It seems like a lifetime has passed since I wrote my last update to tell you all that I was heading to Verbania in 24 hours and yet that was only 7 d a y s ago. 

We had such a wonderful week with the Di Lecce family and the church that they pastor. We spent Monday traveling and getting settled in. The Di Lecce’s  live in a small apartment down the street from their church building and they gave us the entire upstairs loft area of their home for the week while their own daughter slept on the couch (she was only there for two of the nights we were there, but still). The hospitality and love we were shown truly touched my heart. Never once did Antonietta expect us to help in the kitchen, and even when we offered she had very little for us to do because she simply took care of us. Donato, the pastor, and  Davide and Daniele (his sons) drove us around Verbania wherever we needed to go during the week and were such a blessing. 

At first, it was a little awkward because we were all getting to know each other, but by Saturday when we were getting ready to come back home to Montebelluna I wished we could have stayed longer. The week consisted of daily prayer meetings at the church, nightly meetings at their church as well as several other small congregations in the area, youth meetings, two mornings of evangelism, and an abundance of delicious (homemade) Italian food. My team and I shared our testimonies at the various meetings as well as a devotional at each meeting. As we were pouring out, God was pouring into each of us, and though I will never know the full impact of the time we spent there, I trust that God was glorified and that He will continue to water any and all seeds that were planted. What deeply impacted me this week was seeing so many Italians on fire for the Lord and seeing how God is using the locals in ways they never even imagined to reach not only their community but all of Italy.

Davide, the oldest son who I mentioned earlier, is a talented worship leader who is somewhat of a pioneer in the Italian worship community. As of right now, there aren’t any Italian artists who are writing worship music in Italian. In most churches, they translate worship songs from English into Italian, but they don’t have any music coming from their own communities, or at least they didn’t. God has opened so many doors to allow Davide to write and record two albums (so far) in Italian for Italians. He will actually be flying to America soon to record his second album and then he will be touring around Italy and sharing it with the Christian churches here. What struck me about him was his humility. He is very talented and has even opened up for Hillsong, but he doesn’t act like he is a big deal because he knows that the opportunities he has and his musical abilities have been given to him by God. He doesn’t brag in himself or in his abilities, but rather he exalts God and dwells on the way God has done everything that he couldn’t even dream of doing. There is a little community of singers and songwriters who Davide is also helping get established so that we will be able to sing Italian worship songs in Italian churches and I can’t wait to one day return to the little church here in Montebelluna and sing worship songs with the congregation here that are all Italian to the core. It is so exciting to see God raising up young people who love Him and who are obedient to Him when He calls them out and even more incredible to see the doors He is opening up for them.

        In addition to the music ministry that God has birthed out of the church in Verbania, He is doing wondrous things with the youth and young adults. Every summer they host a summer camp called “Recharged” and they have the only problem you want to have in ministry, the problem of having more people than they can host wanting to be a part of it. When it started out a few years ago, they expected maybe twenty people and were shocked by having 80 young people attend! The next year it jumped to 120 and now they have over 200 youth who want to participate, but they don’t have enough space for all of them so they have to cap it at 120 (if I remember correctly). They are also looking for more help for this summer and would like to have two Americans come to stay with them for 4-6 weeks to help with their ministry. If I could I would come, but for several reasons, it isn’t possible for me this year. Regardless, I know that God will provide the workers for the harvest He is bringing in. The most encouraging thing about this church and their ministry is that it is entirely run by Italians as opposed to American missionaries (not that there’s anything wrong with that, it is just a blessing to see God use His people in Italy to accomplish His work in Italy). God has raised up the Di Lecce family as well as many others in the community to lead in the work that He is doing and it was such a blessing to come along side them and join in the work God is doing there. 

Now that I am back in Montebelluna I am realizing even more how little time I have left in Italy. There are 7 weeks remaining in the semester, which means 6 weeks of classes until I am done with Bible college! (As a student that is). I can’t believe that I am almost done. As I sit here and write this it is hitting me afresh and it makes me want to cry. God is so good. He is so faithful. He has carried me and drawn me to Himself in ways I never foresaw. What a sweet season of challenges and victories it has been! None of the good I have received has been of my own doing- I can’t take credit for any of the wondrous things I have seen and been a part of. It truly is all of God and all because of Jesus Christ that I stand here today about to graduate and shortly after to step into a season of ministry in Israel. I simply cannot fathom all that God has done and all that He has yet to do. I am so grateful to be following after Him. 
Friends, if I can encourage you to do one thing today it would be to chase after God with all that you are and with all that you have. Never look back and never turn away because following after Him in obedience is the most exciting adventure you could ever undertake. Every day His mercies are renewed and His grace poured out. Pursue Him. Pursue Him with everything. I promise you that you will not regret it.

It’s so exciting to come to the end of this season and enter into the next. When I get home I will be launched right into the wedding plans and parties for my best friend, Mel’s wedding. Then just 12 weeks after arriving home, I will head back out to Israel for my internship!

It is a source of constant joy, excitement, and wonder. I still can’t believe that I will be heading to the holy land in 20 short weeks! I don’t know which campus I will be serving at, whether Jerusalem or Golan Heights, but I trust that God will place me exactly where I need to be. It is so humbling to think that He has opened the door for me to serve Him in the land of His people and the land where so much of the Bible took place. I have no idea what He has in store, but my expectation is that He will exceed my expectations so whatever awaits me, I welcome it and thank Him for it. I know that it will be a stretching experience and that God will really challenge me, but I am so excited to see what He does in me and through me. 

Prayer Requests:

Verbania

• That God would continue to bless the ministry in Verbania
• That He would bless, protect, strengthen, and provide for the Di Lecce family
• That Davide’s latest CD will be provided for and that it will bless the church here in Italy
• That God would continue to use the entire Di Lecce family and that He would guide Daniele and Jane (the daughter) into His will for their lives

Montebelluna

• That I would stay focused on my schoolwork
• That God would continue to speak to all of the students and staff
• That all of the students would come home safe from their outreach locations
• That my mom’s flights would go smoothly
• That there wouldn’t be any problems with the plans of my mom’s trip
• That I would be able to get into an exercise routine and clean up my nutrition so that I can physically do all that the Lord calls me to
• That I would cherish every moment I have left in Bible College

Israel

• That God would prepare me for the ministry He has for me
• That I would trust Him more and more
• That God would reveal where I am supposed to intern
• That God would prepare the students’ hearts and minds for all that He has for them
• For wisdom for Steve (the Golan Heights director) and his wife
• That God would use it as a door into the ministry He has for me in the Middle East

California

• Wedding madness (the wedding is July 15th)
• That I would get enough hours at work to pay for Israel
• That I would be present in the season of waiting instead of wishing it away with Israel right around the corner

Thank you, all for your continued prayer and support! I am so blessed by each of you.