Ramadan, Masters, and “The Future” (Ooooooooo…)

Here's a new video I put together for the work the Covenant is doing in Spain. Check it out:



Time to update. Too much time always passes, and passes too quickly between posts. Working on it☺…

The month of September I spent like never before: participating in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Basic rules are no eating or drinking anything (including water) while the sun’s up, no smoking and no sex even after the sun goes down. Ramadan’s interesting, because every night is like a big party, people always getting together to break the day’s fast, talk about their experiences, and everything. It was pretty awesome to see and be a part of some days.

It also, literally, blew the door wide open to talk to soooo many people, Muslims, Christians, atheists, agnostics, whomever. I had many, many good conversations with some Muslim friends, about fasting, Christian/Muslim spiritual disciplines, purity, and of course, the Qur’an and the Bible.

For example, we had one guy come to an international dinner who is a Muslim from Senegal. I introduced myself and told him I’d heard he was doing Ramadan. After I explained that I too was participating, we spent nearly an hour in my room, discussing the Qur’an and the Bible. He was surprised that I, a Christian had even bothered to read the Qur’an, and that I, a Christian, would be doing Ramadan, and that I, a Christian, have a concept of purity, and that I, a Christian, etc… It was a good conversation, and I hope that there will be more opportunity to talk with him, as he lives outside of town.

Pray for me as I go to an Islamic Center to talk to the folks there, and that I would especially find a person of peace, who is open to studying the Holy Books with me.

I have also started a masters program here in “Citizenship and Human Rights: Ethics and Politics”. I’m VERY excited to be back in school, and nervous and excited about what I’m studying, which, really, I’ve never studies before. My classes are very challenging, and very interesting. Two in particular, are “Crisis of Rights and Civil Disobedience” and “Institutes of Political Participation”. Both have a lot to do with America and the West’s “behavior” over the past 8 years (basically since Bush was elected and 9/11 happened). Being the only American, I’ve been asked several times to share my opinions and understanding about certain realities and actions that America takes, either on the local or national level, by both private and public parties.

Pray for me as I try to be a light in my school, and learn how to afftect a greater change here in Spain in the public sector. Very interesting times we’re living in.

Lastly, I wanted to share where we are as a church, or “the future”. We’re not sure what’s going on, but we know that we’ve been pretty stagnant over the last three months. We’ve only had about eight or ten regulars coming for the past three months, so we are in a process of evaluation. We have decided to possibly stop having Sunday morning meetings, and continue with Friday nights, Monday prayer, and Tuesday Alpha group. We are not sure what’s going to happen, but we have seen some signs of life since we shared this possibility with the group. Many have reacted by taking a bit of initiative in saying “How can I help so that we can continue as a church?” I’ve been surprised, and, frankly, encouraged by the few responses like this. Fabio and me won’t be here forever, and I think the folks here are starting to, or will start, to take ownership of the church. It’s not about us. It’s about them.

Pray for our wisdom and discernment in figuring out what we need to be and what the people here need to be as a church.

Thanks. I’ll write more soon. Gotta get to French classes.

Grace and Peace,
Nate