The Ohio Independent Baptist, December 1955

THE HIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST P age Seven l en THE FUSCO STORY • I haYc . tcppcc1 into the m idst of a wond erfu l rr \·iva l in ou r I11 dc– pendr 11 t l~apt ist ('hu r c·h he re in Bagnoli, Nap les, Ita l.\·. C:ocl is ma11- ifesti 11 0· 11 imsc lf in g- rcat powr r . Befo re"' ! bri rf h · t ell vo1 1 abo ut t hi s, however , I w,i. nt to· say, '· '!'lw11k you." Om t han ks f irst of a ll to (:od for per m itti ng us fou r ~·ca rs of pre ·i ons fell owship in th e great Ohio A:. o ·iat ion. \Ve a r e proucl to be in fe llowsh ip ,rith you. Proud because y u a re se t fo r t he dcfr nsr of the C:osp el and ea r nestly eo n– t endin o· fo r the fait h onec fo r a ll delive1~ d to th e sain ts. 'J'h en ,1·<' wi. h to g ratr fu ll y t ha nk t he pas- tors a nd peop le i 11 ou1· Ohi o Chu r<: hcs. }' ou lt ai• e been so y ood to 11s . Your open-armed rc<·ept ion of us du ring ou r d ep utatio n work wi ll n eve r be fo r gotte n. As I sit her e at this cl rsk in :\apks pr11 - 11ing this a rtiel e, man .v pn'e io11 s memor ies of Ohio flood 111\' 111i 11 d and hea rt. ·w ith eve ry fib <' r of our bcin!. .(', l.,o rrnr ancl I sa.\·, " T ha nk vo11 a ncl 11 S ig·11o rc \'i Benecli e·a.·" ('rh c 1.,o rd birss yo11. ) Vl/e a l'l' iv r cl in Italy , S nnd ay , )Jovembc r 6. At the pi r r 11·r we rr met by Ycteran mi ss ionar ies, Di ek a nd Bevc r lv .\ losher. ·with t lwi r able assista;H'r ancl that of an Ital – ia n relative of 111in c who is a l.1i eutena11t in the Italian pol i<·e, we managed to g-<' t ou 1· perso na I bag– g-ag<' th ro11 1.d1 <·11 stoms. 11 owr\'rr, iL took us almost a fol l wc'r k with c.laily trips to th e pi c' r befo re we s uc·e·r('(lr cl i11 gP iting Oll i' h1 il k lrng– g·age t Ii roug h <· 11 stoms. D11 <' to (Ii<• <·0 1H·P 11trnt io11 ol' A11H' 1·i('a 11 a nd Allied lllilitar r 111 \'aplPs, IIH• hous in g s it11ati <i'11 is so111 Pthi11g- to t<· II about. Rc•1lls lw1·<· a r·p <·olllpru·,ilile' to ( ']p\' cla ncl and in some• <·a i,;ps hi g hP1·. l)i('k a11<1 I 11·alllp<'<l t Ii<' st rp('(i,; ol' \'ap lc'i-; for rni lPs fo r a 11·<·Pk and H half lJpfor<' W<' fo1111d a i,;11itHbl e• apart 111 <• 111 . .\ l 11<·h to 01 11· s11rpris1• , we• l1r1v p fo1111d (hat Ih<' <·os t of li vin g· i1 It aly ii-; hig·h<• 1· tl1r111 in tlw NtatPs. ,You • olio11/ /!, ,, Ii i 1•i1 1 ul i11 ,\'a1il< sf .At 011 1· fin,! p1·a\'e• 1· ll l<'P( i1w i11 Italy 011 '1' 11Psday ·11i g·ht , W<' ~-;aw H.\· rmv. w 11 1111A;,, 1 1 . 1,• 11sco l' i11 \' il/ 06r1 (10/011 1111. 1:i. I , ,\'oJi/ rs , l /0/1; REVIVAL IN ITALY (hr p1',-l,\'C' I' room l'i ll <'cl to O\'c• rl'loll'– i II g·. \\' hr 11 wc' 11 1ovc• cl Io l hr a 11 - cl itor i II m for Hible St11cly , l' a-;tor :\'apo leo11C' s;-1w so 1m1 11 .1· \'i-;i(ors pr CS<' ll i t hat hp C' h,11,gc' cl hi s lll <'S– sagr to one' o f ,111 e' \'a 11 gC' listi<' 11 a– t 11 1'('. II <' \\'as fi lk cl wit 11 t IH' S pirit as he• pn•aC' h<'cl, ,1 11(1 l•' I \ ' 1,; yo111l!.!' mr 11 stC' pp l'cl to t h<' l' ro11t lo pub – li C' I\' r<'<·r iYc (' h r ist. I1m1 !.! i1H' that at;-; lll iel-11·rc' k pnl,\'('r lll e'<'t i11 g ! 1,' riday 11i 1d1t ,ms y crn11 g pro pl<'s. It 11·a r rn C'el 0111· l1<',1rls to se'C' thosp .nH11 1g p ro p lr 011 1.,· a fc, 11· years r<'– rn owcl frorn th <' (0(,11 l~ib lic·a l ig- 11 o ra11 c·l' of ('atho li c·is111 c·o 11cl11di11 g· t he ir ow11 nH'C' tin!.!·. 'l'01ni r cls t lw <· lose of' th <' clis<· 11 ~s io 11 , two \' is it on, a rose ,111d sbtlrd t hat l hl' ph iloso– ph ic•s of 111<' 11 s ho11 lcl hr ac·c·<·pil'cl as eq 11 HI ,r it h t h<' 13ib l<' . 'l' h<' n I got my lrnp(i slll of \'<'opolitan tr lll pel'alll (' Jlis. S11<-11 ,1risi11µ: 11p in df'f<• ns<' of th <' faith I h,11·<' JH'\'<' I' sc'<' 11. '1\ro or (hr<'<' (,ilki11 g· at 011<·<· , a ll <·111otiom1 ll r cl c•fc. 11cli110· (h C' il' 1H'11· 1'01111cl f'r1 ith . · .\ 11(1 th e' ~nost \'()(' il'– <' r<lllS of a ll \\'HS ,I Oil (' lll Ollth <·0 1t\'(' rt ! 13a e·k a11cl forth Ih<'.\' 11·<· 11l. Oprn 13ihlrs lw lcl i11 011 e• h,rncl , a11cl t hC' fo rrf in gC' r of l lH' ot hPr lwi11 g s hak en 11 nele r noses ac·e·on1pa11ird \iy ' ' mile' H rni 111 1te, Ita lian ." YC't st range' as it nrn.,· s<'<' 111 , (h<'I'<' 1\·as 110 e' \' id C' Jl(·(' of gT<'Hi Hll!.!('I', ,lllcl tlJ C' 11w<'ii11 u· 1ras 11 ot t oo cli so rd C' rl1·. \\' hC' 11 '11w mode' rnl o r fi11 a ll .1· s ti'l'– <·<'<'clc-d in e·H llllin g thc•m cl o,rn. IC'! 111<• te' II 1·011 thos<' (11·0 \' is it i11 !.!· ,\' (ll I11g· lll (;II \\:(' I'(' p l'O i H' I' I.\' s Iii lei I )('cl ,1 11 d t he fa ith \\'H S \\'O il cl{ 1 l'l'11 ll .v d <'– fe11cl Pcl . I spoke' to Ihe two \' isit o rs aft<,rn·ard s, and I c·<n il cl tl' II th a t ilH'\' \\'{' I' (' i111pl'C'SS<' cl \\'i( Ii \\'hat IIH··v s,111· a11cl hc•a 1·cl . (111 S1111dHy ni g ht , 11·1, i,; pok<' at tlw Swiss ( ' h111'(·h h11i ldi11 g \\'ll(•n• se l'\'i<·c'i,; an' IH' ld for .\ 111 l'1' iC'H 11 l\ 1ii – ita n · 11 H• 11 a11d fa111iliPs. 01 1(' yo1 111 g s,1i ll1 r n1isc•d hi s ha nd l'or 1;ra.1'<' l'. \\' c• IH'H rd aftC'1·11·ard th,lt i11 011 r l{aptist ( 'h111'(·h , 1/11·1·1 moi·e· 11·e' I'<' SH\'C'd th at 11i µ;hl . • Lorene 'l'11c•scla.v 11i ~d1t p rayc·r ll H' <' I i11 g - Oil(' 1110 1'(' SH\·e•( l. J•:a rl ,. last 11·c•pk to Ihr honw of l'r1stor' \'apole•o 1H· c·a nH' a man who s,1id he' 11·as fro111 S,111t ',\ 11timo ,1' 10111 tw c• lvc• llli lc•s 011t of \'a pl c's. 'l' IH•rc• 11·<· 1·c• so 11H' thl'rc• i11t c• rc•s (<• d i11 a 11ihle· St 11cl.\'. \\' 011 lcl so 111 c•o1H' c·o 11H' ! ll ic· k ,111cl I dc·<·id r cl to a 11 - s 11·p 1· this " ;\ la<·Pd o11ia11 ( 'rill. '' 'l' lrnt S111H l,1y 11·<· rode' th<' i11t c r- 11r b 111 011t th e re•. l ' pon cl <· ba rkin g from (IH' (rai11 , 11·1, wa ll«•cl cl ow1 a 1111 1Tow stone• st red to a OIH'– roo rn r1 pa rt 111 c•11 t. It \\'as darn p a nd l' hi lh' so 11·c• IPl't 01 1r <·oa ts 011 ll' hil;• 11·c• s,it aro1 11 Hl tl1 <' tahlc' 11·ith t hr <'<' 111 e• 11 a 11d 1'011r 11·011H 1 11. It \\',Is q11it,• ,I l\ibl p st 11cl.1· ,ri(h e·i g·rrr – Pttc• s 111 ok<· J'i ll i11g the• air , a11d 11·i11 c• 011 111<' tal1IC' i11 J'ront of 11 s. l)1 1t these 11·p1·e 1111 hc•Iic• \·c•rs who \l' C' l'C' s<',lr<·hill'.!' l'o r so111d hi11 g· to sa ti sf'y tl H• ir hc•,1r ts. \\' C' \\' (' I'<' happy (hat the•,· had (' \'('II i11\·ited IIS to ('X – pla·i ,1 th r 11·a.\· ol' sa h ·atio11 . 'l'his l) ie·k piltie•1tlly did , IHt! it 11·c1 s so 11 < 1 11· that th1•y h,1d so rne clifl'ini lt.,· gTaspi11g· it. No pl,111 s \\'e' J'(' 111r1cl1• to rc•t1 1r11 11 C'x t S1111cla~· al'l c' n1 0011 l'or a11ot lH'r 13ihk St11cly. 'l'his is (hp way a lontl d111rd1 hC'gi11s. l' ra .,· ,rith 11s that this \rill he tlw h<' – g i1 111 i11g· ol' a !()(·a l H,1 pt ist ( 'h11rl' h i11 ~a11t ' .\ 11lirno. Ital.\·. \\' (' took th <' i11t l'1'11 r ha 11 lrn1·k tO \' a Jl ks ill t i Ill(' ( 0 HI' I' i\'(' f OI' (h(' 1•1'<' 11i1 1g- Sl' l'\' il·c• at the' 1· h11rl' h. .\ – !.!'Hi11 the• ~pirit· ,rm; prc•st' 1lt 111 po11·1• 1· a11d a wil'e• of a ll<' li t•1·p1· Hil d a ,\'Ollll g' lllrlll \\' (' I'(' ,;il \'(• cl ! 'l'h c' ( 'r1th oli<· ( 'h11l'1·h i,; not tak - 111 ~ thi s pa ,;,;i \'<' ly . ;\ Iis,;io11ar.1· pri C',;l s lrn ,·l• dl'i\'l 1 11 ,il1011t thl 1 stre'C'ts ,I IHI 11·ith hl11l'i11 g l011dsp l•,1k – e•rs till' \' ha Y<' dl• l'a llll'd t hl' l'h 11 n·h a nd 11·,i'rn1•d ag·ai11,;t it . l{11t it n1 a cl1· JH'c>Jl l< 1 ,ill the• 111 01'<' 1·11rio11,;, ,111d 011 r a t tl' !Hl a 11 l'l' is illl'l'l'Hsi11 !.!. ( l1H 1 ol' t hC' 1·01 11 1,.· 11H·11 1·011\'l' J·I:,; 11·a:,; to ld bl' It i~ 1110~1l' r ~hl 1 \l'<Hild nl t Ill' !' lt~l\'l' h i111 111 le 1 1lll a 11 011:--1• ol' ill l',1111<· th,111 go to th e' lt,1p( i-.,t ( ' h11l'l'l1. \\'t• l1, I \ ·<' -.,,1id 1• 110 11 µ: h l'o r Jill \\ 'l' hi~ i-., l1ril'l'l1 0111· J'ir-.,t !11 0 \1 1'1''-" i11 Ita l, . It < lw<· 11 1101Hl1 1 rl'1il ( :11d is ~·o<>< I. l'rni-.,<' II i-., \' a n1t• !