Italy - London

It is interesting to now be sitting in China while writing about Italy and London. When you are in three different cultures in three weeks there is a tendency to get a little behind. In some ways it feels that I have been running nonstop, but I still feel quite energized by the new places, experiences, people and most of all by the work that God is doing!

While I was in Verona, Italy I stayed with a couple named Nick and Zona. Nick is originally from Verona and after spending some time in the states has now gone back with his family. The interesting aspect about this visit is that they are the only CRM’ers in Italy. So I had the opportunity to see a different variation of what it means to live cross-culturally. Getting to know this couple further was something I really enjoyed and I especially appreciated the many conversations out on their porch, talking about the different aspects of working within a strong Catholic culture.

Obviously Italy is well known for its rich tradition in Catholicism, but a new generation seems to be shying away from the Church. To meet the growing need for relevant spiritual direction, Nick has actively been working with existing leaders through coaching. Coaching is a process where through a series of pointed questions you are able to lead the individual to their own answer and maybe even more importantly action steps to achieve their God given goals. It is a valuable tool that a number of staff within CRM use to help leaders grow and develop. Next week I am going to be attending this training and so I am excited to learn and experience more. (http://www.CreativeResultsManagement.com )

Overall my experiences in Italy reshaped the need for more missionaries to be sent and removed my own perceptions of what Italy is. I had been to Italy before doing the touristy thing a few years ago, but this time I was able to see a very different side. Food, wine, villas, mass, Romans, coliseums, scooters, and history have all influenced my view that Italy is just a vacation destination, but the current spiritual need of the people is what hit me most this trip.

 

Switching over to London now, I met up with the team for a week over Easter. I am used to being with my family on Easter and obviously this year that could not happen and so I was very blessed to have others to enjoy the day with. During my time in London, I stayed in an Anglican Priory (Nunnery), which was a new experience. Needless to say it was very quiet most of the time and the sisters were friendly. :)The team is located in an area of London called Shoreditch where it’s a mixture of upper class moving into a less expensive part of the city. This creates a mixture of financial cultures coming together and so the area is very diverse. It is also known as an artistic district where the famous Brick Lane is located.

 

Much of what I shared about the Church climate in Scotland is the same in England. The irrelevant church’s are dying, leaving gaping holes in terms of spiritual leadership. So the team here has placed a focus on finding key influential leaders to develop, so that English can lead English long term. Amidst this culture and maybe more specifically this part of the city there are hurdles that have to be worked through.

One of those big hurdles that has become a battle that God has to wage for the team is on the spiritual warfare side. Obviously praying plays a big role in this, but as I travel around the world and experience different teams, the reality of how God has gifted us and how He desires to use those gifts often, has come into play. Shying away from the power that God desires to have in my life and in other people’s lives greatly hinders the impact that He desires to have in each city. So using those gifts to do battle is highly important and this team does a good job of covering their city in specific prayer.

Often in the States I interpreted spiritual warfare as being tempted by something bad, now this term has taken on a new meaning. What I am referring to here is demonic attack, which seeks to hinder physically (colds, fatigue, headaches, fever, sharp pain) and emotionally (depression, loneliness, lies about identity). I have seen these and many more first hand, which through prayer dissipated immediately. Ephesians 6:12 has taken on a whole new reality for me, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” I realize this may be out of some of your boxes or viewpoints, but the reality is that for me God has made His authority known, removing the box I had previously set up for Him.

With that said I would greatly appreciate your prayers of intercession asking that God may move in power within my life and that He would provide physical and emotional protection. If you would like to talk further about this topic feel free to send me an email and I would be happy to give the full story. I greatly appreciate each of you and glad I can share this journey with you!