From Portugal to Italy

Following God’s Call to Make Disciples

It was a hot afternoon at the beginning of June, and it was the first day of our annual church conference. The theme of this year’s conference, Agora vão! (Now go!) was particularly apt for us as a family. That Saturday afternoon, we were being sent by our church in Portugal to the beautiful and complex country of Italy. 

This wasn’t a transition from one stopping place to the next. Nor was it a move with a timeframe in sight. It was an uprooting from our home country—the place where Luís and I had lived since childhood, met and got married, and then had our three beautiful children—to a country we’d only ever known as tourists. A country which, despite being a popular holiday destination, was infamous for its red tape, organized crime, and heavy spiritual strongholds. And we were going without knowing for how long—perhaps forever! 

Transition is never easy and while sometimes the sorrow of saying goodbye to loved ones hits like a mighty wave, at other times, it ebbs and flows like the tide, as our heart processes the reality of leaving.  

But for those who are going in obedience to God, there is also a tremendous sense of peace, purpose, and joy. There is the certainty that every tear is worth it for the supreme joy of hearing God’s well done!  

That afternoon, as our church family prayed for us, encouraged us, and gave us prophetic words, we experienced it all: joy and sorrow, excitement and nervousness, peace and uncertainty. And as we stood there being prayed for, we also silently prayed for the many others in that room who God was calling to step out into unknown territory compelled by His love, empowered by His Spirit, and armed with the Good News. 

A Multicultural Family with a Vision for Discipleship 

Over the past 15 years, we have been involved (as church planters and leaders and later, Luís, as an elder) in Vida Nova church in Porto, which is part of the Commission family of churches.  

One interesting fact about us is that we’re a multicultural family. Anna was born in the UK to British parents and Luís was born in Brazil to Brazilian/Portuguese parents and we both moved to Portugal when we were children. Our three kids, Daniel, Priscila, and Abby (now ages eight, nine and eleven, respectively) were all born in Portugal. 

Throughout the years, as we have co-lead Vida Nova church, we have developed a vision for discipleship, home groups, and missional living. And we have seen God’s grace in action in Portugal in a wonderful way. 

So where does Italy come in? 

Our Call to Italy 

In 2022, God began speaking to us about moving us to the Belpaese. 

It all started in mid 2021 when I (Anna) began praying about the future of our family and the vision God had for us in the church and city we were living in. There were so many questions going through my mind: Where did God want us to focus? What was His vision for our family?  

Then, in May 2022, I began feeling a burden regarding international mission after reading Hidden Gems by Amy Carmichael. Not being exactly sure if this was God, and being a good wife (!), I prayed: “Lord, if it’s Your will for us to move to another country, please speak to Luís and tell him where You want us to go!” Then I left it in God’s hands.  

Amazingly, about two weeks later, Luís came back from a conference at a partner church one evening, and told me he’d spoken to some people who had come over from Italy and when they began sharing about the need for good churches there, his heart stirred. Luís then told me he sensed God had something for us there! 

I was amazed, excited, and happy. I’d always loved Italy (I’d even chosen it as our honeymoon spot) and the Italian language. 

So I began praying about it and asking God for signs that this was from Him. God responded (a flag of Italy here, a dream there) and I became more and more convinced this was God. 

About six months later, I mentioned Italy to Luís (assuming he’d also been processing and praying about it) only to find he’d forgotten all about it! By now, it was the beginning of 2023. 

Anyway, I kept praying that if this was God’s will, He would speak to Luís, just like He’d done back in 2022. Over the next few months, God did speak to Luís and even spoke through prophetic words from other people. Interestingly, around this time, we also heard that Chris Kilby was involved in helping some churches in Italy. 

Yet, despite our growing conviction and excitement, there were still some heart obstacles we needed to get past. One of the main ones was the children. Luís and I wondered how on earth the kids would cope with another culture and language.  

Again, God responded. In October 2023, during an elders' and wives' weekend, there were several words about change and going elsewhere. Then someone gave a prophetic word from the front, which went something like this: 

There are some parents here who are worried about their children, about what will happen to them if they respond in obedience to God’s call. Actually, it will be worse for your children if you don’t obey! 

At that moment, Luís and I looked at each other, and we knew that God had spoken.  

So a couple of days later, when we were doing a zoom call with the other Vida Nova leaders, in which we were sharing feedback from the conference, we told them what God had shown us. They were surprised but also excited. Our good friends Andrew and Lucy Shore (Vida Nova’s lead elder and his wife) - even told us they’d sensed that God was going to speak to a specific couple that weekend about going somewhere different. They just didn’t imagine it would be us! 

The next few months were busy as we processed our call with the leadership team.  

In February, we began the Cross-cultural Mission Training course and as those around us gained more clarity about God’s call to go to Italy, the bigger questions became “where exactly” and “when”. 

Both of us had felt from early on that God was calling us to the Rome area. Luís had even had a dream one night that we were in a house in Rome and he could see the sea and some black rocks from a window! When he woke up, he wondered how that could be possible, since Rome wasn’t on the coast. When we looked into it, however, we realized that the church that had hosted the Insieme conference was in a town that belonged to Rome and it was on the coast. In fact, after googling this town, Ladispoli, Luís saw the black rocks he’d seen in his dream! 

A couple of months after this dream, we also found out that the church from Ladispoli had just joined the Commission family of churches! 

After receiving spiritual counsel and praying through the calling with the apostolic team in Portugal, Luís and I felt it was important for us to spend some time in Ladispoli over the summer so we could spy out the land. This in itself was a big step of faith, because, as a beach town, rental prices skyrocketed over the summer months. In the midst of this, we’d also sensed God speaking to us to give away all the money we’d saved from a tax rebate. After obeying, in the next couple of weeks, we got all that money back (and more!) through the generous gifts from Vida Nova/ The Fonte, family, and the Chiesa Cristiana “Agape Dio è Amore” in Ladispoli. And so we were able to stay in Ladispoli for three weeks over the summer of 2024. 

While there, we sensed God’s direction to move to Ladispoli at the beginning stage of our move to Italy.  

So now that we had the “where”, we spent the next months working out the “when” and as time went on, we sensed God directed us to stay in Portugal until the summer of 2025, as Luís helped the leadership team and the children completed the school year.  

Where we are Now 

At the moment of writing it’s the end of June 2025, and we have our flights and ferry booked to move to Italy in the middle of July! 

God has been faithful each step of the way, and we trust He will continue to be with us as we journey forward in step with His Spirit.  

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 

Our Vision for Italy 

While at first unsure of what God had for us in Italy, over time, we have developed a vision of bringing the true Gospel of Jesus to the very epicentre of the Roman Catholic church. 

Despite being a place where the early church had a deep impact and influence, over the centuries, the Gospel has become covered with layers of religiosity, idolatry, and corruption. In our spirits, we feel the Lord wants to do something new in Italy. In fact, it has already begun. And so our heart is to join in, humbly, with the faithful Christians in Italy and be used by God to bring the true Gospel of Jesus to all. We long to share the good news of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection with people. To help those who are truly seeking God to become disciples of Jesus and understand His wonderful salvation by grace. Not just in theory, but in practice. 

In His commission to His followers, Jesus said “go and make disciples of all nations”. Jesus wants more than converts. He wants disciples. Those who live under His Kingdom rule here on earth. Those who take up their cross and follow Him. Those who glorify God and bring others to the knowledge of Him. 

That’s our heart for Italy — to help make disciples of Jesus, who make disciples of Jesus.