Hi friends!
Some of you have been asking me what´s going on here. I just haven´t found the time, until today, to let you all know.
Anyway, I´ve been continuing to get to know the people of the church. In fact, on two occasions I´ve had the opportunity to stay in the homes of some of my new friends for a few days. Talk about hospitality! It´s rather funny. When I was growing up, we had evangelists and ministers stay at my dad´s farm many times. We let them sleep in our travel trailer and made sure that they ate well. My mom was really good at entertaining them. Now I´m the one that´s being shown such gracious hospitality.
Sometimes it´s hard, however, when I want to do more to help and I´m told, ``No. No. Here. No. You relax.´´
I´ve also been starting to build relationships with some of the children that I will be working with. They are a real delight. I can see, too, that they really want to know more about Jesus.
That seems to be true of the teenagers as well. We recently began to have house prayer meetings (adults and young people included). We meet at a different house each night. This is a great way to reach out to those who were previously unable to make it to the Thursday night prayer meeting at the church. In a couple of those prayer meetings I have heard the young people pray with such passion and devotion.
It´s awesome to hear the youth praying in Spirit and in truth. They are so honest and humble in there prayers, and there is a deep hunger for God that is expressed. When I here this it not only warms my heart but makes me think that these young people have so much to offer their local church. They too can be strong witnesses to their community, and this I pray for.
Speaking of reaching out the the community, in all of the prayers there is a deep desire to see the lost souls of Lanzarote enter into a relationship with Christ. Right now there is a great opportunity to do so.
It´s Christmas time and the church is beginning to make preparations for the special service to be held on December 23. The ladies in charge of the program have expressed that EVERYONE is to take part in the service, as well as let the community know about it.
Just as is happening in the U.S., Christmas is continually becoming a time for receiving gifts, more than celebrating the birth of Our Saviour. Please pray that many would come to the service at the church and would discover the ``Christ´´ of Christmas.
There is a car available for me to drive now. It´s 20 years old and has it´s problems, but it runs. It was a free gift donated to the church. Please pray that I would quickly learn to drive it. It´s a stick-shift. It may be a few weeks before all of the paperwork goes through. Hopefully, by then I will be ready for it. Pray as I navigate the narrow streets as well. Driving here is really different.
Also pray as I apply for my temporary residency card. There has been a little discrepancy over my paperwork because it went through Madrid (capital of Spain) and not Las Palmas (capital of the Canary Islands). Pray that all of this will work out quickly and that I will be able to take care of everything here, rather than in Madrid.
I´ve discovered that there is a free Spanish class for immigrents. I haven´t been able to find the exact location of the class. I just know the approximate area and the name of the street. I hope to enroll this week.
Also pray for New Missionary Training taking place in January. Pray for all who will be participating, as well as those who will be leading.
One last thing to share. I mispelled a word in my last post. The local dish that has become my favorite food in Lanzarote is called ``Potaje,´´(pronounced poe-tah'-hey) not Potata. I don´t want to misrepresent anything.
Whooo! So much going on! I hope that I have not overwhelmed you.
Thank you all so much for your prayers!
Blessings,
Kris