Monday, April 13, 2009

Life Begins for Bailey

Today Bailey turns in her application for a three month mission trip! Yep...I said three months! We have friends in Udine, Italy...about an hour and a half northeast of Venice. She would stay with them and teach ESL classes. The classes are strictly ESL, but after class and on weekends, apparently the students do a lot together and that's where Jesus comes in. She can share Jesus during those extra, after school times. Our friends are church planters there and work at the Bible College in Udine.

You might think...Italy...what a boondoggle! But listen to this: out of the 34,000 towns in Italy, 32,000 don't have anything evangelical at all! No evangelical church, no missionary, no evangelical bookstore or radio...nothing...kaput...nada...1% of Italians are evangelical! Italy has become so dark and lost that the major missions organizations like Campus Crusade and Wycliffe have put it on their lists of the most unreached people groups!

So in September when most kids are heading back to school, Bailey will most likely be headed off to Italy. Please pray for the application process, for Bailey, for our family, and for God's will to be done. This is an opportunity for which we think is just right for Bailey. And every day, I feel more and more convinced of it being God's will for her!

Her life is really about to begin!

4 comments:

Cheryl said...

Oh, WOW!!! How exciting. I will definitely be praying for Bailey as well as for you and Ben.

Esquire's Wife said...

WOW!!! What an amazing adventure for her to delight in and grow through! Who will babysit our sweet boys if she goes away?! Maybe we could swing orders to Aviano...ummm, no...probably not.

Nitzia said...

how exciting! i dream of going to Italy one of these days and what a better trip than going on a mission! She will love it. I met the Spanning family once who were missionaries in Milan and told me alot about how lost and confused the people in that country are, you know, like in mexico the main religion is catholic and most of them consider themselves Christians because of their parents/ traditions.... not relizing that being a Christian is more about a relationship with Chirst! Bailey is going to have her hands full and she will be blessed. good for her:)

Jill said...

How exciting!!! I have some friends that are missionary's in Italy, and it's true, these people need to see Jesus!! I'm so excited for Bailey and your family as you see God's plans unfold right before your eyes!