Jan-Feb 2003 (Year 4, Number 3)
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“Dear children, let us not love with words or
tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John
3:18
News Tidbits
1. It’s a green light at the intersection! On 24 February, we finally opened the doors to our youth center called “L’Incrocio” (The Intersection). We’ve had a great response so far with several coming by each afternoon. It is a “safe” place where youth can come to spend time with friends, use a computer, listen to music, read, study, or just get away for a while. Weekly activities will include English lessons, basic computer skills courses, movie night, cooking classes, and a Bible exploration/discussion time. Our guest room has been converted into a computer lab with a mini-network of three computers available for youth to use. Those who have come all want to know if they can bring their friends by to meet us. What a perfect environment in which to have regular and sustained contact with youth, to live out before them Christian love and grace, and to earn the privilege of sharing with them about a life-changing faith!
See L’Incrocio photos
2. “I’ve never read the Bible. Let’s do it right now!!!” I was shocked – those are some of the last words I expected to come out of his mouth! Do you remember the English student who was reading about the death of God from the philosopher Nietzsche the first time I met him last Spring? He came for his lesson last Tuesday and we showed him the new youth center setup and the brochure describing the various activities offered. The final activities listed in the brochure are Bible exploration and spiritual discussions for anyone who has never read the Bible or wants to explore issues of Christian faith. He said, “That’s me – I’ve never read the Bible. Let’s skip the English lesson and do this right now!” He was so open and interested during this God-anointed hour of discussion together. At the end he even said, “Let’s do this again next time!” From Nietzsche to “let’s talk about the Bible” in a few, short months. Wow! Keep praying for him to truly encounter the Christ he has seen in us - your prayers for him are making an undeniable impact.
3. Spain Youth Training. Thank you for praying for the youth training weekend in Madrid, Spain. Around 45 youth and youth leaders came together from Barcelona, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, and Sevilla. We had great fun, great discussions, great workshops, and great worship! Keep praying that God would continue to motivate and empower these youth leaders to impact an entire generation of youth in Spain. The Bible quiz ministry practice rounds were also a big hit. In a replica of a classic soccer rivalry, Barcelona won an exciting final round against Madrid! In the end, each participant went home with a Christian music CD as a prize.
See training photos
See quiz photos
4. Italy North Youth Training. We had an unexpected turn of events in January when three youth leaders from Italy North contacted us and wanted to come to Palermo (a ten hour drive!) for a youth training weekend. Things fell quickly into place, and we had a wonderful and productive time together. Our discussions led us toward several potentially effective ideas for dynamic youth ministry within an Italian context. It is certainly an answer to prayer to see even more Italian youth interested in leadership and ministry here in Italy!
See training photos
5. Is God calling you? We can’t wait to find out who God is asking to give of themselves for a year or two to join us in ministry here in Palermo! We are praying for volunteers interested in prayer ministry, contact ministry (building friendships), helping in the youth center computer lab, teaching computer skills, teaching English (or other languages), and more... The possibilities depend on your gifts and talents. Contact us anytime if you would like more information about these ministry opportunities.
Answers to Prayer
1. Praise the Lord for providing two volunteers who have committed their summer to ministry in Palermo. Johanna Hamilton is from Longview, Washington (USA), and Sarah Montgomery is from Leeds, England. They will arrive the first week of April and will be here through mid-July. God has made this opportunity possible for them and we look forward to seeing how He will use them!
2. A huge thank you to Mt. Vernon Nazarene University’s radio station (WNZR) which is collecting Christian Music CDs for youth in Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain. They hope to collect over 1,200 CDs (one for every on-campus student). On behalf of the youth in these countries, we want to say, “Grazie! Merci! Obrigado! Gracias!”
3. We are very grateful for the time and effort donated by Jeff Sharpton who designed our “L’Incrocio” logo as well as business cards, letterhead, and brochures. He has also helped us by designing a great logo and flyer for our West. Med. Youth Congress in August. Thanks for sharing your talents, Jeff!!!
4. Another huge thank you goes to Corrado Cereda (from Catania) who helped us in the organization and installation of computers for the youth center computer lab. Grazie, Corrado!
5. The response to the opening of the youth center has been incredibly positive, and our opportunities to communicate God’s love have increased. Pray that the word would spread in this neighborhood and that many more youth would meet us and meet God here at the intersection!
Prayer Requests
1. Pray for the youth team from Southern Nazarene University that is coming to Palermo from 15-22 March. They will be helping us remodel our guest room so that it is more youth center-ish! They will also be involved in prayer ministry, contact ministry (building relationships), and teaching English. Pray that God would use them to make a big impact in a short time!
2. Pray for Johanna and Sarah as they make plans to come to Palermo next month. Pray that God would prepare them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for this ministry opportunity and that he would also provide for their financial needs.
3. Pray for the various ministries of “L’Incrocio.” Pray that God would give us wisdom and stamina as we intersect with the lives of youth day after day. Pray also that He would provide the necessary resources and volunteers for the continued operation of “L’Incrocio” and that He would guide us in our ongoing search for a youth center building.
4. Pray for us as we make the necessary preparations to leave for the US on our home assignment (23 April–11 August).
5. Pray for the Eurasia Regional Youth Council as they coordinate and facilitate youth ministries from Russia to Portugal and from Scotland to Bangladesh! Sabine Wielk (Germany), Deirdre Brower (England), David Eliasen (Denmark), Davide Cantarella (Russia), Doug Mann (Romania), Jason Lipscomb (Croatia), Joel Mullen (Italy), Basim Ammari (East. Med.), and John Bose (S. Asia).
Miscellaneous Notes
1. If you feel God leading you to intercede specifically and daily for the people of Palermo, send us an email asking to join “PPP.” As a Palermo Prayer Partner, you would receive more detailed prayer requests and answers to prayer by email every two weeks.
2. Keep collecting and sending your Christian music CDs!!! It’s a dynamic ministry tool and a great way to get your local youth involved in missions! Email us if you need more details about this project. Thank you to every church and individual who has already been involved.
3. If you would like more details about dates and times for our speaking schedule for our home assignment this summer we would be glad to send them to you.
4. In Italy, university students pay an average of $850 per year for tuition and fees! “Corriere della Sera” (16 December 2002).
5. Pizza + Pasta= Pray for Palermo
May God’s love shine through you today!
Joel and Sara Mullen
Email: jsmullen@interfree.it
Website: homepage.mac.com/joelmullen
News Tidbits
1. It’s a green light at the intersection! On 24 February, we finally opened the doors to our youth center called “L’Incrocio” (The Intersection). We’ve had a great response so far with several coming by each afternoon. It is a “safe” place where youth can come to spend time with friends, use a computer, listen to music, read, study, or just get away for a while. Weekly activities will include English lessons, basic computer skills courses, movie night, cooking classes, and a Bible exploration/discussion time. Our guest room has been converted into a computer lab with a mini-network of three computers available for youth to use. Those who have come all want to know if they can bring their friends by to meet us. What a perfect environment in which to have regular and sustained contact with youth, to live out before them Christian love and grace, and to earn the privilege of sharing with them about a life-changing faith!
See L’Incrocio photos
2. “I’ve never read the Bible. Let’s do it right now!!!” I was shocked – those are some of the last words I expected to come out of his mouth! Do you remember the English student who was reading about the death of God from the philosopher Nietzsche the first time I met him last Spring? He came for his lesson last Tuesday and we showed him the new youth center setup and the brochure describing the various activities offered. The final activities listed in the brochure are Bible exploration and spiritual discussions for anyone who has never read the Bible or wants to explore issues of Christian faith. He said, “That’s me – I’ve never read the Bible. Let’s skip the English lesson and do this right now!” He was so open and interested during this God-anointed hour of discussion together. At the end he even said, “Let’s do this again next time!” From Nietzsche to “let’s talk about the Bible” in a few, short months. Wow! Keep praying for him to truly encounter the Christ he has seen in us - your prayers for him are making an undeniable impact.
3. Spain Youth Training. Thank you for praying for the youth training weekend in Madrid, Spain. Around 45 youth and youth leaders came together from Barcelona, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, and Sevilla. We had great fun, great discussions, great workshops, and great worship! Keep praying that God would continue to motivate and empower these youth leaders to impact an entire generation of youth in Spain. The Bible quiz ministry practice rounds were also a big hit. In a replica of a classic soccer rivalry, Barcelona won an exciting final round against Madrid! In the end, each participant went home with a Christian music CD as a prize.
See training photos
See quiz photos
4. Italy North Youth Training. We had an unexpected turn of events in January when three youth leaders from Italy North contacted us and wanted to come to Palermo (a ten hour drive!) for a youth training weekend. Things fell quickly into place, and we had a wonderful and productive time together. Our discussions led us toward several potentially effective ideas for dynamic youth ministry within an Italian context. It is certainly an answer to prayer to see even more Italian youth interested in leadership and ministry here in Italy!
See training photos
5. Is God calling you? We can’t wait to find out who God is asking to give of themselves for a year or two to join us in ministry here in Palermo! We are praying for volunteers interested in prayer ministry, contact ministry (building friendships), helping in the youth center computer lab, teaching computer skills, teaching English (or other languages), and more... The possibilities depend on your gifts and talents. Contact us anytime if you would like more information about these ministry opportunities.
Answers to Prayer
1. Praise the Lord for providing two volunteers who have committed their summer to ministry in Palermo. Johanna Hamilton is from Longview, Washington (USA), and Sarah Montgomery is from Leeds, England. They will arrive the first week of April and will be here through mid-July. God has made this opportunity possible for them and we look forward to seeing how He will use them!
2. A huge thank you to Mt. Vernon Nazarene University’s radio station (WNZR) which is collecting Christian Music CDs for youth in Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain. They hope to collect over 1,200 CDs (one for every on-campus student). On behalf of the youth in these countries, we want to say, “Grazie! Merci! Obrigado! Gracias!”
3. We are very grateful for the time and effort donated by Jeff Sharpton who designed our “L’Incrocio” logo as well as business cards, letterhead, and brochures. He has also helped us by designing a great logo and flyer for our West. Med. Youth Congress in August. Thanks for sharing your talents, Jeff!!!
4. Another huge thank you goes to Corrado Cereda (from Catania) who helped us in the organization and installation of computers for the youth center computer lab. Grazie, Corrado!
5. The response to the opening of the youth center has been incredibly positive, and our opportunities to communicate God’s love have increased. Pray that the word would spread in this neighborhood and that many more youth would meet us and meet God here at the intersection!
Prayer Requests
1. Pray for the youth team from Southern Nazarene University that is coming to Palermo from 15-22 March. They will be helping us remodel our guest room so that it is more youth center-ish! They will also be involved in prayer ministry, contact ministry (building relationships), and teaching English. Pray that God would use them to make a big impact in a short time!
2. Pray for Johanna and Sarah as they make plans to come to Palermo next month. Pray that God would prepare them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for this ministry opportunity and that he would also provide for their financial needs.
3. Pray for the various ministries of “L’Incrocio.” Pray that God would give us wisdom and stamina as we intersect with the lives of youth day after day. Pray also that He would provide the necessary resources and volunteers for the continued operation of “L’Incrocio” and that He would guide us in our ongoing search for a youth center building.
4. Pray for us as we make the necessary preparations to leave for the US on our home assignment (23 April–11 August).
5. Pray for the Eurasia Regional Youth Council as they coordinate and facilitate youth ministries from Russia to Portugal and from Scotland to Bangladesh! Sabine Wielk (Germany), Deirdre Brower (England), David Eliasen (Denmark), Davide Cantarella (Russia), Doug Mann (Romania), Jason Lipscomb (Croatia), Joel Mullen (Italy), Basim Ammari (East. Med.), and John Bose (S. Asia).
Miscellaneous Notes
1. If you feel God leading you to intercede specifically and daily for the people of Palermo, send us an email asking to join “PPP.” As a Palermo Prayer Partner, you would receive more detailed prayer requests and answers to prayer by email every two weeks.
2. Keep collecting and sending your Christian music CDs!!! It’s a dynamic ministry tool and a great way to get your local youth involved in missions! Email us if you need more details about this project. Thank you to every church and individual who has already been involved.
3. If you would like more details about dates and times for our speaking schedule for our home assignment this summer we would be glad to send them to you.
4. In Italy, university students pay an average of $850 per year for tuition and fees! “Corriere della Sera” (16 December 2002).
5. Pizza + Pasta= Pray for Palermo
May God’s love shine through you today!
Joel and Sara Mullen
Email: jsmullen@interfree.it
Website: homepage.mac.com/joelmullen
Posted: Sat - March 1, 2003 at 11:18 PM
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Published On: Jan 09, 2004 05:11 PM