One Week

Whew! That was a crazy two weeks! Teams have come and gone and we have now had a week to rest and recuperate. There were puppet shows, arts and crafts, soccer, praise and worship, cardboard testimonies...and the list goes on. Despite all the busyness, Charlie made time to take us to The Amalfi Coast one afternoon. It was beautiful! And, very nice to have an afternoon with friends enjoying some scenery. Numerous people heard the Truth (some for the first time) over these past two weeks while the teams were here. Please pray that these people would be open to the Word and hungry for more. Pray for soft hearts and boldness to ask questions and make decisions.
Last Sunday, we visited a church that is in our neighborhood. We were welcomed from the minute we stepped in and encouraged to return. We really enjoyed the fellowship and hope to return next week. In Italy, August is a huge vacation month. A lot of shops close up for a few weeks. Families all leave to go on vacation. From what we've been told, it's almost a ghost town in August. The church in our neighborhood will have services next Sunday, but they will be closed for the month of August. Please pray for the pastors at this church and the body of believers. Pray for strength and perseverance and discipline in staying connected in the Word while they are not meeting in August.
We have one week before we head out to Germany for a meeting. The meeting will last a week. During this next week we will be packing up and preparing, not only for the meeting in Germany, but also for returning to the states. Please pray that during these next couple of weeks our minds would be focused on Christ alone and not the world spinning around us. Please pray that our hearts would be prepared for this meeting and our bodies would be prepared for all the travel coming up.
Once we return to the states, we will be immediately starting the visa process. Please be in prayer for the person behind the counter at the Consulate. Pray for a soft heart and openness. Please pray that we would have servant's hearts and be able to approach the counter with humility and kindness. We love and miss you all!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Hey everyone! Our team is geared up and ready to start a couple of really busy weeks. We have several people coming and going throughout the next two weeks. One group arrived on Saturday and will start ministry today. Please be praying for Christ-like attitudes and flexibility for each of the people in this group.
Also, this week Shannon is hosting an English VBS for the kids in her oldest daughter's class. Please be in prayer, not only for the kids that will be hearing the Good News, but for the parents who will be hearing it from their kids. Also, please pray for extra patience and blessings on Shannon and MacKenzie as they teach 10 children about the love of Christ. This Friday there will be an open house for the kids to show their parents all the crafts that were made throughout the week. Please be in prayer on Friday specifically for the parents to have open minds and hearts.
There are two girls that arrived yesterday and are here for the summer. Their names are Cassie and Victoria. They will be in language school in the mornings and out in the community in the afternoons. Since they are only here for two months, please pray for their minds to be open in language school and that the language learning process would be quick and easy for them.
Please continue to pray for the Neapolitan family mentioned in the previous post. The first group will be having dinner at this family's house on Wednesday evening. Please pray all day on Wednesday for the group members to have respectful Christ-like behavior and be polite and eat what is set in front of them. Also, please continue to pray for the salvation of this sweet family. Please pray that the family will have soft hearts and be able to see Christ in each of us and the members of the group that is visiting.
On Thursday, another big team arrives to start ministry. Please already be in prayer for this team to have humble hearts and lots of energy. They will be here for a week doing ministry fast and hard!
Last, please pray specifically for each person on our team here in Naples: Charlie and Shannon; Paul and MacKenzie; and us (Jason and Emily). We are all going to be very busy these next couple of weeks and each of us need an extra dose of energy and patience. Please be in prayer for our attitudes to be Christ-like and our hearts to be open to what God is teaching us these next couple of weeks.