A look of trepidation-turned-excitement crossed Amy Walter’s face as we sat in a park a stone’s throw from the church office. We were chatting about her upcoming move to Milan. Sun-scorched grass bristled against fidgeting fingers as she shared her plans. Since January, Amy has been making preparations to join Jeremy and Jen as they embark upon a church-plant in Italy’s metropolitan hub. Olive trees and long boulevards will soon replace London’s oaks and park hideouts.
But the decision to uproot herself hasn’t been straightforward. Although Amy has had a growing desire to pursue ministry further afield, she never foresaw Italy. So, when Jen shared their intention to plant a church in Milan last October, she was mostly sad that they would be leaving and felt no inkling to go. “She broke the news, and I was very quiet,” Amy recounted. “Selfish me was heartbroken."
“So, what changed your heart?” I asked.
“In January, I became more and more open to making the move,” she admitted. “I knew that I was past the initial emotional processing. I was praying intentionally and had quite a prophetic journey of seeking God and hearing him speak.”
“I had a prophetic picture of a little rabbit”, she continued, “cupped in someone’s hands, lifted, moved to the side, and placed back down. I sensed that God was going to pick me up, move me, and set me down somewhere completely different. I later realised that I was the rabbit. I didn't understand where God would place me, but I knew this year would be one of real change.
“A week or so after, I was praying again about Milan, and a word popped into my mind. I didn't even know what it meant, but it kept recurring. I really couldn't shake it off. The word was coniglio. I didn't know what it meant, so I decided to type it into Google Translate. I discovered it's Italian for rabbit.
“Almost instantly, I remembered the prophetic picture. When I paired the two together, I can't tell you, I had such a deep fear and felt the weight of what I might be called to. I was like, ‘Gosh, might God be calling me to go to Milan too?’ Everything in me wanted to run in the opposite direction out of fear, but the call felt unignorable.
“From then on, God took me on a journey of growing my heart for Milan. It became increasingly clear that this was what God wanted, and I wanted his will. I felt the internal tension—and the grief, actually—of that gap between wanting God’s will, but not wanting the thing itself. It was a journey of being humbled, choosing to trust, and allowing God to change my heart.”
“Now, what excites you looking ahead?” I asked.
“I'm excited for an adventure,” Amy replied. “To see God do crazy things. I have faith that he will do things only he can do. And I’m excited to learn Italian,” she added. “I don't know any, but it's cool.”
“Coniglio!” I interjected.
“Coniglio. First word,” Amy responded with a smile. “I’m looking forward to learning more for sure. It’s a beautiful language. And I’m excited for how God will break through with this small team to see Italians turn to know him. I have faith that God will pour out his Spirit and that the gospel will move powerfully even in such a spiritually barren context.
“Okay, last question”, I said. “How can we support you?”
“Prayer is the greatest gift I could be given”, Amy replied with complete sincerity. “I would love prayer for practicalities, for somewhere to live and all the challenges of moving country. More importantly, prayer for spiritual strength and endurance and forever-increased faith in what God will do... and comfort when it's hard.
“Financially, I’ll be fundraising again. In Milan, I’ll work 1-2 days a week on the start-up business with Jeremy, which will provide some income. But I’ll also need to raise support through Stewardship to cover living costs, visa costs, language learning costs, moving costs, and the many unexpected expenses ahead. It's a humbling and crazy thing to be so dependent on God's provision and others’ generosity. I am also looking for a support group of people not just to support financially, but prayerfully, and to be encouragers." (See below)
In less than two months, Amy will be packing up her stuff and leaving friends and family for a new nation, language, and culture. Big challenges await. But even faced with such uncertainty, Amy has a childlike trust in God's goodness. "His will is so much better than your will for life," she said as we sat in that little park. "What he calls you to, that will be the best way."