Journal Entries / Italy 2011- July 27-28
Yesterday was a great day! I woke up still jet lagged and feeling hopeless. However, during my quiet time I found hope in the scriptures. I realized that not only did Christ die as a sacrifice for us. He also carried His cross. And not only did He carry His cross, Simon the Cyrenian did as well. The significance of this is that even though it was not Simon's cross, it represents the weight of taking up our cross daily. Rightfully, it was his and my cross, but in the end it would be Christ staked to it and glorified. So all in all, when I am tried, weary, and broken as I have been, it merely represents the weight of Christ's cross to which I carry. This is affirmation... May the Lord anoint it.
I also had the chance to get some ministry time in by the end of the night. We went to a public square around 9:30ish and performed our drama for almost 100 people! They even stuck around afterward to hear the message following. Afterwards, we passed out tracts and spoke with the children. I gave one boy a US dollar and he freaked out! Along with 20 other kids who then swarmed the boy and I for more.
I hear today we are going out to a pier... Oh let it be true! I am feeling much better today and it is my prayer that I would be granted health and peace of mind throughout the remainder of the tris trip. To God be all glory and praise... Hallelujah!
-Ryan Jackson
7/28/11 - Treasure hunt
*Crane operator
*Bathroom Stall
*Khaki Plaid back pack--> over teal shirt
*Man with short black curly hair, t-shirt w/ horizontal stripe. White earbud headphones, standing in crowd of drama on left side, He stands ---> Salmon, Palermo?
*The man who catches a shark? (Blacktip?)
(Hindsight overview)
I feel the need to elaborate further upon the events of this day.
{^^First off, treasure hunting was asking God to provide us with visual signs during prayer, for those we would be able to minister to. Above is what he gave me.}
This day was a turning point for me. It was the first day in Italy that I did not feel as though I was going to vomit or pass out. The attribution of myself to Simon the Cyrenian was all I needed to take sufferage as affirmation that I was doing exactly what I needed to do. From this point on uncertainty and discomfort were seen as battlegrounds, to which I could acquire victory. Something changed in me, and I discovered an all new strength and will in me to persevere. It was this day that I truly became a leader. The prior days had become blurs of the distant past and on this day we seperated our project. One team would stay and minister in and around Aquaviva (Team, Unveiled). As for ourselves (La Spugna)we relocated to another church in Giovanazzo. I was not aware but this was the last time we would see our other friends for a full week.
When we arrived at the church in Giovanazzo, we immediatley were greeted by smiling faces and FOOD! Pastor Franco and his wife, Silvanna, his son David, plus friends Francesca and others welcomed us with the utmost in hospitality. We had this wonderful eggplant parmesan stuff and I was FINALLY ready to eat. As we made ourselves at home, we realized just how small this church really was. It was in the midst of reconstruction, and it wasn't a church that you or I would draw familiarity with. It was a prisonesque style establishment, equipped fully with crumbling concrete walls. The sanctuary was simple. Entering off the street through the windowless metal doors, a modest pulpit served as a focal point. It was set upon a red carpetted embankment which served as the stage. A piano was offset to your right as aisled seating, of about 35-40, gave way to the front. The room itself exhibitted a cylindrical form, with the floor abruptly ceasing the completion of the shape. The floor itself sank about two feet below street level, which caused humidity to build within the nearly windowless structure. However a single ceiling fan was all that you needed to vanquish the slight heat of the Italian sun.
This was the church, and it was brilliant... It prompted you to be absorbed into the fellowship. The mahogany tile floors served as our sleeping surface, where the women slept in the identical room next door, on beds... The outdoor seating area presented us a long table for dining and a small sink area served as a wash basin for our Texas stained clothing.
The overall atmosphere of the church was genius. Nothing fancy; no stained glass, no pipe organs, no pews or aisle runners. No stage lighting, no fog machines, no orchestra, no windows, no (working) audio equipment, no air conditioning, no hallways, no steeples, no crosses... The church boasted two things, a piano for corporate worship, and a pulpit for the word of God. We have much to learn from the simplicity of this congregation.
After acquaniting ourselves with the edifice, the Pastor and our fellow Italian kinsman, we were given the opportunity to head out into our first ministry sight. It was classified "En Villa"(?), and we performed our drama for quite an audience. We experienced slight adversity as the music we had set our drama to, ceased to exist upon our IPod. So we threw on some Phil Wickham, and did what we came to do. As we gave the invitiation, plenty responded. Possibly up to 20 people responded to the altar call, mostly children. I cannot give a report of the salvations that were seen, for my ministry group and I had not personally led anyone to the Lord. However there was much prayer, and many who were responding to the gospel. Regardless of initial salvation, the seed fell upon soil that evening.
This evening set the tone for the remainder of our trip. It would not be the last time I would feel sick, or we would face adversity. However it was the first time we got to minister to the Italian people. It gave us a taste of the joy God had in store for us, and we were hooked from that point forward. We were no longer kids in Italy. We were missionaries on the field.
I also had the chance to get some ministry time in by the end of the night. We went to a public square around 9:30ish and performed our drama for almost 100 people! They even stuck around afterward to hear the message following. Afterwards, we passed out tracts and spoke with the children. I gave one boy a US dollar and he freaked out! Along with 20 other kids who then swarmed the boy and I for more.
I hear today we are going out to a pier... Oh let it be true! I am feeling much better today and it is my prayer that I would be granted health and peace of mind throughout the remainder of the tris trip. To God be all glory and praise... Hallelujah!
-Ryan Jackson
7/28/11 - Treasure hunt
*Crane operator
*Bathroom Stall
*Khaki Plaid back pack--> over teal shirt
*Man with short black curly hair, t-shirt w/ horizontal stripe. White earbud headphones, standing in crowd of drama on left side, He stands ---> Salmon, Palermo?
*The man who catches a shark? (Blacktip?)
(Hindsight overview)
I feel the need to elaborate further upon the events of this day.
{^^First off, treasure hunting was asking God to provide us with visual signs during prayer, for those we would be able to minister to. Above is what he gave me.}
This day was a turning point for me. It was the first day in Italy that I did not feel as though I was going to vomit or pass out. The attribution of myself to Simon the Cyrenian was all I needed to take sufferage as affirmation that I was doing exactly what I needed to do. From this point on uncertainty and discomfort were seen as battlegrounds, to which I could acquire victory. Something changed in me, and I discovered an all new strength and will in me to persevere. It was this day that I truly became a leader. The prior days had become blurs of the distant past and on this day we seperated our project. One team would stay and minister in and around Aquaviva (Team, Unveiled). As for ourselves (La Spugna)we relocated to another church in Giovanazzo. I was not aware but this was the last time we would see our other friends for a full week.
When we arrived at the church in Giovanazzo, we immediatley were greeted by smiling faces and FOOD! Pastor Franco and his wife, Silvanna, his son David, plus friends Francesca and others welcomed us with the utmost in hospitality. We had this wonderful eggplant parmesan stuff and I was FINALLY ready to eat. As we made ourselves at home, we realized just how small this church really was. It was in the midst of reconstruction, and it wasn't a church that you or I would draw familiarity with. It was a prisonesque style establishment, equipped fully with crumbling concrete walls. The sanctuary was simple. Entering off the street through the windowless metal doors, a modest pulpit served as a focal point. It was set upon a red carpetted embankment which served as the stage. A piano was offset to your right as aisled seating, of about 35-40, gave way to the front. The room itself exhibitted a cylindrical form, with the floor abruptly ceasing the completion of the shape. The floor itself sank about two feet below street level, which caused humidity to build within the nearly windowless structure. However a single ceiling fan was all that you needed to vanquish the slight heat of the Italian sun.
This was the church, and it was brilliant... It prompted you to be absorbed into the fellowship. The mahogany tile floors served as our sleeping surface, where the women slept in the identical room next door, on beds... The outdoor seating area presented us a long table for dining and a small sink area served as a wash basin for our Texas stained clothing.
The overall atmosphere of the church was genius. Nothing fancy; no stained glass, no pipe organs, no pews or aisle runners. No stage lighting, no fog machines, no orchestra, no windows, no (working) audio equipment, no air conditioning, no hallways, no steeples, no crosses... The church boasted two things, a piano for corporate worship, and a pulpit for the word of God. We have much to learn from the simplicity of this congregation.
After acquaniting ourselves with the edifice, the Pastor and our fellow Italian kinsman, we were given the opportunity to head out into our first ministry sight. It was classified "En Villa"(?), and we performed our drama for quite an audience. We experienced slight adversity as the music we had set our drama to, ceased to exist upon our IPod. So we threw on some Phil Wickham, and did what we came to do. As we gave the invitiation, plenty responded. Possibly up to 20 people responded to the altar call, mostly children. I cannot give a report of the salvations that were seen, for my ministry group and I had not personally led anyone to the Lord. However there was much prayer, and many who were responding to the gospel. Regardless of initial salvation, the seed fell upon soil that evening.
This evening set the tone for the remainder of our trip. It would not be the last time I would feel sick, or we would face adversity. However it was the first time we got to minister to the Italian people. It gave us a taste of the joy God had in store for us, and we were hooked from that point forward. We were no longer kids in Italy. We were missionaries on the field.
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| Drama practice at Aquaviva |
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| No Miracleman, I'm a sinner! |
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| The Church (Notice the size) |
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| Children at En Villa |
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