Former
Recently we started a Bible study in the home of one of our members. The purpose was to give basic Bible knowledge to this young-in-the-faith convert. It seemed that as common terms, like “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and “Children of Israel,” were mentioned in sermons, she would be a bit confused as to their meaning. Call it discipleship or whatever you would like, but it just seemed to us that she needed an introduction into the Bible and Christianity. Her brother, who is also a member of our church, is always there, and they invite other members of their family to join us. This has been a rewarding time for me personally. There is something about sitting around a dining room table and opening the Bible and just walking through it. Also, it seems that people are more willing to open up about their faults and fears outside in a smaller setting.
Fruit
During the month of August, two missionaries came to help distribute tracts for the World’s Fair. They came at possibly the least busy time of the year for Italians, but there were still plenty of foreigners downtown. I met a Polish young man named Peter who, after a bit of time, bowed his head and accepted Christ. We were able to pass out many tracts and had a rewarding time of fellowship. Part of their visit included taking a short trip to nearby Piedmont to see and learn about the history of some our Christian heritage, the Waldensians. Not too long ago, the Christians in Italy suffered very much for their faith; today inside one of their old churches, right in front of the pulpit, hung the homosexual flag.
Future
We are currently working on getting some Italian versions of the Bible available in digital format for use with E-Sword. This will help cut time for our own personal use, as well as for other missionaries and those who use the Italian Bibles in E-Sword. The only one currently available for E-Sword is an NIV-like Italian version. As part of this project, it was necessary to understand a bit about the history of the Italian Diodati Bible and be able to put dates with the texts we have found already typed out. I have been able to find several old Bibles in local libraries and take a brief look at them to better understand what we have today. This again was a very rewarding time, and God provided the answers that were sought. With all this looking back, we are ready to look ahead. Pray that the Word of God would be available for the Italian people. It seems that publishers are trying to hold tight to their texts and not make them freely available.
Our family is doing well! William is back to school, and AnnMarie just happily turned four. We are truly blessed. Thank you for all your provisions for us and the Gospel in Italy. May the Lord get the glory due Him!
Missionaries to the people of Italy,
Christopher, Amy, William, & AnnMarie Yetzer