The Reign in Spain

"Hoppy" Anniversary

Dear Friends,

 

Our first year on the mission field, which we completed a short time ago, was a year of “firsts.”  This year is shaping up to a year of “first anniversaries,” as we remember some of the events from our first year, even as we grow and move on to newer goals and roles.  With some exceptions, these are generally good memories: the first sermon preached in Spanish, the first child to come to Christ through the children’s ministry, etc.  But few first anniversaries will be quite as happy as today’s: a year from the day we adopted Carmen the rabbit.

 

I (Michael) had been looking forward to adopting a pet rabbit for some time, once we got settled on the mission field.  I had a mental image of what the perfect rabbit would be like, but God (as well as Carrie) intervened, and Carmen turned out to be the ideal pet.  She was the runt of the litter of rabbits in the pet store when we went by, and they told us that she and her siblings were dwarf rabbits.  Suffice to say, she didn’t stay runt-y for very long, and she most assuredly is not a dwarf.  She has grown on us in more ways than one!  Check out her pictures through the link below.

http://mikencaty.typepad.com/CarmenOneYear.pdf

Carmen is a big helper as well.  She takes care of the stubs of carrots when we make salads, of course, and she gives me some of my best ideas while I’m writing sermons or doing language study.  (Okay, maybe not, but her quiet companionship is most welcome.)  She also tries out new Spanish phrases and constructions for me on Carrie and others.  It may sound strange to many people, but for an introvert and semi-perfectionist like me, it’s a bit easier to have one’s mistakes corrected through an intermediary, even a four-legged one.  And she has a built-in excuse: she hasn’t spoken Spanish for that long, either.

 

This week, please pray for:

 

--our work with fellow missionaries in the inner-city of Madrid, as we endeavor to reach out and build relationships of trust with the many multicultural families at the park.

 

--Spain's Country Shares Account with FMWM, which is in dire straits (details to follow in our next update).

 

--Michael as he prepares to preach next Sunday.

 

Blessings,

 

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

The Calm After the Storm?!

  Dear Friends,

  Thank you so much for all your prayers that carried us through the summer program, which involved over 40 children from many different nations during 5 intense weeks.  The program came to an end on Sat. Aug. 2 with a closing program including performaces by the children on the recorder, as well as two skits ("Peter Pan" and "The Raising of Lazarus").  On Sunday the Moroccan cast of "Lazarus" returned to perform for the church (although Jesus didn't make it and I had to fill in--as they say, "The show must go on!").  It was amazing to see how the truth of the gospel had penetrated the hearts of these children.  It was reported to me that some of them had been beaten by their religious leaders hours before when they found out they were participating in a Christian play, but even then, all but one showed up for the Sunday morning performance.  What a testimony!

    The 12-year-old girl who played Martha had a true encounter with Jesus during her time with us.  She told me that she knows that her religion is hiding something, and that the truth about Jesus and salvation was the missing piece!  She is currently struggling with whether Jesus is truly the son of God, or just a prophet that was sent to die for us.  Pray for her that the truth will be revealed in her heart!

    Although the summer program is over and our city resembles a ghost-town (August is semi-official vacation month here), we are still busy as ever trying to clean up and organize all the wonderful new resources we've been given (thanks to those who sent things) as well as get our church organized on the whole.  We've been building shelves, upgrading cabinets, and next week we'll need to paint.  All of this in 100+ heat!

   We've also been offered an opportunity to help with a much less formal summer program for children in a park near downtown Madrid where we hope to open a ministries center before long.  We've teamed up with Christian missionaries with another organization to spend time in the parks playing with and teaching kids, conversing with parents, etc., so as to gain a rapport with folks in that neighborhood.  Phase one involves getting to know people and allowing them to get to know us, and phase two involves openly sharing the gospel and engaging in more "religious" activities.

    Please pray for this summer park ministry, that the Holy Spirit would give us the words to speak and that He would use us to expand his kingdom in inner-city Madrid.  Also continue to pray that our local church in Rivas would continue to grow in number and in spiritual maturity. 

                                            Blessings from sun-kissed Spain,

                                         Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley      

The Humble Shoemaker

   Kids say some really strange things in order to insult or belittle one another.  We have a real issue (mostly among the Moroccan children) of insulting one another.  A few weeks ago some of the older boys were making fun of some of the younger ones by callling them "zapatero" (shoemaker).  At first I thought it a strange insult, as Zapatero is the surname of the current president of Spain.  When I (Carrie) taught the little ones to answer back "That's right, I AM the presendent of Spain!" the name-calling quickly came to a halt.

   Yesterday, when talking to some of the kids, I noticed that some of their shoes were literally falling apart.  I knew that they came from poor families, but they were minor repairs that even I could do.  I wondered why no one had fixed them at home.  Then it all made sense...people of their religious background (I have to be careful with my wording--after all, this is the internet)  thought that the soles of the feet were unclean--both literally and spiritually.  It's an insult to show the bottom of your feet in their country, and the most degrading job there is is that of a shoemaker (hence the name-calling).  No one at home fixes thier shoes, not because they aren't physically able, but because they religiously can't, or don't want to.  It was at the moment that I had a difficult desicion to make..."degrade" myself in front of them, risk losing face and respect, or having compassion on them and fixing their shoes.  What would Jesus do? I thought.  I ran for my hot glue gun, and the rest is history!

    As I repaired 5 pairs of shoes, I explained to the children that I wouldn't do this for just anyone, and that they were really special.  On a hot summer day surrounded by stinky feet, it was a true labor of love!  And it didn't take them long to realize that what I was saying is true.  I love them enough to humble myself to become the low-life shoemaker, because not even their parents were willing to go there for them.  I'm pretty certain Jesus would have done the same.

   Please pray for the summer program as we are in the home stretch (3 days to go), and for the closing program in which families will come to see their children perform the songs and skits they've prepared.  Pray that they will not leave the program without a personal encounter with Jesus...some of the Moroccan children have already testified that they believe that I am telling them the truth and that there are some important pieces of the puzzle their religious leaders are leaving out.  Praise the Lord!

     As always, thanks for you constant prayer and support.

                                             Blessings,

                                Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley

Raising the Dead

  When I (Carrie) first suggested to my theatre class that we make "The Raising of Lazarus" our end-of-the-program play, there was intially much grumbling on behalf of the Moroccan children.  They had always assumed that Jesus was the enemy, as he was the leader of the Christians, their mortal enemies in Spain!  I told them that the choice was theirs and it was merely a sugestion, but that I had done the same play with a group in Honduras, and my group won an award.  I had their attention.  I then went on to explain that Jesus is none other than Isa, a very important prophet from their holy scriptures.  They seemed suprised.  And curious.  So they agreed to read the story though before making their decision. 

    As we read, they seemed intrigued.  They were familiar with Mary and Martha from a previous skit that they really enjoyed (when Martha is running around like a nut while Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening), so they were thrilled to see that it was the same family.  As we read the story, they acted anxious to get to the end and see how it was going to turn out.  When Jesus called Lazarus forth from the tomb, one boy asked, "Did this really happen?"  "If it didn't, then it wouldn't be in the Bible, God's very word, now would it?" I replied.  They all somberly shook their heads.

  From that moment on they were hooked.  They could hardly wait for Tuesday to come to write the script.  I made each of them a photocopy of the passage in large font, and we sat down together to write our play.  It had humor, but didn't compromise the scripture in any way.  It was an easy script to write, since the Bible tells the account in amazing detail.  They couldn't wait to start rehearsing!  In fact, once we got started, it was hard to get them to stop!  The opted to rehearse even through game time!  When I told them they could put the play on for the church on Sunday to thank the church for allowing them to participate in the summer program, they were all the more determined to make this the best production ever!

  The summer program is keeping us busy and tiring us out, but it is worth every minute of it!  We currently have 43 kids enrolled, some of which come in the mornings, some in the evenings, and some all the time!  It is an honor and a privelege to cross cultural, lingustic and religous barriers to love on these little ones who are so precious in His sight!  Keep the prayers coming.  One week to go!

    Blessings,

    Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley

Spain Summer Program

   We are gearing up to begin week 3 of the 5-week-long summer program we are running for underpriveledged children in our community.  For this, we have had the help of several church members, teens from the community, and fellow missionaries with a similar burden for the lost of Spain.  All told we have a total of 14 staff members working to teach and entertain close to 40 children from all over the world, including a large group of kids from Morocco.  Working with the children has been both a challenge and a blessing--many of them are "street children" who spend an average of 10 hours a day alone to fend for themselves, inevitably getting themselves in trouble with parents, neighbors, and local autorities.  The rest reside in an improvised shanty town which is an illegal settlement on the outskirts of our community.  Many parents report that this is the first program of its kind their children have been invited to participate in.

   Highlights this week included a science lesson on weather and the water cycle, mini lectures on renewable vs. non-renewable natural resources, fish, and the continent of Africa.  Children listened to stories about Joseph and Moses, made a coat of many colors, learned the 10 comandments, drew their "favorite" plague on Egypt, made a butterfly magnent and a pinata, learned to play a few songs on the flutaphone (recorder), learned and practiced the names for clothes and many verbs in English, had a water balloon battle, played handball and soccer, and much more.  In theatre class they learned the art of improvisation and telling a Bible story through drama, and in art class they learned all about the color wheel and how to make any color they wished using the primary colors.  The week's activities came to an end on Saturday evening when we watched Peter Pan (the movie with actors, not the cartoon) and talked about how God is like the parents who stayed up night after night eager to welcome their lost children home. 

   One of our biggest challenges in this program has been to simply love on the children, escpecially those who misbehave.  It's a challenge not to yell when kids are running amok, or to calm the crowd when they get restless!  There are days when we want nothing more than to take a nap at midday, but with so many activities to prepare, there is no time!  Please pray for those helping with this program that we would have the strength and energy to push through the mid-week doldrums, especially since we will be short 4 staff members who have a basketball camp of their own to put on for the next two weeks.  Pray that there would be peace and harmony among so many nationalities, as the Moroccan children often butt heads with the Spanish kids.  Most importanty though, pray that each child, and 3 unsaved staff members, have a personal encounter with God over the next few weeks.

    Thanks again for your support and constant prayers!

                       Blessings,

           Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley 

  

Got Visas? Si!

Dear Friends,

It has been a crazy few weeks here at the Hamley household.  Shortly after the strike ended that nearly paralyzed the country for a week, Rebecca Davenport arrived to help with the summer program.  We kicked off the summer with a fair for neighborhood children in which kids received tickets and could use them as they saw fit playing games, making crafts, and "buying" snacks.  Praise the Lord that everything went smoothly, and we had nearly 80 children in attendance  (after having distributed 1,600 invitations).  After the games, the children were treated to some magic tricks and an evangelistic message from a clown evangelist who joined us from the Dominican Republic.  Afterwards we allowed chidren to register for the summer program (which begins tomorrow).  There were many Muslim chidren interested in signing up, but they needed to get parental permission...an obstacle that many were not (as of yet) able to overcome.  Please pray for these children, as well as 6 Chinese children whose parents are debating whether to allow them to participate so that they don't have to spend the entire summer in their parents' stores.  We are praying for a full roster, but still have plently of available spots! 

In other news, we arrived back in Spain yesterday, June 28, following almost a week in Portugal, where we had gone to renew our visas.  This was a matter of prayer and concern for us, as in recent months, visas had become more difficult to come by.  Friends who had had theirs renewed yearly for as many as 6 or 8 years were finding the visa office less willing to grant renewals.  So we asked for prayer and went in faith.

When preparing for any important obstacle, we are often reminded of the saying "Work as though it all depends on you; pray as though it all depends on God."  We certainly tried to do both.  Monday found us needing to assemble a largish stack of papers before our interview on Wednesday.  And did we mention that Tuesday was a government holiday?  No one mentioned it to us until Sunday night.

Through patience, persistence, help from Pastor Cida, a Brazilian coworker on Team Mediterranean; and above all God's blessing, we were finally able to gather all that we hoped we would need and then some.  It never hurts to be over-prepared when dealing with visa offices!

We are happy to report that we were granted our visas for another year, so thank you for your prayers on our behalf, and we look forward to continuing the work here in Spain.

On our next visit to Portugal (in September, for regional leaders' conference), we hope to be able to switch over our drivers' licenses, step two in a process that we hope will allow us to avoid going to driving school in Spain (and paying upwards of $3,000 to do it).  Of course, that will mean gathering more documents....

While in Portugal, we were able to visit with our team leaders, Cindi and Eduardo Angelo, and the churches they oversee.  Especially meaningful was visiting the new church in Santa Marta do Pinhal, an immigrant community south of Lisbon.  A year ago, this church had just been rented and was badly in need of renovations; it had not even been cleaned out yet.  Now it's a freshly painted building with electricity, a center of worship for Portuguese- and Creole-speaking immigrants from all over Africa.  It's the kind of beautiful transformation we would love to see in the lives of so many people across the Iberian Peninsula.

Again, thank you for your prayers and support.  We pray that you are blessed this day.

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

The End of the Beginning

Yesterday, June 20, was my last day of language school.  Following 32 weeks of lessons, interrupted here and there for a conference, retreat or holiday, I'm finally finished with this initial stage of life on the mission field.

I would say it's been a productive time.  I had some Spanish before leaving for Spain, but I soon learned that this "some" was actually quite little.  I took a placement test upon arrival, and from the first day of classes I was learning new things.  A lot of new things.  I could probably describe for you the uses of such things as the "pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo," and even use it correctly in some cases.

Besides grammar classes, I also took daily classes the last few weeks in Spanish culture, covering areas from history to artistic movements to the influence of 800 years of Muslim control to geography.  These were usually quite informative and, often, fun.

It's been enjoyable having a variety of different teachers from different areas of Spain, allowing me to catch some of the distinguishing marks of various regional accents, as well as see through different windows into the lives of young Spanish professionals.  From Esther (from Murcia) to Antonio (from Madrid, and the spitting image of "Austin Powers"), they've been an interesting bunch.

But a big reminder of why we're here have been the fellow students I've met, mainly college-age or young adult folks from around Europe.  The degree of secularity across the continent is marked.  I still remember the first day, when Stephanie, a nanny and aspiring actress from France, asked me why I had come to Spain (the usual conversation-starter in language school).  I said I was a missionary, working for a church.  "Do you believe in God?" she asked.

I tried to read her mindset in asking.  It didn't seem to be sarcastic or polemic, and it turned out, it wasn't.  She earnestly wanted to know.  So of course I said yes, leaving out the part about this being something of a prerequisite for being an evangelical missionary.

Many months later, Stephanie's story suggests a lot about where we start with many people here.  Often it is simply a matter of saying, "Yes, I do believe in God, and I believe that He loves each one of us."  It's a great reminder as this beginning phase of ministry draws to an end, and, now more prepared, I move on to whatever God has in mind next.

Thank you for your continued prayers.  I'll do my best to continue learning.

Blessings,

Michael Hamley

Back to Normal...Whatever That Is!

    We are happy to report the the strike that has disrupted our lives for the past week has ended.  When it got to the point of major highways being barricaded and riots breaking out (several truck drivers were setting the trucks on fire of those trying to work, sometimes burning the driver alive), the national police intervened and put a stop to the violence, the protests, and barricades.  Having no other choice than to sit by and starve, or get back to work, most truck drivers decided to return to work.  The once empty store shelves were restocked (to our joy and delight) and things appear to be almost back to normal, save the inflated produce prices to compensate all the money lost during the week of the strike, an estimated $200 million dollars. 

    This week we could really use your prayer for several reasons.  First, we rejoice that our summer helper Rebecca Davenport arrived safely yesterday (with all 4 suitcases full of things for the children), and despite jet-lag, didn't take long to win the hearts of fellow summer program workers.  Her Spanish was also quite good and she does a fine job of understanding and making herself understood!  We are so blessed by her presence and servant's heart.  Please pray for her as she adjusts to a schedule, food, and way of life very different than her own!

   We also rejoice that the church has purchased a photocopier, which we've desperately needed.  We are hoping that we'll be able to save time, hassle, and a whole lot of money (as copies in a store cost 24 cents a page!)

   Please pray for the safe arrival of Flin-Flon, the evangelist clown, who will be arriving from the Dominican Republic on Thursday.  Pray for the fair on Saturday that he will be performing at, that many will hear and receive his message of salvation, adapted to all ears of any age.  Pray that the event will go off smoothly, and that there will be a positive response from the community.

    Lastly, please pray for our trip to Portugal this Sunday and the renewal of our visas.  There is still so much that needs to happen between now and then, and we can't afford to be distracted by worries or apprehensions.

    Thanks again for taking the time to read our updates each week and uphold us in prayer.  We will try our best to keep you updated over the next few weeks, but since we aren't sure if we'll have internet access in Portugal, don't be surprised if our next edition takes a little longer than usual.

     May peace, joy, and love reign in your hearts and homes this week.

                                           Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley 

Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst

      As we have mentioned previously, going on strike seems to be a national pastime lately, and everyone has been on strike from teachers to janitors, doctors to postal workers, bus drivers to police officers.  We would be hard-pressed to give an example of a sector which hasn't gone on strike yet this year, as even prisoners in local jails have gone on hunger strikes!

     Most strikes bring about minor inconviniences...dirty metro stations, having to walk an extra mile to get to where you're going, or missing the evening news.  Although they have been petty and annoying, most were at least somewhat justified, typically only affected one city or province at a time, and neighboring communities tried to pick up the slack (like an ambulance would have to come from 30 miles away becuase the one a few blocks down from your house was on strike).

    We're sad to report that this week we may experience shortages of third-world proportions.  Reportedly every truck driver in the country is striking to protest the rising cost of fuel...something that, as many of you already realize, the Spanish government has little to no control over!  This means that nothing will be delivered country-wide for an indefinite period of time.  By the end of the week they expect supermarket shelves to be bare, and gas shortages are already a problem as everyone rushed out to fill up, and no more gas is being brought in.  Michael waited at the pump for nearly an hour to fill up yesterday at the extortionate price of $7.90 a gallon!  We were at leastly lucky enough to get gas before they ran out, as we have several airport runs to make over the next week or two.  And since they can't operate anyway, many taxis and bus drivers are taking advantage of the situation to "strike" for better wages. 

    The effects of this strike are going to be felt by everyone.  If it goes on for more than a few days, the remaining in the stores will rocket in price, and meat and produce in the warehouses will rot. In addition, many people will soon have no way to get to work, causing them to lose wages and perphaps even their jobs.  Of course, this is a worst-case scenario, but it is possible, and since what they are asking for (lower fuel prices) no one in Spain can do much about, it might go on for a long time. 

    Please pray for the entire country as we brace ourselves for this blow to our daily lives.  We have the neighborhood fair to kick off our summer program scheduled for Sat. June 21, but if the strike isn't over before then, we may have a difficult time getting the supplies we need to make it happen.  Pray for this evangelism event, as well as the country as a whole, so that God's goodness and provision has a way of shining through this difficult situation.

    Thanks again for your constant prayers and support!

                    Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley 

"Fire" on the Island

Dear Friends,

It's good to be back in Madrid after a weekend at the Free Methodist Church in Spain's Men's Retreat in Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands and home to Emanuel Free Methodist Church.  This was a blessed time for the 16 of us between the churches who turned out for filling, fun and fellowship.  Miguel Castillo, a missionary in Madrid originally from Mexico, spoke on the Search for Authentic Masculinity and how we as Christian men can understand God's purposes for creating us as He has.

In addition to the sessions with Miguel, some of the highlights included worshipping at Emanuel FMC on Sunday morning, a few sightseeing trips around the island (including the "Mountains of Fire" at Timanfaya National Park--volcanoes which erupted quite dramatically between 200 and 300 years ago), and a grillout of "Iberian Man Food" (dead animals and fire--what more do you need?).  We also played a soccer match on Sunday afternoon.

The weekend's teachings are quite apt for the church here in Spain and beyond as well.  The importance of having committed Christian men in building up the church here cannot be overstated.  In a country and culture where religion is mainly considered "a thing of the past," having men who are committed to the body of Christ is essential to having Christ's message become incarnate in a vital, thriving church.

So it was the true highlight of the weekend when Urbano, whose daughter is a regular attender/youth worker in our church, and who along with his wife have visited several times over the last few months, gave his life to Christ on Sunday evening.  As a church, we've been praying for this for some time.  It's great to see God's harvest coming to fruition!

Please pray for our church here in Madrid (and that in Lanzarote as well) that the gains of this weekend will continue to bear fruit in the lives of our men and families.  Also, please pray for the meetings taking place this week/weekend concerning reaching out to under-evangelized people groups in our region.

I would add on a personal note that this weekend was something of a "turning the corner" as far as feeling confident about getting along culturally and language-wise here.  Please pray that I would be able to keep growing in this way--I can assure you Satan is out to steal the fruit of this time.  But God is greater!

Thank you, as always, for your prayers and support.

Blessings,

Michael (and Caty) Hamley