It's been 3 days since my feet touched back on American soil, but my head is still spinning. Better yet, my heart is still longing for the place and people that I just left. Brandy and I spent April 1-11 in northern Italy. No not for vacation, but for a surveying of the walls. We wanted to see Italy first hand - observe the spiritual climate, see the good work that missionaries are engaged in, and then ask God to show us where we might serve him best advancing his kingdom in the hearts of Italians.
We traveled about 10,000 miles by plane, train, bus, car and yes by foot from the extreme northeast corner in Trieste on the Slovenian border, through 9 other cities before we flew out of Rome last Sunday. It's hard to put into words all that we saw and experienced in the last week and a half.
Italy was in many ways everything we anticipated it would be, and nothing at all what we thought all at the same time. We expected indifference to the gospel, the exultation of Mary, good food, breath taking landscapes, warm & friendly people, etc. In these ways our expectations were on the mark. However, in every way we were taken back at the level to which all those things came to life.
There's so much work to be done in Italy, especially in the north to bring the gospel forward to Italians. Many of the missionaries we met have been on the field 15-almost 30 years. They have labored hard and brought forth fruit that remains. They in essence have been the battering ram against the gates of hell. Progress has been slow, but sure. The battle has given them scars, but their hearts are steadfast, and full of renewed hope as they see new missionaries such as us being raised up to carry the gospel forward to the next generation.
There's a palpable sense that God is stirring more in the hearts and minds of Italians. The missionary work in Italy of the last 20-30 years is equivalent to taking ground from the Nazis on the beaches of Normandy. The landing had great costs, and the progress was sometimes slow, but the result was ultimately the beginning of a surge and momentum shift for the Allies that ultimately spelled demise for Hitler.
The walls that have long held back the gospel from penetrating are breaching now. Thank you God for those who have gone before us. The success we will see and experience is a direct result of their faithful service.
Since our visit to Italy we feel a greater focus to the ministry that God has called us to, and a greater sense of urgency to get there and get started. Once we are through the 1st year that will be spent in the University for Foreigners in Perugia learning the language and culture, we would like to intern and eventually begin our ministry in a suburb of Bologna, a city of over 500,000 and home to the oldest university in the world. The university has over 90,000 students, and many people move to nearby towns to live and commute to work in Bologna. This is a growing area with far reaching influence not just in Italy, but all over Europe.
The evangelistic ministry areas we would like to engage in will include sports ministry through baseball, soccer, etc., as well as media training in audio, video as well as music. We will lead small group Bible studies and engage in 1 on 1 discipleship, too. Teaching English is a huge need and desire of most Italians, so much of our ministry efforts will include teaching English. As always, all of our efforts will be to lead Italians to a relationship with Jesus, involvement in a local evangelical church and training and discipleship that will prepare them for leadership in those churches.
Some of you may of thought that up until this point that I am crazy, maybe not even that serious about going, or maybe your looking at me and saying well you don't have a seminary degree, you've never preached, and so on and so on.
You are all right. I AM CRAZY. I could serve in my position and enjoy the blessings of a great church, but I would be ignoring the call of God. I AM SERIOUS. This call to foreign missions came in 2002, was defined in 2008, has been pursued faithfully through prayer, fasting, seeking of wisdom from godly advisers in authority over us who have confirmed the call and giftings necessary for service in long term overseas missions. Yes, I don't have a degree in theology, (one day I hope to get one), but more importantly, I have 29 years of growing and learning and walking with the Holy Spirit, engaging in ministry and Bible study and know that that is more than most Italians have seen or heard in a thousand lifetimes.
Maybe I can't draw a crowd, but that's okay with me. Jesus can draw them for me. Maybe I can't get people to follow me, but that's okay with me. Jesus can make them follow Him. Maybe I can't do a lot of things, but I know how to make disciples, and for now that's the last commandment I remember getting from Jesus before he left the Earth. So I guess I'll just keep doing that until He gives me something better to do.
We may be the first out of the Victory staff and congregation to commit to full time missions work in Europe, but we don't want to be the last. We hope that our pioneering spirit and obedience to God will inspire others around us to follow the call He has for them. We pray that God will call out others from among us to missions.
Ciao for now!
