Fellowship

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

These are the beginning verses of Psalm 84, which was shared in church on Sunday. One point that was made really stuck out to me. The author is expressing a longing to go to the temple—above all for God’s presence, but also to be able to worship along with other believers. That community and the act of worshipping and fellowshipping with others is so valuable. Maybe it is being away from the comforts and surroundings of home, but I have found being a part that fellowship and worship to be so sweet these last few weeks. And that is how it should be; we were not meant to do this alone. Perhaps I have not valued what we do have at home enough, and I have a desire for more when we return.

The diversity of the church is so fun. It is like a little piece of heaven, people from many different nations and languages praising the one true God with everything that they have. And when these people sing, they SING. There is such an obvious focus on the why and Who of the words of the songs, and I like that.

It has also been a joy for us to be a part of a Tuesday night Bible study. We have been looking at some of the parables of Jesus. The group also has a real heart for prayer and lifting each other up, and that is neat to be a part of.

Please pray for the people of this church. Being a minority in Italy is not easy, and many of them have major things going on back in their home countries as well. Pray for encouragement. Pray for the kids that came to VBS, that they will desire to learn more and that they would know the joy of the Lord.

~Ellie