The Rock Church

Tag Archive: missions

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

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    “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

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  2. God’s Delight and Our First Day of English Club

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    The Italy Mission team with the first English club in Milano, Italy.

    “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.

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  3. Hope in Milano: The Start of Our Mission Journey

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    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.

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

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    Missionaries from The Rock Church handing out sack lunches to children in need at a landfill in Romania.

    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.”

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  5. Filled with Joy and Gelato

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    Filled with Joy and Gelato — A blog from the Croatia team while in Vrsar, Croatia. "This trip has been a good reminder to all of us to be filled in His stillness. Even in the busyness of childcare, His simple, steady Spirit"

    Our final day with the missionary kids was yesterday (Saturday). The day was filled with fun, faith and farewells. It’s hard to believe the trip is coming to a close.

    A majority of the time was spent all together – younger and older – singing, signing T-shirts & journals, and walking along the shore to find a new beach spot.

    For at least three hours, kids hung out in the sunshine and swam. Many chatted and goofed off while tossing a football or receiving henna tattoos. We concluded our afternoon the same way we did last year – by getting gelato with all the kids.

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  6. Discovering God’s Presence in Missionary Life

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    Yesterday and today have been spent fine-tuning our plans for the mission trip. Our mission isn’t what Wednesday was — our first full day of the official mission. We met as a large group to map out the agenda, worship, and pray together. After that, kids 10 and under began the day with swimming. 

    The teenagers went out on a city trek to visit the Cathedral of St. Martin. We also took them to the top of the bell tower. Once there, you could see all of downtown Vrsar, as well as the many islands out in the Adriatic Sea. It was beautiful. Following that, Steele gave these missionary teens a quick teaching on Psalm 90. They listened with enthusiasm as Steele related this Psalm of Moses to their own lives.

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  7. Childcare for European Missionaries’ Children

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    Yesterday and today have been spent fine-tuning our plans for the mission trip. Our mission isn’t what most people picture when they hear “mission trip.” It isn’t directly evangelistic in nature, nor is it building houses, or providing medical care. Instead, we are providing childcare for European missionaries’ children while they enjoy a conference.

    It is an annual event that most of these “third culture” kids look forward to. It is the only time they have to spend with kids in a similar situation to theirs. Not to mention, with just a larger group of English-speaking Christian kids. 

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  8. Travel to Croatia and Trust the Holy Spirit

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    “You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do….. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” — Psalm 139:3,5

    Our team, 17 of us from Salt Lake City and seven from Colorado, embarked on this past Thursday afternoon. A five-hour delay in Salt Lake caused us to miss our connection in Paris. We heard the news on the 10-hour flight across the Atlantic that our team would have to be split up. One group went from Paris to Vienna, another from Paris to Frankfurt. After factoring in customs and even longer layovers, it was hard not to feel disheartened. 

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  9. An Amazing Covenant

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    An Amazing Covenant — a word by Pastor Caleb Yetton from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "This ceremony and God’s ownership of the burden naturally point to the ultimate covenant ceremony. Indeed, the sacrifice of Jesus"

    “When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram…” — Genesis 15:17-18

    Genesis 15 shows an amazing covenant ceremony between God and Abram. God directs Abram to bring a heifer, a ram, and a goat. He is to cut each of them into two pieces and lay the sides opposite each other. This was a traditional covenant ceremony in the days of Abram. When two parties were about to enter into a contract, they would cut an animal (or animals) in two. Next, both parties would walk between the halves. 

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