Salerno Summer Project

Back Home

2006-06-30T05:16:00.000+02:00

Our group has finally arrived home this past Monday after an amazing summer serving the Lord. How do you summarize an entire summer in a few brief paragraphs? How would you describe everything that God has done the past 6 weeks? We will probably never realize all of the ways that God has been working this summer. But we know that He has been at work in a powerful way. And we know that He will continue to be at work. Don't stop praying for Italy and for all of the students that have come to know Christ this summer. They are:

Maria Carmela
Antonella
Guisi
Marika
Philippo
Giuila
Franchesca
Virginia
Antonella R.
Davide
Rosana
Michela
Frachesca
Laura
Nucceia
Carimella
Tesse
Gusie
C.C.
Paulo
Teresa
Rafaella
Andrea
Irene
Sofia
Taurone
Fabio
Anna
Laudanda
Maria Junta
Niko
Victoria
Valentina
Orlando
Concetta
Enzo
Maria Rosaria
Francesca

They are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that their faith is strengthened. Pray that they continue to grow closer to God. Pray that they will be given boldness to share what has happened to them.

We're looking forward to hearing more about what has happened this summer and what is going on in the lives of these students and any others that have been contacted. Please send us any updates/testimonies/prayers/praises that you might have so that they can be shared via blog. Write us at salernoproject@yahoo.com.

To close out this entry, we'll share with you a selection of quotes from Italians that have heard the gospel this summer. Until next time, ciao.

- For many years, I didn't know, and now you come from the US to tell me this.
- This is the first time I've ever heard this!
- Thank you! I have accepted God into my life now because of you!
- I want to know God personally! This is the desire of my heart for God to live inside me.
- I never knew salvation was this easy!

"The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God." - Isaiah 52:10

New Christian: Maria Carmela

2006-06-15T18:48:00.000+02:00

Maria:

Maria was very hesitant to finish the survey with us after we showed her scripture concerning sin and the punishment for it. Her entire demeanor changed when I told her about Christ. She accepted Him as savior and then thanked us over and over. She said she was hesitant to hear us out at first, but that she's so glad she listened because we showed her the truth and the way to God. As we got up to leave, we thanked her for her time, and she said "No - thank you! I have accepted God into my life now because of you!"

"For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He." - Deuteronomy 32:3-4

Quote of the day:

"You don't get to be holy by being lazy."

Last Week

2006-06-13T22:52:00.000+02:00

We're here in the middle of our last week sharing on campus, and God is still at work. All of us on project have been utterly amazed at the number of people that have come to know Christ these past 3 weeks. As a result, our focus for this last week has shifted from strictly evangelism to one of discipleship. It is so vital that these precious students who have trusted in Christ are equipped to grow in their relationship with Christ so that they don't fall through the cracks during the rest of the summer. This gives the team the opportunity to follow up with our new brothers and sisters and be encouraged at what the Lord has done.

In closing, here is a copy of a text message sent to a project member from an Italian Student who accepted Christ today:

"I'll never be able to find the right words to thank you for what you did to me. You're amazing and I'll never forget you...You have a gift. You've met Jesus, and I'm honored that I could share it with you, I feel amazing now, and this is just the beginning. Thanks a lot. Love, your sister Antonella."

"We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ." - Colossians 1:28

Quote of the Day

"God did not give us a spirit of humidity."

Project Pics

2006-06-13T00:25:00.000+02:00

Quote of the day:

"And the smiles turned to frowns."

New Christians

2006-06-07T11:08:00.000+02:00

Praise God for another amazing week in Salerno!

You may have heard a survey mentioned in some of the testimonies that have been shared. This is the survey in its entirety:

1. Do you speak English?
2. Do you believe there is a God?
3. Is it possible to offend God? What could a person do to offend God? Have you ever offended God?
4. Who was Jesus Christ? What was the significance of his crucifixion?
5. If you were standing before God and He said, "Why should I let you into Heaven," what would you say?

This simple survey helps to give us an insight into a person and their spiritual beliefs. It is one of the many tools that we use when sharing the Gospel. The testimony of Tesse in this entry shows a practical application of this survey, and how it can be used.

Sofia, Irene, Tourene:

Monday afternoon we met three girls sitting on a bench eating. We approached them and began to do a survey with them. It was easy to see by the girls answers that they didn't understand Christianity at all. They all agreed that as long as you believe in something, that was all one would need to get to Heaven. None were sure that if they died they would go to Heaven. We used this to transition to the gospel and after about an hour and a half of discussion the girls expressed their desire to accept Christ as their Savior. All three girls share an apartment together near the university, and are now sisters in Christ. We have followed up with the girls to make sure that they understand the concept of Christianity entirely. We are very encouraged by the girls appreciation for the good news of Christ.

Tesse:

We met Tesse in the Language Studies Faculty. She spoke excellent English and agreed to take the survey. She said she believed in God, but when we got to Question #3 about sin - she was unsure of whether she had offended God or not. We had her read Romans 3:23 and James 2:10 from an Italian Bible. Her face began to change when she realized she was guilty. We asked her if she knew the penalty for sin - and she didn't know - so we had her read the first part of Romans 6:23 - and her eyes welled up with tears. She knew she was guilty and deserved hell. We moved on to Question #4. She spouted of the answer she knew "The son of God, the savior." For the first time, she understood what Christ saved her from....and she was so relieved and thankful. We moved to Question #5 about what our response should be. We had her read Romans 10:9 - and she said "The answer is belief". We asked "Do you believe this?" She enthusiastically said "yes", and then we took her through the prayer in the Italian 4 Laws. She kept saying "This is the first time I've ever heard this!!" She also said she believed God had been talking to her ever since she walked onto the campus. (This was her first year at the University.)

Just one more week on campus. Be in prayer that God's will would be accomplished for the rest of the trip. Stay tuned for more testimonies and pics from this weekend at Capri.

"Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him." - Psalm 98:1

Quote of the day:

"Would pretzels taste good with nutella?
Paper would taste good with nutella."

Salerno Testimonies

2006-06-07T10:04:00.000+02:00

Welcome back to the blog. Here are some of the testimonies from the past week.

Fabio:

Met Fabio on campus. Didn't think he could offend God at beginning then I explained sin offended God. He understood and agreed with the four laws then I asked him which lifestyle he was and he picked the self-centered one. Then I explained how by faith he could get to a Christ centered life. I explained Ezekiel 11:19 and how Christ removes their old heart and gives them one of flesh. He thought it was amazing that I now like going to church and serving God, and he saw how he could too through faith. The Lord is truly at work in Salerno and I can't wait to see what else He is going to do!

Davide:

We were sharing Christ with 2 guys who had to abruptly leave. As they were leaving, Davide was listening to our conversation nearby. We began to talk to him. After sharing the gospel, he told us that he couldn't imagine that it was that easy. He thought he had to earn grace from God. We explained grace more thoroughly and explained the nature of grace...a free gift we don't deserve. He later decided to commit his life to Christ because of this gift of grace!

Francesca:

I met her on campus and she initially told me about her hatred for God because of deaths in her family and how she couldn't trust him. She mentioned her family's catholic beliefs and how she didn't even believe in Heaven at first. Then she read some verses (John 3:16, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6) in the Italian Bible and Ezekiel 11:19 in English. I don't even remember what I said but the Lord just met her today and opened her eyes and heart. Then she grabbed the English 4 laws (after she read some of the Italian one) and said "I want to know God personally! This is the desire of my heart for him to live inside me." The Lord completely deserves all the glory and he broke the language barrier because she was understanding my English and I was understanding her Italian. She agreed about being changed and living a better life with Christ and that she is a Christian now! Then she invited me to eat with her family in Avellino. Praise the Lord!

Antonella and Filippo:

We saw Antonella and Filippo in a cafe. We went through the survey. They didn't know they had offended God or what the punishment for sin was. When they realized they were guilty and deserved death, they were really scared. Then when I told them about Christ, they were overjoyed! They were so excited to pray and ask Christ to be their Savior! They showered us with kisses and hugs when we left and told me how kind I was to tell them about Jesus! They want to be taught more about the Bible!

Virginia:

Met Virginia and went through survey with her. She didn't understand what Christ saved her from. She read James 2:10 from my Bible and said "I am guilty!" Then I took her through Romans 6:23 and the bridge illustration. Then Romans 10:9. She said, "I never knew salvation was this easy." We read through the prayer in four laws and I asked if it expressed her desire. She said "Yes, yes!" She accepted Christ!

What a mighty God we serve! What an honor to be able to bear witness to such a movement of the Holy Spirit. All of us can't wait to see what's going to happen next. Keep us in your prayers, but more importantly, pray for the students that we will encounter.

"The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations." - Psalm 98:2

Quote of the day:

"Nobody saw us, don't panic."

Jowling: A Challenge

2006-06-06T00:16:00.000+02:00

You've seen us jowl, now it's your turn. We know you've been practicing in the privacy of your own home, but now it's time to let your jowling light shine for all to see. Find a friend or a camera with a timer, and shake your face. Send us your jowling pics at salernoproject@yahoo.com. Do it. Do it now. Get to the chopper. It's the right thing to do. Send us your pics.

I bet you won't.

Quote of the day:

"Cut him deep, cut him fast."

New Christian: Valentina

2006-06-01T20:07:00.000+02:00

It's been another amazing day here in Salerno. We feel very privileged to share with you all one of the many testimonies of someone coming to know Christ this summer.

Amy:

Sarah and I saw a girl sitting on the bench, watching us walk toward her. We started a conversation and noticed that she spoke little English. She said she believes there is a God and when we asked why He should let her into Heaven, she said because she respects people. So we gave her the Four Laws in Italian and she read every word out loud. She understood that sin separated her from God and that she needed a way to Him. When she read that Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father expect through me”, she noticed this was different than what she previously believed. We talked about how faith in Christ is the only way to God, not her works of respecting people. And then she prayed to trust Christ and said she believed what she prayed. We asked her if she believed differently after she read than before and she said, “Yes, now I have God.” Her name is Valentina; please pray for her!

What an amazing testimony! May we never grow tired of hearing about people coming to know the Lord. Keep Valentina in your prayers, and pray for all of the other students that have come to know Christ. We've still got 2 weeks on campus, and we can't wait to see what God has in store. There are more testimonies to come, so check back.

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men" - Titus 2:11

Quote of the Day:

"I asked for a spoon and they gave me whipped cream."

A Week in the Life of a Summer Projecter

2006-06-01T18:33:00.000+02:00

Hearken! Another beautiful week in Salerno. God is doing some amazing things, and we are truly fortunate to be a part of the harvest. As of this writing, we have seen 16 students come to know Christ! You may be wondering: 'Hey, what exactly happens on summer project? What do these guys do all week?' If these and other questions have been lingering in your mind since you found out your son/daughter/friend/roommate/sibling/aquaintance was going to Italy for 6 weeks, then this is the post for you. Here's a little summary of what happens during a typical week on project.

Monday through Friday : The biggest part of the day is spent on campus attempting to initiate conversations or following up on conversations that we've already had. We also have a number of different events that happen throughout the week.

Monday:
Monday morning we have a time of group prayer over the campus and a time of evangelism training.

Tuesday:
Tuesday morning we have our small group Bible study. We are studying the book of Galatians. Tuesday night, we have our family group book club. We are reading a biography of Adoniram Judson, the first missionary to Burma.

Wednesday:
Wednesday night is men and women's time. The men are studying 'Thoughts for Young Men' by J.C. Ryle, while the women discuss something things so mysterious and secretive that this blogger is not privy to the details.

Thursday:
Thursday night is the time for our outreach BBQ, where we invite all of the students we've met over the week to come to our hotel for a time of fellowship and grilled meat.

Saturday is our day for traveling, where we have our horizons expanded and take in the natural revelation that is Italy. Last Saturday, the Amalphi coast. This week, Paestum.

Sunday mornings we all get together and watch a sermon from a series by John Piper called 'The Blazing Center.'

So there you have it, a week in the life of a summer project member. Exciting, I know. Our schedule is pretty busy, but we're all able to spend plenty of time in the word and in fellowship with each other. We will try and keep you up to with everything that is happening, so that you can keep us in your prayers. Stay excited, we are witnessing an amazing work of God!

"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." - Acts 2:46-47

Quote of the Day:

"You will vote for Francesco"

Missions Perspective

2006-05-30T23:36:00.000+02:00

Look to the sky. Look to the moment. Look at this perspective on how and why we are sharing the gospel from Jutty, our project leader.

It's interesting being in another culture, where the same message needs to be proclaimed in a totally different way. The bullet points are the same:

1. We are all wretched and in need of a savior
2. Christ died for the ungodly, to pay for their sins
3. Belief in Christ's death is the only way unto salvation

But, in Italy, the things we spend more time on are different. They all know about Jesus, and can even state why he died... "for the sins of the world." But, they don't understand how much power their sin has to bring about the wrath of God in judgment. Nearly every Italian, with roots in Catholicism, think that they will earn their way to heaven by living a good life. This poses the question once again... then why did Jesus die?

"For the sins of the world."

"But, if you are earning your way to the Father, then his death is not paying for anything... you are"

It's amazing to see reality hit a mind so set in a doctrine. Despite the contradiction. This is why it is so important for an Italian to understand just how wretched they are. Guilty of break every law, nearly every day. And to read James 2:10 "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." Guilty as charged.

Until sin is realized, Christ is unnecessary. "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." Galatians 2:20

Once sin is revealed, now we move to grace. The free gift of God to pay for the sins of the repentant heart. If we breeze by sin and move to grace, they will not see the need to believe. But when we see ourselves in the light of the gospel, grace is the only option. Christ then becomes necessary, and his death has meaning.

Italians need to hear it put in this light. But then again, don't we all?

Quote of the Day:

"You can't eat the whole Bible at one time. It's impossible."

Jowling: the Sport of Champions

2006-05-28T22:39:00.000+02:00

Jowling:

The ancient Italian discipline where a person is able to lose all tension in their facial muscles. The technique takes years to perfect, and the result of jowling are often permanent. Jowl at your own risk.

The First Week in Salerno

2006-05-25T20:15:00.000+02:00

Ciao from Salerno!

Dude. Man. Man. Dude. It's been 10 days since we've been in Italy, and it has truly been an amazing 10 days. We've seen disaster happen when a baci gets out of control. We've scoured the city looking for the most audacious Italian mullet. We've had Gerry's gelato, truly a dessert inspired by God. But the best part of the trip so far has been the group finally beginning our ministry.

After days of praying and nervous anticipation, our group has finally finished our first week on campus. We've had the opportunity every day this week to walk around campus and just find someone to share the gospel with. The Lord is already moving in a powerful way in our hearts, as well as in the hearts of those we encounter. Here are just a few of the testimonies from some of the project members:

Tiffany:
I met a girl who was sitting next to the boys while they were talking to a guy name Niko, so I started a conversation with her and shared the gospel through the bridge model. She agreed with most of it but said she wasn’t sure of her own salvation so that’s how we started talking about how all she had to do was believe. After I presented the gospel to her she said “It’s so simple” and I knew she had understood it. So I asked her if she would like to ask Jesus to be her savior and she said that she wasn’t ready to make the decision so I left her with a 4 Spiritual Laws booklet and told her to read over it and think about her decision. I know she understood it and that she’s close so now it’s all in God’s hands…

Terah:
Today (Friday) Gabby, Abbey and I talked to these three girls and we could just tell the devil didn’t want us there. There were tons of distractions through our whole conversation. When we first started talking to them a sprinkler went off and made us move. We found out they were atheists and it was a real challenge to talk to them but every time one of us couldn’t think of what to say, someone else would so the three of us working as a team was really awesome.Yesterday (Thursday) we met this girl who, in the beginning of our conversation, believed that it was not possible to offend God. She hoped that God existed but found it hard to believe in an afterlife. But at the end of our hour and a half conversation she decided that there is a God, it is possible to offend him and that she had offended him. And she realized that she needs Jesus to save her from her sin. She accepted that fact and knows that she wants to go to heaven. She pointed out the pictures of a God-centered life in the 4 Laws booklet and said she wanted that. So that’s just really awesome how much God changed her mind changed throughout the conversation. You could just see in her eyes halfway through the conversation that she understood. It was amazing.

Sarah:
Mary Ellis and I got really discouraged and we ended up passing by Kyle and Brady who were talking to a big group of guys. They invited us over so we went to say hi and we saw a girl in the corner so we invited her to the BBQ and on a whim invited her to eat lunch with us and it ended up that her English was very good. We had a great conversation with her and she was really sweet. It was awesome because we didn’t think we would meet anyone else that day but God provided a great conversation for us to end our time on campus that day.

Jutty:
Anne Elize met this guy named Niko earlier this week and invited him to our outreach concert. He came to the concert and to the BBQ and at the concert he got to talking with Brady and set up a time to meet on campus to play basketball. Two of the guys showed up on campus to play but Brady was sharing the gospel with a guy named Orlando, so Kyle started talking to Niko about different belief systems. Bently and I showed up and started asking him about what he believes, like what will happen to him when he dies. He was Catholic and didn’t think you could pray to Jesus. He said he hoped he would be able to go to Heaven but wasn’t sure he’d be able to. So I asked him why and he said because he didn’t think he was good enough to make it to heaven. We shared the gospel with him and showed him that the Bible teaches that it is only through grace not through good works that we’re saved. After about 45 minutes we asked him what he thought about what we said and he said it made sense to him. We asked him what he wanted to believe and he said he wanted to believe this new idea. So we asked him to explain it back to us so we could make sure he understood. He told us that he now believes that Jesus paid for all his sin and that it is only by faith that we can go to Heaven. He really understood the gospel message and the concept of grace so I asked him how this new belief made him feel because before he said he had felt worried. He said that now he had confidence that all his sins were paid for and that he could stand in front of God. He said he now feels free. So we challenged him to read the book of John over the weekend and he wants to get together next week to study the Bible more and talk about some issues that he is confused about. We’re really excited to talk with him more.

So that was a brief taste of our first full week in Italy. One soul has already come to know the Lord. That alone makes it all worthwhile. We hope to be able to report many similar testimonies of God's faithfulness in the days to come.

Things we've learned this week:
- Always go right first on a baci, or you might end up kissing a dude

- God is always faithful, even when we are discouraged

Stay tuned for more picture, insights, pirates, and whatever else we can think of. Remember us in your prayers, and pray foir the Italian college students, especially Niko, as he begins his life for Christ. We'll leave you with this passage of scripture.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
- Isaiah 55:8-11

EDIT:

In regards to the statement:

Jutty doesn't believe in interracial missions

This is completely not true. It was a unintentionally humorous verbal misstep brought on by 27 hours spent in on planes and in airports. Obviously Jutty as well as the rest of the group believe very strongly in sharing the gospel to people of all races. We apologize for any confusion.

Our First Post

2006-05-25T19:02:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Salerno! It's hard to believe that it's been almost 2 weeks since we left home, and that we've already been in Italy for a full week. So many amazing things have already happened to us. As a very wise man once said 'We've been...we've been blessed.'

The purpose of this blog is to try and share with you some of the amazing things that God is doing in our lives and in the lives of those we encounter. We hope to have stories, testimonies, photos, and who knows what else. You'll be entertained, you'll be moved, and you might even have a cheap laugh or two. Hopefully you will be encouraged, and hopefully you can encourage us as well by leaving us comments letting us know you are praying for us.

Look for a more detailed entry on our first week to be posted anytime from soon to very soon. God has already begun to move in amazing ways, and we can't wait to see what He has in store for the rest of the summer. God Bless. Ciao!