Update Italy Report 6/26/17
Dear saints,
The Lord is moving, life is flowing, and there is organic growth in the church in Milan. Week by week there are many new faces in the meetings. Young people invite their classmates; young adults invite their roommates or friends; and the saints invite their gospel friends. Praise the Lord for organically increasing the Body. May the Lord supply the saints to continue to shepherd the sheep. May their fruit remain in the church life.
There are 7 new married Italian couples that are being shepherded into the church life in Milan. Five of these couples are half Italian, one is full Italian, and one couple is Spanish. Two of these Chinese/Italian couples have opened their homes to be shepherded. We hope that eventually these couples would open their homes to shepherd others. One of these Italian couples has joined our Thursday night home meeting with another new Chinese/Italian couple for 3 times. Thank you Lord for brining all these new couples. May the Lord gain these Italian open homes.
May the Lord doing something in the City of Como (1 hour North of Milan). An older couple from a church in Japan that will be moving there for work this September. We hope the Lord can use this couple to shepherd the situation there in Como. Some Italian new ones from a free group (40 Italian) are a little open to fellowshipping with the saints in Milan. 2 of them plan to participate Lord’s day meeting in Milan. There is also a Italian new sister from Como who was meeting with the church in London for half year but still needs to be shepherded into the church. May the Lord have way to gain His testimony in Como, Italy.
We also need to pray that the Lord would raise up many golden lampstands throughout Italy. There are at least 21 localities that have some saints but no lampstand. (Majority are Chinese saints) Five of these cities (Prato, Fucchecio, Torino, Vicenza, and Naples) have over 20 saints. The saints in Prato and Fuchecio are burdened to have a prayer meeting and young peoples’ meeting during the week. May the Lord shepherd the saints and release the saint’s schedules during the week.
Prayer burdens:
1. Please pray for raising up golden lampstands in Prato, Fucchecio, Torino, Vicenza and Naples.
2. Please pray for raising up many leading and responsible brothers in Italy.
3. Please pray for the shepherding of all these new Italian couples in Milan.
4. Please pray for these free groups, especially in Naples and Como.
5. Please pray for completion of meeting hall in Rome and new meeting hall in Milan.
6. Please pray for immigration visas for full timers in Italy.
