Small Steps. Big Faith.

God continues to send more potential laborers our way: This morning I talked with Jo, a Christian university student at Cambridge who is studying Spanish. She had written to us, expressing interest in our Intern Program. She is considering an internship with Ágape Spain that could also meet the requirements for a study abroad credit. She loves being with people and has a heart for refugees and displaced peoples. What would be the best fit for her here in Spain? What would you tell her? I suggested our agape+ ministry in Barcelona or Seville as well as our GAiN ministry, based in Valencia. Please pray... --that God would lead Jo to just the right place where she can contribute to His Kingdom and where she can increase her language learning and continue growing in her relationship with Him. --that God would give us wisdom and creativity to open a door for Jo to participate in our Internship Program. This afternoon, I sat in on a lengthy skype interview with Maya, a yo...

The team with which I work, LDHR, longs to see Jesus known in Spain. We exists to care for and equip our staff to love God and to carry out the Great Commission. The current LDHR team started with two: Rex and Gema. Then we became three when I was invited to join them. Then, when Donna Cannella came in, we were four. Now, we are five because Mar Resa, has also joined our team. She is a vivacious and talented staff woman who has worked for many years with teenagers in Málaga. As a mom of three, her current stage of life has required a shift in ministry schedule so she has landed on our LDHR team. We are so blessed to have Mar with us and all the experience, energy and creativity that she brings. She has already joined Donna and me in hosting the kick-off for our New Staff On-the-Field training last October in Valencia. In addition, I have begun to delegate responsibilities for our New Staff Training event that takes place twice a year. Mar and I met today to talk t...

It was a beautiful sunny day for my drive into Barcelona today for our monthly staff gathering. Today, our time was facilitated by Jessie Starrenburg, a Dutch staff member with Athletes in Action and Marc Fuentes, a Spanish staff member who works with Agape Europe to encourage Agape Staff to work together to reach the big cities for Christ. The Ágape staff in each city represent various ministries and don't usually work together on a daily basis because our audiences / our roles are distinct. However, this independence from one another can create silos, where each ministry works on its own projects, never consulting the other, never truly leveraging the power that comes from working together, synergy. (This can also apply in collaborating-or not-with churches and other ministries.) So, today, we talked about HABITS . After watching this video, webegan to look at 4 habits that we as a city network can develop together: Prayer, Planning, Communication and Celebration. Pl...

Today, as on many days, has been an opportunity put my artistic side to use for God's Kingdom. Let me explain... Over the last 3 years, I have discovered that visual design is something that I really enjoy. Although I never studied it as a career, it is definitely an interest that I have been able to put to use for the Lord through printed pieces, power point presentations and online web pages. Three years ago, we discovered through feedback from our staff that the majority didn't know or understand what LDHR had to offer them. So, based on a suggestion, with help from our IT specialist, Lidia Toledo, I created an internal web page (above) with information and helpful resources that our staff coule access at any time. It has received positive feedback and has served to improve our communication with our staff and to better equip our staff on the field for ministry. Today I put the finishing touches on a draft presentation (left) about this year's Intern Progr...

At the end of next week, our LDHR team will host our latest New Staff Training (NST) weekend. (Click here  to hear a short summary of last year's NST.) This February, we have more new staff than ever before: 7: 3 men and 4 women. This may not sound like a lot, but it's almost double what we had at this time last year. As anyone will tell you, starting off on the right foot in relationships can make all the difference, and it's no different in relationships with one's employees. The purpose of NST is to orient the new staff member, highlighting our mission and our values and showing how those play out in our policies. In addition, this time together is a bonding time for employers and employees. Our LDHR team represents the employer and our heart toward our new staff is to know them more,  value them greatly and to equip them well. So, next Thursday, February 13, I will take the  AVE , or  Alta Velocidad Española, which  translates to "Spanish High...

Now that we have recuperated from all the festivities and banquets during the Christmas holidays, Ruben's sister, Eva, thought it was about time to get together again. She graciously hosted us at her home in the mountains on Sunday afternoon. Eva is a great cook! And tries out new recipes each time we come! As you may know, in Spain, lunch is the big meal of the day, not dinner. Any Sunday lunch with family in Spain is like Thanksgiving in the U.S. in that it is an all-day affair. There's the appetizers and then the first plate and then the second plate and then dessert! And then....the " sobremesa ." Simply put, sobremesa is the time spent at the table talking, after you have finished your meal. It is a great time to tell and re-tell funny stories from past gatherings and also to get caught up on each others' lives: work situation, health updates, school achievements, etc. Aaron always likes getting together with all the family because he enjoys playing ch...

Energy, joy and wise living. These are three words I would use to describe Elena Lobo, Ágape's intern during the 2019-20 school year. Elena is from Seville and I met her for the first time last spring when I interviewed her by skype.  Even at hundreds of miles away, her vibrance and strong commitment to the Lord were evident. After acceptance she came to Barcelona for a couple of days for our Intern Orientation, (above, far left). Since October, Elena has been working with the agape+ (pronounced AH-ga-pay Mas) team in Barcelona where she is getting college credit for her major in Psychology and learning to serve the Lord through social justice projects. Elena is pictured, left, leading a discussion to raise awareness with high school students about social justice. As the coordinator for the Intern Program, I met with Elena this week to hear about her experiences so far and to learn how we can keep improving this special year of learning for other interns who come in the ...