The phrase, “Holding tightly to His hands and loosely to our plans.” certainly resonates with the journey Alessandro and Chantal Parrillo have been on these past months.
When they left Senegal on home assignment, they were completely exhausted. They had already been struggling for many months, were questioning whether they could continue to serve there and were praying for God’s guidance.
Although it has been a hard season, God has been teaching them so much about Himself, about themselves, about serving Him, and they rejoice in the work He is doing in them. One thing they realised is that they are currently in an administrative role that does not fit Alessandro’s area of giftedness and that continuing in that role is very draining and unsustainable long-term. Adding Chantal’s health challenges to the mix makes it even more difficult.
At the end of January, they decided to take steps towards returning to Senegal for one school year, while still asking the Lord to show them if He had a different plan. As they started to prepare for their return, doubts grew. While in the past, God has convinced them to press on, in this case, it seemed God was convincing them that He wanted them to press on elsewhere. Therefore, for their family’s well-being, they have made the difficult decision to not return to serve in Senegal, West Africa. Although there is sadness, God allowed them to serve for three more years after they had thought they would be unable to return in 2021, and for that they are grateful.
They do not yet know what the future holds. One option is for them to join the Ethnos Canada team at the headquarters in Ontario. They would greatly appreciate your prayers as they consider what God has next for them. Pray that they would know His peace as they face these transitions and unknowns.
They plan to make a trip to Dakar, Senegal sometime this summer to deal with their belongings. Pray God will provide someone to buy their furniture and appliances, as well as their vehicle. Pray for wisdom as they figure out the best time to go and how to go about this huge job.
Thank you for accompanying them in this journey of faith through your prayers. They look forward to seeing where God will lead them next.