Church History
La A changed life
I was born in Siracusa thirty-seven years ago
I am currently living with my wonderful family in the same city; now in my family there are my wife Marisa and our three children: Antonio, Eunice, and Joseph Amos. Everybody has got a story, everybody remembers the time of childhood and the experiences lived out along the years; memories which have more or less left a sign in us, shaping our personality in many different ways.
The memory of my childhood is the least happy one in my life, because it recalls a time of strong tension in our family, determined by frequent squabbles between my parents.
I was ten years old when the relationship between my father and mother broke down irremediably and I saw the most precious gift a child possess collapse: his family. In that situation everything seemed to fall apart; the walls of my house seemed to break down and the roof to fall down, so I heard a voice shouting inside myself: flee far away. Why endure? But where could a child go? In the following years I developed an aggressive disposition showing an almost unapproachable personality. I built a hard wall around me; a thick a nd protective wall, and that made me proud to be tough. When i was thirteen my father signed me up to a boxing gymnasium.
Practising that sport helped me let my anger out and made me acquire more self-confidence. I had always been quite strong physically but I became even stronger, training myself up with perseverance and determination. I wanted to become a champion in that discipline. I was successful at my first boxing matches and along the years my competitions imposed themselves to the attention both of my home boxing organisation and the local media. I had the reputation of being extremely strong on the ring and this, of course, had its advantages. I was feared and treated with respect by everybody. I used to have an intense social life mainly happening at night among crowded clubs and private parties.
He opened it and began to go through it. His interest for the things he was learning from the reading of the Bible was more and more growing, so that he couln't stop poring over the Scriptures not even at night, compelled to get to know the truth by a deep need.
The desire to learn the meaning of the Word in depth and his search for the truth brought my father to go to Priolo Gargallo (SR), to an address given out by a Christian radio station. My father found a small evangelical church at that address, which he started to attend regularly.
This occurrence changed everything. In a short time my father, my mother, my brother and my sister were converted to the truth.
My parents made it up with one another and my home was rebuilt, this time on an unshakable foundation; on the rock which is Jesus Christ, our Lord. Alleluiah. Of course my family started to pray for me and to testify the love of a great God to me, a God who didn't hesitate to sacrify His only Son, so that I could receive the true life. Constantly and lovingly my mother invited me to get to know the only Presence which could fill my heart , changing its desires. At that time I could not understand neither what the presence of God was nor what having joy in my heart meant.
Meanwhile my parents attended the meetings at church and every Sunday they invited me to join them, but I kept turning that invitation down to continue my run towards an empty, meaningless lifestyle.
However, soon the evidence of four changed lives which mirrored the wonderful grace of God became a strong callingfor my vane way of life, shouting all its ugliness to me. I lived in an utterly selfish way and for totally useless things without joy.
Meanwhile the thought of that Presence which can change our heart was growing more and more pressing in my mind.
"However, the evidence of four changed lives, reflecting the wonderful grace of God, soon became a strong reminder of my vain way of life, showing all its ugliness. I was living in a totally selfish way and for totally useless things, without any joy. And meanwhile the thought of that Presence, which alone can change hearts, became more and more insistent in my mind."
– Pastor Salavatore Amato
THE CALLING
Back in 1992 I was training in the national boxing at the Sports Centre in Rome.
On a Summer day I went to take a nap shortly after lunch, because I had trained for the whole morning and I would continue my training in the afternoon. I fell into a deep sleep and then God showed Himself with a dream: I was back in my hometown. I opened the door of my house and found many black children there. While I was trying to figure out what those children were doing in my house, I took notice of my mother in the kitchen cleaning up one of them. I went into my bedroom and I realised that there was a child sleeping in my bed too. I approached him and caressed him. Then the child turned to me and asked who I was. Actually it was me who wanted to learn from him what he was doing in my bed, but I kept caressing him and answered: "I am a friend". No sooner did I say those words than I felt a fire burning within me and, at that same time, I was overwhelmed with shivers. I woke up and felt that that burning Presence was still over me. In that precise moment I remembered my mother's words and I realised God was visiting me. Yes, that must have been right the Presence of God. I could not pray but I asked the Lord to become able to get to know Him.
Soon after I called home and told my mother about my dream, who started to exult and give praise to God on the other side of the phone. After just two days I packed my bags and went back home to Sicily with the burning desire to know the Lord and dwell in His wonderful presence. In the following time I made up my mind about dropping out of boxing; since the Lord invited me to love my neighbour, I couldn't keep punching him.
While I was answering the Lord's calling and I was learning new ways to be in a relationship with Him, I saw that God meant to to do a full job with me. So I surrendered completely and I felt an overwhelming desire to win souls arising in my heart. I didn't know yet what the purpose of my calling was, but the seed had been sown and I began to look at the othersas people for whom Christ had died. One day a car drew up at my workplace and some peoplke got out of it to ask for directions. They were Singhalese people. In spite of the linguistic difficulties we understood we were brothers in Christ; when I said goodbye to them, one of them, a pastor, left me some leaflets in the Singhalese language so as to give them out among his compatriots whenever O had the chance to do it. I was faithful to my task, always giving the precious leaflet to every Singhalese person turning up at my workplace. One day I was more proactive and I invited some Singhalese people at church on a Sunday morning.
Seven people turned up at the meeting and on that very evening all of them confessed Jesus Christ as their personal saviour. In December 1999 I was invited to join the first meeting of a small group of Singhalese people just become Christians. I went to the building in which the meeting was being held and I joined them at their prayer time. On that evening the brother who had led the meeting informed the group that he would leave to go to Sri Lanka only in a few days. By instinct, addressing the people there, I said: "He is leaving but next Friday I will be here to pray with all of you!". So I began to go into a reality and a culture I did not know anything about. Week by week I met up with the Singhalese group and though I didn't speak the same language I managed to lead the meeting miraculously and we all felt blessed by God's presence. At that time I saw for myself that the best way to follow Christ is just beginning to do it. When doubt holds you back and the hurdles seem to be insurmountable choosing to serve Him no matter what makes you able to work.
One evening, during a prayer meeting, suddenly this thought came to my mind: "Lord, are you planning to send me to Sri Lanka? 'Cause I dont't want to go!".
Then the Holy Spirit opened my mind making it clear the vision which, till that time, had been like a dream faintly recollected.
A time of intense spiritual preparation followed in which I experienced a time of special communion with the Lord and the Holy Spirit trained me to work in the missionary field. I spent much more time with the Singhalese group, learning their culture, their traditions and I practised their language. For a long time I fasted to receive the equipment I needed in order to be able to face a reality I didn’t know personally.
On May the 4th, 2005, my wife, my wife Marisa, our first two children and I landed at the airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka. That was my first missionary trip in that unknown country. We hadn’t got out of the plane yet that we were assailed by so strong a heat wave that my wife almost said, joking: “Salvo, let’s go back home!”. I stayed awake to pray all night, begging God to show me how I had to move in that foreign land. On the following day, Oschan, a brother and a fellow in my work, fetched us from the Hotel where we had stayed overnight to take us to Nikambu, where we would stay for nearly a month in a house belonging to Oschan’s family. In all that time God used us to encourage and support the local churches and to preach the Gospel in the most secluded and unreachable villages.
Every day Oschan and I went along hundrends of kilometres with makeshift means and we made an opening where streets were lacking and a thick vegetation was before us, walking for hours. The power of the Gospel won, set free and healed many souls for God.
Many buddhists made a step of faith towards Christ and many other Singhalese people confessed Jesus as their Saviour. Alleluiah. It was touching to see how all of them were taken aback when they heared me speak their language and were struck by the interest I was showing for their lives. God also showed His faithfullness protecting my family for all the time of our stay in Sri Lanka. He took care of us fulfilling our smallest need. I remember that on a particular hot day we reached a small town after a long journey (nine hours to cover 300 kilometres), where I would preach that evening on invitation by the local pastor. My wike asked me to book an air-conditioned hotel room because our children could not stand the local temperatures. The old air-conditioner, embedded into the wall of the hotel room, was extremely noisy; actually it gave out more noise than fresh air, but we were so worn out that we fell asleep anyway. Suddenly I woke up completely covered in sweat, since in the meanwhile the air-conditioner had got stuck and was no longer working. I said a simple prayer not for myself but for my wife and children who were not used to those hot temperatures. I slept again and dreamt about a man who was in my hotel room and he said: "You see Salvo, this air-conditioner is just like mine.", and while he was pointing with his finger at a small opening, he continued: "Open it and press the button inside, you'll see it will start working again.". At that time I opened my eyes, I approached the air-conditioner and, to my great surprise, I noticed a small groove where a finger could barely get in. I managed to reach the small opening and I pressed the button. Then the air-conditioner started to work again (after an abrupt booooo). Alleluiah. I went back to Sri Lanka in 2007 and at the end of 2008.
To see the severe poverty and the hard situations which those people have to face daily has taught me much more things than years at school. It was impressive to discover how the Church there, despite its needy condition and the severe scarcity, has realised the true richness and lives in the freedom and the power of the Spirit, full of love for its neighbour. It is really true that all that we do for other people's happyness will come back to us in blessing. If we allow Christ to take hold of our lives we will join the Power which is above everything, that divine Power which has no equals. We will have the strenght coming from Above and we will be able to live the new life: the life of faith.
Back in Italy, a new prayer was added to the ones I am used to making daily: "Father, serve me to the ends of the earth, that I may obey the commandment to proclaim Jesus among the least of this world".
– Pastor Salavatore Amato
The Local Church
As narrated above, the history of the Singhalese church in Syracuse, in fact, began when, in 1992, through a dream, a young Italian received a call to serve that people.
The Community has never been large, but at the same time it has seen many conversions.
This is because its members often remain in Syracuse only for a time, so there is a continuous turnover. I like to think of it as a recruit training center, prepared to serve elsewhere.
Over the years, there have been many brothers who, after a period of stay in Syracuse, have returned to Sri Lanka or have moved to other cities in Italy or abroad, bringing with them the witness of a faith experience matured within our church.
My dear brother Oshan, my fellow worker, is currently in Malta with his family, and, in that reality, God has called him to serve among his fellow countrymen; a church attended by Sinhalese people has already sprung up, to whom the Truth has been witnessed.
Likewise, Brother Malic today serves as a pastor in a church in Manchester, where he moved with his family a few years ago.
Also, it is interesting to consider how the Sinhalese brothers, who attend the church, serve as a tool to "hook" the remaining families in Sri Lanka, who have not yet been converted.
In my missionary travels, I was able to personally bring the message of salvation into their homes and the Lord did not fail to manifest His glory.
My initial call was to the Sinhalese people but, over time, that call has taken on broader contours, reaching out to a more encompassing vision.
The Holy Spirit stirred in my heart a vision for the nations, whose salvation would come through the Sinhalese people.
All of this sounds unbelievable, but it is what happened starting in December 2015, when I began working at a number of migrant shelters. In particular, already at that time, I was applied on three different facilities in Syracuse, where men, minors and single women are hosted separately.
This created the conditions for me to come into contact with other ethnic groups, and in particular with people from Africa. I announced salvation in Jesus Christ to them and several converted and were baptized.
As the years went by, specifically in 2015, after changing multiple worship rooms, all of which were conducted under lease, we began to pray for the construction of a church.
Right from the start, I became active in the relevant municipal offices, to get information on municipal areas available for the construction of worship buildings. After inspecting the various sites, my interest was captured by a plot of land, located in an optimal position to accommodate the church.
Unfortunately, it was one of the most desirable areas of the city, towards which numerous entrepreneurs had already directed their keen attention.
Our request to the Lord, so that He would introduce us into that "territory", was renewed in every prayer meeting, for all the months and years that followed.
In the meantime, mayors have alternated and the local administration has changed several times, with the consequence that, at each new municipal settlement, I had to re-submit my requests and restart the expected bureaucratic procedure.
After three years, at the beginning of 2018, when I was tired of the continuous bureaucratic impediments and of the scarce probability of success, also in consideration of the numerous interested subjects, able to exert authoritative pressure, my embittered spirit cried out to God, asking Him if it was in His will that we continued to pray for that land, because if it was not so, that prayer could be considered completely useless.
At that moment, the Spirit of God spoke to my spirit clearly and loudly, "You will take possession of it within five years!"
Shortly afterwards, the Councillor with whom I was in contact for the preliminary investigation of the case, who was part of the outgoing administration, imposed, before the new Council took office, a restriction on the use of that land, to avoid speculative purposes.
Thus, a resolution was adopted, which allocated that area to the construction of houses of worship.
This intervention was decisive so that, in the established time, the promise of God could be fulfilled. For my part, every week I continued to knock on the door of the office in charge, to get information about the status of the file, with the absolute certainty that we had already won our battle.
On 8.07.2020, within five years (2015 - 2020), according to the Word given by the Lord, I signed the notarial deed for the concession, in favor of the Church "Mount of Olives", of the surface right on that area.
Miraculously the Lord has introduced us to the promise and miraculously He Himself will provide for the construction of His Temple. To Almighty God be all the Glory!