June 29th, 2011
These photos show two of the workshops we are teaching at the Badajoz Summer Arts & English Camp this week. Steven has all of his students enthusiastically learning taekwondo forms. This class was the most popularly requested class. In the next picture Esther is helping Raphaela in Shanda’s drawing class. The 53 students are enjoying there workshops and crafts. Today we ended with a water balloon fight. Then we head to the church to spend time with the 23 Steps of Light Choir members. After lunch, we went to the public swimming pool to cool off with them. In the evening tonight, Allie and Shanda shared their stories. This opened up the hearts of the children to share things in their lives, too. We had a meaningful time of sharing, worship and prayer. Tomorrow we will try to send more pictures for you to enjoy. Thanks for your prayers! We are delighted with how things are going!
~Sandy (for the team)
Steven has all of his students enthusiastically learning taekwondo forms. This class was the most popularly requested class.
Esther is helping Raphaela in Shanda's drawing class.
June 28th, 2011
(Sent by Sandy last week)…
On June 27th we will head to our next week of intensive work with children in Badajoz. We will be teaching English classes and offering various art/sport/music classes for children from the public school as well as the Steps of Light Gospel choir in the a.m. In the afternoons and evenings we will work with the youth in the choir. Our a.m. sessions are not permitted to be religious but the rest of the day we will spend helping these kids grow in their faith or exposing them to more about Christ in an environment in which it is permitted. The morning session actually has a waiting list. If any child is a behavior problem they can be dismissed and one from the waiting list will take his/her place. How’s that for a positive response? Paul and Tamara were shocked at how enthusiastically this was received in the community. It will be limited to 50 kids.
Then we will go to Albuquerque the following week (starting July 4th) to implement the LAMP program in that community. So far we have had some good times of study and refreshment. We’re taking a look at Jesus from a less “sanitized” version such as the quiet and demure image that is often portrayed. We are reading a lot of the passages where he rebuked, said no, and did other things that are “problematic” or glossed over when we read the gospels. It’s been stretching for many to rethink how they always viewed Him. He is the Lion!!! And I love Him for it! He is only a Lion because He was so passionate to accomplish His mission for humanity. So we are about done with our less intense week and will gear back up for some good interactions with people outside of the group. I think we are all ready for that change. Although it’s been good, we have a real sense of mission when we are involved in people’s lives. But the rest and regrouping is needed so that we can be more effective. I think we were all pretty exhausted after the LaCala week.
–Sandy for the Team
June 28th, 2011
Here are some photos for you all!
The team waiting in the airport on their way to Spain
Team waiting in airport on their way to Spain
Amy, Kelsey, and Kim on a computer at Manantiales de Vida camp during their first few orientation (Kim is a friend they met at the camp who's from Wisconsin and working there this summer)
Allison, Amy, Alexis, Kelsey, and Kim walking at the Manantiales de Vida camp during the first few orientation days.
Some of the team in a restaurant in La Cala building relationships.
Sandy and Leah journaling in La Cala
Esther, Leah, and Jared in La Cala
Amy giving an American flag to Hermes, a friend they made in La Cala.
A bunch of the team sitting on a curb in Morocco.
The team checking out the ocean!
Sandy by the sea 
Amy and a monkey just chillin by the ocean, no big deal
Lance said: "He slapped me with his little monkey hands when I sat down, I popped his little monkey bubble... he seemed to be pretty Aight with me though, after all was said and done"
Jeff with a snake around his neck!! apparently Moroccans like their exotic animals...
Esther is adorable. Even with snakes around her neck, hehe.
Dan and Brooke in a cave
Stephen, Esther, Jeff and Amy
Stephen with cool cars
What beautiful ladies!!
Again with the beauty...
June 15th, 2011
We are in Tangier, Morocco at the moment. What an amazing fast fifteen days it has been. Our time at Manantiales de Vida was a great way to ease into the culture for many. We had a wonderful time reading “The Power of the Blood Covenant”. What an amazing Father we have! How could it be that He would do it all for us!? There is no fear, there is no work, there is no performance, The living Word and Father through the love and power of the Spirit have done what we never could do. We just live in the reality and proclaim the reality to others. So that is what I left thinking about. Glen and Sue Ashcraft were wonderful hosts. We also met with Ken Oke and Sam H and discussed the beauty of other cultures.
Our week in LaCala was filled with amazingly beautiful and diverse host families while learning Castillano [aka Spain's dialect of Spanish] as well as sharing our English with those who wanted English language partners. Those relationships soon became more than just language connections, they became dear to us and we enjoyed sharing more than just language, we shared our hearts, love and lives. It was hard to leave. The LAMP program proved a wonderful success. It was an exhausting week, with non-stop activity from 8:30 till 2:00 the next morning each day. Every team member had a different experience with the family that had adopted them. The culture exchange party at the end of the week had about 75 in attendance. It was a wonderful time with laughter and tears throughout the evening. We joined the Parque Victoria church on Sunday where Jared and Esther helped with worship and the rest of the team performed a drama.
Sunday we headed for Aljiceras and prepared for our culture and short cycle excersize here in Tanger. Here we are split into two teams. Both teams are doing so well and embracing the Moroccan culture with gusto. Sorry I don’t have more pictures. Currently one of the teams are standing in the entry way so I’ll take a picture of them. In reality they have been more diligent and serious than what it appears.
Tomorrow we head back to Spain and then to Marbella. Check in again then.
Thank you so much for your prayer and support, it means so much to us.
In Christ, dan
Empuje avanzado
Sandy talking to a man in the hotel in Morocco
Kels, Lex, Lance, Jared in the lobby of the hotel in Tangier Morocco. One happy family!
June 12th, 2011
Hello again!
There are some pictures at the bottom of this post!
The overall experience here has been top notch. It has been everything we could have every hoped for and more. The Lamp Program “test-run” has been very successful. We were able to meet with our language helpers for one hour daily at the church. From there everyone was able to go out and find speaking partners in the community. In many cases students went back daily to the same place to speak for several hours with the “new friend” they had made on the street. In some cases, the relationships developed into friendships that involved exchanging emails. We are thrilled that Matt and Rachel could be a part of several relationships in which they will continue the conversations after we leave. We feel that our new connections made were truly divine moments as a result of your prayers. We cannot express our gratitude enough for what you are doing at home to remember us in your prayers. THANK YOU! It is truly a beautiful thing to build relationships with new people so very quickly.
Within the English classes we have thoroughly enjoyed assisting Mike with students enrolled as well as meeting with people who chose to come in off the streets to talk English with us. Tonight we will be hosting a party that will be a cultural exchange. We will prepare American foods: chili, brownies, s’mores, etc. Dan and his new friend Guillermo are preparing the famous Spanish dish, paella. Currently Dan is out shopping for those ingredients with Guillermo. Tomorrow, Sunday, we will attend church again and do our drama that we prepared. Following that we will have an evaluation of the week with Matt and Rachel in their home.
I hope this has brought you up to speed on what has been happening. Please accept our apologies for not getting this up sooner. It has truly been a 24 hour experience for us. We are speaking all day it seems–from the morning in Spanish, to the afternoon in English, and then back to the host families to converse in Spanish all evening. Supper begins at 9 or 10 or even 11 o’clock. It is not unusual to stay up talking until 1 a.m. So you can see that we are mentally on-the-go and are looking forward to some time to process and reconnect with one another since we’ve been mostly out in the various homes. It will be exciting to hear everyone’s stories of what has impacted them. Thanks again for your prayers. We really do need them and long to be lights shining in a dark place. Pray that we will live in love and rest in truth every moment whether busy or not. We are thinking of you, too, and hope that your days are blessed as well!
Sandy (For the Team)
English Class
English Class
English Class
Spanish Conversation Partners
Spanish Conversation Partners
Spanish Conversation Partners
Leah & Esther @ their Host Home
Learning the Flamenco - Go Lance!
The team with their server at a restaurant where they ate everyday to establish a relationship with the people there.
June 12th, 2011
Hello friends,
We can hardly believe that it has almost been 2 weeks since we said goodbye. We have been very busy! The first several days were filled with some great times of learning together at the camp, Manantiales de Vida. There we engaged in some lengthy discussions about what God has accomplished for us in Christ. Our team loves to talk about real stuff! We received a tour of the Malaga Media Center. The students were very intrigued and asked a lot of probing questions. Sandy and Brooke arrived on Friday and joined the team there in Malaga. Back at the camp the team enjoyed mingling with the Granada church which was at the camp for a wedding, baptism, fellowship, and worship. It was beautiful to see Spaniards so passionately enjoying one another in the peaceful and uplifting environment of the camp. Our team met some lovely people and enjoyed the conversations and interactions. Since the camp was so full, the men on our team slept in individual tents on Glen and Sue’s patio. The girls lived in a little trailer up the road with Kim, a girl from Wisconsin, who is the summer help for the camp. She fit right in with the team and was encouraged by their presence. We also watched ‘Tangled’ on the Big Screen (a sheet) on Glen and Sue’s patio.
On Sunday, we headed for the market to experience speaking more in Spanish. After an hour there, we headed to church in Rincon de la Victoria to meet Matt and Rachel. They warmly provided lunch for us that day in their home and informed us of all the details of our “new families” and exactly what we’d be doing. We then began the process of dropping the students off at their individual homes. The homes range from being tucked above a family-run artesian shop (Amy and Kelsey’s), to being up on the highest vista of the ocean (Leah and Esther), and everything in between. Alexis, Jared, and Jeff were placed individually in homes on their own since they knew a bit more Spanish. The other students were paired up. Unfortunately Allison and Kelsey battled the digestive issues that often accompany traveling. We are so thankful to report that they are feeling better now. It did prevent them from doing what they so desperately desired to do here, but God gave them the strength to be brave even in difficult circumstances.
More to come in a future post and we’ll send some pictures!
Sandy (for the Team)