Arletha sings up close and personal to the people. There are many more photos for the Festival on the new web page at http://www.IntlCoop.org/WesternEurope/Photos/Italy2000.
27 people are off to Rome for the first ever Gospel Festival, a special project of International Cooperation (a/k/a International Crusades). Everyone (except me) is just now getting there and I leave on Thursday.
Please pray for this music-focused evangelistic project! Six churches in the Rome area are hosting the 4 musical groups: Willa Dorsey and Arletha Green are wonderful soloists and First Love and Musicians of the World are two equally wonderful groups from our church. Our pastor, Jeff Warren and his wife Staci have gone as well. He and Mark Schneider will preach, along with Alf Kavli (IC Norway coordinator) and myself.
This could be another way we conduct church to church partnership evangelism, where our traditional approach is not acceptable or desired.
Also, Grant Byrd, Francisco Nunez, Janice and I went to Mexico the first week-end in September to plan for next year's Youth Evangelism Campaign. What a great meeting! 60-70 young people and adults from nine churches in the state of Guerro (Mexico) and a large contingent from Pachuca, came together for a great planning rally. God is working! See you on the battlefield....
Your brother,
Sometimes I am so embarrassed by my lack of faith..... I had heard very little of the first days from the Gospel Festival in Rome. In my past, silence was NOT golden. Usually it spells trouble as a campaign struggles to find God's will and way. Not one of my emails to Italy had been answered, so I expected the worst.
My flight to Rome from London was a few minutes late, the passport lines long and my baggage slow to come up. Finally I had it all and was ready to exit through customs. Would Ettore be there? Alf Kavli, the coordinator? Would I need to just grab a taxi or hop the train into town? Had things gone poorly, just as I suspected? Lot's of questions, few answers.
As the doors open for me, the usual crowd was there, waiting for .... someone. Seldom me.
I saw Ettore quickly. His infectious smile seemed a good sign. His long hug, while always warm, seemed more joyous than ever before. As fast as I could ask and he could answer, he let me know the details:
God still moves! And He is moving in Italy!
The Festival is exceeding everyone's expectation. Every church is pleased. God's Spirit is moving. Decisions are being made.
Ettore Zerbinati, the IC coordinator for Italy and Italian leader for the Gospel Festival, said, "This is fantastic! it has exceeded every expectation for every church, I believe; and, for me too." The clincher came next: "I believe we will have a traditional IC evangelistic campaign in Italy, in Rome, in 2002."
The music has been wonderfully received, the preaching, as well.
Last Sunday, I was in New York at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. I heard a new song (for me), "I stand, I stand in awe of You." I really expected so little from the Lord. But He has done so much here in the Gospel Festival. And He is not through yet. Today I sing from my soul: "I praise you Lord. I stand, I stand in awe of You."
I look forward to more surprises from the One who is not surprised.
Thank you for your prayers,
The special project called the "Gospel Festival" continues to demonstrate the tenacious passion the Lord has for His children in difficult cultures.
The Festival services continue to be very well attended, mostly by lost people (pre-Christians). I was with Arletha Green last night, up in the mountains north of Rome in Viterbo. We were with Dudley and Janet Graves, just the finest folks on the planet who are working with the Lord to develop a new work in that area.
They were so thrilled that almost 40 people came to the city concert hall in an abandoned Catholic church to listen and then, everyone stayed until the very end. It is not unusual to have people get up and leave in Italy. Several even stood outside and listened.
Arletha sings up close and personal to the people. There are many more photos for the Festival on the new web page at
http://www.IntlCoop.org/WesternEurope/Photos/Italy2000.
You may not have known that International Crusades has changed its name in Europe to International Cooperation, recognizing the negative image that the word "crusade" represents in many parts of the world.
Arletha and I will be together again tonight (Saturday) and then I will try to visit with several groups and get some pictures of them tomorrow. We wrap-up tomorrow night.
God bless you for your continued encouragement and prayer.
As we rapidly run toward the end of our time here, it is easy to become overwhelmed at the reality of what we have seen God doing. One of the miracles that the Italians have identified is among the churches. "Perhaps the biggest miracle is that three of our churches could agree to cooperate together on an evangelism project", said Ettore Zerbinati, coordinator.
More and more people are coming who are not believers. More and more are responding to the Gospel.
Jeff Warren said tonight in a midnight phone conversation, "This gets us back to what is really important. One by one. Seeing one here, and one there, receive Christ. You aren't tempted to look at the numbers, you see every individual person as another one that receives the Lord. Tell the church, tell everyone, this is great! God is at work in Italy. We are fortunate to have been here to see this ourselves."
Continue to pray for the closing services tomorrow morning and night. Expect great things!
There were wonderful services this morning (Sunday) in all the churches. Everyone is tired, but so pleased. The closing service is tonight and we are expecting an outpouring from the Lord.
It appears several dozen people have indicted a desire to know the Lord. Praise the Lord!
There are more pictures on the web site at http://www.Intlcoop.org/WesternEurope/Photos/Italy2000
Pray on!
After the final service, the people stayed and talked and stayed and talked. Ettore pulled me aside and pointed at everyone. "Look," he said. "This is the first thing we have cooperated together with all the churches in 10 years. This is why I am weeping. I am so happy!"
And many received Christ. Many were re-united with the fellowship of believers. All were encouraged.
God did a mighty thing in Italy. All praise be to Him forever and ever.
Amen
PS More new photos on the web: http://www.Intlcoop.org/WesternEurope/Photos/Italy2000
What a great meting in Paris for the campaign there next year! I met Michel Audo, the campaign coordinator for the French side.
Their plan is powerful in its possibilities: a whole year of intensive planning and encouragement in ten different regions of France, culminating in a 4 day spiritual retreat about 6 weeks before the campaign.
Etienne also was gracious to invite to speak to the pastors at their annual retreat in January. God had everything well planned, since we have the Portugal preparation retreat just about week before.
Pray for the meeting in the morning in Brussels.
God's hand is so evident.
Every trip has its surprises. This one is no exception. For my first time, I had a high speed train run an hour late. There was some problem on the high speed tracks, trains could not get into Paris. Same problem getting out. However, by midnight, I had finally made it to Brussels and my hotel.
Of course the alarm clock did not go off at 6:00 for the 7:00 meeting. It was a quick dressing when Pastor Patrick Deneut called from the lobby at 6:40 am!
The folks in Belgium continue to be interested in working together in the future. We discussed a campaign in Belgium in 2002. It would be with French, Dutch and German churches providing teams. The Belgians had an executive committee meeting that afternoon, so there would opportunity to discuss how best to plan. There is a continued interested in involving Canadians, especially French Canadians, in the work in Belgium (and France). How wonderful! We will be contacting the Canadians and invite them to participate.
After an uneventful flight through Frankfurt, I arrived in Malta. I am not sure what I expected Malta to look like, but I was surprised the rocky, middle-eastern looking island. Much smaller than I thought: only 9 x 17 miles. I went straight from the airport to a meeting with several pastors. There is only one Baptist church for a population of more than 300,000. There are only 8-10 evangelical churches of any kind, so they all work together. I met with the pastors who form The Evangelical Alliance. That is who we will be working with there.
The meeting was very positive, pastor Edwin Caruana agreed to be the IC representative for Malta. He is also involved in other sensitive areas where witnessing is restricted and will help us there, too. I cannot provide details in my email about that work for security concerns. One of our fine young missionary couples hosted me there, the Earl Pinkstons. They are great! They have been on a two year assignment in Malta and will return to the states for about 10 months to receive career appointment, then return. Pray for them and their last few days in Malta before returning.
Pray, too, for wisdom in knowing how to relate to all the evangelical churches who want to participate.
Off now for Tel Aviv, via Madrid. Pray for Israel that the Lord will send me to the right people who will be interested and wanting to participate in global mobilization for evangelism.
Tel Aviv's airport is pretty much like any other capital city airport, only there are more people always there than you can ever imagine. But it makes no difference how often one comes to Israel, that last turn in the road from the coast into the mountains, that spreads Jerusalem before the eyes like a banquet table of King Solomon, is breath taking. It was here. Yes, it was here.
The laughter of the crowds belie the emptiness of most people. Churches everywhere, spirit missing. No wonder He wept over Jerusalem. To this day, He weeps. So many; so lost; so precious to the King!
Pray that I will be able to have meetings tomorrow. I have a business meeting at 1:00 and am trying to set up other meetings tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. it will be a God thing if this comes together.
I am in the wonderful old American Colony Hotel, founded by Horacio Spafford, author of the beloved hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul." Tonight, I saw the original manuscript for the hymn! I almost always stayed here when in Jerusalem.
I feel like I am back home, with Him.
Pray!
I really took a day off today in Israel and rested. I had some problems with my disk drive and spent some time fixing it. This evening I had dinner with Bob and Peggy Oxford, dear friends from Denver. They have been partners in missions and evangelism for nearly 30 years. They were touring Israel with Tom Eliff, pastor of the 1st Southern Baptist Church of Dell City, OK.
I asked you to pray for the contact with some Messianic Jewish leaders. Your prayers were answered tonight! I will be meeting with Avi Mizrachi at noon after a breakfast with one of our IMB missionaries in the morning.
From there, on to the Tel Aviv airport for my flight to Spain, then Portugal.
Continue to pray that God's hand will be on all that will be discussed.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow......
What a full two days I have had!
Your prayers were answered fully on Sunday. I ended up meeting with not one but 2 messianic Jewish pastors on Sunday! I also got the name a key Arabic Christian leader in Haifa that I will send an email to and add to my friendship with Pastor Sakhnini in Nazareth.
Then I traveled to Madrid (arrived very late) and then got up early to come to Portugal and had a great meeting with the steering committee here for the campaign next year.
Thank you for your prayers.
On to Spain (finally) tomorrow!
Blessing on you all.
All but one (a very important one--my wife!) is here in Spain, arriving from the United States and several others are here from S. America. More are on the way today and tomorrow and the Europeans join us here tomorrow. All have arrived ok so far.
There has been the last minute struggles that always happen with one church canceling, but the Lord miraculously providing another.
We start with the Welcoming Service tomorrow night. That will be a great time.
All the details are falling into place. God is at work in Spain.
Pray for the campaign, the workers who obediently come and the churches who so graciously have opened their doors and the hearts and homes.
Also, pray for Korea and we prepare to go their in just about a month. A few more workers can be used.
To God be the Glory!
Issue by issue and item by item, God dealt with all the frustrations and complications of the campaign in Spain. I could provide a dozen examples of His hand on the details, but here are a couple:
The Welcoming Service Friday night was stirring! We met at First Baptist church of Madrid, a place that touches my history and my heart strings. This church hosted the last campaign in Europe on which my dear parents participated. What special memories....
Friday night's fellowship, music, sermon and prayer time were all great. hear songs sung in Dutch, English and Spanish is a blessing. Special music from Paraguay, prayers from someone from each country and Mike Ketner's sermon were inspiring. One man from the USA had buried his dear wife on a few weeks before the campaign. Before her death, she had requested no flowers for the funeral, but that everyone would give to a fund to let her husband go to Spain. And there he was! We all wept together at her vision and passion .... and his.
I hope to hear of the work through the next week and will keep you abreast of how the campaign goes. Altogether, 12 church churches received teams, with 48 visitors from 6 countries and 3 languages were involved. Janice and I left early Saturday morning for Rome to attend the wedding of Silvia the daughter of the IC national coordinator for Italy, Ettore and Patricia Zerbinati.
Janice's bag missed the connection in Barcelona, so she waited at the Rome airport for her bag to arrive and she sent me with the cameras to the wedding. Then she got her bag, changed clothes, took a taxi by herself into the heart of Rome and made it for the reception. What a girl! The party lasted into the wee hours and we got a short night's sleep and staggered back to the airport for 8:00 flights out to Spain and London. She will be on the campaign in Spain and I am headed home (need to earn a shekel, so as to be able to go again).
Pray for all the teams. The Spanish are hungry for a movement from God in their beautiful and economically prospering country. God raised up a fine group of co-laborers from around the world to work with them. Let's see what God has in store and to Him belongs all the glory.
Amen and amen,
I have been in touch with Janice in Spain, Jim Walters in Hungary and Gary Baird in Scotland. The Spain and Scotland campaigns are going right now and your prayer support is vital. The Hungary people left the USA today and the campaign is next week.
Whew! That is just Western Europe. International Cooperation (Crusades) has campaigns going on, or just finishing in Russia, South America and Africa right now. A campaign just recently completed in Asia. Around the world....how blessed....unto the uttermost part.
The report from Janice is limited in scope (2 churches) but very positive. People are being saved, the church members are encouraged and it is evident that many divine appointments are being met.
Listen to this: in every home visit that Janice has made, people have accepted the Lord. The mother of a young lady (Alicia) who came to our church 2 years ago and for whom the church has been praying for, for more than ten years, accepted Christ!
Many services are planned. Many visits are on the agenda. God is at work.
Jim Walters reports that he attended a meeting outside Budapest before the group arrives for the campaign and there were more than 100 pastors in attendance. The speaker was from Colorado (Jims' home and is a friend). Tivadar and Jim were able to share a word to the assembly, the president of the convention indicated that he and the national director of evangelism will be on the steering committee for the campaign in Hungary in the spring of 2002, which a formerly been scheduled for the fall of 2001. Now they believe many churches will participate. This was definitely a God thing!
Gary Baird reports that people are being saved and that the churches have, for the most part GREAT (capitals from Gary) plans for the week. Services have a great spirit and God is at work there too. he tells us that each team is encouraged by the warm response from the churches. They are having opportunity to be in the schools there. Praise the Lord!
Please continue to pray for all of the Western European campaigns going on now or just about to begin. Also, we continue to get word of great response in the National to National campaigns in Africa.
Thanks for your partnership in the Gospel
I received this email from Gary Baird and knew many of you have been interested in and praying for the Scotland campaign.
I talked to Janice last night and the week in Malaga went very well. Many received Christ, her team from 3 countries had individual ministries that seemed to bless a unique segment of the church community and the city at large.
Hungary has begun and I received this information from Tivadar Macher, the IC coordinator fro Hungary, " In the morning we have had a good service. At the afternoon we have had two small services parallel, that was not easy. I have heard about the services where Wayne and Florence were. It was o.k. - said the pastor in the phone. Tomorrow I will ask Wayne also. I did not hear anything about Gödöllo."
Keep praying! Much is happening in Western Europe and Israel. Wednesday I will meet with a Messianic Jew in Dallas about his work and IC's possibilities in Israel.
Janice and the Scotland and Spain groups return on Tuesday night. God bless your prayers!
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Baird [mailto:garyb@crusades.com]
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2000 2:59 AM
To: Jerry Byrd
Subject: Scotland crusade
Thank you for praying for the Scotland crusade. We will conclude this evening with a victory rally.
This has been a blessed week in the church where Shirley and I have served. The blessings did not come in numbers of persons coming to Christ, but in ministry and encouragement to the church. As we witnessed on the streets where the pubs are, the church members began to see that the young people would stop and talk to them about Jesus.
Many other seeds have been planted that we pray will bear fruit for the Master. Latter in the week I will share a report that will give the final results.
Gary [Baird]
Sometimes we all wonder at the follow-on effects of our work overseas. I think this is important because these two emails demonstrate the effect overseas and in our own home situation. The first email was received from a Brazilian young lady who lives in Rome now as an evangelist ....
-----Original Message-----
From: Betania De Mato [SMTP:dbetania@tiscalinet.it]
Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2000 8:31 AM
To: Patrick L. Murray Subject: R: Hello from Texas!
Dear Pat, I forgot to tell you many other things, for instance that, Massimo had for more than 2 years attack panic, and since he get to know the Lord it is gone!!!! This week also he went to his psychoanalyst and told him that he would quit with the analyze of group and also individual, and he told to the analyst his reasons: he said: you know, till now I have received a lot from you, but since I met God my life has changed and what I am receiving from Him you can not give to me, so is time to finish and start my walk with the Lord! The psychoanalyst got very crazy about, but Massimo is so happy that he could testimony of what God did in his life! This week he had also a dream that he went to the group and he brought the Bible and share with the group what God had done for him, He said that in the dream he could not stay sitting but must to stand and he shared the gospel with power! In the morning he felt so strong and like God telling to him to go and share!! he was very happy and also he is evangelizing a lot of friends and every body tells him that he got crazy, but people see his changing and than say to him : If God could change your life, sure he really can do what is impossible!!!
So, my dear Patrick and group, you came sure for Massimo's salvation, but through him many will get saved, and it started with you all. I forgot to tell you that on Sunday morning the last day in Trastevere [church], the cousin of Massimo and Manuela came for the first time, even though we've been praying for her for more than two years now, her name is Sara, she came back again this Sunday, please pray for her okay?
May the Lord bless all of you!
Betania
----- Original Message -----
From: Patrick L. Murray <pat@cpamurray.com>
To: 'Betania--Italy' <dbetania@tiscalinet.it>
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2000 10:38 PM
Subject: Hello from Texas!
Betania,
I hope that you do not mind that I asked Jack Haye to forward to me your e-mail address. He also sent a copy of your recent e-mail regarding the activities in Rome. We had a time in last night's prayer service at church to share with our church family about the blessings from our recent trip to Rome. Your name came up several times when mentioning the people who touched our hearts and lives in a very special way!
We also looked at some pictures, and I was able to get a copy of a special picture that Barbara Schneider took while there. It includes several of the people from Trestevere, but most important to me, right in the center is Massimo. The last night when we toured Rome, I felt that I should say something to Massimo of the joy in my heart over his salvation. But I did not do so.
What I would like for Massimo to know is that HE is the reason for our coming to Rome! If his story was the only one to tell, if he was the only one to accept Christ as personal Savior, if his was the only Italian life that changed as a result of our coming--it was worth it all! All of the preparation, all of the time away from our families, all of the cost, all of everything is well worth it because of the rejoicing in heaven over Massimo's decision!!
Please continue to give us feedback from time to time as to how we can continue to pray for you and others in Rome. Betania, you are a very special young woman, with God's spirit so evident in your life. You were an inspiration to all of us. I pledge my prayer support for you and others' needs in the days ahead.
Please allow me to share one result of the trip which happened AFTER we returned. Just another sign of God's goodness! I am an accountant and God has blessed me with 5 ladies who work with me in our office. I gave them a list of the places and times where we would be in Italy, at the office before I left with a note on the bottom that I was counting on their prayers. (I gave the same list to my family, parents, & other friends.) In the U.S., although we have many religious freedoms not available to other parts of the world, we must also be careful not to "force our religion" on people in the workplace, especially as an employer. When I returned to the office, I was somewhat surprised when they told me that they had gathered each morning before starting the work day to pray for me and our group in Rome. But the greater thrill was when they all asked if we could continue that practice of starting our work day with a short time of reading a Bible scripture and praying together! I can't tell you how unusual that is for ANY work place. I feel so blessed that God has chosen to surround me with such godly people. So you see, we can not even attempt to know how God will use our availability to Him if we will simply submit to His will!
I must close for now, but 2 things before I go: 1) we will be gathering on Friday night to review pictures from the trip and share with Jerry Byrd some of his/our impressions; I know it will bring back a lot of memories and hopefully inform us as to more of what is going on there after we left (he was at Ettore's daughter's wedding at the end of September and just returned to U.S.); 2) there is a website that Jerry gave us that has several pictures from our Italy trip which might be fun for you to see. I can not locate it right now, but promise to get back with you shortly.
Found it--that web site is http://www.Intlcoop.org/WesternEurope/Photos/Italy2000.
Once again, I would repeat the words of Jack that God, you, and others in Rome have changed my life because of our time with you. I praise God for what He did and will continue to do through you, your church and others (especially Massimo!). You may share this e-mail with anyone you wish. Please give our love to all, but especially to those on the "midnight tour" (that was one of the highlights of my trip).
Love in Him,
Pat Murray