Do you know that feeling when you are walking down the stairs in the dark and think there is one step left…and there isn’t? That is what it feels like when your new host country has 9 digit not 10 digit phone numbers like the USA.
**Life just doesn’t seem complete when the numbers don’t add up.
“Go to the bar ‘Crisban’ and ask for Kuka. He will get you in contact with the owner. Remember ‘Kuka.’ Just ask for ‘Kuka!'” came the crackling voice from the other side of the intercom.
We had spotted an apartment to rent in the top floor of a building but couldn’t read the faded telephone numbers. We rang every intercom in the building, waiting for an answer. The final call set us on the search.
The problem was, we didn’t know where the bar “Crisban” was, and we had never heard of “Kuka” before.
So we walked to the next bar, which was not “Crisban” and asked if the barista knew of “Crisban” or “Kuka.” She didn’t, but she would call her cousin.
“Ok…Kuka…A few blocks…Ok.” We listened to the staccato conversation from one side as the barista spoke into her cell phone. She hung up and said, “My cousin said that you can find Kuka at this other bar which is just a few blocks away.”
We thanked the barista, paid for our coffee, and followed her directions.
We stepped into the dimly lit bar, home to a few tables, a slot machine, the barista, and one lone gentleman.
“Is there a Kuka here?”
“No. But my name is Juan!” Replied the gentleman.
“Kuka comes in at 8. Why?”
We explained our reasons and then began to make our way to the door.
“You aren’t from around here, are you?” asked the gentleman. “Are you German?”
So goes the search for a place to stay.
Giving is one of the predominant ideas for the season we are experiencing, and it is in full force. We are amazed at how so many people and churches have poured out their love for us in tangible ways, including, but not limited to:
extremely generous financial gifts,
sacrificially giving time or effort for our good,
shamelessly promoting the vision for Spain,
and thoughtfully pursing our wellbeing.
It has reached a point at which it is so overwhelming that it is painful.
When a church calls and notifies us that they are partnering with us in a sacrificial way, or an individual explains that they are cutting expenses to see us reach the field sooner, or a child rushes to our side and gives us something he has been saving, smiling all the while, we are left speechless. What do we say? How do we express what God is doing through them?
Love, generosity, and sacrifice is like sunshine. A nice glow pouring through a frosty window can lull one to sleep as they bask in its warmth. But those same rays, when focused into a single beam through a magnifying glass, can burn.
If someone gives a gift from a generous heart you smile. You laugh. You give them your thanks. But if someone lays aside part of their life for you, you feel the heat. The intensity of the focus begins to burn. A smile seams false. A word of appreciations seems trite. You feel like shouting, “No! I am not worthy of this. I could never accept this. I can’t ever repay you. Please stop.”
I can’t. I cannot repay the gifts flowing into my hands. I am not worth of what you have given. Your sacrifice is burning through my comfortable shell of self appraisal and self sufficiency. Your generosity has started a fire which is touching my soul, it is revealing my unworthiness. It hurts.
I suppose that you givers are one of God’s ways of reminding me that I am not worthy, that the gift is flowing from a heart transformed by him. This painful experience of extravagant giving to an unworthy recipient is another physical reminder of the gift given in the Gospel. “I am not worthy. I could never repay you.”
God’s people are pushing this message home in our lives.
We took off for the first half of November to visit our coworkers, Jon and Lorena Templeton, in Spain. Our goals were to: 1) Spend time with the Templetons; 2) Help them move into their new apartment in Ponferrada; 3) Strategize with other Christian leaders on the best way to begin ministry in Ponferrada.
Kent Albright, one of the veteran missionaries in Spain, and Jon’s pastor from Pennsylvania, were able to accompany us to Ponferrada and share both pastoral and cultural insights. We are thankful for their involvement in this endeavor.
We also stopped by Bembibre, a town of 20,000 just outside of Ponferrada. There is no evangelical church in the city. We asked various people around the city to point us to the evangelical church, and all the fingers pointed to the Catholic church. “That is the church for everybody” was their reply.
The opportunities in Ponferrada are great. I am very excited about the possibilities of getting involved in the community through various means and I truly believe that we will be able to make many contacts and share the Gospel. I can’t wait to watch Jon’s first few months there. He is a huge encouragement to me in his interaction with others, and I am excited to partner with him and learn from him.
Will you be in prayer for Ponferrada? It is a city desperately in need of the Gospel.
We took off for the first half of November to visit our coworkers, Jon and Lorena Templeton, in Spain. Our goals were to: 1) Spend time with the Templetons; 2) Help them move into their new apartment in Ponferrada; 3) Strategize with other Christian leaders on the best way to begin ministry in Ponferrada.
It was exciting to help the Templetons move into a new apartment for a variety of reasons. We got better acquainted with Ponferrada, it helped us to understand what living arrangements are like there, we got a feel for the interactions between neighbors, and we got to tease Jon about his incredibly small coffee cups. I am not sure what else one could ask for.
The city of Ponferrada has about 70,000 people, but because it is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, it is fairly compact. The whole valley has about 135,000 people so there is a good mix of city and village life.
Here are some pictures from the Templeton’s window and then around the city.
We took off for the first half of November to visit our coworkers, Jon and Lorena Templeton, in Spain. Our goals were to: 1) Spend time with the Templetons; 2) Help them move into their new apartment in Ponferrada; 3) Strategize with other Christian leaders on the best way to begin ministry in Ponferrada.
We had a very beneficial trip and greatly enjoyed our time with our coworkers. We walked together, ate together, got soaked in the rain together, got sick together, all very important things. Their family has grown the last several months, so it was great to get to know their new daughter as well.
One lesson I learned on this trip was that once a child becomes mobile, trans-atlantic flights are sort of like keeping a ferret still for an 8 hour church service.
We filmed a variety of short videos while in Spain over the past two weeks. Some of them go up on our Facebook Page or on Twitter, but if you aren’t on either of those you can see them all here. It is now integrated with our website under the “Media” tab, so you don’t have to leave in order to find them. We hope they are informative and encouraging!
In a previous post I mentioned why we love listening to The Great Courses. I have highlighted one on culture, Customs of the World, and one on language, Language A to Z. This one is about history.
Narrated by:
This course explores the happenings of history surrounding the year 1492. Surprisingly enough, Columbus wasn’t that big of a deal that year. Many years later people began to appreciate what he had done, but there were bigger happenings that year. Spain defeated the last Moorish stronghold in Granada, Ferdinand and Isabella strengthened their empire, and the Spanish Inquisition got a little more ugly. I found this course extremely helpful in understanding the history of the country which will soon be our home.
I would recommend this course to:
For those of you who would like a digital copy of our prayer card, here it is. Maybe if you could share in the comments of ways that you think you could utilize a digital prayer card that would help (for example, changing screen savers between missionaries you know in order to pray for them regularly, etc.)
