Kids: There are
a lot of questions surrounding kids and living in a foreign culture. The first question for us is, when do we start trying for our first? There are a lot of factors at play in this decision, and we've gone back and forth from earlier to later a few times. Right now, we think we want to aim for our time in Wisconsin the year after we graduate from seminary. That comes with certain perks and other challenges, and our minds could change again, and the Lord could always surprise us... but that's where we sit right now. (Exciting! Scary! Life!)Mission agencies: We've met with many Spaniards and missionaries thus far, and we'll continue to meet with more, but we feel a particular connection with two agencies - WorldVenture and OMS. We feel relationally connected to both of these missions, we believe we are philosophically aligned with each, and we would be happy to be a part of either of their teams. There is one particular advantage to feeling a connection to people in two agencies - wherever we land, we believe we will have a connection with mentor-figures from outside our own organization in addition to those within it. The obvious difficulty associated with this dual connection is that we have to choose who we will go with, and we're not yet sure how.
With this matter on her heart, Meggan was distracted this morning during the time she had planned to be reading her Bible. As the distraction stirred, she was prompted by the Holy Spirit to turn her focus to the reading she had purposed to do. She turned to Isaiah 30:
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:18-21, ESV)
We believe the same God who spoke this word to his people some 2700 years ago desires to do an analogous work in our lives. So rather than worry about the choice before us, we will wait for him, and we believe he will answer us, and when we hear his voice, we will walk where he leads us.
On an unrelated note, they love Pope John Paul II here. This is a statue of him outside the Cathedral of Santa María Real de la Almudena. The same day Meggan and I were married in Madison - May 22, 2004 - Prince Felipe, heir apparent to the throne of Spain, married the woman now known as Princess Letizia at this cathedral. (How's all that for random?)Ministry focus: At the moment, we think the following might accurately depict our ministry a few years from now. The big idea is relationships. We will be building relationships with the people in our community with the hope of earning their trust. From this platform of trust, we hope for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our friends, because people will not receive the truth when they hear it from a source they don't trust (no matter how deeply and universally true it is). We see ourselves
meeting people through a handful of venues - our fellow parents in the neighborhood, our fellow artists, Meggan with her dance students, and I with a focus on teenagers (community contacts and/or the non-Christian friends of Christian youth). That last bit - me in what's called "youth ministry" in the U.S. - is the newest piece, and the one still more up in the air than the other ones.Madrid (and its surrounding areas): We like this area. In spite of being a large international city, it has retained significant natural character. As for the non-natural, the history continues to fascinate us. (After all, we are from Wisconsin and Colorado, two places where the oldest man-made structures still standing are under 200 years old.) Also, you can get anywhere on the various train systems; depending on where we landed, we might not need a car (though I'm guessing we will have one). We have encountered a number of neighborhoods we would enjoy. One of our great desires for a neighborhood would be a natural congregating place where the people get together in the evenings and get to know each other. In one neighborhood we've visited, this place was a park that the backyards of scores of row houses faced; elsewhere, it was a central courtyard in an apartment complex. One neighborhood where this kind of connection does not naturally occur is where we're currently staying. We definitely like staying here right now, but gates, walls, fences, vines, trees, and bushes set us off from our neighbors. The effect is aesthetically pleasing, but it makes relationships harder to foster.
Here's the courtyard of one apartment complex where the community really does come together.
This is the beautiful backyard garden at our current residence - a pleasure to enjoy, but one of a handful of barriers separating us from our neighbors.
You know a city is advanced when even its lawyers are worthy of their own statue......though
the presence of a museum devoted to ham across the street brings that conclusion into question. (Actually, this is a chain of restaurants called "Museum of Ham." The U.S. thinks up Planet Hollywood, and Spain gives us this. As they say, "Spain is different!")
Toto, we're not in North America anymore.Thank you for your continued prayers; you bless us.
1 comment:
Enjoyed reading your thoughts. Hope that things continue to go well with you as you wait, listen and prepare to walk. I am sure the Lord will reveal your next steps in good time.
Post a Comment