Never Disappointed with God

 

 

[dropcap4 variation=”coprper”]O[/dropcap4]ur attitudes, responses, words and actions reflect our attitude towards God Himself. At the time, we may feel we are responding to people or circumstances, but in reality we are always responding to the hand of God in our life. We are so grateful for the work God is doing in our lives and for the way He is using us in ministry. We need to remember that all ministry is God’s ministry and depend on Him for both the opportunities and the results.

We are also grateful for our board members Ron Pierre, Don Mitchell and our pastor Jerry Wragg, as they shepherd us. All are recognized leaders in their respective churches and are serving faithfully. Their hearts for ministry in Christ was evident during our last meeting, in February. Cornelius Ministries also acknowledges the leadership of the elders of Grace Immanuel Bible Church. Our mission depends on the leadership of the local church and is committed to only taking part in ministries that are local church orientated, as well.

Meanwhile, we are embracing the publishing ministry in Italy that we have been involved in for many years. David will continue to manage the ministry that Bill and Maria Teresa Standridge started almost 60 years ago: The Associazione Verità Evangelica, which has published and distributed many books. Some have been written in Italian by Bill and Maria Teresa, and many have been translated by them from English to Italian. And as a result, the works of authors such as John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Steve Lawson, Jay Adams, Larry McCall and others have been of great help to the local churches all over Italy. There is great and ongoing need for such translation of sound pastoral books because of the lack of these very useful resources in Italian.

Our desire to come alongside the local churches in Italy continues, and we are excited to begin our plans and prepare materials to help the elders of these small churches learn how to study the Bible and how to draw out its implications for their flocks.

God opened an opportunity for us to go to Haiti for five days in February. What a privilege to see the Gospel-centered work that Baptist Haiti Mission is doing, and to be able to encourage the missionaries that are laboring there. Watching the work of God in a country so different from Italy was both an encouragement and a motivation to be faithful in the ministry to which God has called us!

Would you like to know how to pray for missionaries? God gave David the privilege of preaching the closing message at Grace Immanuel Bible Church’s Annual Missionary Conference in early March. We invite you to listen to it online, as you pray for us. The message is titled “Support for the Missionaries Begins with Prayer”. You can listen to it HERE.

We do, indeed, need your prayers as we depend on God for wisdom in ministry and for our needed additional monthly financial support. We trust God to continue to direct us and to direct you, our faithful prayer partners.

Serving Christ, the Lord,

David and Loredana