June
28 & 29
Kris
Cheek and Kelly Jessen, who are the team leaders for
the Spain team, left two days ahead of the rest of
the team to make some final arrangements for the work
in Spain. Yesterday they met with the various church
planting teams in order to layout what will be taking
place during the street clinic events. The team will
be working in two different areas. In the mornings
the team will work in Marabella and the afternoons,
well 7 to 10 pm, the team will be working in Malaga.
It should be exciting.
The
team will arrive later today here in Spain and will
be taken out to the Springs of Life camp to settle
in and begin the adjusting process to the time zone.
More
to come soon.
Kelly
(Dir. of Missions)
June 30
Hola amigos y familia! Greetings from Malaga, Spain.
After two days of travel, beginning at 12:30pm from
the Lincoln Berean Church, we have finally arrived
and are excited to begin the mission. The travels
were not entirely smooth however. Our flight from
Houston to London was delayed two hours giving us
very little time of rushing through customs. However,
a quick jaunt to our gate and a cup of tea later gave
us ample time for our final flight to Malaga.
Upon arriving at Malaga shouts of excitement echoed
throughout the terminal. Despite the lack of sleep,
we had made it and were ready for whatever God had
in store for us. We were a little delayed at the Hertz
rent-a-car, as our vehicles were not ready for forty
five minutes, but finally we were off the plane and
ready to reach the Springs of Life camp.
Alas, we were at our main destination for the trip.
After touring around the Springs of Life campgrounds
we settled for a nice meal prepared by the camp cook
Paco. Then we discussed our itinerary and plans for
the week and ended the night with some prayer, rest
and recovery. The week looks to be challenging but
we fully expect to see God at work through us.
Press on,
Spain Mission Team
July 1
It doesn't get much better than waking u p at the
springs of life camp! God's creation was welcoming
and inviting to us on our first morning in Spain.
Some of us slept quite well and others were still
taking more time to adjust to the time difference
here in Spain. Upon waking up we were able to spend
some precious time in prayer out on the camp grounds
followed by a more American breakfast that consisted
of cereal, milk, fruit, yogurt, pastries, and of course
in Spain every breakfast most consist of bread!
After breakfast we packed up and drove into Malaga
for the rest of the day. Church starts here at 12:00
in the afternoon so we stopped by the local market
to shop around. There were many Spanish olives and
candies, as well as lots of clothing and accessories.
Lucky for my car of friends, Dan bought a Spanish
CD so we were able to listen to Spanish tunes throughout
the day!
After the market we then headed for la iglesia de
bethel. This is the church that the Ashcrafts attend
in Malaga. It was special to see brothers and sisters
who loved the lord here in Spain. Although many of
us did not understand a lot of what was being spoken,
as the service was in Spanish, it was a great reminder
that God was here with us.
Later in the afternoon we went to the beach. It was
here that we could tell a difference in culture. Surprisingly,
the beach had lots of trash all over, which was left
over by the thick crowds of people that spend their
time at the beach.
We packed up after some time at the beach and headed
to the church where we are currently staying. The
church is located on a street that is lined on both
sides with stores and buildings. We are up on the
seventh floor. It was quite the chore to carry up
all our luggage, equipment, and bedding! We didn't
quite figure out that there was an elevator until
we had carried most things up with us. We showered
and changed back into Sport Reach gear and headed
to a park in Malaga to start promoting our clinics!
At the park we met Sam who is works with Avant Ministries
to help plant churches in Spain. Although Sam wasn't
fluent in Spanish he was a big help. We split into
groups and started walking about the neighborhoods,
which are really just apartment looking buildings.
Between all of us we were able to pass out a lot of
fliers.
We ended our time at the park by playing some sports
with children who were there hanging out. Some of
the team played basketball and some of the team played
soccer. Soccer is HUGE here and the children love
it! We were thankful to meet a guy named Ivan at the
park. Ivan is 20 years old and athletic. Matt talked
to him in Spanish and explained a little better what
we were doing for our sport clinics. Ivan said he
would come help us coach! What a blessing! Already
we are encouraged to start making connections with
the children!
We ended our evening with pizza at a local restaurant.
We were all encouraged by what God was already working
in our hearts. We are excited about what He will do
in the next few days. Be praying for us as we continue
to invited childrent to our clinics.
Holly for the team
July 2 & 3
The morning of July third started off calm and cool.
Everyone took their time gathering their things and
eating their breakfast on the rooftop patio that was
connected to the little apartment where we spent our
second night in Spain. We all had a big day ahead.
The first big event of the day was visiting the Avant
Media Center in Marbella. Bob, our tour guide had
a big smile and glasses. He told amazing stories about
Christians in Morocco who couldn't meet in groups
bigger than 7 to 10 or it might endanger their lives.
It did my heart good to meet many people from all
over the world who were working at the Media Center
with the common goal of spreading truth of taking
the gospel to the nations through the form of TV and
radio. After the Media Center we got our first taste
of traditional Spanish cuisine, which brought many
mixed responses. We then went to Tivoli World and
rode the gondola up the mountain. The view of the
white and terracotta houses with their tile roofs
and the Mediterranean as the backdrop was everything
you would expect to see in Spain. The evening consisted
of spreading out through the neighborhood where we
would be teaching our sports camps in during the day
and passing out flyers inviting kids to come check
it out.
This morning, our independence day, came much too
early for most of us. The first day of camps went
well. No, that is an understatement. It went wonderfully.
Despite four hours under the Spanish sun everyone
was excited and the kids seemed receptive to the gospel.
During siesta time we all had some down time before
we packed up, headed back to Malaga and did it all
again. The evening camp was full of kids and their
parents. We were very encouraged by the turn out.
Needless to say, God is clearly at work here in Espana
and we are excited to see what the rest of the week
brings.
Nikki for the team
July 4
Thanks be to God for another wonderful day in Spain!
The camp in Marbella went very smoothly again today.
Many of the kids from yesterday returned, so we got
a chance to build more relationships with them. Among
them was a young man who was visiting family in Spain
and decided to come to the camp for a day. We found
out that his parents are Muslim, but his is questioning
his beliefs. Mike had the opportunity to share the
gospel with him and talk to him about his questions.
We are all praying that God continues to work in his
heart!
During siesta we had the chance to experience a little
more of Marbella. For lunch we went to an authentic
Spanish restaurant where the food was amazing. The
city is beautiful and we are all looking forward to
seeing more of it. Then we were all able to relax
for a while. Some of us went to the beach while others
went to a café for some quiet time with God.
It was a much needed break from the business of our
day.
Tonight we were back in Malaga. Again, many of the
same kids returned and we also got to meet a few more
of the missionaries there. Each day we talk to the
campers about a specific topic and today's was the
body. We also did a skit at each of the camps today
as a way of presenting the gospel. It was fun for
all of the team members, and the campers seemed to
respond very well. Like each and everyday, our prayer
is that God will continue to work in the lives of
the people that we have met and that He will use us
to bring the greatness of the gospel to the lost.
July 5
Praise the Lord for His goodness and provision this
week. Today was the last day of our sport camps in
Marbella as well as Malaga. Many of us are weary and
exhausted. Our bodies are aching and seem to be barely
functioning. Regardless of that the Lord is here and
working!
It has been such an encouragement to work with the
church family in Marbella. Theo, the pastor at the
church, has been such an encouragement to us. They
have all welcomed us lovingly and provided so generously.
The ladies have been staying at a young woman, Lucia's,
apartment in Marbella. She has been such a testament
of the love of Jesus. It has been difficult because
the ladies have not been able to communicate with
Lucia because none of us are very good at Spanish.
It is still absolutely apparent she is madly in love
with Jesus.
Marbella's camp was wonderful today. Since we have
had so many returning campers, it has been so amazing
to watch them grow not only in athletics but also
their curiosity of Jesus. Today was especially encouraging
because of our new friend Oliver. Oliver's mother
past away when he was very young. The first day of
camp, Oliver was withdrawn and would hardly speak
to any of the team. The Lord was truly at work because
we have watched Oliver open up over the past three
days. Through soccer, the Lord gave many of us opportunities
to show him love. This morning, Oliver gave his life
to Jesus. We are rejoicing with the angels in heaven.
After camp, we enjoyed some good ol' American food
at McDonalds. Siesta came and went quickly. Many went
to the beach and the others actually took a siesta.
After bumper to bumper traffic, we arrived in Malaga
for our evening camp. We were again able to enjoy
spending time with our new friends. We have enjoyed
building relationships with many of these kids as
well as the missionaries here.
Satan is not happy that we are here. In fact, you
can see Satan doing anything he can to stop Christ
from entering in this place. During each camp, we
have been able to share our testimonies. Today there
were several distractions. Cars were honking continually,
other children playing and yelling, however God still
spoke through each of the testimonies.
After camp finished this evening, we joined the Avant
Spain Team missionaries on the balcony of a Spanish
apartment for some tacos and fellowship. We can't
thank the Lord enough for this team and the sacrifices
each of them have made to welcome and encourage us.
God is moving in this place. How wonderful to be apart
of the mission to see people come to know His face!!
Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to use us
to bring glory to Himself.
July 6
Today was a day of rest and rejuvenation after three
long hard days for camp and travel. The team was allowed
to choose what they wanted to do for the day. Many
napped on the beach, others saw historic sites, many
photographed the essence of Spain.
In the evening we traveled back to Malaga for the
night.
July 7
Today we started out with a great breakfast and then
packed up and headed for Springs of Life Camp. We
arrived at the camp and got settled in. Then we got
busy cleaning the camp. It was fun to serve God in
a new way then what we had been doing the previous
week. Kelly and Chris had some unfortunate delays
and were held up at the airport returning our vans
for quite some time. So, they didn't get to join the
rest of the group for a great lunch. We are so thankful
for those that help to prepare our meals.
After lunch, everyone had some personal time where
many chose to get a siesta in, while others spent
time journaling, reading, etc. It was great to just
get comfortable here at the camp. Several of us went
on a hike later in the day. It was so awesome to see
God's beauty from above. We were able to see the whole
camp from the top of the mountain and just breathe
in God's beauty. When you see all of God's creation
from that angle, it's an overwhelming feeling. It's
so awesome to think that God can do all of that in
a snap of a finger. Praise God for his greatness!
After the hike, we watched a movie about the history
of Spain, being a missionary in Spain, and about the
Spanish culture. It was really informative. Then was
supper time! We had good old American sloppy jos.
We then had a team meeting to prepare for the week
and the campers. We are so excited for tomorrow to
come. We can't wait to work with kids again! We thank
God for calling campers to come and answering our
prayer that attendance would grow from last week.
God is so faithful!
Sunday, July 9, 2006
Hola! Domingo (Sunday) brought us spiritual refreshment
along with mental and physical stretching. We awoke
to the wind rustling in the trees as we spread out
in our beautiful surroundings to have some quiet time.
As a team we gathered to sing praises and share what
God was revealing to us. We again spread out to lift
up in prayer the campers that would be coming very
soon (from 11a.m. to 2 p.m.).
We were happy to see our first arrivals, the missionary
kids and parents who would be serving alongside us
as counselors. Soon the number of campers totaled
35 which was a big answer to our prayers. Originally,
we had 9 registered when we came to Spain. The many
new and unusual names made us mentally challenged
to learn so much in a short time. We are completely
surrounded by Spanish campers except for our 6 missionary
kids. What a joy to be immersed in this language!
The language of sports helped us bridge the gap as
we informally played miniature golf, soccer and frisbee.
We spend more time looking for the Frisbee in the
trees than anything else! Some of the boys found a
snake and that created some excitement. We spent some
time dividing into 2 teams which will allow the kids
to compete for points throughout the week. Are you
ready to hear more about the Gladiadores and Toreros?
These two teams created cheers..Ole!
The large pile of children you see in the picture
is the viewing of the final game of the World Cup.
Italy won, although it sounded like more of our campers
were cheering for France. We ended the evening with
a balloon relay and crazy people bingo. We were able
to get to know our campers a little more. Finally...it
was lights out at midnight. Amidst all of this, we
need prayer for physical stamina, boldness to communicate
and reach out even though we don't know Spanish, and
creativity as we are still developing ideas for activities
and details. Matt Ashcraft, newly assigned to the
camp as program director, is directing his first week
of camp with us! He's doing a fantastic job, and he
would very much appreciate your prayers.
One thing we have learned is that this camp staff
works 24/7 and needs support with volunteers. Pray
that we will find ways to encourage them!
We are anticipating the many new friendships we will
build and are praying God will use us. Thanks for
your support. We love you all!
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Monday, July 10, 2006
Our first full day of camp has been full of excitement,
sweat, food, and fun! The team met at 8:00 to review
the day. Many of our campers arose before we did,
even though their wake up time is 8:30. I think they'll
be tired tonight! We had pastries for breakfast and
then divided into 3 groups for our sport clinic time
which included basketball, volleyball, and ultimate
Frisbee. "Chapel" followed with singing,
sports awards, Kyle sharing his testimony, and a video
on Christian World Cup players. Lunch fare was a hot
dog, fried egg, rice and fruit. The 45 minute siesta
that followed was greatly appreciated by all the adults.
The swimming pool was the most popular free time activity
with a few campers visiting the kiosko (snack store).
Many of the campers are trying out more sports as
this is a common free time choice. It was fun to see
them trying to use their skills picked up in the morning
clinics.The campers are catching the enthusiasm of
the points and really enjoyed the competition of playing
sport reach team members in basketball and volleyball.
At 5:30 we had our merienda (snack) which was bread
with a chocolate spread or a pig intestine spread,
a food enjoyed in Spain. A few team members accidentally
took the pork spread thinking it was a cinnamon sugar
spread. What a surprise!
The smell of pescado (fish) filled the air as Paco
fried up some delicious fish, chicken noodle soup,
salad, and yogurt (for dessert). The meals are all
beautifully presented family style . During meals
sport reach team members are leading in silly competitions
between the teams, the Gladiadores and Toreros. Today
the big hits included soccer dribbling, coke chugging,
and pushup contests. All of the fun is building relationships.
Our final big event was an "Amazing Race"
game that led to a final Polar Bear Swim (late night
dip in the pool). As the campers settle in tonight,
it is our prayer that they will have a quality time
of talking with their cabin leaders and God will use
us in ways that will have a lasting impact. Keep praying!
July 11
Thank God for a night of decent rest. Waking up to
a crisp, cool morning gave us a much needed rest and
recharge from the heat. Today was one of the warmest
days we had faced thus far. Afternoon temperatures
hovered near 100 F, making it difficult to stay active
other than spending time at the pool.
We have been amazed at how the kids have been responding
to sports such as badminton and ultimate Frisbee Being
two lesser known sports, the kids seem to enjoy them
more than basketball and volleyball at times. It is
so great to be able to interact with them through
the common language of exercise and sports.
After tea time at 5:30pm, we gathered around the
pool to compete in several pool games such as splash
contests and swimming relays. The activity made us
all plenty hungry for some good 'ole homemade squash
soup for dinner. After dinner, Glen Ashcraft led us
on night hike into the mountains for some time of
worship and prayer. You would think a full day of
swimming, sports clinics, and hiking would make the
kids want to go to bed at night, but the energy and
excitement they continue to show is as great as ever,
and thankfully, it is contagious.
July 12-15
Well this is our last update. The last few were
extremely busy which has made it difficult to update.
Thursday we still followed our regular schedule for
daily activities.
Friday was more of a fun day. Instead of our regular
2 hour segment of one sport, the kids were divided
into 3 groups and spent a half of an hour at each
sport with a half hour break in between to give the
kids a break from the heat (and the coaches). After
lunch we had our daily devotions with kids in our
cabin and then it was free time. Kelly and Chad took
a small group of kids on a mountain hike in the evening
and the rest of the kids played games back at camp
to pass the time. At 8:00 pm the sport reach staff
gathered to decorate the cafeteria hall and prepare
for a "Good News, Bad News" skit which was
led by Dan. This was a very powerful illustration
to present the bible with more actions than words.
Immediately following the skit, Glen and Matt provided
a bond-fire and all of the campers, missionaries,
and sport-reach gathered around to sing songs together
for one last time.
Saturday was probably the quietest morning we experienced
as we all knew it was our last few hours together.
The kids spent their time mainly packing their belongings
and the staff spent their morning handing out shirts,
hats, and water bottles to remember us by. The morning
was also filled with pictures and e-mail exchanges
to keep in touch with our new friends. It was very
touching to see some of the kids cry before they left
after they had acted so tough and cool at the beginning
of the week. God really worked in their hearts and
opened them up and we all enjoyed every person at
camp. This was truly a wonderful and God-filled experience
to come down to Spain and work with kids for two weeks.
Thanks to all who have read our updates and kept us
in your prayers.
Chad for the team
