A few days ago, Global Expeditions (the missions org. i went to Africa with) gave me a call & asked if i would be interested in helping lead a missions trip to Italy in about 4 weeks & all i would need to do is raise $1300. i immediately became overwhelmed with joy because inwardly i have been craving to go on a missions trip sooner than later. The neat thing is i did not vocally say it was something i wanted to do, because i knew the responsibility of getting ready for January & raising the money for that. However, G-d knows the desires of our hearts & He sure did hit it on the spot opening this door to Italy. After being completely struck with excitement, i questioned, "G-d is this wise? I have to still raise over 14k for the WR." But immediately, the Holy Spirit set peace over my heart & mind, & i heard a sweet voice say GO.
I officially booked my plane ticket yesterday to Dallas, Texas to meet up with my team & now i am simply trusting in the L-rd to bring in this $1300 to cover the rest of the trip. We serve a GREAT G-d. He is so good & knows our every need. i am so very thankful that it is HE that provides ("And my G-d will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Phili. 4:19)
Did you know in Italy that only 0.4% of Italy follows Christ and New Age, the Occult, Islam and Materialistic Secularism dominates. There are over 100,000 consulting magicians, like palm readers and fortune tellers, and instead of seeking the true Creator, Italians go to them to find direction and vision for their lives. We will be going into the public transit stations, markets, and parks to invite those searching for purpose to find out what it means to be a follower of Christ. Using dramas and outreaches in busy public plazas we will gather crowds to hear of Jesus as we perform.
The most unreached sectors of the population:
a) Only 1,500 of Italy's 33,500 communities have an established evangelical witness.
b) The northeastern Veneto Region with the cities of Venice, Padova and Vicenza has 4,437,000 people, but maybe no more than 38 churches and 2,000 evangelical Christians.
c) Sardinia, a Mediterranean island with a limited autonomy, has 1,660,000 people with their own language and culture. There are ONLY about 14-15 evangelical churches, and a few Christian workers. Suspicion of outsiders, fear, vendettas, the occult and the activities of Jehovah Witness’ all make any evangelistic outreach difficult.
d) The wealthy, materialistic northern cities of Milan, Turin, Bologna and Venice have few churches. Many cities and towns have no evangelical witness at all. The northern provinces of Umbria, Trentino, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna have less than 0.1% Evangelicals.
e) The 1,600,000 students in 48 universities are a needy mission field. The second largest student body (117,000 in Milan) has no evangelical campus group.
f) An estimated 400,000 heroin addicts, with an increasing incidence of HIV+ infection, pose a desperate and demanding challenge only beginning to be met by Christians.
Our team will need your prayer for G-d to shatter the walls of legalism & bondage to roman catholicism. These are people that "know of" G-d, but have never experienced a real relationship with Him. We also are praying for hearts to be softened & for G-d to give every single person we come in contact with ears to hear & eyes to see! Join with us as we usher in the Kingdom of G-d to Italy because your prayer DOES make a difference.
& if you feel led to donate to my trip, you can go to: http://cf.globalexpeditions.com/?fuseaction=about.donate & enter my missionary ID#2503717
Love you guys!
