Italy 2013: Report #1

Italy 2013: Report #1

In December, Christy and I had the privilege to take a trip to Italy as representatives of our church.  Saints Equipped to Evangelize (SEE) invited me to teach at the Saints Bible Institute (SBI) in San Lorenzo, Italy. SBI is the educational arm of SEE.  They invite American College students to study the Bible for a semester in Italy.  Here is the description of the town of San Lorenzo from SEE’s website:

San Lorenzo is a peaceful little town in Northern Italy. It is surrounded by acres of vineyards and filled with the sound of bells tolling on the hour. An alpine stream runs through the center of town, passing under the petite piazza that holds San Lorenzo’s fountain. Take a walk down Via Bertoiussi and, in a few minutes, you will be standing in front of Saints Bible Institute.

The students stay at “The Center”.  It is a 200 yr. old farmhouse that has been converted into dorms, classrooms, offices, and a student center.  Again from their website:

It (the Center) faces the Alps, which are breathtaking on a clear day, and is just across the street from San Lorenzo’s soccer field. It is here you will eat, sleep, study, and relax. It is here you will be challenged spiritually and academically as you live alongside fellow believers for three months. It will also be the starting point for further travel and adventuring, whether to local cities, nearby countries, or even just down the street to Martin’s café to order coffee and play foosball.

SEE is led by our missionary Sam Spatola.  His son, Samuel Spatola, is also one of our missionaries and oversees the day to day operations of SBI.  They invited me to come for a week and teach the book of Romans.  Christy and I spent just under two weeks in Italy and over the next few weeks (months) I would love to share some of the experiences we had on our trip. The picture above is of us with the SBI students and Samuel Spatola.  Here are a couple of pictures of the Center.