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Outreach in Sicily – April 2013
Thank You Thank You for your prayers, words of love and encouragement, and financial support to our ministry here in Sicily and to us personally. God has been faithful and has seen fit to use us in furthering his love and gospel to the lost that live on our island.
Amy Stevens included Sicily in her 3-week European Tour and what a blessing she brought to us personally and to our American-Italian communities. Her flight arrived late into Catania, which meant once we picked her up at the airport, took her to her lodging where she had basically 15 minutes to refresh and change her clothes, she was jetted off to Chiesa Abundant Life, where God gave us such a blessed and unique experience worshipping in Italian and English! Her testimony and words of encouragement to this community of believers was overwhelmingly used 10-fold in each of those in attendance.
Friday – Saturday God used her at the Sigonella Naval Air station Chapel through song and testimony to once again remind each in attendance of God’s blessings, wisdom and truth in each of our lives. We had the opportunity to host the Giuseppe Murabito family at the service who then in turn, hosted us at their house for homemade schiaciata! Sicilian specialty bread filled with all kinds of yummy ingredients!
Sunday morning she was back at the chapel for the Traditional service and Sunday night found her in Pastor Giuseppe Murabito’s church in Catania, where once again, we had an awesome-blessed time worshipping God in dual languages! Giuseppe (Collesano) translated her message, which involved words and motions to remind us of God’s greatness in our lives.
Artichoke Festival in Ramacca – Sagra del Carciofo
This festival celebrates one of the largest artichoke-producing towns in Italy. Historic chronicles tell that, in the 16th century, noblewoman Catherine de Medici brought with her chefs and artichokes to the French court, when she moved there after marrying King Henry II of France. They are very healthy and delicious. They are also the main source of employment in Ramacca, alongside oranges, olives, cereals, legumes and vineyards.
During the 3 day festival God opened a small window of opportunity for us to take our literature rack full of Good News and share with the people who came to the festival. Giuseppe had the opportunity to preach at one of the evangelical churches in the town on Sunday morning. All in all, it was a great experience and now we pray for the 200 Children’s Coloring book Bible and another 1500 pieces of literature that were taken. A lady named Giusy took one of the Children’s Bibles and she called today to say that she had taken her copy to her son’s school principal asking if they could order enough for each child to have a copy, but because of the fact that it is a Christian book, both Catholic and Muslim parents strongly voiced their objection to having them passed out to the students, so Giusy decided that she is going to make copies of the pages from her son’s Bible and give them to the children who are allowed to have them. Giusy is not a believer, but she believes that it is a good thing to share the word of God and to evangelize others. As you can see, there is still much work to be done in the lower grade schools!
New Market in Catania
God has opened another door for us to go once a week to a market in the city of Catania where along with yet another Giuseppe, we are allowed to share with the people who come to look at our display and to hand out free literature to them. Pray for the many people and families who are being touched through this literature distribution. And keep in prayer the small but faithful evangelical churches in the Catania Province that God will bless their ministry and that he will add to their numbers.
Blessings to All,
Giuseppe and Pennie Collesano
Partnering with Italy for Christ
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