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In the Piedmont region of Italy, Roger and Elisabetta are showing the love of Christ by reaching out to the elderly. The couple have an arrangement with five retirement homes in Asti and the surrounding areas to visit and meet with residents.
“It’s a very nice ministry because the elderly are very open," Roger said. “It’s great to see how the Lord opened the doors for the ministry. They are completely open and we can share the gospel without problems.”
Each meeting is open to all residents and features songs, testimonies, an evangelistic skit and a short meditation. They also try to make time to speak with each resident personally. When visiting OM groups come from abroad, a trip to one of the nursing homes is a fixed part of their programme. “It’s nice to put the elderly in touch with young people and other cultures," Roger explained. "And above all, to make them hear the beautiful message of the gospel in various ways.
“Actually, we can say that by only doing this ministry, we would have work every day because there are numerous nursing and retirement homes in the area, and we only cover a part of it.”
Roger said one of the most fulfilling parts of the ministry is when the message connects with someone.
“We went to the nursing home in a village called Celle many times, and I always approached a man in a wheelchair called Joseph," Roger said. "He never spoke, his gaze was always distracted and as much as I asked him questions, he did not answer; it was always the same.
“The last time we went, towards the end of the programme, I was talking about death and my experience when my dad died. I talked about the peace I had knowing that my father had gone with the Lord.
“While I was speaking, Joseph miraculously looked up and began to nod with his head to confirm what I was saying, and not only that, he began to speak and say that what was being shared was true! At the end of the programme, I went directly to him and the nurse next to him said: ‘Look, I’ve been working here for months and this is the first time I’ve heard him speak.’
“I asked him directly: ‘Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you think Jesus died for you on the cross to pay for your sins?' And he answered yes to both questions; ‘Of course, yes, I believe it!’
"It was a wonderful time! Seeing how God miraculously opened Joseph’s mind to understand the gospel and also to confess with his mouth that Jesus is his Saviour. Glory be to God!
"We have also seen a woman who is not very lucid, that the Lord opened her mind at the moment we shared the gospel. We have seen several times that the elders at that time are lucid; they can understand and receive the Lord.”
Giuseppe, 98, lives in another retirement home. Roger said, “He’s always there, smiling; he understands what we’re sharing and is very present.
"At one point, I spiritually understood that he was ready and accepted the Lord. Giuseppe gave his heart to the Lord at 98! It's never too late! With tears in his eyes, he said: ‘All my life I’ve been waiting for this moment; now I know where I’m going for eternity.’ Hearing these words is a reward for us for all the work and effort made. The work done in the Lord is not in vain. We celebrate the fact that God changed Giuseppe’s eternal destiny!
“In the last few weeks, we have seen that Giuseppe is not so smiley and physically, he is not well. It hit us hard. There are so many people who, at a given moment, have understood the gospel and then after two, three weeks, they are no longer well. Then I have this weight on my heart to go more often: these people need the Lord. Everyone needs the Lord, of course, but they are there waiting to die. That affects me so much.
"Just like these two men, there are many other guests in the nursing homes waiting to listen to the plan of salvation, so our commitment is to continue to go and preach the gospel."
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