Small Steps. Big Faith.

José and Sara (names changed to maintain confidentiality) were participants in our first pre-marital conference - the S.O.M. (Seminario de Orientación al Matrimonio) in March of 2021. We did the conference online because of the limitations for on-site events due to the COVID pandemic. Like all engaged couples, they were in love and excited about all that lay ahead. Although we actually did not know them well, we invited them to participate in the S.O.M. the following year in 2022 as "graduates" of the S.O.M. and to share what they were learning and how the S.O.M. had helped them. Several months after hearing from them, now with one small child and a second child on the way, the strain of married life and parenting had caught up to them. Last month, they contacted me, looking for support through marriage counseling. While I am not a counselor, I am a certified facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich couples inventory. In addition to helping to bring to light how each spouse is feel...

After obtaining the rights to print EL ARTE DE SER PADRES in Spain last May, we finally had our first batch of manuals available to promote for parents and churches in Spain.  Several small groups have started up in and around Madrid. We also launched a pilot group on Friday evenings in our church in Terrassa (near Barcelona) at the beginning of May.  The 8-lesson study covers topics such as helping our children to develop relationships, identifying and nurturing their identity, forming character, applying discipline, preparing them for the mission God has for them and realizing the power of family. It's been a great chance for us to get to know a few of the families in our church better. The study has also given us all a lot to think about in our role as parents and grandparents. Please pray for those pictured here: Dámaris, Oscar, Miquel, Fina, Ruben, Iolanda, as well as Ruben, Sara and me (not pictured) that God would continue to give us wisdom, perseverance, patience and l...

These smiling faces represent the best and the brightest of our new generation of staff. For the last 2 years they have been practicing the ins and outs of field ministry...but at the same time, carving out time for study and reflection and discussion with a staff mentor to ensure a solid foundation for the long haul. We believe that the condition of the hearts of our staff is priority number one and from a healthy heart that depends on the Lord a healthy, fruitful ministry will flow. Servant Leadership, Restoring God's Justice in a Broken World and Coaching were 3 of the New Staff Training topics that we covered during our time together. Together with New Staff Training director, Donna Cannella, we planned and prayed for months that the Lord would use this time to bring blessing and effective closure to this inicial season of staff life for these precious new staff. Their feedback about the weekend was encouraging. When asked, "What will you take away from this w...

During these weeks of waiting for the baby to arrive, we´ve been trying to make room for him, which has meant sorting through my stuff and throwing away non-essentials. I´ve done a fairly good job of parting with things (my efficient friend, Jalynn, would be so proud of me). However, there have been a few things that I just have not been able to part with. Among those things are a few select journals that I´ve carried with me from my days on campus at the University of Granada. With all this extra time on my hands, I decided to go back and read through some of my thoughts and experiences, recorded at a very different point in my life from now. August 9th, 2002 In the next 3 years I long to see... *20 new Spanish staff raised up in cities where they can be trained *group after group of Spanish students discipling each other *a regular annual conference providing times of worship and Biblical teaching for students leaders August 19th, 2002 There are many times when I lose hope, ...

Did Batman ever have seasons of adjustment in his career? Were there ever moments of confusion? Of course I wouldn't really compare myself to a superhero such as Batman....but my life is similar in that I face challenges every day and in small ways I can make choices to be a super hero or just another face in the crowd. I have been going through a season of re-adjustments. After 3 months of silence, I've jumped into my Bat mobile and am back on the information highway. During these 3 months, I've continued to connect with Spaniards, Christian and non-Christian, to eat together, to address important issues, to drink coffee together, to go on walks together. The day-in, day-out tasks of my work have not changed much. I pray for opportunities to talk to people about Jesus and I offer Him my hands and feet to minister to the people around me. At the same time, I've made a technical shift from being an American employee of Campus Crusade for Christ to being a Spanish ...