We met the Campani family for the first time on Saturday, 11th November, 1972. They live in a smallish house in the village of Fornaci Di Barga, where the father works in a local factory. The names of the parents are Emilia and Claudio, and their three children are called Renzo, Dario and Simonetta. The oldest child is quite an intelligent and mature eleven year old boy, while the youngest is a very lively five year old girl. Emilia’s parents live in a house very near-by, and are often in the daughter’s house, as is so much the custom in Italy.
The services are held twice on Sabbath in the kitchen of Emilia’s house, though the term service requires some explanation here. There is first a prayer, then a reading, and after this the “sermon” begins. The “sermon” is liberally interspersed with interjections, comments and questions from the “congregation”. If this approach is less formal than we are used to, it certainly makes it easier to know whether or not the message has been received. The numbers regularly at the services are very small, consisting only of this family group. We were encouraged, however, on the second Sabbath of our stay to meet a brother of Emilia’s. He had taken along his two smallest children with him on his motor-bike, and arrived about half-way through the service. He sat down at the kitchen table with us and seemed quite willing to join in the discussion. We got a taste of typical Italian frankness when he said that he did believe in God, though not deeply, for he found religion difficult when things went against him in life. We met Ermete at two other services, and his wife at one. Also they both came on two week-day evenings, when we read and discussed the word of God. Again we saw that the kind of reserve common in Scotland was entirely lacking, and we discussed spiritual matters until late.
The church is tiny in Fornaci, but it has two mainstays — Emilia and her mother. Emilia is a kind and attractive person, but has difficulties of one kind and another because of her timid nature. Family concerns loom large in her mind, and she is sensitive to her position as a Protestant in a Roman Catholic village. She also worries about her children who have no alternative but to follow a course of education which is centered on the Roman Catholic religion. At one service reference was made to the passage in the 6th chapter of John which speaks of many disciples turning back from following the Saviour. Emilia felt this very keenly, and expressed her great fear that she too would turn back, as others she knows have done. On another occasion she referred to the Saviour’s parable of the seeds bearing fruit in differing degrees. Her comment was that she would be pleased to be sure of bearing just thirty-fold fruit. She has many fears, but we believe they are the fears that only the godly know. Those at home would be serving well the church in Fornaci if they prayed that Emilia would become stronger in the Lord. Of course her greatest encouragement would be to see her own husband converted, and made like-minded with herself.
Emilia’s mother is a very different type. She is a strong personality who has learned to develop cheerfulness and courage throughout a life that has been hard and in some ways disappointing. Her husband, a Communist, has no faith of any kind. One cannot but admire this old lady, showing a real christian deportment in the midst of many difficulties.
We distributed small amounts of literature (scripture portions and Gospels supplied by the Trinitarian Bible Society) in some of the places through which we passed. Also after arriving in Fornaci di Barga we did the same in surrounding villages which we found easily accessible by car. Generally we merely left literature on a doorstep, to avoid giving the opportunity to refuse it. However at Barga I found an elderly man sitting in the sun outside his house, and something like the following conversation ensued:
“We have come here from Scotland”.
“Oh! which part — from Glasgow?”
“No, from further North.” — “From Inverness?”
“No, further north still. Were you ever in Scotland?”
“I was born in Scotland — in Arran. That was in 1898, and I left Scotland in 1904.”
“Could I leave this Gospel with you? It speaks about the Redeemer, the Light of the World.”
“But there are many redeemers in the world: that of the Roman Catholics, of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many others.”
“I know that these are different, but I am only for the Bible. I do not belong to a sect.”
“Oh I see. Well, if you want just to leave that here that’s all right.”
Another contact we had was made entirely through Emilia, and the story behind it is rather interesting. Three years ago Emilia was in hospital for a short time. On Sabbath morning everyone in the ward went off to Mass except herself and the lady beside her, who was unable to leave her bed. Emilia took out her New Testament and the lady asked what she was reading. Emilia explained, and they read the scriptures together. When a priest came into the ward and Emilia had some discussion with him, the older lady found herself agreeing more with Emilia than with the priest. When they parted, Emilia promised to send the older lady a Bible which she had already lent to someone else, but the old lady said, “I am not sure that I will get it: can you not give me that New Testament now?” And so she did.
Spianate, where this elderly lady lives, is a small village about thirty miles from Fornaci. When we got there we found Emilia’s friend in fairly poor circumstances, her invalid husband seated beside a large open fireplace which gave little heat for a winter’s day. Emilia got a very warm welcome, though they had met only that one time in hospital three years before; obviously their friendship was very deep. After a time we spoke about the Bible, and the old lady showed us the Testament she had received from Emilia. Asked if she liked it she said that she certainly did, and that in summer she was in the habit of sitting out in front of the house to read it. We left a complete Bible with her so that she could read the Old Testament as well as the New. She was very surprised to hear that there was nothing to pay. They had spoken earlier of a time when her husband had gone to the priest for alms. He was told that he would willingly be given alms, only he must first tell the year when Christ was born and when he died. He was not able to do so. We could not tell how much this woman knows about the way of salvation, but she certainly reads the word of God earnestly and we ask you to pray that it will be blessed to herself and to her invalid husband.
We also request prayer that some will be added to the church at Fornaci, as Emilia’s husband, father, brother and sister-in-law. The devil and his poor servants would be glad to see nothing come of the church’s mission in Italy, but we must pray that the Saviour’s enemies will be clothed with shame, and that upon Himself shall the crown flourish.
Following the example of Mr MacInnes, Ullapool, I expect to send brief sermons to the Campani family, and also to the few other contacts that have been made (as the old man in Barga and the lady at Spianate). May the Lord Himself bless the seed which we have both sown in weakness. Isobel and I are grateful to those who remembered us in prayer while we were in Italy. May many continue to pray for the church there, that “a little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation”.
J. T.