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Greetings from sunny – and HOT – Sicily!

Giuseppe returned to Sicily on May 8 with Mark and Micah, two volunteers from Grace Chapel in Michigan. Travel was fine until Giuseppe fell ill with a stomach virus, keeping him out of action for the first week. So it seemed that the start for the two volunteers would come to an abrupt stop. Not so.

They went one day to visit an archeological park so that Mark and Micah could get a taste of the history of Sicily. Giuseppe did not go to see the sites, which allowed him to share the gospel with some people outside the park. Not all things are bad.

Even not feeling 100%, he was invited to a conference on female abuse and violence where he spoke and translated with two African pastors. Mark and Micah proved to be of great assistance, eager to serve in any way possible. They helped load a truck with donations like toilet paper, paper towels, flour, olive oil and more for the earthquake-stricken area in the North.

Sadly, many communities are forgotten by the government already. So far, the help that we have been able to give these people has come from us here in Sicily. This allows for the sharing of the Gospel in remote areas hit by the earthquake. With their help, the entire bottom of the farmhouse was freshly painted so that volunteers could have a clean place to stay. Last year, a guest damaged the house by burning things other than wood in the fireplace. The guest was not a believer but had been provided with a roof over his head.

It was also good to minister in a ladies’ minors camp with the help of a believer from the Navy base in Catania that visited us here. She shared stories of the abuse women experience in many cultures. At the end, she prayed with each one of the girls for a specific prayer request.

Not only are the volunteers facilitating and helping with the ministry here with Act Now but Mark preached twice on the 27th, first in the African church in the morning , then in the evening in the Italian church. He pulled double duty that day! Right at the end, we were able to minister to a camp in Castelvetrano, mostly comprised of Muslims with a few Christians. Everybody received a copy of the Bible in their language. We also have a team from Germany made up mostly of international students that will be ministering alongside us until June 10.

We are so thankful for your continuous prayers that allow us to go forward to present His Word to a dying world. As always, we leave you with this: Let’s go fishing (really) for One more. We wish you God’s blessings for a summer full of opportunities to serve Him. It is a privilege to be able to serve and count on you for your continued support.

Yours in Christ,

Giuseppe and Pennie Collesano
Ciao for now