Please pray for the evangelistic meetings taking place across Calabria and the surrounding areas over the next 12 days (10th to 22nd October 2014).
Friday, 10th October: Arrival at Lamezia Airport / Transfer to Crotone
Saturday, 11th: Rossano
Sunday, 12th: Lamezia
Sunday, 12th: Vibo Valentia
Monday, 13th: Crotone
Tuesday, 14th: Montescaglioso
Wednesday, 15th: Montescaglioso
Thursday 16th: Silla di Sassano
Friday 17th: Silla di Sassano
Friday 17th: Live television broadcasts of Gospel message
Saturday 18th: Praia a Mare
Sunday 19th: Praia a Mare
Monday 20th: Praia a Mare
Tuesday 21st: Praia a Mare
Wednesday 22nd: Depart for London
Salvatore Arabia
My interpreter is Salvatore Arabia, who works as a free-lance translator of Christian Literature. Salvatore is a dear friend that comes with a great many years experience in languages and translation. In the late 70’s he was appointed by the Italian Consulate in London to run classes for young people with an Italian background (See article from the Eastbourne Herald).
About Calabria
Calabria is a region in southern Italy, forming the “toe” of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro. The most populated city and the seat of the Calabrian Regional Council, however, is Reggio.
It is bordered to the north by the region of Basilicata, to the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east by the Ionian Sea. The region covers 15,080 km2 and has a population of just over 2 million.
The region is difficult to navigate through the mountains, and because of the communication networks and adequate road and rail systems have been hard to establish.
Calabria is one of the oldest regions of Italy with the first evidence of human presence in the region dating as far back as 700,000 years BC. Around 3,500 BC the first villages in Calabria sprung up. By the eighth century BC the Greeks had control over the region and it was a very important area for the Magna Grecia (Greater Greece). Calabria was later conquered by the Romans in the second century BC. After the fall of the Roman Empire the region fell prey to the Goths, the Byzantines and later the Longobards around the ninth century BC.
The Byzantines regained control of the region in the tenth century and expanded the existing monarchy thereby helping reunite the region. The Norman and Swede also took a crack at controlling Calabria around the twelfth century BC. It wouldn’t be until 1860 that Calabria would be made whole and become part of the larger region of Italy
Prayer
Given the presence of the Catholic Church in Italy one would think that Italy does not need to hear the Gospel message – however that is far from the case. Over 80% of Italians consider themselves to be Christians – while over two-thirds of this percentage do not go to church or follow the teachings of the Bible after age 12. Many have turned away from the church completely and chosen to follow other paths such as communism, new age or Islam. Recent statistics show that approximately 1.1% of Italians are born again and live a life of personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Please pray for Italy.