01.14.10
Posted in Ancona, Newsletters, Team, church, culture, family, kids, ministry
at 4:00 am
I just realized that I typed “Volume 8 — Issue 1” on the byline of our most recent newsletter. How is that possible? Is this really the eighth year of sending out newsletters?
A lot has happened over the years. We spent over two years in the US raising support for our work in Ancona. What an experience that was – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.
Then we moved to Perugia to study Italian. We enrolled in a small language school and tried to train our mouths to make all the weird sounds we heard all around us. We also adapted to the Italian rhythm of life, and enrolled our two oldest kids in school. What an experience that was – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.
Next we moved to Ancona and started to dip our toes into life on a team. We learned all the reasons why working on a team is such a great thing, and we also learned why it can be a really challenging thing. The Italian culture started to feel a bit more familiar to us, but things were still new and scary sometimes. Moving to Ancona and working on a team was a great experience – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.
After our first furlough, we came back to Ancona with a new confidence. The language wasn’t quite so difficult. Our kids were doing pretty well in school. We even had a baby in Ancona. Our team leader asked us to be the interim team leader for six months while he was in the US. What an experience that was – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.
Just before our second furlough our landlord gave us six months to move out of her apartment, and we were faced with finding a new place and completely furnishing it with absolutely no way to pay for it. What an experience that was – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.
Which brings us more or less to the present day. We still get our faith stretched on a regular basis. God still pulls us through despite our doubts, and shows us how faithful He is to us.
And through it all, He’s forming a church in Ancona. Sometimes He uses us, and sometimes He does an end-run and brings people to us that we never would have even met. He molds us and shapes us and chips away at our rough edges until we become more and more like Him.
And to think. It’s only taken seven years so far…
Thanks for sticking with us.
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01.07.10
Posted in culture, finances, friends
at 2:58 am
We were greeted from our Christmas travels to a letter from the Agenzia Entrate – more or less the Italian IRS. By the end of January, we need to pay €109 (~$158). It’s TV tax time.
Italy’s three main, state-run television stations are supported by a yearly tax, paid for by everyone who has bought a TV. It doesn’t matter if you never watch the state channels, or if you only use your TV to play movies, or even if you have ever turned your TV on. If you buy a TV, they send you a letter in January asking you to cough it up. And the state channels still have commercials, so where all this money goes is a bit of a mystery.
So what’s a poor pastor to do? Do we pay the tax like good foreign residents? Or do we stick it to the man and refuse to support the media machine? Here are some facts:
- Christians who I respect have laughed at me when I asked if they pay the TV tax. They say it’s a joke and no one but foreigners who don’t know any better pay it.
- They can come and “audit” you if you don’t pay. What this really means is a bit of a mystery.
- After midnight, most of these channels play shows that range from soft-core, to full-out pornography. If I pay my tax, aren’t I supporting this programming as well?
I’d love to get a discussion going – but hurry … the tax is due January 31!
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12.17.09
Posted in Newsletters, church, finances, friends
at 11:48 am
Why, when God surprises us beyond our wildest dreams, do we worry? Why, when God grants us perfect gifts, in His perfect timing, do we fret?
I have two beautiful stories to tell you. One of those Christmas, heartwarming stories that only happens to everyone else. Only this time it happened to us.
Right now we are leading a family through the Experiencing God Bible study. They are talking about how much their lives are changing, and how their family life is no longer the same. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of Mariana’s (the wife/mom in our study group) called her in tears. She could barely get the words out, but that morning she had a mammogram and her doctor told her it didn’t look good at all. One side had a few nodules. The other was completely full of them. The next week she needed a sonogram and biopsy.
That week, we were studying how God speaks through prayer. Man, we set to work praying for Laura. Mariana had promised to go with her to the hospital. So, later that morning I called Mariana to see how it went. She told me it was amazing. The side that had a few no longer had any nodules at all. Not one. And, the other side that was full of them has one very, very tiny one. So tiny in fact, that after the biopsy comes back if it is in fact cancer, he can take everything out. No problem! I told her that I hope Laura sees a connection between our prayers and her results. (Laura’s husband is Muslim, and she isn’t any too concerned about religion.) She said yes. She definitely sees how important prayer is! It was an emotional day, to be sure.
Then, yesterday I had quite an emotional day myself. Our car is in need of some serious repairs. We aren’t sure what the total cost will be, but probably at least in the ballpark of $2000. (Last week we had to get new tires and an inspection that cost $771, so we are strapped.) Well, after much worry, and not much faith, a friend called from the States. He is a pastor and said that the day before a couple came into his office and wanted to give a gift to missions. So he told them of our need. They wrote a check for $2000. I’m actually getting teary just typing this. Oh, by the way, in our Bible study we are talking about times when you just need to take that step and know that God will provide. Just when we gave our worry to Him, He provided. Can you believe that?
Our God is so much bigger than I can imagine. And next week, when we are driving through the country on our way to a missionary conference and I see the “cattle on a thousand hills” I’ll smile. See, cause I know that God owns that cattle. And, once in a while, he sells a few just for me.
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11.23.09
Posted in 24-7 Prayer, church
at 12:28 pm
This last weekend our church spent another twenty-four hours in prayer. There’s always a buzz of activity in the days leading up to a prayer room. We’re decorating, reminding people about their shifts, and trying to find people to come and pray at 3 AM. We always have people “on call” who open the doors and greet people as they come in. This time my shift was from 10 PM – 2 AM. The first two hours were empty, so I would pray.
I have no idea what makes that room so special. But I feel like God really does come and meet us there. It’s moving to read through the journal on the table, or see the scribbled prayers on the wall, or to picture our church members on their knees before the big wooden cross in the room. Our team leader was telling me that he thought that the prayer rooms are the most important thing we do as a church.
It’s also one of the craziest things we do. Marcus prayed four hours straight and when I saw him the next day he said he felt like four hours wasn’t enough. My two hours flew by – I felt like I just got started. Our newly-baptized believer came out of the prayer room with wide eyes and said she’s going to sign up for more hours next time. My friend Simone was giddy at church when he told me he just did his first hour alone in the prayer room.
And so every other month or so (should it be more often?) we all take our turns in the prayer room. Some of us will write, some will pray out loud. Some will sing and some will listen to music. Some will shout and some will be still. But all of will come out somehow changed.
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11.19.09
Posted in Newsletters, church, ministry
at 2:49 am
Everybody ready for the big confession?
The growth of the church in Ancona has absolutely nothing to do with me. Or any of the other missionaries working with me. Or any of the members who currently attend.
This fact has really been driven home to me in the past month. Jason asked me if I would meet him at our church building after dinner. A woman who is friends with one of our church members wanted to get together and talk about some things she had been reading in the Bible.
Uhhh … OK. Who could turn down an invitation like that?
So we met and just started talking. Jason started things out by asking her to give us a little bit of background about herself - where she’s from, how she ended up coming to our church.
I was completely unprepared for what was about to happen. In the most clear and genuine way, she talked about how God had been working in her life even before she knew it to prepare her to become a Christian.
She talked about how she needed forgiveness, and how she believed that Jesus lived a perfect life and was a sacrifice for our sins. She knew that baptism was a part of becoming a Christian. She even quoted the passage in Acts where the Ethiopian says, “Look, here’s water … why shouldn’t I be baptized?”
We were honest with her. We talked about how baptism is very important in the life of a Christian, but one part of other things like repentance that are just as important. We told her that problems in life don’t magically go away when people give their lives to Christ. And we asked her a simple question: Are you ready?
And she was. Not even a week later we all met at the Casey’s house to baptize her in the bathtub. When she came out of the bathroom after getting dressed she said, “It’s wonderful to be a newborn!”
All of this reminds me that God is already at work here in Ancona. He is much more concerned than I am about a growing church in this city. He is infinitely better than we are at drawing people to Himself.
We basically just have to show up. We have to find places here where God is already working and join Him. “God made it grow” is such a true verse. We’re all busy seeking Him and doing what we feel He’s leading us to do, but God is the one working behind the scenes.
Welcome to the family, Cristina!
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10.23.09
Posted in church, culture, kids, ministry
at 11:46 am
I’m getting to know a new group of parents. Our oldest started soccer this year, and so I have tried to hang around during practices to get to know some of the other moms and dads. There’s one woman in particular who is kind of outspoken and generally puts on a good show for us every practice.
Last night she was talking about a website that said we are going to have an earthquake this weekend. Some of the parents were really listening to her, but most were rolling their eyes. But she said something that really make me think. She said if an earthquake happens, she’s running down to the bottom floor of her apartment so that she can “die with all of the rest of the sinners – at least you know who they are.”
I think she was implying that the buon crisitano (the good Christian) is just a big faker. It’s not possible for the real people, the work-hard-for-a-living people, the kind of people she can relate to, to have a faith: the two things are just incompatible.
I hope that can’t ever be said about me and my life. I seek to be the kind of person that people can relate to, who knows what real life is like. And at the same time I seek to grow in my faith – a faith that is authentic and genuine. If those two things don’t match up in our lives, then I think we will forever be branded as an irrelevant bunch of fakers.
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10.22.09
Posted in Ancona, Team, church, culture
at 12:16 am
The transitions are always weird. We kind of have our feet in both America and Italy. We love both places, and if you asked us where “home” is our answer would really would depend on the day and how we’re feeling about things.
We made it back to Italy safe and sound. Our apartment was cleaned and ready for us (thanks team!). Our car insurance was turned on – though somehow gremlins got in and ruined the transmission while we were gone. The church welcomed us back with the usual hugs and kisses alla Italiana. But somehow things seemed different.
It was a little like we were on the outside looking in on everything. Ministry and church life obviously goes on without us. It’s not like people are sitting around and waiting for us to get back. But it takes a while to get back into the rhythm of life. And the transition was in some ways a little uncomfortable.
But slowly, things are seeming more normal. The routine of school / sports / Bible studies / prayer times / classes / etc. is starting to take over. We’re renewing our friendships and our apartment seems like home again. It all reminds us that neither here, nor there, is our true home.
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08.19.09
Posted in home service
at 2:01 pm
I’ve been very lax in updating the blog. Being in the US for a while has made it difficult to keep up with it. But I’ve had my eyes and mind open to this reinsertion into American culture.
This is our second trip back to the US since we moved to Italy. I have been surprised at how different things have seemed to me. Mathematically speaking, I’ve only spent 1/8 of my life living in Italy, so to come back and find that what should be 7/8 familiar seems somehow strange is a little unnerving.
My eye quickly noticed how big everything is here. Soon after arriving we needed to go to the grocery store and pick up some things. We didn’t have a car yet, so we decided to walk – something we’re very used to doing in Italy. I had forgotten about the spacious streets and sidewalks nearly the entire trip from the house to the store. And we didn’t see a soul using them. Very few cars and no one walking around. I kind of wondered what happened to all the people.
We found ourselves staring and unable to make a choice regarding the huge selection of items in the store – a store so big that five or six of our Italian stores would easily fit inside.
Cars are bigger. Parking lots are bigger. People are bigger. Buildings are bigger. I’ve grown accustomed to living on a smaller scale and it was odd getting used to the “bigness.” Of course, America has 3,800,000 square miles to spread out in compared to Italy’s 116, 000 square miles. I suppose I would spread out, too!
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07.16.09
Posted in administration
at 3:51 pm
I’ve tidied up things a bit with the website. From now on the blog’s address is www.theroterts.net instead of www.theroterts.net/blog. You might want to update your bookmarks.
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07.08.09
Posted in home service, travel
at 2:48 pm
We’re back in the US for home service. We’ve been traveling like crazy and I haven’t had much time to sit and write. Lots of observations about being back in America are coming…
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