Twenty Years of Ministry 1992 - 2012. Thank you God!

Ciao friends and loved ones...as I used to always say in our prayer letters over all these years, "Greetings in the name of our Lord Who is and Who was and Who is to come!"

Please forgive us for not doing an update here on our blog.  By now most of you have received our newsletter update in the states and most of you who are on FB are also on our "Friends of Italia" group on Facebook (if you'd be interested in joining this group, please email us and let us know).  But as a result of these other updates, unfortunately, this blog has seen less updates!

Our first days of training in 1992 with FamilyLife and C.C.C.

Well this year marks our 20th year of ministry as missionaries.  It was 20 years ago in January that we began work with FamilyLife Ministries (a division of Campus Crusade for Christ or C.C.C.).  In those days, we knew nothing and we would claim that verse: "God uses the foolish things of the world to confound and shame the wise" (1 Cor 1:15-29) and we'd be referring directly to ourselves as the foolish things God was using in spite of ourselves! Not to mention we were young and scared!

For nearly 14 years we worked with FamilyLife to save marriages and families.  Lee started out as a writer helping write projects like FL's new "Peacemaker Marriage Conference" on resolving conflict and writing their must successful product to date: Resurrection Eggs, and soon was helping to oversee all content for theological accuracy, rewriting FL's manual, instituting a new counseling policy, etc. It was a wonderful run and some of the funnest days in our lives with our kids growing up right before our eyes in a place that was very calm and mild in comparison to many places.  We went from one child to five, with many challenges but never boring.  And with the constant reminder to develop a good marriage and be good parents and tons of resources to help, we are so grateful for these years of growing our family and becoming more of who God wanted us to be.

Then most of you remember, in 2005, we took, what for us was, a big move to Orlando, Fla., to pursue leadership opportunities within C.C.C. at Lake Hart Stint and for us to live near Lee's parents who we'd not lived near since before the kids were born.  FamilyLife had grown very big and a bit institutional and the business-like attitude was being felt so we were on a search.  So shortly after the leadership program, Lee took the job of director of marketing for The Jesus Film, makers of the most successful film in the world, translated in over 1,000 languages.  Lee put together a successful team and marketing effort from scratch.  It was lots of fun and the JESUS film was put back on the map in the U.S. with promotion, trade shows and launching several successful new products that still exist.

But our hearts were never fully in office ministry and we always longed for more.  From our early days in ministry, we longed for ministry overseas and specifically to work directly with people from other nations less exposed to Christianity, ministering to their hearts with the gospel.  First we thought of going to South Africa.  Then it was Ukraine.  But none of these were God's will.

And so, God in His grace, eventually led us to Italy.  At first Lee thought we were too old as a couple and our kids were too old as well.  But God began to clearly and convincingly show us that this was the overseas assignment that He had brought to us and this was His perfect timing.  We couldn't be more excited as we saw God lead each step of the way, providentially providing amazing support and  confirming our hearts' desire and goal...very important given the immensity of the move.  We were leaving friends, family and everything we knew of comfort and convenience.  But God was with us.

We were thankful to see God provide both beforehand and as well, once we were "on the ground."  It was exciting.  And we began to learn a lot about ministry in Italy, what works and what doesn't and really began to appreciate and love the Italian people (not to mention the food!).  Now, it wasn't an easy run those first 2 years.  Not only was it hard to learn a language and adapt to a foreign culture which we had never experienced but we found it was like losing our personalities and abilities and all of what we'd learned in ministry not being able to speak.  Yet, even harder was the realization soon that the ministry we joined had serious underlying problems in leadership and in the working out of their everyday theology (proposing to be about grace but actually practicing a type of legalism).

So on we moved...we bowed out as graciously as possible, being disappointed, but without saying too much about how the experience terribly affected us, our family and our Christianity.  The good news?  We were humbled about things we could have done better and we got a picture of the "state of the church" in Italy (power struggles, competition and separation from other churches/ministries, demeaning and controlling leadership that doesn't inspire, motivate and bring out the gifts in others and propel them forward to new ministry opportunities).

We soon hooked up with a wonderful couple in Trieste (close to Udine), Andrea and McKenzie Dorigo, which we soon both fell in love with the idea of working together.  They were younger than us but very creative, energetic and it was a  good match so we were excited about the possibilities.  We even took a successful exploration trip together, staying in the same apartment for 4 days and getting excited about what God might do.  We even developed an excellent relationship with the director of Europe for their ministry.  But when we tried to join (necessary by their ministry for us to plant a church together), it didn't work out.  We were truly heartbroken.  And so was the other couple, the Dorigos.  The director of Europe could not have been more gracious and contrite, explaining even recently that sometimes, the home office gets something wrong and this, in his opinion, was what happened.  But all along, God knew.  He had something much better in store.

Now, we look back and thank God we're part of Italian Ministries (2 years running, since March 2010) and not "overly-controlled" by a large U.S. ministry out of touch with Italy, the Italian people and their needs or especially those in-country who are ministering...not to mention thousands of dollars we would have had to raise for American insurance which was not even needed (most likely requiring a return to the states for at least 2 years to raise the needed funds and the real possibility of losing much of the language and cultural adjustment we'd gained in the previous 2 years).

Very importantly, we have such a great director at Italian Ministries, Jonathan Gilmore, who also holds us accountable and serves us in our needs but doesn't seek to over-manage missionaries.  After a 5-month search visiting churches all over Italy with Jonathan's help, we came to the conclusion that God was clearly leading us to start something new and the city He was leading us to was Chiavari.   The contrast when we felt God was leading us to Chiavari to plant a church?  "I agree.  I think God is leading you and I think you should go for it!" Jonathan responded.  It was such a refreshing response.  To have a director that was interested only in God's will and what was best for us!  His wisdom as well in taking 3-4 months to settle-in and just get used to the surroundings was very helpful.

Our family altogether most recently in December of 2011.  The older girls are still back in the U.S. studying and working.

So, here we are in Chiavari, Italy in 2012...20 years later.  God has blessed us with a successful ministry effort in no more than a year later (started efforts in Spring 2011).  We call our ministry, "La Verita di Grazia Ministeri" which means, "The Truth of Grace Ministries" (see our site at www.LaVeritaDiGrazia.weebly.com).  And this is exactly what we're trying to share with Italians... The truth of real unmerited grace and declarative righteousness, a free gift, through Christ Jesus!

We now have over 55-60 students on average attending ESL classes (now our 3rd semester), we have evangelistic events and activities drawing 70 - 300 people 2-3 times a year, we are known to many in the piazzas, parks and along the sea walk for doing ministry faithfully and lovingly, we have contacts and association with probably over 200 people in the city of Chiavari and real relationships with dozens (both unbelievers and believers alike), we've developed a wonderful relationship with a pastor of a neighboring city who so loves what we are doing (evangelism and discipleship) that he has given us an "open invitation" to use his facility anytime we want (where our "Cena di Ringraziamento" or Thanksgiving meal was held and where we will also be doing our Easter Brunch on March 31st... please pray), and finally, our little "Incontro con Gesu" to reach unbelievers averages 15-25 people and serves us wonderfully as a way to invite unbelievers in to learn about Jesus. God is at work!

And you know the amazing thing about all of this?  We are still nobody and nothing.  We still are those foolish ones God loves to use to confound the wise.  Why?  Because He loves to get the glory!  And so that's the thing we've learned over and over again.  God is not interested in our little kingdoms or power plays or programmatic plans.  He is interested in glorifying Himself through willing people. 

Thank you for the bottom of our hearts for loving us and serving us so well through your prayers and your gifts!

God bless you and we love you,
The Walti Family