This portion is meant to be a brief overview of the country of Spain so as to better understand the work going on there.

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Where we were:

We were in the European country of Spain (part of European Union).

Within Spain, we spent nearly all of our time in the northwest region of Spain called Castilla y León.

Within the region we stayed with the Fulks who live in the city of Salamanca, capital of the province of Salamanca.

What the landscape looks like:

Most of the terrain of Castilla y León consists of the high plains called “Meseta Central.” This arid plain is surrounded by mountainous regions.

On our trip to Spain we had three primary goals, 1) Encourage the missionaries; 2) Initiate Contacts; and 3) Be Challenged in our participation in world missions.

In order to put ourselves in a place where God could maximize a heart change in our lives we did several things:

A. We sought to observe the culture of Spain.

B. We sought to visit other missionaries. This included spending time, not only with the Fulks and Templetons, but with the Albrights, Sipps, Darlings, and others.

C. We sought to visit other cities besides Salamanca such as Segovia, Placensia, and León.

Through these three, and many other means, God used our trip to give us a broader vision of what He is seeking to do through the Church. Spending time walking the streets, sitting on the bus, visiting landmarks, and playing at the parks we were confronted with a constant flow of individuals in need of Jesus Christ.

Talking with missionaries who have lived their entire lives in Spain and others who had recently arrived, we were able to see God’s grace at work in their lives as they challenged their neighbors with the Gospel.

Visiting other cities in scouting opportunities or retreat weekends, we saw how there is not merely one large city that needs local churches proclaiming the name of Christ, there are many.

We are thankful for what God is doing through those who are there, and were challenged in how we could be a greater part of that.

Of our three goals, 1) Encourage the missionaries; 2) Initiate Contacts; and 3) Be Challenged in our participation in world missions, this is the one we had the hardest time with.

Our intention was to meet more people and make connections. There were several opportunities that we had to do this (including talking with the “Blue Jesus” – a story for a different time), but not exactly what we were expecting.

The main opportunity we saw was participating (in a limited way) with the university ministry called Ichtus. As we understand it, their primary outreaches include Bible Study/Discussion times, often centered on ethical issues which catch the interest of the students, and an ESL hour where they build contacts and talk about the Gospel.

Our small part was played in the beginning of the semester where different organizations gather in a gymnasium and offer free materials to students interested. I would suspect that several hundred students received flyers, pens, Bibles, or other books from the Ichtus ministry that day. As we handed out flyers and talked with various students, it was challenging to think that the vast majority of students who walked by that day did not own a Bible, and for sure had never read one. 

The challenge we faced with finding opportunities to initiate contacts is one shared with many of missionaries working in Spain, and many other European countries. It is hard to connect with people.

Although this was a little frustrating, it was also very encouraging. I was encouraged in the fact that although programs, events, and activities bring in very few people, meaningful relationships are being built everyday by friendliness, consistency, and imagination.

Here’s how:

We were able to watch the missionaries invest their time in individuals by going for walks with unbelieving friends and talking about life.

We saw their families invite unbelievers over for games and food.

We saw them get stopped on the street by moms they had met at the park and started conversations with them.

We saw cafe owners catch them as they walked by and chat with them because they go to the same place regularly throughout the week, just to talk.

We weren’t able to initiate many contacts because the ministry in this city is one which demands time, thoughtfulness, and consistency. We thank God that they are doing all of these!

Programs open limited doors, investing in lives opens many…even in Minnesota.

Of our three goals, 1) Encourage the missionaries; 2) Initiate Contacts; and 3) Be Challenged in our participation in world missions, this one hurt my back the most (actually, it wasn’t too bad). 

We tried to accomplish this several different ways:

1) We took suitcases of gifts from our church, and Scott’s collection of Dr. Seuss books, or “theological reference library” as he calls it (hence the back comment)

2) Showing an interest in their lives and ministries

3) Gospel conversations

As normally happens, when we try to do something kind, the other party always outdoes us. That is how it was in our trip to Spain.

We took a few bags of stuff, but both the Fulks and Templetons housed us, fed us, and listened to my lame jokes.

We followed them around and watched their ministries, but they spent a good chunk of three weeks talking with us about us. We didn’t get to drive the conversation, they led and continually encouraged us.

We sought to encourage them in the Gospel while talking and walking with them, but both couples kept pointing us to Christ and how his work touches our lives.

We thank God for their friendship!

September 16-October 3 we had the opportunity to visit Spain for the first time. Our trip had several dimensions, and over the next few weeks we hope to share those with you.

There were three parts included in our goal for visiting Spain:

1. Encourage the missionaries
2. Initiate contacts
3. Be challenged in our participation in world missions

General Facts:

Where we spent most of our time: Salamanca, Spain

With whom did we stay: Scott and Juli Fulks

What did we do: Followed the Fulks and Templetons around, observing their ministry and enjoying time with them

How long was the trip: We left our home at 10:15 am on Monday morning and arrived at the Fulks’ around 5 pm their time on Tuesday (10 am MN time)

How was Tanzen in all the travel: I think I probably fussed more than she did