Do you ever wonder if your dreams are just yours? “Do I want to do this thing or have this thing, just for my good or my pleasure?” I know I have wondered this about all kinds of stuff: becoming a missionary, having kids, traveling, starting a business, having a vacation property.

But my takeaway has repeatedly been: when we are walking in relationship with Jesus, submitting all of this as part of an ongoing conversation about our place in his mosaic of time and space and big plan for the world, he often gives us dreams that seem too big, too good. It is like he is dreaming and letting you in on it. He is looking for worshipers that worship him in spirit and in truth, people who have been entrusted with little, and now can be trusted with more. I imagine it like he is trying to find trustworthy people who hold his glory in highest esteem, who want to be in partnership with him in his plan to save the world and bring as many people into the Kingdom of God as he can, through us. These dreams often coincide with the desires of our hearts, desires that God put there as part of our personality, interests, talents, experiences, etc.

Yet, I still struggle with enjoying life and all that God brings me without some tug in the other direction. I often feel guilty for enjoying these “desires of my heart.” The message of asceticism often seeps in and whispers that I need to be suffering if I’m really walking in the will of God.

This past summer, my husband and I celebrated our 4oth wedding anniversary (another dream come true!) in Italy, a country we love, that we have lived in for extended periods of time, and have prayed over for 30 years. We took an epic 5-week trip to the north near the Dolomites, specifically Feltre, a small town of less than 20,000 people. We chose this location because it was a reasonable distance from a lot of things we wanted to do, but otherwise knew nothing about it. Each of our kids was to bring their families for a week so we could enjoy some time with them in our favorite place.

Little did we know that God had placed us there at this moment to pull together some details of a dream we have had for decades. A dream that is meant for God’s glory. A dream I now believe is in God’s heart, that he is revealing through us in our little corner of his kingdom.

About 18 years ago, we visited a country property with a real estate agent in Umbria, Italy that was made up of a chapel and several other buildings. We walked around it and had the nascient dreams of it becoming a retreat center for missionaries and pastors in Europe. But we were not in a financial position to do anything about it at the time. We stumbled upon this same property years later and found that someone had restored it and named it Casa del Prete, “the priest’s house.” The dream rekindled and we started thinking about it in earnest.

The very first day we arrived on our anniversary trip this summer, my husband Kirk showed me a map location on his phone and said, "let's go to church here on Sunday." It was an evangelical church, Calvary Chapel Feltre. If the kids wanted to go, then let's do it!

The house we rented was in a small village nearby, Caupo, and there was a bar within walking distance - such a blessing - good cappuccinos every morning! And to boot, there was a commercial bakery right next door where our grandkids got fresh bread on many mornings.

That first day, we met Michelangelo. We started chatting in Italian, and learned that he and his dad owned an Airbnb where 13 Americans were currently staying to help an evangelical church with their vacation Bible school...yep, you guessed it, it was Calvary Chapel. He then immediately asked Kirk, "what is the difference between a Catholic church and an evangelical church?" Kirk was able to easily share his life story and the gospel on this first interaction. We saw him almost daily for the rest of the month and became friends. He's now the owner of an Italian Bible, and friends with the pastor of Calvary Chapel.

This was just the first of many interactions that were like this - and our summer vacation quickly became a mission trip. We made numerous friends - Sonia, Michele, Manuel, Sylvia, Sara, Vittoria, that we are still in contact with from Caupo. And we had the beginnings of gospel conversations with all of them. We also got to know the American pastor of Calvary Chapel and his wife, Landon and Rachel (whom we discovered is the best friend of the daughter of our very first friends after we got married and moved to Dallas. Small world anyone?) and their 3 kids. They have been in Feltre for 7 years, pastoring a church of about 100 Italians, which is amazing. They are struggling with the same things many pastors and missionaries struggle with. We were able to pray for them and I hope, offer some refreshment. When we told them about our retreat center idea, they were all in.

We were moving towards a retirement plan in the next few years, but our son Nathan came to work with us 6 months ago. We figured it would take him about a year to onboard with the basics, but he has learned everything so quickly and is acting like an “owner” not an “employee” already. While we were gone, he kept everything running smoothly beyond our wildest expectations, so much so, that we are a little bored and wondering what is next.

We've been in constant conversation with other current and former missionaries about their experiences in France, Poland, Hungary, and Scotland. Absolutely, they see the need as well and are welcoming conversations about it. Other connections are making themselves apparent in unexpected ways, including funding possibilities.

We've had a vacation property in the mountains of North Carolina for a few years that we use for our large family, but also to host pastors, ministry retreats, missionaries, book clubs, etc. regularly. I've learned a lot about how to do this well.

Now, our sights are set on the Feltre area, and plan to return in October to find a place to rent long-term or purchase. Our own “Priest’s House,” a place where the weary can find rest. And of course a place we can stay when we visit our new friends.

Long and short...the Lord has been surprising us left and right, weaving all the pieces together to put this dream into action. We are starting to see a plan for the next few years and we are so jazzed about it. Not only for us, but for all the people a place like this will bless and refresh. May his kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

god’s dreams

supernatural encounters