We are just blown away by God! I know that we shouldn’t be, yet, here we are in awe of Him. He is truly blessing our ministry here in Spain. This last week has been such a testament to the work He is doing in us, through us, and around us. We have definitely experienced some of God’s divine appointments and have been aware of the Holy Spirit leading our fellowship and our work.
As I sit here on Sunday evening typing, I’m watching Jared as he plays basketball with a group of guys and gals from church and the community in the gymnasium of the community center. If any of you know Jared well enough, you know that basketball is not his game. But, here, they see a 6’4” American and think, “He’s got to play basketball with us!” No, B-Ball is not his game. (He played tennis in high school). He did, however, recognize the opportunity the Lord was giving him for fellowship with some people from church and to reach beyond the church walls to those who come from the community. It’s also interesting how God had used this forum to increase our fellowship with others.
On Wednesday of this week, we were finally able to get together with the Pepe and Ofelia and their two daughters, Lucia (age 6) and Irene (age 3) and, as we found out that night, a new baby on the way due on January 7 (Jared’s birthday). Pepe is the man who approached us at the school while we were enrolling the girls interested in getting together so that he and his wife could practice their English and to give us opportunity to practice our Spanish. We met for dinner at 8:30pm at a restaurant on the beach. (It is very common in Spain to go out with company instead of having them in one’s home due to the small size of the homes and the fact that restaurants provide outdoor seating which is much cooler- especially along the beach with the cool evening breeze- than the unairconditioned spaces of homes.) During dinner, we found out that Pepe and Ofelia are both psychologist working full time in private practice, and Ofelia also works in a government employment office doing counseling. Ofelia’s English is about on the level (maybe a little less) than our Spanish, which required us to speak as much Spanish as we could. Pepe and Ofelia (before her pregnancy) play basketball! (Pepe is very interested in playing with Jared on Sundays at the church.) Ofelia also has participated in a roller blading class offered at the community center. These things definitely helped bridge their life and ours here. The conversation moved very quickly to where God wanted it to be. We were able to share our testimony, God’s calling on our lives, and bridge the gap between what they thought they knew about evangelical Christians and Parque Victoria Community Christian Church (our church here) and what they know as Catholic believers. We were quite stunned at some of the things that they thought we did or did not believe. The Holy Spirit guided our words, and we were able to share His amazing grace and love and sovereignty in our lives. It was such a wonderful evening! We made plans to get together again soon. Pepe has invited Jared to a weekly men’s game night. (Again, Jared detests playing games, but, as I’m sure you can see a theme, God is evidently asking him to get out of his comfort zone to build relationships here!) We had no lag in conversation. In fact, we had much to talk about thanks to God and his divine appointments.
We have also been excited about our growing relationship with Marta, our Spanish teacher. Marta is a 26 year old unemployed primary school teacher. She lives in the homes directly behind the community center with her parents (Antonio and Antonia) and her younger brother, Antonio (age 23) and her talking parrot, Batman (age 4). She has taken us to her home to meet her parents where we had afternoon tea and cookies. Her father speaks English well but her mother speaks none. They are anxious to have our family over again for a cookout. Marta’s dad even approached Jared this week about getting together with him maybe once a week to practice his conversational Spanish, knowing our desire to learn the language quickly. Marta is becoming such a part of our family, and we are excited about the bond she is forming with our family. The girls really like her. She has offered to watch them if we ever need someone, and she will be tutoring them throughout the school year past her original agreement with Mike to help us until September. At her offer, she even this week took the girls to the pool after our lesson so they could swim while Jared and I had a meeting. We spend at minimum 3 hours everyday with her. So, we have a lot of time together, getting to know her, her to know us, and more than superficial conversation. We have been able to share our faith with her and begin to share Jesus’ love for her . She knows a lot about Christianity/Catholicism because in the public schools here the children take a catholic religion class. However, it is evident that her head knowledge is just information without meaning in her life. God has brought her (and her family) into our lives for a greater purpose than learning Spanish.
We are also seeing the beginnings of relationships, friendships and ministry opportunity coming out of our time being spent in the fitness center. Jared and I were requested to step in to teach a fitness class. (I led and J helped with form. Since, we couldn’t fully communicate with words what we wanted the class to do.) The class ended this week, but us being sought out to teach it by the participants is a testament to our growing visibility in the center. Jared and I are also beginning to cover the monitoring during some of the fitness center hours as we interview for a new monitor to accompany the other monitor in splitting the gym hours come September or October. By being in the gym, people are seeing us cleaning, reorganizing gym equipment, repairing machines, and training others and doing our own. God is using these acts of service and love to open the community center clients and church congregation’s hearts to what He has called us here to do for His glory, honor and praise.
Our fellowship among our church family here is surrounded by the Holy Spirit. We have spent two evenings this last week at cookouts with our new friends. We are able to talk a little more and understand even better the language which has greatly increased our ability to be a part of the gathering rather than just by- standers. We are also blessed that as we take our evening walk along the beach each night with the girls riding their bikes we see familiar faces and get warm greetings. In fact, at the pool doing our lesson with Marta, she made the comment that we know more people than she does in her neighborhood. Also, during our dinner with Pepe and his family we were interrupted too many times to count by friends greeting us. (I say interruption not in a condescending way but as a accurate description of events. A simple wave or verbal greeting is not how people acknowledge one another here. With each person, you stand, give two kisses on each cheek, say hello, and give proper salutations. With a group of any size, that can take a minute. Our friends greeted all four of us in this manner and us them, and then, we introduced and went through the same greetings with Pepe and Ofelia at dinner (and Marta at the pool).
God sets many things before us each day. God’s divine appointments for us take priority in our lives whether planned events or impromptu opportunities. We pray that our eyes continue to see as He sees. We pray to continue to move as He instructs us to move. We pray that we would grasp each moment to give Him room to work, move, and stir in our hearts and the hearts of others. With Pepe and his family and Marta and her family, we are embracing God’s call on our lives to share His Truth. Our fellowship with our church family is such an amazing testimony to God’s love and Spirit among those He calls His own. In our work in the community and fitness center, we are humbled servants working for God not for man. As we look at the divine appointments God has scheduled for us, we are awestruck observers and humbly submit to what God’s doing in Spain.
