The Rock Church

Making a Way: God’s Work Through Conversations in Milano

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” — Isaiah 43:19

Our second day of English clubs went very well! We had both fun and meaningful conversations around the topic of music.

Several students shared that they had never been asked about their favorite song or type of music before. Many expressed genuine gratitude simply for being asked a question and for being listened to with interest. One student in particular, Vlad, was especially thankful that we took time to hear his thoughts. That moment opened the door to deeper conversations about belonging and community.

Conversations and Connection

Elijah had the opportunity to share with Vlad and his older brother about our church—how it’s a family, why it’s called The Rock, and that Jesus is our foundation and everlasting rock.

The skit we performed for the students was a huge hit—so much so that they wanted to take a photo with “George Washington” (a.k.a. Ryan)!

Later that evening, we took five students out to dinner, where even more meaningful conversations unfolded. Abbi, Ava, and Kaylee spent time with Vittoria (who came last year and stayed in touch with Andrea and Abbi throughout the year) and a new student, Ilaria. They’ve been able to share their faith multiple times, and both girls have shown genuine curiosity and asked wonderful questions.

We are so thankful that God has gone before us and prepared the way for these conversations.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) brings more opportunities for connection—through a cooking class, games, and continued conversations.

Please pray that our words will be led by the Holy Spirit, that we would continue to speak with boldness, gentleness, and truth, and that God would be glorified in everything we do.

In Christ,
The Italy Mission Team

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

God’s Delight and Our First Day of English Club

“As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” — Psalm 16:3

The night before our first English club meeting, Frank Apiza encouraged our team with these words. What a beautiful reminder that God’s delight in each one of us—even before our mission work begins.

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Hope in Milano: The Start of Our Mission Journey

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.

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Sharing Love in Hard Places: A Mission to the Landfill Community

Before our visit, I tried to imagine what life is like for the Roma families living in the landfill. A place surrounded by trash. A place where hunger and struggle are daily realities. My heart ached knowing we were about to witness conditions so different from our own.

To prepare, we made over 100 sandwiches and assembled essential kits for the children. Our mission was to share the love of Christ. We led a Vacation Bible School centered on Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

None of This is Random: Trusting God’s Plan on This Mission Trip

At 3 a.m., I was awakened by three taps on my shoulder and saw a hand pointing to the window. I looked out and saw one of the most beautiful, star-filled skies I have ever witnessed. None of this is here by accident. It felt like God was trying to show me something.

Days later, during my quiet time, I read Isaiah 40:26, “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing.” This verse hit me.

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Peace, Joy, and a Deep Sense of Purpose

As the sun rose over the rolling hills of Cluj-Napoca, we were reminded of God’s beautiful creation all around us. Despite the long hours of travel and little sleep, our first day in Romania was marked not by exhaustion or nerves, but by peace, joy, and a deep sense of purpose.

From the warm welcome at the airport by Liz and Bogdan to the incredible hospitality at Casa Speranței, we felt like we had come home to a place we’d never been before. Sharing this mission with our family and church team from The Rock has already made this journey unforgettable.

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Bringing the Gospel to Romania: Our Mission and Prayer Needs

As our Romania Mission Team prepares to depart, our hearts are filled with anticipation and faith. With just two days remaining before we board our flight, we’re reaching out to our church family with a heartfelt request.

Will you stand with us in prayer and covering?

We believe that your prayers will make a difference as we go to serve, minister, and share the love of Christ. Here are specific ways you can pray for us:

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

English Club has been well attended!

English clubs have been going well. We’ve had over 70 people sign up for them so far, and we’re hoping to have 100 people sign up by the end of the week. Everyone has been very enthusiastic, and we’ve all loved getting to know the university students. God is fostering the foundations for deeper relationships already, and he’s brought several people for each English Club level, so we have our hands full each day with English clubs!

We haven’t had anyone else yet get saved that we know of, so if you could please be praying that we would continue to have Gospel conversations and see more people pass from death to life, it would be much appreciated!

Here are the general plans for the rest of the week. 
We’re having a cooking class tonight and teaching them how to make pancakes! This should be a very fun time. Also, as this is the middle of the week, it’s likely we’re going to get into deeper conversations with the students, and the same for the rest of the week. It will be the standard English club format for Thursday and Friday, although, on Friday, we’ll hold a sort of “graduation” party to celebrate the end of the week.

On Saturday, we’ll be going on an excursion to the town of Chiavenna! We have already begun to invite the students, but please pray that the majority of them will want to come with us and be able to so we can continue to shine the light of Christ in their lives and love on them! 

Church, we’re so grateful for your continued support while we labor here with the Apisas and the Lehtonens. Have a wonderful day!

Grace and peace, Abbi

Posted in Missions by The Rock Church

Honduras Update #6

Our Comforter

Our last day started out at the University where some of the students danced a traditional Honduran dance and then one girl sang ”This is Amazing Grace.”  She had the most beautiful voice which brought us to tears because we felt God’s presence so strongly in that room worshipping together. We were also able to talk to a lot of them who knew God but were struggling with hard things in their life and had questions about miracles or about death. One girl shared how her grandfather, who had raised her, had died 9 days before. She was so sad and was just asking why. It sounded like her grandfather was a believer and she was looking at this tract with the gospel on it saying that the question on it was her own question of “where will I go when I die?” We were able to remind her of the hope that we can have in Christ and how she will see him again in eternity. 

Posted in Missions by Brent Kendall

Honduras Update #5

I have learned that one way Jesus spreads His good news, which is that He is Lord, is through the suffering love of the saints. Yesterday, I prayed that God would give me extravagant love for the people we were visiting in one of the poorest areas in Honduras. Getting there is difficult, but staying all day is even more difficult. One lady said she feels unsure about God because life is hard. She often doesn’t have enough food to feed her family, and many of them are sick. God did give me such love for her, and I was so excited to tell her how Jesus is taking over this world and the sin in our hearts. The sadness in our eyes is going to change very soon! One of my favorite parts of this day was that our team members and many local church members were engaged in serving this community together. Some were sharing the gospel or praying for healing. Others cared for physical needs, welcomed people, played with children, or chased dogs out of the clinic. 

Thank you for your prayers and support!

-Jenny 

Posted in Missions by Brent Kendall