Country Overview and Logistics
First, allow us to give you an overview on the current state of the Italian “inner climate” as we perceive it.
We know that Italians are “religious” by nature. This religious belief has extended to the sensationalism thus incorporating areas of the occult (from horoscope to black magic) into the religious make up of the average Italian. The minimum Christian indoctrination, that the population at large has received, is enough of a vaccine to prevent them from having a deeper and meaningful relationship with Christ. Thus most of the Italians may embrace a Christian tradition with the church, yet lack a personal relationship with Jesus. Even the tension between Catholics and Protestants, spurred by years of conflicts/persecution is disheartening in light of the great need for evangelization. Though the older generation is steeped in tradition and looks the other way in face of clerical hypocrisy, the newer generation has distanced itself from any forms of institutional religion and thus is more open to genuine changes. This however has opened doors into the cult movements or secular solutions. We strongly believe that true love and transparency are the conquering components missing in this country. People in Italy live under very powerful strongholds of old and often feel angry, frustrated and unfulfilled. The current political and economical climate is holding more and more people (young and old) into a state of hopeless “despair”. The big events that generate hundreds or even thousands of responses at a time do not exist here nor would they be looked upon favorably. Thus we have seen that grassroots work one person at a time has been crucial to guarantee the formation of committed disciples that have the staying power to persevere in the midst of adversities and persecution (Matt 10).