Buon appetito! Family raising funds for future ministry through food

Hoping to boot it to Italy to share the gospel, a Winnipeg family is hosting a virtual cooking class on Saturday.

Leanne Monge Barrera says that she and her husband have been experiencing very strong dreams about Italy for the past three to four years. They could not understand why.

"Italy was just on our hearts so much. We could not shake it. We were just like 'what is going on with Italy."

Realizing that they were being called to Italy, the family began seriously thinking about why.

"As we started praying into it and just asking God 'why is Italy so heavy on our hearts right now.' We started to feel that it was a place we needed to be and to move to do mission work in."

While Italy is a traditionally Catholic country, Monge Barrera says this is often more rooted in tradition than faith.

"A lot of Italians, they claim to be Catholic, but a lot of it is a family tradition. It is not a lifestyle that they live."

She says there are a lot of people in the country who do not have a relationship with Jesus but they are hoping to change that.

The Monge Barrera family will be bringing their children along as they train leaders and potentially create home churches in Italy.

"(We are) doing life with people and allowing them to see what life as a Christian looks like and the truth of who God is and what life would look like with Him."

To fundraise for the trip, the Monge Barrera's will be hosting an Italian cooking class for the first time over Zoom. They will be making Amatriciana, a Roman sauce and pasta dish. Monge Barrera is excited to see people join in. She says it is free to join the Zoom call and if people wish to donate they can do so on their website.

The family will not be leaving for Italy this year but they are working with Greater Europe Mission. They need to raise more funds but with the current travel restrictions, they are uncertain of when they will be able to go to the Mediterranean country.