The warm weather lingered a bit longer this fall, but we are grateful, since the expenses of heating have been high for all Italians and most of Europe. We have had a few more visitors and contacts than normal. A young Brazilian college student visited us, as well as an Italian man and his Peruvian wife. I also received a phone call from some looking for premarital counseling, a first for this type of phone call here in Italy. A Brazilian lady has been coming for many months now. She adds a gleeful touch to our church family, as well brought several visitors and is seeking for opportunities to minister to people.
Typically, out soul winning, we are confused for being Jehovah’s Witnesses, and most people will not give us the time to talk. Here are the responses we got one Saturday from those willing to respond with any type of communication. First, we met a man from India, who graduated from a university in Milan but lives and works in Germany. He brought his parents to Milan “to show them the university,” and he said, “The town that gave me life.” A little while later, we met an elderly Italian man who declared, “I don’t believe in God.” Not long after that, a young high school student proudly stated, “I am an atheist.” Then two men sitting on a bench said, “We are Muslims.” We seek to share the Gospel with everyone and encourage them to believe it. At the train station, I met a 16-year-old young man with a sweater that said, “Ye must be born again!” Since we were both heading to the same train, we sat together, and he shared how none of his family believes in God except him.
After almost 14 years of intermittent work and several thousand dollars, Amy and the three children are now officially Italians!! In September, the city hall called us in to tell us the good news and have Amy sign a few documents. We still have not gotten any IDs, but at least we have confirmation and can be finished with that step of the process.
For those who have been reading our updates, you know that our housing situation has been a need for more than a year. The Lord answered our prayers through our parents, who gave us more than half of the down payment for a house. We made an offer in early September and have been waiting on paperwork to get done before the bank will start to make their evaluation. We have started packing boxes, but it still looks like we will not have access (if everything gets approved) before the end of our current contract. Our landlord is allowing us to stay an extra two months. Praise the Lord!! We are doing what we can to put all of our funds together in order to afford the rest of the down payment, taxes, realtor and broker fees, moving expenses, etc.
The one main thing that we are asking you to pray with us about is a vehicle. We have never owned a vehicle in Italy, but with the house being in a town a bit outside of Milan, it will be necessary now to have a vehicle to travel into Milan. We have put some of our things up for sale. Please pray that these sell quickly and that we will be able to purchase a vehicle sufficient to transport our family and at least one other church member and soul winner who moved out of town as well. Milan, like many European cities, has plans to deny access to many vehicles, so our choices are somewhat limited. We have, however, seen a used van that would work for us for about $10,000. This will be the only time we write about this except for to praise God for His provisions and answers to our and your prayers.
Missionaries to the people of Italy,
Christopher, Amy, William, AnnMarie, and Charlotte Yetzer