Hey! I want to say THANK YOU for reading my blog. My goal in sharing is always to inspire, encourage and invite into a deeper relationship with Jesus. My life has been forever changed by Him and I believe that its not only for me but also for YOU.
Matthew 9:37-38 ESV
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.”
God is preparing the harvest. The labourers are being sent!
April
National gathering
At the start of April, Ywam Italy had our national gathering at a place called Francavilla al mare. This was incredible because there were around 60 missionaries at this gathering! The previous gatherings in the past years for Ywam Italy could be had around a dinner table. Now the labourers have been coming forth into the harvest and it's been so special to see. We're trusting God for a move of His Spirit in Italy and all of us that are a part of Ywam Italy are here because of this!
This time was super special because as you serve in a country, you don't always have the bigger picture. You have to be intentional to see it and seek to see what God is doing in the nation. I'll share some exciting things that are happening here.
Churches are coming together in unity and longing to see God rightly
People are tired of religion and want a relationship with Jesus
Refugees are being met by love and being cared for as they enter into Italy, having their needs met
Jesus is being shared through different expressions. Such as an art school in Florence
Light is shining in the darkness
Disciples being made
Missionaries trained
The Kingdom of God is advancing!
Thats a list of a few things, God is moving and pursuing His people.
Easter
Pasqua! (Easter in Italian)
Also a fun part of April was being able to celebrate Easter here in Italy. A typical way to celebrate is with a BBQ, so Alessio (my roommate) and I bought a BBQ and hosted some friends for a nice dinner in celebration!
May
Overflow conference
In May we were given the opportunity to join a church conference from a local church just one hour away in Verona. We were happy to join and I'm glad we did! It was about preparing the church for an outpour of the Holy Spirit and revival. This was a really encouraging thing to take part of also because of the opportunity to see the hunger in the church in Italy for more! God was revealing in this time the importance of repentance and how it's a gift that we always can come to God and receive mercy and grace.
Another thing being highlighted to the church was being able to "break the fallow ground" coming from the bible verses Hosea 10v12 & Jeremiah 4v3. Stressing the importance of breaking bad habits, clearing your heart of weeds and preparing for the seed of righteousness to come into a clean soil. It is important that this land lie fallow in order that it can become more fruitful, but if it lays too long then it gets overgrown and full of weeds. I feel that this message was for Italy and us as a ministry (Ywam Trentino) in anticipation of what God is doing here! If we want to see a move of God we need to be prepared ourselves.
Other fun things that happened during the month
June
Spain workshop
The start of June we had an amazing opportunity as a Trailblazer DTS staff team to go and learn about the foundation of what a Discipleship Training School is all about. Being further equipped in running them for the upcoming generations! Something that got me so excited about attending this workshop was going back to the basics, understanding, why do we do what we do? Why is it important to disciple young people in their walk with Christ?
Everyone needs to come to this revelation themselves in order to own it and carry it. For me personally it was the realization again how much I love the simplicity of the Gospel. That it truly is the BEST NEWS and how it transforms lives forever. It's a gift what Jesus commands us to do in Matthew 28v
19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Something that has gripped my heart and I will continue to do out of love for the Lord and wanting to see His Kingdom come here on earth. The reason I serve in the context of a DTS at Ywam Trentino.
Debrief
At the end of June we received our outreach teams back from their mission trips, coming from the Middle East (won't name country for privacy reasons) and Thailand. This was the end of the DTS we had running at our Ywam location that started in January. We as the Trailblazer staff team had the opportunity to debrief the school on their DTS experience. Wow, this was so encouraging to see and hear the stories all the students had about how they personally encountered God in these 6 months and how also they were able to share with others and see their lives personally impacted by God. I was personally really impacted to see the power of discipleship and the hunger of this generation. They are wanting to live a life fully for God, looking for discipleship.
Would you like to pray for me?
Prayer Requests
Sustainability in the missions God has called me to, I'm looking to invite more people to support me financially in the vision He is giving
open hearts in Italy for us to be able to share the life changing news of the Gospel
More Italians mobilized for missions and coming to the DTS
Wisdom and guidance for myself in leadership
Deeper intimacy with Jesus
Thanks again, if you'd every like to hear more or catch up with me i'm super encouraged by all who reach out. I'll leave my contact information below
WhatsApp or iMessage: +39 347 511 1755
Email: lucaskroeker@gmail.com
Blessings, Lucas