Howdy folks!
Below is a quick video update of part of the ministries I have been a part of since moving here back in March. This covers a bit of my work in the sound/video with Calvary Chapel Montebelluna as well as some of the manual labor I have been doing for finishing the coffee shop. Enjoy!
Click here: https://youtu.be/VVeh1V10_1I
In July, we had a baptism! 5 people were baptized from the church. All of us from the church went to the river and had a potluck, swimming and baptism time! It was really cool to be a part of as after each baptism, the chorus of, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back" was sung in Italian as a church body to the tune of a guitar. It was a nice time to spend with other believers and to publicly display the faith in Jesus Christ that we live in daily, privately.
Also in July, we built a restored pallet wood wall and coffee bar front that highlights the coffee shop! I was the main man to break down the pallets, as well as in the sanding and staining of the wood. Another staff member designed and nailed the boards to the wall. It was a hard working project, but it was gratifying to see it completed. In August, we completed a parallel wall in the adjoining coffee shop space in pallet wood as well. Me and another staff member were able to complete it in a couple of days and I believe both walls will look gorgeous opposite this other pallet wood wall for years to come.
The Bible college semester begins this Tuesday, and I will have some new responsibilities! I will be helping teach historical background for the Post-Exilic Prophets (Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi) class, and at the end of the semester will be teaching the last two weeks through the book of Malachi. I will also be teaching the Footsteps of Paul class, which entails the aspects and locations of the trip to Greece this semester. I will be going on the trip with the students this semester to Athens and Corinth! I will also be in charge of the Chuck Track class which is an audio class that requires the students to take notes on every book of the Bible over the course of their four semesters with CCBC. I will also be responsible for maintaining and managing the audio and video recordings for the classes. We will begin to build a library of class recordings for English and Italian speakers to work through in future years to come.
Please keep me in your prayers as I will be continuing to grow in teaching, discipleship and leadership. A verse that the Lord has put on my heart for this semester is Ezra 7:10, which says, "Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel." This will be an emphasis for me as I grow in my studies, my walk with the Lord and with this new challenge of teaching with the Bible college. Please keep this in prayer for me, thank you!
Please pray for:
A peaceful semester with the students that is beneficial for the students to learn a lot from the Lord.
My continued growth in Italian. I will be taking classes starting in October, and it ought to be interesting to see how much I can understand and learn.
A continued vision to see what ministry opportunities the Lord would have for me to walk in here.
My relationships with staff, students, church folk, family and those in the community.
The Footsteps of Paul Greece trip! For safety, blessing, protection, wisdom and unity among our group.
For a future relationship to develop possibly while on the mission field. I am single which works well for ministry right now, but in the Lord's timing, it would be nice to find a woman who has similar calling, aspirations, ministry mindedness and beliefs in Jesus. I am trusting in Matthew 6:33 that He will bring the right gal at the right time as I seek Him in His will to do and be what He has called me to. However, it would be nice to have prayers around having the right heart in this area of my life.
Thank you for all your prayers and continued support!
God bless,
Nathaniel Hibbs