Change is not easy, and it always seems to come in times of difficulty.

Dear Praying Partners,

In March, after three years of serving a church in the western area of Rome, in consultation with our leadership, we decided to move on from that ministry to a different area of Rome in need of an evangelical witness. Even with pain in our hearts because of our love for the people we’ve invested in, we are certain this is the right decision.

Now that all of our leadership has weighed in, we are sending this letter to you. The friends we will be partnering with, Lucio and Cristina Stanisci, have been working in the north side of Rome for almost one year. Their desire is to see a gospel-loving church established in a place that desperately needs one. They are excited to have us join them, our leadership is excited, and we are excited.

God was very kind to send a team from Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield VA, where our son Jordan is on staff, to help get to know the needs in the area. Going to the park every day to do a VBS exposed us to those needs. We were encouraged about how the Lord had prepared children and parents for our time there, and are excited to spend ourselves for the sake of the elect that God has prepared to build His church in that area.

But as we said, change often occurs in times plagued with other difficulties.

During this same period, David was diagnosed with severe pulmonary complications. He had been struggling with his health since January, but we had not been aware of the seriousness of his situation. After a long stay in the hospital, God showed his kindness in many was, especially in the continued care of the doctors beyond the normal period of 30 days after discharge. We are grateful for the contacts we made during David’s stay and covet your prayers that our witness would be used by God in His sovereignty. God certainly worked in our hearts and caused us to become more and more dependent on Him.

During these months of convalescence, David was able to continue to write and edit the materials that are published through our ministry. We were blessed with the visits of a couple of families from our home church in the USA. While Loredana did errands (shopped!) with the women, David enjoyed ministry conversations with the men at home. God knew how to make our time profitable.

God continues to use us in the lives of friends who needed to be encouraged and mentored. David has continued to be involved in the ministry in Sicily, even though he was unable to be there. We are planning, Lord willing, to go there a couple of times in the next few weeks. David will be preaching at some baptisms and also meeting the men to encourage and train them.

In all of this, we want to thank you for your prayers. We will be sending another letter soon to give you more information on the “Roma Nord Church Plant.” Keep praying as we look forward to beginning regular church services in October. Right now we live in the opposite side of Rome. It is our plan to move as soon as our lease is out in February. God has been so faithful to us, as we will have been here four years in December.

Our past six months have not been easy, but God has never abandoned us. Step by step, the Lord has shown His meticulous care, largely through many of you who have assured us of your prayers. We are excited for our future, not necessarily because we have it figured out, but because God does!

Thankful for your partnership with us,
David and Loredana

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