The Gym that led to the Gospel

ITALY — "What is the best way to hear from God?"

Ethan wasn't raised to expect a personal answer to that question. But he was asking Daniel, a Crossworld disciple-maker, and Daniel had one.

Daniel and his wife, Jordyn, had recently moved with their two kids across the ocean to serve in Italy. Everything about their new life was new: new language, new culture, new home, new friendships. Slowly, daily rhythms and routines started to make Italy feel familiar.

One of those rhythms was Daniel's workout habit, and the Lord used it to open a door. After settling into their neighborhood, Daniel found a nearby gym. Gym relationships were something he already knew well from the States, and this small piece of familiar ground became an unexpected doorway into Italian friendships.

The gym became more than a place to exercise. It became a place to build relationships. Daniel started connecting with other men there, and workouts turned into time spent together outside the gym.

After a few informal hangouts, Daniel noticed how much these new friends craved community. So he started a weekly gathering called "Uscire Wednesdays." Uscire is Italian for "to go out with." Each Wednesday, the guys get together, help Daniel practice his Italian, and talk about life.

That's where Ethan began sharing what was on his mind. He had quietly been processing questions about his Catholic upbringing as Daniel shared openly about his own faith and what he believed about the Bible. Ethan's understanding of faith had never included a personal relationship with God, but as Daniel spoke about his own daily walk with the Lord, Ethan grew intrigued. It was during one of those Wednesday nights that he finally asked the question that had been on his heart: "What is the best way to hear from God?"

Daniel welcomed the question, sharing the gospel and his own story of following Jesus. Ethan wanted to keep talking, so the two started meeting regularly to ask questions and pray together.

"They never taught me that we could hear from God directly like that!" Ethan said. "I want to give it a shot."

Despite the language barrier and their different backgrounds, Ethan asked Daniel if they could read the Bible together so he could discover its message for himself. What began as a simple friendship at a neighborhood gym has opened the door to real spiritual conversations and a growing hunger to know God personally.

Please pray for Ethan and Daniel as they dive into Scripture together and Ethan learns more about a personal relationship with Jesus.

*The people in this story are real, but some names have been changed for privacy.