I will greet this day with love in my heart

The seminar on the four Gospels was a great time of learning and fellowship! I enjoyed seeing friends from other cities and also meeting new people, and it was a very encouraging weekend! Hosting events at the Bible School is always so much fun.

Seminar on the Four Gospels

Saturday night our church, in conjunction with Harding University and the Italian charity ANPAS, hosted a benefit concert for Abruzzo, the region affected by the earthquake in April. A couple of my new friends were able to attend, and we raised over 1,000 euro!


The last week has also included a couple of fun cultural experiences. A lady who has visited our church a few times just opened a cooking school, and she invited me to the grand opening to see the school and sample some of her delectable cuisine. On Sunday afternoon our cook, Rosa, and her husband, Felice, were in a dance recital, so we went to cheer them on. The performance was quite elaborate and lasted over four hours!


Last night my 9-10pm student stayed an extra 45 minutes because she was really enjoying reading the Bible and wanted to keep going! She is very involved at her church but said they do not study the Bible a lot there, so she is glad to come here to learn more about the Bible as well as English! The day before another student commented that our studies have helped both her faith and her English. She expressed her conviction that faith is an important decision that each person must make, not merely following one's family or culture. When she was younger she was not as interested in it, but now she is truly exploring and is also reading her Bible at home in her native language!


This month, while Sarah, the church secretary, is in America, I will be assisting with some of her responsibilities, such as making the weekly church bulletin!


Recently I read a book recommended by a friend who was a missionary in Prague, and I would like to encourage you all to read it as well (it's only 111 pages)! The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino, is an inspirational story, set about 2,000 years ago, that includes principles for becoming a successful salesman, but it can also be read as an allegory of evangelism. I'll close today's post with a quote from the book:

"I will greet this day with love in my heart. For this is the greatest secret of success in all ventures. Muscle can split a shield and even destroy life but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men and until I master this art I will remain no more than a peddler in the market place. I will make love my greatest weapon and none on whom I call can defend against its force. My reasoning they may counter; my speech they may distrust; my apparel they may disapprove; my face they may reject; and even my bargains may cause them suspicion; yet my love will melt all hearts liken to the sun whose rays soften the coldest clay. I will greet this day with love in my heart."