Friends and Family,
The last two weeks has proven to be some of the craziest and
best of our lives. I cannot remember
ever feeling as busy as we have these last 14 days…but every minute has been a
joy.
There is so much we could, and desire, to share about our
time in Rome. However, to keep it short
and sweet we want to highlight a few key things from our trip.
One of the key reasons for our confirmation trip was to meet
our team. Currently our team consists of one other individual, Danielle, and an
established refugee ministry. Danielle
does an amazing job of running a reading room for refugees downtown. Most of the refugees are men from Africa or
the Middle East. They have fled to Europe looking for safety and/or new
opportunities. The reading room, Il
Soggorino, is a safe place where these men can find something to eat and drink
while learning English or Italian. It
also provides a place to simply enjoy time playing games with others. Shay and I had the delight of working at Il
Soggiorno a couple days during our time in Rome. We heard many stories, saw many faces, and
were blessed to have our lives intersect with these amazing individuals. Additionally, Danielle is involved with
serving a meal in a park and hot tea at a train station to refugees and
homeless once a week. We were blessed to
participate in each of these incredible ministries.
Another key part of our trip was walking through several
different communities in Rome. ITeams
2020 Vision states that by 2020 there will be “50 communities where no one is
invisible and everyone has access to food, freedom, and forgiveness.” It is
holistic and community based. As a
result, we must choose a neighborhood from which to base this holistic
ministry: a neighborhood where there is need for physical and spiritual freedom;
a neighborhood where we can partner with a local church to help change
lives. So, we sought the Lord’s heart as
we wandered through a few different neighborhoods. There are so many beautifully broken places
we could establish the next years of our lives as we pour into and learn from
these amazing people. Please pray with
us the next few weeks as we continue to seek God’s direction in this area.
Finally, the third most significant part of our trip was the
opportunity we had to meet and spend time with others. Specifically, we think of local pastors:
Valeria, Leonardo, and Ivano. We had the
incredible opportunity to meet with each of these pastors. Their hearts for the Kingdom and for Rome
were raw and evident. Their desire to
see God move and work and change lives was inspiring. Our hearts were filled with hope as we slowly
realized that we are not alone. We do
not have to enter Rome with an Earth-shattering plan to save or provide for
everyone. In fact, God is already at
work in Rome – we simply have to join others in what He is already doing. We cannot wait to better know these
wonderfully dedicated Kingdom workers; to work with them as we march forward,
arm-in-arm for God’s glory. At the end
of the day, it is all about His Love…and that is what we desire to share in
Rome.
Our hearts were intrigued by the Italian people and their culture
as we daily dove into their world, and we look forward to discovering
more. We will continue to keep you
updated as we seek the Lord’s heart.
And, as always, we would love to answer any questions you may have.
We could not, and cannot, do any of this without the
unbelievable community of believers God has surrounded us with. To each of you: thank you for all love,
support, and prayers. You bless our lives
more than we can say.
From Us With Love,
Shay+Haley
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