By Olivia Potter, Mission Trip Participant
When our mission team first arrived in San Giuliano, outside Milan, what struck me most was how familiar it felt. Despite this being my first trip to Italy, I instantly felt at home. The Schaafsma family’s long-term investment in their community is tangible. From the second they picked us up at the airport and welcomed us into their home, to every single moment of camp throughout the week.
When I returned home, one of the questions I was asked most was about the differences between the kids we worked with in San Giuliano and the kids I work with here in Tennessee. What stuck out to me then, and continues to impact me now, is the community’s overall lack of exposure to the Gospel. I work in children’s ministry in Franklin, where most of the kids have grown up in church. When I ask from the stage, “Who created the world?” they all shout back, “God!” When I ask, “Who loves you more than anything?” they excitedly yell, “Jesus!” Comparing that to a group of kids who have mostly been raised outside of Christianity makes for a very different teaching experience.
From day one, I was amazed watching kids who’d grown up in other religions join us in worship, singing songs about the joy Jesus brings, giving thanks to God, and declaring aloud that Jesus is our Savior. The first time I sat with my small group of about a dozen preteens, we were practicing the week’s memory verse. A few kids chose to sit out of the game because they weren’t allowed to read from the Bible. However, one child who said he wasn’t allowed to speak about Jesus leaned over and whispered the verse to a girl who was struggling to remember what came next.
Every day when the worship team stood on stage, several kids who regularly attend the Schaafsma’s church jumped up to lead the hand motions. On Monday, a girl named Maria (name changed for privacy) in my small group stood to join them, but her older sibling stopped her, reminding her that singing about Jesus went against their family’s faith. Maria returned to her seat and watched the others. Day after day, I watched her stand in the back, singing and dancing enthusiastically. On Friday, when worship started, Maria ran straight up to the stage, stood alongside her friends, and led the entire room. She wasn’t just brought up unfamiliar with Jesus; she was raised believing that following Him was wrong. Yet there she was, jumping up and down, singing her heart out to her risen Savior.
Moments like this happen because of the Schaafsma’s obedience to the Lord. Their radical welcome invites people from every background. It gives parents of other faiths the trust to send their children to two weeks of camp, where the Gospel is shared, and the love of Jesus is demonstrated to those who might never encounter it otherwise. This work is changing lives for generations to come.
Our team talked a lot about planting seeds. It’s a phrase we use often when sharing the Gospel with the next generation: you invest, you love, and you share God’s Word, but you don’t always get to see the long-term impact. It was so special to be part of a team that returns year after year, hearing stories of life change even over a short three-year span. Each night, our team shared how much the kids had grown since we first met them, watching their understanding of God and His Word grow alongside them. Beyond that, hearing Michael and Nina share how they’ve seen the community evolve over the last 30 years makes you realize how privileged we are to play even a small part in what God is doing through JMI and the local church in Italy.
Now that I’m back home, I find myself constantly thinking about the kids we met and their parents and siblings. As the new school year starts and they return to their daily routines, I continue praying for them and for the seeds planted. I may never see the full outcome of their stories or how God moves in their lives long-term, but I am eternally grateful for the opportunity JMI gives us to invest in the next generation globally, share the Gospel, and plant seeds of faith.
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