DIASPORA MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGE:

DIASPORA MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGE:

THE CASE OF REFUGEE IN ITALY

Reported by Enoch Wan

Published in “Diaspora Study” www.GlobalMissiology.org April 2011

For your information and prayer support, here is the e-mail below from Leonardo de Chirico who lives and ministers in Rome. Below is the description from him of the “diaspora ministry opportunity and challenge” created by the flood of immigrants moving from North Africa into the southern part of Italy as a result of all of the unrest in North African and the Middle East.

Your prayer support will be appreciated. If you want to contact Leonardo directly, his e-mail address is leonardo.dechirico@ifeditalia.org

REFUGEE EMERGENCY IN ITALY: AN URGENT APPEAL

As we all know, the situation in most North African countries is in turmoil. As a side-effect migrations towards European coasts has been on the increase over the last few weeks, especially affecting Italy. On the island of Lampedusa thousands of refugees are uncertain of their future. Other refugee emergency centres have been opened in other parts of Sicily and the rest of Italy.

It is estimated that more than 50.000 migrants will come to the shores of Italy. What a challenge and what an opportunity!

Lots of Italian evangelical churches and mission agencies are responding to this crisis. The Italian Evangelical Alliance has encouraged a joint-effort to provide humanitarian aid and cultural inter-mediation, in the hope that God will open further Gospel opportunities.

LAUNCHED TWO PROJECTS

We are ready to launch two projects: one in Lampedusa island and the other in Mineo (Sicily) where another huge refugee camp is located. We are preparing to go there with teams of volunteers to work alongside local authorities to facilitate the relationship between the refugees? community and the local people, to distribute various aids (including Bibles and Gospel literature), to witness to the refugees the love of Jesus Christ in appropriate ways.

PRAYER SUPPORT NEEDED

We ask for the prayers and cooperation of the International Evangelical community to help us to respond to the challenge.

Please, pray for God to show his glory and mercy in these times of crises. Pray for the thousands of young people who dream and hope a better future: that they will find it in the Lord Jesus Christ

· Pray for peace, freedom and new opportunities in North Africa

· Pray for the church in these countries.

· Pray for us as we seek to demonstrate God’s love and compassion

DONATION WELCOME

Please, give to this cause so that we will gather sufficient resources to implement these projects. Money will be spent to rent suitable places to run the activities, to buy goods that are needed, to provide food and lodging for the volunteers that will be involved. You can send your gift to

CONTACT INFO

Alleanza Evangelica Italiana

vicolo S. Agata 20

00153 Roma

IBAN IT 64 N 07601 03200 000046728002

SWIFT BPPIITRRXXX

Please, work with us if you, your church, your organization, your friends think that you might help in any way. We look forward to work together to serve God and our neighbors.

Rome, 28th March 2011

Alleanza Evangelica Italiana (ufficio.stampa@alleanzaevangelica.org Tel. 0039 333 8558174 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0039 333 8558174 end_of_the_skype_highlighting)

In co-operation with

GiM-Italia (gim@gim-italia.com Tel 095 648136 - 388 185362)

MEtA (info@metaitalia.org Tel 339 1835336)

Coevema ( info@coevema.org )

Alleanza Evangelica Italiana

Vicolo S. Agata 20

00153 Roma ? Italia