Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Ever since Stephen and I announced to our family, friends, and our church that God was calling us to full-time mission work in Italy, we've gotten LOTS of questions! But the funny thing is, we've noticed a pattern to the questions and have also begun to uncover what many people are REALLY thinking when they ask them. So, I thought it would be helpful (and fun) over the next few weeks to answer some of our "Frequently Asked Questions" (along with the REAL questions in everyone's minds). Check back often to get the down-low on what it means to be support-raising missionaries!

FAQ #1 - When are you leaving?
(REAL QUESTION - Why are you still here?)

ANSWER - This is probably the most common question we get asked. Because it's been over a year since we made the big announcement about our call, many people are surprised we're still hanging around. One thing we've discovered is that moving your family to another continent to do ministry is somewhat complicated.

Our target date for departure is July 31, 2011. However, the deal is that we're responsible for raising 100% of the funds needed to live and minister in Italy full-time on a long-term basis. As you can probably imagine, that is no small sum and it takes some time to raise that amount! When we get questions about when we are leaving, I sometimes joke with people that if they'd like to write us a big check, we'd be happy to get out of their hair! If only it were that easy... ;)

In order to get to the mission field, we are trusting God for about 150 individuals/ families who will partner with us at a level of $35-$75 a month, along with 5-10 supporting churches. Stephen and I have been meeting with several people per week to share the vision for ministry in Italy that the Lord has placed on our hearts. Slowly but surely, God is putting together a team of people who long to see Italians come to know Jesus Christ as their true Lord and Savior!

While we are going to do everything in our power to raise the money quickly, we cannot leave for Italy until we have pledges totaling our entire monthly budget. Please pray that God will bring forward those people He has already called to become our partners in this work. Maybe you are one of them! We would love an opportunity to share more about the great need in Italy and how you can be part of the solution. We'll even buy you lunch! Just send me an email to brandy@theverners.org and we'll set it up!