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Greetings!
Can you believe that it is already the end of January!?! It seems like we just finished with the holidays! But, we are settling into the new year and have spent the last few weeks seeking the Lord about His plan for our family during 2012.
One thing that we feel God saying is to use our time wisely while we are waiting to depart for Italy. With that in mind, we have been looking into opportunities to get additional training and practical experience that will help prepare us for our future ministry to Italians. The Lord is opening some doors for us and we will share more soon, but in the meantime please pray that God would lead us to the things He would have us be involved in.
Thank you for standing with us as we follow God's call!
Until All of Italy Hears,
Stephen and Brandy
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Vite Trasformate
Ministry to Human Trafficking Victims in Italy
For the last several years, the Lord has been dealing with my (Brandy's) heart about the issue of human trafficking. This is a major problem around the world and our home city of Atlanta is the #1 city in the US for human trafficking. When Stephen and I visited Italy in 2010, we noticed many prostitutes in the town of Perugia, where we will live during language school. Knowing that we will soon be moving to that city, I was burdened for these women, but felt ill-equipped to do anything about it. Apparently, the Lord has also been working in the hearts of other missionaries in Italy and I was so encouraged to receive an email last month from Ruth Brucato (who serves in Bologna, Italy) about a new ministry to trafficking victims called Vite Trasformate. Please join us in prayer for this newly-formed ministry and the women they are trying to reach. (The letter below has been edited for length.)
My father-in-law, Andy, has been burdened for many years now to reach out to the prostitutes in Bologna with the love of Jesus and he has been praying for them and praying for someone to begin an outreach to them. We moved to Italy in December of 2009. I clearly remember driving up the steep road to our apartment building in Perugia one evening, and as we drove past two prostitutes standing in the freezing cold weather, I thought to myself, "What can I do? I can't just turn my head and look away in sadness".
According to Wikipedia... "Accurate estimates of the numbers of workers in any particular country are hard to obtain, and prone to error and bias. A 2008 report stated that there were some 100,000 prostitutes in Italy." So if three years ago they estimated 100,000 in Italy, there must be many more today and this is in a country of 60 million people!
The Lord has also placed a burden for these women in the heart of a young lady who attends our church, Nuova Vita. Last week, several of us got together to pray and talk about ideas for ministry to these women. We all decided that we needed to just go out on the streets... we could talk, and strategize for months, but until we actually went out, we wouldn't know what it would really be like to interact with these women. I also don't want to make it sound like we went out last minute without much thought. We have been doing a lot of research into prostitution in Italy, human trafficking, and ministries that deal with these issues. We wrote to several people involved in ministry and we took all of their advice and suggestions. We decided we would go out this past Saturday (Dec. 10th).
Saturday afternoon, I went to my room and got on my knees and prayed, "Lord God, I need you to show me that you really do love these women and want to deliver them. If I don't have the full confidence that YOU love them, then I have no reason to be involved in ministry to them. When we're out tonight, prove to me that you love them."
I rose from prayer, still a bit nervous about the evening, but needing to get dinner ready for the kids. After dinner, Mark grabbed our Advent devotional that we're reading with the children. Can you guess the passage for the day? Yep... Joshua 2, the story of Rahab, the prostitute who asked to be saved, and who was chosen to be in the genealogy of Jesus, and honored for her faith in Hebrews 11.
There is no greater proof than that!!
That night I went out with a renewed confidence in God's word and in His love that has delivered ME from slavery. We prepared packets containing bottled water, snacks, and a "io ti amo" post card with a message of God's love and a link to the website ConoscereDio.com (the US site is http://peacewithgod.jesus.net). We got to speak with 9 different women. Every one of them was surprised, but very appreciative of our kindness and the gift. When they asked "why" we said that the gift was in the name of Jesus and we want them to know we don't see them as others see them. It was a beautiful evening and we look forward to going out again.
Would you please join us in prayer that God would deliver these women off the streets and into His safe and secure arms of LOVE?
To God be the Glory for the great things He has done and will do,
Ruthi Brucato |
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FAQ of the Month
Q: Will you have to learn to speak Italian?
A: Yes! Our sucess as church planters in Italy will be greatly affected by our ability to speak Italian fluently, so the first order of business upon our arrival will be to learn Italian. While the kids will learn language in a less structured way by attending Italian public schools and working with a language helper or tutor, we grown-ups will be required to enroll in a formal language school.
Before beginning any ministry activities, all TEAM Italy missionaries move to the city of Perugia for their first year or so to attend courses at Università per Stranieri di Perugia (University for Foreigners Perugia). The university has an excellent program in language and culture and will give us a firm foundation to build on as we begin our ministry to Italians.
In the meantime, we are using tools, such as Rosetta Stone, to learn some basic Italian. This will help us during the first few months in our new home as we settle into a new culture and begin to communicate with our neighbors.
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University for Foreigners Perugia
where we will attend language school. |
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Kids' Korner
As you may remember, we decided to homeschool the kids starting in the fall using an online schooling option. After 4 months, we made the decision that online school is not the best fit for Laynie. Her learning style is better suited to a traditional classroom and she missed the daily interaction with other kids. So after much prayer, we enrolled her in our local elementary school at the beginning of January. She has adjusted beautifully and is doing great academically! Also, because she rides the bus to and from school, it has given us the chance to meet several other families in our neighborhood. Please pray that the Lord will give us opportunities to share the gospel as we get to know them better.
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Bryson is still being schooled at home and recently had to complete a big science project. He decided to try an experiment to see what conditions are optimal for mold growth, so we had sets of moldy bread in various locations in our house. (Gross, right?) Thankfully, they were all sealed up tight in plastic bags! He observed each piece of bread every day for 10 days to see how the mold was growing. Each day, he wrote down his observations and took pictures. At the end of the experiment, he concluded that mold grows best in the dark, as opposed to sunlight or under a lamp. We learned more than we ever needed to know about mold, but Bryson did a great job on his project!
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Setting up his science experiment. |
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Praise Reports
One new family joined our team this month!
We received $200.00 in special gifts since our last newsletter!
God has continued to provide for our living expenses through freelance opportunities. We also will be receiving a large tax refund, which will help sustain us for several months. God is so faithful! |
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Quick Prayer Points
We only need about $1,500 more in monthly support to be able to apply for visas. Please pray for God's continued provision in His timing.
On February 11, the New Hope Church in Casalecchio di Reno, Italy (near Bologna) is hosting a marriage conference. Pray for those who are organizing the conference and that it will be an opportunity for the church to connect with non-believers.
Andy Brucato (a TEAM missionary in Bologna, Italy) recently received permission to hold a regular Bible study in the local prison. Several prisoners have already been saved! Pray that the new believers would be a light to the other inmates and that the Lord would bring revival to the whole prison.
Please pray for Vite Trasformate, the newly developed ministry to human trafficking victims in and around Bologna, Italy. Pray for safety and wisdom for the missionaries and church members as they make contact with prostitutes, give them gifts, and share Christ with them. |
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Status Update
Percentages of Funds Raised To Date:
Monthly Budget: 52%
Outgoing Expenses: 38% |
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Upcoming Events
February 7 - Stephen and Brandy's Anniversary (14 years!!!)
February 14 - Valentine's Day
February 15 - Bryson's Birthday |
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Fun Facts
Coffee
Coffee is very important to the Italians. Supposedly, Venetian traders introduced coffee to the rest of Europe. Starbucks has dramatically changed the coffee culture in the US and even though they use some Italian lingo in their coffee shops, they are miles away from looking anything like a typical Italian coffee shop (called il bar). Coffee in Italy is called il caffè and it's really espresso. Italians do not drink drip coffee. Many Italians enjoy a cappuccino in the morning, but you won't find Italians drinking them the rest of the day. After 11 am, they just have un caffè (a shot of espresso).
The coffee bar is a cultural experience. Italians will generally go to the same bar each day, so everyone seems to know each other. Some people say that the barista is like the local priest because he knows everything about everyone who comes in for coffee. People stand at the bar and "confess" to the barista all that's going on in their lives as they drink their caffè.
The first big rush of people that come in the mornings are business professionals on their way to work. They will usually stand at the bar and get a pastry and a cappuccino. Next you would notice elderly Italians coming in as a part of their normal morning walk and coffee routine. There might also be some mothers with young children arriving around the same time as well. After lunch, il bar will fill up again with people getting their afternoon espresso before they return to work. It truly is a wonderful atmosphere that is a big part of the Italian culture. |
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Stephen and Brandy Verner
TEAM Missionaries to Italy
PO Box 466154
Lawrenceville, GA 30042
Stephen: 706-201-5570
Brandy: 770-837-2846
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