Hello Church Family!
We arrived safely in Milano! Although a little bleary-eyed from travel, everyone is in great spirits.
At the airport, we were greeted by Amanda and her two kids, Hannah and John. What a joy it was to see their familiar faces again! After some quick reunions and introductions for our new team members, we headed to their home.
Once we arrived at the Lehtonens’, we settled into our rooms. Since we landed in the afternoon and needed to stay awake to fight off jet lag, we dropped off our bags and took a walk around the neighborhood with Amanda and the kids. We enjoyed some delicious gelato and stopped by the grocery store before heading back to the house.
That evening, Amanda prepared a wonderful meal for us. Frank and Pam also stopped by to greet everyone—reconnecting with returning team members and meeting the new ones. We took one more short walk and made it to 9 p.m., finally ready for some much-needed sleep so we’d be rested for church in the morning. It was a beautiful day of fellowship with one another and with the Apisas and Lehtonens.
Sunday Worship
Sunday morning, we went to church, which is currently held in one of the rooms at the Hilton. Before the service began at 10:45, there was a sweet time of fellowship over coffee and light pastries. We met several new people—some who have come through English clubs and others connected to Frank, Pam, Justin, or Amanda—along with returning students.
Elijah and Ava led us in worship (please pray for Kaylee, who was unable to sing due to a sore throat). The time of worship was very encouraging!
The service was in Italian, with one of the students translating for us. Justin shared a wonderful message about the good news of the gospel—that Jesus did all the work for us on the cross, and salvation is a free gift we simply receive. Justin is also about to be appointed as a pastor and has been, and will continue to be, a great blessing to Frank as they labor together for the people of Italy.
Exploring Milano
After church, we went out to lunch and invited some of the students to join us. It was another time of wonderful fellowship and meaningful conversation. Later that afternoon, we had some free time to explore the city of Milano and spend time with a few students. We visited the Duomo and an old castle with a beautiful park inside.
Abbi did a great job navigating the metro system for our team! The architecture and art in the city are simply amazing. But even more incredible than the beauty of the buildings are the people—from so many different cultures—who call this city home. My prayer is that, just as the Duomo had a designer, these students will come to understand that they, too, were designed and are deeply loved by God.
That evening, we gathered with Frank, Pam, Justin, and Amanda to worship together, share our promise verses, and hear an encouraging word from Justin for the week ahead. It was a refreshing time of unity and spiritual renewal before beginning our busy week of English clubs.
Prayer Requests
Tomorrow, English clubs begin! Please join us in praying for the following:
- That students would register and come
- That connections would be made quickly
- That we would be led by the Holy Spirit
- That every student would feel loved
Thank you for joining our team in prayer and for being part of what God is doing here in Milano. We are filled with hope and expectation for all that’s to come! More updates tomorrow!
The Italy Mission Team