September 2014

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,

Greetings from Grosseto. We thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy to us during our travels and ministry these past few months. We also thank God for your work of faith and labor of love in our Lord Jesus Christ. Much has happened this past summer for which we are thankful.

VISITORS During June, we were privileged to host Kevin Brosnan, BWM field administrator for Europe, and his daughter Laura, who had just returned from a missions trip to Zimbabwe. To hear firsthand of the conditions and needs of that area touched our hearts greatly.

BAPTISMS God is building His church in the peninsula of Italy. Maria Cocci, a Neapolitan (from Naples) grandma, was recently baptized. The Lord brought her into contact with us, when her son-in-law referred her to us. She had been saved while he was preaching in a church near Naples. Maria has grown since then and finally followed the Lord in believer's baptism this past Sunday. Pray for her and the lost members of her immediate family, especially her husband Francesco.

Four Nigerians, whom we know from our recent time of ministry near Naples, were also baptized on August 24 in the Mediterranean Sea. I helped evangelize and transport them to church with military missionary Chuck Truitt. They had just arrived a few weeks before from Libya, which is undergoing tremendous turmoil. We thank the Lord for saving their souls and their obedience to the Lord's command to be baptized. While we were with the church, we also worked with Italian contacts with whom the Truitts could not communicate well, due to the language barrier. On a historical note, the church is located near Pozzuoli, the Italian name for PUTEOLI in Acts 28:13, where the apostle Paul landed on his way to Rome after Malta, Syracuse and Reghium. It is an area dominated by the Camorra, a Mafia-type organization which has a grip on the area politically and economically.

Upon our return to Grosseto, we rejoined our African refugee friends who attend church here. Several have expressed a desire to be baptized after seeing Maria Cocci's baptism.

FAMILY MATTERS AND MORE There was joy and gladness at the wedding of my son Joseph Andrew and Beth Kaliqui in upstate New York. Pray for them to grow as a couple and to serve the Lord in His will and ways. We enjoyed seeing my brothers and their children at the wedding. Since we were close to Montreal, Canada, we visited Maria's family there. Pray for them, as they all need the Lord. They listened to us when we had opportunities to witness.

We also took the opportunity to visit Maine, where Maria lived and served the Lord in a local church there. We had a great time with Pastor Isaiah Hill and his wife. They have been faithful there for 42 years. We were also able witness to Lynne. She had been approached by false Jehovah Witnesses and was steeped in Catholicism. Praise the Lord, Maria's soul winning partner, Tara, met with her, and she started attending the Bible preaching services of her husband and evangelist, Scott McLaughlin. Pray that she would follow the Lord.

In West Virginia, we had a great time of fellowship with our gracious hosts, Rick and Kim Childers and Mountain State Baptist Church. I had the opportunity to teach French in a Christian school and preach in their chapel.

During our final visit, the Lord opened the way to witness and encourage Efren, a Chilean living in Mechanicsville, Maryland. He had been saved in a doctrinally-sound Baptist church, but had wandered to Pentecostalism. He attended the Wednesday evening service at Victory Baptist Church, where I was preaching. Pray that he would return to sound teaching.

We returned safe and sound to Grosseto on August 29, which was my thirtieth spiritual birthday. I thank the Lord for showering His grace upon me in my Christ-less condemned condition. I praise Him for all His wonderful love and work in my life.

Thank you for your prayers, support and encouragement. The Lord bless you as you serve Him.

Larry and Maria Pieri

 Pray for the ministry in Grosseto. A good VBS reached out to new children and families.  Pray for the evangelism of the lost and the edification of the saints in Grosseto.  Pray for the lost spouses of believers in the church.  Pray for a mountain region evangelism outreach the church has been doing in Arcidosso and Castel del Piano, in view of planting a church up there.  Pray for the church in Lago Patria, near Naples, and all the works in Italy (Terni, De Ruta, Vicenza, Rome, Sigonella, Palermo and Aviano). There are many souls to be reached and saints to be strengthened.

Maria Cocci’s Baptism Baptisms in Lago Patria near Napoli

"This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it."