We are in Naples, Italy safely. A long uneventful, and beautiful trip, although the GPS died in northern Italy. No big deal coming down, but quite a problem once we tried to find the church here in the greater Naples area. Wow what a major difference between the roads here in Italy and Germany. These Italians... I'll just let you use your imagination! The suburb of Naples where the church is at is Casal Di Principe, and the whole area there is a real dump. It's the hometown of the mafia, so I understand. I think their leader can be aptly called "Baalzebub - The Lord of the Flies." There's piles of trash all along the roadways, and scores of unfinished, and derelict buildings. These local people here have absolutely no pride in anything - but rather dispair - it seems to me. Linda and I expect to be in the area here for a few more weeks - around the 22nd of October - possibly.

We are well; I preached the Sundays services and things went great. There are no phone or internet facilities readily available at the church, or nearby (it's even a dead zone for my cell phone), but I was on a borrowed computer in the home of a sailor on NavSta Naples the other day. Right at this time I'm at the base library and utilizing their computer access. Very limited email, and internet abilities right now. I have a phone number that rings on my cell phone, although the reception at the church where we are staying is very poor. The number is 011 39 348 700-0707, and the phone does work great from on base -where I'm at right now.

In addition to last Sunday, I held last night's services - Wed, the 23rd. The church has two Navy families, and one American civilian, additionally there are about 10 refugees from Ghana who travel a good ways to attend the services here, but not usually do they make the trip on Wednesday's mid-week service. There is a very large Navy contingent in the area - four associated Navy bases - plus a nearby Nato base. I understand that the church was once quite a prosperous church for the Lord, but now it is very much in need of a missionary-pastor to build it up again. Please pray for guidance in all this. My desire is to see this become a great work for the Lord once again, but I'm definitely not positive of the Lord's call for me to be the one to serve here yet. If it were me, I'd definitely need a lot of initial backing and financial assistance to move here and then a little more support to sustain things. Even the junky housing is more expensive here than what we pay in Germany for a decent place.