Europe

            The missionaries of Calcutta are showing me more and more the importance of living the life of the people you are trying to minister to.  They live the lives of the poor like in Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  They chose poverty because they realized that their lives were nothing and “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” as Paul would word it.  I remember hearing how important it is to have a job as a platform on the mission field like Paul was a tent maker because first off we can support ourselves and second off we earn the respect of the people.  The more submerged missionaries get into the culture, the more people will respect us.  If you sit around all day while everybody is at work they might wonder why you are in their country and maybe even find out you are a missionary and thus close their ears to what you have to say.  We have to just go in and love on and build relationships with the people.  In my opinion, we must understand their lives before we can fully do this.  If we are tired from a long day at work, that is one more thing to relate with each other about.  If we plant our lives in their country- especially if we raise our kids the and just do life they will see we are here to stay and we have more of a chance of them listening to the good news we have to tell them.  

            This week I skyped with a friend named Cristina who lives in Rome, Italy, and is Australian and Italian.  She is a new believer and is so so on fire for Jesus! Here whole life is a crazy mission trip all over the place and she is kind of a hippy haha She has the most awesome testimony and is a very precious friend to me! I talked to her a lot about the 3^rd grade thing I am doing and she had a ton of great insight for me.  She is going to skype the kids for the Australian week!  She filled me in on the spiritual climate of Europe, and then I will call my friend Josh for information on the missionaries and need for missionaries in Europe.  Josh is currently in Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, but has done lots of mission work and just finished the two-year Journeyman program with the largest mission organization in the world – International Baptist Mission Board. (IBM)  He spent his two years of ministry in Rome, and actually was the one to lead Cristina to Christ. J He has a huge heart for and has studied Europe especially Western Europe a lot.  I know that they really lack guy missionaries in the whole world, but specifically in Europe.  Both of my friends have been all over Europe so they are great resources.  I have talked with him about it all a lot before, but this time I am going to actually write it down so I can talk with the 3^rd graders about it.  I am going to concentrate on those two things- the spiritual climate and missionaries in Europe and try not to use a whole lot of numbers and boringness.  I am looking for creative ways to present the information.

            Christianity- primarily Catholic is on the fall in all of Europe.  I read on the Internet about this 39 year old in Ireland who said he doesn’t know anybody that goes to church.  The trend of going to mass on Sundays continues, but it is basically just the age group of 60 and above and will soon literally die off.  These mega, old, beautiful churches are becoming more and more empty.  My friend Cristina says the only reason the ones that do go, go is to be saved like a check off the list.  They very much have a work for salvation mindset.  They need to realize that Jesus is the only way to heaven!  They also do not read the Bible and believe it can only be interpreted by the priests which is not Biblical- it is much better for us to read it on our own.  They tend to focus too much on things that aren’t Jesus and worship a lot of idols like saints- Peter and then absolutely love and pray to Mary.  She was an awesome woman because of her faith, but they think she is because her son died for our sins’ and thus she should be praised.  Cristina passionately pointed out that lots of people have lost their sons, hers just happened to be the Son of God!  And he came back from the grave so she has it easier then a lot of strong mothers whom lose their sons!  The younger generation rebels against religion because they don’t want to live by rules and there is a strong spiritual oppression. Cristina being Italian has obviously spent more time in Western Europe, but had some to say about Eastern Europe also.  They have bigger communities of Protestants than Western Europe does, but still mainly Catholic with all the same problems.