The Mennonite Game

It’s been an exhausting month for us. I think more exhausting than anything we have experienced thus far, but then again we probably felt that way during every stage. All the hurdles we’ve come up against thus far have been a stretch, but this month was where the rubber of goals really met the road of reality and we found ourselves once again, standing at an intersection with a confusing cacophony of flashing lights, arrows and signs pointing every which way and trying to make sense of where we go from here.

Our main objective in this first year is to connect with as many people in ministry as possible and hear their heart for Italy, understand their ministries and learn from their experiences.  Our heart to see the churches in Italy united in vision and committed in purpose to producing mature and missional disciple makers is affirmed and confirmed wherever we engage.  How best to plug ourselves in to be part of God’s move in this country has been the question we have needed to face and wrestle with.

We could essentially jump in the deep end and start paddling full tilt anywhere, anytime, anyhow; the needs in Italy are that great.  And as much as we are struggling with feelings of frustration as we feel that continuous spiritual check to rein ourselves in and keep “observing and praying and waiting” for our cue we realize that this time of observation and learning is as crucial, if not more so, to our journey as any other stage prior. It’s foundational. 

So here we find ourselves, we have vision, we have passion, but we are essentially still all bunched up in the starting box waiting for the gun to go off and the track  to open up before us.  It's not fun to be fenced up in the starting box people. Minds spinning, chomping at the bit, feet itching to fly. Going over the race in your head and straining to feel that gate open. Yesterday we found ourselves laying on our bed after lunch, mentally numb, feeling like fish out of water, gasping for oxygen when I suddenly said, “Can we go visit _________ church tonight?” and despite the fact that it was an hour away and we were both dog tired Pietro replied with a quick, “Sure.”

All I can say is that from the moment that worship service started until the moment we got in our van to drive away I felt like I was momentarily home, while remaining in Italy. It was surreal. Unexpected tastes of home in the music, the atmosphere, the celebration of the Lord's supper, the one big family feel and get this, that guy bowing his head to pray with the worship leaders before leading us in worship….we find out later is an American MENNONITE missionary! This is what I refer to as a God wink and one can only chuckle at the thought of God looking down and smiling on my sheer delight.

Even better than God’s sense of humor is His divine orchestrations. And this is where the stone for my altar comes in. When we got home Pietro texted the pastor of the church (who wasn’t there because he is on holiday) and told him what a blessing it had been to worship with his flock.  This guy responds by telling us that JUST THAT AFTERNOON he had been with another Mennonite missionary (who we met briefly, like literally for five minutes at a church fellowship conference a few months ago) and that they had prayed specifically for us. We have had no contact with either of these people for months, and only a few minutes of contact even then, but GOD put us on their hearts to pray for us, and I believe GOD put it on our hearts at precisely that same moment as a result of those prayers to connect with them.

I can't keep from smiling that this Saskatchewan family serving in the brethren bible belt just got to play a round of the Mennonite game in Italy.

Edited to add: for any who may be scratching their heads wondering what our Mennonite connection is, it is merely this; I (Nichole) was fostered by Mennonites and Pietro and I have spent the past 10 years living in a predominantly Mennonite community in a predominantly Mennonite province and our sending church, while not being a Mennonite church is nonetheless largely made up of.... Mennonites :)