Nolan, Hannah & Abe Tarantino
Enjoying the road less traveled!
Missionaries to Europe.
We are currently located...
Brussels, Belgium
Thank you for your prayers! Our annual MCE Conference
was a huge success!!!!
simple and pure Love.
Thu, Jun 25 2009 04:16
| Permalink
The speed of our life has gone from a turtle's pace to a racing rabbit and even more so in the past two months. There is a lot of great things that have been going on and we will share those with you in a letter, but I just wanted to share something that has been my peace now that our life has picked up and has kept my feet underneath me.
It seems that the faster my life gets the more complicated it gets and the easier it is to be consumed with complications. Because I am a worrier by nature the result is always me carrying around my own burdens and everyone else's as well. In the midst of this God called me back to his pure and simple love. The reason I am where I am, the reason I do what I do and the giver of freedom to my complications is His love. When I focus just on this simple truth, nothing else seems to matter. When we truly know Him and His character it is easier to trust Him and then there is no need to be consumed with any complication. Life is simple again.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (Message) " Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that."
This is such an eye opener for me. Whatever situation I face or how quickly my life may go when I read this is all comes into perspective. Keep company with him and learn a life of love.
It seems that the faster my life gets the more complicated it gets and the easier it is to be consumed with complications. Because I am a worrier by nature the result is always me carrying around my own burdens and everyone else's as well. In the midst of this God called me back to his pure and simple love. The reason I am where I am, the reason I do what I do and the giver of freedom to my complications is His love. When I focus just on this simple truth, nothing else seems to matter. When we truly know Him and His character it is easier to trust Him and then there is no need to be consumed with any complication. Life is simple again.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (Message) " Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that."
This is such an eye opener for me. Whatever situation I face or how quickly my life may go when I read this is all comes into perspective. Keep company with him and learn a life of love.
Comments
L´Aquila, Italy Update
Mon, Apr 13 2009 11:03
| Permalink
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS
As many of you are aware on April 6th an earthquake hit the city of L´Aquila, Italy at 3:30 in the morning. On April 8th, Convoy of Hope Europe connected with the local Assembly of God church in L´Aquila.
This was my first time being able to join Convoy of Hope Europe on a disaster relief trip. Our main objective was to connect with the local church there and assess the needs. It´s Convoy´s mission to raise the arms of the local church through physical support, financial aide, food and clothing and any other way that can help the church be a light in their community during these desperate times the city is facing.
GOD´S TIMING
The first night that we were there we met with the General Secretary of the Italian Assemblies of God, Eliseo Cardarelli. Eliseo told us that the Assemblies of God reacted so quickly with their tent that they were actually one of the first to setup in this sport stadium to house those who were fleeing the city.
During a tour of the facilities the under secretary of the Ministry of Defense for Italy questioned why the church had the central spot in the camp and why it hadn´t been moved yet. The Camp Director proceeded to share that the Assemblies of God were one of the first to respond with aide to those of the city and were currently taking care of two men with Alzheimers and helping so many more.
THE CHURCH
The inside of the city was heavily guarded at the main entrances to make sure that people weren´t venturing into the city while the tremors were still very imminent. Our team was able to walk down a few streets that were empty to take some photographs. I must admit I was very nervous as many of the buildings were hanging by threads and any tremors would of easily given the last push they needed before completely falling.
We tried to find the church in the city, but to no avail. Thankfully Eliseo was able to take a few pictures of what is left of the church. The roof had collapsed and the the outside walls were leaning in opposite directions. It´s hard to see in the pictures but you can see cracks running everywhere showing that the structure has been completely worn.
The pastors have been told that they might not be able to rebuild in their current location. The history of the church there dates back 400 years and the city may restore it to it´s original state. Which leads to...
The pastors have been told that they might not be able to rebuild in their current location. The history of the church there dates back 400 years and the city may restore it to it´s original state. Which leads to...
THE NEED
There are 3 phases that the church is going to be taking that will range from an immediate effect to a long term plan.
Phase
I
Continue to meet the immediate needs at the tent city. To find a location to hold meetings on Sundays.
Continue to meet the immediate needs at the tent city. To find a location to hold meetings on Sundays.
Phase II
The immediate goal is to move members of the church who are living in tents to a more stable living area and outside the current location they are in now. They are looking at pre-fabricated housing to move families into.
Phase III
This will be the reconstruction of the church and church members homes which are salvageable. As of this week there is no estimated time as to when the church can begin reconstruction. But what is known is that it will be a complete reconstruction from the ground up.
Convoy of Hope Europe is currently raising funds and teams to send to L´Aquila to help in all of these phases.
One of the jobs I was assigned was to make a video that we could send out. Click the image below. It will take you to see the video and hear the Pastor of the church´s experience the night the earthquake hit as well as Central Italy's Superintendent, Eliseo Fragnito who is the head point person for all these phases.
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW VIDEO
Click image to view video.
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW PICTURES
Click the image above to view pictures.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Visit Convoy of Hope Europe´s website for links to donate...
Master's Commission Europe Conference
Thu, Mar 26 2009 02:22
| conference, MCE
| Permalink
Dear Supporters,
We just finished our annual MCE Conference near Paris, France. In spite of the economic problems most of our programs attended. We heard great preaching from Jeremy DeWeerdt, Pastor Edouard Fillon (from CIJEM Force), Simon Cunningham, Taka Iguchi and Michael McNamee. We also heard from our alumni of the year, David Isacson from Sweden. He is now a motivational speaker in swedish schools. One of our best seminars was with Michael Self, a young man who works for Abotts Vascular, as one of their product managers, and gave each program great ideas on how to market their programs.
One of the highlights is when it was announced at the directors dinner that 9 new programs will be starting in the next year. Four of the new directors were able to attend the conference and each had a great meeting with the MCE board.
Thank you for all the support you have shown to us. We have been so encouraged by your faithfulness in giving and interest in what is going here. This is an exciting time in Europe. Thanks for being a part of it.
Blessings,
Nolan and Hannah Tarantino
We just finished our annual MCE Conference near Paris, France. In spite of the economic problems most of our programs attended. We heard great preaching from Jeremy DeWeerdt, Pastor Edouard Fillon (from CIJEM Force), Simon Cunningham, Taka Iguchi and Michael McNamee. We also heard from our alumni of the year, David Isacson from Sweden. He is now a motivational speaker in swedish schools. One of our best seminars was with Michael Self, a young man who works for Abotts Vascular, as one of their product managers, and gave each program great ideas on how to market their programs.
One of the highlights is when it was announced at the directors dinner that 9 new programs will be starting in the next year. Four of the new directors were able to attend the conference and each had a great meeting with the MCE board.
Thank you for all the support you have shown to us. We have been so encouraged by your faithfulness in giving and interest in what is going here. This is an exciting time in Europe. Thanks for being a part of it.
Blessings,
Nolan and Hannah Tarantino
MCE Presentation to Amiens, France
Hannah and I really need our French to kick in :)
Pictures
Sat, Feb 28 2009 12:02
| Permalink
Summit Church
Fri, Feb 27 2009 08:19
| Permalink
While we were in the states we had a great opportunity to meet with a pastor from a church called, Summit Church. It is was obvious upon meeting them that they have a big heart for missions and showed a lot of interest in what we are doing in Europe. We were able to go to coffee with him and share our heart for Europe and hear his heart for missions which led to us sharing at their college group the next night. Their whole team approached us with open arms and showed such support for what we're doing. What a blessing.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."
Nolan and I were just so blessed by Summit church and their open arms to us. I am filled with such joy and praise because it is an evidence that God is faithful to the call he put on us and he will do what it takes to fulfill that call. He is the one who is bringing the support we need financially, emotionally and physically. There is so much peace in that verse. To know that he will do what it takes to bring us and keep us where we need to be.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."
Nolan and I were just so blessed by Summit church and their open arms to us. I am filled with such joy and praise because it is an evidence that God is faithful to the call he put on us and he will do what it takes to fulfill that call. He is the one who is bringing the support we need financially, emotionally and physically. There is so much peace in that verse. To know that he will do what it takes to bring us and keep us where we need to be.
Master´s Commission Conference USA
For the past two weeks we have been in the States promoting Master´s Commission Europe at two conferences. This year the conferences were held in different locations in the States to make it easier for people to travel to and to create a smaller environment in order to connect with others easier. The cities were Orlando, FL and Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. It had been a year or so since I have last attended the US conferences and it was really exciting to be back to experience both.
We were able to have a booth set up at the conferences and talk to many people who were interested in coming over to Europe. The world is so small anymore! It´s great meeting people you have met in other parts of this globe!
It was my first time in Texas, so I was pretty excited to go there! They sure didn´t let me down. One evening we ate at Chipotle for dinner and there was a sign stating if your guns weren´t holstered and licensed that there was a $10,000 fine! I haven´t seen a sign like that anywhere else before.
Thanks for all of you who were praying for us as we traveled while in the States. I must admit that coming back to Europe was more exciting than going to the States! I think almost 7 years in Europe has really taken a healthy tole in our lives!
We were able to have a booth set up at the conferences and talk to many people who were interested in coming over to Europe. The world is so small anymore! It´s great meeting people you have met in other parts of this globe!
It was my first time in Texas, so I was pretty excited to go there! They sure didn´t let me down. One evening we ate at Chipotle for dinner and there was a sign stating if your guns weren´t holstered and licensed that there was a $10,000 fine! I haven´t seen a sign like that anywhere else before.
Thanks for all of you who were praying for us as we traveled while in the States. I must admit that coming back to Europe was more exciting than going to the States! I think almost 7 years in Europe has really taken a healthy tole in our lives!
Albania
Wed, Feb 18 2009 06:17
| Permalink
Albania 2009
This past week
(Master's Commission Amsterdam North) and
(Master's Commission Madrid) partnered with
, a compassion ministry, on a missions trip to Albania.
We ministered to 17 Gypsy families who are the outcasts of society and are living in extreme poverty. It is located in a town outside Tirana, called Fushë-Krujë. Convoy of Hope came across this community of families back in November and were moved to help them through providing better living conditions and a better life through God's love. They asked for Master's Commission to come join them and help start this process.
When we started to work there they were living with no running water, no workable bathroom, no dumpster or garbage can to take care of their garbage and the conditions had gotten very bad living that way. The roof was leaking, creating lots of standing water and mold. Because of the pile up of garbage many rats have come in and infested their living space.
We started by clearing out all the garbage and sanitizing the floors, walls and ceiling, as well as killing the rats. There was a program for the kids everyday sharing God's love for them and we spent a lot of time loving on them and playing with them. When we left they were finishing installing seven working toilets. We had cleared out truck loads and truck loads of garbage. The city has agreed to provide them with a dumpster so they can have a place to put their garbage. The children are now being enrolled into school. God's love was shown in many ways.
Convoy of hope has committed to help them long term. They will continue to take teams there.
We praise God for the impact he made through Master's Commission this past week.
We ministered to 17 Gypsy families who are the outcasts of society and are living in extreme poverty. It is located in a town outside Tirana, called Fushë-Krujë. Convoy of Hope came across this community of families back in November and were moved to help them through providing better living conditions and a better life through God's love. They asked for Master's Commission to come join them and help start this process.
When we started to work there they were living with no running water, no workable bathroom, no dumpster or garbage can to take care of their garbage and the conditions had gotten very bad living that way. The roof was leaking, creating lots of standing water and mold. Because of the pile up of garbage many rats have come in and infested their living space.
We started by clearing out all the garbage and sanitizing the floors, walls and ceiling, as well as killing the rats. There was a program for the kids everyday sharing God's love for them and we spent a lot of time loving on them and playing with them. When we left they were finishing installing seven working toilets. We had cleared out truck loads and truck loads of garbage. The city has agreed to provide them with a dumpster so they can have a place to put their garbage. The children are now being enrolled into school. God's love was shown in many ways.
Convoy of hope has committed to help them long term. They will continue to take teams there.
We praise God for the impact he made through Master's Commission this past week.
Something New
Sat, Jan 31 2009 01:06
| Tarantino´s, 2009, New Year
| Permalink
Well, it has been my intention to bring something new to the website this year... and here it is.
2009. One more year till the 10 year high school reunion. 2009 will mark a third year of marriage. Our first full year in Missions, living in Europe.
...and the world at our finger tips! Never before have I ever been so excited for the start of a year. I believe that this year is going to be one of the richest years of my life. I think what has been driving me is knowing that we are going to find ourselves in so many places, meeting so many new people, sharing stories, creating memories and most of everywhere we go, we are walking out our relationship with Jesus. Lately there has just been this simplicity of just being in intimacy with him. And in that intimacy just loving other people in the most simple of ways can bring so much joy.
This year Hannah and I are putting on many different hats and each of these hats all play an unique part of a larger picture. On Monday, we take off for Albania. The words to describe where we are working won´t do justice. I will wait till we are back with video and pictures to share more.
There is just so much to look forward to this year. I honestly believe that the posts we bring to our blog this year is going to be so much fun! I look forward to sharing with everyone the stories we come across and places we get to bring everyone too. Hopefully one day we will get to travel together with you!
2009. One more year till the 10 year high school reunion. 2009 will mark a third year of marriage. Our first full year in Missions, living in Europe.
...and the world at our finger tips! Never before have I ever been so excited for the start of a year. I believe that this year is going to be one of the richest years of my life. I think what has been driving me is knowing that we are going to find ourselves in so many places, meeting so many new people, sharing stories, creating memories and most of everywhere we go, we are walking out our relationship with Jesus. Lately there has just been this simplicity of just being in intimacy with him. And in that intimacy just loving other people in the most simple of ways can bring so much joy.
This year Hannah and I are putting on many different hats and each of these hats all play an unique part of a larger picture. On Monday, we take off for Albania. The words to describe where we are working won´t do justice. I will wait till we are back with video and pictures to share more.
There is just so much to look forward to this year. I honestly believe that the posts we bring to our blog this year is going to be so much fun! I look forward to sharing with everyone the stories we come across and places we get to bring everyone too. Hopefully one day we will get to travel together with you!
Aberdeen, Scotland
Tue, Jan 27 2009 12:33
| Convoy of Hope, MCE
| Permalink
We are back from Scotland. I needed this trip more than I thought. The week before had been really draining and tense. I felt very irritated and worried about what others were thinking of me and had been letting my focus drift.
The very first meeting we had together began with Beryl sharing a devotional. She shared about intimacy and walking in His presence. I was reminded of what really matters. It struck a hunger in me and broke the hardened pieces of my heart. The little things that go wrong in our days and the battles we face can easily cause us to focus on ourselves, but at the end of the day the only thing that is truly significant is God and the closeness we can have with him. We went into a time of worship and time to seek the Lord in prayer.
My heart was being softened and I felt like all the burdens and frustrations I had been carrying around were released and I was able to just worship the Lord and be at peace in his presence. Beryl shared how without this kind of intimacy with him all the planning and strategies we make won't really mean much or make much difference. We NEED to be carrying his presence in us with everything we do. The only way to do that is to be spending time in His Word and in His presence. That is what I want to do as we go through out our ministry.
As I said before this struck a hunger inside of me. I think spiritual hunger can be a lot like physical hunger. If you don't eat when you're hungry eventually the hunger will just pass you by. I don't want this spiritual hunger to go away, the desire to be close to Him. I took all that I could this past week.
The following days were spent casting vision, sharing passion and with a church we have formed a close friendship with. They have a heart and lot of potential to start a program at this church called The King's Community Church. We are praying about the next steps to take, but it was exciting to spend time with the leaders and the congregation on Sunday and see the passion they have. Great things are happening in Aberdeen, Scotland! Here are a few pictures from the trip. Enjoy!
The very first meeting we had together began with Beryl sharing a devotional. She shared about intimacy and walking in His presence. I was reminded of what really matters. It struck a hunger in me and broke the hardened pieces of my heart. The little things that go wrong in our days and the battles we face can easily cause us to focus on ourselves, but at the end of the day the only thing that is truly significant is God and the closeness we can have with him. We went into a time of worship and time to seek the Lord in prayer.
My heart was being softened and I felt like all the burdens and frustrations I had been carrying around were released and I was able to just worship the Lord and be at peace in his presence. Beryl shared how without this kind of intimacy with him all the planning and strategies we make won't really mean much or make much difference. We NEED to be carrying his presence in us with everything we do. The only way to do that is to be spending time in His Word and in His presence. That is what I want to do as we go through out our ministry.
As I said before this struck a hunger inside of me. I think spiritual hunger can be a lot like physical hunger. If you don't eat when you're hungry eventually the hunger will just pass you by. I don't want this spiritual hunger to go away, the desire to be close to Him. I took all that I could this past week.
The following days were spent casting vision, sharing passion and with a church we have formed a close friendship with. They have a heart and lot of potential to start a program at this church called The King's Community Church. We are praying about the next steps to take, but it was exciting to spend time with the leaders and the congregation on Sunday and see the passion they have. Great things are happening in Aberdeen, Scotland! Here are a few pictures from the trip. Enjoy!