Father Heart, Faith, and Fritos
When I was twenty-five years old, I joined a team from our mission, going to minister amongst the large Russian-Jewish population near Rome, Italy. It was a time when Russia wanted to keep its 'most favored nation' status from the World Trade Organization, and so it allowed Russian Jews to emigrate with restrictions. They first traveled to Vienna, Austria, and if emigrating to Israel went from there. If other non-profit organizations took them on, with sponsorship, those who wanted to migrate to the U.S., Australia, or Canada would go to Rome and wait for permission. Their time in Italy could last anywhere from 18 months or longer.
We were a team of one married couple and three single women. It was a pioneering work for us—find an apartment and see where we could best help the hundreds of Russian Jews coming to wait. We knew of another mission organization that had set up a ministry center and were teaching English classes and hosting other events. We befriended them and learned quickly from their experience. We planned to offer smaller English classes one-on-one, making friends, and helping in any way possible and sharing our faith as opportunity allowed. Most of the Russian Jews had no idea of what it meant to be Jewish, as they had not been allowed for 70+ years to be 'Jewish.' They were curious, and we had hours of intriguing discussions about their heritage. It was a perfect setup as, during the warm months, the emigrants did not have much to do and would often go to the beach and spend their days.
We were a small team. Pioneering. Very little money. We felt like the disciples who had sold all they had to follow Jesus. We pooled our money to get an apartment and continued to sacrifice to make ministry happen. It was an exciting time! We each had donor support, but those were the days before the internet was highly accessible, ATM's and quick cash accessibility. Our support checks were processed mostly through our office near Vienna, and we had to wait until someone would bring us the money. We literally lived month to month. Trusting God and seeing Him come through for us. I could write a book about the stories from that time.
At one point, we were down to our last few lire (Italian money). We were okay but knew it could get dicey if we didn't get some provision soon. As we sat one day during our team meeting, praying and asking God what we should do, one of our team suggested we 'dream' and if we could have anything to eat, what would we wish. Those things Americans want can be quite different than what an Italian would, and the stores didn't always have our 'cravings.' So we had some fun ‘wishing’ and left it at that.
During our first weeks in Italy, we'd found an English-speaking church about 20 minutes away from where we lived. Their primary ministry focus was the international business and diplomatic community living in and around Rome. Diplomats, financiers, people in business, and their families attended. It was an exciting mix of people, and they welcomed us warmly.
On our second Sunday attending, the pastor's wife pulled us aside, telling us they had some bags for us, and could we pick them up before leaving? The service was refreshing, and we departed, encouraged, and enjoying our new friendships. Upon arriving back to our apartment, we opened the bags and nearly fainted with shock! The shopping bags were filled with food! But not just any food….each item we had wished for! Canned corn, Cheetos, Fritos corn chips, and many other things unavailable in an Italian supermercato, at that time. (Yes, we were young and had snack cravings.)
If it had been the usual basic groceries, we still would have been incredibly thankful for this provision. But, the fact that it was everything we had wished for bowled us over with gratefulness to our Father. How could they possibly know? You can't buy these things here in Italy. We found out later that the pastor had access to the commissary at the American embassy and was able to purchase 'American' branded foodstuffs. But still—every item we had wished for, behind closed doors—just our team. It could only be our Father in heaven, listening to the prayers of some young people dreaming for fun. This answer to prayer boosted our faith for the years ahead as we trusted the Father for His provision with whatever we needed to further His kingdom during a unique time for the Russian Jewish ministry. We never went without. There were some lean times, but we always had what we needed. And we were able to have a hospitality ministry with many Russians invited for meals where around the table, we discussed faith, God, and Jewish heritage.
The heart of the Father in heaven cares deeply about our needs. And He cares about our wants. He loves to surprise us! However, He won’t always give us what we ask for; there could be reasons for withholding for a time, but He will always give us what we need. Our team needed that provision at that time to fuel our faith for the years ahead.
The Father heart of God reaches out for your need. He reaches out wanting to surprise you with His love and care. If you need transportation, He might not give you a Mercedes, but He will provide a way. You get the idea. He still knows what is best in our circumstances. Trusting Him usually yields its own surprise. My prayer is you will trust God in new ways with your heart and know His Father heart always wants to take care of and bless His children—as they live in obedience to Him.
“I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through the Anointed One, Jesus Christ!”