Waffle-y Good News

Our Not-so-Small Group

   Last night we met, as we do each Wednesday, with the Latino group that Richard and Sheila Dickinson began back in May without even knowing how to speak Spanish!  A handful of Latinos they met through language school begged them to teach them more about the Bible, and soon their friends and spouses joined in, too.

      Usually Michael does the teaching, but this week Carrie taught the lesson for the first time.  The topic was “Top Ten Reasons to Become a Christian.”  But the discussion and interaction were so good that we only got through the first three!

    Even though the group met in a home in the next town over from Oostende (where we usually meet), it was still standing room only!  Our “small group” was anything but—22 people in attendance despite the fact that a handful of the regular attendees and spouses were missing.  It was then that we realized that as this group continues to grow, changes are going to need to be made, as not many people have a living room big enough to seat 20-plus people!

    Over the past few months we have seen how this amazing group has begun to really come together, investing in one another’s lives and opening up to share from their hearts, often revealing past hurts and experiences.  Though the last thing we want to do is to separate a group that God is so faithfully bringing together, we recognize that division is a necessary part of growth.  Our cells are constantly dividing so that our bodies can grow.  Small groups or “cell” groups work in the same way.

    Please join us in thanking God for the growth we have seen-- both numerical and spiritual--since we first arrived in December.  Please also join us in praying that God would give us a strategy to divide the group so they can multiply without losing the fellowship and interaction with one another the Latinos so enjoy.  And continue to pray for the Belgian spouses, many of whom are really beginning to show an interest in learning more about the Lord.

   As always, thank you for your continued prayers and support.  And if you plan to give towards our ministry this year and have not already done so, whether it is a church or individual commitment, please don’t forget to communicate it with us soon!

   Blessings,

Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley

One More Day

Dear Friends,

Depending on when you read this, we may already be parents!  We will be going to the hospital at 8 a.m. local time (2 a.m. US Eastern time) on Tuesday to be induced for labor.  We're looking forward to finally meeting our little guy in person!

Please keep us in your prayers!  We appreciate it!

Blessings,
Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Waiting for Baby

Many have e-mailed us to ask if our baby has arrived yet. Much to our chagrin, the answer is no. Although he wasn’t “officially” scheduled to arrive until this Sunday, had we remained in Spain, our doctor had planned to take him out by cesarean a few weeks early. Here, the doctor has chosen to allow nature to run its course, at least for another week or so before intervening. All signs are good so far, so we wait…

Fortunately, we are busy enough that we aren’t sitting around waiting for the first contraction to hit. We have been running around West Flanders buying furniture for the house we’ll move into next Thursday (Jan. 27), trying to get our ID cards, getting registered for enculturation and language classes, and team strategizing as to what we hope to accomplish this year in Belgium, including renting a facility for a ministry center, devising programs to touch the community and bring them to Christ, growing our small groups, etc.

Our greatest joy since we have been here in Belgium is working with the Latino group which meets each Wednesday for a time of prayer and Bible study followed by a midnight buffet! (Okay, so it’s more like 10 p.m., but here, that’s a really late dinner!) We have had good attendance, and each week someone new joins the group. Since there are only 4 Christians in the group, for the past several weeks we’ve been talking about what is means to be born again. We are seeing the Holy Spirit move in the hearts of several people and trust that it won’t be long before they give their hearts to Jesus, too—including a few of the Belgian spouses!

Please continue to pray for the Latino group, that the Spirit would continue to move and that they would grow spiritually and numerically. Pray for us for wisdom and guidance as we teach and lead them, and as we are confronted each week with difficult questions of eternal consequences.

Pray for Carrie’s father as he arrives in Belgium today amidst the East coast snow storms. Remember us in your prayers as we anxiously await the arrival of our son, that he will arrive quickly and safely. Pray also for the move, as Carrie may very likely be in the hospital and may not be able to oversee it.

Lastly, pray that we are “online” soon and are able to get our support shored up for 2011. Since we have not had regular internet access for the past two months, we have not been able to gather commitment information for this year. If you or your church plans to support us this year with your finances, please consider dropping us a line and letting us know how much you anticipate giving during 2011. This would save us a considerable amount of time and energy, as we are required to report those figures to the home office soon!

Thanks so much for your prayers and support, and for seeing us through this exciting but hectic time of transition into a completely new life in Belgium! As soon as our little one arrives, we’ll let you know!

Blessings,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

New Year, New Country, New Baby, New Name?

Dear Friends,

We hope that each of you and your families have experienced a blessed Christmas season and are excited about the prospect of a new year.  We certainly are!  Our Christmas here in Belgium was restful and relaxing, a bit of calm before the storm of joy and excitement of our new baby, and a good chance to recuperate a bit from our recent move.  These last few weeks of pregnancy have been a joy, albeit a tiring one for Carrie!  We are eager to meet our child in person for the first time, hopefully before too long!

The last few weeks have been a time of introduction to the people and ministry of the church here in Belgium, as well as the people and customs and culture of the country.  It’s been interesting, and we look forward to our official “inburgering” classes soon.  (That’s enculturation classes for living in Belgium, not eating a burger, as it might sound.)

Some recent highlights have been the church’s celebrations for Christmas.  We had a special service the Sunday before Christmas with the international church, followed by a Christmas party for all, with great food and fellowship.

We also had a celebration with the Latino group at a member’s new house: they had only moved in the week before.  A week later we led our first Bible study for that group, which went very well, and what followed, as the week before, was a wonderful party with terrific food and togetherness.  We are realizing this is a great group to lead: they are very organized, friendly and invitational.  We came here to bring spiritual leadership in their native language, Spanish.  Please pray that we are able to do this well, as this group represents potentially a big step forward in God’s kingdom: the first evangelical Christian church in the province of West Flanders.

It occurs to us that, seeing as we will be ministering in Belgium for the foreseeable future, it would behoove us to find a new name for our blog.  Much as we liked “the Reign in Spain,” we will have to leave it behind.  We have a few ideas for a new name, but we would like to hear yours, too!  Please respond with a comment on our blog or by sending us an email at mikencaty@hotmail.com.

Also, please pray for the ministry team's cars here.  All four of them are currently experiencing problems.  Last week our scheduled preacher, Jackie, was unable to make it to the service because his van wouldn't start.  Dick and Sheila, Lawrence and ourselves have also had our share of car trouble, which the recent cold hasn't helped one bit.

We pray you have a blessed New Year, and we thank you for your support and prayers throughout this year past, and, we pray, this year to come!  We pray God’s best for all of you!

In Christ,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Carmen's Corner

Carmen’s Corner: A Rabbit’s-Eye View of a Journey across Western Europe

                Mom and Dad and Uncle Marvin had spent a lot of time packing up the van when, suddenly on Friday morning, it was time to pack ME.  Dad put my cage in the back of the car, right behind his seat so I could stay close to him and Mom.  Fortunately, it was a nice, warm day, because it took a while to get the rest of the car packed and the apartment cleaned up.  Mom and Dad handed over the keys to Doña Laura and we were on our way.  Belgium, here we come!

                Although the previous week and a half or so had been cold and blustery, we enjoyed great weather as we made our way northeast across Spain.  I’d seen southwest and southeast Spain before, but this was my first trip northeast.  We passed through five autonomous communities (sort of like states in the US) and nine provinces (sort of like counties, but bigger and less numerous), many of them new to my parents.  A couple of hours after dark, we passed over the Pyrenees at a low spot—there wasn’t even snow!  It was a big relief to not have worry about the road conditions.  (Not that I was worried: I leave that sort of thing to God and my people!)

                An hour up the road or so, we planned to stop for the night at the house of friends of Uncle Marvin.  We had a bit of a tough time finding it: they kept closing roads that would take us there.  Eventually we went up over a hill on some back roads and soon found it.  It was a nice spot: a converted farmhouse with a big yard where they could grow grapes.  It looked like a picture out of a French textbook.  (Not that I read French textbooks, although I hear they’re delicious.)  I got my dinner while my people got theirs: Steve and SueAnn were nice enough to wait till we arrived at nearly 11 p.m. to have their dinner.  We settled in for the night.

                The next morning, after taking some time for rest and fellowship, we got on the road again.  My favorite part early on was a beautiful view of the Pyrenees from the north in the background with a huge flock of birds in the foreground.  Soon we got on the highway system, where we seemed to stop to pay tolls as much as we drove on the roads.  But central France was pretty, although it might be prettier when it’s not December.  That night we stayed at a small hotel along the route, about an hour south of Paris.

                Sunday morning I got to see the Eiffel Tower as we drove past Paris.  I’d have seen it a lot longer if it hadn’t been Sunday morning, because traffic would have been horrendous.  But that’s okay: I mean, it’s a pretty tower and all, but since it’s metal, I can’t chew on it.  Shortly afterward we were greeted with a beautiful rainbow and about ten minutes of drizzling rain.  For three days on the road in winter, ten minutes of rain wasn’t bad at all!

                Soon we crossed the border into Belgium, and shortly after that, we were pulling up in front of our new home—at least for the next six weeks or so.  We were greeted by one of Mom’s friends, who had the house full of baby stuff.  There were also lots of people from the church to help unload the van.  It didn’t take long before we were resting and settling into our new place.

                Now I’m sitting in front of Mom’s pretty coral aquarium.  It looks like they all made it safely.  It’s a cold, rainy day—the kind that makes me glad to have a fur coat.  (It’s all natural, too!)  I’m practicing my new favorite word in Dutch (“wortel,” which means carrot) and staring at Mommy’s great big belly and wondering how much longer till I get to play with my baby brother.

                We had a great trip, and God was so good in taking care of us.  Thanks for all your prayers for us!

Love,

Carmen

Rejoice with Us!

  Dear Friends,

  We just wanted to take a moment to share some exciting news with you-- our Belgian visas came through this morning and we were able to pick them up within hours despite the torrential downpours in Madrid today!  We praise God that the entire visa process took less than 3 weeks, which must be some kind of record, especially for us as we are accustomed to waiting 5-7 months for European visas to be approved.  Just further confirmation that God's hand is guiding us and making our path straight as we begin our transition into ministry in Belgium and parenthood.  We are so excited for the days and weeks ahead!

   Please pray specifically that all of our belongings will fit into the moving van, and for our safety and the safety of Marvin Klein who is currently en route from France with his van to help us move.  Thanks again for your prayers and support!

    Blessings,

   Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

Preparing for the Move Ahead...

   This is the last weekend we will spend in Spain for a while, as we are packing and preparing for our move on Friday Dec. 10.  Throughout this entire process, God has blessed us with peace, health, energy and optimism towards our future ministry in Belgium.  He has even taken care of the logistics of it all—we really couldn’t have it much easier!  The family that is moving into our apartment days after we move out (releasing us from our contract that was supposed to run through the end of Feb.) has also purchased most of the furniture we planned to leave behind.  They are also taking over the utility contracts so that we aren’t penalized there, either!  The only missing pieces are our Belgian visas, which we were supposed to have had by now, but computer system failure has slowed down the process.  The Embassy has told us not to worry and to proceed with the move, so that’s what we are doing!

   Fellow FM missionary Marvin Klein has graciously offered his very large van and services to move our belongings to Belgium as we caravan with him in our car.  Having his van and help will save us nearly $2,000, for which we are extremely grateful!  (Obviously, this move was not planned; therefore, it was not in our 2010 budget!) He will leave France on Tue. and arrive in Madrid on Wed.  Then we will pack up the van on Thur. and begin the three day journey on Fri., arriving at our new destination on Sunday afternoon.   We ask for your prayers as Marvin drives down from France and then as we all drive to Belgium (which means crossing the Pyrenees in winter!)

Please also keep the following in your prayers this week:

• For all of the packing and loose ends we need to tie up here in Spain this week (and with Mon.-Wed. being holidays, this might be a bit of a challenge).  
• That we might be able to have our visas in hand before leaving Spain
• For a smooth move and the safety of those who are helping with the move
• For our baby who will be arriving soon and for Carrie’s health and comfort during the long car ride.
• For our other precious cargo: our bunny and some corals we’ll be taking with us.
• Most importantly: that God would go before us and prepare the soil to receive the seed of the Gospel, which is the motive for our move!

   Thank you so much for making this transition with us to a new and exciting field!  It is much easier to go knowing that we are not alone!

Blessings,

Carrie (Caty) and Michael Hamley

Our "Exchange Student"

  For several weeks now, we have been hosting Miya, daughter of Frank and Jeri Walford, FMC pastors in the Keystone conference.  It’s interesting how this all came about: Four years ago while at a picnic at family camp in Pleasantville, PA, a bright, energetic girl came up to us and shared with us her mission heart.  She was 13 at the time.  She asked if we thought there would ever be a possibility for her to spend some time with us on the field and see what “real missionaries” do.  We told her that she would be welcome and to stay in touch.

    He was are 4 years later, and Miya has blossomed into an amazing young woman with a passion to serve God and reach the lost.  She is also especially interested in the language and culture of Spain.  She will stay for a total of 5 weeks, spending her time taking language classes at the same school Michael did when we first arrived in Spain, as well as learning about the ins and outs of missions and cross-cultural evangelism, and experiencing the two very different FM congregations around Madrid, one working largely with Spaniards, and the other serving the immigrant community.

    Not many people would be eager to take on a 17 year old for this amount of time, but Miya’s presence here has been a huge blessing to us as we are gearing up for a rather large transition and are in need of help as we organize ourselves and prepare.  In return, we help her with her language studies and set up cultural experiences and exchanges for her, as well as teaching her what it means to be a missionary.

    Please pray for Miya, as next week she will be immersed in a Spanish household for a week to round out her cultural exchange experience.  She will be staying with a family from the Rivas church who has a daughter her age.  Though it will be a challenge, we are optimistic that this will be a wonderful experience for all involved.

    Also, pray for Michael who has been sick for the past two weeks and seems to be getting worse instead of better.  While there is never a “good time” to get sick, it certainly isn’t now!

   Thank you for all your constant prayer and support, and we look forward to sharing the details of our transition with you shortly!

    Blessings,

  Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

An Unlikely Friendship

  Three years ago, when we first arrived in Madrid, we told you about Ester and Cristina, the first two friends that Carrie had made in the city while shopping at a local pet store where they worked.  We explained that they were not the type of people that Carrie would normally hang out with, especially Ester: wild punky hairdo, plenty of piercings, skater clothes…but their love of fish united them!

    When we first met, God was the last thing that Ester wanted to talk about.  Though Carrie testified to God’s goodness and provision at each opportunity, she respected Ester’s desire to avoid theological discussion.  So the friendship continued, and we continued to pray for Ester.

   After our absence of nearly a year, Ester was eager to catch up, and we recently had that chance.  Not much had changed in her life (same home, same job, same worries about finances) but something had changed in her attitude--something BIG!   She was ready to talk about God…ready to learn more about Him and why He filled us with such joy.  During the year of our absence she had done some soul-searching and had come to realize that there WAS a God, and that if anyone she knew really knew Him, it was us!  What an honor!

    Over the next few weeks and months, we hope to have more time to sit down and talk to Ester about how much God does in fact love her and how He longs to be reconciled to her.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would move in her life, and that soon, she will be welcomed into the family of faith.  We are trying not to get our hopes up overmuch, but with Jesus in your life, how can you not be hopeful and wish that everyone else discovers that hope!

    Over the next few days we will be attending an Evangelism Conference in Madrid.  Pastors from all over Europe will be gathering for this event.  The main focus will be on street evangelism, and although we are not the soapbox preaching type, we do hope to learn other techniques for connecting with the lost and ushering them into the kingdom.

    Please pray as we look towards the fall programming as a mission that will officially be starting in a few weeks, and as we begin to program our ministries and outreaches from now until the baby is born.

    Thank you again for your love, support, and prayers!

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley

 

Time for a Change

Dear Friends,

It’s the time of year once again where change is in the air.  The calendar turns from August to September, the season giving hints of changing from summer toward fall.  (As if to emphasize this, we had some rain earlier today, a rarity in Madrid in summer.)  Schedules change as well, with children heading back to school (some did this even a few weeks ago).  The parks are emptier now, and the library fuller, with many students here working on their recuperaciones (make-up tests that may or may not allow them to pass on to the next level.  The pools in the area are getting set to shut their doors.  Parents begin to look forward to more structure in their daily lives; children, probably not so much.

    In Spain, summer ends quite rapidly.  Traditionally the month of August is set aside for vacation, and many Spaniards head off to the coasts for several weeks of uninterrupted rest and relaxation.  (We recently got one week, having spent it with Carrie’s Spanish family at their beach house in Alicante.)  But at the end of the month, it’s back to home, back to work, back to school, back to everyday life.  For some, it’s a relief to be back to a routine; for many others, it’s a mild shock precipitating a period of the blues.

    If the one constant is change, we are experiencing it in great measure these days.  “Frijolin” reached 20 weeks on Sunday, so we are halfway to having our first child.  According to the doctors, we are officially out of the “danger zone”—not that we want you to stop praying!  (We have a sonogram scheduled for Monday, when we hope for a definitive word on whether boy or girl.)  With the end of summer, church life often starts gearing up again.  And we look forward to the return of our country leader (fellow FM missionary Josh Fajardo) and the beginning in earnest of setting into motion the work of the Madrid learning and cultural center.  Our day to day jobs will change, as will more than likely some of our church responsibilities—and then becoming parents on top of it.  It’s a bit dizzying, but knowing that God is in charge of it all, we need not worry.

    We pray that as you face your own set of changes in this time, whatever they may be, that God will continue to show you more of His grace and love, and that He will supply all of your needs.  We are thankful that, despite all of what is going on around us, God is in control.  And we are thankful for the many supporters and prayer warriors who have been consistent in their support of our ministry as well.

Blessings,

Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley