From the Collesanos – June 3, 2012
April showers bring May flowers except if you live in Belpasso. Sicily’s Mt. Etna has had 12 or 13 eruptions since the beginning of the year. It’s beautiful to see and it reminds us Who is in control of creation! Who is in control of our lives and of those whom we come in contact with on a daily basis.
Like the lava that flows or the steam that comes from different vents in the volcano, so too God’s love is flowing out from many different venues around us. We have been working hard with many groups in order to provide for those in need.
In doing this, we know “it pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” I Tim.2: 4 NIV. And we are accomplishing this by the translating, printing and distribution of materials for the sole purpose of evangelization in Sicily.
What a glorious help this material has been. Thank you ELIM. Sicily offers marvelous and rich volcanic soil to produce olives for oil, lemons, oranges, nut trees and vegetables to sell to help support the ministry so that it will not be a financial burden to anyone.
It also gives us the opportunity to help in areas that have been struck by floods, earthquakes, mudslides, etc. The needs are met through collection of food and clothing and the distribution to those who have lost everything.
We are even preparing this weekend to take these goods to the area outside of Bologna that was devastated by the recent earthquakes.
AMARI MIDDLE SCHOOL in the town of Scordia is where our neighbor Francesca teaches math. She made it possible for Giuseppe to meet with the principal and show her the literature that he would like to give to the 400 students that attend there; and the possibility of returning with the chapel praise team to do an all school event.
Pray that she will allow this to happen before school ends in a few weeks in June. Our involvement with PWOC and PMOC continues to be a blessing for us and continues to be another avenue for more outreach in both the American and Italian communities in the area. They are the praise team that Giuseppe plays with at the Christian Pub.
And on the horizon is the possibility of hosting SPLATMINISTRIES for a month in July/August this year. Please pray for this outreach that God would lead us to the right churches to host an event and that he would prepare the souls that need to hear the gospel.
Pray also for our church here in town, Chiesa Evangelica, that they would be willing to do an all-town outreach using Marc and his artistic talent to share God’s love. Another exciting venture for us is to open a coffee house in cooperation with the Base chapel.
This is still in the talking and planning stages, but it is something that Pennie and her friend Charlene have been praying about doing for some time and now it seems that God may be bringing this about for us.
Our scope is to have a place where we can be an encouragement and also a blessing to the single military personnel stationed on Sigonella. FAMILY NEWS: We are excited to announce along with Josh, Rachel and Emery that their family will be adding a new member this December.
Please pray for Rachel’s health and the health of the new baby. We thank God for the way he continues to use both of them for his service. We are also excited to announce that Cristina will be coming to visit us for a month in June/July, then she returns to Michigan to begin training with the Macomb Police Academy. Pray that she will be safe and that after graduation she will find a job.
She is also very involved in the Detroit church by the University and with the worship team at WBC Troy campus. Ben and Aly celebrate their 1-year anniversary in July. We are happy to see how God has blessed their marriage this first year and how he continues to use them for his purpose.
Ben was made night shift supervisor at Trevco, which means a raise in pay and extra time to be home with Aly. Aly continues on with her studies and adjusting to being a new wife and homemaker. Pray for them both as they learn to juggle their time and their individual responsibilities. Thank you again for your encouragement and support of us as a couple in ministry here in Sicily.
Please continue to keep our entire family in your prayers, as it is not easy being separated from each other. We would love to have you come and check out what we are doing and where we live. Our door is always open, and the water is always ready to boil for a dish of pasta! To God be all the glory and praise!
Giuseppe and Pennie Collesano
Partnering with Italy for Christ
P.S. A couple of urgent prayer requests:
1. The Modena/Bologna area that was hit by a number of earthquakes last week and again this wee. Many people have lost their homes and are living in tent cities. This is the area that we worked in in the 80’s and we have many friends and contacts that have been affected by this earthquake.
2. Another trucker’s strike is being planned for a week in July. Pray that this won’t have to happen again as it made it very difficult to get diesel for the car and to buy food since they were not allowed to be transported to the island for the ten days that they were striking.