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.
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| 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. :)
