Madrid Summary 2011

                After spending four weeks teaching English/Vacation Bible School in Cartagena, I was feeling fairly confident about doing the same thing in Madrid. Little did I know that it would not be the same at all. My experience in Madrid was very different from Cartagena, yet it was still great and I still learned a lot about the people of Spain, myself, my own Christian faith and what it means to go make disciples of all nations. At times it is a very challenging task, but I suppose there is no verse where Jesus says it will be easy to live out our faith and share it with others.

                The English classes followed the same basic schedule as what I used in Cartagena, but many times I had to adapt the activities to better meet the needs and abilities of the group of children that attended. There were about 7-9 kids each day, which was an adjustment after working with such a large group in Cartagena (where I had up to 16 kids each day)! But the Spanish tradition of disappearing to the beach or the mountains during the summer actually made it possible for me to give more attention to each student. Each one had more opportunities to talk and practice English, or to talk and ask questions about one of the Bible stories we were reading.

                We met for one hour daily for four weeks to learn about the Christian values of loving our neighbor and our family, the love and faithfulness of God, and His creation of the world around us. After reading the Bible story of the day, I would introduce new English vocabulary to the students that connected to what we had just read. Then we would play various games or do activities to give the students opportunities to use the new words. Some of the things we did to practice was play musical chairs and Bingo, sing songs, play with balloons and toilet paper, and paint. The children seemed to have fun everyday and were able to develop a positive attitude toward learning another language and feel comfortable about speaking.

                One of the students, who is six years old, was recently diagnosed as having ADHD. Because he was not diagnosed at an earlier age, his inability to concentrate in school negatively affected his learning and speech development and he now sees a speech pathologist as part of his treatment. Getting to interact with him during the classes and working with him in his home has given me the opportunity to understand what it will actually be like to work as a speech pathologist with children who are learning English as a second language. The visits to his house also allowed me to connect and have some great conversations with his mother on a variety of topics including speech pathology, schools, the history of the Catholic Church in Spain, baptism, forgiveness of sin, and pastries.

                Once again, the more I talk with Spaniards about church and religion, the more I find that there is a common sense of apathy among the people toward the idea of religion and faith in Christ. Many will participate in certain rites and rituals for the sake of tradition, while at the same time realizing and acknowledging that a truly lasting change is not being made. However, when given the opportunity to think more about the Gospel and the sacraments and what they mean, the people tend to be curious and interested. The mother in particular expressed to me that she felt like what I was saying made sense and she thought there would be more Lutherans in Spain if the people knew about our beliefs.

                In addition to the English classes with the children, I was also able to practice English with a group of adults at the community pool. Many people here speak English very well, but I was happy to give them an excuse to use it. It was also a good experience for me to get know the people more and talk with them. They were all very nice and one couple even invited us to share a meal of authentic paella made by a man from Valencia!

                One passage I have come to understand better after being in Spain is Jesus’ conversation with the young rich man when he tells his disciples that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24). One of the challenges of working with the people here is that they have very rich lives. Yes, Spain is experiencing an economic crisis, but there are also many people who have jobs, growing families, and nice homes. The problem is that what some of them don’t have is faith in Christ. This results in a population of people who believe that they have attained every earthly thing in life on their own and that they have no need for Christ and the Gospel. Faith becomes something that is irrelevant and unnecessary in their lives. I suppose that is why Paul also tells us to rejoice in our sufferings, because often in times of suffering we are made more aware of our need for God and His redeeming grace.  

                Another main difference about Madrid was living with Pastor Gustavo Lavia and his family. This gave me the opportunity to attend multiple worship services, interact with various members of the church from all over Spain, and have some great, encouraging discussions with people from the Lutheran church at large. I’ve enjoyed every encounter I’ve had with the people here and have been able to meet some people who are very passionate about what they believe and about sharing what Christ has done for us. The Lutheran Church is working to define its identity and plans for the future in Spain and I believe it is an important mission field that God will continue to grow. I am thankful that God decided to send me here and that He was able to use my skills and abilities to connect with the people and help them. Spain will continue to be in my prayers and in God’s hands as He continues to work in spreading the news of His love to the people here and throughout the world.  

Kate Elahi, 21/7/2011

Resumen de Madrid 2011

                Después de pasar cuatro semanas enseñando inglés a niños en Cartagena, yo me sentía segura de poder hacer lo mismo en Madrid. Poco sabía de que no sería lo mismo… Mi experiencia en Madrid fue muy diferente a la de Cartagena, pero  fue excelente y aprendí mucho sobre la gente de España, sobre mi misma, mi fe cristiana y qué significa el mandamiento que vayamos a hacer discípulos de todas las naciones.  A veces es una misión difícil, pero supongo que no existe un versículo donde Jesús dice que será fácil  vivir nuestra fe y compartirla con otros.

                Las clases de inglés siguieron el mismo horario básico del que usé en Cartagena, pero muchas veces tuve que adaptar las actividades para atender mejor a las necesidades y habilidades del grupo de niños que asistían. Habían alrededor de 7-9 niños cada día, ese  fue un ajuste después de trabajar con un grupo más grande en Cartagena (a veces 16 niños asistieron). Sin embargo, la tradición española de desaparecer de las ciudades e ir a la playa o a las montañas durante el verano  hizo posible que yo pudiera dar mayor atención a cada niño. Cada niño tenía más oportunidades para hablar y practicar inglés, y además podía hablar y preguntar sobre las historias de la Biblia que leímos.

                Nos reuníamos una hora diaria durante cuatro semanas para aprender sobre los valores cristianos de amar a nuestro prójimo y familia, el amor y fidelidad de Dios, y la creación de Dios en el mundo. Después de leí la historia de la Biblia del día, presenté vocabulario nuevo de inglés a los niños que estaba relacionado con lo que habíamos acabado de leer. Después de aprender el vocabulario, hicimos varios juegos y actividades para que los niños tuvieran oportunidades para usar las palabras nuevas, jugamos a las sillas musicales y al bingo, cantamos, jugamos con globos y papel higiénico, pintamos e hicimos otras cosas para practicar. Los niños lo pasaron bien todos los días y pudieron desarrollar una actitud positiva sobre el aprendizaje de otro idioma y sentirse más cómodos hablando en inglés.

                Uno de los  niños que asistía, que tiene seis años, fue diagnosticado recientemente como hiperactivo. Su diagnóstico no fue hecho tempranamente y su dificultad para concentrarse en el colegio afectó negativamente a su habilidad de aprender y al desarrollo de su habla. Ahora trabaja con un logopeda como parte de su tratamiento. Interactuando con él en las clases y trabajando con él en su casa me ha dado la oportunidad de entender cómo será  trabajar como logopeda con niños que están aprendiendo inglés como segunda lengua. Las visitas a su casa también me han permitido conocer  su familia y tener conversaciones excelentes con su madre acerca de muchos temas como logopedia, escuelas, la historia de la iglesia católica en España, el bautismo, el perdón de pecados y hasta de pastelería.       

                Una vez más, cuanto más hablo con españoles sobre la iglesia y la religión,  más encuentro que hay un sentido común de apatía de la gente sobre la  religión y la fe en Cristo. Muchas personas participan en ciertos ritos y rituales por causa de la tradición, mientras al mismo tiempo se dan cuenta y admiten que no  hacen  un cambio verdadero y duradero. Sin embargo, cuando se da la oportunidad de pensar más sobre el Evangelio y los sacramentos y lo que significan, la gente suele ser curiosa y está interesada. Ésta madre en particular me dijo que ella sintió que lo que yo estaba diciendo tenía sentido y pensó que habría más luteranos en España si más gente supiera de nuestras creencias.

                Además de las clases de inglés con los niños, pude practicar inglés con un grupo de adultos en la piscina de la comunidad. Muchas personas aquí hablan inglés muy bien, pero me alegró darles una excusa para usarlo. También fue una buena experiencia  para  conocer a la gente más y hablar con ella. ¡Todas las personas fueron muy amables y un matrimonio nos invitó a comer una paella auténtica hecha por un valenciano!

                Un pasaje que entiendo mejor después de estar en España es la conversación de Jesús con el hombre rico  cuando dice a sus discípulos que “De hecho, le resulta más fácil a un camello pasar por el ojo de una aguja, que a un rico entrar en el reino de Dios” (Mateo 19:24). Uno de los desafíos de trabajar con la gente aquí es que tienen un buen pasar económico.  España está sufriendo una crisis económica, pero también hay muchas personas que conservan su trabajo, hay familias creciendo  y casas buenas. El problema es que lo que les falta es fe en Cristo. Hay una parte de la gente que cree que ha logrado todo lo terrenal por sí mismo y que no hay necesidad de Cristo, ni del Evangelio. La fe llega a ser algo que es irrelevante  e innecesario en la vida. Supongo que por eso Pablo nos dice que nos regocijemos en nuestros sufrimientos porque muchas veces éstos nos hacen más conscientes de nuestra necesidad de Dios y su gracia redentora.

                Otra diferencia de Madrid fue vivir con el pastor Gustavo Lavia y su familia maravillosa. Por eso pude asistir a varios cultos, interactuar con muchos miembros de iglesia en España y tener muchas conversaciones buenas y alentadoras. He disfrutado cada encuentro que he tenido con la gente aquí y he podido conocer muchas personas que son muy apasionadas sobre lo que creen y quieren compartir lo que Cristo ha hecho por nosotros. La iglesia luterana está trabajando para definir su identidad y los planes  futuros en España y creo que es un campo de misión importante que Dios seguirá haciendo crecer. Estoy agradecida de que Dios me envió aquí y que usó mis destrezas y habilidades para conectar con la gente y ayudarles. España seguirá estando en mis oraciones y en las manos de Dios mientras Él continúa trabajando en la difusión de la noticia de su amor a la gente de aquí y del mundo entero.

Kate Elahi, 21/7/2011

Halfway Done in Madrid!

Maybe it’s because I haven’t written anything on here in awhile, but it’s hard to believe there are only two more weeks of English classes left in Madrid! I have been blessed to have another great experience teaching English in Spain, this time with different opportunities.

There are fewer students, between 7-9 kids each day, because it’s summer. “Summer” translated into Spanish means “one month of vacation for everyone,” so many families head to la playa or el pueblo. Not everyone I guess, but it reminds me of how in my Culture and Civilization of Spain class, we learned that Madrid is usually deserted during the summer (August especially) and the only people in the city are tourists. 

Standing next to the tracings of their bodies with clothes labeled in English!

 

The kids who do come have been a lot of fun to work with and I’ve been able to give more individual attention to each one. They’ve also provided me with some challenges that have been great for me to learn to adapt to. One of the students was recently diagnosed as having ADHD, but he is six so he spent a lot of time in school not being able to concentrate and learn well. This affected his speech and he actually sees a speech pathologist! Getting to interact with him during the classes and working with him in his home has given me the opportunity to understand what it would really be like working as a speech pathologist with children learning English as a second language. Exciting! The visits to his house have also allowed me to have some really good talks with his mother. We’ve discussed speech pathology, schools, the history of the Catholic Church in Spain, baptism, forgiveness of sin, and pastries.

The more conversations I have with Spaniards about church and religion, the more I realize how underexposed many are to anything outside the Catholic Church. Many have issues with the Catholic Church in Spain, so they dismiss religion and faith in Christ entirely because they only associate it with the idea of a hierarchy of men and rules that may broken if you have enough money to pay. One interesting thing the mother said to me during our conversations comparing Lutheran beliefs versus Catholicism was, “I think if more people knew about this, there would be more Lutherans than Catholics in Spain!”

I want to say that the Catholic Church is definitely NOT some evil organization that has nothing to offer. In fact, it is a great group of believers trusting in Christ as their Savior. It’s just that the history here in Spain has left some people feeling a little resistant. Yet many are still more hesitant to break with the family traditions and expectations of baptism, first communion, and weddings in the Church. For some Spanish members of the Lutheran Church in Spain, they have had to face the challenge of explaining to their stunned families why they have decided to join a church of 70 people that their families have never heard of. It’s difficult to go against the norm to stand up for what you believe and pursue the Truth, but that is our Christian faith. Always going against the norms of our culture.

It’s been nice living with Gustavo and his lovely family too! It’s encouraging to talk with him and make the trips to have services and encourage members in other regions of Spain. Returning to Asturias and spending part of the weekend with my host mom was a fun experience too! We also went to El Escorial for a meeting to discuss the state and future of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Spain. It is in a tough spot right now as far as figuring out its identity and plans. I ask that you would all keep the members and missionaries involved in the project here in your prayers. It’s an important mission that I believe God will continue to grow.  

I’m looking forward to continuing my time here teaching and interacting with the people of Spain. Each day here has been a gift that has taught me something. Whether it’s the word for piggy bank or the universal meaning of God’s Word in our life, my vocabulary is growing. :)

Last Week and Closing Activities in Cartagena

The fourth and final week of Intensive English Classes in Cartagena was crazy busy, but lots of fun! We were learning about the world, so by the end of the week the students were able to talk about colors, weather, and seasons. We also spent a good amount of time preparing for the final presentation for the parents. I was a little nervous about how everything would come together, but the kids impressed me with their performance!

On Saturday evening, all the parents came to the church to watch their children’s presentation. It was also a special occasion because Pastor Gustavo Lavia and his family came all the way from Madrid to be present for our show and to have a Divine Service on Sunday.

We started the program with a prayer read by one of the students thanking God for the day, for the friends we made, and for Jesus. The students then sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Father Abraham, and Jesus Loves Me (with Sign Language). They sang loudly and didn’t even need my help!

After singing, the kids were broken up into pairs and each pair had a conversation about something we had learned. Most of the kids memorized their conversation and talked about favorite foods, colors, family, weather, and future career goals naturally. The kids then performed a dance to the song Every Move I Make that I had choreographed and it was excellent!! I’m not planning on pursuing a career in dance choreography anytime soon, but they looked good.

Pastor Gustavo then delivered a short reflection about the investment we make in our children and how Christian values need to be taught to them and shown to our neighbors. Then students then received diplomas for completing the course. The diploma also carried the verse Deuteronomy 6:5-7:

                “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your                                strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Important to think about that these ideas and values we learn are things that we carry with us at all times.

After the performance, we had a small reception for the parents that gave them a chance to have some snacks, look at the work their children did, and talk with us. This was a great opportunity to connect with the parents more and explain once again more about the work that is being done in Spain with the Lutheran Church and why it is being done.

On Sunday evening, we had the Divine Service. After not attending a real church service for five weeks, it felt nice for me. And once again, it made me realize how blessed I am to be able to go to church every week. 18 people attended the service! There were three families who had children that had participated in the English classes as well as another woman from the community and another family from the local school. Gustavo began the service by explaining that the Lutheran Church is a liturgical church and he explained why we do things the way we do. For each part of the service he gave an explanation and I think that helped a lot. I kind of think that should be done in the United States in Lutheran Churches too, so that people can be reminded of what we do and why.

The children who had attended the English Classes also sang Jesus Loves Me in the middle of the service, and it was really cool to see them participate and share what they learned.

At the end of the service, one couple who had a son in my classes expressed interest in having their son baptized in the Lutheran Church!!! This made me very happy that I was able to actually see God working in the lives of these people. Now I hope and pray that God will continue the good work He has begun and keep growing the seeds of faith that were planted. I know Cartagena is a part of God’s plan and I feel blessed to have been a part of it. 

Resumen de Cartagena

 El 17 de mayo, abordé un avión para venir a España y enseñar inglés a niños con la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana de España. Estaba muy nerviosa y no sabía qué esperar de los niños ni de la experiencia de vivir con una familia desconocida. Estuve en España el año pasado para estudiar en Asturias, pero sabía que este viaje sería muy diferente porque tenía una misión diferente. Después de conocer a unos jóvenes españoles y ver la situación de la iglesia cristiana en España durante el tiempo que estudiaba aquí, me di cuenta que poca gente tiene fe en Jesucristo. Yo quería participar y ayudar a difundir la verdad del Evangelio a través de la Iglesia Luterana.

Cuando llegué a Cartagena, conocí a una familia de Venezuela que es miembro de la Iglesia Luterana. Me abrieron su casa y me adoptaron como la hija mayor. Durante mi tiempo allí, me enseñaron mucho de la ciudad de Cartagena y la vida española, pero también me enseñaron mucho sobre la fuerza de la fe y el amor. Son los únicos luteranos en Cartagena, pero no están desanimados porque, como me dijeron, no estamos solos. Cristo está con nosotros siempre. En una ciudad dónde se cuestionan sus creencias cada día y existen muchas creencias diferentes, este conocimiento es muy poderoso.

¡Disfruté mucho la oportunidad de trabajar con los niños y de enseñar inglés! Al final, había 16 niños de las edades de 5 hasta 12 años. Algunos tenían niveles diferentes, pero creo que todos lo pasaron bien en las clases jugando y practicando inglés. Cada semana había un tema diferente. Aprendieron sobre la vida, la familia, la amistad y el mundo a través de historias de la Biblia, canciones, actividades y juegos. Siempre me gustó cuando los niños hablaban en inglés y participaban en conversaciones.

También, tuve la oportunidad de conocer a los padres y otras personas de la comunidad de Cartagena. Hay mucho interés en aprender inglés y por eso muchas personas me recibieron muy bien. También me hicieron sentir aceptada y muy cómoda. Hicimos muchas excursiones a las montañas, a la playa, al polideportivo, al centro de Cartagena y a un submarino. También nos reunimos para tomar un café o caminar por las calles. Podía practicar mi español y explicar mi razón de estar aquí y lo que estaba haciendo. Tuve muchas conversaciones interesantes que pusieron a prueba mi español y mi habilidad de defender mi fe. Espero haberme expresado bien y que el Espíritu Santo haya sembrado la semilla de la Fe.   

Para terminar las clases de inglés tuvimos un acto final. Los niños cantaron, tuvieron conversaciones sobre los temas que habían aprendido, bailaron y recibieron diplomas. Hicieron todo bien y yo estaba muy contenta con todo lo que habíamos logrado. El pastor Gustavo también pronunció una reflexión sobre los valores cristianos que tenemos y que necesitamos mostrar y enseñar a nuestros hijos y prójimo. Muchos padres se quedaron después del acto para conversar con nosotros y creo que recibieron un mensaje positivo y verdadero de lo que estamos trabajando y por qué.

El día siguiente tuvimos un Oficio Divino y 18 personas asistieron. Hubo tres familias de niños de las clases y otros contactos, una mujer y una familia. Los niños cantaron una canción que habían aprendido durante las clases de inglés (Jesús Me Ama). La cantaron con su voz en inglés y con sus manos en el lenguaje americano de signos. Fue muy bonito. Después del Oficio, ¡uno de los padres expresó interés en bautizar a su hijo! Esta noticia me alegró muchísimo.       

Al final, tuve una experiencia increíble en Cartagena. Nunca olvidaré la gente que conocí y las lecciones que aprendí. Mis pensamientos y oraciones estarán con la gente de allí. Espero que hayan aprendido mucho de inglés, pero más sobre el amor de Cristo por ellos. Confío que Dios seguirá trabajando en Cartagena y en España y me siento bendecida de haber sido una parte de su historia aquí.  

Tercera Semana: Friendship

Hola amigos!

This week we learned about la amistad (friendship) through the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus Calling His Disciples, The Last Supper, and the Golden Rule. My favorite part was probably when the kids played Human Bingo and had to go around asking questions to learn more about each other (age, school, favorite movie, color, food, etc.). It was during this activity that the older kids really helped out the younger ones to complete their Bingo card. I was glad to see that the kids were feeling more comfortable speaking and seemed to really enjoy sharing about themselves!

It was also really fun on the day when we read the story of Jesus Calling the Disciples, because we learned about jobs and occupations. We went around the circle and each person said, “When I grow up, I want to be ______.” Spain is going to have a few more dancers, singers, artists, cooks, architects, veterinarians (that was a hard word, haha), athletes, and teachers in the future. All English speaking of course!

After making friendship bracelets for each other, having a “last supper” together of grape juice and bread, and a good week of learning, I think we all have a better understanding of  friendship and how to love our neighbors.

I’ve also been making friends in Cartagena that I know I will be sad to leave. I have had some great conversations with people that have challenged my language abilities as well as my ability to defend my faith. In particular, I have one friend who claims to be an atheist. After talking to him more, I think he just has issues with his experience in the Catholic Church and the institution of religion. I was shocked to find out that he had never even heard of Martin Luther (different from Martin Luther King Jr.! J) or the Reformation. I thought he would have at least learned about it in a history class! But after talking to Loisys and Tony, they told me that in Spain the topic of the Reformation isn’t taught very well. It was interesting too because many of the troubles that my friend had were similar to Luther’s.

This experience really made me realize again how important it is to have missionaries here in Spain. I wasn’t expecting my friend to change immediately, but hopefully a seed was planted and God will make it grow.  

Now I will be beginning my last week of English classes that will conclude with a performance by the students and the Lutheran Divine Service. I’m praying we will have many interested people in attendance!

Segunda Semana: Family!

Time is going by so fast here. We are already halfway through the English classes in Cartagena!

This week was fun because we learned about family and the home. To be able to talk about their own families, the kids each made their own family tree. Complete with creative family portraits and English labels of course. We also learned various adjectives and actions to describe the family, which involved games of memory matching, charades, and Bingo with Golden Grahams. It turns out that Spanish Golden Grahams are just as tasty and motivational as American Golden Grahams. 

We also had a special week because it was Sebastián’s 5^th birthday! Loisys made an amazing cake and the kids got to sing Happy Birthday in English and drink decaffeinated pop (we’re not crazy enough to give them sugar AND caffeine). It was interesting for me to learn that there are so many different versions of Happy Birthday in Spanish that they usually just sing in English to avoid confusion.

The amount of students in the class has been growing and there are now about 15 kids that come! I think the word is spreading and now that the school year is winding down here, people have more time. So now there is an age range from 5 years old to 10 years old in our class. Some of the students are at different levels, but the activities have been pretty easy to adapt for each of them. Some kids just need a little more help. But what’s very encouraging is when the older kids begin to help the younger ones! Especially yesterday, when we were learning about being good neighbors to each other, we were doing a speaking activity that some of the younger kids were struggling with. A couple of the older girls stepped up to help and explain things so that the younger ones could complete the activity.

I’ll have to write more about this week later!

God Bless!

La Primera Semana de Clases de Inglés! (The First Week of English Classes!)

I am now officially an English teacher! We completed the first week of English classes following the theme of La Vida (life). Using the stories of Adam and Eve, Jesus’ Resurrection, the Feeding of the 5,000, and God’s promise to provide our needs, we learned about body parts, feelings, food, and clothing. The kids seemed to really enjoy the games, activities, and songs I had. I guess when kids get to sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, make fruit salad, and construct outfits out of toilet paper, it’s always a fun time. By the end of the week, they were able to practice having conversations with each other and I was really proud of how much they remembered!   

The kids have been friendly and fun to work with, but the parents and adults I’ve met have also been great! Many of them ask me why I’m here in Cartagena to teach English for free during my summer vacation. This has given me some great opportunities to talk about my faith and belief in Christ and the Lutheran Church. It’s not always easy to express myself in that way, but I’ve been told that what I say makes sense.  :)  The people seem to be open to the idea too.

One thing I really like about Cartagena is the sense of community among the people. The parents, neighbors, café workers, all seem to know and care about each other. One of the neighbor ladies is named Noemi, who is from Venezuela too. To use a favorite GRE word, she is a loquacious woman who kindly offered to assist me in the English classes. She’s been a valuable resource in the classroom and a very interesting conversation partner outside of the class. Noemi took me to the old part of Cartagena and I was able to see the port, the university, the cathedral, and enjoy a café con leche. Between talking to her and Loisys, I’ve been learning many Venezuelan words. We joked that I’m going to be “venelozana” after these four weeks! Sometimes it seems like each Spanish speaking country has its own vocabulary! Kind of crazy, but it makes sense. Between finding the right word and the right accent, learning Spanish has become even harder…

Yesterday, Loisys and Tony took me to a Protestant Evangelical church. Although it had a big room, speakers, a band, and lots of people, Tony and I decided it was very empty. The sermon focused on James 1:22-23 (it turns out James translates to Santiago…I was so confused!), which talks about not just hearing the word, but actually doing good works and studying the word. During the 40 minutes we sat listening to the sermon (he still wasn’t finished when we left), the pastor didn’t mention Jesus once. It seriously made me so sad. He was throwing all this Law at people about how we need to do good works and always want to study the Bible or we are lying to ourselves. The people had two options: to feel bad about not studying the Bible enough and believe that they need to work harder on their own, or to feel good that they did study the Bible enough and that they were doing well on their own. Both of these thoughts focus on what we do and not on what Christ has done for us on the cross. I recognize it’s crucial to hear the Law, yet I felt bad that these people were being left without the joy and hope of the Gospel.

I don’t deny that doing good things for others and studying the Bible are important, but I believe the desire to do those things comes from the faith that God has given us. And it becomes inevitable! By opening your home to a girl from the United States, directing a children’s choir, volunteering, praying for a friend, traveling to Spain to teach English or whatever, we’re all doing good things. Not because we are good, perfect people on our own, but because of how Christ works through us.    

I pray that He continues to use each and every one of you!

Wish me luck on Week 2: Family and Home!

Cartagena

Hola a todos!

I am now in Cartagena and getting ready to begin English classes on Monday! I’m discovering that this experience in Spain is very different from when I was in Oviedo last year. I have already had to speak so much Spanish! Last night I had a headache, and I’m not sure if it was from travel and lack of sleep, or from having to think and speak in Spanish. It’s getting easier though! And everyone has been very patient and understanding, so I appreciate that a lot. And last night I slept almost 10 hours, so I think I’m back on track now!

The family I’m staying with has been so kind and welcoming! Antonio and Loisys are from Venezuela and they have two adorable children, Thiany and Sebastian. I’ve gotten to play with the kids a little and it’s funny how easy it can be to communicate with children. Kids don’t really ask questions, they just start playing with you. It’s also funny that having dance parties and listening to the Black-Eyed Peas has become an international activity. I’ve always thought music was the universal language…

I’ve been walking to the school with Loisys so we can meet the students and their families and tell them more about the English program that’s going to start on Monday! The people seem friendly and enthusiastic about it. I think it’s going to be a great way to expose people to the Lutheran Church! The lessons I’ve planned all focus on a story from the Bible, so hopefully they’ll learn English and some good stories to remember.

I’ve also learned a prayer! Instead of our “Come Lord Jesus”:

Gracias Señor por estos alimentos,

Bendícenos en el nombre de Jesús.

Amen

I’ll write more once the classes start! Hasta luego!

Un beso grande!

Spain Trip II Eve

Hello everyone!

Tomorrow at 5:00 pm, I will begin my journey to Spain. Last year around this time I was in the same situation, preparing for a long trip, trying to fit as many items into one suitcase without going over 50 lbs., nervous about forgetting something, sad to leave, and filled with excitement about what lay ahead. Then, I was coming home from Spain after spending a semester studying abroad and tomorrow I am returning to this country, but this time in a very different context.

Last year I had the opportunity to improve my Spanish skills, travel around Spain, and interact with native Spanish speakers. It was an amazing experience I will never forget! However, in my talks with my conversation partner, host family, and others during my travels, I realized that although Spain is filled with some of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world and is the destination for thousands of Christian pilgrims, very few of its citizens actually enter a church.

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod World Missions has partnered with the Lutheran Church in Argentina to create The Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Española (The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Spain). They have been working in Spain for over 10 years spreading the Gospel and offering Divine Services. Part of how they interact with the community is through education, and practicing English has become a big part of their outreach. Since I was lucky enough to be born in the United States, watch Sesame Street, and learn English as my first language, I have been blessed with skills that can help further their mission. I will be working in Cartagena and Madrid for 4 weeks each, teaching English to children and practicing speaking English with adults in the community.   

There are about 46 million people living in Spain and 100 of them are confirmed members of the Lutheran Church. By May 18 at 4:30 pm (9:30 am in Iowa), there will be 101. I’m praying that God will use me to create some fun for the kids in Spain, teach them some English, and share the knowledge of the Good News of the love and forgiveness that is ours through Christ.

Please keep me in your prayers as I go! If you are interested in finding out more about this mission, there are two websites that describe a little more:

http://www.wix.com/luteranos/decada (in Spanish, but has lots of pictures!)

http://www.wix.com/luteranos/ieleproject (in English)

Thank you so much to everyone who has already supported me with donations, prayers, and love!