July was a great month of ministry, very busy, however at the same time rewarding. During the summer and winter breaks between semesters we spend a lot of our time during the week working on our new facility for the church & Bible College. This summer the focus has been getting our coffee bar up and running. The picture below is what it looks like up to date. One of the main things that I did on this project was putting the wood up on the wall and the front of the bar. It has been awesome being able to work on something so rewarding. We are planning to have it operational in the next few weeks. This coffee shop will be used every day throughout the semester with the Bible College students. It will also be open on Sunday mornings to serve the church body. It is a great opportunity as well for our college an youth to serve the body of Christ.
Another highlight of July was the baptism we had as a church. Their were five people who publicly confessed their love and devotion to Jesus. It was a powerful moment for me, because I remember when I first moved to Italy three years ago. I spoke like three words of in Italian "ciao, bello, bene." But I remember just sitting in on youth group meetings trying to talk with the kids and hang out with them. Slowly over the years I have been able to build a relationship with them. It was so rewarding to here their love for Jesus. The Lord ministered to me so powerfully through their baptisms and testimony.
Please be praying for the following:
* discipleship in the youth & college groups
* upcoming preparations for the fall semester at the Bible College
* wisdom and finances for church building projects
* Italian driver license (I'm planning to take the theory test in early fall)
* Financial support
* A restful and blessed time with family in the states (I'm headed back home on the 13th of August for a couple of weeks)!