The Reign in Spain

Praise God for the Storm!

   Last week was "Semana Santa" (Holy Week) here in Spain, where most people have the week off to go to their summer homes and get them ready for the upcoming summer!  Those not fortunate enough to own a beach apartment usually take advantage of the time off to participate in the world famous Easter processions in the south of Spain, or to travel abroad.  Unfortunately all this fun comes at a high price.  Each year roughly 100 Spaniards lose their lives on the highways during Holy Week due to heavy traffic, careless drivers, and drunk driving.

   This year, on the way to vacation, just as many people died as last year.  Things weren't looking too hopeful for the return trip, either.  A snow storm hit the north and the mountains (for only the second time this winter), slowing down traffic considerably, and making drivers pay careful attention at all times.  The result?  The total death rate for the week was down 45% from last year!  Though many drivers were annoyed at the delays and slow traffic, they made it home alive!  This inconvenience saved an estimated 45 lives!  Praise the Lord for the storm!  It was God's way of protecting the people of Spain from themselves!

   How many times in our lives do we grumble and groan when storms come our way?  We get mad at God because he is slowing us down, or interrupting our seemingly perfect, well-intentioned plans.  How many times have we stopped to think what might have happened if God didn't intervene...that call from a friend in need just as you were running out the door that saved you from a potentially fatal car crash, a death in the family that results in many coming to Christ, the lost job that leads to an employment opportunity that is better than you could have ever imagined?  Flowers can't grow without a little rain.  Sometimes God places storms in our lives not to drown us out, but to shower His blessings upon us.  Next time you find yourself in the eye of a storm...rejoice!  God's in control!

   This week please be in prayer for our Tuesday night prayer meeting that's starting at the church, and for the children's Bible study which will also take place.  We hope to find a volunteer to take it over so that Carrie can participate in the adult prayer time, and more importantly, to get future Sunday School teachers trained.  We hope we're going to need them soon!

   As always, thanks for your constant prayers and support.

                                                     Happy Spring!

                                             Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley 

Hunting Easter Eggs, Spanish Style

    This past week, Carrie set out on what was a seemingly simple task--buy white eggs to dye with her English classes.  No problem...they sell eggs everywhere, right?  Of course.  This should only take a minute.

    To my shock and horror, the only eggs I could find were in fact brown.  Just last week I bought a dozen white eggs, but apparently the "white" chickens decided to go on strike (like half the services in the country including sanitation workers, doctors, metro workers, buses...the list goes on and on...) leaving the entire country void of white eggs.

   After desperately searching all eight supermarkets in town, I finally gave up.  Determined to share Easter eggs anyway (they don't have them in Spain) and not wanting the two Paas egg dying kits my mother-in-law brought to go to waste, I doubled the vinegar and used half the water to try and make it work.  And much to my suprise, it did!  The kids had a wonderful time dying and decorating eggs, as they listened to the Easter story and learned why American Christians hold this sacred symbol so dear.  I was even able to use it as a logical explaination (at least from an 8-year-old's perspecive) of how the trinity works. 

   The entire experience made me think about how lucky I am to be able to buy eggs on any given day.  Sure they're brown, and maybe they cost $3.21 a dozen, but at least I know where I can buy them when I need them!  How many people around the world, including fellow missionaries, aren't able to find eggs on a daily basis.  I think of the folks serving in Haiti or in some parts of Africa, and I am once again grateful for the simple things in life that we take for granted on a daily basis. 

   This week please pray for the church meeting that will take place to make some important decisions about our ever-growing congregation.  Pray as Carrie presents a plan for this summer's children's program for approval.  Pray for traveling mercies for all who are traveling on Spanish highways this weekend.  Since the "Holy Week" began four days ago 31 have been killed due to heavy volumes of traffic, careless drivers, and people driving under the influence.

    We are grateful that we serve a risen Savior, and we can proclaim his resurrection openly and unashamedly!  Our hearts are with all those who are living in countries in which that is not the case, and look forward to the day in which "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!"

                                                                               Happy Easter,

                                                                         Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley   

The (Mostly) Good Retreat

Dear Friends,

Spring sprung in Spain while we were in Tunisia, and we were blessed to return to the sight of the plum trees blossoming in and around Madrid.  With warmer temperatures prevailing (most of the time; the weather has been a bit unpredictable--it IS spring, after all), I (Michael) took my daily trips to language school in downtown Madrid on the bus and then walking, rather than on the subway.  (Also, in advance of elections this past weekend, buses make a less desirable target for terrorist activity; a subway train carries hundreds of people at any one time; a bus, only 50 or so.  The elections went off mostly very peacefully.)

The walk from the near side of Madrid to downtown takes about 40 minutes, and the best route takes one through El Parque del Buen Retiro, "The Park of the Good Retreat."  A landscaped city park the size of 30 blocks or so, it contains gardens, forests, a good many statues, and a manmade lake where one can rent and paddle rowboats.  The park is an island of green amid Madrid's many apartment and government buildings.  The land was given by one of Spain's kings some centuries back, a gift Madrid's residents (and many tourists) continue to enjoy today, particularly on Sunday afternoons and evenings.

However, walking through the near end of the park almost invariably takes one within sight of one of the park's several fountains.  Most are beautiful works of art, but the one in question here...well, I'll just describe it.  It's called "The Fountain of the Fallen Angel."  On top is a carved angel in the act of falling from heaven.  Around its base are sculptures of what are either demons, dragons, or dogs you would never in your life want to meet.

You read that right: In the midst of its most notable city park, Madrid has a monument to Satan.

If you're looking for a reason for it being there, I don't have one.  It's creepy.  The area around it is a gathering place for Madrid's contingent of witches, Satan worshippers and the like.  I don't like going by it, but it's in such an open location that it's hard to avoid seeing it entirely, even from hundreds of feet away.

Maybe the reason is to remind us that Spain is a mission field.  In case there weren't enough other reminders.

Some praises and prayer requests this week:

--Carrie is feeling better from her illness after the Tunisia trip.  Thank you for your prayers for her.

--Michael's Mom is visiting this week.  We hope this will be a good time of fellowship and give her the chance to learn what we do and why we are here up close and personal.

--The children (and adults) of Carrie's English classes had an Easter party yesterday, complete with dyeing Easter eggs and hearing the Easter story.

--Our church's team is back safe from their trip to northern Africa, but they had to leave a few days early and without accomplishing what they hoped to do because of government restrictions.

Thank you, as always, for your prayers.

Blessings,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Back in the "Office"

Dear Friends,

If it seems like you haven't heard from us for a while, it's because you probably haven't.  We're happy to be back in touch, however, following our anniversary trip to Tunisia.  On February 29th, we celebrated our "second" anniversary after eight years of marriage.  I guess we can't claim to be newlyweds anymore, so we'll just have to settle for acting like it.

It was an interesting trip.  We got a fairly extensive lesson on Mediterranean history and cultures, which has a lot of application to missions in Spain.  Tunisia, home to historical Carthage and not far from Sicily, is a fascinating mix of Mediterranean and Arab cultures.  It helps us to understand a bit more the historical Muslim influence in Spain, and geographically, the countries really aren't much different, at least in the north of Tunisia.  The saying here has it that "Africa begins at the Pyrenees," and in many ways it's true that Spain is more culturally African than European.  I think this has been one of the reasons adjustment here isn't always easy.

Some of the highlights from the trip included: visiting the Sahara desert and camping in a Bedouin tent; swimming in an oasis/hot spring; visiting the city of Matmata, where many "houses" are built underground; and the picturesque town of Sidi Bou Said, overlooking the Mediterranean.  We also got to meet some new friends from around Spain and elsewhere.  All in all, it was a fruitful and interesting trip.

However, shortly after we got back, Carrie started suffering from a fever, and she's been feeling bad off and on since.  Please pray for her.  We hope this is just a short-run flu and not anything too exotic.

As you are praying this week, please keep the elections in Spain before the Lord.  The presidential election is next Sunday, March 9.  Some of you may remember the terrorist attacks on the commuter trains around Madrid shortly before the last election, in 2004.  Please pray for the safety of all of Spain's people, as well as for wisdom in choosing the country's leaders.

We praise God for the life of Sergio, a man in our church here who recently completed his discipleship classes and today was presented a study Bible.  He is in the adult English class Carrie teaches, and his two children are in one of the kids' classes.  He started coming to church less than five months ago, and it is a great privilege to see him growing in his relationship with God.

Despite Carrie's feeling under the weather, we were able to talk with the congregation at Greensburg (PA) FMC during their morning worship.  It was great to be able to share about our ministry with them (you, for the GFMC folks), and we sense the eagerness of the church in their partnership with us.  We have a few more phone meetings in the next few weeks.  If you'd like to have us "visit" your church in this way, get in touch with us!

Finally, Michael had the chance recently to go hiking with the neighborhood hiking club to a couple of places around Madrid.  It's been a great opportunity to get to know the country better, while at the same time building relationships with some of our neighbors, few of whom go to church.  Please pray that these relationships would grow and bear fruit for the kingdom.

Blessings,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

The Lost Are Found

Dear Friends,

A few (fairly) brief notes as you are praying for us this week:

Praise: We got the lights back on at church!  No more shivering in the dark while listening to the sermon.  And while having English classes in our apartment out of necessity wasn't ideal, it turned out to be a good experience and helpful in having some of the neighborhood teens open up a bit more spiritually.  We'll probably have classes here again, at least from time to time.

Big Praise: Carlos, the ten-year-old boy from the congregation whom some of you might remember from "Practice for Parenting" last September (check the "archives" of the blog if you don't), gave the church a scare Friday night.  His mother came home after work at midnight and found he was missing.  After a lengthy search and calling the police to help, he was found the next morning.  It turned out he was staying at a friend's house, and hadn't talked to his mother about it.  With kidnappings on the rise in Spain, it was a long night, but we're thankful he is safe, and we hope some good will come out of it.  His mother quit her job as a waitress to find something that will allow her to be home more with Carlos, and we want to initiate a "safe house" program with the kids of the church, so that they know where they can go if they need help.

Praise: Jesus met Jesus this week!  As Carrie and other members of the El Faro (Lighthouse) ministry were ministering to the homeless of Madrid this past week, an elderly man out for a stroll randomly stopped and egaged in conversation with them.  They were able to share the message of salvation with him, and tears began to flow as he admitted his need for forgiveness and salvation.  Since he thought that the street wasn't ideal for such a life-changing experience, he said he was going home to fall on his knees and pray to accept the Lord.  Please pray for him as he begins his spiritual journey.  (For the record, "Jesus" is a fairly common name in Spain.)

Prayer Request: Pray for Alecia, a young woman from our church, who this week is trying to finish up her graduation project for the university.  She's illustrating and computer-animating an allegorical children's story of God's love written by our good friend Alanna Underwood.  We pray that this will be an opening for God's love to shine into the lives of many young people here in Spain, and that many will come to the Lord as a result.

Blessings,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Lights Out!

  It's been quite a week for our fasting church!  Upon our return from Budapest, we learned that the electricity at the church had been cut off by the electric company due to a large debt owed to them by the previous renters (the grocery store).  When the building's contact was signed (according to the utilities company) it needed to have been notarized and taken in person to their central office as to certify that we are the new renters and have no connection to the previous occupants, nor their debt.  Well, this was news to us, especially since the one who initially rented us the building was a Spaniard, not a newly arrived, clueless foreign missionary.

    The result as been a 10+ day long stint without electricity...lights, heat, musical instruments.  It has presented new challenges for both Sunday morning services and English classes.  However, in spite of all these obstacles, God has been good, and through the cold and the darkness, another life came to Christ on Sunday!  We were a sight to see...all wrapped in coats and blankets, playing rice-filled, homemade instruments we created the night before because all our instruments (including the drums) are electric.  The youth class had to meet in the bar next door because their classroom doesn't have so much as a window to allow a ray of light!  (Before you are too appalled, you should know that this "bar" is also a cafe and restaurant).  Either way, we are grateful it could be redeemed for God's glory!

   English classes have been especially challenging, the children's group in particular, as most of them live in the same plaza as the church, and their families don't attend church (yet!).  Whereas with the other groups I was able to have class in my living room, I don't have the freedom to take these children to an "unknown" location.  And to make matters worse, we meet as the sun is going down, so we only have about 20 minutes of daylight! 

   Now I know that most of you are probably not Simpson's fans (the cartoon, that is), but I (Carrie) must report that this fictional cartoon family has saved my week!  As I have children from all over the world in my class (Romania, Uruguay, and Paraguay) I needed to come up with a family we were all familiar with, with both sons and daughters, so that I could effectively teach the lesson.  I was able to get Simpson's cookies with the face of each family member on one.  I taught a lesson and played a cookie game on the family unit, sitting on the sidewalk in front of the church, crowed under a street lamp!  I am so grateful the lesson (which I later used with the adults) was so effective.  And the best part was when we were done, we got to eat them!   

   Pray that the electric situation is resolved soon, as we have a special service planned in Sunday with a church plant in a neighboring community that will join us for Sunday worship and pot-luck.  If we still don't have electricity, plan B is to try and get a generator.  Pray that this might be possible, and that our neighbors will let us use it without calling the police (again)!

    Thank you for you prayers and support.  God is listening and answering!

                                                                     Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley

Not so Hungry in Hungary!

  We just returned from a six-day trip to Budapest, Hungary, where we were joined by all the European missionaries who have arrived in the past year: Al and Diane Mellinger (Bulgaria), Todd and Deann Miller (Belgium), and Kris Mahnke (Lanzarote, Spain).  The motive was to train and orient us on things like how missions works in Europe, the leadership infrastructure, procedures and protocols, etc., as well as find out how each of us is coming along personally in cultural adjustment and language acquisition.

  It was a challenge to maintain the morning-hours fast our church is doing (two weeks to go!), but once we were able to eat again in the afternoon, we were spoiled by delicious Hungarian dishes such as Paprikash, Goulash, and the world's best hot chocolate!   We really enjoyed our time getting to know each other better, appreciated the chance to explore the beautiful city of Budapest (since in November when we were there for the leadership conference we barely had the chance to leave the hotel). 

  We want to thank Larry and Katie Winckles for hosting the event, and making an extra effort to ensure that we had a great time.  They really went the extra mile!  One of Carrie's favorite parts of the trip was getting to play strategy games in the Winckles' livingroom, as it's one of her favorite activities, and she rarely has a chance to engage in it. (Spaniards, by and large, are not big strategists!)

     Please continue to pray for Michael as he continues to learn Spanish and adapts to life in Spain.  Pray that we are able to make friends outside the church (and later bring them into fellowship!). Pray for our financial support which is trickling in, and we "only" have about $9,000 more to raise.  Praise the Lord!

     Please remember Michael Long (Greece) in your prayers as he underwent surgery a few days ago, and as a result of strong medication, his kidneys aren't working properly and he is on dialysis.

    As always, your prayers are so important to us.  Thank you!

                           Blessings,

                          Carrie (Caty) and Michael

More Reasons to Celebrate

   If there is one thing we've learned during our time in Spain, it's that God is faithful!  We are constantly moved and awed by what He is doing and how He is moving among the people of Madrid.  Our church now officially has an assistant pastor, a Spaniard who has been a Christian for more than 20 years and has a heart for the lost of Spain and everywhere else!  We also named our church's first deacons, and the youth Sunday School class is up and running!  Exciting times!

   Last week we celebrated the church's first official birthday.  Larry Winkles, missionary and European Administrator, joined us from Budapest to help us celebrate.  Events began with a special prayer meeting on Thursday, with record-breaking attendance, including an elderly neighbor we've been working to build relationships with.  On Saturday most members were able to join us at a Chinese restaurant where we rented a room, had a special program, and ate, and ate, and ate!  It was a terrific time for all involved!

    On Sunday we had at least four first-time guests, including the unsaved father of our song-leader.  It's been very difficult for her to live in a home of unbelievers, and she's struggled to be a positive witness for Christ.  It seems that her good example and countless prayers are beginning to pay off, as he is starting to open his heart to the gospel message.

    Another two young ladies who joined us come from Honduras.  Carrie met them a few weeks back while doing an neighborhood evangelism event.  They are evangelical Christians, but had no church to attend.  They were amazed at how warmly they were received (immigrants aren't always treated the best here, even by members of the "Christian" community) and they showed interest in attending regularly.  Another young man from Bolivia has also made a commitment to start attending.  He has a 9 year-old brother we need to pray for and motivate to attend also.

   Please be in prayer this week for the English classes.   A few children have stopped attending as a result of another student's constant outbursts. We have dealt with the situation, and it has improved drastically.  Now that everything is under control, I pray we can coax them back into fellowship with us, because these children were experiencing rubs with the same problem-maker on Sunday mornings as well.

   Also pray for 3 teenage girls who attend English classes and who are showing an increased interest in the gospel.  Pray that the Lord with give Carrie the words to speak, and that we can get them involved with the church soon.

   Lastly, pray for our trip to Budapest for New European Missionary Training.  We leave this Saturday and plan to return on Thursday.  Pray for all who will be in attendance, which include the Mellingers in Bulgaria, the Millers in Belgium, Lynette Sykora in Slovakia, and Kris Mahnke in Lanzarote, Spain.   

  * A quick note on our financial status:  we are still nearly $12,000 underfunded.  If your church hasn't shared their commitment amount with us yet, please let us know so that we can input it into the system. (If you aren't sure, write us a quick email and we'll let you know.) Under the new funding plan, we are responsible to track all of our support dollars, which adds an extra burden on us.  When your church communicates with us without us having to hunt it down, that burden is significantly lightened!  Thank you to all who regularly pray and give.  Your investment is paying off in the lives of many!

One further note: Please pray for Tom from Illinois, a friend and fellow railroad enthusiast of Michael's dad, whose health outlook is not positive.  He could use much prayer in this difficult time.

Blessings,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Seeking the Lord in 2008

   Dear Friends,

    First of all, we are delighted to share the news with you that the children's ministry has grown so much that next Sunday we will be launching a Sunday school class for teens in hopes of starting a formal youth group soon.  This is one more step in the right direction.  In addition, 4 neighborhood children attended for the first time this morning, and it hopefully won't be the last!  We also had a new visitor who showed interest in attending along with her husband and two friends!  Praise the Lord, for He is faithful!

   Tomorrow we will begin a church-wide fast which will last for the next 30 days.  Each person will participate as they are lead, but the minimum requirement is fasting until 2 p.m. each day.  The object is to seek the Lord's direction for the coming year for our church, to grow personally in our faith and understanding of who God is and His purpose for our lives, and for the salvation of many in our community.

   This week please remember our church here in Madrid in your prayers as we seek the Lord in the days and weeks ahead.  We've heard in said, "No pain, no gain."  Sacrifice is inevitable.  Pray that we have the strength and will-power to stay the course these next 30 days, and that in the end many will come to Christ as a result.

    Please also keep in your prayers Edwin, the new teen Sunday school teacher.  This is his first time working with this age group, so please pray that he will be able to connect with each of the teens on a personal level, and that they quickly learn to love and respect him.  Also pray as we seek to find an appropriate curriculum for them which will both engage and challenge them.

    As always, thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Madrid.  We look forward to sharing much good news in the months to come of how God is transforming this community for His glory.

                                                                                        Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley 

Happy Kings' Day

Dear Friends,

Quite a few of you have probably gotten messages from Feedblitz the last month or so indicating when our blog had been updated, but not including the update itself.  We're hopeful that we've finally fixed the problem.

Today is one of Spain's biggest holidays, El Dia de los Reyes, or "Kings' Day."  It comemmorates the arrival of the Magi to visit the baby Jesus, and it is celebrated by the giving of gifts.  Yes, Christmas is celebrated as well, but not nearly as much.  Spanish children might receive one present on Christmas, and the remainder of their "loot" on January 6.

Perhaps it is a consequence of Spain's post-Christian culture that the "Reyes," who were not even described as "kings" in the Bible, garner more attention than the King of Kings they visited.  An interesting development in the Christmas story--the wise men's arrival, which served as an early hint that Jesus the Messiah would be a Savior for all nations--gets stretched, pulled and inflated with the accumulation of tradition into something that gets much more attention in Spain today than Jesus himself.  To the average child in Spain, Jesus is someone the kings visited on their way to delivering presents to everyone else.

We were keeping our expectations low for attendance in church today, as many in the congregation were visiting with family.  So we were a little surprised when we had one of our larger gatherings to date.  Maybe it's because a number of the families attending the church are immigrants from other countries.  Maybe they thought the "Reyes" might make an appearance (they didn't, but the children did receive gifts).  Either way, we praise God that so many turned out for a blessed service.

Please keep us in your prayers this week, including particularly:

--Back to school: Michael returns to Spanish classes tomorrow, and Carrie's English classes for neighborhood children begin anew on Wednesday.

--A boy from our church who is having adjustment problems to a difficult family situation.

--Amy, Carrie's younger sister, a recent graduate from Chiropractic school, who is visiting us for a few weeks and considering where her future practice will take her.

Serving the True King,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley