twelveStone July 2010

Things have been so crazy busy! Which is a good thing but bad because it has been difficult to keep up with correspondence. For that I apologize and thank you for your understanding. I actually wrote a couple updates that I never had the chance to send!
Since there has been so much happening, and since a newsletter was just mailed, I will just update on a couple things and share a few prayer requests.
With the arrival of summer in Italy comes lots of ministry opportunity. One of the highlights this summer was a camp that my GEM colleagues and I have planned for the past year. It was a music camp. As a GEM team we had a number of different hopes resting on this camp. One of mine was that it would help to encourage and give a vision for musical worship to our youth within the churches we are connected with. Each day for the camp I took two of our kids from Monterosi. One of them is the son of one of my Italian brothers (from my adopted family here). This kid is so special to me and it was SO exciting to see him grow and open up during this camp. He has been asking for guitar lessons for at least a year and a half, but his family can’t give them to him. In addition his two uncles who play the guitar haven’t been able to help him learn. This camp allowed him to start learning how to play the guitar. I can’t tell you how exciting it was to see him shed some of his shyness, he even performed for us one night what he had learned! It has been such an encouragement to the church in Monterosi too. They were excited to see the fruit that came from the camp and are looking forward to the possibility of a camp being held again next year!
Over the past few months I have been praying about the possibility of taking on the youth at the youngest daughter church of Monterosi. You may recall me referring to this daughter church as the Civita church. God has defiantly lead in this and with the elders of Monterosi and Civita we have decided that I will take on this group of teens. I am very excited and have high hopes for this group. My greatest desire is to see them grow in unity and maturity so they can be the leaders and role models the Lord wants them to be. I will still be involved with Monterosi and the youth here as well. Please keep me and these kids in your prayers. For me to have a lot of wisdom and discernment. For their growth and unity.
Thanks so much for your love and prayers! It is a really exciting time right now with ministry here. I look forward to sharing more with you all soon!
Praises:
- Successful music camp
- exciting developments in ministry
- good start to healing process from some back issues.
Prayers:
- unity with the youth at the Civita and Monterosi churches
- strength and growth in my own walk with the Lord
- continued healing from some back problems
- preparations for applying to renew my visa: I will be getting documents together and then need to send in the visa application in Sept/Oct. Please pray that the Lord would go before me and that this would be a smooth process this time with no issues. Please also pray that my visa will be renewed for another 2-3 years.
-my parents will be coming in Aug. to visit me. Please pray for safe travels and good time together as a family.

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