Dear family and friends,
Let me begin by expressing my deep gratitude for your willingness to support my second outreach trip to Italy this summer. I echo Paul’s words of thanksgiving to the Philippians in saying that I was well-supplied and am thankful for your participation in an offering that was beautiful and pleasing to God.
As you know, I traveled to Italy from June 8-18, to help with an English camp at Centro Evangelico Isola, where my team shared language learning fun and Christ’s love with children ages 5-13 who live in a predominantly Catholic region of the country. This year, I knew a little more about my role as a teacher; however, I somehow received the role of lead teacher, a task for which—in my eyes—I was unqualified, especially knowing that other teachers spoke Italian and had worked at the camp longer than I had. I naturally gravitate toward “follower” positions, not because of any great humility on my part; frankly, I just prefer my independence and the lesser likelihood of criticism. But God chose this week to exercise some fine tune chiseling on my spirit, teaching me true humility and why He desires to use our weaknesses to reveal His power. Not coincidentally, the theme of strength in weakness became the devotional strain that drove our teacher team.
Every morning, teachers from Texas, UK, and Italy would gather with our American and Italian coffees (or tea) and worship together in preparation for the day. One morning, my friend Rachel encouraged us with a reflection from John 15 where Christ promises to prune branches that bear fruit so that they will be even more fruitful. Before I share her devotion, let me explain how we were all feeling mid-camp.
Every day during the week, we spent three concentrated hours in immersive English lessons with 15-20 Italian kids each. Several teachers expressed similar fears as the days passed. Could God produce fruit from a few hours of language worksheets and card games that may or may not fall apart during lesson time? How much can you teach in just one week anyway? In our doubts, several of us felt stretched thin with possibly nothing to show at the end.
It was in the midst of these insecurities that Rachel’s devotion helped us understand the image of bearing fruit in the Scripture. She explained how we often use the analogy of walking up a mountain as a picture of sanctification—we should always be looking a little better as we go along. However, the analogy of sanctification in this passage looks a little different. Sometimes, as we bear fruit in Christ, we may appear lovely and blooming, but then, suddenly, we are cut down so that we look shorter and more unsightly than we did before. This image should remind us that it is God who is at work in us to bear the best fruit; sanctification is not primarily to show our own beauty and success.
Now, I think back about this image as I recall potential buds on the branches of His tree during camp. There was little “M” who caused problems for me in class the first half of the week. My classroom helper encouraged him to talk about his behavior and asked him if his heart was sad. He confessed he was sad because his best friends had betrayed him (a serious Italian offense.) She explained to him that only Jesus can make hearts happy. I’m not sure how his story will end, but he did soften as the week progressed. (He even told me in English that he loved me!) I think, too, of a gregarious little girl I taught last year. Sadly, her family did not sign her up in time for the English camp this year, but she loved it so much (I can just imagine her saying this with a dramatic flair) that her family reluctantly signed her up for the Bible camp later this year to make it up to her. Perhaps it is in these small moments in the young ones’ lives that seeds are being planted.
On our last day, after all the families watched their little Alessandros and Angelicas perform an English song or skit, our camp director Joe preached from John 14. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He—not religion or good works or priests—is the only way to the salvation. The message was especially poignant this year as the priest in the area had threatened that any family who sent children to this camp could not receive mass. A couple of brave individuals questioned whether the priest had the right to pass out such an injunction, and their questioning allowed Joe to enter some great conversations explaining the truth about the great high priest, Jesus Christ. Obviously, the threat did not prevent families from sending us 110 kids this year. Unlike past years, though, after Joe’s message, 140 Italian Bibles were picked up. Prayerfully, these people want to know the love and truth of Jesus Christ. (Ironically, the priest may have instigated this curiosity.)
I am thankful for the small role I could play as a pruned branch that may not have anything yet to show. I pray, though, that the orchard of the kingdom has increased and the magnificence of our wise Gardener and Savior shines through the efforts of Isola in Italy.
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