Filled with joy!

“The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126: 3

May has been so far the best month since I arrived in America. I have had so many good experiences and I have seen God’s hand working in an amazing way that all I want to do is share what has happened with all of you and I hope it might be encouraging!

The first astonishing thing is that my family came to visit. You should know that they had never traveled outside Europe, never done an oversea flight, don’t speak any English and would have never left home for one month. Isn’t it enough? If not, I will tell you something else: my parents and my in-laws did this together and stayed in my two bedroom apartment for most of the time! Can you see God’s grace in giving them a safe trip, creating a peaceful environment, and cancelling any misunderstanding? My heart rejoices thinking of their smiling faces when I came back home from work!

At the beginning of their stay, I had the chance to help my mother in-law, who had been struggling with fear and anxiety for almost all her entire life. It’s incredible to see how many lies we believe and how their common root casts doubt upon God’s love and His omnipotence. Even if we love the Lord so much, this beliefs took us far from Him, paralyze us, and do not allow us to live an abundant life (John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”). We prayed together, identified the lies and the truths. She asked for forgiveness and wrote down some bible verses to help her in the future. There is freedom in Jesus!

My husband and I had the chance to introduce them to our coworkers and to take them to church! What a great love and warm welcome they experienced! We took them around Columbus (they loved the parks!) and we had the privilege to travel to Canada, visiting Niagara Falls, New York,  Washington DC, and Chicago. God protected us during all this driving through the crazy American highways! It was not only through the people we know that God showed us His love. In Washington, in fact, a Christian family we had never met before opened their house to us, with care and hospitality. They told us that all they have belonged to God, as they are only stewards and they are called to share what has been given to them. What a great lesson! But the best is yet to come!! Their testimony was the perfect bridge that took me to share God’s love with my Father. I could tell him how my heavenly Father has been taking good care of us, giving us more that we could imagine and how all He wants is a personal relationship with us and to tell others about His salvation plan. After so many years, I could finally share the Gospel with him. To my amazement, he was not upset and reacted well, giving me a hug!!!! All I can say is that God is good!

What a joy to her my father saying: “Amazing group! I knew you were fine here in the US, but now that I have seen the amazing people you are surrounded by, I can go back home in peace!”. Italy is pretty far from here and the distance can create sorrow and sadness, but having them see our world gave us (and them) a feeling of confidence and tranquility and created a stronger bond.

Thank God for His provision, love and care!