WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
by Amir Mahadi, co-founder of Joshua Expeditions
On a recent planning trip to Italy, our European Coordinator and I met with one of JE’s mission partners in a small village located in the Piedmont region of Italy, right on the border of France. As we toured the area one thing became very clear to us: we were visiting a spiritual site. From our host, we learned about a group of believers who had once sought refuge there when the Catholic Church condemned them for teaching without permission of the clergy. The group became known as Waldensians, after their leader Peter Waldo, and eventually, they became a powerful voice of reformation. When the Pope’s army began to search out Waldo’s followers, those living in the small Piedmont village would hide in nearby caves to avoid being captured, but many were eventually killed when the army used smoke to draw them out. We were able to visit the caves where the Waldensians fought for their faith and tour an old school where those faithful followers were first trained in the Truth and later persecuted by the army. Our small group took some time to pray at that school, and it was as if time had stopped and a peace surrounded us as we spoke with the Lord.
On the hike back to the village I began to consider what I would have done in the same circumstances as those believers in the caves, and I came to realize that every day offers an opportunity to either represent my faith or walk away from it. We all have a choice to make, and we are given that choice every day of our lives, no matter if we live in Dallas, Texas, or the mountains of Italy.
God engineered the perfect timing for us to meet with the missionary in that Piedmont village, as he had a crucial meeting scheduled that day regarding the direction of his ministry and the Christian campsite that he manages. Later, he shared how grateful he was that we had come on that day and that we had taken the time to pray. Our brief time together and the simple act of group prayer helped him make the right decisions during his important meeting. We know that God brought us there at that specific time, and we look forward to bringing our student groups to serve with the ministry and learn more about the faithful acts of the Waldensian Church in the valleys of Italy. We hope you will prayerfully consider joining us in this special missions opportunity.
Read more about the experiences of the Waldensian Church:
The Waldensian Church in the Valleys of Piedmont | Waldensian Beliefs
