Fitting in... Ramadan... Finances... Thoughts on Mother Teresa...

Yeah, I laughed too when I saw this picture! This is a picture of my new room. It’s about fifteen feet long and about—you guessed it—six feet wide. I’m 6’3”… Well, I suppose we all suffer for Jesus in different ways… Actually, I’ve moved the bed around, and I’m now fully able to extend my body. Much like my slumber spot, I’m still trying to fit in to Barcelona, though I’m becoming more comfortable as I’m able to stretch and extend myself past the first few days. I’m beginning to get the lay of the land, feel the ebb and flow of the city, even finding places I like to get coffee (there’s a really great hotel right in the middle of the Plaza de Catalunya, with a very peaceful “terraza”). I’m also forming a schedule, finding places to plug in, and, very important, getting to know people and making friends. It’s great and draining at the same time. I love this job!

Today also marked the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim month of prayer and fasting, in which it was believed Muhammad received the Qur’an. If you would like more information on what’s going on around the Muslim world and how you can pray for Muslims at this time, there is a daily calendar and some resources at http://www.30daysfire.net/pgs/Home.php . I’ll be praying, and I’d invite you all to pray with and for Muslims around the world this month. I was recently given a Ramadan calendar by a Muslim man at a kebab here. I asked him if it would be all right if I fasted too and he said that it was really only for Muslims, and that the people outside of the “house of Islam” shouldn’t participate. Maybe he’s got a point. I thought about the one of the Covenant’s theme verses: “I am a companion/friend to all those who fear you, to all those who keep your precepts” (Psalm 119:61). Maybe, instead of participating in Ramadan, I/we can come along side this man and others in prayer and fasting. I say this, more thinking out loud than a declaration of plans. I’m not trying to announce any plan to fast or that I’m especially holy for the fast and prayer. Just thinking out loud.

Also, many of your received an urgent email about a financial crisis of mine. I want to again thank you all for your emails of support and action to give and help spur on giving. As I explained in my email, I only had $136 in my CWM account, which is different from my account here (which had enough money for September and part of October). I was able to talk to one of my supervisors (the wonderful Lana!) and we were able to get finances straightened out, and mostly, God is good, providing peace in this situation as well as financial resources. BUT, my STM account is STILL LOW, and in need of help. Please continue to give financially, and pray for even more hearts and wallets to be opened to giving as well.

I’d like to leave with this article that was sent to me by my very good friend, Mrs. Megan Kline. It gives a perspective on missions and general and Mother Teresa’s work in particular that I had not considered much before…

Click here for the NY Times article.

I had just met and was talking to a Polish gal here a few days ago. She said that missions to her country had been increasing, and many groups had come to talk and share. I asked if they’d been welcomed, or even wanted. She and Fabio, who was in on the conversation too, both kinda of looked at me like, “Of course”, but then, she said something like, “Well, it was good that they played games and frisbee with the youth, but then, when they tried to talk to people (like a sermon or something) they made too many jokes and motioned too much with their hands. Polish people don’t like that stuff.”

“Oh,” I said...

I know that Mother Teresa helped, cared for, and had an influence in the salvation of many people. But I also wonder if her methods and legacy (and again, missions in general) could not stand to critiqued by a national with whom the mission is working, and, hopefully, serving in the love of Christ.

How’s does that look in Spain? More to come (I think)…

Please, also, pray for my friend G. We are very worried about him. He’s (from what I understand) clinically depressed and we fear he might be in pretty deep this time. He’s avoiding contact with us, and seems under the influence of something when we talk to him over the phone. Pray that God grabs a hold of him and shakes him fiercely, loving him and breaking him, and that G, like the prodigal son, will “come to his senses”. Pray also for us as we seek to minister to people lost, hurt, scarred, and tired of church. Pray that God would make us “shrewd as serpants and innocent as doves.”

Grace and Peace,
Nate

Back in Black… Barcelona: the new Black…

Welp, I’ve arrived here in Barcelona. Yes, I know many of you might be wondering what I’ve been up to since the desert trip. Welp, to start off with, I finished my Arabic class, actually passing with an A! Woohoo! The last couple weeks were really busy with a visit from the Reed family, the seeking and purchase of a djembe, hanging out with new friends, both foreign and domestic, eating great food, and getting sick twice (I think I have a small allergic reaction to sardines… I like to call in “Speed Vomiting”). Past all of that, the experience was life changing. Though Morocco could be classified as “Near Eastern” the culture is very Middle Eastern. It was first time in Africa, first time in an Arabic-speaking country, first time in a country where it was illegal to “proselytize”, first time away from any kind of support network. I was so grateful for the presence of Andy Larson and Ken Satterberg, two guys with the Mosaics Project who accompanied me, as well as meeting and spending time with a NP Seminary student Chris Birkland. Here’s some favorite photos:










(above left): Mosaic Projecters, Chris and me.
(above right): Najib, Si Muhammed, Osama and me.
(below left): other Nate, host Badr, Badr's dad and me.
(below right): Osama giving me the royal treatment.












I also went back to the States for the summer, visited my parents in their new home, hung out with sister, who was fresh back from Papua New Guinea, was able to visit some friends (all very briefly… too brief☹), and also briefly visited some extended family as well as spoke at and shared with several churches about my year and a half in Spain and Morocco, the work the Covenant is doing in Spain and the rest of Europe, and about what I’ll be doing here in Barcelona. All in all, I spent about six weeks State-side, talking to five different churches in three different states, as well as adding about five more states to traveling and seeing some other friends and family. I had such a great time seeing people I love, reconnecting with others and meeting a lot of people for the first time. Again, some photos:










(above left): My family, first time all together in a year and a half!
(above right): Speaking at Faith Community in Houston.
(below left): Good times with the Klines in Times Square.
(below right): Visiting my aunt and cousin in Colorado.









And now, I’m back in Barcelona. I’ve basically hit the ground running. I arrived to meet up with five great friends who are short-term missionaries here in Spain as well. Of course, we had Mexican food. Awesome folks!








We’ve also had a cell group meeting in a local Häagen Dazs, visited a few people here, attended a wedding of some friends and visited with people from several churches. I also got a haircut today! I feel great. Even better though, the barber is Moroccan, from Fes. I was able to converse a little with him in Arabic, talked to him about the city, and laughed a lot. He lives right by my flat, so I will probably be seeing more of him (and, of course, for the monthly cutting of the hair).

So, what am I doing here? Who is this “we” in Barcelona? Well, my main focus is to help plant a church. By no means am I in charge (sigh of relief), but I’m living and working with the guy heading up this church-planting initiative. His name is Fabio, and he’s a businessman from Brazil. He is incredibly gifted in preaching and evangelism and loves people and has an amazing vision of the Kingdom and the Church here in Spain. I’ll be working with him over the next year here to develop the small group we now have into a church plant. This involves a lot of outreach, discipleship, staying in constant contact with people, and over everything prayer.

***Please be praying for our strength, peace, vision, direction, creativity, discernment, sleep, relationships, courage, faith, and anything else you can think of. Oh yeah, and love! Pray that we’d love people, no matter who they are, where they’ve been, that they would know the love of Christ for them through us.

Thank you so much for walking with me in this. Please bug me for updates on this blog. I want it to be useful and informative in how to pray, what’s going on, etc. Seriously, bug me!

Grace and Peace,
Nate