STORIES OF ROME

 A Bit of Groundwork

             The next several blogs will include a series of beautiful ministry stories from Rome. But first, here is a little foundational information.  International Teams has been a non-profit organization for around 50 years.  The focus of ITeams has changed with time and has come to rest on the foundation of the 2020 Vision.  It says, by 2020 there will be “100 communities where no one is invisible and everyone has access to food, freedom, and forgiveness.”  This is a holistic, community needs-based approach that “brings people together to help the oppressed,” – the bound, the weary, the burdened.  These communities can focus on a specific people or place.  Within each community, ITeams will join with locals to surface the present needs.  Then, with the wisdom, advice, and partnership of these locals, we will strategize intentional ways to tangibly fill the needs.  This will happen by creating sustainable ministries and patterns in ways that will provide:

Food: to the physically hungry, the spiritually hungry, emotionally weary 
Freedom: to the physically bound, spiritually lost, emotionally burdened
Forgiveness: for restoration, redemption, and reconciliation

The goal of ITeams is not to convert as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time; nor is it to simply fill a humanitarian need and walk away.  Instead, it is to enter a community with humble hearts, teachable spirits, and intentional love with a desire for holistic, sustainable transformation.  In other words, it is to do ministry the way Jesus did ministry: where love defeats fear, grace trumps judgment, humility replaces pride, and service overcomes selfishness.  It is to love intentionally with the Truth of God’s Kingdom ushering in each moment.  It is to begin transformation in a community by modeling grace and love while providing development, purpose, and depth.  These communities will eventually be a place where people’s physical, spiritual, and emotional needs are met.  And, eventually, where locals have completely bought into the vision and take over the transformation process (the sustainable ministries), so that we can step out. This reality is that the Kingdom is a place where every person is seen, community flourishes, transformation occurs, grace abounds, and love sustains. 

Story One: A Faithful Heart

          Currently, ITeams has a people-based ministry in Rome that focuses on refugees called Il Soggiorno.  It is a small, safe place for refugees to come and receive hot tea, a snack, a language lesson, and a friend. Currently our team mate Danielle runs Il Soggiorno. Below is one of her stories:

"We have a volunteer named Giovanni.  He's a little retired Italian man that heard about Soggiorno from his church and thought he could come and help with teaching Italian.  The first day he seemed a bit nervous, but jumped right in with a group of guys wanting to learn Italian.  The next week he came back and he had gone through his closet and brought a pair of shoes, a jacket and some pants for guys that might need them.  The shoes were the perfect size for a guy that had recently asked for shoes to replace his old worn ones.  The next week Giovanni came back with a newspaper.  He said, 'I need to do more!'  So, he combed through the Italian want ads for the guys, occasionally circling a job that might work for a refugee he was talking to.  It's been a month now since Giovanni started coming and Thursday as I sat and watched him laughing with a group of guys trying to teach him a card trick. I thought, 'Yes!  This is what I dream for Soggiorno.'  Not only that it would be a place God can use to transform refugee lives, but one that could transform the Italian church into more of His hands and feet. "

To learn more about the refugee situation in Rome and Il Soggiorno, look for our blog post next week. 

To pledge or give to the Rome ministry, please click HERE.