Newsletter July 2021 — Operation Italy

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings and blessings from Italy!

When we last wrote to you Italy had been in and out of the “zona rossa” due to the COVID restrictions, and we are finally seeing the light at the end of proverbial tunnel. New cases continue to decline on a daily basis while the vaccination rate rises, and the people of Italy take in a fresh hope with every morning breath.

Although we rejoice in this progress, we know that this is not the hope that springs eternal, the hope that transcends this earthly life, and that can only come to us from our heavenly Father. And now that the country is reopening we look forward to spreading that eternal hope once again to all those who will lend us an ear.

Before we share our plans of evangelization we wanted to share with you news that weighs heavily on our hearts. I’ve been praying and searching for the words to properly describe what has happened, and sometimes words are just not sufficient, especially when we are overcome with such sadness, but I will do my best.

Following the death of Abele, the church in Frosinone has struggled to keep focus on the Gospel of Love that Jesus preached, and has entered a period of turmoil. Sadly, the newly appointed pastor was made to feel unwelcomed by the church leadership and resigned, leaving the church leaderless from a pastoral standpoint. My mother, the widow of the former pastor, has also been made to feel unwelcomed by those who have assumed control of the church. This new leadership appears to be steering it in a direction that is contrary to what Abele would have wanted. As a result, some have stepped away to allow wounds to heal. We hope that providing some distance, and with prayer and fasting, that brothers and sisters will come back together in unity. It is difficult to see the work of my father slowly erode away, but we know this is the work of the enemy. A flock without a shepherd is defenseless against its enemies and we ask for your prayers to fight this spiritual battle. And what do we do in response to spiritual battles? We pray and fast, and we look to God for help. In Ephesians 6:10-11 we read, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Pray with us.

Fort the moment, Anna, Joy and others have been attending a church in Sora, a small town located in the province of Frosinone where Abele evangelized many times. Some of its members are those who had been touched through my father’s evangelization like Mario Cavaricci and his family, and that brings us great joy. We don’t always see the fruits of our labor, at least not right away, but the seeds that “fell into good soil [eventually] bore fruit. Upon growing and increasing, the seed produced in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of one hundred to one.” He said, “Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!” (Mark 4:8-9).

It is in this hope that we are excited to begin the work of the Lord once again, to continue planting seeds in the garden that Abele had begun, and to see it through. You know, he never really intended to pastor a church, and I remember that when he first arrived in Frosinone, that his primary focus had always been to evangelize, and evangelize we shall!! This effort will be spearheaded by Joy who has expressed a strong desire to evangelize, and she will not do it alone. We will be partnering with local churches throughout the province of Frosinone. We look forward to sharing more of this as the plans come together.

Life doesn’t always work out the way we plan, and at times it can be tiring and discouraging, but we must not relent. We know the enemy doesn’t relent. We must continue the race, continue our training in the Word of God and in prayer, like the Apostle Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

We want to thank you for the many prayers that have made their way toward us. We feel the strength that comes with them. We are also thankful for the financial support you continue to provide. Anna is in desperate need of it, and there’s much work to do, and your prayers and financial support are very much appreciated.

To close I wanted to leave you with one last scripture, Romans 15:13:

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

In the Love of Christ,

Operation Italy

On Behalf of Anna and Joy

Sammy Aureli

President, Operation Italy

Please feel free to send a tax deductible offering to: Operation Italy 9 Eugene Rd Medford, MA 02155