Greetings in the Lord, we write today from Italy as we are in about 1 month into our quarantine and lockdown in one of the hotspots of Italy’s Coronavirus outbreak. Thankfully we stocked up on food and supplies before the outbreak officially took off. I leave the home about once per week to get groceries. I wear gloves and a mask and I carry a mandatory signed form stating my purpose. We have been unable to get masks since mid-January, but we have since made our own. I do my best to not contract the virus and bring it home or to others.

  These first few months of 2020 have been interesting, to say the least. We thank the Lord for His sustaining grace through the winter and now the pandemic. After Asia, Italy was the first place where the virus took root and it is consistently claiming over 600 lives per day as even the well-to-do hospital systems of North Italy are overwhelmed with patients from the rapidly spreading virus. Sadly, most people who pass into eternity have not heard the Gospel, repented of their sins nor trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Less than 1% of Italy’s 60 million people are evangelical with a Biblical view of God and a proper understanding of the Gospel. As they pass into eternity they are forced to do it alone since family and friends are not permitted to come to see them while they are contained in the hospitals and hooked up to ventilator machines. Very sad, but a good reminder of why we are here; to love and obey Jesus by evangelizing, making disciples and planting biblical churches. People are perishing all around us. This ought to motivate us.

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Punto di Luce (P.L.) church plant in Udine hosting its first agape lunch after church  |  The new gospel tract ready for distribution - Coronavirus: The Virus That Can Save Your Life

On a more positive note, we would like to let you know that Jeryvee is now expecting another baby. She is currently about 2 months pregnant. In our current situation, unfortunately, we cannot get regular checkups for her and the baby. Would you please keep her and the baby in your prayers?

CHURCH PLANTING 

  The Coronavirus outbreak and lockdown has drastically altered our routines and ministry, but we have full confidence that God is at work in more ways than we can imagine. In God’s providence, this trial could be a valuable time of growth for some individuals and the church plant at large. By God’s grace, we continue to lead the Punto di Luce church plant in Udine while also evangelizing the people of Mestre where we reside. For the moment our evangelism is greatly hindered, but we have a new tract ready to go as soon as we are permitted to go out again. It talks about the overlook virus called sin that ultimately kills 10 out of 10 people.

  At the beginning of 2020, we started monthly love feasts (agape) to encourage regular fellowship. We also established monthly Table Talk lunches to gather the folks after church for pizza, fellowship, and purposeful yet casual edifying conversations about faith and life - discipleship on the go. The music ministry is doing a great job, as is the hospitality ministry. Midweek Bible and discipleship studies continue and we trust the Holy Spirit is at work in lives and hearts. Sadly, because of the Coronavirus, we have been forced to stop meeting in person since the end of February. We have been gathering the group on video chat. All evangelistic outreach is on hold as the best way to love others at the moment is to keep a distance. We are not permitted to go out except to get groceries or medicine.

In Mestre city, we were really excited about the 3 evangelism groups and 2 interns scheduled to come from the US and help us this summer. Sadly, all this will likely be canceled. We look to our sovereign Lord and walk by faith.

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Church meetings being done virtually since late February |  First Table Talk discipleship lunch at P.L. church plant

PRACTICAL MISSIONS cohort - PMc

  The PMc mission continues - we “fight the good fight” and “endure hardship like good soldiers of Christ”. We thank the Lord for His continual financial provisions through individuals and churches back in the US. One of our partners is now offering a matching donation to help us through this time. From now until April 10th he will match all donations up to $1,000.

  We thank God also for the churches that have been preparing to send people this summer, even if they are no longer able due to the pandemic. We pray that the Lord will permit them to come next summer. At least one couple is seriously considering to join PMc full-time as missionaries on our church-plant cohort. We pray the Lord to direct their hearts.

  As we press on with Jesus in 2020 we remain humbled and honored to still be at the service of the King of kings and to be given a ministry focused on Biblical evangelism, disciple-making, and apostolic-style church planting. God bless you for taking the time to read our newsletter and for involving yourself in this ministry. Your participation is impacting Italian lives to the glory of God and causing the Lord’s church here to grow and expand. Thank you and God protect and keep you as you also bunker down in quarantine during this strange time in which the world is living.  The PMc mission continues.

  To stay engaged with the PMc mission you can visit practicalmissions.org. There you will find a variety of resources, opportunities, and updates.

In His grace,

Jesse & Jeryvee and all at PMc

PRAYER REQUESTS

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:3

PARTNERING 

To partner with us we invite you to send tax-deductible donations to

Practical Missions Cohort, and mail to:

Practical Missions Cohort

500 Westover Dr. #10079

Sanford, NC 27330

Simply write “Schreck” or “general fund” in the memo section, depending on how you would like to support us and the PMc ministry.

Donations can also be made online at: https://www.practicalmissions.org/donate

MATCHING GIFT OPPORTUNITY