April 2020
Dear friends, supporters, and prayer companions,
Since my last update, the devastation caused by the Coronavirus outbreak here in Italy has continued to swell, as you have undoubtedly seen on the news. So far, there have been more than 135,000 reported cases of Covid-19 and over 17,000 deaths, the vast majority being right here in Lombardy, the region in which we live. Milan is the second-hardest hit city in the nation. Her hospitals are overflowing, her streets are empty, and the only sound she makes is the constant cry of an ambulance siren. For the past 14 days, the daily death toll has ranged between the low 600s to the high 900s. This does not even count those who died from the virus at home but never tested. These are sad and difficult days for this beautiful country.
The ENCOURAGING NEWS is that we seem to be coming out of the apex and entering the backside of the curve. Although the death toll remains high, the number of new cases in Italy is finally starting to drop. This means that the lockdown which we have been under for the past six weeks is working. We pray every day that God will have mercy and bring a swift end to the suffering. We also pray that we, as the church, will give a good testimony to the gospel before a watching world.
To that end, I am happy to share several PRAISE REPORTS with you:
SABINO, the 50-year-old member of our congregation who was hospitalized for the virus and on a ventilator for about two weeks, has recovered well and returned home to complete a strict 14-day isolation. He and his family (as well as all of us in the congregation) give praise and thanks to God. Thank you to all who were praying for him!
THE GOSPEL continues to be preached despite the lockdown, as I am live-streaming Sunday sermons on Facebook and subsequently posting them on Youtube. We have seen a huge spike in views via Facebook and subsequently have been contacted by many Italians, who have begun following us online and asking for information about our church. We pray that this will continue. If you’d like to watch the sermons or pass them on to an Italian-speaker, you can find them here.
Out of a desire to remain productive as a missionary during our time of quarantine, I have begun making a series of APOLOGETIC/ EVANGELISTIC VIDEOS in Italian that answer basic questions, such as “Who is Jesus?” “What is the Gospel?” and “How Can Be Sure that Christianity is True?” You can views those on our Youtube channel as well. Please pray that this effort will bear fruit for the kingdom of God.
OUR NEIGHBORS, with whom we have developed a close relationship over the past year, have begun watching the online sermons every Sunday during the quarantine, and have expressed to us their desire to learn more. Please remember them when you pray for us. We love them dearly and hope to see them come to church one day.
Our congregation is STAYING CONNECTED via cellphone and WhatsApp. The elders (Vittorio and Mimmo) are deacons (Arnaldo and Tony) are such good and faithful servants. They do an excellent job of leading and serving the church, and also helping me reach everyone regularly to encourage them and check on them. We also live-stream a devotion every evening of the week at 8:00pm, in which the elders and deacons participate. This has been a blessing to our congregation as we wait for the day to be together again.
So far, everyone in the congregation is HEALTHY AND WELL. Sabino is the only member who has had the virus. Sadly, more and more members know of a friend, neighbor, or family member who has died of Covid-19. But all of us recognize that we belong body and soul, in life and in death, to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
We are so grateful to our merciful Father in heaven that, in his kind and wise providence, he gave Janie, Iain and me a full year to get settled and adjusted to a new country, new language, and new life, before the pandemic hit. We’ve had more than a year to bond with this precious congregation who are such a joy and privilege to serve.
We recognize that this is a crucial time to PREACH THE GOSPEL. Eventually, this pandemic will pass, but death won’t. In the end, death comes for us all, virus or no virus. We all go to the grave. The real question is whether or not we go with Christ. Never in my life have I felt so compelled to preach the gospel with urgency. May we proclaim with boldness the certainty of God’s promise to sinners: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).
Thank you for prayers for us, as well as your many kind notes and messages of encouragement. It means so much to us! Janie, Iain and I are all well and managing fine in our days of quarantine. Iain is busy with his studies (online), and Janie takes such good care of us and goes out of her way to make every day a delight. She is also a tremendous help with the technological needs of the mission. We miss our children in the States, and are naturally concerned for them, but they are all healthy and safe (Kayla in Pasadena, CA; Isaac in Pagosa Springs, CO; and Aly and our son-in-law Kevin in Alexandria, VA).
May God bless you and keep you, and may he be glorified in you during this time of trial and testing. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).
~ Pastor Mike
This mission to Milan is only possible with the faithful prayers and generous contributions of people like you. If you would like to help us meet our goal by making a donation, you may send a check to:
Escondido United Reformed Church
1864 N. Broadway
Escondido, CA 92026
Checks should be made out to Escondido United Reformed Church. Please indicate that the support is for Rev. Michael Brown as a missionary to Italy.
