God's pursuit of his children

McKenzie was born and raised in western New York state.  She grew up in a evangelical Christian home.  However, in her adolescence she struggled with her faith.  It wasn't until her senior year of college where she perused the cathedrals and basilicas of Italy that she began listening to what God was teaching her.  About a year or so later she returned to Italy to live with an Italian family for about seven months.  It was a time that she hoped to get away and spend time with God, this family and working on her paintings.  One unexpected detail was that God had someone for her to meet, Andrea.  Andrea was born and raised in the northeast of Italy.  He was baptized as a baby into the catholic church like most Italians, but as he grew older the church grew further and further from his life.  He never understood the true meaning of grace or why Christ died on the cross.  Sometimes he wondered about what would happen after he died, but never really found the answer.  He had never met someone who spoke about Jesus the way McKenzie did.  He thought that was for the elderly.   An evangelical christian was something very foreign to him and honestly he didn't know that they existed.  He was so intrigued by what McKenzie told him about her journey that he too wanted to understand what it meant to know Christ.  About seven months after he met McKenzie he gave his life to Jesus.  Seven months later they were married!  As God continued to grow them in their relationship with Him He put a desire in their hearts to reach Italy and many other people just like Andrea with the gospel of Jesus.  Today they serve in the North East of Italy with their 4 children.  Along with their teammates they are partnering with a local church and helping to equip and encourage local Italians to live missional, gospel centered lives.  Please take a moment to pray for them as they seek to reach the people that God is drawing to Himself!