Small Steps. Big Faith.

Over the last 3 years, slowly and what seems to be coincidentally, staff members, one after the other, have been moving to the Barcelona area, specifically to the city of Terrassa, including Ruben and me. In all there are four married couples (and 7 children!) who make up this team. We have all come to this city for different reasons, but each one has been led by the Lord in some way or another. We all definitely have a desire to share the gospel, but the exact purpose of this loosely connected team was a bit fuzzy at the beginning. Mariangeles Bootello has been involved with evangelism and discipleship in the Campus ministry since 2002. She moved here from Sevilla three years ago, just before marrying a young man from Barcelona. She works with Existe Más Mundo (More World Exists), a social work outreach of the Campus Ministry in Spain that serves the hungry and the homeless. She´s also been working with troubled teens, many of whom are children of Moroccan immigrants. Two of th...

Ladies draped in winter coats, burqas  (the loose outer clothing that Muslim women wear)  and hijabs  (the head covering),  entered the classroom with plates and plates of their best Moroccan sweets and thermoses filled with Arabic mint tea.  To celebrate the end of the first semester of Spanish classes for the Moroccan women, we held a little "fiesta" in our make-shift classroom at the Montroig Civic Center in Terrassa.  They all are sweet and eager to learn.  It was an interesting mix of women: some can communicate better than others in Spanish; a few older women, many young women with multiple children; one or two that studied at the university and a good number illiterate, even in their own language, and almost all lacking employment. While there are a few, more outgoing women, most seem quiet and shy when they are together in the classroom environment. Isa Fernandez, (pictured on the right) is the wife of Spain´s National Direct...

I was wiped out from a long day with Aaron. He´s been waking up 4-5 times a night, missing his pacifier, fearful from a nightmare, hungry for a bottle. I knew I needed to open my mailbox and respond to the next incoming message from seekers on the internet. After several months of participation as an online missionary to Spanish speaking seekers, I´ve had a chance to respond to 90+ people, sending prayers and passing on resources to help them start or continue in their spiritual journey with Christ....but very few come back for a second response, let alone a third response. However, Joseph Martin Delgado Cardozo, a 27-year-old from Colombia recently recommitted his life to Christ and came looking for spiritual guidance at  www.jesucristo2020.com , one of Global Media Outreach ´s many evangelistic websites.  From my home in Spain, I´ve had the privilege of corresponding with him multiple times. He´s in the midst of some huge life change as he takes additional new steps o...

This fall has seen a number of new laborers come our way. We welcome our latest recruit, Lindsey Zastrow, to the Athletes in Action ministry in Málaga. She is the 4th of 5 new laborers to arrive in Malaga this year. It´s amazing how God is calling and raising up people from all over the world to be part of His work. Lindsey´s story gives testimony to His sovereignty and creativity: "Hello! My name is Lindsey or ´Lee,´and I´m 23-years-old and I´m from Nebraska. This past June I finished my degree in sports marketing at the University of Colorado where I played softball and basketball. It was just a year and a half ago that I gave my life to Christ. That same day I understood that God was asking me to leave everything and follow Him to take the Good News to others. I was confused. I had never noticed the presence of the Holy Spirit before, but it was really clear that He was asking me to leave everything to love and serve Him. So, as my relationship with Jesus began to grow, H...

It took two full mornings to complete the class registration. It wasn't easy. All of these women are unemployed and most of their spouses are unemployed as well. Most speak only a minimal amount of Spanish. Many don't read or write in their own language. They have names that are difficult for us to pronounce, let alone spell. They came with their mothers-in-law. They came with their cousins. They came with their babies. They are "covered" women. They are Muslim women from Morocco. They came with the desire to learn Spanish. Our classes, offering 4 different language levels, are being held once a week at the Civic Center in Terrassa. One of the Civic Center employees told us that we had become famous. This project, which started last year, has spread by word-of-mouth and the classes filled up immediately, even having to turn away women. I've been praying for a new focus, a renewed opportunity of involvement. Our recent move to Terrassa has jump-started my mini...

In the city of Málaga not only has fall arrived, but this month has also ushered in fresh faces, companions who will form part of the Málaga team for one year with the student ministry and with the Athetes in Action ministry. Today I'd like to introduce to you Amy Gibson. She is one of three STINTers that have recently completed their visa process and will be working with university students at the University of Málaga: "Hi! I'm Amy Gibson and I'm from Minnesota. I graduated this past May from Baylor University with a double major in Exercise Physiology and Spanish. I'm really excited to work with Agape this year and with the university students here. I want to learn more about God, improve my Spanish-speaking ability and see many lives changed by the Word of God." We are so happy to be able to receive Amy here in Spain and pray that God will bless her time here and use her in significant ways in the lives of everyone she meets.

It's been 14 months since we've seen each other....but Sara (name changed), a fellow professor of English, and I have stayed in touch. Sara is Spanish but speaks amazing English. She wasn't my official mentor while I taught at the English academy from 2008-2009, but she and I taught the same age group (10-year-olds) on Mondays and Wednesdays. She was so gracious and patient with me, answering all my questions, sharing her materials and encouraging me along the way.When the school year ended (June 2009) several of the professors got together for an end-of-the-year dinner. They surprised me by showering me with baby gifts, no doubt a result of her initiative. After exchanging several emails in the last year, we finally got together today for coffee at Plaza Vella (Old Square) pictured left. It was so fun to see her. Of course, I had Aaron with me, which might be distracting for some....but she was so gracious and kind, holding him, walking him around the table as we got t...