in time for the Christmas season!

Praise God for working in their lives!

3. You prayed for our ministry.
(Here is where the letter risks getting too long!!)
Witness:
funeralMonday I was able to read Psalm 121 and pray at the graveside of the aunt of Serenella.  (Serenella is the sister in Christ that found me the Oncologist in Milan, just as a frame of reference.)
It’s remarkable that God allowed me to share at all. Just moments before, at the funeral, the priest has verbally abused Serenella’s family for trying to “lead this woman astray from the one catholic faith!”

Youth:
youth puzzle activityGod is working in their hearts.

  • A few weeks ago, the youth hosted the church on our regular Friday night  and we put together 2000 Bible calendars to give out in the Christmas season!  It’s a new record!

 

  • Youth puzzle activityWe have been studying shorter books of the Bible every Friday evening and have seen them get more engaged.  One girl has also been bringing a friend!

 

 

Maturing the church to independence:

After so many years of sacrifices, we are making great strides toward our long sought after goal of forming an autonomous local Baptist church.

Jon preaching

  • We have begun monthly deacon training meetings.
  • We have started small groups in the homes as a way to equip leaders and foster community.
  • We are training more worship leaders.
  • Melodee has almost completed her second course of music training for members.
  • For our Christmas program we translated and are working on Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus (praise or prayer request?).  Just a few years ago we couldn’t even get the choir to harmonize!

There is so much to be grateful for!  

Exciting things are not happening  despite the trials, but through the trials!  Walls are being knocked down (literally, as the church building is undergoing the next step of the long-term remodeling process) because God is doing so much!

Do you realize that in God’s sovereign plan he has used YOUR prayers and your giving to make all of this happen?
Thank you for making a difference!

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