The Hardest Post Yet

Our June prayerletter should be arriving in mailboxes any day.  If you're a blog reader, you're getting some breaking news. . . In one of the hardest decisions we've ever made, we feel confident the Lord is leading us to return to the States permanently.  Though we are thankful for God's clarity, it has not made the decision or the process one bit easier.

I thought the easiest way to explain how we came to this decision was simply to post the text of our prayerletter:

     I think this is the hardest prayerletter I’ve ever had to write.  Two weeks ago, we decided to move back to the States, this August.  It is not something we were anticipating, nor was it something we would have chosen under any circumstances other than God’s clear leading.  Our whole family is grieving deeply.

      To make a long story short, when we arrived back in Bologna this January, we really began to wrestle with our role in the Agape Italia ministry.  What God has most burdened our hearts with, the ways He has gifted us to most effectively send the gospel out, the areas in which we thrive, were becoming increasingly smaller aspects of our day-to-day job.

      After many conversations over the past months with our local and national leadership, it became clear two weeks ago that what we need to be doing to be effective stewards of our lives and gifts would not be possible in our current setting.  We wrestled significantly over how we could remain in Italy to continue in the personal relationships God has given us and yet still find a role in Agape Italia in which to serve.

      Simultaneously, an opportunity opened up for us to participate in a unique internship Campus Crusade offers for senior staff at our headquarters in Orlando.  While we are being intensively developed personally and professionally, we will be exposed to Campus Crusade’s leadership and be able to explore ways we can most powerfully be a part of seeing college students become lifetime laborers for the Gospel.  

      In the midst of wrestling through what the Lord would have us do, still praying He would provide an opportunity for us to remain in this crazy country that has gripped our hearts, the pastor of our church asked us to consider remaining in Bologna to serve at the church full-time.  We were incredibly honored and our hearts were captured by his continued vision.  We prayed.  We asked the Lord.  But He said no.  He was and has continued to be clear that He has plans for us within the context of Campus Crusade’s leadership at our headquarters.

      As I said, we are grieving deeply.  For as much as we know this is the right decision, it is still really hard.  Our Italian friends, our church, have become so dear to us.  We have been trusting God for our friends’ very salvation.  It is the biggest step of faith we have ever taken is to leave the daily interactions of those friendships and trust that God will bring them to faith in some other way.  We are beseeching the Lord for them with all our hearts.  We will always ask God for Italy.

      In the midst of our grief, we are trusting God’s perfect will for our lives.  We are trusting that He knows where He can best use us for the spreading of the gospel.  So we are in the midst of the chaos of figuring out how to get our family moved to Orlando in the next 8 weeks.  There are so many decisions and details we are completely overwhelmed by.  One of which is the cost involved in moving back to the States (around $12,000).  If the Lord so leads, would you consider giving a special gift toward this significant need?  As always, gifts should be made to Campus Crusade for Christ and are completely tax-deductible.  You can give electronically by clicking on the "Be A Part of What's Happening" link at the top of the page.

      As we’ve talked with several of you in the past weeks, we have again been overwhelmed by your support and commitment to the gospel.  We truly praise the Lord for each of you.  Thank you for being in this journey with us.  If you have questions about this new direction the Lord is taking our ministry, please contact us!  We would love to share more of what this process has been.  And as always, we are deeply grateful for your prayers.

All our love,

Cody and Jen

Friends, we'll be honest and say this is one of the most difficult things the Lord has ever asked us to do.  Leaving is even harder than it was to come.  Please check out our "Pray for Us" page.  We need to be covered in prayer!


I will share more of this process in the weeks to come.  There are lots and lots of tears.  Thanks for coming along for the journey.