8/17/2019 Phipps Charles Ivia 1995 Italy

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CHARLES

PHIPPS

The ITALIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION

P.O.

Box 717 oplin, MD 64802-0717

Also Marking

with

Fonanhnq

BOULEVARD CHUURCH

OF

CHRIST

Ray

Downen SYLVANIA, OH 43560

417/782-0814

^

„ 3/13/95

Mission

Services

Editorial

Office

PO Box 4 7

KNOXVL TN 37901-2427

 J miL NES^R LEA\€ YOU, NOR FORSAKE YOU "

That

promise

of

our

ever^faithful

Father was quoted to Ivia

by a

dear brother

just

a few

days

before

God called her to its everlasting fulfillment.

I

also

count on

that

promise as continue my

journey

without

her,

but filled

with precious

memories

of our life together.

Let

me

briefly update you

on

recent

events.

We had

intended to visit family en

route to Texas. In Neosho,

Ivia's

condition worsened.

She was

hospitalized

in

Joplin

January

16th. Open-heart surgery proved necessary (to replace a

valve).

The operation,

on

January 25th,

was successful.

But

several

complications

developed (not directly

caused by the

surgery), causing her passing

from

us

on March 4th.

Her

grave is in a

hilltop

country churchyard in the

Ozarks

close to Neosho, not

many miles from

where

we first met a

little

over sixteen-and-a-half years ago.

There is no way

I know to

thank you for the mar^ prayers,

cards, telephone

calls,

flowers,

and gifts, which

bring me the assurance that

I

am surrounded by and borne

up on

the

love

of genuinely caring brothers and

sisters

in God's great family.

Now, as

to the

future... I plan

to stay

through

April with

those

of our

family

who live in and near Neosho, taking time to report to interested

friends

in the Joplin/

Neosho area.

I was

able to

visit some friends,

already, in a very

limited

way, in

recent weeks while

Ivia

was hospitalized.

And there

are

GOOD THINGS

TO REPORT

In Italy,

Giuseppe

has been meeting

in

Terracina

with a

group of Roman Catholic young people to share the

Word

of

God.

They are a part

of

a national movement called, Focalarini, which means

Little

Flames." Their

name

reflects their intention

of

relighting the fires

of

dedica

tion

to

the

Lord,

and

to fan

the

flames

of

renewed

love

for

His Word.

Giuseppe

and

other members of

the church in Terracina are sharing songs and

choruses, and

much

more, they had

enjoyed

in

our Christian

Service

Camp

in

Southern

Italy last

summer.

As Giuseppe writes, "He

are

having

the

qDjoortunity to be known

as believers

in Christ,

just as they are

described

(and as

is being

handed

down

to

us) by the

apostol ic eyewitnesses.

Ill keep

you posted

about

events on both sides

of the Atlantic.

My prayers

and

love, as together you

and

I

serve Him—