From Spain with Love
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A really good article…
25/01/2012
Location, Location, Location
by Paul Tripp
The experts say that there are only three things to consider when buying a piece of property: location, location, location. The same could be said about life. When you understand location, you live and minister in a radically different way. Confused? Let me point you to four ways in which location matters.
1. You live in a dramatically fallen world.
You have to be prepared. You have to live with realistic expectations. You simply must bring a biblical understanding to the place where you now live and minister, or you will be constantly unprepared and disappointed. You and I live in a very broken world where there is trouble on every side. Your body and mind are affected by the Fall and don’t always work as they should. Your family and friendships will not work as they were designed. The government over you does not function as it was created to function. The church you serve is filled with flawed people yet in need of redemption. The broken physical environment suffers under the weight of the Fall. The apostle Paul says it very well in Romans 8: “the whole world groans, waiting for redemption.”
There’s no escaping it: you are located in a place where trouble of some kind will greet you every day. You live and minister in a place where somehow, some way, temptation will greet you every day. When you face this harsh reality, you will live prepared for the troubles that come your way.
2. The big battle is fought in your heart.
Acknowledging the brokenness of the world where you live and minister, you do not want to give way to spiritual environmentalism where you blame all of your struggles on things outside of you. That was the mistake of the medieval monastery, walled communities separated from the evil world and intended to foster righteous living. As it turned out, these communities tended to repeat all of the ills of the surrounding world from which they had separated.
Monasteries were a failure because they neglected one very significant biblical truth: the biggest danger to every human being, even those in ministry, is located inside of him, not outside of him. There is something dark and deceitful that still lurks in the heart of every one of God’s children who has not yet been fully glorified: sin. It is only ever the sin inside of me that draws and hooks me to the sin outside of me. Every day there is a war fought for control of your heart. But your jealous Savior, with the zeal of gorgeous redemptive love, will not share your heart. He will not rest until your heart is ruled by him and him alone.
3. You will run somewhere for refuge.
In the middle of trouble, when you are in the heat of the battle, you will run somewhere for refuge. You will run somewhere for rest, comfort, peace, encouragement, wisdom, healing, and strength. There is only one place to run where true protection, rest, and strength can be found. You and I must learn, in life and ministry, to make the Lord our refuge.
Perhaps in trouble you run to other people, hoping that they can be your own personal messiah. Perhaps you run to entertainment, hoping to numb your troubles away. Maybe you run to a substance, trying your best to turn off the pain. Maybe you are tempted to run to food or sex, fighting pain with pleasure. Since none of these things can provide the refuge which you seek, putting your hope there tends to only add disappointment to the trouble you’re already experiencing.
God really is your refuge and strength. Only he rules every location where your trouble exists. Only he controls all the relationships where disappointment will rear its head. Only he has the power to rescue and deliver you. Only he has the grace you need to face what you are facing. Only he holds the wisdom that, in trouble, you so desperately need. Only he is in, with, and for you at all times. He is the refuge of refuges. Do you run to him?
4. Where you are heading, trouble will be no more.
You could argue that the biblical story is about three locations. The Garden in Genesis was a location of perfection and beauty but became a place of sin and trouble. The hill of Calvary was a place of both horrible suffering and also transforming grace. And the New Jerusalem, that place of peace and refuge lit by the brightness of the Son, will be our final refuge forever. Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, your story will not end with daily trouble and temporary refuge. No, your final location will be utterly unlike anything you have ever experienced, even on your best and brightest ministry day. You are headed for the New Jerusalem, where the final tear will be dried and trouble will be no more.
Today, in life and ministry, you will face trouble of some kind. Today you will run somewhere for refuge. Today there is hope and help to be found. May God be your refuge, and as you run to him, may you remember that he has promised you that there will be a day when your trouble is no more.
Making new decisions, 34 hours in Málaga, & Mentoring
25/01/2012
You might be asking yourself, didn’t I just get an update? And you would be absolutely right, but we thought, “Why try and cram one, or two (gulp*) or even three months into an update?” It’s just not necessary! Why not keep in touch by communicating with less information but more often that is actually more current and relevant? We’re open to trying new things, so here goes:
Making new decisions
-As we mentioned, we are in the midst of making decisions and need your prayers! We are considering some ministry changes, under our current circumstances, I carry a lot of the work load out of home and Edu works more inside the home, preparing sermons, planning chapel times, cleaning, etc. While there is no problem with us, we don’t want it to be this way forever. More and more, we see ourselves in the local church, especially Edu as a pastor. Serving at the seminary has made it possible to continue in Spain even though monthly support has decreased. In exchange for our service, we receive some meals during the week and a free roof over our head. The monthly support we do receive goes toward groceries, medical expenses, basic things like shampoo, detergent, I think you get the picture. To take steps of faith and move into a different season, ministerially speaking, we are 1) Asking the Lord to confirm this by putting things in place for a transition (Providing financial support, a place to live, becoming appointed as official CAM missionaries) 2) Praising Him for the contentment we are able to find in Him, I said this many times as a single person and now we say it together as a married couple, “We want what He wants, nothing else. We are willing to go and to be who He would ask us to be and to do that which He would ask us to do.”
Málaga
-We were invited to preach not this past Sunday but the one before in a church (in Málaga) that is currently without a pastor. We had a lovely time with the couple that hosted us, got sorely beat by a grandma that knew Bible trivia better than the two of us put together (BTW, can you name three books that Paul wrote from prison?). Edu did a great job teaching about crises and faith in the book of Ruth…and just to be honest, a funny story: As I am getting into the car at the airport in Málaga, I ripped the only pair of jeans that I brought with me and had to go through the next 34 hours walking funny and making sure my back was to a wall, any wall, at all times. Should the invitation arise, we would be delighted to visit and teach in this church again; however, I’ll pack an extra pair of jeans next time!
Mentoring
-Edu left this morning for a pastor’s conference near Madrid. He had to drive through mountains, snow, and lots of rain but after 7 hours, he and the other two men he went with made it safely to Alcazar de San Juan. It is a gathering of pastors here in Spain to connect, refuel, share vision, and just enjoy good fellowship. I think Edu, Steve, and Diego were initially most excited about the drive and the conversations in the car! Please pray that this would be a time of fellowship and encouragement for the people that teach and preach God’s Word to the Spanish church.
What’s {Up}
03/01/2012
Many ways to say, "Merry Christmas"
Traditional clothes from northern Spain...
Dear friends & family,
First we want to say Happy New Year! We hope you have enjoyed this Christmas season and have been able to consider the blessing it is that Christ comes to us not only at Christmas, but every single day.
So much has happened since our last update; Just to give you an idea of recent happenings: IBSTE has become accredited as an official Spanish university (Huge praise!), we went to the Canary Islands for a youth retreat, we made visits to Bilbao (northern Spain) and to Nice (southern France), the Generalitat de Catalunya approved a new law restricting religious freedom, we have welcomed five new students and Spain has elected a new prime minister. Just thinking about all of it makes our jaw drop!
Artisan candies
Mmm...café con leche!
Street sign in Bilbao
The Apostle Paul wrote to his son (in Christ) Timothy, the following words: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Ti. 4:7) Paul comes to the end of his life and is able to say with joy that he has completed the mission that God has commended him with. His pride is not in his achievements but in the doing and following of the will of his beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of this he is able to encourage Timothy, so that he does the same, so that he would fight the good fight of faith that he has before him. This fight is for the Gospel. To live, to grow, to give fruit and then part from this world into the loving hands of his God.
These same words encourage us. We are just beginning to understand and value what this looks like in marriage and ministry. Living together, fellowship, communication, to serve, to love, and to live out the Gospel with unity in Christ. The words of the Apostle Paul comfort and strengthen us. His message is just as significant today as it was 2,000 years ago. It’s worth it to fight the good fight of marriage, family, and friendship. I (Krista) have learned that a seminary is just as tough as serving in any other job. It’s worth it to work together for honesty, purity, grace and forgiveness. In reality, it’s an honor to fight this battle and we feel very fortunate to be able to do it together. Our objective is clear, reach the goal, “finish the course” and be received into the presence of our Lord. In the meantime, we’d love to share what fighting the good fight has looked like for us over the past month or so. Our story in España continues…
Pastoral Internship
From the last letter that we sent my (Edu) ministry activities have multiplied! I continue to have the opportunity to teach in our church and other churches that have invited us. Krista and I went to my home church in the Canary Islands to lead a youth retreat. We were there the last weekend in October and I was asked to teach on the topic of our identity in Christ. In November, we were invited to preach at a church in Terrassa (what Ft. Worth is to Dallas) this time teaching from the book of Proverbs about laziness and diligence. I have also been teaching in our church, Vilassar, and am currently preparing a four week sermon series on the book of Ruth for February. We recently received an invitation to teach in Málaga (southern Spain) in January with a church that is without a pastor. Right after we return from Málaga, I will accompany our pastor to a conference in Madrid. This leads me to my next point. Our pastor and I have a weekly discipleship and meeting time. We have just finished reading a book together called, “The Prodigal God” by Tim Keller. Beginning this month, we will be studying this book in the small groups of the church. This weekly time together is serving as great blessing and encouragement for both of us.
Small Group
Krista and I are also leading a small group, it is mainly young adults in their 20’s-30’s. Our heart for the small group is that in community we share practical and dynamic ways to live and communicate the Gospel to others. We meet every two weeks on Friday nights. Group starts at about 9:30 with dinner and ends around midnight after our time of discussion or activity. Lately, our church has been teaching a series on the book of Proverbs. One of the most recent sermons was on the topic of “compassion” in Proverbs. Three weeks ago, six members of our group made “picnics” and went out to the parks and bridges of a major city to serve the homeless a special dinner and hot chocolate. We spoke with many individuals and I got to know a man who lost everything in a matter of years, his job, his family, and in other terms, he had lost all hope. We will start our small group up this next week and will hopefully be able to go out again and serve those who are in need.
Community
Living in community is often difficult, it stretches you, you are asked to lay down your rights, and to consider others better than yourself. A seminary is made up of many people from various churches. In the church there are differences which unfortunately lead us to conflict, poor communication, bad decisions, hardened hearts, etc. But in the family of believers there is also the opportunity to live and practice the Gospel in our actions, our speech, our thoughts, our attitude. It’s not the problem per se that is most important, it is our response. I (Krista) can say that I am learning a lot and being challenged to grow in many ways. There are many exciting moments when you see the Lord working in the lives of His people, myself included. He draws them closer to Him and exchanges their pride for humility, their self-dependence for Godly reliance. We have been able to take advantage of some vacation days and visit friends before Christmas in Bilbao and later in Nice for New Year’s. Both of the trips were very much enjoyed, connecting with good friends and encouraging one another.
Petitions & Praises:
- Praise the Lord for meeting our needs every month, we continually see His provision for us above and beyond what we deserve. Please pray for our future. We are unsure of what our next steps will be but are confident He will show us the way. We are considering some changes but really need wisdom to choose the best option.
- Praise God for our great church home, Vilassar, and for the “family” we feel that we have there. Please pray for our ministry in the local church. Planning intentional time for our small group, sermon preparation, etc.
- Seminary, it has been nice to have a break and we are ready to start up this new semester. Please pray for both of us as we live and serve here at the seminary.
- Marriage, it’s better than what we ever dreamed or expected. That doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging, it is, but it’s worth it. Please pray for unity between us and that we would continue to enjoy the “newness” of marriage.
Edu leading the way...
In the beginning we spoke of fighting the good fight, and finishing the course. However, the Apostle Paul said something more, “I have kept the faith.” This is the crown of righteousness laid up for us (1 Tim. 4:8) that the Lord has given us to fight the good fight that we have before us, arriving at the end with many others to see Him face to face. We want to thank you for your prayers and offerings. These gifts help us to seek the Lord, humbling ourselves before His presence and recognizing that by ourselves we can’t make it. We depend on His grace and mercy. Faith in itself can sometimes falter or feel weak, but you and your commitment to us continues to pick us up and give us hope. Thank you for collaborating in our fight for keeping the faith. Thank you for being a blessing to us.
Your Servants in Christ,
Edu & Krista García
It all began {about} one year ago…
21/12/2011
El primer recuerdo que tengo de ella es su sonrisa. Es tan hermosa, lo pude comprobar desde que el Señor quiso que visitara el seminario donde yo estudio, y creo, que desde ese instante sentí amor por ella, aunque ciertamente, me dije a mí mismo “no puede ser”.
Sin embargo, Dios siempre nos sorprende; y un día, estando en Canarias al final de mi tercer año de seminario, recibí un correo de “Ibste” donde al final aparecía su nombre. Fue increíble, aunque esto no cambiaba la realidad “no puede ser”. Luego me fue a recoger al aeropuerto, para iniciar el curso y me seguía diciendo “no puede ser”. Más tarde, durante el primer trimestre, pasamos mucho tiempo riendo, molestándonos y aunque me estaba enamorando de ella me seguía diciendo “no puede ser” Recuerdo el ir caminando por la arena o corriendo y pensar en ella, pero una y otra vez, todo parecía indicar “que no podía ser”. Así se marchó a Estados Unidos por navidades. Lo mejor viene ahora. En navidades nos escribimos algunos E-mail, y ella fue notando que estaba interesado por ella, y ella me contestó “que le gustaría conocer más” y yo seguía creyendo “que no podía ser”. Regresamos de las vacaciones de navidad y fue ella quién me fue a recoger al aeropuerto. Yo me moría por decirle lo que sentía, pero seguía pensando “no puede ser”. Pero un maravilloso día en el que salimos a caminar…
Fuimos a una pequeña playa de Castelldefels y allí, mirando al cielo estrellado y escuchando el ruido de las olas rompiendo en la orilla, rompí el silencio, la miré a los ojos y le dije ¿sabes qué? Me gustas y me gustaría salir contigo… y ella me respondió ¿por qué?… a partir de ese momento comenzamos una nueva etapa en nuestras vidas. Pronto anunciamos nuestro noviazgo, y poco tiempo después nuestro compromiso. Todo está siendo una gran aventura, una hermosa aventura, donde Dios nos guió hacía el matrimonio. Ese es nuestro deseo, formar una familia. Es increíble, Dios transformó un “no puede ser” en “para Dios no hay nada imposible”. Lo cierto, es que ambos damos gracias al cielo, por su bondad para con nosotros y dos palabras están en nuestro vocabulario. Gracia y esperanza; esto es un recuerdo inamovible de lo que Dios hizo, hace y hará.
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The first memory that I have of her, is her smile. It’s so beautiful, it was something I noticed about her the first time we met. I think the Lord planned things so that we would meet when she came to visit the seminary where I studied. I believe from that instant, I loved her, even though I told myself, “It’s not possible”. None the less – God always surprises us – one day, while I was at home in Gran Canaria and at the end of my third year of studying in seminary, I received an e-mail from IBSTE, and at the end of the message, her name was signed. I could hardly believe it! While I was away on Summer break, she had come to work at the seminary. However, this still didn’t change the reality of, “It’s not possible.” After beginning the next semester, I still kept telling myself, “It’s not possible.” When we saw one another around the school we spent a lot of time laughing together, playing, and I began to think I was falling in love with her, I kept telling myself, “It’s not possible.” I remember when I went walking on the beach or running, I would think about her, but time and again, everything seemed to indicate that it “Just couldn’t be possible.” She left in December to spend Christmas with her family. But here’s the best part… During Christmas break, I wrote her e-mails, and she started to realize that I was interested in her and one day she answered an e-mail saying, “I would like to get to know you better.” I still continued to believe that it wasn’t possible. We returned from Christmas break and she came to pick me up at the airport. I was dying to tell her how I felt, but I still thought, “It’s not possible”. A few weeks later, I asked her to go for a walk…
We went to a small beach in Castelldefels and there, looking up at the star studded sky and listening to the sound of the waves breaking on the sand, I broke the silence. I looked into her eyes and said, “You know what, I like you, and I would like to have a relationship with you…” and she said, “Why?”. After this moment, we began a new stage in our lives. We soon announced our relationship, and a short time after, our engagement. Everything has been a great adventure, a beautiful adventure, where God led us to marriage. This is our desire, to form a family. It is incredible, God transformed an, “It’s not possible” to a “For God, all things are possible”. We both thank God for His kindness to us and these two words continue to season our conversations: grace and hope. This is an unforgetable reminder of what God has done, is doing, and will do in the future.
From {Holanda} with love…
16/12/2011
Sinterklaas
When I (Krista) was growing up, I had a collection of Santa figures. I have hardly ever collected anything, but I liked my Santa’s. Each year my mom would buy me one or two new Santa’s from a department store. The Santa’s were special because they were from different countries. For example, the Santa for the US was (and still is) called “Santa Claus” and in the box there was a little booklet that described the Christmas tradition of Santa Claus in the American culture. I don’t remember exactly how many I collected or even where they are now (if I had to guess, I’d say in my parent’s attic in Texas). But I do remember that what I loved most was learning the story of the Christmas tradition in other countries.
We have some good friends who are from Holland and they recently shared their Christmas traditions with us. We went over to their apartment to watch their three little girls so the parents could go out. When we arrived the girls were putting their little boots next to the door and putting a carrot in each boot.
The family explained to us that the 5th of December is when Christmas is typically celebrated in Holland in addition to the 25th. Tradition says that Sinterklaas sails all the way from Spain to the Netherlands. He arrives on a big boat in a different dutch port each year. He wears red bishop robes and when he comes ashore all the church-bells ring. During the night, he visits the home of each child and may leave presents for them. The children leave carrots or hay in their boots for his horse and maybe candy or a cookie for him in the kitchen.
Hadassah is the youngest of the three little girls and might have had to borrow a carrot from one of her sisters…
Mmmm…soups & stews
06/12/2011
I (Krista) love this time of year. I like the cold feeling of being outside then coming into a warm place. I also love the homemade goodness that soups and stews serve up on cold days. As most people these days, we are on a budget, so that means you’ve gotta get creative to not sacrifice quality for cost. Most of these recipes have several winning points for me, which can be summed up briefly.
- Quantity – It makes plenty to be able to feed others and yourself. It’s great to be able to invite others over without much prep because you know there will be enough. If you have leftovers they can be sealed and frozen for another day, saves time and money.
- Quality – Nutritious, most of these recipes contain lots of fresh vegetables and not many preservatives, there is no can of mushroom, no cream of chicken, etc. (Note – I am not against these things, but 1) There’s no availability and 2) I’m old fashioned.) The most processed it gets is the chicken broth. I like eating and knowing exactly what I am eating, not looking at labels on things and not only not knowing what it is but not even being able to pronounce the word. After all, are we cooking here or learning a foreign language?
I thought I would share some of my favorite, and so easy, winter recipes for soups and stews…
Ribollita by Ina Garten
I make mental note after mental note to soak the beans overnight, but I always seem to forget. I bought the pancetta and made it with the first time around, but ever since, I opt for saving a few precious monies and don’t include it. Instead of using 4 cups of cabbage and another 4 cups of kale (I can’t get that here anyway) I opt for 8 cups of superfood spinach. It’s super healthy and gives great flavor.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup by Ina Garten
This recipe is as easy as chopping the butternut squash, apples, and onion, seasoning them with salt, pepper, olive oil, and then roasting in the oven. I roast until there are a just a few charred pieces and then mix it all together in my stockpot with the chicken broth. A little curry, salt and pepper to taste, and a few clicks of the immersion blender and that’s it. I think it’s hearty and delicious without the nuts and scallions but feel free to jazz it up!
Ratatouille Soup by FN Mag
Another delicious, simple, and budget friendly soup. The whole meal, with parmesano reggiano cheese, cost me about 1,40€/per person. It’s vegetables, herbs, olive oil, and voilá! I use a red bell pepper rather than a yellow one (cheaper) and instead of a baguette, I made croutons from ciabatta bread. Also, instead of canned tomatoes, I chopped up some fresh (about 5 small tomatoes), put them in a skillet on a medium flame for about 5-7 minutes and added a little salt and pepper. When they were juicy and delicious, I poured them into the stockpot.
Bacon & Egg Soup by FN Mag (Trust me, it’s delicious.)
I’ll admit, as I was halfway through, I thought about pouring it down the drain and making this instead. I’m so glad I didn’t. I added a little olive oil to the bacon pieces and 86ed the parsley. Next time I think I will throw in a little spinach. I did use the cheese rind but I didn’t pour in any extra cheese, just grated a little to put on top with the croutons when serving. I had my doubts, but the second I tasted the delicious flavors of the broken egg with the bacon, broth, cheese, and croutons, I was in heaven. Very tasty!
Cranberry Bean Pasta by FN Mag
This is a hearty delicious type of Minestrone Soup. Once again I used fresh tomatoes instead of the canned (soak them in boiling water for a few minutes to make them easier to peel). I also exchanged the kale for spinach, always looking to throw in an extra superfood where I can.
Introducing Mariano Rajoy…
06/12/2011
Spain´s newly elected Prime Minister. He will officially come into office later this month and he has a lot of work to do…
By Paul Day
MADRID | Mon Dec 5, 2011 10:56am EST
(Reuters) – Incoming Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will hammer home his commitment to austerity in Spain and is expected to back closer euro zone fiscal unity when he meets centre-right European counterparts this week in Marseille.
The meeting will mark Rajoy’s first major public appearance since winning election and is particularly important because he will not attend a summit in Brussels later this week, as he will not be sworn in until around December 20. Outgoing Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will attend the Brussels gathering.
Rajoy, who won a solid parliamentary majority in Spain’s November 20 election, is due to meet one-on-one with France’s Nicolas Sarkozy, Germany’s Angela Merkel and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner at the Wednesday-Thursday event.
He will also address the European People’s Party meeting, which ends just before the summit of 27 European Union leaders in Brussels that could be decisive in producing a definitive solution to the euro zone debt crisis.
With investor doubts focused on Spain and Italy and forcing up their borrowing costs, Rajoy must impress on fellow conservative leaders that he can control the public deficit even though economic output and tax income are declining.
“We have to transmit the clear message that we are the Prussians of southern Europe, that we will meet all our commitments,” said political consultant Narciso Michavila, president of GAD3 in Madrid.
Rajoy has a unique opportunity to impose harsh measures, even though unemployment is painfully high, because Spaniards are convinced of the need, Michavila said.
“Spaniards are conscious that we lived beyond our means. The crisis has made us, for the first time in history, aware that the welfare state comes from our pockets, not from the Three Kings.”
LINGERING UNCERTAINTY
Spain, the euro zone’s fourth largest economy, has avoided the need for external aid due to a slew of spending cuts and reforms by the Socialist government, but risk premiums remain volatile as leaders bicker over a cross-border solution.
While euro zone leaders hammer out an agreement which many hope will mean a significant step toward closer fiscal union by Friday, Spain, under a prolonged attack by nervous debt markets, is struggling to keep afloat.
Optimism that an accord is imminent has brought Spain’s bond yields back down from last month’s spike that approached the 7 percent threshold seen as unsustainable. But at a December 1 auction bonds due in April 2015 were sold with a yield of 5.187 percent, a 14-year high, showing that uncertainty lingers.
Unemployment is more than double the EU average at over 21 percent, the public deficit is one of the highest in the euro zone, expected to top 6 percent of gross domestic product this year, and the economy is on the cusp of a recession.
In some ways Spain has anticipated the drive toward a euro zone fiscal union: last year the Socialists and the PP passed constitutional debt limits in a rare joint Parliamentary vote.
And Rajoy has said one of the first things he will do is to make those even stricter, giving the central government more power to intervene in regions’ finances should they go astray.
“We must be more German than the Germans in terms of austerity, discipline and correcting economic imbalances. More French than Sarkozy in economic governance and more Europeanist than (Jacques) Delors in finding new ways to stimulate growth,” said Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, a Spanish People’s Party member of the European Parliament.
Rajoy will reaffirm his commitment to the monetary union, Margallo told Reuters.
“Spain must be within the euro zone core and whatever level of discipline they ask, we will be the first to comply.”
Rajoy is likely to drop calls made previously by Spanish leaders for more help from the European Central Bank. The bank says it will not be lender of last resort for fear that would discourage necessary economic reforms.
Instead, Rajoy will focus on strengthening the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the funding of credit lines available from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a source close to the party said.
“He understands that speaking to Germany about quantitative easing by the ECB is like asking them to light a fire in the first floor of their own homes. Better to concentrate on the funds already under consideration,” the source said.
(Additional reporting by Elisabeth O’Leary; Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Peter Graff)
Wouldn’t you like to know…
06/11/2011
Wouldn’t you like to know……this is a list of interesting tid-bits from living in Spanish culture. The list may include, but is not limited to: current events, food, people, expressions, daily living, language blunders, etc.
- …there is a very dangerous volcano moving closer to the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands. It is known to be a smaller island with a more relaxed atmosphere, but there are still about 12,000 people that live there.
- In Spain, the education system teaches that there are 5 continents (Oceania, Asia, Europa, América, Africa) instead of 7 (Oceania, Australia, N. América, S. América, Asia, Africa, Antártida).
- The Basque terrorist group ETA recently announced that they are making a ceasefire. “A new political time is emerging in the Basque country. We have an historical opportunity to find a just and democratic solution for the centuries old political conflict. Dialogue and agreement should outline the new cycle, over violence and repression.” To read a full article from The Guardian, click here.
- It is “roasting chestnut” season here in España, when walking outside in the cool crisp air, one smells the delightful aroma of chestnuts toasting on an open fire. However, we toast them over the stove and then eat them warm and delicious!
- I feel that while I am not an accomplished cook, I know a thing or two. But never have I (Krista) attempted a Spanish paella, until today.
Paella de Marisco
- Yesterday in the grocery store (which is always a cultural adventure for me) I saw something new. For about 4,50€ you can buy ready-to
make, I mean, ready-to-eat, crêpes. Go figure! I thought, but how can they stay fresh and not spoil? I quickly reasoned that they must have a very short shelf-life and must be sold/eaten quickly. Wrong! Yesterday was November 4th, and the expiration date was November 29th! Edu came over and asked me what I was looking at, and I said, “Look, these are crêpes and it says they don’t expire until the 29th. How can they stay fresh that long? They must contain a lot of preservativos…” In my thinking, (English) preservatives = (Castellano) preservativos, no? NO! I’ll leave it to you to go look up the meaning of “preservativos” in a Spanish dictionary.
Esclavo
21/10/2011
Libro: Esclavo (La verdad escondida sobre su identidad en Cristo.)
Autor: John MacArthur
Este libro llegó a mí (Edu), por así decirlo, por casualidad. Los jóvenes de mi iglesia me ofrecieron dar unas charlas sobre la identidad del creyente. Compromiso, responsabilidades, y beneficios etc. Un día estaba mirando los libros que estaban expuestos en la librería de la iglesia a la cual asisto junto a mi esposa. Descubrí para mi asombro que de forma un tanto peculiar Dios me dirigía hacía un tema que para mí era completamente desconocido.
Sin embargo, al empezar a ojearlo me di cuenta que no solamente era un tema desconocido para mí, sino que lo era para la mayoría de las personas, especialmente, las de habla hispana.
Todo el libro gira alrededor de una palabra que ha permanecida extraviado u oculta, casi desde los primeros siglos del cristianismo. Es una palabra que especialmente para nuestra sociedad actual tiene una connotación negativa, despectiva, denigrante, humillante y todos los adjetivos que podamos unir con los anteriores.
Esa palabra es <<Esclavo>>, en griego <<doulos>> aparece nada más y nada menos que 124 veces en el original griego. Sin embargo, la palabra castellana que habitualmente se ha usado en las diferentes versiones al castellano es <<siervo>>.
El autor nos quiere ayudar a entender que descubrir la identidad por la cual, se identificaron los primeros creyentes y por la cual, muchos de ellos murieron, es la clave para vivir una vida cristiana significativa. Una vida cristiana de calidad. Una vida cristiana auténtica. Por esta razón, hace un análisis preciso y claro del contexto de la esclavitud, tanto del Antiguo Testamento como durante el primer siglo, para luego, hacer la correspondencia de lo que los escritores del Nuevo Testamento plasmaron en sus escritos.
El resultado es un libro que muestra la esencia vital del cristianismo bíblico. Una comprensión clara de quién somos, y quién es el Dios que nos ha salvado. Una nueva perspectiva de lo que significa ser cristiano, de lo que significa la obediencia, de lo que significa haber sido comprados por Dios y por tanto ser ahora sus esclavos.
Por tanto, recomiendo la lectura y meditación de este libro. Por mi parte, he sido persuadido que el mayor elogio que las Escrituras me puede expresar es ser llamado <<esclavo de Dios y de nuestro Señor Jesucristo>>.
Maybe we need a wake-up call.
13/10/2011
“The current state of affairs here worries us,” prayed my much respected compañero and colleague during our staff meeting on a Tuesday afternoon. Every Tuesday afternoon at about 3:00PM, I sit at a table surrounded by seven other men who are much older and wiser than myself. I have asked myself from day one, “What am I doing here?” And the truth is, I’m still asking that question. Who are these men? These are the people whom I serve with, eat with, encourage, and meet together to pray with.
So what are the events for which we were praying and were (are) somewhat troubling? Politics. The religious freedom that we currently enjoy have is very loosely applied. It is also subject to change. It is cause for alarm when a city hall in a major city cancels the lease contract that an evangelical church has on a building and is up to date on their payments. How can a city hall, for no apparent reason, force any non-catholic church/organization/association to close it’s doors? But that is the reality. There is a new law here in Cataluña that says all religious entities must have a license/permit to perform any type of religious activity, be it a prayer meeting, church service, etc. The law is to be enforced as loosely or strictly as every city hall, specifically the mayor, sees fit. At any time the city hall has the power to make a decision to close any religious establishment.
If you would like to read more on this, provided below are two articles (in Spanish).
- La Nueva Ley Catalana de Culto, Retroceso en la Libertad Religiosa
- Denuncia la Ley que Restringe la Libertad Religiosa en Cataluña
As a response to these things, the evangelical churches and Christians here in Cataluña made a public gathering in Barcelona last Saturday at 17:00 hrs. Here are some photos of the event.
It is interesting that during the Franco regime, there was no law, hence there was no religious freedom. Churchgoers during the years of Franco’s dictatorship might have arrived to church on Sunday and have found chains on the doors barring their entry. What we have today, is actually worse than the Franco dictatorship. We’re not moving into a progressive bright future, we’re taking steps backward. During the dictatorship of Franco, there was no law. Now, there is law but it does not protect the religious people in this country. Have you heard about what’s happening in Egypt? It is a different case, in a different country, but it is an example that we are not guaranteed protection from the government.
We have upcoming elections in Spain and it is probable that the tide will shift from one majority party to another. Over the lasts several years we have had a very socialist, very liberal government that has openly helped and aided religious groups here in Spain. An example of this would be the granting of religious worker visas, of which I currently have. The party that is likely to come into power is very conservative, strictly Catholic, and protestants/evangelicals are unsure what this means as far as legislation, funding, freedom, etc.
There is a sixteen year project that is in the final step of being approved (by the current government). The project is the formal accreditation of five protestant seminaries here in Spain. These five seminaries have sacrificed and worked through every possible obstacle that the government has put in it’s way, dotting i’s and crossing t’s and prayerfully gone through each step (and they have been numerous) leading up to the last one. If this does not get pushed through in time before the elections, the slate will be wiped clean with the new government. Which means the accreditation project will also be nothing but a post-it in the trash from the old administration. The encouraging thing is that these seminaries have been forming men and women for ministry and service for decades and will continue to do so, with or without formal recognition.
Last Friday, 11/11/2011, the ministers of the government approved the bill and the five seminaries now stand as International Universities with full rights and privileges. To read some articles about this momentous decision:
Goverments change. The people that govern us change. The church has struggled since it’s beginning with challenges and persecution, maybe we just need a wake up call.
