HISTORY

It was 800 years before Jesus walked on the shore of Galilee and the Phoenician merchant fleet had drifted along the African coast and landed in Sicily and Sardinia, introducing an alphabet into the area. The Greeks moved into Sicily in 735 B.C. and developed a group of cities calling the area Magna Graecia, which means Greater Greece. The Greeks enriched the area with advanced art and architecture, as well as two important staples, the vine and the olive. The Etruscans were a mixture of indigenous and foreign peoples who shared common languages, like Greek. They occupied the Lazio and Tuscany areas and established a 12-city confederation.

According to legend, Romulus founded Rome in 753 B.C., and conquered the Etruscan kings around 509 B.C., replacing it with a republic. Theoretically the name means "People were Kings." Rome continued its expansion throughout the coming years eventually expanding into Greek dominated southern Italy. The Third Punic War, which ended in 146 B.C., gave Rome the territories all the way to Jerusalem and Asia Minor.

Julius Caesar formed the first Triumvirate in 60 B.C. He became a dictator of Rome and it was his grandnephew and adopted son, Octavius, who won the battleground for control of the empire after Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC. He renamed himself Augustus, which means the emperor. The new temples and civic building were built and the next couple hundred years marked the high point of the Roman civilization.

The Roman Empire endured almost a thousand years and affected every aspect of the civilized world. Their powerful imperial army and their superior leadership is only part of the history. Ancient Rome had astonishing achievements in science and technology. They invented many engineering and construction methods, public schools, advanced city planning and sewage systems. They also began the use of concrete, candles and glassblowing, and, to please Roman ladies, they created small glass bottles with manufacturer’s seal (brand name?) on them for expensive perfumes!

Medieval times stretched from fifth century to fifteen century. Life was not entertaining or romantic in that time; it was uncertain, dangerous and a matter of survival. People formed small communities to defend themselves. They were kings, queens, knights, bishops, monks, pilgrims etc.; the lowest class of society was called peasants or "serfs." According to medieval law, the peasants’ lives did not even belong to themselves. The Kings were supposed to provide for their safety and protection and, in return, the peasants were heavily taxed and required to relinquish a great portion of their harvests. Women held a very difficult position in society. They did harvesting, cooking, baking, weaving, spinning, sewing, and hunting. They also needed to learn how to use weapons in order to join the men in battle to defend their homes and castles.

The Renaissance & the rebirth of art and science. The 15^th century Florence was a freethinking, prosperous cosmopolitan city. As the rediscovery of Greek and Roman texts revived the classical ideal in art and science, Florence became the center of exchange for ideas with an atmosphere of innovation. Among the well-known artists and thinkers in Renaissance were Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Their works of The Last Supper and the Sistine Chapel, respectively, were two of the supreme achievements of western art.

In 1800, Napoleon conquered the Italian peninsula; the beginning of forming a single Italian state. Austria took over control in1815 under the Vienna Settlement. By 1870, the Austrians were expelled from Venice. Garibaldi, the military genius, finally unified the whole nation of Italy. Italy joined World War I with the hope of gaining the Italian speaking regions of Trento and Trieste, at the end of the war. It did recover some of the territories, with a cost of a 26% loss of national assets; and, among the 5 million Italian soldiers, 40% of them were either killed or wounded. Before long Mussolini was leading the country, joining Hitler’s success in1940. With heavy casualties in Russia and the loss of Sicily, Italy signed an armistice with the Allies in 1945. Italy continued to prosper after World War II and became one of the leading industrial nations in the world.

CULTURE

Deep love and loyalty connect the Italian family (la famiglia). The extended families are always included in the family functions, to share the joys and the sorrows. Per la famiglia si fa tutto (you do everything for the family) is the foundation of the cultural, social and economic structure and the family ties are always echoing in the minds of the Italians. In the small towns or villages, most people are distantly related, with some degrees of kinship. People greet each other, for example, as zia Rosa e zio Peppino (Aunt Rose and Uncle Joe).

Italian cuisine varies from region to region. From Venice, Milan, Florence, Naples to Rome, each area has its unique way of preparing the food. There are rich and creamy dishes in the north and hot and spicy dishes in the south. The various shapes of pastas and different sauce ingredients also represent their geographic specialties and delicacies.

The Roman ruins seem omnipresent, surrounding you and standing silently in their timeless beauty, they are the reminders of a great ancient civilization. Italian creativity has never lost its edge since the Roman days. The piano and the music notation system were invented here and many Italian decorations, fashion and industrial designs and products still lead the world market. As for sports the most important pastime, today, is soccer.

The Vatican in Rome, the world’s smallest state with only 200 residents, has its own post office, bank, currency, and judicial system and it’s own official language? Latin, of course!

OUR MISSION

Roman Catholicism is the major religion of Italy and most national holidays are religious in nature. A crucifix is commonly seen in the homes, banks, restaurants and schools and people cross themselves before meals, before going out to work or simply passing a church. Many towns, large and small, hold annual processions on special feast days to honor their saints. Among those famous shines are the basilica of San Francesco (Saint Francis) in Assisi and San Antonio (Saint Anthony) in Padua.

About 85% of the population consider themselves Catholic, only few attending the church regularly. Many acknowledge the existence of heaven and hell and that man has an immortal soul, but do not have the personal relationship with Jesus or conduct their daily moral lives, accordingly. It is our desire to reach out to the Italians by working closely with the Christian churches. Through the teaching of English, we are able to build friendships and share the truth of life to them.

"No people as passionate, no landscape as beautiful!" With many delights and attractions also come challenges and determinations for us. Please pray for God’s leading for you to join us in Rome in the summer of 2003!

Full country name: Italian Republic
Area: 301,250 sq km (117,487 sq mi)
Population: 57.6 million
Capital city: Rome (pop 2.6 million)
People: Italian
Languages: standard Italian and numerous dialects, German, French, Slovene
Religions: 85% Roman Catholic, 5% Jewish and Protestant
Government: Republic
Prime Minister: Silvio Berlusconi

GDP: US$1.18 trillion
GDP per head: US$20,800
Annual growth: 1.5%
Inflation: 1.8%
Major industries: tourism, engineering, textiles, chemicals, food processing, motor vehicles, clothing & footwear
Major trading partners: EU (esp. Germany, France, UK, Spain, Netherlands), USA

• Basic Italian language will be taught by our Italian teacher. The course will be included in the 20 hours of mission training.
• You may have a tour of Austria, Switzerland or other European countries after the project and you can reschedule your airline ticket with the carrier from Rome/Paris to Los Angeles/Seattle/New York. The International Travel Insurance will cover three more weeks of your traveling time. Our sponsoring churches and affiliated missionaries would be happy to assist you with information or with any special needs you may have.

Source: Lonely Planet, The Italian Way and Exploring Italy

Would you spend two years serving the Lord in Italy?

If you are ready to serve our Lord Jesus Christ and dedicate your talents and energy toward His plan for you, Overseas Summer Missions is a uniquely organized, worldwide network ministry. You can be a part of this community and join our strategic planning and our vision to bring people to the Kingdom of God. It will not only be an exciting and rewarding experience, but above all, the fruits will last for eternity.

We are seeking a full-time staff that has a love for God and a sincere desire to serve Him. To be assigned to Italy, with a minimum of 2 years commitment. If you have an available heart, please pray for God’s will for you to take these challenges and opportunities to serve overseas, and because of your effort, thousands of lives will be changed.

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" 1 Thess 5:24.

We are currently accepting applications for full-time staffs. If you are considering joining our ministry, please contact Frank Holiday at frank@OSMusa.org for more information regarding qualifications, missions and fund raisings.