We Don't Do This in Italy!

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  • 7/29/2019 We Don't Do This in Italy!

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    WE D ON T D O T HI S I N I TALY!The doctor was staring with a puzzled look on his face. J ust a fe w we ek s a go, D av ida nd h is s is te r, D eb bi e, w er e s it ti ng i n f ro nt o f t he a dm is si on d oc to r f or a f ac il it y t ha t d oe s h om e c ar e

    f or t er mi na l p at ie nt s a nd e ve nt ua ll y p ro vi de s h os pi ce , i n t he l as t m om en ts o f l if e. A ft er e xa mi ni ng a ll

    t he m ed ic al r ep or ts f or t he ir m ot he r, M ar ia Te re sa , w ho h as s er ve d a lo ng si de h er h us ba nd a sm is si on ar y f or o ve r s ix ty y ea rs , h e a ske d w ha t t he ir m om k ne w o f h er c on di ti on . A s t he y a ns we re d

    t ha t s he k ne w v er y w el l t ha t s he w as t er mi na ll y i ll , h e w as c on fu se d. I n I ta ly, t hi s k in d o f i nf or ma ti on

    i s h id de n f ro m d yi ng p at ie nt s, t o p ro te ct t he m f ro m f al li ng i nt o d ep re ss io n a nd g iv in g u p.

    G od g av e u s t he w on de rf ul o pp or tu ni ty t o g o t o I ta ly a ga in , a t t he e nd o fFebruary. T h is w as a t ot al l y u n ex p ec te d t r ip . We w er e t h or ou g hl y i m me rs e d i n ou r s ec u la r j o ba n d m in is t ry a t G ra ce I m ma n ue l B i bl e C hu rc h , a n d i n fa c t, w e w e re p l an ni n g t he m i ss i on a ry

    conference in our church and looking forward to participating as future missionaries.

    T he t ri p w as as un ex pe ct ed a s t he p ho ne c al l w e h ad r ec ei ve d a fe w d ay sbefore. M o m wa s i n t he e m er ge n cy r oo m a nd s h e n e ed e d a b l oo d tr an sf u si o n. T h is w asf ol l ow ed b y a w ee k i n th e h o sp i ta l an d mu l ti pl e t es ts . A t t h e e n d, s he w as d i ag n os e d w it h Ac u te

    Te r mi n al L e uke m ia . A l th o ug h t he d o ct o r co u ld n o t b e c e rt ai n , t he p ro g no s is w as o f o nl y a f ew

    m o nt h s w it h n o a va i la b le c u re . M o m h a s n e ve r b e en s i ck . A n d s h e i s o n ly 8 8 y e ar s o l d!

    G od p ro vi de d t he p la ne t ic ke ts i n a w on de rf ul w ay, t hr ou gh d ea r f r ie nd s. Asw e a r r iv ed i n It a ly, i t w a s s u c h a b l ess i n g to b e a r ou n d Mom a n d Da d , w ho a r e g o i ng t h ro u g h th i s

    t r ia l w it h t he a wa re n es s o f G od s a m az i ng g ra c e a n d pe a ce . T h e d ay s w e re f i ll e d wi t h ti m es t o ta l k

    a n d t im es o f t ear s , t ri p s t o v ar i o us d o c to r s a n d meet i ng s w i t h nu r ses , n o t t o m ent i o n pl a n ni n g

    m a tt ers f o r t h e f u t ur e.

    O n S un da y w e h ad t he p ri vi le ge , a s a fa mi ly, to h on or M om a nd D ad . On e of t he a ma zi ng b le ss in gs w as t ha t a ll fo ur c hi ld re n we re a bl e t o be t he re a t t he s am e t im e f or a f ew

    d ay s . We s p en t a b ou t e i gh t h o ur s t h at d ay, r ej o ic i ng i n th e w or k o f G od a nd g lo r if y in g Hi m fo r t he

    w o r k H e h a s d o n e t h r ou g h B i l l a n d Ma r ia Ter esa S t a nd r i dg e, a s t h ey m i n is t er ed t o g et h er f o r s o

    m a ny y e ar s. We s a ng , we p ra ye d , w e s h ar e d f ro m th e S c ri pt u re s , w e l au g he d an d we c r ie d . I t w as

    a n a m az i n g d ay, s p ent b ei ng h u m b led b y t h e g r ac e o f G o d t o ou r f a mi l y.

    April 2 0 1 3

    R ek in dl in g th e l ig ht o f th e G os pe l in I ta ly

    So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.Psalm 90: 12

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    What do you do when you know y our days a re c omi ng to end on earth? Wew e re b le s se d t o wa tc h M om s z ea l fo r t he G o sp e l. A s D av i d sa t w it h h er i n t he h o sp i ta l , as s h e w as

    r ec eiv i n g h er bl o o d t r an s f us i o n, s h e w a s o n l y p r eoc c u pi ed w i t h b ei ng s ur e t h a t s h e h a d t r ac t s t o

    g i ve t o t h e n u rs e s. A s d o ct or s a n d n u rs e s c am e t o t h e h o us e , t h ey a l l l ef t w it h s u rp r is e . I do n t

    t h i nk t h ey h a d ev er h a d a s i m il a r ex p er ien c e w i t h a n y o t h er o f th ei r t er mi n a l p a ti en ts . T h e p a t ien t

    k n ew s he w as t e rm i na l , ha d pe a ce a b ou t t h at , a n d w as w i tn e ss in g to t h em ! M o m ha s b e ens c ra m b li n g t o f i n is h h er p r o jec t s . B o o kl et s t o w r i te, b l o gs t o f i n is h , p l u s, sh e w r ot e a t r ac t t o s en d

    t o th e t h ou s an d s o f pe o pl e w ho k no w he r al l ov e r I t al y. S h e h a s s ta r te d a b o ok , as a t e st i mo ny t o

    G o d , o n h o w to s p end o n e s l i fe j o y f ul l y s er v in g H im .

    T he m in is tr y d oe s n ot p la n t o e nd . Dad, alth o u gh i t s h a r d t o th i n k o f m in i s tr y w i t ho u tMo m , i s p l a nn i n g t o c o nt i n ue t o s er v e. D a vi d a n d B i l l a n d Ma r ia Ter esa s a t d o w n i n a m eeti n g t o

    p l a n t h e f u t ur e o f th e l i ter at u re a n d p u b li s h in g mi n i st r y. D a vi d wi l l m o r e a n d m o r e t a ke

    r e sp o ns i bi l it y, a s t h e p l an i s c on t in u e t o r e ac h t h e 5 8 ,0 0 0, 0 00 I t al i an s w h o s o d e sp e ra te l y n e ed t o

    h av e t h e s a me g l or i ou s h o pe t h at i s a c co m pa ny i ng u s t h ro u gh t h es e t i me s .

    Yo u c on ti nu e t o b e v it al ly i mp or ta nt f or o ur m in is tr y. Loredana and David aret r us t in g G od t o p ro v id e t h e f u nd s f or t h em t o c on ti n ue t h e m i ni st r y t h at w as s ta r te d b y B il l a nd

    Ma r i a Ter esa . D a vi d w i l l w o r k c l o sel y w i t h B i l l, as h e c o nt i n ues t o h a ve a v i ta l t ea ch i n g a n d w r i ti n g

    m i ni st r y t h ro u gh o ut I t al y. P ra y f or p a ti e nc e a n d fa i th f ul t r u st i n G od a s w e w ai t u p on H i m.

    M ay Go d b le ss y ou , a s yo u p ra y fo r u s. T h e v e rs e t h at G o d h a s p l ac e d o n o u r h e ar t s i sP sa lm 9 0 :1 2 So t ea ch u s t o nu mb er o u r da ys t ha t w e m ay g et a h ea rt o f w is do m. L if e i s s ho rt !

    W ha t w e d o ne ed s t o be m ot iv at ed b y e te rn al v al ue s. We n ee d to b e w is e i n th e w ay w e p la n ou r

    d ay s, a n d t h e u s e o f ou r fi n an c es a nd t im e .

    David and Loredana

    m i n i s t r i e s

    C O RN EL I S

    P O B o x 1 4 5 1 4 N o r t h P a l m B e a c h , F L 3 34 0 8 Te l . ( 9 4 1 ) 5 4 5 - 43 7 4 email - [email protected] skype - djstandridge

    If you would like t o sup port our ministry to Italyp l e a se s e n d y o ur t a x d e d uc t i b le g i f t s t o :

    C O R N EL I U S M I N I STR I E S

    5 5 S ou th M ai n S tre et # 16 4

    Oberlin, OH 44074

    M ar k o n th e m em o li ne o r on a s ep ara te n ot e:

    F o r t h e m i n i st r y o f D avi d an d Lor e d an a S t a nd r i d ge

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