SEMILLAS de ESPERANZA(SEEDS OF HOPE)A MINISTRY OF NICK AND WENDY SERIANNI

May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans suceed." Psalm 20:4

NEWS RELEASE FEBRUARY 2003
               

May He give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans suceed."
                                                                        
Psalm 20:4

SEEING THROUGH SPIRITUAL EYES

Sometimes we encounter obstacles to our plans that confuse and confound us, and we wonder why God allows them to occur. If we merely observe what is happening to us through worldly eyes, we will not see His plan for us and we may miss the blessing He has in store for us. We need to look at all events in our lives through spiritual eyes, the eyes of our faith that filter circumstances through our spirit. Only then can we truly understand how our Heavenly Father makes our plans succeed and how he gives us the desire of our hearts.

Wendy and I have encountered obstacles on a regular basis. We are approaching our first wedding anniversary the last week of February, and Wendy's visa still has not come through. With the exception of my parents, she has not met any of my family. As I write this newsletter, due to computer problems, I will not be able to use the normal format and include photos. At the end of January armed gang members had rented two of the apartments in our building and three cars had been vandalized. Like other tenants, we were forced to move for our own safety. In spite of these obstacles and frustrations, our Heavenly Father not only provided for us, He blessed the children in our ministry and us.

First of all, we quickly were guided to a brand new apartment building within a mile of our old apartment. We were able to rent a first floor apartment twice the size of our old, third floor apartment for an additional forty dollars per month. Our new apartment is in a nicer area and affords us a scenic view and a cooling breeze we did not have before. Furthermore, our move came at an appropriate time for the plans we had made, and it brought us into contact with a whole new group of people in need.

SAMARITAN'S PURSE

One of the blessings heaped upon us came, once again, from Franklin Graham's organization,
Samaritan's Purse. For a second year in a row, this organization led by the son of Billy Graham recognized the work we were doing with children and blessed us with seventy-five shoe boxes filled with school supplies, toys, candy, games, wash cloths, tooth brushes, etc. The shoe boxes were intended as Christmas presents but arrived toward the end of January, according to God's perfect timing.

One of the objectives in giving out gifts is to draw the needy children to our program where we can help them in more practical and spiritual ways. We not only had enough provision to bless the kids in our program but to give gifts to the needy children in our new neighborhood! Our Heavenly Father not only moved us to a nicer apartment, He introduced us as missionaries to our new neighbors in a way that made a lasting impression on the children with whom He has called us to work.

ADDITIONAL BLESSINGS

During the first week of February, another blessing came our way from Canada through Compassion International. A family from Canada came to the Dominican Republic to help us build new kitchen cabinets at our church where we hold instruction for the children in the Compassion program. The husband is a carpenter by trade, and I have had the blessing of working beside him and learning many skills from him. In the course of a week, we were able to construct all the cabinets and mount the entire upper cabinets. Keep in mind that we have to work with minimal supplies and tools.

Later this month a youth group from somewhere in the Finger Lakes area of New York will arrive through the same Compassion International program to help complete the kitchen cabinets. Wendy and I now will be able to house one of the families from this group in our new, more spacious apartment!

BIBLE STUDY, DISCIPLESHIP, and STORAGE

The size of our new apartment is such a blessing for other reasons, too. With all of the arts and craft materials, sports equipment, carpentry tools, donated gifts from St. Bede's Church in Pittsburgh, and gifts from Samaritanís Purse, we were being crowded out of our little third floor apartment. And it wasn't fun carrying everything up and down three flights of stairs.

Now, we not only have room for storage, we have room for our weekly Tuesday night Bible study for the adults in our church and the parents of kids in our program. God has blessed us with the room we need to study, pray, and praise Him freely. We also have plenty of room for the girls Wendy is discipling or for the girls in our program when they need to come over to practice cooking or partake in special projects.

The obstacles and frustrations we have to face in life are many, and they seem to come upon us at the most inopportune time. Yet, when we learn to look at our circumstances through spiritual eyes and place our trust in our Loving God and Father, our plans will succeed in ways we have not even imagined. We will be successful and the desire of our hearts will be given to us.

PRAYER POINTS

Continue to pray that Wendy's visa will be granted soon. We have air plane reservations for Easter.

Pray for our financial provision. We not only have a rent increase, but we need to purchase more furnishings.

Pray for a large van to transport the children in our program.

Pray for our health and protection.

THANK YOU

Wendy and I thank you again for partnering with us in our ministry to the children of the Dominican Republic. Without your financial support and prayers we could not follow the calling God has placed on our lives. We bless you in the name of Jesus Christ.

Please send donations in the name of Nick Serianni
75 Lake George Avenue
Ticonderoga, New York 12883