Naples, Italy: Bringing Back Hope

“Italy is a romantically enchanting country famous for ancient history, magnificent architecture, unsurpassed cuisine, and world-class soccer players, yet it is spiritually dead. Less than 1,500 of its 30,000 cities and towns have a church that clearly preaches the Gospel.” - Team organization, 2013

Why Italy?

Serving God and sharing Jesus is a daily calling.  It’s a way of living that I have committed to carrying out, whether that be in a classroom, a coffee shop, or a foreign country.  What pulls my heart to Italy is that it has been forgotten.  While it is a first-world country, it’s struggling desperately to keep up.  This is even more true for the Neopolitans, who are viewed as worthless by many of their fellow countrymen.  I can't imagine being in Naples as a young adult and trying to find answers to that age old question “what are you going to do with your life.”  There just aren’t a lot of options at this point.  I feel for these incredible Italians that I have come to know and love.  I want to go there and show them the hope that I have found, and it's in Jesus Christ.  Even with all of life’s uncertainties, I don't worry about tomorrow, because I am living today for Him.

Old Mill Camp: July 18-30

“Vecchio Mulino,” or The Old Mill Camp, is a very unique ministry and is one of very few  Christian camps in Italy.  It has become like an oasis for the young people of Naples, and provides a week where they can get away from the struggles of their lives and be encouraged in their faith.  This age group has been hit particularly hard by the economy.  They are unable to afford college educations, unable to find work, are stuck in a rut .  The Old Mill Camp is a chance to give these young people a week away from the pressures of life to focus on what God has for them, to show them love and hope.  The students at the camp come from all different backgrounds, and many have never experienced the love of Christ.  Our goal is to build relationships that will last and show them Christ’s love and hope.

 Festival: September 4-18

Every other year during the month of September we help organize a mega-evangelistic event where local churches in Casoria or Arzano are located. This yearly event captivates the hungry-hearted in a region where there’s typically joblessness, despair.We work “mano-in-mano” with hundreds of volunteers from Delta Ministries.  

For two weeks we work to preach hope and life in the name of Jesus in many creative and inspiring ways. I am particularly excited about the opportunities for working alongside the young Italians that I'll have met at camp. It is a unique opportunity to pour love and life into the youth at the beginning of the summer, and then help disciple them to take what God is doing in their hearts and pour themselves into serving their peers.  It’s a beautiful picture of how Jesus’ church builds itself up.

Prayer!

I recently heard a quote by Oswald Chambers and it has become one of my favorites, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work.” With that in mind, please join me in praying for:

• Our team: that we would have unity and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit
• The Italian church: that they will be encouraged by our presence and we would have wisdom in how to best love and support our brothers and sisters
• Italians we will be reaching with the gospel: that God will begin stirring in their hearts to prepare them for the message of hope and eternal life in Jesus
• My own spiritual journey: that God would continue to break my heart for the things that break His, and that I would continue to grow and become more like Jesus every day
• And however else the Spirit leads you to pray!