Go Verona reception and prayer event 2008

If you are going to be in Tulsa for the National Missionary Convention, we want to invite you to a special night with our team and ministry.

Our Verona Team is looking forward to having an informal gathering for all those involved with or interested in our team’s mission in Italy. It will be an opportunity to meet our entire team, pray for the Italian people and see how God has brought together a great support network. If you are a supporter, prayer partner, family member, friend, etc…. we hope to see you at the reception.

Where: At the downtown Tulsa Doubletree Hotel in the Gilcrease room; next door to the convention center.
When: During the National Missionary Convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Thursday, November 20th at 8:30 PM immediately following the evening session.
** please email us or post here for details**

National Missionary Convention

In a little over a month, the National Missionary Convention will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Our entire team will be in Tulsa for the convention and will be staying afterwards for a few days so that we can spend some time bonding as a team. This will be the very first time that our entire team will be in the same place at the same time. It will be a great time! During the convention we will be having a reception for all those who are connected with the Verona project. That means all team members, supporting personnel, Team Expansion staff, prayer partners, supporters, family members, etc.... In other words, if you are interested in the Go Verona project...we WANT you there!! We will be having a meet and greet with all team members, as well as a special time of prayer for the team and the mission in Verona. I will be hearing from the organizers for the convention this week, so I will be able to announce when the retreat is going to be and where at. It will be at either the Tulsa Convention Center OR the downtown Doubletree Hotel. We really want to see you there!!!! For more information about the National Missionary Convention check out their website at:
http://www.nmc-windows.org/nmc/tulsa__08

Welcome Brandon and Savannah

As you know we have been recruiting for the Verona team while we are in the states. In fact, it is us along with many of you praying that God forms the team He wants in Verona. About a week ago, we welcomed aboard the latest team members, Brandon and Savannah Eaton. Brandon and Savannah will be leading in the areas of youth and children, which includes outreach, disicipleship ministry, etc... I look forward to sharing more about them as we go along. Praise God for bringing this team together.

Go Verona Radio - October 2007

Check out our latest Go Verona Radio podcast. This month highlights an interview with Jason Casey. It runs about 10 minutes and 30 seconds and includes topics such as ministry, prayer and working in different cities for the first time since 1997. The podcast that features Jason Casey is found at
http://goveronapodcast.blogspot.com/2007/10/go-verona-radio-october-2007.html

Also, if you weren't aware of last month's podcast with our Field Coordinator, Wayne Meece, and his wife, check it out at
http://goveronapodcast.blogspot.com/2007/09/go-verona-radio-september-2007.html
Our Go Verona Radio archive is found at http://goveronapodcast.blogspot.com/ and you can subscribe to the podcast at http://feeds.feedburner.com/GoVeronaRadioPodcast.

Verona People Video

We have a new video online. This one is about the people of Verona. As you watch it, you can pray for the people you see and generally for the people of Verona.

You can view it online at http://goveronavideos.blogspot.com/2007/10/verona-people.html

Or you can download the 800x600 wmv version from here - http://www.goverona.org/video/verona_people.wmv

Launch of Go Verona Website

Whew, after months of planning and many hours of webmastering, the new Go Verona website is up and ready for visits. You can find it at www.goverona.org. Our hope is that it helps communicate to others about the ministry in Italy and therefore involving you in the process. Feel free to explore and post your comments about it here. Thanks for your support.

Verona Highlight: Arena in Piazza Bra

In the second in this series of Verona Highlights, I want to tell you a little bit about the Arena in Verona.

From the City of Verona website (http://www.comune.verona.it/turismo/Passeggiando/inglese/itineraryA/arena.htm)

"THE ARENA
The Romans built the Amphitheatre outside Verona's first circle of city walls in the first part of the 1st century AD. It hosted games where gladiators would fight each other or wild animals before a vast public that came from all over the territory. The Arena held around 30,000 spectators and had four main entrances, corresponding to its two axes."

"The facade, of which there is still a small section (the so-called "Ala" or "Wing"), was entirely built in large blocks of white and pink limestone from nearby Valpolicella. In the Middle Ages, stones from the Arena were taken for use on other buildings. Later, it resumed its role as a site for shows and events: a role it continues to play today for the annual summer opera season, which began in 1913."

On our last trip to Verona, we went inside the arena. They charge about 7 dollars to get in and then you can go inside and explore. You can walk up all the steps to the top, stand at the edge and see Verona all around you. They were setting up for an opera for that evening. Here are some of our pictures.

Check Out Our New Podcast!

Introducing our new podcast, "Go Verona Radio"....

It is found at http://goveronapodcast.blogspot.com/ and you can subscribe to the podcast at http://feeds.feedburner.com/GoVeronaRadioPodcast.

The plan is to have a new podcast each month. If you have suggestions for topics or things that you would like to hear us discuss or explore, email me at mcrosser@teamexpansion.org. Thanks for listening.

Verona Highlight: Piazza delle Erbe Markets

As we share with you the work in progress, we want to introduce you to the city where we will be living. So, we will post highlights that describe in word and photos about different areas of Verona. So for this first highlight, we will be talking about the "Piazza Delle Erbe". A piazza is like a town square that serves many functions. Meeting place, community center, an area dedicated to local cafes & restaurants, concert hall, etc.....

From the City of Verona website (http://www.comune.verona.it/turismo/Passeggiando/inglese/itineraryA/erbe.htm), here is the description of the Piazza Delle Erbe.

"PIAZZA DELLE ERBE
The Forum, centre of city life during Roman times, was situated here. The Piazza delle Erbe has continued to fill this same role for centuries: meeting place, home to the market, and also home to the city's administration. The centre of the square contains the monuments that symbolise the different rulers of Verona: the most famous is the fountain, built using a Roman statue during Scaligeri rule and later known as the "Madonna Verona". On the far side of the square are the 14th century Gardello Tower and the Baroque Palazzo Maffei. The courtyard of the Palazzo del Comune leads on to the Lamberti Tower with its suggestive panoramic views over the city."

As for the market, you can still find fresh fruits and vegetables. Here are some pictures...

Full Speed Ahead

Today marks the first day that Angie and I are both full-time team members of the Verona team. For the past seven months we have been moving forward through a gradual transition which has seen great benefits. Yesterday was our last day on the Ancona team, which leaves us singly focused for the first time in many months. So, we go forward and I hope to lead this new team, still forming, into Verona and follow the great commission and bring many into His kingdom.

We will still be living here in Ancona for the next three months before we return to the USA for recruiting, promoting, training and support raising. However, today we are driving to Verona to spend a day showing the interns, that have been here in Italy, the city that God has called us to next. I plan on posting something from our latest journey soon.

Approaching Liftoff!

We are approaching the liftoff for this mission. At this very crucial point in the life of our new team something is getting ready to happen. At the beginning of next month, our team will have two of its first few team members finally focusing solely on this new work. For the past seven months, Angie and I have been transitioning off of our old team, Go Ancona, and out of the work here in in Ancona, Italy. However, we are doing the final checklist for liftoff. At the end of this month, July 2007, Angie and I will cease to be on the Ancona team. Starting August 1st, 2007 we will be 100 percent focused on the Verona team and the new work. Part of this will be team building and recruitment, part of this will be on promotion, part of this focus will be on research of Verona and networking with current ministries; and finally part of the move from Ancona to Verona. First we'll pack up all of our things and put them in storage here in Ancona. God provided a great solution for our team. Then we will return to the states in order to promote, recruit and prepare for coming back. As soon as our first team member(s) is(are) ready we'll head back to Italy and begin the first onfield phase of language/culture acquistion. The new team members will be focused on that while we minister to them, researching the city and working on resources for the new work. We are looking at returning around May/June of 2008.

New Logo!

If you look above you'll see we have a new team logo! We aren't Go North anymore...we know where we are headed, Verona! So, now that we have a new logo, many other things can go to the next stage of preproduction, like prayer cards, business cards, websites, etc....