"When I was 17 years old I felt the Lord call me to go on a mission trip to Italy. I did not want to go..."
My name is Sam Allbright. I am originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. When I was 17 years old I felt the Lord call me to go on a mission trip to Italy. I did not want to go. Our school would take a team of students to Italy annually for (Missions Week). I resisted signing up. The application process for the trip closed and reopened on three separate occasions. I finally applied for the trip and ended up being the first name on the list. God definitely has a sense of humor.
When we arrived in Italy I met a man named Paolo Borroni who was YFC staff in Tuscany. He would minister to young people who desperately needed someone positive in their lives. I had never experienced a youth minister with this much passion. We would set-up a steal cage in the middle of town. Young people would come and play two vs. two soccer. It was incredible. We would then have an opportunity to share with students different testimonies of what Christ had done in our lives.
This impacted me greatly. We would travel to the (Gypsy Camps) and drive students to the weekly (Rock Solid) youth event. There would be food, games, and the gospel all in one evening. Through this experience with YFC Italy the Lord altered the way that I would view youth ministry. It has been eight years since that trip.
I am now a youth pastor in Russellville, Arkansas. I have witnessed the Lord bring salvation and hope to many young people in my city. My wife and I had the privilege of hosting the Borroni family in our church last month, during their trip to the states. God’s faithfulness never ceases to amaze me.
We continue to pray for the youth in Italy.
