Author: Pastor Fernando Pasi
Our church is located in Milan, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Just a few steps away from where we gather, a street market takes place every Monday and Thursday. On these days, we go out to reach our neighborhood, distributing Bibles, the Gospel of John, flyers, and other Christian books.
All of this material is provided to us free of charge, and we distribute around 800 copies each month.
About six months ago, during one of these outreaches, we handed out a flyer about forgiveness. All handouts include our church’s contact information, and not long after, a young woman called us. Referring to me as “Protestant Father”, she confessed she could not forgive painful events from her past.
We scheduled a meeting at the church. For nearly two hours, she poured out her heart, sharing how deeply scarred her childhood had been. She struggled with her abusive Muslim father, who was married to her Italian mother, and also had a troubled relationship with her older brother. It was a story marked by pain and suffering.
Over time, as we continued to meet, she began to open up more. Eventually, she made the decision to receive Jesus as the Lord and Savior of her life.
This experience reinforces the importance of investing in outreach through evangelistic materials. We never know when or how a single flyer with a bit of context and an impactful Bible verse might touch someone. Our role is to sow, and God brings the harvest. This is our mission – our task: to proclaim the gospel! Only Jesus can truly forgive, set us free, and grant us eternal life, making it possible for us to also forgive those who have sinned against us.
