I've known
Stephen since 7th grade. We met when I started junior high - MANY years ago! He was two years ahead of me, and with our common interest in music, we quickly became friends.
During my sophomore year of high school (his senior year) my family moved.
Stephen and I lost touch for a number of years after that, but thanks to the wonderful world of facebook, we have since reconnected.
Stephen & his family have had their eyes opened to a calling from God. I'm very excited for him and Brandy, and their two children. They've answered God's call, and are preparing to move to Italy in a full-time missions capacity. They are working hard right now to finish raising their financial support and hope to be in Italy by the end of this year.
Just as I've done in the Becoming Aware series, I encourage you to either Pray, Give, or Go.
- Pray - pray for the Verner family. Pray that they will be able to quickly finalize their financial support, so they can get to Italy before the end of the year. Pray for their transition into a new culture and language. Pray for their children as they leave behind friends and family and grow in a new place. And pray for the people of Italy - that God would begin softening their hearts even now, in preparation for the work this family will do.
- Give - the Verners are currently doing a 90x40 challenge: looking for 90 families to commit to $40 a month. Contact Stephen HERE for more information.
- Go - have you ever considered participating in missions? God calls all Christians to spread the word. You can do that in many ways: in your own community, in your state, in your country, and throughout the world. Going on a mission trip is a truly life-changing experience! Talk to your church's mission department and find out how you can get involved.
Stephen is our guest blogger today. He wrote the blog post below and I'd like to share it with you to let you get a glimpse at what's going on with their family and their call. Please pray for the Verner family.
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When I reflect on our family’s journey to the mission field, my mind and heart go back to many places, both real and postures of my soul and spirit. I think of all the stages that I’ve already gone through and all that I have given up along the way. Everything that I have yet to even discover is needless baggage needing to be jettisoned.
Out of this reflection, one statement seems to ring the loudest in my ears. Though at first its sound was piercing, it has now become a comforting melody and guidepost.
“You are coming to Italy to die.” – Gene Coleman, Field Director, TEAM Italy
On the first morning of our vision trip last April, I sat at a café overlooking a picturesque Italian hillside. It was a backdrop I had envisioned and romanticized about for months. However, the curtain had come crashing down before the first scene of the first act had even gotten underway. I knew in my heart that Gene was not speaking about a literal death, but a dying of self.
Distance from home, yes, no problem. Losing an American lifestyle, sure. Laying down an awesome job at an incredible church…well, okay. Leaving behind friends and family, tough, but doable. Sacrifice, yes, but dying right out of the gates? Whoa, wait a minute! Isn’t that something I can work up to; you know a goal for the undetermined future?
Unfortunately, there it was… cappuccino with a side of reality! No champagne wishes and caviar dreams for me, not that I was shooting for it anyway. But dying before I had even lived was a different matter entirely. Once those words sort of settled into me a little, the discomfort and shock gave way to tolerance, tolerance to acceptance and eventually acceptance to an embrace and longing for it. Yes, I was coming to Italy to dig my own grave; a call that I was not only willing to do, but becoming increasingly excited about with each passing day.
Looking back, the call to missions began in me as a child, a barely perceptible hum of sorts, which grew to a crescendo in June of 2002 while in the Philippines on a short-term trip. It resonated for a while until the counter melody of other life circumstances almost drowned it out entirely. It returned with a variation in 2007 as we moved into an apartment in order to do ministry. Finally it reached a feverish height on October 3 of 2008, when God said distinctly, “Go to Italy.”
In spite of all the confirmations along the way, I wrestled with God, and as most do, made excuses for why God had chosen the wrong man for the job. Through the application process, I struggled. During the interview process, I waivered. Even in the excitement of the announcement to our pastor, fellow church staff, friends and family, I felt a resignation. As we started deputation, I doubted.
But now, there’s an excitement, a vision, a comfort, a peace that no, God did not make a mistake when he called my name. All these years, He has been shaping me for this very purpose – to carry His message to Italians.
Still sometimes, I ask myself, what will life look like in another culture? I know it won’t be the same as Atlanta, that’s for sure! As I begin to embrace this new culture even before the move happens, I try to envision the ways it will affect my family and me. In fact, there are already changes manifesting in my identity and my family, too.
Brandy’s cooking is different. Our kitchen is never without olive oil and vinegar. There’s not a meal without a loaf a bread lying on the table, and a bowl of oil and spices for dipping. All the food is laid out on the table family style, and my days start and end with coffee. Our kids are never in bed before 9pm. Am I American? Am I Italian? I am definitely more one than the other, but there’s no denying that I am now becoming both.
Have I lost my identity? Indeed, no. In so many ways, I am more me than I ever have been before. In the sacrifices, now small, but later more significant, I see more of Christ being reflected. In losing some of myself I have become more of myself than ever before! How can this be? Could this be a glimmer of what God was saying through Paul?
“For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” – Philippians 1:21 NIV
Not a single part of my life will be spared in this transcontinental move to not only another place on the planet, but also a new language and culture. My thoughts, habits, words, expressions, clothing, social interests, spouse, children, faith, the way I read the Bible, mind, body, soul and spirit will no doubt be forever changed. However, wasn’t this what I signed up for in the first place when I said, “Yes!” to God; not just “Yes” to missions, but, “Yes, God I give you all of me, so all of You can live in me.”?
My calling hasn’t changed, but the expression of it will be fleshed out much differently than I could have ever imagined. Never before have I understood more clearly Jesus’ call to every believer.
“Then He said to them ALL, “ If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take us his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” – Luke 9:23-24 NIV
This theme is certainly echoed in a recent Hillsong United song called, From The Inside Out.
Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing you praise
Now I understand that as I walk with God daily, all of me must die, so all of me can live.
Cappuccino anyone?
One year ago today, after a very long court hearing where the judge read our entire dossier, we were allowed to legally add a little guy in Mariupol to our family as our second child. 
Daniel starts tutoring this week with my sister-in-law Savannah. Pray for her patience as she works with him and tries to prepare him for kindergarten!
