Coffee for Spain!
We did a little campaign at the beginning of the month to let our partners know we could reach full support quickly. In a matter of minutes, God increased our monthly support by over a percentage when 7 of our partners increased their monthly support by $5 to $10. I couldn't keep the graphic I created updated as the emails came in. What a blessing! Please keep praying for our monthly support requirements. If every partner increased by $5, we'd reach our goal immediately. Our Outfit & Passage has grown a lot since we came to language school and we will not have much to raise for that when we graduate. We praise the Lord for His provision!
We've started second semester of language school. Our classes this semester include Advanced Phonetics: Public Speaking, Advanced Grammar, Advanced Conversation, and Grammar Lab. We are using a new program, VISTAS, which we are really enjoying. It is more modern, relevant, and includes some information about Spain and the Spanish they speak there. There have been some tech difficulties but the resources available to us this semester are worth it. It's much easier to practice vocab, do homework, and brush up on skills with this technology. We also have Latin American Culture, which is now taught mostly in Spanish and includes info about Spain, Spiritual Life, and chapel two times a week. The Bible College is incorporating more English for the Bible students, many of whom do practical ministry in English speaking places, so we get one message a week in English, which is refreshing.
At church, Chris has led a service and PREACHED A SERMON! Yesterday, he gave his first sermon in Spanish. He wrote a message in English, fed it through Google translator, and worked with two tutors to make it right. Then he read it out loud to them and worked on pronunciation and fluidity. Finally, he read in it church yesterday. It wasn't perfect, but it was a clear message and Pastor Tito said that he could tell it was a message very personal to us. Chris spoke on obedience from Exodus 4:1-12. For those of you who have met with us to learn about partnering with us in ministry, you know that Exodus 4:12 is an important verse in the story of our calling to missions.
It is a joy to have this first step, baby though it may have been, completed. We feel that God has confirmed for us once again that we are in the right place, doing the right thing, even though it is hard. For Chris, it often feels like he will never learn Spanish well enough. But yesterday bolstered his confidence that it may come yet.