Small Steps. Big Faith.

"Contemporary Europe has become the most godless civilization the world has ever known. --International Herald Tribune Europe: a continent of great beauty, culture and lasting intrigue. A continent of compelling spiritual need. Today, Europe and Russia have generally forsaken their Christian heritage - exchanging the truth of God's Word, for the empty promises of a world view centered around a humanistic ideology. Yet, there is a growing sense that the spiritual climate is changing. momentum europe  is the first phase of a long term strategy to develop the capacity to give everyone in Europe and Russia an opportunity to know someone who truly walks with Christ. It is about seeing tens of thousands of lives changed for Christ. It is ultimately about helping to transform the spiritual destiny of an entire continent. Check out   "Europe: The Lost Continent" and the "Momentum Europe" emphasis.

The phone rang this afternoon. "Hey Jill, have you got a few minutes to talk?" I had just finished eating and Aaron was still sleeping. "Sure," I said, welcoming  the opportunity to visit with a staff friend between bottle feedings. It was an international staff woman needing to process some thoughts, concerns about administrative decisions, uncertainties about the future for ministry in her city. Surfing the cultural differences in a national organization can be a challenge at times. In our ministry here we all have the same heart--to see Spaniards come to know Jesus...but there are situations where the WAY we go about things is different. That can be confusing at times. It´s helpful to have someone to help interpret the situation, a fellow compatriot who has gone before us. Even though I´m not on the frontlines of campus ministry in Spain at the moment, I have logged quite a few years here. Not only have I learned something about the culture, but I´ve also g...

Have you ever had an important detail slip your mind? Sometimes what is important then also becomes urgent. In addition to transatlantic travel, language learning and culture shock, missionary life brings with it additional administrative responsibilities that can sometimes be overwhelming. It´s in moments like these that God reminds me that even administrative contributions do matter in helping to build His kingdom. Rebekah Hiney is an Agape missionary with the Campus ministry in the nation´s capital city of Madrid, population 6 million+.  Every available person willing and ready to labor for Christ in this city is welcome and needed to help make a dent in reaching the 250,000+ university students with the gospel. Rebekah is pictured here with Zadith, one of the women she has discipled in Madrid. (To learn more about Rebekah´s ministry you can visit her ministry website. ) So, just before the Christmas holidays I got a call from Rebekah. It was lunchtime and R...

One of my favorite verses comes at the end of Matthew 9 when Jesus is on the road with His disciples... "...When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harrassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his discilpes, ´The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.´" The Lord is sending out yet another laborer into His harvest field. Her name is Veronica Carrera Jara. Veronica, who is from Chile, graduated with a degree in teaching in 1999 and worked in the public schools for 5 years teaching English. However, God had other plans for her. She became a Campus Crusade staff member at the University of Concepción in 2003 and this year has plans to bring a group of university students for an international summer project to Spain to share the gospel with Muslims in the south of Spain and in North Africa. Once the project is over, she will cont...

Although Eastern Europe and its circumstances are quite different from those of Spain, here in Western Europe, the need for a Savior is just as great. I recently watched "The Wall: A Generation Later," and listened as Campus Crusade staff from around the world, many of whom worked for 20+ years behind the iron curtain, talked about the way it was--before and after. They give testimony to the incredible changes that took place and they give God all the credit. I pray that it will encourage you as we continue to labor here in Spain. I don´t know God´s timing but I believe that when He is ready He will bring sweeping change to Spain as well. The Wall: A Generation Later from Jim Southard on Vimeo .

Before it gets too much later, I wanted to send you a Christmas hello from Spain. While it´s so fun to be having Christmas with my new nuclear family here, I do miss Christmas in North Carolina...the decorated houses, the Christmas carolling, the crisp cool weather, yummy desserts and eggnog, seeing Santa Claus at the mall (At the malls here the kids here actual visit the 3 Kings and end up choosing their favorite from among the three to make their requests, live, drive-by Nativity scenes, midnight candle-light church service on Christmas eve...etc. I pray that this Christmas will be filled with laughter and special moments for you that will speak anew of just how significant this holiday season is! "Praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people...And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his peopel the knowledge of salvation through the forgive...

Brittany Pulda will be coming to work with us this year in the city of Málaga. She is from the U.S., Racine, Wisconsin to be exact. She is 22 years old and she´s a university student. She has taken a break this year from her double major in Spanish and Business. She loves sports and loves to sing. her passions include praise and worship music and evangelism. Brittany says, "In the time that I have been in Málaga visiting, the Lord has done some impressive things. I have met a lot of students and I´ve made a lot of friends. Each day God is giving me the opportunity to speak about why I´m in Málaga and, the most important, He gives me opportunities to share my faith. At this moment, I´m working with the team that focuses on students in Málaga. We want to see God glorified and see students come to know him personally. We have a group of Christian students at the university and we can see that a spiritual movement is starting. God is working in Málaga. An example of how God is work...