Mondays are usually a slower day for me. I don’t have any regular meetings scheduled, and I spend part of my day planning out my week and thinking through conversations that took place on Sunday during our church service. The introvert in me takes some time to recharge on Mondays.

But this week was different. Kyle had the idea to do a Jericho prayer walk. Remember how the Israelites marched around Jericho one time a day for seven days, and on the seventh day they marched seven times? And as they finished the last lap, God miraculously brought the walls of the city down.

Ancona’s physical walls are long gone, but the spiritual walls here seem stronger than ever. The church here is making efforts at knocking them down, but sometimes it seems we have a long way to go.

We met at the monument at 7:00, walking along the Viale until we got to the port, and then we turned around and went back the way we came. It took about an hour every day.
We prayed for anything and everything: our church, the church members, our neighbors, spiritual growth, our leadership, maybe even world peace. We prayed for big things and small things.

That weekend, our church hosted another 24 hour prayer room, and this time the one-hour slots filled up very quickly. It seemed as though many went into the prayer room desperate for some time with their Creator.

Sunday morning, we finished the prayer walk with seven laps, though I couldn’t be there until the very end since Heidi was taking her turn in the prayer room. It was a week completely drenched in prayer.

It was also the hottest week we have had here in Ancona. Many of our activities take place at night when it is cooler, which made for a long day when the prayer walk starts at 7.

But I can’t think of a better reason to be tired. Despite my selfish bad thoughts when the alarm went off, a jump in the amount of time we spend talking to God can only be a good thing.

Because it really is up to Him, isn’t it? We make sure we’re the brightest possible light, and the saltiest Christians we can be.

So now we wait for the walls to come down.

This brings me to the Counseling Center. What a beautiful place. After six hours of train travel plus an hour layover, we were tired, but in good spirits. We were glad to be there. From the moment Caranita (the counselor and, along with her husband, proprietor of the Counseling Center) met us at the tiny station, I was hooked. I knew that this had to be a place ordained by the Lord for the growth of His people. This was actually my friend’s second visit. She went the first time with another young lady from our church community, and I could tell that her intense counseling sessions were having an impact on her life. Caranita requires that no one comes to the center alone, and so I offered to come along on this adventure.

I must say that from my point of view, I was nervous. Not for her, but for me. What was I going to do for four days? I would be out in the country, completely “unplugged” from the world. I don’t remember ever doing that, really. No internet, no computer, no TV, nothing. But, from the moment we arrived, I felt at ease. She showed us where we would be staying, various things around the kitchen, and the outside grounds where I could take a walk. Cristina would be “working” from 9-12:30, with a short coffee break, then from 3-7. So, for most of the day, I was on my own. Those two days went by so fast. I spent time reading the Bible, studying, praying, listening to sermons, and just being outside among nature. Oh, how I recommend it. I know it’s not exactly practical for a mom to leave town and have a spiritual retreat, but you will never regret it. What about an hour drive to the lake? Or a train ride out of the city? Or an afternoon spent at a nearby park? Even a half a day away from it all is enough to give your walk with the Lord a real boost. Even if you’re scared that you won’t be able to fill the time, make the decision and just go. The time will be filled, trust me. And you’ll be better for it in the end.

We struggled through language school. We fought against the differences in the way of life here. We watched our kids battle brand new schools where Italian is the only language spoken. We got a little beat up along the way. We’re different people than we were when all of this started. Our teammates may have even taken some of the punches we threw when times got difficult (but like good teammates, they stuck around and pulled us out of the pit). And here we stand, five years later, content to be working with this great little church in Ancona, Italy.

Well … mostly content. We still have our ups and downs – more ups than downs for sure. God isn’t finished molding and forming us. The team is different than when we started, but it is still there for us and helping us press on. And the more we get to know the people in Ancona, the more we long for them to experience the grace and love that God gives us every day.

In these five years, I’ve learned to relax a bit. I’m pretty high-strung. I get stressed easily. I learned quickly that if I didn’t stop trying to control everything that we wouldn’t make it here. I had to learn to make little jumps of faith – trusting that God would be there to catch me. We’ve faced financial difficulties, problems with our legal status, misunderstandings in the church, even the stress of a childbirth overseas.

Lots of people in Italy know about the Bible, and many could probably recite a story or two. They may know about Jesus or about some of the things that he did. But making that jump from knowledge to faith is a big one.

So I feel like I can kind of relate to those around me. Getting friends to talk about spiritual things with me is like asking them to make a little jump of faith. Challenging people to read the Bible to see if what they believe holds up to what is written is a little jump of faith. Me trusting God to take care of us day by day is a little jump of faith. A jump here, a jump there … isn’t that really what life as a Christian is about?

Sometimes I wonder … did God call us to Italy just so that He could work on some of my issues? Can the changes He’s making in me be an example for others?

Thanks for sticking with us for these five years.

With spring comes so much newness. Rebirth. Excitement. God uses these beautiful seasons to give our life more meaning. Though the warmth is nice, I would hate to live in an area without changing seasons. Life never seems to slow down. Things are the same day after day. Here, I see winter as a time when God has us recharge. We stay inside more. We slow down. We sit. We relax. The weather may keep us inside. It may keep us craving a mocha enjoyed with dear friends (and gaining 10 “winter” pounds to prove it). Sure, it’s irritating to be wet day after day from the non-stop rain that comes with Italian winters. Yes, it is hard to keep up with the laundry when you can’t hang your clothes outside. Sure, there are small irritations. But, as I see God bringing life to a slower pace in the winter, I feel encouraged to join in on nature’s cycle.

But, just when we are starting to get the itch, spring arrives. No more cabin fever. Newness. I see much newness in the life of our church body. Much growth. The winter brought great Bible studies among our believers. We studied Experiencing God with a couple in our church, and several got together to study A Purpose Driven Life. Now the spring will be time for the fruits of the Spirit to begin maturing and ripening because of this time of study and reflection. Please pray for continued growth in the lives of the believers, namely Simone and Marianna. They have been really challenged lately because of our study together.

Our schedules also reflect spring’s busyness, as well. There are ladies’ events, church events, Bible studies, mom’s get togethers, interesting preaching/teaching times and more all going on right now. Our current sermon series called What the Bible Says about… has been a real blessing. It’s been good to dig into the Word and help the church discover why we believe what we believe.

Also, as you may have read in our prayer update, there’s a new baby at church!! Please pray for Daniel and Simona as they begin their parenthood adventure far away from friends and family (they are Romanian, living in Ancona).

Thank you for all of your support. Though you may not see the significance, you are a vital part of our ministry and lives. We could not be here without you!

We started the month of travel when Heidi left to attend a ladies’ retreat. When we first arrived in Italy, I remember that it was very discouraging to think that we were the only Christians in such a big place. While the number of believers in this country is still less than 5%, we now know that we’re not alone. There are other believers, and it is a joy to be able to get together occasionally at conventions.

Just after her return, I headed to Verona, Italy, the city where Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet took place, and also the location of a new church plant. John & Ann Blackburn had just arrived (with their three kids and two dogs) and Kyle and I headed up to help them with the many things they needed to do to begin their life here in Italy.

We started the Blackburns on the long process of obtaining their permessi di soggiorno – an important part to their ministry in Verona. We helped them make an offer on an apartment and get cell phones and learn their way around the city.

It brought back many memories of our first few weeks in Italy, now almost five years ago. We were so nervous, and clung to our teammates as a sort of anchor of familiarity in a world that was suddenly different in every possible way.  And what amazed me is that now I was the expert. I was the one that knew the answers to their questions. I was the translator. It amazed me at how far God has taken us.

Shortly after returning from Verona, we were happy to host travelers, rather than doing the traveling. My sister arrived with her son and a friend – and unfortunately arrived during a four-hour transportation strike, and were forced to take a detour through Romania. Being far from family is one of the hardest parts about working here, and visits from family are few and far between. We were able to take some time off and go to Rome and play tourist with our guests. It also brought back memories of our first trip to Rome, and being so nervous to be in such a big city and not being able to communicate. Now, if we get lost or can’t find something, we can just ask for help. It sounds like such a small thing, but it’s another sign of how God is “growing” us.

April 15^th will be our 5^th anniversary of our arrival in Italy, and I’ve been very retrospective lately. On one hand, I see that we have such a long way to go before Italy becomes completely comfortable. On the other, I marvel at how our ministry here seems to “fit.” Thanks for your part in our life here.

Until next month…

February. Valentine’s day. Love is in the air, right? I’ve been reading online different posts about Valentine’s parties, recipes, even sales that stores are having for Valentine’s day.  So, I’ve been trying to figure out if I miss it or not.

I must admit, I do miss the almost required date night that Brian and I used to get on this special day. Oh, and I look back with such nostalgia thinking about how I had to write oh so perfectly on those little white envelopes filled with Valentine’s greetings for my classmates. I remember the nervousness going to school hoping I didn’t forget someone (and honestly, that someone didn’t forget me).

Sometimes I wonder if our kids are missing out. There are no little white envelopes here. Many people don’t even remember that it’s Valentine’s day – the day of St. Valentine. No class parties with cute little treats, either. (What I wouldn’t do for a cupcake with that overkill sugary-sweet store-made white icing right about now.) But, essentially, what are they missing?

I wonder if it would be better to treat every day like Valentine’s day. I mean, Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is “to love your neighbor as yourself,” right? Now  sometimes that’s a hard one, isn’t it? Way worse than your parents making you give a valentine to everyone in the class, including the stinky boys or your arch enemy. You have to actually live this one out. You have to actually go about your day, day in and day out, loving people.

That, I think, is what I want our children to pick up on more than anything. We can draw cute hearts and make elaborate crafts to impress every mom on the block. We can make the best treats anyone has ever taken to a class party. But, if there is no love behind it, what good is it really?

I pray that as you go throughout the rest of this month you can take the love of Christ with you wherever you go. And this probably means the grown up equivalent of spending time with, and loving on, the kids who don’t quite have a full box of valentine’s this year. Who needs to be shown love more than those who rarely experience it? Let’s give out of our abundance!

On the horizon for us this month is a 24/7 Prayer Room. We will be praying from 6 PM, Saturday the 13th until 6 PM, Sunday the 14th. How wonderful it would be to all be praying simultaneously! Also, in March, I am going to host an event for the ladies in our community. We will have a “Spa Day.” This is completely unheard of, but the ladies are really intrigued at what we would do. If you have any ideas, feel free to send me an email. I’d love your help.

Until next month…

A lot has happened over the years. We spent over two years in the US raising support for our work in Ancona. What an experience that was – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.

Then we moved to Perugia to study Italian. We enrolled in a small language school and tried to train our mouths to make all the weird sounds we heard all around us. We also adapted to the Italian rhythm of life, and enrolled our two oldest kids in school. What an experience that was – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.

Next we moved to Ancona and started to dip our toes into life on a team. We learned all the reasons why working on a team is such a great thing, and we also learned why it can be a really challenging thing. The Italian culture started to feel a bit more familiar to us, but things were still new and scary sometimes. Moving to Ancona and working on a team was a great experience – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.

After our first furlough, we came back to Ancona with a new confidence. The language wasn’t quite so difficult. Our kids were doing pretty well in school. We even had a baby in Ancona. Our team leader asked us to be the interim team leader for six months while he was in the US. What an experience that was – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.

Just before our second furlough our landlord gave us six months to move out of her apartment, and we were faced with finding a new place and completely furnishing it with absolutely no way to pay for it. What an experience that was – easily the most faith-stretching experience of our lives.

Which brings us more or less to the present day. We still get our faith stretched on a regular basis. God still pulls us through despite our doubts, and shows us how faithful He is to us.

And through it all, He’s forming a church in Ancona. Sometimes He uses us, and sometimes He does an end-run and brings people to us that we never would have even met. He molds us and shapes us and chips away at our rough edges until we become more and more like Him.

And to think. It’s only taken seven years so far…

Thanks for sticking with us.

I have two beautiful stories to tell you. One of those Christmas, heartwarming stories that only happens to everyone else. Only this time it happened to us.

Right now we are leading a family through the Experiencing God Bible study. They are talking about how much their lives are changing, and how their family life is no longer the same. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of Mariana’s (the wife/mom in our study group) called her in tears. She could barely get the words out, but that morning she had a mammogram and her doctor told her it didn’t look good at all. One side had a few nodules. The other was completely full of them. The next week she needed a sonogram and biopsy.

That week, we were studying how God speaks through prayer. Man, we set to work praying for Laura. Mariana had promised to go with her to the hospital. So, later that morning I called Mariana to see how it went. She told me it was amazing. The side that had a few no longer had any nodules at all. Not one. And, the other side that was full of them has one very, very tiny one. So tiny in fact, that after the biopsy comes back if it is in fact cancer, he can take everything out. No problem! I told her that I hope Laura sees a connection between our prayers and her results. (Laura’s husband is Muslim, and she isn’t any too concerned about religion.) She said yes. She definitely sees how important prayer is! It was an emotional day, to be sure.

Then, yesterday I had quite an emotional day myself. Our car is in need of some serious repairs. We aren’t sure what the total cost will be, but probably at least in the ballpark of $2000. (Last week we had to get new tires and an inspection that cost $771, so we are strapped.)  Well, after much worry, and not much faith, a friend called from the States. He is a pastor and said that the day before a couple came into his office and wanted to give a gift to missions. So he told them of our need. They wrote a check for $2000. I’m actually getting teary just typing this. Oh, by the way, in our Bible study we are talking about times when you just need to take that step and know that God will provide. Just when we gave our worry to Him, He provided. Can you believe that?

Our God is so much bigger than I can imagine. And next week, when we are driving through the country on our way to a missionary conference and I see the “cattle on a thousand hills” I’ll smile. See, cause I know that God owns that cattle. And, once in a while, he sells a few just for me.

The growth of the church in Ancona has absolutely nothing to do with me. Or any of the other missionaries working with me. Or any of the members who currently attend.

This fact has really been driven home to me in the past month. Jason asked me if I would meet him at our church building after dinner. A woman who is friends with one of our church members wanted to get together and talk about some things she had been reading in the Bible.

Uhhh … OK. Who could turn down an invitation like that?

So we met and just started talking. Jason started things out by asking her to give us a little bit of background about herself - where she’s from, how she ended up coming to our church.

I was completely unprepared for what was about to happen. In the most clear and genuine way, she talked about how God had been working in her life even before she knew it to prepare her to become a Christian.

She talked about how she needed forgiveness, and how she believed that Jesus lived a perfect life and was a sacrifice for our sins. She knew that baptism was a part of becoming a Christian. She even quoted the passage in Acts where the Ethiopian says, “Look, here’s water … why shouldn’t I be baptized?”

We were honest with her. We talked about how baptism is very important in the life of a Christian, but one part of other things like repentance that are just as important. We told her that problems in life don’t magically go away when people give their lives to Christ. And we asked her a simple question: Are you ready?

And she was. Not even a week later we all met at the Casey’s house to baptize her in the bathtub. When she came out of the bathroom after getting dressed she said, “It’s wonderful to be a newborn!”

All of this reminds me that God is already at work here in Ancona. He is much more concerned than I am about a growing church in this city. He is infinitely better than we are at drawing people to Himself.

We basically just have to show up. We have to find places here where God is already working and join Him. “God made it grow” is such a true verse. We’re all busy seeking Him and doing what we feel He’s leading us to do, but God is the one working behind the scenes.

Welcome to the family, Cristina!

January 2009 Newsletter