Last time we chatted I was typing on this same computer in my last night in Bologna, Italy. A lot of time has passed since then and a lot has happened since then. I am 6 days away from finishing my junior year at LSU and cannot believe the time has gone so fast. I have grown in my walk with God so much and realized a good bit about my life and my purpose. But, if you will look below, one of the last things I said in my last post was that I had a funny feeling I would be back there someday but that God works in mysterious ways so who knows...well now I know. Way back in October when I was still reminiscing about my last trip to Bologna, I was presented a huge opportunity once again. I was asked to lead the same trip but for this summer. So, after talking it over with my parents and with God... I'M GOING BACK!!! Like I said, I had a feeling I would be back, but I never thought it would be the next summer and as a leader. This has been such a humbling experience for me in just the planning and getting ready for it so I cannot imagine how amazing it will be when I will once again walk the streets of Bologna sharing the great news of Jesus Christ. How blessed am I to be able to give up half of my summer to be a tiny piece in His grand and holy puzzle. With me there will be 11 other students spending their summer the same as me. There are 6 girls, including my co-leader, and 5 other guys and, if I may brag for a minute, the are AMAZING!!!
This past Christmas break, I attended something called The Winter Conference which is a mid-year conference put on by Campus Crusade for Christ where students from colleges all around the region can come together and worship and fellowship with one another. This past conference, there was a big emphasis on prayer and prayer movements and prayer starting revolutions. It really hit home with me and I have been praying and praying for the Italians and I know that I am not alone. If you read any of my previous posts you know that Italy is a very dark place spiritually and they are not the most receptive to the gospel right now, but through prayer and petition, I know that my God is bigger than any challenge that stands in our way. So I have been praying for God to soften the hearts of the students of Bologna and I hope that you will join in this prayer. Pray for a revolution in Italy, because last summer was just the beginning of so much more to come. Pray for our team as we finish finals and focus on the mission we have in front of us. Pray for our boldness and our wisdom and our peace, that the Spirit will be alive within us like never before. Last summer I got my feet wet and got acquainted with Bologna, this summer I am jumping in head first and I could not be more excited and passionate about it! My new favorite song is called "Our God" by Chris Tomlin and part of the song goes " And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us, and if our God is with us, then what could stand against." This is my cry and my prayer for this summer. If our amazingly glorious God...the same God who spoke the universe into existence and hung the stars in the sky... is with us then what obstacle or challenge could ever stop us and our mission. I mean seriously, nothing even stands a chance!
One last prayer is for me personally, and it is one that can start now and go even until after Italy because it is the one thing above all else that I strive to be. Pray that I may be the Christian that Paul writes about in Romans 12:1..."Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship."-Pray that I may be that living sacrifice...Pray for me and my team and that God will turn Italy upside down with his love and grace!!!
God is so great! God bless...Ciao!
