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.