The Reign in Spain

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

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Dear Friends,

Greetings!  We hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and are experiencing the beginnings of a Happy New Year.  For those of you who speak Spanish, in our title we are wishing you a happy new year, rather than a happy new donkey.  Typepad doesn't seem to have the Spanish letter enye, the "n" with the tilde over it.

We apologize for the continuing technical difficulties we've been having with the Feedblitz email updates.  We're hoping to resolve them soon, at which point we'll get back to our regular "approximately weekly or whenever brilliant inspiration strikes us" blogging schedule.

It's been a busy Christmas season for us.  On December 22, we and twenty others from our church passed out food and care kits to the homeless of Madrid.  However, because it was raining that day (rare in Spain, albeit more common in winter), a lot of our regular contacts were out of their usual spots, so we are hoping to make a return trip shortly.

The following day, Michael preached his first sermon in Spanish, and Carrie led the children of the church in a Christmas program.  Both went quite well, even better than expected.  Afterward we made our way southeast to Alcoy to visit with Carrie's "adopted" Spanish family for a few days.  It was Michael's first Spanish Christmas, and a good one.  Although we miss our families in the States, we enjoyed our time in Alcoy.

We returned to Madrid in time to celebrate the passing of the year with a prayer service and New Year's Eve party with Josue and Susy Fajardo, our team leaders here, complete with the eating of the 12 grapes at midnight.  (It's a Spanish tradition for good luck in the 12 months of the New Year.)  And on January 2, we welcomed Carrie's sister Amy for a two-week visit.  Amy just graduated with her doctorate in Chiropractic and is looking at the possibility of practicing in Spain.

Please keep us in your prayers, and we hope to write again soon.

Blessings,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Our Blog is Back in Business!

Dear Friends,

Due to some recent updates we made to our blog, our last few entries probably did not make it to your inbox.  We think we've rectified the problem now.  (If you get this message as an email update, then we have!)

If you'd like to check out our last few entries, take a look at the links under "More Recent Articles" below.  We particularly recommend "Cesar the Cat Man" as a testimony of God's goodness and mercy.  Also, if you are a prayer partner and/or financial supporter, you should be receiving our December newsletter shortly, if you haven't already.

Thank you for your continued prayers, and we wish you all of God's best in the Christmas season!

In Christ,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Dear Friends,

Due to some recent updates we made to our blog, our last few entries probably did not make it to your inbox.  We think we've rectified the problem now.  (If you get this message as an email update, then we have!)

If you'd like to check out our last few entries, take a look at the links under "More Recent Articles" below.  We particularly recommend "Cesar the Cat Man" as a testimony of God's goodness and mercy.  Also, if you are a prayer partner and/or financial supporter, you should be receiving our December newsletter shortly, if you haven't already.

Thank you for your continued prayers, and we wish you all of God's best in the Christmas season!

In Christ,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Christmas Chaos is Upon Us!

   Christmas has traditionally been my (Carrie's) favorite time of year in Spain.  The fact that merchandise does not appear in stores until well into November, and no one would dream of playing a Christmas carol until Nov. 25 has always made the season shorter, and much sweeter.  Most Spanish children typically only used to receive a small handful of presents.  Unfortunately commercialism is beginning to take over Spain, as well.  And just like in the US, our December calendar is filled with appointments and events, mostly pertaining to this blessed holiday.

Now that we have a formal children's program at church, I was encouraged to put together a Christmas program incorporating both the English class students and Sunday School regulars.  We've chosen to do short play in which strangers on a broken-down bus learn about the true meaning of Christmas.  This is the first time that most of the kids have ever been in a play, so we need to rehearse twice as often.  The fact that I am trying to work around eleven different schedules hasn't helped at all, either!  Then there's dress rehearsal, and a children's Christmas party I'm planning (single-handedly) for the same day.  All very important, but events that require large amounts of time and energy, above and beyond the daily routine.  I'm sure many of you are going though the same this month! 

   We tell you all this, in order that you could pray for us during this time of year, that God would give us the strength and energy to keep up, and the morale to face the holidays alone this year.  We had originally planned to spend King's Day (the big, important Christmas event here in Spain, which takes place on Jan. 6) with Carrie's Spanish family, but because it falls on a Sunday this year, we can't go because we need to be at the church to "set an example," even if no one else shows up!  We are still struggling with the idea of being "alone" on this special day, as often Carrie would fly in all the way from the States to be with them for this celebration (though Michael has never been), and now that only a few hours' drive separates us, we can't go.

  Please also pray for the outreach we have planned for the homeless.  The Saturday before Christmas our church plans to serve hot meals in one of the main plazas to the homeless and give them toiletry kits along with a towel, socks and underwear for Christmas.  The success of this event depends on the generosity of those in our church to fund the project, so pray we'll have enough to make at least 40 of these kits, and that they would be a blessing to those who receive them.

   As always, thanks again for your prayers and support which enable us to be here.  We are truly blessed to have such a strong support base, of which we count you a vital part.

                                                                         In Christ,

                                                                        Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley

Cesar the Cat Man

  About six weeks ago, we asked you all to pray for a handful of homeless men, one of them being Cesar.  What we didn't explain is that we know Cesar as "the cat man" because despite of his own needs, he puts the needs of his cats first.  Whenever he sees an abandoned cat or kitten, he takes it in as his own, cares for it, and even uses the money he receives from begging to take a sick cat to the vet. He says that they are as precious to him as children, and if caring for them means having to sleep on the streets, then it's worth it! The way he cares for the "lost" kitties of downtown Madrid reminds me of how Jesus cares for his lost sheep!

    Our prayer for Cesar is that he would come to know Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior, and that he would find a way to get off the streets.  Well, God answered the second request in a VERY unusual way.  One day while we were ministering to the street people, one of our guys was sitting with Cesar while he had some hot soup and a sandwich, just talking.  Cesar had recently found a beautiful little Persian Angora kitten, which was his pride and joy.  He had just administered some hairball medicine, when a wealthy woman coming out of Spain's most exclusive department store, thought the kitten was sick and had pity on it.  She told Cesar that if he wanted, she'd take the kitten off of his hands for him and make sure it got the medical attention it needs.  He explained that the white foam around it's mouth was hairball medicine, and that nothing was wrong with HIS cat.  The woman paused for a second, and then asked him how much he wanted for it.  Saying anything to get her to go away, he answered, "1,500 Euros, in cash." (This is about $2,250 US)  She said for him to wait for her to go to the ATM, and came back with the cash in hand.  We were shocked, but overjoyed to learn that Cesar now had enough money to spend the ENTIRE WINTER off the streets, and in a cozy rented room until spring.  Praise the Lord!  And now that he has a place to bathe, and an address, his odds of finding employment have gone up astronomically, meaning that he may never need to return to the streets again!  Though we miss our weekly interactions with Cesar, we rejoice that God has a plan for his life, and he is able to use even a "stray cat" to provide for his lost sheep! 

   We also wanted to give a quick update on Juan Carlos, another homeless man we requested prayer for.  He agreed last month to seek help for his alcohol addiction, and he is being cared for in the Christian rehabilitation center, Remar.  We accompanied him about four weeks ago, and the reports we have received have been very positive.  We are very hopeful that his life will be transformed, not only by the help he is receiving, but by the power of the Holy Spirit which men in that center are encouraged to seek.  Juan Carlos professes faith in the Lord, so our prayer is that he would really understand his Father's love for him during his time in Remar.

    Thank you for your continued prayers as we work to be your ambassadors for Christ in Spain!

                                                                                                   Blessings,

                                                                                             Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley

Giving Thanks

Dear Friends,

It's that time of year that, even more than most, we pause to give thanks to God.  A few of the many things we're thankful for this year:

--For the glorious gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

--For a safe move across the Atlantic and arrival on the mission field, and especially that God aligned events such that we were able to settle in Spain to minister, as we'd originally hoped and requested.  When we first arrived, we thought we'd be going to Portugal for a year or two, then to Italy.  God is full of pleasant surprises!

--For our fellow missionaries in Spain, Josh and Susy Fajardo, their daughters Gabriela and Isabella, and the churches and people here.

--For the recent Church Leaders Conference by the Free Methodist Church in Europe, held in Budapest, Hungary.  It was a great time of fellowship, worship and teaching.  We were finally able to put some personalities with the faces and names we knew from prayer cards and missions magazines, and were challenged by excellent preaching on the Kingdom of God by Doug Newton, pastor of the Greenville, Illinois FMC, and the editor of Light and Life Magazine.  Also, for each of our church leaders from Spain who were able to attend.

--That in the past month, three people have given their lives to Christ, and eight new members were welcomed into fellowship at our church here in Madrid.

--For the safe arrival of Kris Mahnke, VISA missionary to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands of Spain.

--For our pet fish, Pequi the dwarf hamster and Carmen the rabbit, who have helped to make our apartment here a home.  (For those awaiting Carmen's Carrots, her blog for kids, it will be out soon, as soon as she finishes her typing lessons.)

--For the birth of Joshua, our nephew in Pennsylvania, and the news that two close friends from Kentucky are expecting babies.

--For the growth in our church's children's ministry, both in numbers and spiritual depth.

--For Thanksgiving Day itself, one of our favorite holidays in the U.S.  ("Black Friday," not so much!)

--For our families back home.  We miss you and love you.

--For each person, family and church that has supported us through their prayers and/or giving.  We say it often because it's true: We couldn't be here without you.

With blessings to all,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley