Verner Verbiage

While I'm Waiting

2012-01-20T14:27:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've probably heard it said that God's timing is not our timing. As Stephen and I work on raising our missions support so we can get to the field, we are definitely finding this true. However, the Lord has really been speaking to me through this experience that it's not just about accepting God's perfect timing, but also what you do in the meantime.

It would be really easy for me to just get frustrated that things are not moving along in the timeframe that I would like. In fact, there have been more than a few days like that over the last couple of years. I know God's timing is perfect and everything, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! But one thing I tend to forget is that God is more concerned that when I arrive in Italy, I am equipped for what's next, than just getting me there. The Lord is using the journey itself to help equip me for the destination, but I also feel Him saying that there are some things that I should be doing to prepare while I'm waiting.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT) says, "Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth." The King James version says "study to show thyself approved". Part of my job as a missionary will be to "correctly explain the word of truth", so shouldn't I use the time before I leave to study the Word to more fully understand what it says? With that in mind, I have found an online Bible college that is helping me do that on my own time. Stephen and I are also looking into some options for getting trained in evangelism and leadership before we depart.

Another thing I've discovered during this waiting time is that it has become too easy to withdraw from ministry. As full-time church staff, Stephen and I spent most of our time working and serving in our church and the apartment ministry we were a part of. When we begin to move farther along in the process of raising our support, it became necessary to lay down some of the ministry activities we were doing to free up our time to fundraise. The temptation with that is to stop doing any ministry here to focus on the future ministry. I mean, God called us to reach Italians, so we're off the hook in Atlanta, right?

Wrong. The mandate to go and make disciples applies to me no matter where I am. The challenge comes in being available to minister here and now, while also being faithful to move forward in what God is calling us to in the future. So, we have been praying for ministry opportunities that we can be involved in while we're waiting that will allow us the time to continue raising support. In response, the Lord has provided a chance for Stephen and I to serve on a worship team for a ministry at our church. Also, I am looking into the possibility of volunteering with ESL ministries at a couple of other churches. Not only will these opportunities allow us to reach lost and hurting people where we live now, but they will also equip us for the ministry we will do in Italy.

Lastly, I feel the Lord saying that I need to prepare for the eventuality of departure. The process of getting to the mission field is a little like pregnancy. You know that the big day is coming and you have a general idea of the timeline, but you can never be exactly sure when the blessed event is going to happen. The only thing you can do is prepare as best you can and then wait patiently.

But what would happen if an expectant mother didn't prepare for the baby to arrive? What if she didn't set up the nursery or have any clothes or blankets available? What if she didn't buy diapers, wipes, bottles, etc? When her beautiful, little bundle arrives, there will be a flurry of activity and stress while she scrambles to provide for the baby's needs.

In the same way, there are many things we need to do to get ready for our departure. Even though we don't know exactly when that day will come, we know that IT WILL HAPPEN! So I plan to strategically begin doing things to prepare for it, like gathering documents needed for our visa application, cleaning out closets, and starting to pack for shipment things we don't need before we leave. Then we won't be left with so many things to do at the last minute. Plus, it gives me something to focus on while I'm waiting on God's perfect timing!

One of the songs that has ministered to me the most during this time is "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. The words are:

Verse 1

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

Verse 2

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

Chorus

I will move ahead,

bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

This is my prayer! Even though it's hard to wait and sometimes it's painful, I will move ahead in obedience and continue to serve God in the meantime. And when I get to the place God has called me to, I will be all the more prepared because of it.

Fun with Food

2012-01-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

In a former life (as in, my life before I became a full-time missionary), I was an event planner. I loved planning events! It gave me a chance to be creative, while also utilizing my detail-oriented personality. There hasn't been much need for my event planning skills over the last year as we have turned our focus to raising our missions support, but with my husband's birthday this week, I decided to throw a little shindig to celebrate. I was looking online for some finger food recipes and stumbled across some really creative ideas. Not sure if any of these will make it onto the menu for Stephen's party, but they were too cute not to share.

Have you made anything really creative for a party? I would love to hear about it!

Watermelon Porcupine

"Food"ball Stadium

Graduation Cap Candies

Cupcake Cones

Watermelon Jaws (complete with Swedish fish victims)

Frosty the Cheese Ball

Counting the Blessings of 2011

2011-12-16T12:47:00.000-05:00

When you are working towards a goal, sometimes it's easier to focus on how much farther you still have to go instead of looking at how far you've already come. While we're still on our journey to the mission field, the Lord has done some amazing things to get us to where we are today. I thought I would look back over 2011 to remember all the ways the Lord has been faithful to complete that which He has called us to. Here are just a few highlights:

February
We formed our encouragement team, which we have since met with every other month for prayer and accountability.

March
Our whole family attended second language acquisition training in NC.

April
We were blessed to be given a car, which allowed us to sell our other car and pay it off, along with the last of our credit card debt.

May
Stephen went part-time at his job to allow more time for support raising.

Our family moved out of our apartment and into a rental house with a month-to-month lease, which means we won't be locked into a long-term rental agreement when it's time for us to depart for the field.

July
The whole family attended our final training at the TEAM home office in Carol Stream, IL.

August
Thanks to a generous financial gift, Stephen and I were both able to quit our jobs to raise support full-time.

September
Our 90x40 Challenge ended, resulting in 40 new partners joining our team over 90 days for a total increase of over 18% in our monthly support.

We released a professionally-produced video to highlight the spiritual need in Italy, which has opened doors for us to share about the ministry God has called us to.

November
We officially crossed over the 50% mark in our support raising.

December
To date, the Lord has provided 52% of our total monthly budget and 27% of our outgoing expenses!

It has been a great year, full of God's faithfulness! We're so grateful and are looking forward with anticipation to see what He will do in 2012.

Why Do Missionaries Need a Sending Agency?

2011-12-07T19:54:00.000-05:00

FAQ #4 - If your home church is sending you, why do you need a missions agency like TEAM?

Our home church, Victory World Church, is in full support of our call to plant churches in Italy. From day one, our missions pastor has been a key advisor in each step of our process. He suggested that we find an agency to partner with the church and help facilitate all the logistics of getting us to the field and keeping us there long-term. This includes:

Processing monthly financial support
Guidance with our visa application process
Pre-field and on-going training
Providing health insurance, retirement, etc.

Having TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) partner with Victory to send us to Italy is very beneficial to both the church and us as missionaries. For example, the partnership creates synergy and unity within the broader body of Christ for purposes of fulfilling the Great Commission. It also provides added authority and structure while we are serving in the field.

For more information on TEAM, visit www.teamworld.org.

A Thankful Heart

2011-11-16T12:35:00.000-05:00

In preparation for Thanksgiving, Laynie decided to make a list of the things she is most thankful for. I'm proud to say that for an 8-year-old, she has a pretty good grasp on what's important. It inspired me to be truly thankful for all the blessings God has given us.

Here is her list (with the original spellings).

I give thanks for:

1. Love
2. Good family
3. A house and a roof
4. Frenids (friends)
5. Clean water
6. A mom and a dad
7. Food
8. Close (clothes)
9. Makeup
10. A LOVEING GOD

Stolen Identity

2011-11-04T14:54:00.000-04:00

"911 - What's your emergency?"

"Um, I need to report that my identity has been stolen..."

You see, three years ago my life was great. I had a job that I loved as an event planner for my church and I was good at it. People valued me for my skills and my opinions really seemed to matter. I worked at the same place as my husband, so I was able to see him frequently and my schedule was somewhat flexible, which allowed me to be home for my kids after school. I got to dress nice every day and work with people that I genuinely liked. Plus, I had stimulating conversations with other adults and got to eat out for lunch a few times a week. On top of all that, I helped plan events that made a difference in the lives of the people that attended them. It wasn't a perfect life, but it was pretty great and I miss it.

Today I am a homeschool mom and full-time missionary. And not even a full-fledged missionary, but one that is raising support to get to the mission field. One that doesn't draw a salary yet. Now I spend my days trying to coax a none-too-willing 3rd grader to complete her schoolwork. In between lessons with her, I grade papers for my 6th grader. When I can catch a few minutes of free time, I write thank you notes to new ministry partners or work on our monthly newsletter. Or, I clip coupons so I can stretch our very tight budget. Gone are the days of dressing up for work and frequent conversations with grown-ups. Now I live in blue jeans or sweats and my face hasn't seen makeup in a week. Most days, my only real adult conversations are with my husband, who is either running out the door to have lunch or coffee with people who are interested in the mission work we'll be doing, or working from the desk in our bedroom to set up appointments to meet with those people. I'm totally jealous of him because these days, my lunch usually consists of chicken nuggets or whatever canned soup I had a coupon for this week.

Sigh.

Where is the girl I used to be? The one who was confident and smart and loved to dress up? The girl who was organized and efficient and enjoyed going to work? This new person is often tired, sometimes cranky, and can look kinda frumpy. She's still settling into her new roles and hasn't got it all figured out yet. For the most part, she gets the job done, but it can be a real struggle. This new person can't really be me. Surely my identity must have been stolen. Right?

Only deep down, I know that it wasn't stolen.

I gave it away.

And not all at once, but little by little.

Three years ago, Jesus asked me to do something. "If any [wo]man will come after me, let [her] deny [her]self, and take up [her] cross, and follow me." (Matt 16:24) While I had been following Jesus for a long time, I had never really had to deny myself and take up my cross. That all changed when God called my family to take the Gospel to Italians. That's the day that I started giving away pieces of who I am and allowing God to change me into the person He wants me to be.

To be honest, the process has not always been a fun one. There are days when I want to give up and go back to my old life, where I was much more comfortable and things were easier. But there's no going back. I am forever changed by this call. I can choose to give up, but I can't go back. That girl doesn't exist anymore. Instead, a new one is being formed in her place.

The new me may not have a lot of stuff, but I have developed a faith that knows beyond a doubt that my God will supply all my needs. My nails may not be freshly manicured, but I have learned to cling to my heavenly Father when everything around me is in chaos. Although my conversations with other adults may be less frequent, they have taken on much more significance as I have been given the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people about the great spiritual need in Italy.

I may have let go of a lot of things, but I have gained so much more. Since God called me to be a missionary, I have gained new friends on 5 continents. I have spent more quality time with my children in the last few months than I have since they were little. My relationship with my husband is deeper and more meaningful than it has ever been. And above all, the love I have for my Savior and Lord is more real than ever before.

Hmmm... on second thought, I think this new identity is going to work out just fine.

To Halloween or Not to Halloween?

2011-10-31T23:51:00.000-04:00

I just watched a video of a pastor talking about why Christians should not participate in Halloween. He had done a lot of research, had searched the Scriptures, and had made the decision that his family would not celebrate Halloween. I greatly respect the fact that He took time to do the research and had prayerfully made a decision that he thought was best for his family. I know that many other Christians have come to the same decision.

While I know that this can be a controversial subject, I have to wonder if we, as Christians, are missing something. I certainly do not claim to have all the answers, but instead of just choosing either to participate in or to boycott Halloween, maybe there's another option.

Why not use the opportunity of Halloween to share the Gospel with your neighbors? What other holiday brings people of all backgrounds to your door asking for a "treat"? Or, is there any other time of the year that can you knock on your neighbor's door, expecting something from them, and be welcomed?

1 Cor. 9:22-23 says, "...I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." Instead of insulating ourselves in the Christian "bubble" so that we are not affected by the evil, why don't we burst the bubble so that the evil is affected by us?

What if Christians all over America chose to turn Halloween into a day of sharing the love of Christ with their neighbors, instead of barring their doors to them to keep the evil out? Imagine the impact!

One day a year, people are literally knocking on our door, giving us the opportunity to sow Truth into their lives! Will we leave the porch light off and ignore the doorbell? Do you think that's what Jesus would have done? You may not agree with me, but I think Jesus would have not only opened the door, but He would have invited them in. "Let the children come to me..." (Mark 10:14)

Give Us The BOOT!

2011-10-27T08:46:00.000-04:00

Recently, we were able to help Isabella, a new Christian in Italy, find an evangelical church and get her very first Bible in Italian – all via email from Atlanta! Because a friend of hers found our website, we were able to connect her with other Italian believers so that she can grow in her new faith.

But what about all the other Italians just like Isabella, who are searching for God, but live in one of the 32,000 cities in Italy that have NO evangelical church? Imagine what the Lord could do through us if we were on Italian soil instead of still here in the States!

To date, we have raised almost 50% of our monthly budget. We’re halfway there, but we need your help to make up the difference that will literally "BOOT" us out of the country and propel us into the ministry God has called us to in Italy.

Would you be willing to sacrifice a little earthly treasure each month in order to change someone else’s eternity? Will you help "Give Us The BOOT"? Just click here to let us know. Together we can make a difference in the lives of Italians!

Confessions of a Support-Raising Missionary

2011-09-30T00:30:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever get to the mission field. I look at the monthly budget we have to raise and it seems insurmountable. My husband, Stephen, and I spend time every day contacting people to try to set up meetings. We long to share about the vision God has given us to plant churches in Italy and give others a chance to partner with us, but it feels like we get little to no response. While this is top priority to us, for most people it’s not even a blip on their radar. So we try harder to get people's attention, but I fear that I have become the annoying missionary that's always asking for money. Do people see my name on their caller id and let it go to voicemail or groan whenever they see an email from me? Have I become my own worst nightmare?

There are days when I wonder if I totally missed the boat. Did God really say sell everything you have, uproot your family, and move 4,500 miles away to take the Gospel to Italians? Surely the Lord would not have really told Stephen and me to quit our jobs to pursue this insanity? I watch the balance in our checking account dwindle and feel the urge to try to get my old job back or at least put in an application at Starbucks. What happens when the money runs out? What if we haven’t raised the rest of our mission budget by that time? Will we have to move into my parents’ unfinished basement!?!?

But as much as I would sometimes like to forget, I know deep down exactly what God told us to do. He told us to GO. He never promised that it would be easy. In fact, His Word says over and over that we will face hardship. However, we can choose to obey or disobey. Ultimately, it’s our choice.

Believe me, there are days when I would like to take Door #2 and go back to my regular life – the one where I didn’t have to give up my stuff, I had a paycheck deposited in my account every 2 weeks, and I could raise my children within an hour’s drive of their grandparents’ houses. There’s just one little problem. Like Jeremiah, I have a fire in my bones… and it burns for Italians to know Jesus. Even if I wanted to quench the fire, I can’t.

So, where do I go from here? To the place I should have gone to begin with – my heavenly Father.

Lord, I don’t have all the answers, but I know that You do. Even when I’m frustrated that things aren’t moving along as quickly as I would like, I know that You are in control. Even though we may not have a regular salary right now, I know that You alone are our source. Although I may not understand why you would pick someone like me for this job, I trust that You have a plan that is better than anything I could conceive. Forgive me for doubting, Lord! I put it all back in Your more than capable hands. Help me have the faith to leave it there. Amen.

The Other Side of Italy

2011-09-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Until about three years ago, whenever I thought of Italy, it was with the dream of going there someday for vacation. I had always wanted to experience Bella Italia and it was at the top of my list of places to see before I die. Then God led me to a story online about a couple called to be missionaries to Italy.

What I read turned my whole world upside down as I discovered the true spiritual state of Italy, where only 1% of people know Jesus as their Savior! Since that day, I have never been able to see Italy as a vacation spot. Instead, I see the almost 60 million Italians that desperately need to know Christ and I know that God has called me to do something about it.

Below is our new video about the side of Italy that most people don't know about. I urge you to watch it. You may never look at Italy the same way again. But, that's how things will begin to change...

What do chickens have to do with thrift stores?

2011-09-21T21:06:00.000-04:00

Normally chickens don't have much to do with thrift stores, but in this case, they do! Let me explain... Jeff and Susan Moore, a couple that supports our ministry and founders of Global Missions Outreach, are in the process of opening a thrift store in the Atlanta area to support mission work on a local and global level. The Lord has laid it on their hearts to give a portion of the monthly proceeds from their store, Lighthouse Thrift Store, to help us plant churches in Italy! We are so excited about this partnership with GMO and so thankful for Jeff's and Susan's hearts to see Italians come to Christ.

The Moores are currently raising start-up funds for the thrift store and are selling 2012 Chick-fil-A calendars for $8 each. Each calendar includes coupons for free Chick-fil-A menu items and $4 from each calendar sale will go to GMO to help them launch the store. Lighthouse Thrift Store will not only help fund our work in Italy, but also orphanages in Uganda and local community ministries. If you would like to purchase a calendar, please send me an email at brandy@theverners.org.

Also, Jeff and Susan are collecting donations to stock the store. If you have items you would like to donate, send an email to gmissionsoutreach@att.net. To check progress on the store opening, check GMO's blog at www.globalmissionsoutreach.blogspot.com.

"Wake Up Italy" Video

2011-09-02T12:25:00.000-04:00

Ever since our vision trip to Italy in the spring of 2010, it has been on our hearts to produce a short video to tell the story about the need for evangelism and church planting in Italy.

We know many people have never been to Italy. Others have visited and seen it through the eyes of a tourist. But we wanted to expose the irony of Italy - in spite of a deep religious heritage, many Italians are detached from the church and immersed in secularism and materialism.

Thanks to our friend and ministry partner, Darius Dunson, we are nearing the completion of our video. Darius is using his talent for video production to express the great need in Italy in a very compelling way. Also, thanks to Herman Jones, another great friend and ministry partner, who is adding his vocal talent for the voiceover that accompanies the video.

The video should be available later this week so be on the lookout! We are excited to have this new tool to communicate the spiritual state of Italy to churches, small groups, and future supporters! Once it has been published we encourage you to share it with friends who also have a heart for missions.

Stephen and Darius talking about the video

Herman recording the voiceover

Last Chance!

2011-08-31T11:10:00.000-04:00

When the Lord led us to start the 90x40 Challenge at the beginning of the summer, we didn't know exactly what to expect. Then God started adding people to our team right away, with our first new ministry partner coming on board within 1 hour of us launching 90x40!

Every few days, the Lord would bring us new partners! Many were family and friends, but there were also several people we had never met before who heard the story and were so moved by the need in Italy that they joined in too.

Two churches and a small group jumped on board and a few of our ministry partners who had already made commitments increased their monthly amounts in response to 90x40! We even had a couple of other missionary families join our team!

All in all, we've received 38 out of the 90 commitments needed to get us to our goal. Almost half! Not too shabby, huh?

With only a couple of days left until our deadline, a lot of other people would hang it up. But we're just crazy enough to think that God might want to do something amazing before the clock strikes 12:00 am on Sept. 2.

If you've felt the urge to get involved, but for whatever reason haven't made a commitment, it's not too late to make a difference. Your monthly partnership will impact lives, bringing those far from God into loving relationship with Him. You can help build thriving communities of believers in Italian cities that have NEVER had an evangelical church!

Just click here to let us know your decision.

Fiery Furnace Faith

2011-08-23T21:13:00.001-04:00

When I grow up, I want to be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego...

So, what do I mean by that? I want to be the kind of person who has a RADICAL faith in God - a faith that stands even when the circumstances look bad, a faith that believes without a doubt that my God is able to "do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine". (Eph 3:20)

That's what the Word says, right? But deep down inside ourselves, do we really believe that?

In Daniel 3, Rack, Shack, and Benny (we'll use their VeggieTale nicknames for short) were up against overwhelming circumstances. King Nebuchadnezzar had made a 90ft tall gold statue and ordered that everyone bow down and worship it when certain music played. Rack, Shack, and Benny served the living God and there was no way they were going to bow down to a statue. However, some astrologers who worked for the king noticed this and told King Neb, who got really ticked off. He called Rack, Shack, and Benny before him and confronted them. He said,

"I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments.But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” (Dan. 3:15)

Rack, Shack, and Benny could have taken the easy way out at this point. They could have listened to what the king said and doubted that God would really be able to save them. They could have rationalized among themselves that it would be okay to bow down just this once. God would forgive them, right?

But, this is the part I love and the reason why I want to grow up to be like these guys. When faced with something that seemed like an impossible situation, this is what they said,

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. ¹⁸ But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Dan. 3:16-18)

Whoa! Now THAT is radical faith!

I believe that in those 4 sentences are the keys to radical, life-changing, world-shaking faith! Let's look at them individually.

1. God is the authority, not our circumstances!

"O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you." (vs. 16)

This was a pretty audacious thing to say to the king! But Rack, Shack, and Benny recognized that even though King Neb was the most powerful man in the world, he was nothing compared to the Almighty God. Even though it meant breaking the law, they knew that bowing down to worship the statue would have broken one of God's commandments. They had determined that they would not do that no matter what the consequences. If they needed defending before the law of the land, God was more than capable of doing it for them.

2. God is able to answer our prayers!

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve IS ABLE to save us." (vs. 17)

They knew without a doubt that their God could save them from the fiery furnace. Rack, Shack, and Benny had seen God's hand at work over and over in their lives. Just one chapter before this one, they had been the prayer team Daniel called on to pray with him to ask God to reveal the king's dream so that the wise men in the kingdom wouldn't be murdered. (Dan. 2) They had witnessed first-hand the miraculous move of God and knew that He could do the same in this situation.

3. God is willing to answer our prayers when they align with His Word!

"He WILL rescue us from your power, Your Majesty." (vs. 17)

Not only was God able to save them, but Rack, Shack, and Benny believed that He WOULD save them. They knew that they were following God's law by not bowing down to the statue and because of that they felt confident that the Lord would work on their behalf.

4. The outcome should not affect our belief in God.

"But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up. "(vs. 18)

Rack, Shack, and Benny had made up their minds that no matter the outcome, they would not waver from serving God. They knew that God COULD save them. They felt that He WOULD save them. But even if it didn't turn out the way they expected, they would not be unfaithful to the Lord.

You may have heard the saying, "Love is a choice". Even when our feelings don't back it up, we can still make the decision to love. In the same way, faith is also a choice. We can choose to look at the storm that's raging around us or we can choose to believe in the God who can calm the wind and the waves (Mark 4:35-40). We can choose to be overwhelmed by our mountain of bills or we can choose to trust in the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10). We can choose to listen to what the world is speaking over our life or we can choose to put complete faith in our Heavenly Father who loves us so much that He rejoices over us with singing (Zep. 3:17).

You probably already know the end of the story, but just for kicks, let's take another look. King Neb became furious at Rack, Shack, and Benny's response. He had them bound and ordered the furnace heated to 7x the normal temperature. In fact, it was so hot that the men who threw Rack, Shack, and Benny into the furnace died from the heat!

So King Neb was pretty amazed when he saw not just 3, but 4 men walking around in the flames unbound and unharmed! He exclaimed to his advisers, "And the fourth looks like a god!" (Dan. 3:25) So King Neb called to Rack, Shack, and Benny to come out. The king and all his advisors crowded around the 3 men and then comes my favorite part:

"Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!" (Dan. 3:27)

Not only did God save them miraculously from the fiery furnace, but He did it in such a way that the fire didn't even leave a trace on their bodies! If King Neb had not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have been able to tell they had been in the furnace at all!

²⁸ "Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” ³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon." (Dan. 3:28-30)

THAT is the God we serve! Not only did He save Rack, Shack, and Benny, but He did it in such a way that got the attention of the king and his entire kingdom! God is calling us to have fiery furnace faith too - faith that can shake the nations and impact the world!

As my husband and I go about the task of raising the funds to support the mission work God has called us to in Italy, there are days when my faith feels more like votive candle faith, instead of fiery furnace faith.

But, I CHOOSE to believe that God is the authority in my situation. We are not hindered by a sluggish economy because my Lord is not limited by the resources of this world.

I KNOW that God is more than able to meet my need because of what His Word says and because I have personally experienced His miraculous provision.

I BELIEVE that He will make a way because I am walking in His will, following His command to go and make disciples.

BUT, even if God doesn't answer my prayer in the time or way that I expect, I will not falter from serving Him. I will trust that He has another way... a better way.

I may not be up against a fiery furnace, but I have determined that no matter the circumstance, I will put my absolute trust in the God that I serve! And I will wait in expectation for what He is going to do!

Mediocre Christianity

2011-07-22T18:24:00.000-04:00

I left the post office a little while ago and since it was near closing time, one of the employees was saying goodbye to a co-worker. She told him, "Have a great weekend. See you next week." To which he glumly replied, "Yeah, we'll do it all over again next week."

Whoa. The resignation in his voice caught me. We'll do it all over again next week...

How many Americans feel the same way every Friday afternoon? How many dread Monday morning each week?

I thank the Lord that I'm not one of them.

I remember praying over and over as a teenager that the Lord would not allow me to just become a mediocre Christian. I told Him that I didn't want to be the kind of believer that just went to a job every day and church on Sunday and never impacted anyone for the Kingdom.

I'm sad to say that for a while, I was that person. But then the Lord answered my prayer and He invited me on an amazing adventure with Him! For the last couple of years, Stephen and I have followed Him along a path that will eventually take our family to Italy to plant churches. It hasn't always been easy, but it has definitely been anything but routine. And I wouldn't trade it!

I know that the journey we are on will bring hardships along with it. In fact, a friend told Stephen this week that God had revealed to him that we would face great persecution in Italy. When he shared this with me, I was, understandably, a little upset. Then Stephen asked me, "Does that change anything?"

No, it doesn't.

Jesus stated over and over that His followers would face persecution. In John 15:20, He said "A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." That's not really a very popular scripture in most American churches, but that doesn't make it any less true.

Last night, a dear friend and her son came over for dinner. She is called to minister in Africa and we talked about the spiritual warfare she had experienced on previous trips. She told us, with tears in her eyes, that she would gladly give up her life if it would bring people to faith in Jesus. I was so inspired by what she said and then I realized that I agree with her. Psalm 56:11 says, "I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?" If I can bring glory to God through my death, then I am willing to do that. After all, it will just usher me into the presence of my Lord and Savior!

Now, do I expect to be martyred for the faith? Probably not. Will I be persecuted? Absolutely. As my husband says, you can't march into the enemy's camp and expect them to just welcome you with open arms. Satan has held strongholds in Italy for thousands of years and he is not going to allow us to come in and start tearing those down without some retaliation. So we are going to pray hard and trust God to show us how to fight our enemy, because Italians deserve the chance to know the Truth and we want to help give them that chance.

Would it be easier to stay here and work a job Monday - Friday that pays the bills and make our Sunday morning visit to church each week? Of course, but I'm crazy enough to believe that God can and wants to work through my family to make a difference in the lives of Italians - not because we're special, but because we're willing.

I wonder what would happen to that postal worker if he prayed a crazy prayer for God to replace his mundane life with a God-sized adventure. How would his life change? Who would his life impact? I firmly believe that the Lord wants to take every one of His children on an amazing adventure! But so many are not willing to take the risk.

What about you?

Training Update

2011-07-09T09:21:00.000-04:00

It has now been a little over a week since we left GA and headed north for our last missions training. It's hard to believe that it has been that long, as it seems like we just pulled out of the driveway! But we've had a great time so far and have crammed much into the last 8 days!

Most of the day last Friday was spent on the road, but we stopped off in Terre Haute, IN to spend the weekend with our friends, the Johnsons. They are TEAM missionaries headed to Italy too and it was so nice to spend time with their family! On Saturday, they drove us over to Plainfield, IN (near Indianapolis) where we were able to meet another TEAM missionary family going to Italy, the Cetolas! We had met the Johnsons at a training in February 2010, but this was our first time meeting the Cetola family. It was great to get to know them a little better!

We had the opportunity on Sunday to tag along with the Johnsons to one of their supporting churches and after lunch with them, we piled back in the car to drive the rest of the way to the TEAM home office in Carol Stream, IL (west of Chicago). For dinner we were able to meet our friends, the Kohlers, who are TEAM missionaries going to Ireland. They actually live in Wyoming, but were in the area so it was a treat to see them!

Since our training didn't start until Wednesday, we had a couple of free days, one of which was July 4th. On that day, we rode the train into downtown Chicago and had deep-dish pizza for lunch before walking through Millennium Park to see "the bean" on our way to the Navy Pier. We looked in the shops, ate ice cream, rode the Ferris wheel (well, Laynie and I did) and enjoyed the gorgeous view of Lake Michigan before settling in for the fireworks display.

The next day we drove down to Lincoln Park to see the zoo and then spend the afternoon at the beach. It is amazing to me that Lake Michigan actually looks and feels like the ocean! The only thing missing is the salt! The kids played in the sand and surf and we ate dinner at a outdoor restaurant overlooking the water.

Then it was time to get down to business! Wednesday was the first of our 7 days of training. The group that Stephen and I are in has 4 other couples, all going to different places - Brazil, Zimbabwe, China, and Mexico. With us going to Italy, we have 5 continents represented!

Classes have been pretty intense since we are in training from 8 am to 5 pm every day. So far we've talked about things like spiritual warfare, accountability, intercultural competency, crisis preparedness, etc. We're starting to feel a little information overload! The weekend will not bring much of a reprieve as we are in classes most of today and also tomorrow afternoon, but we do have a break this evening and then tomorrow morning we will be able to attend church with a TEAM staff member. We are trying to get plenty of rest, but would appreciate your prayers for renewed energy!

There are still 4 more days of training before we head home so stay tuned for more updates!

Old Dreams And New Ones

2011-06-23T22:41:00.000-04:00

Today I got a glimpse of something I have to give up in order to obey God's call for my family to become church planters in Italy. I had the opportunity to fulfill a dream that I've had for as long as I can remember and I had to pass it up... and quite honestly, it stinks.

Don't get me wrong... I'm so excited about what God has called us to, but right now my life is filled with writing newsletters, stuffing envelopes, filling out passport applications, training, etc. There is no time for my dream anymore and it's a little sad.

Okay, a lot sad.

But I knew this when I said yes. Yes to God and yes to His plan for me. And I would do it again. But tonight, I grieve...

I know it won't be the last time, but He's worth it. So I cry while I type this, knowing that my Heavenly Father is collecting my tears in a bottle. As I struggle to lay down my dream, He is there, my ever-present Comforter. Even while He comforts me, He reminds me of a new dream. One so big I could never have conceived it on my own. A dream that I can never fulfill in my own strength and power, but only by His might.

So I embrace the dream... His dream, not mine. I know it will not always be easy and there may be many more nights like this. But there will also be days that I can only imagine now... days when souls are saved and lives are changed. God is giving me the opportunity for a front-row seat to what He is going to do and that is definitely better than any dream that I could come up with on my own.

Thank you, Lord, that you don't just settle for fulfilling MY dream...

The 90x40 Challenge

2011-06-03T14:25:00.001-04:00

There is hardly a day that goes by now that someone does not ask us, “So, when are you leaving for Italy?” Good question! If only the answer was an easy one. What makes it even harder is that roughly 1650 Italians die each day and on average, only about 17 of them know Jesus as their Savior. For every day that we remain in the US, there are over 1600 Italians that will spend eternity separated from God! The Lord has given us a burden to reach them with the Gospel, but we have to get to Italy first.

Our goal is to be on the mission field by the end of 2011. We have currently raised 25% of our monthly living and ministry budgets. So, only 75% more to go and we can leave, right? Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as getting our last pledge and then boarding a plane. Before we can leave, we must apply for visas. This can be a complicated and time-consuming process and we must have pledges for at least 70% of our monthly support before we are allowed to apply. In order to make it to Italy by the end of the year, we need to start the visa process by September 1. However, that means we must raise an additional 45% in monthly pledges in the next 90 days.

If we had to do this on our own, we would throw in the towel now. This is a truly a God-sized challenge, along the lines of a teenage boy slaying a 10-foot giant. Standing before us is a giant that seems impossible to overcome. But when faced with Goliath, this is what David said to him:

“I come to you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the army of Israel... Today the Lord will hand you over to me… The whole world will know that Israel has a God. Then everyone gathered here will know that the Lord can save without sword or spear, because the Lord determines every battle’s outcome…” (1 Sam. 17:45-47)

With David’s words ringing in our ears, we stand before our giant believing that God CAN and WILL overcome! David’s weapon of choice to slay his giant was something that he had used hundreds of times before – a sling and a stone. In the same way, the Lord has always chosen His people to carry the Gospel to the world and we believe that He will also use His people to meet our challenge.

Over the next 90 days, we are looking for 90 new ministry partners to pledge $40 a month towards the work God is doing in Italy – the 90x40 Challenge! Would you pray and ask God if He would have you be part of the team that will help us take His message of love and forgiveness to Italians?

Maybe you’ve already heard our story and have felt God tugging on your heart to get involved. Now is the time! Or, maybe you still have some questions about the mission work we’ll be doing. We would love to meet with you to share more about it! Either way, please email me at brandy@theverners.org and let us know what God is speaking to you. May the Lord guide you as you seek Him about your part in taking the Gospel to Italians!

Big Week!

2011-05-18T18:06:00.000-04:00

This is a momentous week in the life of the Verner family! Sunday was Stephen's last day of full-time employment. As you may already know, for the last 3 years he has worked as a lighting designer at our church, which meant that he served at all 4 of our weekend services every week. While it was something he loved to do, it has been challenging to raise our missions support because he worked every Saturday and Sunday. Going forward, Stephen will continue to work at the church, but only part-time -3 days during the week. This will leave our weekends free to travel to speak at churches or meet with people to share about the need in Italy, so that we can raise the remaining support required for us to get to the mission field.

On Monday night, we were honored to host TEAM Italy's field leader, Gene Coleman, and his wife Susan, in our home! Gene and Susan have been missionaries in Italy for 28 years! We had the pleasure of meeting them about a year ago on our vision trip, when they opened up their home for us to stay with them. We were glad to be able to return the favor!

The Colemans came bearing gifts from Italy for our kids - a toy Ferrari (in red, of course!) for Bryson and a beautiful Pinocchio coloring book with the story written in Italian for Laynie. Gene even read part of it for us in Italian and then translated the rest into English. The kids absolutely loved meeting them and even got the chance to ask some questions about life in Italy! Stephen and I so enjoyed the fellowship and wise counsel that they shared! Seeing them again was such a wonderful reminder of what the future holds for us and made us even more determined to get to the field!

To end the week, in a few days our family will move from the apartment complex we have called "home" for almost 4 years. God brought us to this place to do apartment ministry (which we did from 2007-2009) and it holds a lot of memories and special friendships. However, a few months ago, the Lord made it clear that it's time to take the next step of faith in this process. In order for Stephen to be able to step down from full-time employment, we needed to get our monthly expenses down. Since our lease was about to be up, the couple that took over the apartment ministry after we stepped down has offered to let us rent their house for a very affordable price, which was an amazing answer to prayer! On Saturday, we'll pack up our stuff (what's left of it) and make the move to our temporary home! We feel so blessed and are looking forward to getting settled in before embarking on a summer full of sharing the story about our call to reach Italians with the Gospel!

Did Jesus Die for New Easter Clothes?

2011-04-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

Today, Christians all over the world celebrate Easter - the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! Churches all over America were filled to overflowing this morning as the once-or-twice-a-year-casual-attenders made their annual pilgrimage, in new duds and matching hats, to honor the King of the kings who died for their sins. As I looked around our sanctuary this morning, I wondered how many of them would be back next week. I prayed that they would have a radical experience that would change their lives, but unfortunately most of them will not give a thought to attending church again until the nativity makes its appearance in December.

On Easter Sunday last year, my experience was very different than today. One year ago, I sat in a small Evangelical church in Trieste, Italy. There was no big worship band or elaborate lighting. No dramatic production with Biblical costumes and the people didn't come to church in new clothes bought especially for that day. The service was not projected onto screens so the people in the back could see. In fact, the room where we met was packed to capacity with about 40 people. There were only 3 guitarists and 1 worship leader. We sang old hymns from a hymnbook translated into Italian and participated in communion where we passed a loaf of bread and cup of wine.

Not very impressive, huh? Maybe not by American standards. I'll admit that there were not a lot of the things that we've come to expect on Easter in the US. But let me tell you what was there...

There was a room full of people who truly understood the meaning behind the day. The missionary who preached the service that Sunday asked the question, "What does Easter mean to you?" Then, Italian believers all over the room took turns sharing their stories of redemption. Tears flowed, tissues were passed, and there was an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that settled on the group.

You should probably know that it is no small thing when an Italian professes faith in Jesus and joins an Evangelical church. The majority of Italians are Catholic in name, but less than 5% actually attend mass on a regular basis. However, Catholicism is so ingrained in the Italian culture that Evangelical believers are often publicly shunned. Their jobs or business dealings can be jeopardized. Many times, their family disowns them.

The believers gathered in that small church in Trieste that day had paid a price to be there. It wasn't about fulfilling a duty to be in church on Easter or Christmas. There were there because they were so thankful for what Jesus did for them that they couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

I think many in America have lost that feeling. The only price most of us paid to go to church this morning was getting up early on our day off. We are so saturated with the Gospel that it has become commonplace. There is a church on every corner, so picking a place of worship is like selecting a flavor at Baskin Robbins.

Trieste is blessed to be one of only 1,500 Italian cities that actually has an Evangelical church. There are another 32,000 cities and towns that have NONE! That's why God has called our family to be church-planters in Italy. While we are only a small part of the solution, we will go and do as much as we can to make a difference.

So the next time you pull up in your church parking lot or drive past a row of churches side-by-side, thank God that you live in a country where the Truth is readily available. Then, lift up a prayer for the 60 million Italians who don't have access to the true Gospel. The few Italians that have found Jesus will not just be at church on Easter and Christmas, but every time the church doors are open. Why? Because they understand the price that was paid for them. I pray that we Americans would be more like them. Maybe then Easter will be about more than just new clothes.

Satan's Drink?

2011-04-21T07:10:00.000-04:00

If you've been around me much in recent years, you have probably discovered that I have an almost obsessive love for coffee. This will definitely come in handy as a missionary to Italy, where coffee is not just a drink but a way of life. Our field leader for TEAM Italy sent me this story about the history of coffee in Europe and I just had to share!

Coffee has been around for over a thousand years. As early as the 9th century Ethiopian shepherds had discovered the energizing effects that coffee seemed to have on their sheep and some Islamic monks had begun cultivating coffee beans. In time, the drink proved hugely popular throughout the Arab world despite the objections of orthodox Muslims who condemned it as a stimulant. From the Islamic world, coffee spread to Europe where it met fierce resistance from the clergy who considered it the drink of “Islamic infidels.” Pope Clement VIII did much to change popular opinion about coffee, however, when he tried it and found it “delicious.”
In the late 1500s, coffee had reached Europe and Vatican officials were clamoring to condemn it as Satanic. After all, it came from the Islamic world, so the Catholic church was understandably loath to embrace anything that came from the “land of the infidels.” According to legend, Vatican officials asked Pope Clement VIII to impose a ban on coffee, but he refused to do so before trying it first himself. Thus, he ordered that some coffee be prepared for him. He evidently enjoyed it very much because legends says that he remarked “This Satan’s drink is delicious…it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall fool Satan by baptizing it.”

http://socyberty.com/history/how-pope-clement-viii-had-a-significant-influence-on-the-history-of-coffee/#ixzz1K9cgUyZ4

Transitioning

2011-04-18T20:45:00.000-04:00

In four and a half weeks, our family will begin a transition that will not actually end until we are on the other side of the Atlantic. On May 20th, we will move out of the apartment complex we have called home for almost 4 years. We will be moving to a house temporarily for a few months, while we finish raising the remaining monthly support needed to minister full-time to Italians. On Saturday, we began the monumental task of trying to decide what things we will need until our departure in the fall, which of our belongings will be packed for shipping to Italy, and what can be donated or sold now.

Hoping to get the kids excited about moving, I decided to start with their room, specifically their closet. It is amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in just a few years and the toys especially were overflowing! I knew that I had to get some control over the amount of toys that will go to Italy with us. With that in mind, I bought two 45 gallon storage tubs in different colors so we could tell them apart. I told Bryson and Laynie to fill their tub with the toys that were most important to them. If it fits, it ships! If not, it will be donated to some friends who are opening a thrift store to benefit widows and orphans in Uganda.

Surprising, the kids jumped right in and began to fill their tubs! They easily made decisions about what would stay and what would be given away. Within just a few hours, we had tamed the jungle they called a closet into the neat organized space shown above. It's a miracle! Regretably, I did not think to take a "before" picture, but to give you an idea, below is a picture of the pile of stuff that used to live in the closet.

Now for the rest of the apartment...

Language Training Top 10

2011-03-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

Our first week of language training is done! We have spent the last 5 days in class from 8:30 am - 4 pm. So far, I have learned words in Spanish, Lingala (spoken in central Africa), and Russian, along with phonetics and language learning techniques. There has been homework assigned every night and even some over the weekend. Quite frankly, we are tired and ready for some R&R, but I wanted to give everyone a quick update first. While it would be impossible for me to briefly summarize all that we've been learning, I thought I would write the top 10 things I've learned so far.

Top 10 Things I've Learned in Language Training:

10. Learning a new language is exhausting!

9. The Russian language is really hard to pronounce! I'm so glad that God called us to Italy.

8. Almost any bad day can be made better by ice cream. I suspect that we will be eating lots of gelato during our time in language school.

7. Learning phonetics makes me want to bang my head on the desk! But... it is very helpful in learning a new language, so I will press on.

6. Knowing how to laugh at yourself is really helpful in learning a new language.

5. I am in charge of my language learning!

4. Jesus had to learn language too! He didn't emerge from the womb with a full grasp of his native tongue. There was baby talk and grammatical error involved, so he understands what I'm going through.

3. Prayer is critical to learning a new language!

2. Fluency in our new language is vital! When presenting the Gospel and discipling Italians, we want to do it effectively and not be hindered by a poor grasp of language.

1. Even though it will be hard, I CAN LEARN ITALIAN! I am motivated, determined, and the Holy Spirit will help me!

Counting the Cost

2011-03-16T23:00:00.001-04:00

Today my niece, Layla, was born and I wasn't there to see it. I'm in the mountains of southwestern NC attending a training on second language acquisition. While that will be important for our future as missionaries in Italy, the only place I really want to be right now is at the hospital in Athens, GA. My younger sister, Gayle, was rushed to the ER in an ambulance this afternoon and gave birth during an emergency c-section. At the time, I was in a group session with a language helper and missed all 3 calls from my mom, who was trying to reach me. I didn't get the messages until it was all over. Layla is currently in the NICU because she swallowed blood and fluid in utero and I can't even be there to comfort my sister. I feel totally helpless.

I have a feeling that this is just a taste of the many things I will miss out on once I live on another continent: birthdays, weddings, births, graduations, holidays... The list seems endless. As hard as it is to think about, I wonder what will happen when a family member gets sick or dies. If I feel this powerless a mere 200 miles away, how will I cope when I'm almost 5000 miles away, separated from loved ones by an ocean?

Suddenly, Luke 14:26 has a deeply personal meaning.

If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples. (GOD'S WORD Translation)

In theory, most of us would say that we are willing to do this for Christ. But actually doing it is another thing altogether.

The passage continues on like this:

So those who do not carry their crosses and follow me cannot be my disciples. “Suppose you want to build a tower. You would first sit down and figure out what it costs. Then you would see if you have enough money to finish it. Otherwise, if you lay a foundation and can’t finish the building, everyone who watches will make fun of you. They’ll say, ‘This person started to build but couldn’t finish the job.’

Part of the process for us as we prepare for the mission field is counting the cost of this call. What I've determined is that the cost is high. Probably higher than I can even comprehend at this point. Today was just a glimpse of the sacrifices we will make to be obedient to God's command to go into all the world and make disciples.

So, have I changed my mind?

It's tempting, I'll admit. But the one thing that keeps me going is that Jesus knows exactly how I feel. He left his Father and home in heaven and came down to earth so that he could save the world. How amazing to think that the Son of God loved us so much that he was willing to subject himself to the limitations of humanity for our sakes. While we long to bask in the continual presence of God, Jesus gave it up so that ultimately we could share in that great pleasure with him. Suddenly, leaving family and friends here in the States seems like a small sacrifice in comparison to the price he paid.

As I walk forward in this calling to take the Gospel to Italians, I can be sure that there is nothing I will face that Jesus cannot see me through. He will understand how I feel when I'm struggling to communicate the most important Message ever preached to people who don't understand or reject what I'm saying.

Many among his disciples heard this and said, "This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow." Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, "Does this throw you completely?... Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this." John 6:60-61, 63-64 (MSG)

He will feel my pain deeply as I mourn the family and life that I've left behind.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Ps. 56:8 (NLT)

When I want to throw in the towel because the task ahead of me is too hard, he will know all too well how I feel.

Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, if it is your will, take this cup of suffering away from me..." Luke 22:41-42 (GOD'S WORD Translation)

But while Jesus may have longed to forgo the cross, the rest of that verse says, "However, your will must be done, not mine.” And so it must be with me.

Even though it will be the hardest thing I've ever done, when the time comes I WILL get on that plane with my husband and children and our few worldly belongings. Although we know almost no one there, we will make a new life for ourselves in a land that is not our own and try to adapt to the culture as best we can. We will devote ourselves to learning the language well so that we can reach a people group that may not really understand why we're there. And when the going gets tough, we will dig in our heels and stay!

Why? Because that is exactly what Jesus did for us.

The Reluctant Pageant Mom

2011-03-10T22:57:00.000-05:00

Ever since our daughter, Laynie, was just a baby, people have told us that we should put her into pageants or modeling. As her blonde curls grew in and her personality started to develop, she would smile and bat her big, blue eyes at strangers in the grocery store and people would stop and exclaim over her.

Now I will be the first one to say that Laynie is a beautiful child, but that could just be the mother in me talking. However, the countless strangers we met who oohed and aahed over her seemed to confirm my opinion. I just wasn't so sure about the modeling/ pageant thing. I mean, I've seen Toddlers and Tiaras. Some of those people are just plain crazy! I was not anxious to join their ranks or plunge my innocent daughter into that world.

That all changed one day with a call from my mom. When I was growing up, Mom was a dressmaker, and a very talented one at that. Recently, she got back into the business and started making pageant dresses. One Saturday in January, Mom called and said she was at a pageant about 10 miles from where we live and asked if Laynie and I wanted to come have lunch with her. When I mentioned it to Laynie, her first question was "Can I be in the pageant?!?!"

Uh oh.

Needless to say, Laynie spent the entire day at the pageant. She loved every minute of it and begged and pleaded to be allowed to compete in one. I was unsure of how I felt about it. We found out about a small, local pageant that was coming up and Mom promised to provide the formal wear and Valentine's Day outfit, if we could pay for the registration fee. I was still not convinced.

For one thing, I was a little skeptical about the whole pageant idea. I didn't want my young, impressionable daughter to think that outward appearance is the only thing that matters. We have worked very hard to teach our children that God is more concerned with a person's character than how they look on the outside. However, I could see that the girls in the pageant were confident, polite, well-spoken and they all seemed to be having a lot of fun.

Secondly, it can be very expensive to participate in pageants. We are fund-raising missionaries who recently took a big pay cut when I went from full-time to part-time to allow us more time to raise money for missions. We don't have a lot of extra room in our budget. So after talking with my husband, we decided to see just how serious Laynie was about this pageant thing. She was told that if she wanted to participate, she would have to earn the money for the registration fee by selling candy. We thought maybe she would forget about it. That was just wishful thinking.

I want you to know, that little girl sold candy bars like her last name was Hershey! She and her friend, Jasmine, set up a table by the mailboxes in our apartment complex. She went door to door with anyone who would go with her. She sent candy bars with her aunt to work. She set out the box of candy whenever we had people visit our house. She is a natural-born salesperson! In fact, we are thinking about putting her in charge of our missions fund-raising! :)

So with all of her hard work to raise the money, there was no way we could say no when it was time to register. We filled out the paperwork, sent in the registration fee, and started to prepare for the big day. The week of the pageant, Laynie rushed through her homework each night so she could practice. She made me pretend to be a judge while she walked across our dining room countless times, all the while practicing keeping eye contact and smiling.

On February 26, the day of the pageant was finally upon us! Laynie was more excited than I've ever seen her. My mom's business partner, Terri, did her hair and makeup. Then, Laynie donned a borrowed, salmon-colored, formal dress and stood in line backstage to wait her turn to walk. During all this time I am praying feverishly. "Lord, please let her do well so that her feelings won't be crushed and her self-esteem ruined!" I should have had more faith in my daughter.

When it was her turn, she walked across that stage like she had been born there! She was confident, poised, and absolutely beautiful! She didn't look the least bit nervous. She smiled and held the judges eyes every step of the way. I have never been more proud of her! In that moment, I saw the wonderful young woman that she is growing up to be. I felt the Lord saying that He is going to use her boldness, self-assurance, and determination to reach the world for Him. And if He chooses to use pageants to nurture those qualities in her, then who am I to argue?

At the end of the day, we were not the only ones who were impressed by Laynie. She won her age division and was crowned "Little Miss Sweetheart 2011"! She was, of course, thrilled and wanted to know when she could be in another pageant. Frankly, I had been afraid of that happening, but after seeing her on that stage, I would be wrong to say no.

One thing Stephen and I have learned during this process of becoming missionaries is that sometimes God uses the most unexpected things to prepare us for His call on our lives. We don't yet know what the Lord has in store for Laynie, but I suspect that it is something big. And if He wants to use pageants to help equip her for the future, then I will gladly become a "pageant mom" and cheer her on to wherever God is leading her.

Birthday Boy

2011-02-20T20:56:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that our baby boy is now 11 years old! We celebrated his birthday with a football-themed sleepover that included 5 of his best friends. There was pizza, cake, presents, and CHAOS, but fun was had by all! The boys stayed up super late playing video games and watching movies and after just a few hours of sleep, we wrapped up the event with a pancake breakfast! Happy Birthday, Bryson! We love you!

Join Us In Prayer!

2011-01-12T18:34:00.000-05:00

Do you get excited when you hear amazing stories about what God is doing at the four corners of the earth? Here is an opportunity to lock arms with others, join in His work and really make a difference. Our missions organization, TEAM, is challenging everyone to join in a campaign called Everyone One Hundred for 100 days preceding Easter. From January 14 through April 23, you'll get weekly emails with great information and important prayer requests from around the world. Your prayers are vital! Plus, you can join in the effort even further by giving financially, if God puts that on your heart. There is no obligation, and it's easy to sign up at www.TEAMeveryone.org. If you don't use the Internet, you can also sign up by calling TEAM at 800-343-3144.

A 100 day challenge... We are going to do it - come join us!

Looking Back on 2010

2010-12-31T11:55:00.002-05:00

It’s hard to believe that 2010 is almost done! This year has been full of exciting adventures as our family works towards fulfilling our calling to become missionaries to Italy. In February, all four of us traveled to Carol Stream, IL for our first training with TEAM, our missions sending organization. We learned a ton about TEAM and about church planting, and also had the opportunity to meet future missionaries headed all over the world!

During the spring, Stephen had the opportunity to coach Bryson’s baseball team and be the assistant coach for Laynie’s soccer team. Between 2 nights of practices each week and 2 games every Saturday, the ball field became our second home! But it was great experience for the sports ministry that we hope to start in Italy!

The first week and a half of April, we (Stephen and Brandy) took a vision trip to Italy, visiting 10 cities in 10 days, in order to see first-hand the spiritual need in Italy. We were greatly impacted by what we saw! Even though most Italians claim to be Catholic, 99 out of 100 don’t know Jesus as their Savior and Lord! Catholicism in Italy is more about culture and tradition than about a relationship with the risen Jesus. However, the good news is that God is working in the hearts of Italians! In every place that we visited TEAM missionaries opened up their homes to us and shared stories of what the Lord is doing to draw the lost in Italy to Himself. We came back to the States with a new determination to move to Italy as quickly as possible so that we can join in the work there!

Summer was a very busy time for us at work, but August ushered in many changes for the Verner family. Bryson started 5th grade (his last year in elementary school!) and Laynie headed into 2nd grade. The following weekend, Stephen had his first opportunity to share about our missions call at a church other than our own (Brandy’s grandparents’ church in Rainsville, AL). The very next day, Brandy transitioned from full-time to part-time in order to allow more time for raising the financial support we will need to fund our ministry in Italy.

Our schedule in the fall was soon filled with appointments to meet with people interested in becoming part of the vision God has given us to share the Gospel with Italians. We also had several speaking opportunities, which allowed us to share with larger groups about our future ministry. In between meetings, Stephen once again had the chance to coach – this time for Bryson’s flag football team. Laynie decided to try Girl Scouts instead of sports again, so Brandy has been busy helping start a new troop.

In October, we attended a missions training on educational options for our kids overseas. A couple of weeks ago, Mike Turner, long-time missionary to Nicaragua, met with us personally to train us in support-raising. The things he shared with us will be put to good use as we kick into high gear after the first of the year to raise the remaining amount needed for our family to make the transition to Italy and start our ministry there! Our target departure date is August 1, 2011, but we are praying for God’s perfect timing and provision!

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for and supported us during this process as we seek to fulfill God’s will for our family! We pray the Lord’s blessing over you in the coming year! Happy New Year!

My Top 10 Fave Things of Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

10. Peppermint mocha creamer.

9. Playing the CD that Stephen and I created a few years ago with all our favorite Christmas music. It's our Verner holiday soundtrack!

8. Watching "Elf" over and over and over again and laughing at the same parts every time! "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"

7. Singing on the worship team for VWC's Christmas Eve services and seeing over 1400 candles lit at the same time as our church celebrates the true reason for the season.

6. Reading the Christmas story from Luke 2 to our kids and realizing that I could probably quote it from memory! No matter how many times I've heard it before, I never get tired of it.

5. Shopping for coats, shoes, and toys for refugees that have very little and taking time out of our busy day of Christmas celebrations to share God's love with a family that is very far away from home.

4. Eating my mom's homemade lasagna on Christmas Day and reveling in time spent with family and friends that we may not be able to visit on Christmases in the future.

3. Watching our kids open presents on Christmas morning and seeing their excitement. They each have 3 presents under the tree every year - 1 from Santa and 2 from us. We do this in remembrance of the 3 presents Jesus received from the Wise Men.

2. Waking up next to my wonderful husband, Stephen, on Christmas morning and being able to share the special day with my favorite person in the world.

1. The knowledge that, although we celebrate Jesus's birth on Christmas, baby Jesus grew into a man, died on a cross, and was raised from the dead so that we could be forgiven of our sins. Lord, thank you for the ultimate Christmas gift!

Buon Natale from the Verner family!

Cheesy, Layered Deliciousness

2010-12-11T14:26:00.000-05:00

For as long as I can remember, my family's traditional meal at Christmas has been lasagna. After Thanksgiving, we were tired of turkey and dressing so we always turned to the cheesy, layered deliciousness of lasagna to break the holiday monotony. Ironically, when Stephen and I were engaged I learned that his family had the same tradition! Hmmm... a foreshadowing of things to come?

Ever since we got married, my mom or Stephen's mom (who passed away in 2005) would usually make the Christmas Day lasagna. On rare occasions we have turned to Stouffer's (oh, the horror!) for our holiday feast. Since God has placed a call on our family to minister to Italians, I decided this year that it might be a good idea for me to learn how to make authentic, Italian lasagna. When Laynie's teacher gave out an assignment to make a presentation to the class about our family's holiday traditions, I figured that was a perfect opportunity to make my first attempt at homemade lasagna.

Ingredients for the sauce

After a lot of chopping and dicing

About halfway through the layering process

The finished product! Ta da!

Sharing lasagna with Laynie's class

Laynie approves!

What Do the Kids Think?

2010-11-20T11:10:00.001-05:00

FAQ #3 - What do the kids think about moving to Italy?
(REAL QUESTION - How could you do this to them?)

ANSWER - Honestly, this is not something we just decided to do. The Lord spoke very clearly that He was calling our family to do mission work in Italy and that includes our kids. Some of our biggest concerns have had to do with Bryson and Laynie and how they will adjust to a new culture. However, God already knows all the challenges they will face and we have to trust that He will walk with them through anything that comes.

As you can imagine, Bryson and Laynie are feeling a mix of emotions as we get closer to our day of departure. Instead of trying to answer this question all by myself, I thought I would let them put it into their own words.

BRYSON - "I think moving to Italy is kind of fun because we get to get a new pet and we get to meet new people. I’m excited about teaching baseball to my new friends and trying new foods. One more thing I’m excited about is touring Europe and sightseeing and getting to see monuments. One thing I’m not excited about is leaving my old friends."

LAYNIE - "I think moving to Italy is sad because I have to leave my friends and my country. I also am excited because I get to speak a new language. I also think moving to Italy will give me more space to play around, but I am kind of sad because I have to get new friends and I don’t want to leave my old ones. I’m excited because I get to ride on my first airplane when we move. "

No Turning Back

2010-11-17T17:14:00.000-05:00

In my last post I promised to share some of our most Frequently Asked Questions, so here's the next installment!

FAQ #2 - How long will you be on the mission field?
(REAL QUESTION - Surely this is just a phase you're going through, right?)

ANSWER - The short answer to this question is until the Lord sends us somewhere else or tells us to go back to the US.

Moving to Italy to plant churches is not something Stephen and I decided to do on a whim. This process started over 8 years ago and God has made it very clear that He has been preparing us for this our entire lives. However, when the Lord revealed His plan for our family to take the Gospel to Italians, He didn't let us in on all the details, including how long we will be there. All we can do is plan for what we know and trust that God will show us if and when He wants us to leave Italy.

When the Lord called Elisha to take up Elijah's mantle, Elisha slaughtered his work oxen, used his plow as firewood to cook them, and threw himself a farewell party (1 Kings 19:19-21). Because he destroyed his means of making a living, there was no turning back to his old life! Elisha may not have known what the future would hold, but if things got tough, he couldn't just go home and pick up where he left off.

That is how Stephen and I feel about our call to minister to Italians. There is no Plan B! We will sell or give away most of our belongings here and start a new life there, walking out Plan A - God's plan. While we will get to come back to the US every few years, we won't have a home here in the States. Our home and our ministry will be in Italy until the time that God shows us the next step.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

2010-10-29T17:55:00.000-04:00

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!

Happy Birthday, Crissylyn!

2010-09-27T11:43:00.002-04:00

Almost 9 years ago, we added a member to our family through Compassion International. Our daughter across the sea is named Crissylyn and she lives in the Philippines. At the time, she had just turned 6 years old. Today is her 15th birthday!

Shortly after beginning our sponsorship of Crissylyn, we went to the Philippines for a mission trip. Our schedule was very packed, but Crissylyn, along with her mother and baby sister, traveled 4 hours with a Compassion staffer to see us. The short time that we spent with her was so precious! We had stuffed a goody bag with all kinds of things that that a 6-year-old girl would like. We colored pictures with her, loved on her, and made memories to last a lifetime!

Over the years, we've kept in contact with her through letters. She writes to tell us about her family, how she's doing in school, and what she's learning about God's Word and we write back to let her know what we're up to. While there have been times when we really couldn't afford to continue our sponsorship, the thought of not supporting her was unthinkable. We couldn't imagine not sending that monthly support any more than we could imagine not providing food and shelter for our own children.

So happy birthday, Crissylyn! It has truly been a pleasure to watch you grow up into a beautiful, godly, young woman. And although we know that you will only need our sponsorship a few more years, you will always be a part of our family! We can't wait to see what God does through your life!

P.S. If you want to make a difference in the life of an under-privileged child, please consider becoming a sponsor with Compassion International! To see pictures of children who need your help TODAY, click here.

Valley of the Shadow of Public Speaking

2010-09-15T17:28:00.008-04:00

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of public speaking, I will fear no evil...

Can I be honest for a minute? As a fundraising missionary, one of the things I have probably dreaded the most was the necessity of speaking in front of a large group in order to share about our missions work. Now, I'm not afraid of being in front of a lot of people. I started singing in church at the age of 4 and have led worship in front of thousands of people. Give me a mic and a band and I'm good to go. Just don't ask me to talk a whole lot or I start to get nervous.

When my friend and former boss, Jamie, called me a few weeks ago and asked me to speak at a luncheon, my gut reaction was to say, "No, thanks, but Stephen can speak." (How's that for throwing your husband under the bus?) However, because this was a luncheon for meeting planners, which I used to be, it was really more appropriate for me to share. I had known deep down this day was coming anyway, so it was just a good opportunity to dive in head first and pray that I didn't drown.

I began to seek the Lord about what He would have me speak on. Over the course of a couple of weeks, He began to piece things together. While talking about our missions call to Italy was a given, I didn't want it to just be about Stephen and me. I wanted to inspire the meeting planners at the luncheon to make a difference in the world around them. The only problem was how to fit all of that into a 15-20 minute talk. No pressure!

Then the Lord showed me this verse.

“Through him we received both the generous gift of his life AND the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus. You are who you are through the gift AND call of Jesus Christ!” Romans 1:5-6, MSG (emphasis mine)

I was reminded that the gift of salvation and the task of passing it on to others go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. Our very identity in Christ is wrapped up in BOTH salvation and sharing it with others (see vs. 6).

Even though Stephen and I are called to be missionaries, we weren't always so passionate about reaching non-believers. God has been teaching us over the last 8 years that it's not just up to full-time Christian workers to win the lost. EVERY believer in Christ has a responsibility to share the Gospel!

Eureka! In my talk, I could share the journey the Lord had taken us on from committed church-goers who wouldn't have known how to share the Gospel if our lives depended on it, to missionary appointees preparing to move to another continent to take the message of Jesus to Italians! Then, I could challenge the group to ask themselves some hard questions about how they were doing when it came to winning the lost.

Once I had a definite topic, I began to get kind of excited about speaking at the luncheon. I started working on my talk and God began to refine it into what He wanted me to say. The more I worked on it, the more pumped up I became!

The day of the luncheon, Stephen and I arrived early so that we could eat before it was time for me to speak. I was nervous, but trying not to think about it. And finally, it was time.

Surprisingly, once I got up to the podium, I wasn't really all that nervous anymore. The more I shared, the better it felt! At the end of my talk, we had a group discussion and people began to share about the things that they were already doing to to reach lost people and other things that they wanted to try. It felt great to encourage people to think about sharing the Gospel as more than just an unpleasant task to be endured. In fact, several people emailed me afterwards to share how the meeting impacted them:

"Brandy, my whole weekend was better and vision more clear, because of your testimony on Friday." - Jill M.

"...I was inspired and also encouraged to keep at it in sharing the gospel with others." - Gen H.

"Thank you for your transparency and modeling obedience. Each time you come to my heart I will lift you up in prayer!" - Beth B.

I am truly humbled that God would use me to inspire anyone. Most of this journey has been walked out with fear and trembling. Stephen and I certainly don't have it all figured out, but every day we try to become more like Jesus. Some days we succeed and some days we don't, but we keep pressing forward.

One thing we are learning is that the Lord is more than sufficient and He never calls us to do anything for which He doesn't equip us. I'm also learning that sometimes we're actually pretty good at things we have been afraid to try. Now that I've had one chance to speak about our missions call, I'm really looking forward to an opportunity to do it again!

With that in mind, if you know of a church, small group, Sunday School class, or event that would be interested in having us share about our missions call, please send me an email at brandy@theverners.org.

If you'd like to read my entire talk, click here.

My New Office

2010-08-20T18:34:00.001-04:00

I know that it's been about 6 weeks since my last post and I apologize for the extended break! However, during that time God has orchestrated what we feel is a major step forward in the journey towards our call to Italy!

As many of you know, Stephen and I both work for our church, Victory World Church. Stephen is the Assistant Tech. Producer/Lighting Designer and works all 4 of our weekend services (1 on Saturday and 3 on Sunday), along with 3 days in the office every week. For the last 2 years, I have worked as Event Coordinator and although I greatly enjoyed it, the nature of the job meant long hours and lots of weekend work. Ever since we returned from our vision trip to Italy in April, we have been longing to get started in support raising so that we can get back to Italy and the ministry God has for us there. I'm sure you can imagine that it was difficult to do that with both of us working full-time, so the Lord made a way for us to do something about it!

Our church has been so supportive throughout this whole process and when I approached them about transitioning out of my position into something part-time, they were more than willing to accommodate! This week we started what I like to call "almost full-time" support raising! On Tuesdays and Thursdays I now work as a receptionist for our church office, but on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I am working from our home "office" (it's really just a desk in our kitchen but at least it's a desginated space!) doing all the administrative things it will take for us to raise the monthly support we will need on the mission field. This will also allow me to help Stephen as he makes follow-up calls and sets up meetings with potential supporters and churches.

Already this week, we've had 2 people tell us they would like to become financial supporters, along with being invited to speak at a luncheon next month! We know that God will open even more doors as we move forward! We greatly appreciate your prayers as we enter into this next phase!

The Book That Ruined My Vacation

2010-07-08T21:53:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had something catastrophic take place in your life, like a family member being deathly ill or a major financial crisis, and you look around to see everyone around you going on with life as usual while your world is being turned upside down? You want to scream at them to stop being so concerned with trivial things because there is something so much more important going on! That's exactly how I felt after finishing the book, "Radical" by David Platt. Let me give a little background...

For the last 6 months or so, as Stephen and I have started initial preparations to become church-planters in Italy, we have begun to try to define what it really takes to make a church. During this time, the Lord has been showing us that many of the things we take for granted in our modern, American worship setting, while not bad in and of themselves, are not necessary for a growing, Christ-centered, Bible-based church. God has continued to speak to us about this theme, so when I got an email a couple of months ago offering a free booklet entitled “The Radical Question” that addressed that very topic, I filled out the form and then promptly forgot about it.

A couple of days before our vacation, the booklet arrived in the mail and thinking it might be nice to read while kicked back at the beach, I tossed it in with my other reading material for the trip. Satan was not happy about that and he made quite a fuss. I will not bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that he did everything in his power to make our trip miserable. We knew that something was up and that God must have a purpose in our vacation, but didn’t realize that it had to do with the little orange booklet riding along with my magazines.

On Monday night we were cozy in our hotel room and since the fam was playing Scrabble, I decided to pull out the booklet and see what it had to say. I read half of it that night and the Lord woke me before 6 am the next morning to read the rest. (For those of you who know me well, you know that I am not a morning person, especially on vacation, so this was a little out of the ordinary.) The booklet was an excerpt from the book “Radical”. It challenged me in ways I have only begun to process as the author compared Biblical Christianity with our watered-down American version. It affected me so much that I got up while the rest of my family was still sleeping and went to Barnes and Noble to buy the book. Effective marketing strategy, right? You may believe that, but I know that God brought this book to my attention for a reason.

Over the last week, Stephen and I have devoured this book. In fact, we’ve fought over it, not wanting the other person to get ahead. This book has impacted me more than anything I’ve ever read with the exception of the Word of God itself. You want to know why? This book has made me ask some really hard questions. Questions about the American church in general, our church in particular, and most of all, myself. Quite honestly, I haven’t liked some of the answers. Even though I suspected a lot of the things talked about in the book, in reading it I came face-to-face with hard evidence straight from the Word about what God expects of His followers and I can assure you that it is not the “Christian spin on the American dream” that most of us are living now.

Now that God has brought this to my attention, I cannot stand by and do nothing. So, I am issuing a challenge to everyone reading this. If you visit www.radicalthebook.com, you can get a PDF of the first chapter from “Radical”. I DARE you to read it and begin to ask yourself some hard questions. Better yet, let’s take it a step further. I TRIPLE DOG DARE you to run, not walk, to the nearest bookstore, buy this book, read it from cover to cover and see if it doesn’t change the Christian that you have become. It certainly has changed me.

Please understand that, for me, this is not about promoting a book. It is about seeing the global purposes of God fulfilled by His church. On the whole, the church in America is not doing its job. However, I’m just crazy enough to think we can change that. Will you join me?

P.S. Stephen and I are planning to start a Bible study to delve deeper into what the Word says about the issues raised in “Radical”. Let me know if you’re interested in joining us.

Why Italy?

2010-07-05T21:45:00.003-04:00

Last night I finished an amazing book that ended with a challenge to do 5 things over the course of a year, one of which is to pray systematically for the entire world. I'll blog more about the book later, but I wanted to share something that the Lord showed me this afternoon.

Throughout the book, the author told stories of great needs in the third world and how radical Christians are rising up to meet those needs and in the process, sharing the love of Christ with a lost and hurting world. As I was reading and contemplating our future as missionaries to Italy, I began to question God. Why Italy? While it's hard to argue that the spiritual need in Italy is great, the physical needs there are nothing compared to countries like Sudan or Haiti. Deep down, I began to wonder if it would be better for us to go to a country where the needs are more visible.

This afternoon, following a suggestion from the book, I logged onto www.operationworld.org. Operation World is a book that guides you through praying for the whole world in one year. It includes a profile for all the countries of the world and prayer points to help you know how best to pray for each country. Every day of the year has a "country of the day" to pray for and seeing a link on the website to "Pray for Today's Country", I clicked on it out of curiosity. Imagine my surprise when today's country turned out to be... you guessed it, Italy. In fact, the Italian Republic is the country not only for today, but also for tomorrow and the next day.

God spoke to me in that moment to remind me that while the needs in Italy may not be the same as those in Ethiopia or India, there are still over 55 million people there who don't know Jesus as their Savior. He reminded me that He didn't call me to the third world. He called me to Italy. Honestly, I don't completely understand it, but I cannot deny that the Lord has made His will clear.

So, I urge you to join with our family over the next several days to pray for the people of Italy. Here are the prayer points for today to guide you in your prayers:

July 5

1 This great and gifted nation has decisively affected Western and world culture in legal systems (Roman law), language (Latin), culture (Renaissance art, music), and innovation (clothes, cars), yet is in deep spiritual need. After the fourth century collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church became a political as well as a spiritual power, deeply impacting the politics of Europe, the Muslim World (the Crusades) and Italy itself. The Church's temporal power, though reduced since 1870, was in conflict with its spiritual responsibilities – destabilizing, dividing and impoverishing Italy in the process. Most Italians are Catholic in culture, but deeply cynical about the Church. Pray for the removal of the multiple barriers that conceal a true understanding of the gospel.

2 The Roman Catholic Church shows ambivalent signs of persistent crisis and renewed power. On the one hand, it has lost over 10 million to New Age thinking, cults, the occult and materialistic secularism. Church attendance is decreasing, as are the number of priests. Yet Catholic traditions and mindset continue to permeate every aspect of national and personal life. The Catholic charismatic movement is growing, though its allegiance to the Church weakens its potential for inner renewal. Pray for millions of Italians to turn from dead tradition to the living Lord Jesus.

3 The unresponsiveness of Italians. The last four decades of religious freedom have been met with indifference. Occultism is widespread, and there are reckoned to be 100,000 full-time consulting magicians – nearly three times the number of Catholic priests. Satanism is strong in the north, Turin being one of the global centres of its activities, which include praying for the removal of all evangelical missionaries from the country. The strong pre-Christian pagan powers have never been fully routed in 2,000 years.

4 Protestantism has had an 800-year history in Italy. The world's oldest Protestant denomination, the Waldensian Church, began in north Italy, but was subjected to terrible persecution for centuries. Italian Catholic bishops officially apologized for this in 1997. The Waldensian Church is now in federal union with the Methodists and some Baptists but rather influenced by deadening liberal theology. The Protestant witness is weak and divided, especially between the growing Pentecostal majority and non-Pentecostal minority. New churches are often begun through bitter splits rather than strategic church planting. Most congregations are small, introspective and largely ignorant of the biblical challenge to missions and the few large congregations in the south are committed to 'prosperity' teaching. Pray for revival that breaks down barriers of individualism, mistrust and doctrinal extremes and leads to cooperative outreach.

Wasting My Life

2010-06-10T20:32:00.003-04:00

During staff prayer at Victory on Tuesday we sang a song I had never heard that said,

"I want to waste my life on You.
Like an alabaster jar,
I'm gonna waste it at your feet."

The song is referring to the New Testament story about Jesus being annointed with costly perfume (John 12:1-8). At first, I have to admit, I was a little disturbed by this. My life a waste for God? But then I realized it's all in your perspective. The perfume was very expensive and some thought it should have been sold to feed the poor - a more noble use in their minds. But Jesus said, "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial." (John 12:7) So the perfume had a special purpose. Even though from the world's view it could have been used for something "better", in Jesus's mind, being "wasted" at His feet was exactly what it was created for.

When I share with people that Stephen and I are preparing for the mission field, many of them are surprised. "For how long?" they ask, thinking that this must just be a phase we're going through. Our response is always the same, "Until God sends us somewhere else or tells us to go home." At that point I can usually tell that they are thinking something like, "But why? You both work in ministry at a great church. You live in a nice area and your kids go to great schools. You have a comfortable life here." And so on and so forth.

Yes, all those things are true... BUT that's not what we were intended for. The circumstances of our life in Atlanta are just the alabaster jar, keeping us safe until it's time to be poured out. And once the pouring occurs, there's no turning back. When the woman was finished anointing Jesus there was nothing left of the perfume except the fragrance that filled the house.

So I pray that I would not be tempted to stay in my alabaster jar when it's time. I pray that I would not buy into the world's view of what my purpose should be. Instead I pray that my life would be a fragrant offering to God, poured out for His glory, wasted at His feet.

Thank You, Mystery Photographer!

2010-06-03T22:59:00.000-04:00

The last month or so has been super busy with work and the kids finishing up school, baseball, soccer, etc. However, I have managed to work a little on our promotional materials as we prepare to launch into support raising for our missions work. Above is a fridge magnet I created to send to our supporters. I am really pleased with how it turned out and thought I would share it and the story behind the picture.

When Stephen and I went to Italy in April for our vision trip, one of the things we hoped to accomplish was getting some pictures to use for our website and print materials. This picture was taken on the Rialto Bridge in Venice by a friendly tourist who saw us attempting to take our own picture and offered to snap one for us. The amazing thing is that we were completely surrounded by people on all sides and our volunteer photographer managed to get this incredible shot of us in front of the Grand Canal with no other people in the picture! So mystery photographer, whoever and wherever you are... thank you!

Forever Grateful

2010-05-27T01:42:00.003-04:00

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you've probably figured out that my husband and I are called to be missionaries to Italy. What you may not know is that for my day job, I'm an event planner for our church, Victory World Church. Because of that, I am currently at the Christian Meetings and Conventions Association (CMCA) conference in Franklin, TN. Tonight I attended a dinner thinking that I would eat some good food and hear some good music before going back to my hotel room for the night. God had other plans.

It has now been over 6 weeks since we left Italy behind to return to regular life. It is amazing how quickly life steps in to push your vision farther and farther away. Work goes on and the kids have school. Saturdays are spent at the ballfield and Sunday is filled with church activities. Pretty soon Monday comes around again and the cycle continues every week. Don't get me wrong. I have not forgotten about Italy. Not even close. But bills have an annoying habit of coming in the mail every month and the kids like to eat at least a couple of times a day, so you do what you have to do. However, my heart has been crying out to the Father! Lord, please don't let me get so wrapped up in everything here that I can't move forward in what You've called me to do!

Because God loves me so much, He orchestrated a last minute trip to Tennessee so that I would hear what He had to say to me tonight through a man named Kirk Whalum. You may have heard of Kirk. He is an 8 time Grammy-nominated saxophonist. If you haven't heard his name, I can almost guarantee you've heard him play since he is the sax player on Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You". It is not those things that make me a fan of Kirk Whalum, even though I admit that the man can play a mean sax! (And I know good sax music when I hear it since my husband is a pretty incredible saxophonist too!) What I will always be grateful to Kirk for was reminding me tonight that God wants to use the things we love to help further His kingdom and fulfill our destiny.

In between playing his sax like nobody's business, Kirk spoke about how music is a universal language that can reach all people. He said that sometimes unbelievers are not open to hearing you talk about Jesus, but they'll come to hear music, which can open a door to share the gospel. He talked about doing concerts in Japan, Sweden, and France and I was reminded of the dream that Stephen and I have to use our love of music to win Italians to Christ. As I watched Kirk and his band do what they love best, I pictured me with a mic and Stephen playing his sax and seeing lives changed in Italy because of something as simple as music. It may not seem like much to you, but it was life-giving to me and I will be forever grateful.

So Kirk, for what it's worth, thank you. Even though I will still have to go to work every day and cook dinner every night and do laundry for 2 kids that change clothes 3 times a day, my passion for what God has called us to in Italy is renewed. Because you were faithful to the Lord to do what you love best for His glory, I will strive to do the same. And one day I hope to be able to encourage someone else in their calling the way that you've encouraged me.

The First of Many Firsts

2010-05-07T11:20:00.000-04:00

As Stephen and I have entered into the next phase of this missions journey, it has become apparent that we will have many new "firsts" moving forward. The Lord has been calling on us to do things that we never dreamed in order to fulfill this call on our lives and we know it will just continue.

Last Sunday, we had the first of many firsts as we were invited to share about our call to full-time missions in Italy to our church's Latino service, Victory Vida. The topic of their message was "Heroes" and Vida's pastor, Emilio Schumann, talked about Abraham leaving his home country to follow God's leading to a new land where the Lord had planned his destiny. Then, to give an example of a modern day "hero", Stephen goes running onto the stage dressed as a boxer while the song, "Eye of the Tiger" is blaring from the speakers! He was introduced as the "Italian Stallion" and Pastor Emilio interviewed him about our call to Italy and the incredible need for the gospel there.

Because the Vida service is done entirely in Spanish, Stephen spoke through an interpreter (which was great practice for our transition to Italy until we learn Italian!). It was so moving to hear the crowd's reaction to the statistics Stephen shared and then Pastor Emilio led the congregation to pray over us in Spanish. Even though I didn't understand everything he said, I could feel the fervency of their prayers for us and for the Italian people. Afterwards, a couple of people came up to us and told us stories of people they know in Italy and the spiritual darkness they have experienced there. We also got several donations towards our outgoing expenses and had people asked to be added to our prayer list.

We had such a good time being a part of the Vida service! Pastor Emilio and his assistant, Jerry (in the picture at the top being "punched" by Stephen) made everything so easy that our first time speaking about our missions call in a service was truly a pleasure instead of being stressful as we imagined it might be. We are looking forward to many more opportunities to share!

P.S. If you or your church would be interested in having us speak about the need in Italy during a worship service, small group meeting, Sunday school class, etc., please email me at brandy@theverners.org. We would even love to bring a tiramasu to your house for you and a few friends or maybe just meet over cappuccino to talk! The need for the gospel in Italy is great and we are looking for people and churches to partner with us to make that happen!

The Journey to Italy

2010-04-28T20:42:00.003-04:00

Three and a half weeks ago my feet touched Italian soil for the first time. The 10 days that followed were totally life-changing, as Stephen and I saw the country that will become our new home... the people that we will pour our hearts and lives into over the years to come... the place where God has planned His destiny for us. I can honestly say that it was everything I had imagined, but it was also so much more than I had ever dreamed.

I expected the breath-taking beauty of the landscape and the awe I would feel on viewing the ancient architecture. The food was as delicious as I had anticipated and we ate lots of it! Especially the gelato!

What I didn't expect was the overwhelming grief that came over me in a church in Faenza as God revealed to me the spiritual state of Italian Catholics. I began to understand that Italians never see Jesus as the risen Lord. He is perpetually on the cross being sacrificed for their sins. The work of salvation is never considered complete as they do penance over and over to earn forgiveness, without the knowledge that Jesus offers it freely, with no strings attached.

But for the majority of Italians, a relationship with God is a waste of time. They've been to mass and think that it's irrelevant to their lives. Why do they need Jesus? They live in one of the most beautiful and influential countries in the world and they have everything they could possibly need... or do they?

As we traveled to each of the 10 cities we visited during our time in Italy, we heard stories of how God is working to draw Italians to Himself. In every place, we met missionaries who are laboring to reveal the true gospel to people who have been deceived. They have forsaken home, family, and everything familiar to be obedient to God's call and their sacrifice is not in vain!

The Lord is doing amazing things in Italy! Nuns who have never read the Bible before are studying the scriptures with missionaries and coming to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior! Evangelical summer camps in Forli are miraculously being promoted by the city government and now an even greater number of children are hearing the gospel daily during the camps! God is opening doors for ministry on the campus of the University of Bologna, which is the oldest university in Europe and has over 90,000 students, but currently has no evangelical ministry! And even right now, new churches are being planted in towns where there has never been an evangelical church before! Like candles being lit, one by one in a dark room, the light of Truth is illuminating the darkness in Italy. And as more candles are lit, eventually the light will overtake the darkness.

When God first spoke to us in late 2008, we didn't fully understand why He was calling us to Italy. We read the statistics and were grieved by them. We felt God asking us to do something about it and so we embarked on this journey. Because He is our Lord, we have walked this path out of obedience, not always able to see the next turn or even the next step, but trusting that God would make everything clear in His time. In Italy, the fog lifted and we were able, for the first time, to truly see the road before us. While the path is not an easy one, we realize that God is calling us to join Him on a great adventure. We see Him before us, beckoning us to follow Him, asking us to put aside our fears and trust that He is more the capable to make a way. And so we will follow God down this road as long as He leads. It's time for the next step in the journey...

Places to Go and People to See

2010-03-28T23:09:00.003-04:00

As our departure to Italy draws nearer, I thought it would be a good idea to let everyone know what our plans will be during our 10 day vision trip. When Stephen and I first started talking about taking this trip, we decided that we wanted to squeeze in as much as possible during our time there, especially since neither of us has ever been to Italy. We wanted to see every area where TEAM Italy is currently working, as well as a few areas where future ministry is planned. While we know that we will be planting churches in Italy, God has not yet made it clear in which city. It is our hope that we will have a better idea after visiting all the ministry areas.

Also high on our list was visiting the city where we will be living during our time in language school, which will take place during our first year or two on the field. We also wanted to meet with as many of the TEAM missionaries currently serving there as we possibly could so that we could get to know our future co-workers and learn from their ministry experience.

Gene Coleman, the ministry area leader in Italy, worked hard to put together the following itinerary for us, which is exactly what we had hoped for. While we know that it will be a very busy trip, we also feel like we will be so much better prepared because of it. I can't wait to share what God reveals to us during our time there! Stay tuned!

Thursday, April 1
Depart Atlanta at 8:55 pm to fly to Venice by way of Paris.

Friday, April 2
Arrive at Marco Polo International Airport in Venice at 2:15 pm local time. Stay overnight with missionaries, Gene and Susan Coleman in Pordenone.

Saturday, April 3
Visit Pordenone and Conegliano. Go to Trieste by train in the afternoon.

Saturday, April 3 - Sunday, April 4
Visit Trieste with missionaries, David and Rachel Tucker and Dan and Suzanne Kaiser.

Monday, April 5
Go to Mestre by train in the morning. Visit Mestre and Venice with missionary, Carmen Chugg. This is my birthday, by the way, and Venice is the city I have most wanted to visit for as long as I can remember! I can't think of a more wonderful way to spend my birthday than exploring the work that God is doing in one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

Tuesday, April 6
Travel to Bologna by train in the morning to visit with missionaries, Andy and Linda Brucato.

Wednesday, April 7
Leave for Imola in the morning to have lunch with missionaries, Josh and Sara Whitman. Leave for Faenza in the afternoon.

Wednesday, April 7 - Thursday, April 8
Visit Faenza with missionaries, Mario and Annegret Carlomagno.

Thursday, April 8 - Friday, April 9
Leave for Forli on Thursday afternoon to visit with missionaries, Stan and Annamaria Goertzen.

Friday, April 9
Leave for Umbertide on Friday afternoon to visit with missionaries, George and Kim Aguirre and Thomas and Rebecca Krockertskothen.

Saturday, April 10
Go to Perugia in the morning to visit with missionaries, Mark and Ruth Brucato and David and Nicole Hannah. Perugia is the city where we will live initially when we move to Italy, so that we can attend language school at the University for Foreigners. We are very excited to see what our new hometown will be like!

Sunday, April 11
Leave for Rome to fly back to Atlanta by way of New York City. Arrival time is 7:40 pm EST.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

2010-03-25T09:45:00.001-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been a little bit of a whirlwind as baseball and then, soccer season started. This is Bryson's first year on an actual baseball team, even though the kid has been holding a ball and glove practically since birth! Stephen has the privilege of coaching Bryson's team this year, which we look at as not only a great father/son bonding experience, but also as ministry experience. Sports are huge in Italy and we have talked about the possibility of doing some sort of sports ministry there as a way to reach Italians.

Laynie is venturing out into soccer this spring, which is a new experience for all of us! This will also be a form of preparation for our missions work since soccer in Italy is kind of an obsession from what we've heard. None of us really know a lot about soccer (besides the obvious things like you can't use your hands and you're supposed to kick the ball into the goal), but we're looking forward to learning along with Laynie!

It's amazing to me as we walk along this missions journey how God uses EVERYTHING in your life to prepare you for the work He's called you to. Some of the preparation is not pleasant, but it's nice sometimes to enjoy the fun things that God uses to get us ready to follow Him. It's going to be a great season!

And So We Go

2010-03-18T22:57:00.005-04:00

During the last several days, the Lord has done amazing things in the life of the Verners! As of Monday morning, we had only raised $1275 of the $2500 total needed for our upcoming vision trip to Italy. I'll admit that I was getting a little anxious (as I am prone to do), especially since we were only 2 1/2 weeks from the scheduled departure date and we did not even have enough to buy airfare. By Tuesday, it was really starting to affect me and I kept checking flight prices to see if, by some miracle, they had dropped drastically. They had not...

On our way home from the office, I asked Stephen to drop me off at home before going to pick the kids up so that I could go ahead and start dinner (something I don't usually do). I was feeling very down and just wanted to be alone for a while to feel sorry for myself. God had other plans.

Picking up the mail on my way inside, I noticed that there were 2 envelopes that looked to be missions donations. I put off opening them until I got inside and put all my stuff down. I was afraid to get my hopes up too much, but was totally surprised to find checks for a total of $350! Then, I felt the Lord prompting me to check our missions account online and I found another $50 donation for a total of $400 in one day!

As I stood in my kitchen, I was totally overwhelmed by the feeling of God's love for me. I felt like He said, "Brandy, I know you better than you know yourself and I am more than enough to meet your needs, not only financially, but in EVERY way." I began to cry and praise Him right there. Needless to say, I didn't start dinner the way I had planned. I went and knelt by our bed, opened my Bible, and began to worship the King of the universe, who loves me so much that He orchestrated that time just to encourage me.

The next morning, I found cheap airfare online that was only about $50 more than the total we had raised. When my boss slipped me a check for $50, I felt like that was confirmation that we were supposed to go ahead and buy the tickets, even though the itinerary was terrible. However, before I got a chance to purchase them, prices went up and we were short again by almost $300. I was crushed! However, God sees details that we have no idea about and He is always working even when we don't understand how!

A little while later, I got word that our church was unexpectedly donating $300 towards our trip! I quickly went online and found a great itinerary and the price was $2 and some change less than the total amount God had provided! As I clicked "purchase", I was once again reminded of God's overwhelming love for me. He was not content with us having to rearrange plans to accomodate a bad flight itinerary and instead made provision for something better for us, His children. In the same way, He was not content with us being separated from Him by our sin and so He made the ultimate sacrifice in the form of His Son's death on the cross. God, we are so unworthy, but we're forever grateful!

It's for that reason that we are willing to go to Italy and give up everything we know and hold dear; to move to a place where we know almost no one, learn a new language, and try to make a difference in a country that desperately needs to know the true love of God. Because Jesus already did that for us when He humbled Himself to become a man and walk among us so that we would no longer be separated from God. The price that we pay is nothing compared to what Jesus paid for us and so even if it costs us everything, we will go...

The Next Step

2010-03-09T20:27:00.003-05:00

After I was finally able to give an update on our missions training a few days ago, I thought it would be a good idea to share a little about the next step in our process. During a time of prayer and fasting in January, the Lord confirmed to us the need to take a vision trip to Italy. Since neither of us have ever been to Italy, we feel that this is a critical part of the preparation process and will be very important as we move forward in our calling.

The purpose of this trip is to visit all of the cities where TEAM Italy is currently working, as well as a few where future church plants are planned. This will give us a broad overview of all the ministry initiatives and will help us have a better idea of the specific area or ministry that God is calling us to in Italy. We will also be meeting with almost all of the TEAM missionaries who are currently working with Italians and we will being staying with many of them as we travel between the 11 cities we're scheduled to visit.

One of the places we're particularly excited to see is Perugia, which is where we will be living upon arrival in Italy and where we will attend language school at the University for Foreigners. We hope to check out the university, as well as schools for the kids, and get a general sense of what it will be like to live there. More importantly, though, is the opportunity to get a real feel for the spiritual state of Italians and what it will take to reach them with the gospel. We learned recently that Europe is the only continent in the world where Christianity is on the decline. It is our responsibility as Christians to do something about it! We are willing to go, but we can't do it alone!

Since most of our accommodations and meals will be covered by staying with missionaries, the bulk of our expense for this trip will be airfare to Italy and train fare within the country. The estimated cost is $2,500 and the Lord has already provided $1075 of the amount needed. However, we still need $1,425 to make this trip possible. Our trip is scheduled for April 2-11, which is right around the corner and we need to purchase airfare soon! If God is leading you to give, you can donate online! Just select "Verner, Stephen and Brandy" from the drop-down box under "Give to Support a Missionary". Or, you can mail a check! Please make the check payable to "TEAM" and write "Stephen and Brandy Verner" on the memo line. Then, just drop it in the mail to:

TEAM
PO Box 969
Wheaton, IL 60187

All contributions are tax-deductible and will go a long way to helping us fulfill the calling that God has given our family to reach Italy for Christ. Your prayers and support mean so much to us and we know that we can't do this without you! If you have questions about anything, please feel free to email us at Stephen@theverners.org or Brandy@theverners.org. You can also check out our website at http://www.theverners.org/ for more information.

Missions Training Update

2010-03-07T22:22:00.010-05:00

Ever been so excited to share about an experience you had, but you had no idea where to start or how to express what you felt? Well, that's exactly how we feel about our missions training last month. It was totally amazing from start to finish, but expressing it so that you can get a glimpse of what we experienced has proved to be somewhat of a challenge. However, we're going to give it our best shot!
Admittedly, it was a little bit of information overload. It is totally impossible to cram in everything that a missionary appointee needs to know into one week of training, but the TEAM staff came pretty close! Our sessions included topics such as "What is the Church?", which opened up a great dialog about how we, as Americans, view the church and how differently other cultures see it.

Another subject was church planting, which is what we will ultimately be doing in our ministry to Italians. TEAM's purpose is to "help churches send missionaries to establish reproducing churches among the nations to the glory of God" and they spent a lot of time on what it takes to plant healthy, growing, and ultimately, reproducing churches that can change the spiritual climate of a nation and the world.

Of course, there was much instruction about support raising and how best to go about that, as well as the Biblical basis behind it. We also learned a ton about TEAM as an organization and are sure, now more than ever, that this is the organization that God would have us partner with in our call to reach Italy with the gospel.

But it wasn't just us who got all the training! Bryson and Laynie attended their own program with 5 other elementary-age kids. They learned all about Italian culture and even were able to meet a retired missionary couple from Italy who came to share about their experiences. Not only that, but they also met kids going to Taiwan, Austria, Chad, India, and Ireland and got to learn about some of those countries, too!

While the training was great for the whole family, some of the best time was spent over lunch or dinner with other missionaries who are called to various parts of the world; hearing their struggles and their triumphs, their stories and their advice. Some of the missionaries we met have been with TEAM for decades and some are brand new, just like us, but it was soul-refreshing to meet so many people who have the same passion and call to reach a lost world for Christ.

We all made friends during that week that will last a lifetime and even got to know another family, the Johnsons, who are also headed to Italy! Thank you for your prayers and support to help get us there! It was an investment that will reap kingdom dividends for years to come!

Processing

2010-02-20T23:44:00.002-05:00

As I sit here in a Chick-fil-A about an hour north of Indianapolis, I'm trying to process everything that took place over the last week during our missions training at TEAM.

I had wanted to post something each day, but honestly, after being in class from 8 am to 5 pm every day and then having dinner with all the other missionaries, by the time we got back to our hotel room each night, I was feeling a little information overload.

I think I'm still suffering from that a bit. The things that we talked about and contemplated this week are somewhat overwhelming. Until coming to the training, we could have called this missions venture off at any point (not that we would have), but now we know too much to turn back from this path we've started down. The global need for people willing to go out and share Jesus with a lost world can no longer be ignored, even if we wanted to. Stories of missionaries facing joys and hardships, triumphs and struggles became real to us because they were told by people we now call friends. For better or worse, no matter what comes, we are fully commited to this call.

I think it will take us a little more time to process everything we learned this week, so I hope to share things here in the weeks to come. Thank you for your prayers and support during this time! We couldn't have done this without you all!

Happy Birthday, Bryson!

2010-02-15T22:18:00.002-05:00

One of the cool things about our missions training trip is that Bryson's 10th birthday is today and he got to spend it here in Illinois. Although Stephen and I spent the day in training, all the school-age kids got to go to Monkey Joe's this afternoon to jump on the inflatables and play games! Then, we got to finish our day swimming in the indoor pool while looking out on the snow falling! All in all, it was a great way for the birthday boy to spend his day! Happy Birthday, Bryson! We love you!

We Made It!

2010-02-14T22:22:00.000-05:00

Early yesterday, our family left Indianapolis for the final leg of our trip to the TEAM headquarters. We stopped over in downtown Chicago to get some Giordano's deep-dish pizza (a must-do if you're ever in Chicago!). After what had been a blessedly uneventful trip, it started getting a little hairy there for a while as it took us 30 minutes to find parking and then we had to wait over an hour for a table. I have never been a restaurant that was so crowded! However, it was all worth it when that steaming hot, cheese-filled circle of deliciousness was placed on our table! After filling our bellies, we rode down to Lake Michigan to see the Navy Pier before heading west towards Carol Stream, IL.

We checked into our hotel (they ran out of room in the TEAM apartments, so we get to stay in a nearby Hampton Inn) and then headed to the TEAM office for dinner. I'll admit that I was a little apprehensive because we didn't know any of the other couples and weren't exactly sure what to expect, but within just a few minutes we met another couple that is headed to Italy, Andy and Jaycie Johnson. They have 2 girls, one of which is just a little older than Laynie, so she was thrilled. Then, we met another couple, Ian and Beth Chadwick, and they are from Atlanta too! They recognized us when we walked in because they also used to be a CARES team! What a small world!

This morning, our family went to church with one of the TEAM staff members, Steve Dresselhaus, and his wife, Lois. Afterwards, they invited us over for lunch at their home. It was great to hear the stories of their ministry in Venezuela and Mexico and to get their advice about ministry in a foreign culture.

In the afternoon, we gathered at the TEAM office for some "get to know each other" activities before the Welcome Dinner and Celebration this evening.

Training kicks into high gear tomorrow morning with a non-stop schedule for the next 5 days. I'll keep you up-to-date with everything that's going on, so check back! Thanks for your prayers!

Headed North

2010-02-12T23:49:00.002-05:00

Our little family of four (and enough luggage for about 10 people) piled into our Kia this morning and headed north to attend our missions training at the TEAM headquarters in Carol Stream, IL (about 35 miles west of Chicago). With every mile, I became more aware of the magnitude of this calling to missions work in Italy. Until now, it has almost felt hypothetical or like something that would happen someday, but not anytime soon.

However, today I could no longer deny that this journey is hurtling forward at a speed that is a little uncomfortable at times. But in doubting moments, when I question that this call is truly of God, I look back and see what He has done to bring us to this place and how He has prepared us for this task. So, we press forward towards the next step of obedience.

Tomorrow afternoon, we start an intensive, week-long training to teach us how to raise support, minister to people cross-culturally, and all sorts of other things that missionaries need to know that I have no clue about yet. And while there is a part of me that is terrified, the rest of me knows that this is the plan the Lord had for me when He formed me in the womb and that excites me more than I can ever express. I have learned over the last couple of years that the center of God's will is the most wonderful place to be, so I take the next step in this journey with the Lord and wait to see what He's going to do next. I have a feeling that it's going to be an amazing ride...

New Website!

2010-01-30T17:07:00.002-05:00

The last couple of weeks, I've devoted a lot of my free time to creating a website for our missions venture to Italy. It's amazing what can be accomplished when you're not spending as much time on Facebook! :) The website is pretty simple right now, but we will be adding to it as we go forward. Please check it out: www.theverners.org. Let me know what you think and be sure to check back often to follow us on the journey to becoming full-time missionaries to Italy. It's going to be a wild ride!

And 2009 Becomes 2010...

2010-01-08T19:39:00.004-05:00

I can honestly say that Christmas 2009 was the best one in a very long time! While there was nothing overly exciting about what we did for the holidays, it was the first Christmas in a long time that we felt we could really relax and enjoy ourselves.

Christmas Eve was spent at the candlelighting services at our church. The kids really enjoyed the music and loved the part when all the candles were lit! The indoor nativity complete with live animals didn't hurt either!

Christmas morning was so cozy as we enjoyed it with just our little family, before the rest of the family from both sides joined us for the afternoon and evening.

Stephen and I both had some time off between Christmas and New Years and we reveled in spending time with each other and the kids and catching up on rest. On New Years Eve we had the pleasure of having a few of our neighbors and Stephen's sister, Karen, over for a taco bar and Wii bowling and we spent New Years Day at Stephen's aunt and uncle's house. We finished off our wonderful vacation on Stephen's birthday (Jan. 4) by catching dinner and a movie with the kids.

The arrival of 2010 was a welcome occasion as I have felt God saying to me that while 2009 was about the process of getting accepted as missionaries, 2010 will be about actually getting to Italy. Tomorrow we start a 21 day fast that our church does every January. We have decided to fast media this time to block out a lot of distractions so we can focus on hearing what God is saying about how to best accomplish our missions support raising and training. We did a fast like this in the fall and I feel like it had a huge impact on our family, so I'm excited to see what God reveals this time. I can't wait to share with everyone what God shows us, so check back soon!

Meet Baby Abby

2009-12-18T23:24:00.002-05:00

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of meeting the newest addition to our family, Abby, who is my cousin Summer's new baby. Summer and her husband, Jay, have lived in the Memphis area the last couple of years, but recently moved to Austin, TX, which is not cool when there's a new baby involved! I was so excited to hear that she was coming home to GA for the holidays and when I found out that she would be at my parents' house today, we braved the flood-like weather in our van/ark and headed out to Athens. It was great to see Summer and to be able to cuddle sweet, little baby Abby while she snoozed peacefully.

My husband was getting a little concerned that I might get "baby-fever", but his fears were very soon put to rest when Abby regurgitated the entire bottle she had just had all over my shirt. Let's just say that any thoughts I may have been having about the pitterpatter of little feet were quickly laid to rest. But I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Abby and can't wait to see her again next weekend!

Dirt "Cookies"

2009-12-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

As I'm driving in to work this morning, I heard someone from Food for the Poor on the radio talking about kids in Haiti who eat dirt "cookies" to stave off their hunger because they have nothing else to eat. The cookies are made of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening and are then left to cook in the hot sun.

Sitting in my nice, warm car sipping hot tea, I was overcome with emotion. I looked in the rear-view mirror to see if my children (children who had woken up in warm beds this morning, had clothes to put on for school, and breakfast to eat) were listening. They were.

Then I thought of what Christmas has become. Americans rushing around, spending obscene amounts of money on things that people really don't need for people they barely know, while there are people all over this world who are starving. I was overwhelmed with shame for our country. May God forgive us for turning the day that we celebrate Jesus's birth into an excuse for greed and indulgence. May God forgive me for naming something a "need" when my needs (food, shelter, clothing) are met every day.

If you are reading this, I challenge you to do something to help the less fortunate this Christmas season and I mean more than struggling to drop your pennies in the Salvation Army bucket you pass on the way out of a store, all the while trying not to drop all the bags with the Christmas presents that you just bought. Don't pretend that you don't do this!

It only takes $144 to feed a family in Haiti for an ENTIRE YEAR! I spend that much regularly in the grocery store buying food for a week or two. Maybe you can't write a check for that amount all at once. You can spread the amount out over a year, just $12 a month. We spend more than that in just one trip through the McDonald's drive-through.

If your heart is stirred by this, go to www.foodforthepoor.org for more info. Or maybe there's another cause that you are passionate about. The point is, DO SOMETHING! Don't get me wrong, I'm not against giving gifts for Christmas. I want to bless my children, but more than that I want to teach them to be unselfish, giving adults. So our family is going to feed another family for a year, even if we have to cut out the drive-through trips. And when we wake up on Christmas morning, it will not be the presents under the tree that I will be most happy about. It will be knowing that my husband and I showed our children what true love and giving looks like. Isn't that what Christmas is all about, anyway?

Shout Out to Papa Johns

2009-12-02T22:24:00.005-05:00

I just have to give a shout out to Papa Johns! One night a couple of weeks ago when I had to work, my husband decided to order pizza. I had suggested Dominos because they had a good deal and our kids wanted Pizza Hut, but Stephen decided to go with Papa Johns and in the process of ordering online, entered a contest for a chance to win a Nintendo Wii. HE ACTUALLY WON!!!

The cool thing is that we had been planning to buy one for our kids for Christmas. So thank You, Lord, for the blessing and thanks, Papa Johns, for making our Christmas extra special! We will never order from the other guys again! :)

The Journey Continues

2009-10-07T19:58:00.009-04:00

I have been meaning to post an update for several weeks, but life (as usual) is flying by at a rapid pace leaving little time for me to sit and write. However, I'm determined to keep a record of this missions journey we are on!

The first week of September, Stephen and I flew to Chicago for our Missions Placement Consultation, where we were picked up by Dave Davis who is on staff with our missions organization, TEAM. He drove us to the small town of Carol Stream, IL where the TEAM headquarters is located and dropped us off at the apartments where we would be staying for the next 3 nights.

After a good nights sleep, we walked across the parking lot to the office and reported for Day 1 of meetings with various members of the TEAM staff. We were a nervous and excited all at the same time, but felt right at home when we were greeted with a sign that said "TEAM Welcomes Stephen and Brandy Verner"! During the day, we met with 6 different people, were given a modern language aptitude test (which we were pleasantly surprised to score very well on), and had lunch at a great little Italian place across the street (how appropriate). After the day's meeting were done, we hopped a train into Chicago for some sight-seeing and some of the world's best pizza (aside from that in Italy, I'm sure).

Day 2 consisted of 5 more meetings, one of which was done over Skype (our first experience with video chatting). Then, with the help of a borrowed car, we drove to nearby Wheaton, IL for dinner. As we ate and talked about our time there, overall we felt very confirmed in our call and pleased to now be part of the TEAM family. The next day we headed back to Atlanta and life as usual.

About a week later, we received a letter stating that we were "officially appointees with TEAM"! You cannot imagine the wonderful feeling this brought after almost a year of working through the process to get to this point. However, we know that this is just the beginning of this journey God has called us to.

The next step is raising financial support. We are responsible for raising 100% of the money we will need to live and minister in Italy, plus the amounts needed for training before our departure and outgoing expenses to get us there. It is not a small figure, but we know that God is faithful to complete that which He has started. We are praying that God will raise up people who can catch the vision for what He is doing in Italy and join with us in prayer and financial support. The spiritual darkness there is great, but we are going to join the light that is already shining, growing stronger day by day. We know that God has a plan and a purpose for the people of Italy and we are honored to part of that. I invite you to join us...

Not just one, but two!

2009-08-31T18:09:00.005-04:00

After spending all weekend at the hospital with my dad, our family headed home late last night feeling a little better about everything. Until about 2:45 am, when I received a call from my mom. When a relative is in the hospital and someone calls in the middle of the night, it is never a good feeling. However, I would have never guessed that my mom was calling to tell me that she had had a mild heart attack and was in the hospital, too. Huh?!? My immediate reaction was to ask, "Do you mean Dad had a heart attack?" Ummm, no... it was actually my mom. So, now both of my parents are in the hospital with heart problems at the same time.

I drove back to Athens first thing this morning and arrived in time to meet with the cardiologist who performed the heart cath on my mom. She had a 70% blockage in one artery, but the doctor was able to put a stint in and he had determined that there was no damage to the heart. Thank you, Jesus!

So, I've spent my day going back and forth between their 2 different rooms, 2 floors apart. Thankfully, it looks like Mom will probably be able to go home tomorrow, but Dad is going to be here several more days until his leg infection heals so that they can address the more serious problem with his heart. He's doing fairly well so far. His only complaint is that the TV in his room doesn't get all the sports channels that he gets at home. Awwww... :)

Thanks to everyone who has prayed for our family. We have felt your prayers over the last several days. As Stephen and I gear up to travel to Illinois on Wednesday evening for our missions placement consultation, we recognize this situation as what it is... an attack from an enemy that wants to distract us from God's calling. However, we stand firm on God's Word that tells us Satan is a defeated foe and press forward with what God has called us to. Please keep praying for continued healing for my parents and safety during our trip later this week.

My Daddy

2009-08-30T10:26:00.010-04:00

As I write this, I am sitting at my dad's bedside at a hospital in my hometown of Athens, GA (Go Dawgs!). My mom took him to the ER yesterday morning because of an infection in his leg (he's a diabetic, so legs and feet are always a concern). However, while they were examining him, his pulse was double what it should be. They decided to admit him and have a cardiologist examine him.

After some tests, they've determined that his heart is "sluggish and dialated", whatever that means. The cardiologist is talking about possibly doing a heart cath or putting in a difibulator (sp?) to monitor his heart rhythms. Dad was giving my mom and I the update from the doctor and we were feeling pretty good about everything until about 10 minutes later when he laughingly remembered the cardiologist saying that he was a "candidate for sudden cardiac death." HELLLOOO! That would have been nice to know before! You would think that that particular fact would have stuck in his mind!!!

I have been very blessed in my life so far that my family has been healthy, so this is a little unsettling. The fact that it is my father makes it even more so. He has been the rock of our family my whole life. One of the doctors even called him "the patriarch of a large family" because all of us rushed to the hospital when we got the news.

This whole experience has been an unwanted reminder that my parents will not always be here and the fact that Stephen and I will be moving half a world away to Italy in the not too distant future is sobering. There may be times in the future when someone in our family is sick and we can't just drive an hour and a half to get to the hospital. While it doesn't change my call to Italy, it does make me more aware of what we'll be giving up here.

Please pray for my dad's healing. I know that our God is still a God of miracles, but I also know that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19) and we are responsible for taking good care of our temples. I had a wake-up call earlier this year when my cholesterol and blood pressure were both high. I got serious about my health and have lost 30 lbs since then. I pray that this is a wake-up call for my dad, too. Thanks for your prayers!

Brandy

Missionaries to Italy!

2009-08-19T18:49:00.008-04:00

Just over 10 months ago, God rocked my world with a seemingly coincidental visit to the website of a local church. What I read there so changed my life that I will never be the same again. The story of The Hannahs, a young couple called to be missionaries to Italy, seared my heart and the facts about the spiritual darkness there grieved my spirit. In a moment, God spoke to me and said, "This is My will for your life." And so began this journey...

I began to pray and to read everything I could about Italy. Then, armed with statistics and full of trepidation, I approached my husband with what I felt God was calling us to do. Stephen was surprised at first, but God began to work on his heart and soon he was as burdened for the Italian people as I was.

After several months of prayer and seeking godly counsel, we submitted an application to TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) to become full-time missionaries to Italy. The enemy was not pleased with our decision and life began to get complicated, but we pressed through. For the past 7 months, we have worked through the steps to complete our application. We have undergone physical exams, mental and psychological tests, phone interviews in which our beliefs were carefully examined, paperwork and more paperwork. We have been poked and prodded (both physically and spiritually) and the skeletons in our closets have all been revealed. It has been an exhausting process, physically, mentally, and spiritually, but we underand that TEAM takes very seriously their responsibility to ensure that the missionaries they appoint are healthy in every area of their lives. We honor them for their diligence.

On August 3, we received the long-awaited news that Stephen and I have been officially accepted by TEAM as missionary candidates. As you can imagine, we were thrilled and our family celebrated over a meal of cheese tortellini as we imagined what life will be like in our new home. However, this is only the first step in the long journey that God has called us to. If only we could just board a plane now to Italy and get on with the work that the Lord has assigned. But, like an expectant mother waiting while her baby grows and develops, we must walk out this process as God prepares us.

So, what's the next step? In a couple of weeks, Stephen and I fly to Illinois for our placement consultation at the TEAM headquarters. During 2 days of meetings, we will meet with many of the TEAM staff as they get to know us better and determine if there are any issues that need to be addressed before departure to Italy, such as training, experience, etc.

Once we complete those meetings, we will have a better idea of what the next steps in this process will look like. Please be in prayer for us during this time and we'll definitely keep everyone updated as we move forward!

Arrivederci!

The Sad Office Chair

2009-06-08T11:17:00.005-04:00

My husband, Stephen, never ceases to amaze me with his creativity. In light of the economy, our office has been tightening the belt (as well they should) to cut unnecessary spending. The following poem was Stephen's unique attempt to get approval for a new desk chair (which he did receive). Hope you enjoy!

The Sad Office Chair

There once was an office chair that sat alone in a room,

He rarely had visitors, so solitude was his doom.

Each day started with hope that his bolts would be tightened,

But sadly each day ended with everyone frightened.

See no one trusted the chair at all,

For they saw it had a lean and supposed they would fall.

One day the owner tried to show some pride,

He turned the chair around and looked inside.

Hoping to find the reason for the lean,

He straightened it out; fixed it, it would seem.

Only each time he tried his efforts were to no avail,

As every time he tried to fix it would fail.

Over time the owner just left it alone.

He never wanted to spend time in his chair, even to answer his phone.

The little chair wondered if anyone would ever care,

The owner knew though that it was beyond repair.

So he wrote a clever poem with his best rhyme,

Hoping it would convince his manager to spend a little money this time.

For he had hopes of parting with his old chair,

And finding a new home for his hurting derriere.

If this poem has done it’s work,

Then you’ll approve me having a new chair and not think me a jerk.

I look forward to your response in regards to my sad little chair

And hope you find this request honest and fair.

- Stephen Verner

The Longing for Italy

2009-05-27T23:55:00.012-04:00

On January 5, Stephen and I submitted our initial applications to TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) to become full-time missionaries to Italy. (You can read a little background about this decision at http://vernerverbiage.blogspot.com/2009/02/call.html.) The months since then have been a little like a roller coaster ride as we have worked to complete our applications and processed through all the emotions of this call God has placed on our lives. I could pretend that it has all been rosy, but that would be a lie. But, even through the difficulty and the occasional doubt, God has confirmed over and over that this is truly His plan for our lives. The last few weeks especially have been important as God has revealed the next steps in His plans as we transition towards our future lives in Italy. I wrote the following during a staff prayer meeting several weeks ago and wanted to share.

God,

I am overwhelmed by this call on my life. I am ill-equipped and unprepared. Are you sure you have the right girl? Who am I to preach the gospel to the Italians? What do I know about reaching the lost? I'm no mighty warrior for You. I'm just a wife and mother. Italy is going to be a hard place to live. Do I have what it takes to make it there? I don't know. I feel unprepared and weary. I feel so ineffective where I am now. Why do I think it'll be different there where language is no longer a connection, but instead a barrier? Where the ways of doing things are so foreign to me?

Yet, I long for Italy in the way an expectant mother longs for her unborn child. I think about it and plan for it. I read everything I can about it and dream about what it'll be like. I pray for Italy. I am burdened by the lost there. Their faceless figures haunt me... people who desperately need Jesus and don't even know it. They think themselves to have anything and everything they need. Their cathedrals stand as empty, ancient testaments to a faith that is no longer relevant to them. I long to scream out and get their attention, tell them that although outwardly they seem to have everything, that there is Someone who can fill that empty space inside, the space they ignore and tell themselves is not really there. I'm haunted by the 1,000 teenagers a year that kill themselves in Milan because they can't measure up to a standard of beauty or success that is unattainable. I want to tell them that there is One who loves them just as they are.

In a country that is reknown for it's beauty in landscape, architechture, art, and language, there is a people who have forgotten the Creator behind all those things. I pray, God, that You would have mercy on them and that You would save the people of Italy. Send workers to make a difference in their lives. I lay down my life and everything that I have. I may not be the most qualified, but I'm willing and though it cost me everything, I will go and tell them your story of grace and forgiveness. Give me the strength that I need to do what You've called me to do...

Brandy

Worst Blogger Ever

2009-05-27T23:33:00.004-04:00

Okay, I am unofficially dubbing myself the "worst blogger ever". It has been 91 days since my last post. Yes, that's 91, as in almost 100. I told you, I'm the worst blogger EVER. I could try to make all kinds of excuses, like my job going from part-time to full-time, work being absolutely crazy, doing part-time ministry on top of working at a church, while all the time applying to become a missionary to Italy... but really, it's all about choices. I chose to spend my time with my family so that I didn't forget what they looked like and I also chose to sleep occasionally because I've heard that's pretty important. You know you've got to have priorities and frankly, blogging hasn't been one of them lately. Now, I will try really hard to be better about posting, but I'm not promising daily posts or anything. However, there are some things that God has been speaking to me that I would like to share with the 3 people that actually read this blog, so stay tuned!

Speed of the Pen

2009-02-25T09:05:00.005-05:00

The most important man in my life (besides Jesus) has just started a new blog. My husband, Stephen, is an incredible writer, especially songwriting and I have been telling him for AGES that he needed to start his own blog. He FINALLY "wised up" and listened to me! :) Check out his new blog at http://speedofthepen.blogspot.com/.

Songwriter Extraordinaire

2009-02-16T20:39:00.001-05:00

Okay, for all of you out there who don't know... my husband, Stephen, is an amazing songwriter (and a pretty mean sax player, too)! He's not one to boast about his talent, but I have no shame in letting people know how incredible he is! :) So, I wanted to share the lyrics of one of his more recent songs, called Prayer for Rain. This song has been submitted to a publisher in Nashville, who wants to write music for it and record a demo to shop it around to record labels. Once you read it, I'm sure that you'll agree how great it is! I'll post more of his stuff here soon (at least until he gets around to creating his own blog).

Prayer for Rain

by Stephen Verner

Verse 1:
I am just a wondering soul in a land of Wonder;
Where thirsty souls pray for rain, but only hear the thunder.
I am just a pilgrim in search of the Promised Land;
Where hungry bellies groan for food, but leave with pockets of sand.
Why does the truth seem so elusive to those who are seeking?
Why is it so exclusive, while member's boats are leaking?

Chorus:
So I pray and I seek and I hope that you see me.
So I pray and I seek and I hope that you see me,
And you hear my prayer for Rain

Verse 2:
I am just a gold digger in a land of plenty;
Where risky players bet it all, but leave without a penny.
I am just a sinner in search of a savior;
Whose tasty words have a flavor, but are never ever savored.
Why does the truth seem so obtrusive to those who are hurting?
It pokes and prods and even nods before the final curtain.

Bridge:
And where it goes no one knows for certain,
But I'm going keep searching.....

Chorus:
Now I pray and I seek and I know that You see me.
Now I pray and I seek and I know that You see me,
And You hear my prayer for Rain.

Fireproof

2009-02-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

If you are married and have not seen the movie Fireproof, you need to get up from your chair right now and run (not walk) to buy or rent this DVD! Wait... first finish reading this post and then you can go get the movie. :)

Seriously, Stephen and I watched this movie last weekend for our wedding anniversary and it puts a whole new perspective on marriage and loving your spouse. Even if you aren't married, but would like to be one day, this is a MUST see!

With all the Valentines love in the air, why not extend it throughout the year and learn how to serve your spouse every day! Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Younger and thinner is not always better

2009-02-06T20:09:00.002-05:00

This picture of Stephen and me was taken exactly 11 years ago today, almost to the minute. The occasion was the rehearsal dinner for our wedding and we were a lot younger (also thinner) and very much in love. Awwww... :)

Well, 11 years later, we're still very much in love, but it is a different kind of feeling. Gone is the puppy dog infatuation and stars in our eyes. In it's place is a love that has survived the death of close family members, job losses, sickness, economic hardship, the pressures of ministry, etc. You know, that whole "for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health" thing. For some reason, when most couples are repeating those vows, they don't think those things will actually happen. Well, they will, so be prepared.

But with the bad also comes the good. Like 2 beautiful, healthy children that make life challenging and fun. Like working together in ministry and seeing people's lives changed. Like having your husband become more than just a spouse, but also your best friend.

Stephen, thanks for 11 wonderful (and sometimes not so wonderful) years. Even with all the difficult times, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Happy Anniversary!

The Call

2009-02-02T21:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, in my last post I promised to tell more about the leap that God is calling Stephen and I to make. Get ready, it's kind of a doozy. We're still adjusting, but we're excited about what God is doing.

Let me give a little background... During the summer of 2002, we had the opportunity to take a life-changing mission trip to Manila, Philippines. On our first morning there, we attended a worship service at Lighthouse Christian Community Church, the church that we would be working with over the next week. Their pastor and missionary, Chuck Quinley, preached a sermon about the Great Commission. Today, I don't remember exactly what he said, but that message so resonated in my heart that I would never be the same again. As Stephen and I made our way to the altar to surrender our lives to the call to foreign missions, someone snapped a picture of us on our knees, holding hands, sobbing, and praying. It is a beautiful reminder of what God spoke to us that day.

When we returned to the states, Stephen and I started making initial preparations to move to the Philippines and enroll in the Asian Seminary for Christian Ministries, which we thought would lead to us becoming full-time missionaries somewhere in Asia. However, God had other plans. About a month later, we found out that we were expecting our daughter, after a year and a half of trying, and she was due at the exact time we were supposed to leave for the the Philippines. So, even though we were ecstatic about Laynie's impending arrival, we were a little confused after hearing God's call so clearly.

What He knew, that we didn't, was that a within months of our anticipated departure date, Stephen's mom, Cheryl, would be diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer and that we would be needed here. After a 22 month battle, Cheryl went home to be with Jesus. Her death rocked our world in a way that I cannot even describe. God, in His sovereignty, knew that it would have been too difficult on our family to be so far away during that trying time. However, during everything that happened, we never forgot the call God had placed on our lives.

In 2007, He began to stir in our hearts again regarding the Great Commission and we joined an organization called Apartment Life to do missions right here in metro Atlanta. We rented out our house (and almost lost it in the process, but that's a whole different post) and moved our family into an apartment complex to plan community events and provide care to residents in need. The whole purpose of the ministry is to build relationships with your neighbors, which opens the door to share the love of Christ. While God has blessed our ministry here and we know that He is working through us, we also knew when we started this that it was just a preparation ground for an even bigger work that He has planned.

Back in the Fall, I began to feel God stirring in my heart about foreign missions again. I began to pray that God would reveal the next step in His plan and show us the location He had in mind. On October 2, I went to the website of a church near our apartment that we have partnered with on several events. On their home page was a picture of David and Nicole Hannah, a couple who are getting ready to leave for Italy to become full-time missionaries. I was intrigued because I had never heard of a missionary going to Italy, so I clicked on the link to read more. What I read shocked me to my core.

When most people think of Italy, they picture the Vatican, beautiful cathedrals, incredible artwork, architecture, food etc. What the majority of Christians don't realize is that only about 0.4% of Italians know Jesus as their Savior. Out of 33,500 cities and towns in Italy, 32,000 have NO evangelical witness. In the absence of truth, many Italians are turning to the over 100,000 full-time "magicians" or "seers" to fill the void in their lives. That's more than 3 times the number of Catholic priests in the country. Almost more disturbing is that many more Italians are totally indifferent to religion and feel that they have no need for God.

As I read these statistics, I began to weep and had to get up and leave the room. That evening, I spent hours on the Internet researching Italy and everything I read told the same grim story. I knew then that God was calling us to Italy. The next morning, Stephen and I went to breakfast together. Over our chicken biscuits, I told him everything I had learned the night before. By the end of the meal, Stephen was convinced that God was calling us to Italy too, but we agreed to pray about it.

In the months since then, God has confirmed it to us both over and over. We've sought godly counsel, talked to missionaries in Italy, searched the Word, prayed, and fasted. We are convinced that this is the plan God had in mind when He called us on that hot summer day in Manila. So... where do we go from here?

After the first of the year, Stephen and I submitted applications to The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) to become full-time missionaries to Italy. The application process can take 5-6 months, followed by a time of training and raising support. So, while we won't be moving to Italy right away, the next couple of years will be busy getting ready to go. We ask you to join us in prayer that God will continue to lead and guide us during this process and that He will provide the resources we'll need to make this happen. We are excited about this adventure and extremely humbled that God would call us to the work He's doing in Italy. We know that it won't be easy, but the things that are worth doing usually aren't. Stay tuned and we'll keep you updated...

P.S. Sorry for the long post! I promise they won't be this lengthy all the time.

The Precipice

2009-01-23T17:13:00.009-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Life is a little crazy right now. I don't have much time to write at the moment, but I wanted to post something that I wrote a little over a year ago. As I read back over this, I'm overwhelmed because God has recently revealed the adventure that He has in store for Stephen and me and at times it takes my breath away. I'll write more about that soon, but in the meantime, read the beginning of my story. I can't wait for the next part!

Brandy

Do you remember a time in your life when you were young and the world was wide open to you? You could do anything, be anyone, go anywhere... the sky was the limit. Well, I still feel young, but gone is that wide-eyed view that life will be everything I ever wanted. Don't get me wrong. I still dream of happily-ever-afters, but I know that, unfortunately, life often intrudes and fantasies make way for realities; some good and some not so good... but you put on your big girl panties and make the best of it.

I look around me sometimes and wonder, is this all I was created for? To do the daily routines: drive the kids to school, plug away at a computer all day, make dinner, do laundry... Is this it? You've got to be kidding me! When God knit me together in my mother's womb, what did He have in mind? I've always felt destined for some great thing that God had in store for me. I feel like I'm on the verge of this huge precipice with my toes hanging over the edge, leaning forward ever so slightly to peek over and see what God has planned for me. What holds me back? Is it God pulling on my shirt, reigning me in until just the right time, or... maybe it's me. What am I afraid of? Maybe I fear that I just don't have what it takes. Maybe just being me is no longer good enough...

Sometimes I look into my children's blue eyes and I wonder, "Am I the best mom to them that I can be?" I know the answer deep in my heart and wish desperately that it were a different one. I find myself growing angry with my husband or becoming bitter about things that were done to me and I think, "Who am I to desire to do something great for God?" I am nothing, nobody, a selfish sinner.

Thankfully, however, I don't have to rely on my own goodness. There was a price paid for me, which I never deserved. And while I can never repay the debt Jesus paid on my account, I long to do something to show my Savior that His death was not in vain. I'm starting small: in my family and in my community, and waiting for God to bring more opportunities to share about the precious gift that I was given. Each day, the Lord shows me something new about myself and even more importantly, about Himself. Slowly but surely, He's molding me. I have no idea what the finished product will look like, but I press forward.

As I look out on the precipice that is the new year, I dream of the things that God will do and pray for the strength to do my part. I creep closer to the edge and the other side comes into view. I can't see clearly, but it's there, in the distance... a hazy view of the adventures God has for me on the other side. I feel life pulling me from behind: work, family, church, ministry; all asking me to focus on them. While all of them are good things, I wonder if there's more? And then, there's a sound that starts to break through the clambering voices vying for my attention. It's God calling to me from the other side, telling me of the things He has in store for me, asking me to focus on Him and allow Him to take care of the rest, saying "Brandy, trust me and see the wonders that I will reveal." I lean forward and strain to hear the voice of the One who gives all things and pray, "Lord, give me the courage to leap..."

Snow Day!

2009-01-05T19:25:00.000-05:00

No, you didn't miss any big news about snow in Atlanta. (Believe me, if it had snowed here, you would know because everybody in the state would have rushed to stores to stock up on bread and milk!) This snowman was built on Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park. If you live near the Atlanta area and you're still sad that we didn't have a white Christmas (big surprise in Georgia), head over to Stone Mountain to play in a winter wonderland! The best part is tubing down Snow Mountain and landing in a big pile of snow! With the recent warm temperatures, it's probably the closest you'll get to snow this season! :) Have fun!

Brandy

Happy Birthday, Stephen!

2009-01-04T22:46:00.000-05:00

Happy 35th Birthday, Stephen! I pray that this year is the best one yet!

Love, Brandy

Bryson, the shepherd boy

2008-12-31T09:08:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since the last post. This holiday season seemed like a blur! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I wanted to share this great picture that our friend and co-worker, Mike Darling, took of Bryson during our church's Live Nativity on Christmas Eve. Bryson played a shepherd boy and was able to help care for the live camels, donkeys, and sheep while playing his part! It was a great reminder to us all about the true meaning of Christmas.

Brandy

3rd Place Goes To...

2008-12-16T15:32:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce that Bryson's geography team won 3rd place in the Geography Bee on Saturday! We're so proud of you, Bryson!

New family video

2008-11-29T23:15:00.006-05:00

To get everyone into the Christmas spirit, I thought you might get a kick out of this video of our family. My friend, Tara, introduced me to Office Max's Elf Yourself last year and I thought it was hysterical! Take a look here and I'm sure you'll agree. Then, you can make a goofy elf video of YOUR family! Have fun!

Brandy

I'm thankful for...

2008-11-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

On this Thanksgiving Day, there is so much that I'm thankful for. First of all, I'm thankful that God looked across time to see my need for a Savior and loved me enough to sacrfice His Son so that I could be redeemed.

I'm thankful for a husband who still looks at me with love after almost 11 years of marriage and who remains my best friend to this day.

I'm thankful for healthy, beautiful, bright children who make life a chaotic, fun-filled adventure every day.

I'm thankful for work that is fulfilling and purposeful and that makes me want to get out of bed in the morning.

I'm thankful to live in the greatest country in the world, where I can worship God, raise my family, and exercise my freedoms without fear.

I'm thankful that tomorrow is another day filled with possibilities that haven't even been considered yet, that there are adventures God has planned for me that I can't even conceive.

Lastly, I'm thankful that I don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful. I pray that I would approach every day with an "attitude of gratitude". Life is too precious to take it for granted.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Brandy

I Just LOVE Technology!

2008-11-26T22:42:00.000-05:00

As I write this I'm laying on the couch at my grandparents' house in the mountains of NE Alabama watching an old movie and listening to Laynie in the kitchen chattering to my grandmother while they make a cake. Sounds nice, right?

Want to know the coolest part? I get to share this with you without even cracking open a laptop. In fact, there's not an internet connection to be had on this mountain, but thanks to the power of technology I'm posting this from my new PDA phone. How cool is that!?!

I guess now I have no excuse for not posting frequently... :-)

Brandy

Mission-Minded Monday - Angel Food Ministries

2008-11-24T20:52:00.006-05:00

Okay, I'll admit that I'm not a morning person. Sad, but true! Saturday is usually the one day a week that I have to sleep in and I'm typically very hesitant to give up that time. But, this past Saturday our family rose early and braved the cold morning to join our small group in being a part of a really cool outreach, called Angel Food Ministries.

Our church is a host site for Angel Food, which is a ministry that provides low-income families with affordable groceries. Each month, people can place orders for boxes of groceries (valued at $65) for the low price of $30. Angel Food Ministries then ships the groceries to the church and volunteers come in one Saturday a month to sort the groceries and distribute them.

With the holidays approaching, the church had taken up offerings to provide families in need with groceries for their Thanksgiving dinners in addition to the regular monthly orders. Because of the volume of food being received this month, small groups at the church were asked to volunteer to help sort the groceries. The group that Stephen and I lead (pictured above) made us proud by showing up with great attitudes and working hard! Even our 8 year old son, Bryson, helped sort groceries! He had such a great time keeping track of how many cans he had put into bags and reported the total to us with pride at the end of the morning. Laynie, our 5 year old daughter, even helped break down the boxes as they were emptied. Well, really she just jumped on them until they were flattened, but it was effective!

We all had such a good time, but the best part of the day was when we delivered groceries to 2 single moms who live in our apartment complex, both of which have lost their jobs in the last couple of months. Having lived through a couple of job losses in our own lives, Stephen and I have a real appreciation for how difficult that is. It was so fulfilling to see how appreciative they were for the groceries and it made the work we did that morning even more worth it!

If you would like more information on Angel Food Ministries, check out www.angelfoodministries.com.

Brandy

Mission-Minded Monday - Operation Christmas Child

2008-11-17T22:41:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, I had the pleasure of filling a shoebox full of toys and goodies for a little girl that I will never meet. I will never know the impact that my shoebox with the small sweater and Barbie toy will have on this child's life, but God knows. And more than that, God so loves that little girl!

Every year, Samaritan's Purse sets out to make a difference in the lives of children all over the world with their Operation Christmas Child. Here's a little more information:

Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, more than 61 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped, and delivered across the globe. People of all ages can be involved in this simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ.

This week is National Collection Week. I encourage you to get out and fill a shoebox for a child in need. You never know how that small act of kindness can impact lives for Christ. For more information, visit www.samaritanspurse.org.

Brandy

Bryson, the geography master!

2008-10-29T19:41:00.006-04:00

Our son, Bryson, is passionate about geography the way most kids love video games or junk food (both of which he loves, too). A favorite game in our family is to quiz each other about world geography. Bryson ALWAYS wins. The kid knows more about geography than most adults. What can I say, he's brilliant like his parents! :)

We were very excited to learn yesterday that Bryson made the Geography Team at his school for the second year in a row! Last year he served as team captain for several rounds during the Geography Bee and helped lead his team to a 1st place win!

This year, his team will be combined with kids from the grade above him and he had to beat out older kids for a space on the team. We can't wait to see how the team does this year! Bryson, we are so proud of you!

Brandy (Mom)

Mission-Minded Monday - Destiny Drama Ministries

2008-10-27T23:10:00.002-04:00

You guys may remember a post from a couple of weeks ago about Your Final Destination, a drama production that our church was hosting. Even though the last two weeks has been exhausting, it was totally worth it. There were over 2,300 people who dedicated their lives to Christ during the 6 nights of the play. Stephen and I were so honored to be a part of something that had such great impact for the Kingdom.

If you're interested in hosting Your Final Destination at your church, check out www.destinydramaministries.com.

Day of Prayer for Europe

2008-10-23T11:02:00.014-04:00

Twenty-six years ago today, as a little girl, I prayed with my mom to receive Christ. Looking back now, I am so thankful to live in a country where the Gospel is preached almost literally on every corner. Unfortunately, it is not like that in many areas of the world.

I wrote earlier in the week about the great need for Christ's message to reach Europe (Empty Cathedrals on 10/19). There are literally hundreds of millions of Europeans who desperately need Jesus. Now if you're like me, that seems a little overwhelming! You're probably asking yourself, "What can I do to meet such a huge need?" We can PRAY!!! Greater Europe Mission has proclaimed today, October 23, 2008 a Day of Prayer for Europe. They are asking Christians everywhere to join with them in prayer to ask God to "continue His work of expanding His kingdom through all the peoples of Europe to the world".

They have a really cool tool online that allows you to click on various countries and find out specific needs in that area. Then you can click on the "I Have Prayed" button to signify that you have prayed specifically for that country. So far, 2,570 people have prayed for one or more of the countries in Europe. Greater Europe Mission is hoping for at least 10,000 people to have prayed for Europe by the end of the day today. I challenge you to be one of them!

Here's some more info from Greater Europe Mission, as well as a link to the Virtual Prayer Journey:

Only 2% of Europe's 800 million people know Christ. Yet God is still at work there, drawing people to Himself. Our prayer is that God will use these disciples to draw more and more people to Himself, reproducing disciples both within Europe and around the globe where Europe has influence. Our website's Virtual Prayer Journey will guide you in praying specifically for needs and strategies related to each country in and around Europe. Generally, we will be praying:

against spiritual barriers to the Gospel
to lift up the poor and needy
for strategic advance of the Gospel
for individual missionaries serving in Europe

It is our prayer that this information stirs your heart as much as it does ours. If you join in this prayer movement today, please send us a comment to let us know! Thanks for caring about the lost in Europe!

Brandy

Mission-Minded Monday - Apartment Life

2008-10-20T22:22:00.002-04:00

For those of you who know Stephen and me well, you know that our heartbeat is seeing people's lives changed because of the message of Christ. We believe the Great Commission is not a calling, it's a commandment. While God may not be calling you to pack up and move to Africa (or maybe He is), He is calling you to do SOMETHING!

This may seem a little radical, but I don't think it really matters all that much what you do. Just get off the couch and find a need and meet it! Once you're out there serving, God may point you more specifically to the ministry He's called you to. But believe me, it's a lot easier to hear God while you're serving than it is while you're watching SpongeBob.

So with that in mind, we're going to start Mission-Minded Mondays. Each Monday, we'll highlight a ministry or organization that provides opportunities for you to work out your faith in a tangible way. It is our prayer that this will challenge you to make a difference in this world of people who desperately need Jesus.

For our first Mission-Minded Monday, we decided to start with something that is near and dear to our hearts: Apartment Life. Many of you know that Stephen and I serve as a CARES Team at an apartment complex in Dunwoody, GA through the Apartment Life ministry. I have never seen a more practical way to live out your faith in everyday life.

As a CARES Team, Stephen and I plan events for our complex to build community and we also provide care to residents in times of need. Our whole goal is to build relationships with our neighbors, which opens up doors for us to share Christ's love.

Surprisingly, apartment residents are a huge unreached segment of our society. In most major cities in the US, 50% or more of the population lives in apartments. It is estimated that 95% of people residing in apartments are unchurched, compared to only 60% of homeowners.

Stephen and I feel very strongly about our call to reach the people in our community. Apartment Life gives us the training and support to be able to effectively do that. Plus, we get a 2 bedroom apartment in exchange for the work that we do here, which is a nice bonus! If you want to get more information about the ministry, check out www.caresteam.org or send me an email at brandy@theverners.org.

Stayed tuned next Monday for more ideas about how you can practically share your love for Christ with the world. Or, feel free to send us your ideas and we'll be happy to post them! Have fun making a difference!

Brandy

Empty Cathedrals

2008-10-19T17:32:00.003-04:00

If you're like me, you've dreamed of walking the streets of Europe and taking in the sights of historic landmarks and beautiful cathedrals. However, I recently experienced a revelation. This continent that sent missionaries to other countries for centuries is now known as "post-Christian" and has been a forgotten mission field for decades. Check out a few statistics below.

Out of 821 million Europeans, only about 2% know Jesus. (Greater Europe Mission - www.gemission.org)
In more than 20 European nations there are less than 1% Evangelical Christians, among them Albania, Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Spain. (European Christian Mission - www.ecmi.org)
While the Gospel has advanced in most countries during the past 250 years, in Europe it has declined. (Greater Europe Mission - www.gemission.org)

These numbers astound and sadden me. I picture empty cathedrals that stand all over Europe like skeletons of a dead faith. European people are in desperate need of Christ.

I urge you to join with us in prayer for the countries of Europe. Greater Europe Mission (www.gemission.org) has declared Thursday, October 23, 2008 a Day of Prayer for Europe. Mark your calendar and check back on Thursday for more information about the specific needs in Europe.

Brandy