Mike Langley visits California!

We were recently blesssed to see and spend time with Mike Langley. It was a wonderful surprise for us to see him, the relationship that we have established with the Langley family over the last few years has been a blessing to us. Our kids speak often of Tyler and Maddie, they have many fond memories with them, as well as Cindy has been such a blessing to Sandra.

Mike is a sailor in the Navy, he was here attending a conference for work related activities. We found out from Cindy that he was going to be here in So Cal for a week. We were so glad the we had the opportunity to take Mike to Pizza Port in Carlsbad, Hands down, one of the best pizza places in California. We spent the afternoon with Danny and Michelle from S.E.N.D. Ministries, Danny was also a sailor at one point. After having pizza we took Mike to one of our favorite hangouts in Carlsbad. We went to Kafana's Java House, where we spent some time doing some good 'ole fellowshipping.

We ended the evening worshiping together at Calvary Chapel Oceanside's mid-week service. Overall, we had a great time with Mike reflecting on all the wonderful memories that we shared from Okinawa. For all of you guys in Okinawa, I am a bit dissappointed at the news that their haven't been any trips to the Ofurro (Japanese bathouse). Maybe when we come to visit in June.

Fellowship at Calvary Chapel Whittier!

Sorry! I know that we haven't updated in sometime, but our internet access has been extremely limited. We are doing well, we have been in the states for almost 2 weeks, Wow! Has time flown by. We have been real busy reconnecting with friends, familie and churches.

We have been so blessed by all the fellowship with many friends here in California. It has been a blessing to see all that the Lord is doing in peoples lives here in So Cal.

This passed Sunday we fellowshipped with Pastor Alvin, and the body at CC Whittier. The saints at CC Whittier showed us abundant love as I was able to share from God's Word with the Body. We are so encouraged by all the people who have been praying for us, without even knowing us. It was great to connect with all of those faithful prayer warriors who have been interceeding on our behalf. We look forward to our continued fellowship with our friends at CC Whittier.

Please! Continue to pray for our time here in the states. I will be keeping busy serving at different churches here in California. Sandra and the kids stay busy with homeschool stuff suring the day. We thank everybody for the prayers that have been made on our behalf. We give all glory unto the Lord as He honors all those prayers.

Off to the states we go!

Greetings friends and family! Well, we are off to the states again to take care of our visa paperwork. Otherwise we are doing well.

We were blessed with the opportunity to spend the day in Venice prior to leaving Italy. We had a wonderful time together as a family, although we did quite a bit of walking while we were sightseeing. Their were crowds of people so it took a while to get anywhere. We were able to enjoy soem pizza, pasta and Gelatto

While we are in the states we will be in California and New Mexico visiting family. We will also be visiting various Calvary Chapels in California and New Mexico, the Lord has opened up some doors for me to share from God's Word. Please keep us in your prayers while we are away.

Koinonia Fellowship Visits Italy

Team New York

Dave teaches while Craig translates

Worship in Feltre

Pastor Dave and his wife Marianne

Carlo shares passionately with some locals

Recently we were paid a visit by a team from Calvary Chapel Koinonia Fellowship from Rochester, New York. We had a great time getting to know the team. It is incredible, the unity that we find in Christ, as the last of them departed back to to the states this morning it was difficult to say good bye. We are so blessed that as believers we are in a very literal sense brother and sisters in Christ. We were blessed to host Pastor Dave Barbero and his wife Marianne at our home, they were a tremendous blessing and encouragement to Sandra and I. We had the opportunity to pick their minds in regards to parenting, ministry and personal testimonies and workings of God in our lives.

They arrived in Italy almost 12 days ago, they spent some time visiting Calvary Chapels throughout Italy. Their journey started in Rome, then to Treviso with mark and Renata and they finished their trip in Montebelluna and Feltre.

We did some evangelical outreaches, planting some seeds in the hearts of many people. We look forward to seeing the fruit of those seeds that were planted. Continue to keep those things in your prayers with us. Pray for the team, many of them went home with a lot to pray about. We would love to see the Lord raise up more people with a heart to see Italians come to know the truth about Christ, to be set free from religion and find an everlasting relationship that is offered through Christ. I want to close with a quote from Ravi Zacharias, "Sometimes religion can be the greatest stumbling block for people to find true spirituality."

Fasting and Praying in Montebelluna

Craig leading worship!

Vincenzo exhorting the group from the Word

This past Saturday the church held a day of fasting and praying for the community and favor with the incoming local government. They are having city elections here in the next couple of months. Some officials show more favor to Evangelicals than others, so we pray that the incoming government will show the church great favor as we are looking for property to build on.

It was a blessed day as we worshiped and prayed from 10:0am to 4:00pm. Please pray for the city of Montebelluna as the elections get closer and closer. Their is some property that the church is looking at right now, by the grace of God and His sovereignty the church could be approved by the city officials to purchase it and begin a new building project.

Treviso Trip!

Hey everybody, a couple of weeks ago we had another opportunity to visit Treviso and see Mark and Renata Nigro. They have been a huge blessing to us and a huge encouragement. They have been in Treviso for almost 2 years, he was sent out of Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in NJ. Mark works part time teaching english.

We spent the day with them and a few hours conversating with some of Mark's English students, a young Italian couple that Mark has been teaching for some time now. Teaching English is great way to meet people as well as be immersed within the community, it is also a great ministry.

Please pray for Mark and Renata as they continue to serve the Lord in Treviso, Italy. You can also read more about them in the new Calvary Chapel Magazine.

Micah and Damian in Sicily

Mt Etna in Sicily

Sicilian coast

Hey everybody! Please pray for Micah and I. We are in Sicily connecting with some old friends and arranging shipment of several boxes that we have down here. We have been blessed by Dave Kelly and his family, they have been very helpful and hospitable.

We will be leaving here Thursday afternoon to head back home to the family in Montebelluna. Also, please pray for Sandra, Hannah and Silas as they stay near the river and watch the gear for us.

Calvary Chapel Feltre Church Dedication

The historical center of Feltre

Craig leads the service in worship

Lunch after Sunday morning service with David and Inga Lille

This past weekend we were blessed to be able to dedicate the new church in Feltre. We were joined by Daivd and Inga Lille Guzik who direct Calvary Chapel Bible College Siegen Germany. We had a wonderful time of fellwoship with them, they were very loving and encouraging. It was also a blessing to hear a message in english for the first time in nearly two months.

The Lord is doing a wonderful work in Feltre, it is the first evangelical witness that this historical city has ever seen. It has a very rich historical heritage and we are excited to see the spiritual heritage that the Lord is going to build. It is a city not far from Trento, for those who are familiar with the Council of Trent.

Please pray for the believers in Feltre, that the Lord would bring the right man to love and lead this body in this mountain town as they are still without a pastor. Also pray for the city that the Spirit of God would stir the hearts of the people living their and give them a hunger for the Word of God and love of Christ.

Hanging out...

David and Lorenzo having a cafe

Sandra planting a few flowers

In the book of Acts, the second chapter we are told that the church was giving place to the apostles doctrine, breaking of bread, prayer and fellowship. The church wasn't just a church but a community of people that loved Jesus, and loved each other. In Collosians, Paul recognizes that the believers there had a great love for one another and it was known by the hospitality that they showed one another, thsir is much to be said about hospitality as you read through Paul's Epistles.

As the Lord has blessed us with a house, big enough to facilitate ministry and people, it is our desire to use it for His kingdom, for the building of a community of believers that can grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and His Word together, a community founded upon la Verita (the Truth). Please pray that we would be sensitive to the Lord as He leads us and guides our lives here and th ministry He desires us to do.

Wednesday Market

Greetings!

Just wanted to send out a quick update. We are doing well, I have posted some pictures of the Wednesday Market that we do some of our shopping at on. Most of the bigger cities in Italy have something similar every morning. At the bigger ones you can find a lot of items made from the finest Italian leather, spices and all different kinds of things. However the smaller cities do it once a week. I think this one travels around all week to the smaller cities. They are fun to just walk around and check things out.

In these markets you can find just about everything you need from underwear to gardening tools even a bit of horse meat for lunch for all the horse meat lovers. Most Italians buy a lot of their daily use items at these markets, you can but things much cheaper. Sandra and I bought some flowers that she planted in the front yard this week. We are also in the process of planting a vegetable garden, kinda funny. It is something I never really pictured myself doing, planting my own garden.

Otherwise we are doing well, thanks for all your prayers.

New housed is coming along...

The before and after pictures of our kitchen in progress

Sandra preparing one our first meals in the new house!

The monkey's are having a snack!



Our living room

The kids bedroom

Silas, being Silas, isn't he cute!

Kids being kids

Hi Everybody just wanted to quickly update with some of the new pictures as the house comes along.

The Lord has been gracious in providing everything that we have needed. Please pray for our future as we continue to move forward by faith, I pray that you are blessed by the pictures.

Praise the Lord, We found a house!

Pastor Craig working on the kitchen cabinets.

A rear view of the house

A front side view, with the gas man hooking up our heaters.

Sandra and Silas taking it easy.

David putting together a dresser.

Micah got tired from all the cleaning and destroying he did.

Hannah fighting her sleep, she is supposed to be taking a nap.

A picture of our back yard and parking area.


Sorry! It has been a while since we have emailed or updated our blog. The truth is we have been so busy with getting our new home ready for us to move in. We haven't been to the library. We thank everybody for their prayers in regards to finding a home.

It's really a unique thing in Italy, whenever you move into a house their is literally nothing in it. It is completly empty. We've had to install everything needed to live; including a toilet paper holder and lights. When we walked in their was nothing but wires hanging from the ceiling. So above are pictures of us getting the house ready for move in. Today I am going to pick up our new refrigerator.

We have been so blessed by David and Craig as they have labored with us all week long. The kitchen that was installed by Craig has taken the longest and has been most difficult part. It has to be completely constructed, all we had was boards and screws to start with.

Sandra and the kids stayed busy cleaning windows and heating radiators that mount to the walls, while David and I put together furniture. We went to Ikea in Padova and bought some of the basic necessities for us to live.

We thank everybody for their love and support as we have taken this step of faith we truly feel like everybody has stepped with us and are right along our side. The last week has been probably the most difficult week for us since we arrived in Italy. We are coming to the realization that this is now our home. We are truly honored and blessed that the Lord allows us to serve Him here.

This week I have been blessed to share God's Word with the two churches here in this area. Pastor Craig asked me to teach his Wednesday night service here in Montebelluna and Thursday night in Feltre. It is always a blessing to encourage the believers here in Italia. Please keep our Visa situation in your prayers, we still haven't received the required documents, also pray for Carlo Nicolo who will be arriving here in Motebelluna with his family to serve here as well.

We pray that you guys enjoy the pictures as the Lord has proven Himself faithful time and time again, be blessed.