Spring Things

No matter what the calendar says, it isn´t REALLY summer until school is out! And now that school is out, I have time to share some spring highlights. At school, spring is always a flurry of activity, but the biggest event is the annual Rastrillo - an American flea market/carnival event.


The event features typical American foods, carnival type games with prizes for all - mostly candy and recycled stuffed animals, and lots of bargains (with many familiar items from years past!) Spaniards do not have yard sales, so what started as a missionary swap has turned into a huge attraction for the community, and the primary fund-raising event for the upcoming senior class.




Furthermore, it is a way for the school to be a Christian influence in the community. This year, the Camarma Church joined forces with us. They set up a table with Christian literature and helped with parking. It was supposed to rain. There is no rain plan, so prayer was our only recourse. We enjoyed sunny skies all the way to the end. As people cleared out, the sky turned black, and shortly after everything had been carried into the school - it rained and hailed with a vengeance. We were all greatly aware of God´s grace and blessing on our event!

Our church continues to be a fulfilling part of our ministry here as well. It continues to grow, so it is a challenge to keep up with the new names and relationships. We decided to have a paella lunch after church one day while the tent was still up, and invite our non-church friends to join us. (Paella is a typical Spanish rice dish that is seasoned with saffron, and usually all kinds of seafood.) We had quite a few visitors, and there was plenty of food for all. These events help provide opportunities to deepen friendships and bond us together as a group, as well as give us an opportunity to meet new seekers.

European Honors Choir at ECA

This past weekend, ECA had the opportunity to host a select group of musicians from 9 international Christian high schools in Europe who came together to perform 2 concerts in the Madrid area. There were about 45 students; and Emily also got to be a part of this special group of students. They rehearsed about 13 hours in 2 days, and then performed a concert at the Camarma City Hall and at a Cathedral in a suburb of Madrid. One of the highlights for the group was the hour long bus ride home from the second concert, on their final night here. The bus was filled with singing as these kids celebrated their common love for music - singing everything from silly songs from Veggie Tales to well known hymns and contemporary songs. I am pretty sure their bus driver will never forget them. In addition to blessing these communities with their concerts, these kids left a strong impression on many locals who commented on their discipline and mature behavior. Here is the end of the first song that they sang in Camarma. They started out standing around the auditorium, then sang the rest of the concert from the risers in front.

GOOD TIMES

I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord! That is what I was thinking about yesterday/Sunday morning. It has been just 2 1/2 years since a church started meeting in our town of Camarma. Yesterday, we were probably close to 80 people in attendance! The music was inspiring and fun, and the mood felt happy. Then, one of our members, who has been in Saudi Arabia on a work assignment, slipped in with his wife, and God's blessing felt complete. There were many visitors, including a couple who has attended a few outreach events - the husband has a friendly smile and always offers to help - Lord, bring them into the fold, I pray!

I, Carol, taught Sunday School to a group that is finally big enough to be a fun class (age 8-13). We talked about evidences for faith - beginning this week with how the universe reveals God to us. These kids have heard the creation story at home and probably in church, but are bombarded with evolution in every other context. Who is right? Mom and Dad, or everyone else? It is a privilege to help equip them and help them think through their doubts and questions. (Talk about a stretch to my Spanish - we do not have materials for this class, so I had to translate my English resources! It is a growing experience for me, too.)

After that was a church lunch. The room was full. We ran out of plastic plates and forks. It was an oddly fun problem.... Fortunately, we had dishes in the school kitchen we could use. We finally got home at nearly 5PM.

I wish I could say that all these visitors and new attenders were from our town. Some are. But most are not. Quite a few have come from other churches. I do not know why they are leaving their churches. But the thing that encourages me is that there are quite a few new churches that we know of in the past 10 years that have sprung up on this side of Madrid, and they all seem to be growing. When we moved out here, we only knew of 2, I think that later I learned there were 6. Now there are around 20 in that same city of Alcalá (population, about 300,000), and several others in outlying towns, like ours, and many are growing. There is an evident growth in the church here and it is a joy to be a part of it.

Hmm. This is one neglected blog! I need to learn to stop and take note of what´s happening. Since I last wrote in May(in addition to our normal routine activities) Scot and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and David graduated from high school; my parents came to visit and we enjoyed some days of vacation together; David and Lynnette worked summer camp in MI; we helped with the summer English camp here in Camarma; Aaron visited us in Spain on his way to Turkey to take on his 1st teaching job; Scot finished his Master´s degree in Educational Administration, and we started another school year. This fall, Scot and I were able to attend the 1st ECA reunion in the US and spent some quality time with our families; and we helped our church plan and prepare for a big Thanksgiving outreach event for our community for about 100 guests. We cooked the largest turkey I have ever seen: it was about 38 pounds.

However,the thing I choose to share today is an excerpt from a letter written by one of the parents of a student at our school. But the letter is extra special since the parents are Spaniards, their daughter is new at ECA this fall, and the letter gives a glimpse of the impact that ECA is having on this special family. It is true that words fitly spoken are as silver and their encouragement is something to treasure. I hope it encourages others who support our ministry as much as it has encouraged us.

“After all the frustration with the lack of professionalism, motivation and interest in real education of the Spanish schooling system, we must admit that we have been blessed to have our daughter at ECA. Her Math teacher has made Maria approach and see this Math’s with great interest for a typically unfriendly subject for her…. Her Bible´s teacher is doing a great job, in spite of the challenge of teaching someone with no Bible background at all. He is kind and he cares about his students, he is very knowledgeable about the subject. He teaches Bible in a way that is at the same time attractive for students and an opportunity for them to develop interest and appeal for the Gospel…. We remember one of the meetings with her English teacher: He said: “I love my job.” In the 10 previous years our daughter attended our Spanish education system, we had never heard such a thing from a teacher.”

Needless to say, our hearts are full as we conclude this fall term. Busy - yes! But blessed? Beyond measure through the abundant grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate again this year.

Merry Christmas to you and yours too!

Letting Go

One of the greatest challenges I have faced in the past 20+ years is the great responsibility of nurturing our kids spiritually, physically, emotionally, and intellectually - while trying to balance the need to let go so that they can grow strong as they themselves work toward maturity. In the beginning, they are totally dependent, and then slowly, the tables turn and you have to start letting them face things on their own. By the time they head off to college, you feel like you have pretty much let go. But then again, can a mom REALLY let go?

I guess that is why I find myself meditating on "letting go" these days. Just about 1 month ago, we learned that Emily has diabetes. It was a shock for our family, but we are adjusting and doing well. What has particularly struck me, is that from day 1, Emily has been trained to manage her situation and she is responsibly doing all her finger pricks and insulin shots on her own. It is gratifying to see her independence, but it feels a bit funny too. Then less than a week ago, Aaron graduated from college - that takes letting go to a whole new level! In only a few weeks, David will graduate from high school and return to the US where he will attend Asbury University. I guess that I am learning that letting go is a process rather than a marked moment. That is a good thing! Letting go is not as easy as it sounds! But we are proud of our kids and glad to see their independence, and maturity as it takes root and they manage life responsibly!

Croatia 2010, Part 2

The Croatia team returned to Spain a week ago now, and today they shared about their experience in our chapel service. They gave us a glimpse of what they did there by leading some of the worship songs they sang, sharing some more of the testimonies, illustrated messages, and skits they did, and by expressing how the experience impacted them personally. One of the leaders said that although the team had prepared these things as required, some had expressed hesitation in their willingness to stand on a box and share them in the street. Upon arrival, some students shared that their initial feeling was fear, as they were in a rough area in the city where they noticed people drinking whiskey and smoking and did not believe people would be receptive.

But as the team opened up and began to share, everyone experienced God's presence in a powerful new way, and they were all inspired to share and testify as they had prepared. The evangelist said that long after he was tired and ready to go home for the day (at 10 PM, when there were few people left in the street), the students were still asking to stay out and talk to people. One example given, of many similar stories, was of 2 of our students who talked to a girl who did not believe in God. After they talked to her, she prayed to accept Christ. As she finished her prayer, she saw 3 of her friends and asked our students to share with them what they had told her. And one of those girls also accepted Christ!

Another one of the purposes, besides evangelism, that the team had, was to encourage and help build up the Croatian believers that meet at the youth center in this town. These youth were intimidated about sharing their faith and lacked boldness to tell their friends about Christ. Many of them were weak in their faith as well. But they also experienced God's presence in a powerful new way. The missionary who works at the center is very excited about the new enthusiasm he sees in these youth - who he reports are now going out on Tuesdays and Thursdays to continue to evangelize in their community.

So, please pray for all these young people who have been impacted by this experience with God - both the Croatians, and our students. May they continue to walk in faith when trials and temptations come. May they seek to grow in their understanding of the Word, and in their relationship with God. May this experience not become something like a fuzzy dream that dims over time. May the things of this world not choke out the things of God. May God give them a growing love and unity as they work together, that the church of God would extend from this city and beyond to other cities in Croatia. Thank you for your prayers - you are a part of this big thing that God has done in the lives of many young people! And as we continue to pray, we continue to battle for the souls of these young people who now must decide if they will stay the course.

 

Croatia 2010

I have just returned home from the chapel service at ECA today. In just 1 week from today, March 26, a team of students from ECA will be heading to Croatia on a missions trip. All the funds have come in, the team has spent months in preparation, and all that is needed now is our prayers. The team has prepared dramas, illustrated messages, music, and testimonies, and they have been into the cities of Madrid and Alcalá de Henares where they have already shared on the streets here what they will be sharing there. Here is an excerpt from Emily's letter about what she and David will be doing: "We will be going with seventeen other students at ECA for a one week trip which will involve both spiritual and practical ministries, such as: dramas, painting, gardening, community service, testimonies, and one-on-one evangelism with Croatian teens. Our school theme verse this year is Matthew 5:14-17, “You are the light of the world…” This is our goal, and this is a great chance to extend our light to another country!" They will be working with a couple who have a youth ministry there. Their news will be posted on Facebook as it happens. You can find the link on the ECA website and join the group now so you can follow their news and keep up to date on their prayer requests. (Click on ECA)

I would also add that Aaron is in Turkey now doing his final stretch of student teaching. He also has a blog where you can follow his news and photos. (Click on blog)

Thank you for your prayers. May God use these circumstances for His glory, both in the lives of our kids and in the lives of those they touch.