“So you are telling me that Christ is the only way?” An Italian student approaching Italians on his campus with us to proclaim the Good News. Sharing the Gospel with 10 students at one time, all eagerly listening. These are just a few of the things we heard and saw this last week from Italians. It is clear that God is revealing Himself and working in these student’s lives. Every year we have students come from America to share their faith with Italians on campus with us during their spring break. It’s called Vision Trip. UCF and Mississippi State are the universities that partner with us in this mission. I had the opportunity last year to come on this trip and share the love of Christ. On that trip was where I received confirmation from the Lord that this was where I was to be the following year and here I am. The above miracles of God happened while Vision Trip was here the last two weeks. Thank you Lord for an encouraging group of students and the mountains you moved.
Amongst our team we have been talking about starting Bible studies on campus, especially after the past two weeks. We believe that God is calling us to do this. Next week we will be starting various Bible studies all around campus. Please pray that God would bless this endeavor and bring students to hear the Good News. Spring is here with new life and God is bringing new life in us and Italian students. The mere fact that students don’t shoo us away but take the time to listen, answer questions, and allow us to share the Truth with them is evidence that people are hungry for God. The Italian people are open, the harvest is ripe (Matt. 9:37) and I pray in a mighty way that the Lord uses us to win this nation that was once on fire for God back for Himself.
-Jamie
Its amazing to me how a change in the weather can drastically effect the spiritual climate on campus. It seemed that most of the winter students where not very open to engaging in meaningful conversations. We had measures of success, but overall it had been a difficult couple months (mainly November through February). In addition to that, there is typically a more demanding schedule for students during that time, as they prepare for exams which they take in February.
When vision trip arrived, they brought with it the sunny Florida weather! In those two weeks, we had more fruitful and significant conversations on campus than we had all year. The environment on campus literally seemed to change overnight. We’re very thankful, because this weather seems to be here to stay. As does the continued open environment on campus. Please pray with us as we continue to initiate new relationships, and share the hope we have in Christ.
This Vision trip we decided to plan a soccer game or two so we could invite Italians and then use it as a way to get to know them better. We had quite a few Italians come out and kick our butts in the soccer games that we played. Even though we got worked out there on the field, one of the students from america was able to share his testimony to everyone who showed up to this thing. His story of finding God in the midst of playing College Football was powerful and so interesting, the Italians ate it up. Along with everyone hearing about God, we saw that many of the students soon became close friends with us, and we started to see some of them more often for follow up and just good old caffe. Praise God! and thank everyone who came to help during Vision Trip.
-mario
ciao tutti! so the last few weeks in salerno have been incredibly busy, but amazing! we had 2 vision trips come, first a group of about 30 students from the university of central florida, and the second week a group of about 40 students from mississippi state. it was crazy having so many americans here with us, but so encouraging and refreshing! i feel like God really used these vision trips in my life to make me remember the reason why i’m here and show me how little my faith has been! before they came i was just kind of in a rut, just going to campus every day, hanging out with my italian friends, just very routinely but not trusting God for much.. i think my heart had just gotten hardened to not seeing fruit so i began to just be ok with it and stopped really believing that God is working here (which He definitely is).. but just going on campus with the american students and seeing their excitement for the Gospel and sharing it was so refreshing! they weren’t scared about approaching big groups of students and getting right into serious conversation about who God is, sin, and the Bible.. because they were only here for a short time, they just went for it and put themselves out there.. it was awesome to see! i loved walking around campus and seeing everyone outside talking to groups of students, having spiritual conversations, making friends.. it made me remember what a blessing and privilege it is to get to be here in a country where there’s so little opportunity for people to hear the Gospel and to be able to share it with them even for the first time. i so often forget! and it was amazing hearing stories and seeing for myself about how the students were so open and wanted to hear about God has changed our lives and study the Bible.. such a reminder of God’s faithfulness and that He really is working in salerno, whether i see it or not! it is Him who does the work, we just get to be a part of it.(john 6:44) anyway, all that to say that i am so grateful for the students who came over and what encouragement it brought our team! God is continuing to work in my life through it and the lives of Italian students.. Grazie Dio!
