Castel de Monte

Castel de Monte, octagonal in shape, was built by Fredrick II between 1229 and 1249. It was designed with astrological and algebraic calculations and its construction is quite amazing. . It is situated on a small hill at an altitude of 540 m giving it beautiful view over the valley in all directions.

It was used primarily as a hunting lodge by Frederick until his death in 1250. It was later turned into a prison, used as a refuge during a plague, and finally fell into disrepair. It originally had marble walls and columns, but all were stripped by vandals.

Alberobello

Alberobello is a Unesco World heritage sight famous for its Trulli styled housing.
A Trullo (plural trulli) style hosue is a stone dwelling with a conical roof. Traditionally they were built without any cement or mortar, thus avoiding taxation.

The roofs are constructed in two layers: an inner layer of limestone boulders, capped by a keystone, and an outer layer of limestone slabs ensuring that the structure is watertight. In Alberobello there is often a symbol on the roof which may iinclude planetary symbols, the malochio (evil eye), the cross, a heart, a star and crescent, or quite a few others.

The walls are very thick, providing a cool environment in hot weather and insulating against the cold in the winter. The vast majority of trulli have one room under each conical roof. Children would sleep in alcoves made in the wall with curtains hung in front.

Grotte di Castellana

Grotte di Castellana

We visited the Grotte di Castaellana. A series of caves about 45 minutes from Bari. They were quite extraordinary with all sorts of stalactites, stalagmites and other formations. The first chamber which has an opening in the top is huge. Up to 70 metres deep it is difficult to appreciate the scale from the photos. We then proceed on a 3 km walk underground through the various caves until we reached the White Cave which is quite magnificent and considered one of the most beautiful caves in the world.

Ken and Mark

I have just had Pastor Ken and Mark Hutchinson for a week. Dr Mark is from Alphacrucis Bible College (formerly Southern Cross). I think it was a very significant week. We had a number of strategic meetings with a number of Pastors and leaders to put plans together to help their churches to grow. We also had some important meetings for developing education programmes for the church across Italy. If we can implement what we have planned over the last week I really think the nature of the church in Italy will change over the next several years!

As well as the planning meetings Pastor Ken also ministered at a series of leaders meetings and church meetings. It was a pretty busy week and we squeezed in some visits to some local sights as well. Although I don’t know what was more exhausting, the meetings or the constant eating (including about a 7 course lunch on Sunday!!).

Frecce Tricolore

The Italians are very proud of their airforce's aerobatics team, the Frecce Tricolore or Tricolour Arrows. Many of the pilots become household names as they perform all around Italy. Friday was Bari's turn and thousands of people lined the water front to watch, at time, a breathtaking display over the water.

Infamous Dropkicks

From the NZ Herald on a couple of dropkick incidents. One in rugby and one in rugby league.

In one NRL season, Lamb - who sits high on the NRL record books in all manner of categories - dropped a goal and ran back to halfway with his arms aloft, saluting the victory. It took a team-mate to point out Lamb's faulty maths and the fact that the Bulldogs still needed another point to win.

Waratahs and Wallaby prop Matt Dunning reeled off a successful drop goal from 35m in the 2003 match against the Chiefs. Only problem was, his team needed a bonus point from scoring four tries to progress to the playoffs.

Dunning knew the referee was about to award the Waratahs a penalty, from which a kick to touch would have been followed by a lineout and the chance of a try. So his drop goal was designed to miss - so the ref would blow for a penalty.

But it didn't. It sailed majestically over, robbed the Waratahs of their momentum and helped cost them a playoffs spot. It has also given huge amusement, even six years later, as no-one can figure out why he chose to go for goal.

Dunning said after the match: "I don't even know why I did it. It was just heat of the moment."

Talking of heat of the moment, at the end of the season, Dunning and others then went on a massive bender which ended with Dunning breaking a team-mate's nose, a cab driver being harassed and poor behaviour in public, including another team member vomiting over a student. Give that man the Order Of The Dropkick.

God's work in Nepal

Today we had a visiting pastor from Nepal visiting church. Salon Karthak and his wife rebecca. He spoke on the remarkable history of the church in Nepal.

Until the 1950’s Nepal was a completely closed country to the gospel. It was a Hindu nation. In 1950 his church started with 11 people in Kathmandu. Now it has 11,000 people.

In the 1980’s most of the nation had still not heard the gospel. When he visited villages most had never heard of the name of Jesus. He asked one man if he had heard if Jesus, the man replied “No, perhaps he lives in the next village”. They decided that they needed to get the gospel to everyone, so they visited every house in the country!

120,000 Nepalese were driven out of neighbouring Bhutan into refugee camps in Nepal. 12,000 became Christians – more than in the entire nation of Bhutan. There is purpose in our circumstances!

Today 5 per cent of the nation are born again believers. That is growth without resources. He mentioned in their church Praise and Worship is important but they don’t have much in the way of instruments. They dance and clap and with on the Holy Spirit.

He gave some reasons for such growth in his nation:
1. Reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. Focus on biblical teaching.
3. Giving of tithes has been essential for the growth of the church (it is mandatory for church members). They are not a wealthy people but they when they sell their cow, goat or on any income they tithe. They are not only building a strong church but they are supporting missionaries in India.
4. There is an emphasis on growing young leaders, with the support and guidance of experienced leaders.
5. A focused effort to evangelise by every Christian.
6. Self-supporting church, not relying on finances or governance from western churches.
7. Self- propagating – they are planting churches.