Update from Verona Church planting
Dear Brothers and Sisters, dear Good News (St. Augustine) family,
We are grateful to God for His blessing during this year and thankful for your prayers for us. We write to you in the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic arousing in Europe, sharing with you some grounds of thanksgiving as asking to continue to pray for us in Verona.
On March 16 th me and my wife Alina could finally embrace Nathan. The childbirth took place during the first days of lockdown and I couldn’t remain with them nor visit them in the hospital. We also have to stay alone at home for the next forty days after discharge. It has been tough, especially for Alina, and we have been through difficult moments. But thanks the Lord,after five months we finally have been able to really enjoy for this special gift (Nathan means He Gave). These events provide our church in Vicenza with a sense of joy, gratitude and hope for Verona while we were sadly forced to change our agenda for the beginning of the weekly Sunday service, due to the restrictions imposed to safeguard public health.
After the spring a couple from Verona left communion with the church in Vicenza, receding then also from the church planting project “Verona2020”. But instead of representing an occasion of discouragement, this has led some members from the small group of Veronese, to a deeply engagement with the Scripture looking for awareness and sanctification.
Thankfully, on October 11 th God allowed us to celebrate the first Sunday service in Verona, thus starting the public witness in the city where we live. It has been an emotional and touching Sunday in which we have experienced joy and enthusiasm but also a bit longing for the community we left in Vicenza. Two adult daughters of a family of believers in Verona, have started to attend the Sunday service while we were still in Vincenza, and now one of them is always attending at Verona church. We strongly pray God may save her.
Due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemicwe haven’t rented a place yet, and we can no longer use the civic room given us by the city administration. We continue to celebrate Sunday service in a private place in Verona, providentially put at our disposal from one family, while planning the weekly Bible study in the houses taking turns.
We have just begun, and we see many challenges facing us, but we trust in God sovereignty, providence and favour and also in the power of your prayers.
Thank you very much for your support