Nov-Dec 2001 (Year 3, Number 4)
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Christmas greetings to all our family and friends! The
coming of our God in the baby Jesus forever changed the course of human history,
and even today we remember and celebrate that we serve a God who seeks us out -
from the manger to the cross to every corner of the globe! We rejoice that this
same God has called us to live and serve in Palermo, to be ambassadors of hope
and messengers of salvation to people all around us, and to push back the
darkness of Palermo with the light of
Christ!
News Tidbits
1. We have a growing relationship with the Orifici family that lives on the floor above us (Giuseppe, Antonella, Francesco and Paolo). When we first went up to introduce ourselves, they would not even open the door because they didn’t know us. Two days later, however, we were in their home for tea. Two weeks later, they invited us to spend a holiday together with them, extended family, and friends which included lunch, games, and visiting all afternoon and evening. Only God can open physical and spiritual doors like that!
2. One day Sara greeted an elderly lady from our building with a smile, and the woman stopped in her tracks shocked that a stranger would greet her with such warmness. She stopped and stared Sara up and down with squinty eyes, and asked suspiciously “Who are you?” When she found out that we are the new neighbors on the 5th floor, her face lit up, and she said she was so glad to finally meet the nice, young couple that everyone was talking about. Sara walked away knowing that only God could have orchestrated a greeting like that. Since then we have been invited into her home to visit and share coffee. She is 79 years old, been widowed for 50 years, and lives alone. She invited us to call her “Nonna Anna” (Grandma Anna).
3. In November, there was a “First Brick” ceremony at the Catania church property. All the red tape is cleared, and everything is in place for the construction firm to build the first phase of the building beginning in January. It was a moving ceremony, marking the beginning of something that has been hoped for, prayed for, and desperately needed for years!
4. Earlier this month, we attended a church planting consultation in Rome with Nazarene pastors and missionaries from Italy. We praise God for shared vision and passion to see God’s kingdom expand in Italy through the starting of new churches!
5. After six weeks, including three visits to the gas company, and after workers were in our home four times, we finally got our gas hooked up in November! This meant that we could finally cook, use our heaters, and have hot water! Hurray! It came just in time before the cold weather set in - we had never been so thankful for a hot shower!
Answers to Prayer
1. We had very special services of revival and renewal in Catania on November 1-4. Many people experienced God in new and deeper ways, and they have become more involved in various ministries in the local church there.
2. Our doorkeeper, Michele, and his wife Lucia were in our home for tea a couple weeks ago. They were so delighted that they asked if they could come back for a meal some other time along with their children! They have three children in their 20s. We pray for continued opportunities to spend time with their family and to continue to share our faith with them.
3. We gave all 25 families in our apartment building some homemade cookies and a small Christmas card. Several have called us to thank us profusely, and some have given us gifts in return. Others can't believe that a neighbor would do something so kind. It is amazing to see the impact this simple gift has made on our neighbors.
4. Here are some comments that have been confirmations for us that we are exactly where God has called us to be! One lady told us that she had lived here 20 years and didn't know her neighbors at all. She said "then you two came and now everything is different!" One man said he was simply without words. Another couple said that this apartment building really needed someone like us. God has certainly opened doors for conversations, for visits in homes, and for friendships to form. All of this is a miracle in a Palermo culture that is very suspicious of anyone or anything that is not already “part of the family.”
5. We are thankful that we have finally been able to settle into our new home. We pray that whoever walks through our door would sense God’s grace and God’s love through our love and hospitality.
Prayer Requests
1. Keep praying for our doorkeepers (Michele and Lucia), the Orifici family, Grandma Anna, and the cafe workers (Natale, Benedetta, and Salvatore). Pray for others as well such as the Viglianisi family, the Filangeri family, Katia, Elena, Giusy, and many more!
2. Pray that God would call children, teenagers, and young adults in our churches in Italy to be pastors, teachers, and leaders. Pray for these youth to be willing to commit themselves to fulfill God’s will for their lives.
3. Continue to pray for new and developing relationships. We are planning an open house for the first part of January for our neighbors and new friends. Pray that our home would become a center of friendship and spiritual ministry as Christ’s love is demonstrated within its walls.
4. Pray for the European NYC in Gelnhausen, Germany from Dec. 27 - Jan. 2. There are four youth from Catania who will be attending as well as youth from countries all over Europe.
5. Pray for the city of Palermo. It is nearly overwhelming every day to realize the darkness all around us. Yet, we feel like God is doing something amazing here in our neighborhood and especially in our apartment building. Keep praying that the hope, joy, and peace of Christ would ooze through us in every single encounter we have with our new neighbors and friends!
Miscellaneous Notes
1. On January 1, Italy will change from the Lire to the new European Currency, the “Euro.” This will be a tough adjustment for many Italians because 1 Euro is equal to almost 2000 Lire! For example, a pizza that used to cost 8000 Lire will now only cost about 4 Euro!
2. On November 4, we went up Mt. Etna to see the lava from the eruption in July. We walked on top of the lava flow, which has already cooled into innumerable small lava rocks. But just under the top layer of rocks, the lava was still too hot to even touch - even 4 months after the lava flow stopped!
3. In 1889, Raffaele Esposito, the best pizzamaker in Naples, Italy wanted to create a new pizza to honor Queen Margherita of Savoia who was visiting the city. He created a new pizza with ingredients the colors of the Italian flag: mozzarella cheese (white), tomatoes (red), and basil (green). To this day in Italy, this simple pizza is called a Margherita.
4. Pizza + Pasta = Pray for Palermo!
5. Feel free to share Sicilian Sketches with others or with your church! Email us anytime if you wish to be added to or removed from our newsletter list.
May the God of grace embrace you today!
Joel and Sara Mullen
Via S. Aldisio, 47
90146 Palermo, Italy
Phone: (39) 091.521635
Email: jsmullen@interfree.it
News Tidbits
1. We have a growing relationship with the Orifici family that lives on the floor above us (Giuseppe, Antonella, Francesco and Paolo). When we first went up to introduce ourselves, they would not even open the door because they didn’t know us. Two days later, however, we were in their home for tea. Two weeks later, they invited us to spend a holiday together with them, extended family, and friends which included lunch, games, and visiting all afternoon and evening. Only God can open physical and spiritual doors like that!
2. One day Sara greeted an elderly lady from our building with a smile, and the woman stopped in her tracks shocked that a stranger would greet her with such warmness. She stopped and stared Sara up and down with squinty eyes, and asked suspiciously “Who are you?” When she found out that we are the new neighbors on the 5th floor, her face lit up, and she said she was so glad to finally meet the nice, young couple that everyone was talking about. Sara walked away knowing that only God could have orchestrated a greeting like that. Since then we have been invited into her home to visit and share coffee. She is 79 years old, been widowed for 50 years, and lives alone. She invited us to call her “Nonna Anna” (Grandma Anna).
3. In November, there was a “First Brick” ceremony at the Catania church property. All the red tape is cleared, and everything is in place for the construction firm to build the first phase of the building beginning in January. It was a moving ceremony, marking the beginning of something that has been hoped for, prayed for, and desperately needed for years!
4. Earlier this month, we attended a church planting consultation in Rome with Nazarene pastors and missionaries from Italy. We praise God for shared vision and passion to see God’s kingdom expand in Italy through the starting of new churches!
5. After six weeks, including three visits to the gas company, and after workers were in our home four times, we finally got our gas hooked up in November! This meant that we could finally cook, use our heaters, and have hot water! Hurray! It came just in time before the cold weather set in - we had never been so thankful for a hot shower!
Answers to Prayer
1. We had very special services of revival and renewal in Catania on November 1-4. Many people experienced God in new and deeper ways, and they have become more involved in various ministries in the local church there.
2. Our doorkeeper, Michele, and his wife Lucia were in our home for tea a couple weeks ago. They were so delighted that they asked if they could come back for a meal some other time along with their children! They have three children in their 20s. We pray for continued opportunities to spend time with their family and to continue to share our faith with them.
3. We gave all 25 families in our apartment building some homemade cookies and a small Christmas card. Several have called us to thank us profusely, and some have given us gifts in return. Others can't believe that a neighbor would do something so kind. It is amazing to see the impact this simple gift has made on our neighbors.
4. Here are some comments that have been confirmations for us that we are exactly where God has called us to be! One lady told us that she had lived here 20 years and didn't know her neighbors at all. She said "then you two came and now everything is different!" One man said he was simply without words. Another couple said that this apartment building really needed someone like us. God has certainly opened doors for conversations, for visits in homes, and for friendships to form. All of this is a miracle in a Palermo culture that is very suspicious of anyone or anything that is not already “part of the family.”
5. We are thankful that we have finally been able to settle into our new home. We pray that whoever walks through our door would sense God’s grace and God’s love through our love and hospitality.
Prayer Requests
1. Keep praying for our doorkeepers (Michele and Lucia), the Orifici family, Grandma Anna, and the cafe workers (Natale, Benedetta, and Salvatore). Pray for others as well such as the Viglianisi family, the Filangeri family, Katia, Elena, Giusy, and many more!
2. Pray that God would call children, teenagers, and young adults in our churches in Italy to be pastors, teachers, and leaders. Pray for these youth to be willing to commit themselves to fulfill God’s will for their lives.
3. Continue to pray for new and developing relationships. We are planning an open house for the first part of January for our neighbors and new friends. Pray that our home would become a center of friendship and spiritual ministry as Christ’s love is demonstrated within its walls.
4. Pray for the European NYC in Gelnhausen, Germany from Dec. 27 - Jan. 2. There are four youth from Catania who will be attending as well as youth from countries all over Europe.
5. Pray for the city of Palermo. It is nearly overwhelming every day to realize the darkness all around us. Yet, we feel like God is doing something amazing here in our neighborhood and especially in our apartment building. Keep praying that the hope, joy, and peace of Christ would ooze through us in every single encounter we have with our new neighbors and friends!
Miscellaneous Notes
1. On January 1, Italy will change from the Lire to the new European Currency, the “Euro.” This will be a tough adjustment for many Italians because 1 Euro is equal to almost 2000 Lire! For example, a pizza that used to cost 8000 Lire will now only cost about 4 Euro!
2. On November 4, we went up Mt. Etna to see the lava from the eruption in July. We walked on top of the lava flow, which has already cooled into innumerable small lava rocks. But just under the top layer of rocks, the lava was still too hot to even touch - even 4 months after the lava flow stopped!
3. In 1889, Raffaele Esposito, the best pizzamaker in Naples, Italy wanted to create a new pizza to honor Queen Margherita of Savoia who was visiting the city. He created a new pizza with ingredients the colors of the Italian flag: mozzarella cheese (white), tomatoes (red), and basil (green). To this day in Italy, this simple pizza is called a Margherita.
4. Pizza + Pasta = Pray for Palermo!
5. Feel free to share Sicilian Sketches with others or with your church! Email us anytime if you wish to be added to or removed from our newsletter list.
May the God of grace embrace you today!
Joel and Sara Mullen
Via S. Aldisio, 47
90146 Palermo, Italy
Phone: (39) 091.521635
Email: jsmullen@interfree.it
Posted: Mon - December 24, 2001 at 11:20 PM
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