As we fully expected, there were people who truly thought we'd lost our ever-lovin' minds, and a few thought it was their responsibility to let us know how foolish we were:
Email from (blank) 9/1/09 to us
“You make a good argument, but somehow, I just can’t put my arms around this. I will be okay with this if I know Angie and Titus never feel an obligation to support you from their own meager funds, if the church in Italy does not feel guilt ridden because you are in need and takes money designated for other needs to bail you out. I think I would feel okay if I knew your kids and Sherry will never feel hunger or cold or excessive heat – that you will live in a decent apartment, I will feel okay about this if your children are never ashamed because of their clothing in a society that places inordinate attention on clothes, or if I know Sherry will not be ridden with worry because your credit card debt is getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I know your arguments about faith and God’s provision. I do not doubt you have felt euphoric in some sense about the course you have taken, but just making a decision one way or another can do that. I may be a complete wet blanket – faithless in your eyes. I just know that if you were a member of one of ___s teams and you were going to go to Italy following this route, ___ would take away their endorsement of your family as a member of that team and if the team was bent on following such a route themselves, we would withdraw our endorsement of the team. I’m not sure, at this point, God hasn’t said “No” to you.”
Everybody’s calling to missions is distinct. God’s calling for Randall & me was first of all to do church-planting movements through business as missions, and second to go to Italy despite only having 18% support and no visa. And we were willing to obey no matter the consequences. Who are we to put our foot down and demand that we have everything laid out in front of us before we will surrender to God’s direction? For many other missionaries, support and visas and other logistical details are not their issues, but God has called them to some other leap of faith.
We did not respond to that particular email, but here is my response to another "wet blanket":
“Concerning our funds: in a nutshell, by the time we step onto Italian soil, it will be because God has provided and led the way before us; in which case you have nothing to fret over.
If we don't make it to Italy, it will be because God has blocked the way for some reason; in which case you still don't have to worry.
Many people have commented on how our economy is a major obstacle to overcome right now. I say that our God, the one who parts the sea and raises the dead, is powerful enough to overcome the economy. While it may be a ‘giant’ in some people’s hearts, it’s nothing for my God and therefore is nothing to us. We have asked for a land that few are asking for. Not because we have the perfect plan or that we’re good enough to go. Far from it. We have asked for this land because we know our God is big enough to give it to us and that there are 60 million people there with less than 1,000 known NT Christians who are worshipping God.”
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