Hello everyone, here there is a little update of the last two weeks, from the Basile’s and Jesus Generation.
As everyone knows the 31st of October is Halloween, even though in Italy until a couple of years ago this “peculiar holyday” was pretty much unknown, now it is a very famous occasion for parties and festivals in a special way in schools and among young people.
Without going on details about the origins or the meaning of this celebration, we want to share with you that we were not happy at all when Sofia last year (her first year at preschool), and even more this year told us she wanted to dress like a “little witch” and celebrate Halloween!!
We also have a very important catholic tradition here on the second of November, it is the day when you remember and honour your late relatives by going to visit them at the cemetery bringing them some flowers and praying for them. To thank you for the visit and the love you show to them, during the night they live toys under the beds of the children whom, of course, will wait with great expectation the “day of the dead”
We understood we needed to explain to Sofia why that celebration was wrong but at the same time we should give her something else to celebrate so we thought to start a new festival, we started “the angels day” in which we thank our Heavenly Father for the angels He sends to protect us, for the provision (she found a present under her bed)because He is a good Father, and in which, when she will be a little bit older, we will remember and reflect on all the people who have given their lives for the sake of the gospel (all saints day).
We made together an angel pumpkin and a “paradise cake” (that’s the name of the recipe) which we shared on the Saturday with all the children we were with. The cake was amazing and everyone was so excited about this idea that we decided to organize a bigger party next year for all the children who want to celebrate God instead of dead people or Halloween!!!
This same week there were in Catania about four different conferences for young people,
( this will tell you about the situation of the churches in our city), I was asked to help in one of this with the translation because the speaker invited trough Italy For Christ, was Mike Haman from Healing Church South Louisiana.
This conference had many seminars to equip young leaders and as it was last year it brought a big blessings to everyone was attending. I specifically thank the Lord for it was an opportunity to heal my heart and my relationship with the leaders of the church which was hosting the conference.
I believe God is going to do something special to heal the relationship between the many pastors of the many church that there in Catania.
As everyone knows the 31st of October is Halloween, even though in Italy until a couple of years ago this “peculiar holyday” was pretty much unknown, now it is a very famous occasion for parties and festivals in a special way in schools and among young people.
Without going on details about the origins or the meaning of this celebration, we want to share with you that we were not happy at all when Sofia last year (her first year at preschool), and even more this year told us she wanted to dress like a “little witch” and celebrate Halloween!!
We also have a very important catholic tradition here on the second of November, it is the day when you remember and honour your late relatives by going to visit them at the cemetery bringing them some flowers and praying for them. To thank you for the visit and the love you show to them, during the night they live toys under the beds of the children whom, of course, will wait with great expectation the “day of the dead”
We understood we needed to explain to Sofia why that celebration was wrong but at the same time we should give her something else to celebrate so we thought to start a new festival, we started “the angels day” in which we thank our Heavenly Father for the angels He sends to protect us, for the provision (she found a present under her bed)because He is a good Father, and in which, when she will be a little bit older, we will remember and reflect on all the people who have given their lives for the sake of the gospel (all saints day).
We made together an angel pumpkin and a “paradise cake” (that’s the name of the recipe) which we shared on the Saturday with all the children we were with. The cake was amazing and everyone was so excited about this idea that we decided to organize a bigger party next year for all the children who want to celebrate God instead of dead people or Halloween!!!
This same week there were in Catania about four different conferences for young people,
( this will tell you about the situation of the churches in our city), I was asked to help in one of this with the translation because the speaker invited trough Italy For Christ, was Mike Haman from Healing Church South Louisiana.
This conference had many seminars to equip young leaders and as it was last year it brought a big blessings to everyone was attending. I specifically thank the Lord for it was an opportunity to heal my heart and my relationship with the leaders of the church which was hosting the conference.
I believe God is going to do something special to heal the relationship between the many pastors of the many church that there in Catania.
- Please pray for the real unity would be established again within His body in our city.
Yesterday 4 of November we finally managed to go around the streets of our city, to bring food and blankets to the poor people, but more than this to bring to them a word of encouragement, the message of the salvation and healing trough prayer for their bodies and their souls.
We met together in the afternoon to make an hot meal to give out in individual portions with a bottle of water. We prepared 15 meals to start with and we gave it all out. It was such a special time, we felt God’s presence in a very strong way, He ministered to our Spirit blessing us more than we blessed those people.
Everyone accepted with joy our offer to pray for them and we gave them Christian literature in Arabic for they were almost all Muslim.
We count to go back every two weeks but as you can imagine we need prayers for more volunteers, and more resources (literature to give out), please pray for us and for this new ministry we called “Agape”.
Thanking all of you once again for your love and your commitment toward us we ask you to keep on praying for our family and ministry needs:
Wisdom to use our time (a health rhythm of life) and our money.
An anger bigger every day for His word and the wisdom to share it to others.
Clear directions for the new steps (new place to live, the cafeteria project).
A new car.
Love and Blessing from Sicily
posted by Marco @ 11:43 AM
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