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| Eleonora (center) with Jaimie Lynn and Carissa Cisar, our ESL teachers this spring. |
Recently, we had decided to add an extra
night for advanced class students this semester on Monday nights because we wanted to have more opportunities
to interact "spiritually" with those who spoke English well.
So one of the very first evenings, we did an exercise where each person had to share in English what they believe about God. When it came time
for Eleonora, she openly shared about her back operation at age 12 and
all that happened and said, “I don’t know what I believe about God. I had a
back surgery and it made me thankful for my parents and that it turned out
okay. And so I now realize I need to figure out what I believe about God.”
Well, to say that we were elated is an understatement. It’s so rare for
Italians to share openly like this let alone to have an interest in God! Jeannette and I were very moved, listening to
her story. We intentioned right then and there that Jeannette and I would do all we could to
pray and reach Eleonora for Jesus.
We found out later that Eleonora went
to R.C. ‘catechism’ regularly as a young girl only because her parents told her to go.
“I believed God
existed but I didn’t really believe in Him or think about Him at all seriously. To me, the God of the Roman Catholic Church was so distant
and so boring!” The only thing she enjoyed was seeing her friends. Eleonora can remember going from about 6 years-old
on but when she turned eleven (about the same time in catechism training that it's time to start pre-communion
training), she announced to her parents she would no longer go. “I told them I had enough
information and from now on, I would figure out what I believed about God on my
own!” But for Eleonora, she says now, it was just a way to escape what for her was totally
irrelevant.
But then something happened that forever changed
Eleonora’s sense of need for God and for others. When Eleonora turned 12 years old,
she began to experience terrible pain in her back and neck, and her family soon discovered that she had what is called, "Arnold-Chiari 1" (a herniation of cerebellar
tonsils…which is a congenital malformation, usually without childhood symptoms, but
often manifests itself with terrible headaches and pain in the head and neck).
When
the pain began to be really bad and constant, Eleonora began staying in her
room and wouldn’t go anywhere because she was afraid she’d hurt her back even
more. She says, "I began to complain, why me?"
Like most pre-teens, Eleonora wanted to just hang out
with her friends and be normal. But in mid-2009, it became clear that to do this, surgery would be required. So on August 24, 2009, she had her surgery.
Thankfully, the operation was successful and things began to get back to normal
for Eleonora…for a little while. Yet she confesses now that God still was not really in the picture for her.
Soon, she had forgotten about how God and her family had helped her and instead was having terrible thoughts. She shares, "I had developed an unhealthy
view of myself; not liking myself or how I looked." Maybe it was the long scar from the back of her head down her neck or a little weight she had gained from
not being as active but whatever it was, she could not find peace. “Being surrounded by Italian friends who completely define
themselves by how they look, I was depressed and didn't like myself,”
she says. Now looking back after receiving Christ, she didn’t like her heart either. “My heart was
terrible,” Eleonora shares. “As a way to
deal with my feelings, I began to hate everyone…my friends, family, everyone.
As well,
her relationship with her dad, which had been very good, started to deteriorate. “He wanted me to believe in
myself,” Eleonora says. "But I
couldn’t."
However, through her relationship with Jeannette and I, and our ESL teachers (Carissa Cisar and Jaimie Lynn Smith who are closer to her age), Eleonora says, she began to really wonder if becoming a Christian was the answer. “I heard how you all shared about God and Jesus that first time when we were together at your house and I kept seeing that you guys had something more than me,” Eleonora says, “and instead, I felt empty inside.” Eleonora’s continuing problems with friends and her family were helping her as well to realize something was missing in her life. “I didn’t have the joy and the kind of relationships you guys had,” Eleonora continues. “I was trying to find my satisfaction in others, especially my friends. And they would let me down. And then I’d see you guys and your love and fun attitudes, and I began to really wonder that Jesus might be the answer for me.”
Seeing we were Christians and we were actually normal also, Eleonora felt reassured: “It gave me encouragement that Christians are not as crazy as I had believed or that you don't have to be super religious or something but be fun and be joyful and so I thought maybe Jesus is my answer, for me." Eleonora adds, “I began to hope and pray that you guys could teach me about God and how to have a relationship with Him.” We watched as God was opening Eleonora's heart to be willing to learn about Jesus, the gospel, and specifically, the good news of Jesus’ sacrifice for her and her sins.
Thankfully, both our family and our ESL teachers were able to develop a great connection with Eleonora's family and so we began spending a lot of time together. Eleonora’s parents had us over for dinner. Jeannette and I had them over our house for dinner as well. Lee met with Roberto, Eleonora's dad, a couple of times. And Carissa and Jaimie Lynn, who were closer to Eleonora's age, met and spent time with Eleonora. They also went over Eleonora’s house for meals often and just to hang out with their family. Eleonora even came over our house and sang Christian songs with us and we would talk...we were hopeful. “After hearing you guys share about Jesus and your relationship with Him,” Eleonora says, “I was wanting to be open to learn about God.” Then, an invitation came to go with a friend to an evangelical church in a city nearby to hear a youth speaker, Eleonora said yes. “That day, I realized I like many youth, was missing something and it was time,” Eleonora shares.
However, through her relationship with Jeannette and I, and our ESL teachers (Carissa Cisar and Jaimie Lynn Smith who are closer to her age), Eleonora says, she began to really wonder if becoming a Christian was the answer. “I heard how you all shared about God and Jesus that first time when we were together at your house and I kept seeing that you guys had something more than me,” Eleonora says, “and instead, I felt empty inside.” Eleonora’s continuing problems with friends and her family were helping her as well to realize something was missing in her life. “I didn’t have the joy and the kind of relationships you guys had,” Eleonora continues. “I was trying to find my satisfaction in others, especially my friends. And they would let me down. And then I’d see you guys and your love and fun attitudes, and I began to really wonder that Jesus might be the answer for me.”
Seeing we were Christians and we were actually normal also, Eleonora felt reassured: “It gave me encouragement that Christians are not as crazy as I had believed or that you don't have to be super religious or something but be fun and be joyful and so I thought maybe Jesus is my answer, for me." Eleonora adds, “I began to hope and pray that you guys could teach me about God and how to have a relationship with Him.” We watched as God was opening Eleonora's heart to be willing to learn about Jesus, the gospel, and specifically, the good news of Jesus’ sacrifice for her and her sins.
Thankfully, both our family and our ESL teachers were able to develop a great connection with Eleonora's family and so we began spending a lot of time together. Eleonora’s parents had us over for dinner. Jeannette and I had them over our house for dinner as well. Lee met with Roberto, Eleonora's dad, a couple of times. And Carissa and Jaimie Lynn, who were closer to Eleonora's age, met and spent time with Eleonora. They also went over Eleonora’s house for meals often and just to hang out with their family. Eleonora even came over our house and sang Christian songs with us and we would talk...we were hopeful. “After hearing you guys share about Jesus and your relationship with Him,” Eleonora says, “I was wanting to be open to learn about God.” Then, an invitation came to go with a friend to an evangelical church in a city nearby to hear a youth speaker, Eleonora said yes. “That day, I realized I like many youth, was missing something and it was time,” Eleonora shares.
God had turned on the light. “For the first time in my life, I felt it was
the right thing to do. I had heard it from my mom. I’d heard it from you and
Jeannette. I’d heard it from Carissa and Jaimie Lynn. And then God used someone I
didn’t know to open my eyes even though it was the same exact thing you guys had been
telling me to do all along.”
Eleonora continues, “After all these years, I felt
like it all finally made sense. I knew the Roman Catholic Church was not the answer for me. I knew that I couldn't find satisfaction in myself, my friends or my family. And
now I knew that Christians aren’t crazy but loving, joyful and fun. So accepting Jesus in my life and
believing He died for me was my answer," Eleonora concludes. “I was
so happy after making the decision that instead of living for myself, I would
live for God.”
We are happy too! In our time together recently, I asked a couple important questions like what Eleonora thought now about sin or all her wrongs she had done before coming to Christ. “Before choosing to follow Jesus,” Eleonora answered, “I never really thought about God so I definitely didn’t think of my sin or things I do wrong.” She says, “I know now...how I treated my father, my friends and even how my identity was about my looks and my friends liking me was not right.” She adds, “I know now God saved me from these things. And I don’t have to be this way any longer.”
Just a delightful young lady, I concluded by asking Eleonora what she now thinks of the fact that Jesus died for her and her sins forgiving her forever. Her face lit up from one side to another and her bright clear blue eyes shimmered with a glow...“I think this is so amazing and I am just so thankful! I just feel like with everything I have, my parents, my friends and you guys and everything that God has done for me, I just feel like I want to say thanks for the rest of my life,” Eleonora exclaimed.
What a testimony! And what a blessing that God allowed us to be a part of what He has done in Eleonora’s life. And thank you so much for your prayers and support. We could not do any of this without your help. You share in the new birth of Eleonora!
We are happy too! In our time together recently, I asked a couple important questions like what Eleonora thought now about sin or all her wrongs she had done before coming to Christ. “Before choosing to follow Jesus,” Eleonora answered, “I never really thought about God so I definitely didn’t think of my sin or things I do wrong.” She says, “I know now...how I treated my father, my friends and even how my identity was about my looks and my friends liking me was not right.” She adds, “I know now God saved me from these things. And I don’t have to be this way any longer.”
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| Eleonora at far left at our "Incontro con Gesù" after receiving Jesus as her Lord and Savior! |
Just a delightful young lady, I concluded by asking Eleonora what she now thinks of the fact that Jesus died for her and her sins forgiving her forever. Her face lit up from one side to another and her bright clear blue eyes shimmered with a glow...“I think this is so amazing and I am just so thankful! I just feel like with everything I have, my parents, my friends and you guys and everything that God has done for me, I just feel like I want to say thanks for the rest of my life,” Eleonora exclaimed.
What a testimony! And what a blessing that God allowed us to be a part of what He has done in Eleonora’s life. And thank you so much for your prayers and support. We could not do any of this without your help. You share in the new birth of Eleonora!
God can save Italians! And if we are faithful and persistent
in His grace, He will! If you would, could you please pray this summer for:
- An ESL Study program during the summer using the Bible once a week on Mondays
- Lisa and Ben DeBusk who are seeking to join us in June/July of 2013
- Preaching opportunities this summer including Parma, La Spezia and Sestri Levante.
- A ministry trip to check out a church of some friends in Sienna where there is a thriving ministry especially to young people
- A marriage conference in La Spezia scheduled for the first week of September (need to write, translate and help the church do the promotion to reach unbelievers)
- Visitors coming: Joel & Becky Kennedy, supporters who hope to some day become missionaries to Europe (France) and an old school buddy of Lee's, Peter Sheyadayi
- To effectively pull off a busy evangelistic summer with 2-3 park events, tract distribution on the beaches, and the possibility of visiting and reaching a local retirement home
- Our plans for our boys' schooling options. Jacob will be finishing up his Italian public art school this June and likely will do school via the Internet whereas Elijah has a couple options but we want to choose wisely for them, especially since Elijah has had a rough time this year.
In Him,
Lee Jeannette
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