Let's drive to Burgos!

On Saturday we drove to Burgos which is about 3 hours north of Madrid for a prayer day. They meet in Burgos because it's a central location for all the teams working in different places in Spain. There's teams in the Northwest and teams in the Northeast and a large team around Madrid. All involved in various church plants and ministries and businesses. All in Spain because God has brought them here to do his work. It's a neat thing. Every once in a while, they get together to pray. To lift up their needs and praises and to communicate with the team the status of their ministries. It was a day of encouragement and catching up and Prayer! In the morning, Ester and I got the chance to hang out with the children so the parents could focus. We did a few crafts, went to the park, hung out. I had alot of fun. We had 8 children who spoke their various home languages, plus spanish. At times it was difficult to communicate, but they could translate for each other and for us. They seemed to be used to that!! I'm amazed at how easily children learn new things. Missionary children are in regular spanish schools, so they learn the language easily. Here's some photos from the drive up and the children. (the playground equipment in Spain is dangerous!!! They would never allow such things in the States...parents would sue! That circle thing we're walking on also spins and is tilted...)

As for me, I started Spanish class this week. Learning Spanish in a Spanish class in Spain. (I'm still overwhelmed with the fact that I've got such an amazing opportunity in just being here!) They put me in level 3, but it's difficult!! It's a bit harder than I needed and for two hours I have to concentrate so hard to understand maybe 70% of what's said. I'm exhausted by the end of class. I go home every day and look up the words from class that I didn't know. I had to ask the professor today if he could talk a bit slower so that I could understand more. The rest of the girls in class are from..Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania and they have been in Spain for a year or three working. So they can speak Spanish but have never studied it on paper. I'm the opposite. I have studied it on paper but I have trouble speaking. I'm going to keep trying. I'm sure it'll get easier.

Additional Exciting News: I laid my eyes on some real New Mexican Tortillas this week. I think a quesadilla is in my near future. Maybe a breakfast burrito also.

Out and About

In the last week, I...

Learned to make a real Spanish Tortilla

Got to know Tamara better by letting her slobber all over me...

Got up and talked in the church service (in spanish) about where I was from and why I was in Spain...

Took a picture of a really cute tiny little smart car...

Prayer Requests:

I'm learning about the immigrant situation more and seeing more of the struggles. Pray for wisdom and energy for the leadership of this ministry. Also there's a few in the church who are struggling; pray for Juliet especially. Continue to pray for my Visa situation; they are talking with the lawyer on Friday. We are driving a few hours north on Saturday for a prayer day with the WEC team, pray for safe travel and fruitful prayer. Pray for prayer. I like that. Praise God for already giving me some chances to be an encouragement to a few individuals.

The Missionary

The above couple is Alex and Marybeth (Alejandro y Maribel) who are the leaders of the immigrant ministry with the associated residence and church. She is an american who grew up in Chicago and he is a spaniard, through and through. I've enjoyed the times I've gotten to sit down with them. They are the ones who will be direct supervision and giving me work to do. Alex is a visionary. He has grand ideas about what he wants for this church body and for the people. Growth! Maribel is his faithful wife, sidekick, who cares about people (I can tell).

I'm learning a few things about the heart of the missionary. The missionary who spends their days and years in a different country with a different people in order to spread the word of God to a world that needs it. First, I'm learning that creativity is an extremely important asset. Alex and Maribel don't have alot of money, not alot of support, so one of the ways they make extra money to pay for these big dreams they have for the church is by scavenging for scrap metal and redeeming it for cash. I went with them on Friday to take a van full of rusted steel drums, a refrigerator, piping, stuff they found on the side of the street, and he recieved some euros for it. We then took that money straight to the equivalent of Home Depot or Lowe's and bought supplies for our work day on Saturday and a new hot water heater for the other residence. Creative! Their eyes are always open for scrap metal by dumpsters and their neighbors always know to let them know if they have a spare refrigerator laying around. That's one example of how this missionary couple will do whatever it takes to provide for their little sapling of a church with constant self sacrifice. I think it's beautiful.

Second, I'm learning the need for creativity when reaching the people and building relationships. I've heard from several people that one of the best ways to plant a church is to have a very specific people you are targeting that have a very specific need. Basically meet people where they are at. Alex and Maribel have chosen to minister to immigrants because they are in a very vulnerable place in their lives. A new place, a new culture, away from family and friends, need a job and a home and a living. If the church can step in and help facilitate that process and be a "family" that provides something comfortable in the uncomfortable environment, then great! It works. It will always work when the church targets a specific need in a community.

Also, from a conversation with a lady in the church, Maria, I learned a bit about the difficulties in reaching the Spanish population. She is a Spaniard and said that they are a very closed people. They are taught to not show emotion, don't admit trouble, don't talk about your problems. The deeper you bury it the better. She has a heart for young people and we were talking about the differences in the youth in America and the youth in Spain. Our youth group at home is very open, they want someone to talk to, they want to express their feelings. In Spain, they don't. They won't. How difficult the job is for the church to somehow break down the cultural barrier to reach a people who don't want to be reached! To show them a God who wants to heal them when they don't know they need healed! And when that people is localized together in a society, living together in their ignorance and indifference, and the church is supposed to be a light. Seems so hard. A difficult and arduous task.

I think in short I'm beginning to understand the heart of the missionary. The missionary who has a deep desire to break down those walls, not let things of this world inhibit the gospel, and take a message of love to anyone and everyone. (Sounds ALOT like what Jesus did when he started his ministry!! Chew on that one awhile.)

Don Quixote de la Mancha

That's him and me and his trusty pal Sancho Panza. I'm going to try to read the book...en espanol? =) The town I'm living in Alcala de Henares is the birthplace of Miquel Cervantes who authored the adventures of Don Quixote. This bench is outside the house where he was born and lived.

I am in the process of signing up for spanish classes at the local continuing education college. I have to go on Monday for a test and an interview so they can assess what level I'm at. Can you say, "Beginner" en espanol? Mi problema es que yo puedo entender mas que yo puedo hablar. In other news, I recieved some instruction on my responsibilities while I'm here. I will have two goals: 1. Learn Spanish (hence the classes) 2. Help with the church. Every other week I have to talk a bit in the church service, 3-5 minutes about me, my favorite verses, things I'm learning, my past, etc. I have to give these en espanol. Every week I'll also be starting a short sunday school bible study with some of the ladies in the church. They are mostly African immigrant women who need instruction on being women, mothers, wives and what the gospel says to those things. I'm both humbled and terrified to do this. The good thing is that these bible studies can be in English because that's what they speak! Also, they have various administrative tasks for me to help with (my specialty. haha.)

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. As I prepare my 3-5 minutes talks for Sundays. I need to be diligent to work on the spanish and also I'm not terribly great at public speaking.

2. That relationships could be built with the ladies in the church. That I could have wisdom in my teaching.

3. I'm adjusting to the community living situation. I'm one of 10 people who live in this house and share two bathrooms and one small kitchen. A few photos:

Number 40, the red one. That's our flat. Then that's my bedroom. Cute huh? Then that's a housemate Niurka in the kitchen.

Noelia y Hector

Noelia y Hector are my new friends. She is a really sweet Argentinian woman who wants to be a missionary. She has been kind enough to help me get settled. She's taken me grocery shopping a couple of times. She is helping me with my Spanish. She's terribly patient and does a good job of walking me through understanding her. I can see us being friends. Because Noelia is so terribly helpful and friendly and wants to help me learn Spanish, I've spent the most time with her and talking with her. Hector is her fiance. He is also from Argentina. A nice, nice man who wants to be a pastor. They are in their late twenties, early thirties. They are getting married in October. Will you join me in praying for them and their futures? They are desperately seeking God's will for them and what he wants them to do.

Downtown Madrid

The center of the city, which is the center of the country as well?
This bear symbol/statue is the symbol for madrid. It's used everywhere. It's located in the middle of a very busy plaza.

Inside the official palace cathedral. It was so beautiful inside. The statue of Mary with the crown of thorns on her head was a bit hurtful.

The front gate of the Palacio Real. The Official residence of the King of Spain. El Rey de Espana. (P.S. He doesn't actually live here)

That´s what I get for praying for boldness...

Flying over Madrid as the plane was getting ready to land I was so amazed at how much the landscape looked like the American Southwest. Landing wasn´t a problem. Finding my luggage wasn´t a problem. The problem came when I couldn´t find the people there to pick me up.

I didn´t know who was coming or what they looked like. The people in Spain aren´t the most friendly and helpful, so I stood by the exit for about an hour just hoping to catch eyes with someone that was also looking for me! Pretty soon I figured I needed to do something about this mess. I remembered I had the cell phone number of the person I was supposed to meet. I asked a helpful lady where I could find a payphone (telefono?). She gave me directions in Español and I totally understood her!! I went passed the cafeteria to the left and found them.

I stared down the telephone for a while and decided I needed euro coins to use it. I had a few dollars in my pocket so I went on search for someplace to change my money. Had to ask another lady. I asked en Español so she figured I knew enough. She started speaking all the instructions really fast in español so I quickly had to tell her "En ingles...". I followed her instructions but all I really understood was to go to the second floor. Elevator. Now realize this whole time I´m carrying around my two large suitcases on one of those little dolly things. I went upstairs and didn´t see any place to change money. Had to ask someone else. This lady also gave me directions in spanish that I totally understood!! Went to the American Express counter, changed my $24 into 16euros and I felt stupid asking the guy if the amount of cents he gave me was going to be enough for a payphone. I held out my little poor hand with the few coins in it.

Back downstairs to the payphone. Fumbled around a bit and made the call. When Steve actually answered the phone and I was speaking to someone I knew, I was sooo relieved. We talked about where we were and I went back to where I had been waiting. I felt like crying! (I told myself I was NOT going to cry in the Madrid airport!!!) I was going to be found!! About two seconds later he walked right up to me!

THIS ENTIRE TIME THEY HAD BEEN TWENTY FEET AWAY!!! I even saw them...I just didn´t know that was who I was looking for.

Bottom line: when you pray for boldness, God gives you situations where you have to be bold. Ask the hard questions. Make yourself vulnerable and step out there to accomplish what you need done.

First impression of Madrid: it´s beautiful. It looks just like any large American city. It even looks alot like home. Lots of graffiti. And thousands of years old buildings (I guess that´s not like America). The jetlag is killing me. It´s 1am and I´m not tired at all (it´s 5pm in Albuquerque).

Hope you enjoyed my story. Tomorrow I am going to go to the house I´ll be living at while I´m here and meet the people I get to live with!!