Two-thousand
and nine has probably been one of the most challenging years for
the Hearn family, but we can absolutely say it's been the best.It is a liberating thing, to be in the center
of God's will. Rebecca and I often lie
in bed at night and review how busy and draining our days have been. Then we tell each other how we wouldn't
change it for the world.
A year ago, we were in the process of selling
about three-quarters of everything we owned, and stuffing the rest into a
container for the trip over the Atlantic. We had no idea where we would be living in a months' time, hardly knew
any Spanish, didn't have enough financial support raised to live from, and had
one person signed up for the school--but knew that what we were about to
pioneer was our calling and passion. We
also knew it was going to be an amazing test for our family. We had no idea.
Jump
ahead 11 months: We live in a beautiful
Spanish village, have friends in the community, know Spanish enough to talk to
the locals on the street (but still need to learn more!), our kids are in
Spanish school and flourishing, and we have had 8 graduates and admitted over
20 interns for the Winter 2010 term!
I am directing the G42 Leadership Academy (www.g42leadershipacademy.org)
here in Mijas, in the very southern tip of Spain. I split my time teaching, leading, and doing
the back office work for the Academy. Just recently for example, I led a team of interns to Barcelona to do some work for
an inner-city ministry called "El Lokal." They have a great concept of "church"-they are a youth
center/school/church that is reaching out to the youth of this city. El Lokal is just one of the examples of
ministries we are networking with to provide opportunities for our trainees to
serve, learn, and lead.
Rebecca is thriving. She has started teaching English to
neighborhood kids, so besides earning a little bit of money for Christmas, it allows
her to befriend parents in the neighborhood. She also has really developed her passion for encouragement and is a
huge blessing the families of this town. She is also spending time with the girl interns: their meetings are a
mix of discussing "What is God saying to you?" plus knitting, chatting, and
shedding a few tears watching "Little Women." She loves it.
The kids are also doing great-the girls are
in the top of their classes in the local Spanish school, really enjoy school
and have a lot of friends. Both of them are well
on their way to being fluent, and correct us all the time. Gabriella is
quite appalled at our accent! They bring a very different atmosphere
to the center, and they love being with the interns and bring a lot of
excitement. Benjamin
is-finally!-beginning to talk and is always bringing joy to us and the staff
and interns at the Leadership Academy.
We can't thank you
enough for your support and encouragement this past year.Your help with our vision to train and disciple
leaders has enabled us to pioneer something we believe is earth-changing. We are developing adults who have strong
passions and callings into leaders who are ready to "Say Amen and Make a Plan"
and then go to some rough places to establish churches, ministries, and
businesses to have a positive impact on the world. Already our graduates have started a home
church, are leading and discipling teams of young adults (and replicating
themselves!) on world-wide missions trips, and are building a ministry to
prostitutes in the Costa del Sol. We are expecting some exciting new ventures this
next year from our current interns, not only in church planting and ministries,
but practical businesses like a honey farm, a bed and breakfast, and a church-café.
Spend a few days here and you can't help but get excited about the
future. We are just grateful to be a part.
We are
excited to see what 2010 will bring! Thank you for your support and please keep in touch,
Dave, Rebecca, Emma, Gabriella, and Benjamin Hearn
I know... finally a new blog. And in fact, this one is from
Emma. Trust me, she wrote the entire thing herself and even asked me
the interview questions at the end. I will be in touch soon... Until
then, here's Emma! //Dave
Spain!G42!
Hey Americans! This is Emma the daughter of David Hearn. Spain is
beautiful, Its looks old but beautiful old. There is so small
sidewalks,(They look cool but if there's a fat lady there when your
trying to go past, You have GOT to go on the road) and Its A little
bit hard when there's a car and your trying to walk on the sidewalk.
Anyway, I'ts old fashioned and its beautiful. I'm a good singer so when
you're here if your lucky, Ill make a song for you. And I own a candy
shop at the place for students like.......... Lolipops for 10 cents and
candy bars for 50 cents, Sodas for 50 cents, Resses cups for 10 cents,
packs of gum for 50 cents, Etc,etc sometimes we have a party like 1
time we had a surprise party for 2! One person thought It was a
surprise for the other person and that person thought It was a surprise
for That person. So It was a surprise for both of them! And of the
starting of the class we have a special dinner and for the graduation
we have a special dinner. The students take turns cooking, and
cleaning, For a whole week. Oh and I have a massage and spa thing I do.
Its awesome here Its like boarding school but better It has dorms and
you stay all day and all night. Some nights we have game night where we
play games. I have 1 sister and 1 brother ( I think you will think my
brother is cute) And sometimes we have movie nights where we watch
movies. There is all kinds of events! And we have a library where you
can get books and keep them for as long as you want (but you have to
return them before you leave) (By the way your house is like a
beautiful princess house I am so jealous of it) And you do bible
classes of course. And we are also looking for a few more students. And
you have a grocery store so close to you Its like a 10 sec drive. And
you can get tattoos (My sister does that). There is a beach here and a
wonderful view some days you can see Africa from the view. And you can
have a trip around the town on a donkey for 10 euros Have a trip around
the town on a cart that the donkey pulls for 15 euros Or a longer trip
around the town on a bigger cart that's been pulled by a horse for 20
euros. Hope you like it, Oh I'm not done. Well, My house is close to
yours its like a 40 sec drive. This is my interview with Dave...............
What is g42?
G42 is a network of people, Who want to plant churches and ministries
who want to spread the kingdom of god around the world. And develop
leaders passionate leaders to spread the message.
What are we doing?
Of course we are doing G42 academy, but also we are growing our networks with ministries of our graduates.
What is coming up on G42?
Our next term starts October sixth. We are also accepting applications for our January term.
How many students are their going to be on October 6th?
On October 6th we have 6 students. But we're hoping for more.
So we have had a busy few months with some
ups and downs, pretty much the life of any family!
Ben seriously burnt his feet, but now four
weeks later, he can do everything he did before, but he will not go without
socks and shoes, the new skin is still very tender and crumbs and debris on
the floor seem to hurt. But he is wonderful and brings joy wherever he
goes.
Em has been going through a rough patch. For
some reason whenever she would wear trousers or shorts she would just be so
uncomfortable to the point of sheer frustration. Her toes touching would
be so uncomfortable, that she would be in tears asking us why God was doing
this and not helping. It is such an oddity to Dave and I, so we have been
praying and really just asking God for wisdom. We have also had to
change our parenting, it's sort of humbling when you have to re-evaluate because
what you are doing is not working. But we have seen that in Emma, that
her drive to be perfect' and to please was too overwhelming, she would feel
guilty to the point of condemnation and feel worthless. This is no way to
live. So we have talked with her about the truth of who God says
she is, the truth that we all mess up daily but we walk in forgiveness and that
God see's us as perfect through Christ. I think she is getting it, and I
have seen a big difference the past few weeks. I think the toe' thing
bought all this to light. Better a month or so of oddities, than a life
of never feeling good enough. She is amazing, she is beyond smart and
constantly writes songs, poems, and has a new business venture weekly. We
have stamped on Satan and his lies and she is starting to realize the truth of
who she is.
Gabriella is still our artistic one, the
irony being that she has become the "easy child!"....she never stops asking
questions, and cannot be fobbed off with nonsense. She is still my right
hand when it comes to Ben. She bought her first chapter book this
week and read it....so it was a big proud moment for her.
The school is doing really well. We
have nine interns this semester, five of them graduate in a month, and so have
had to "make a plan and say "amen" ... our married couple are going to go and
plant a church in Georgia, one is starting a college campus community, another
is going to start a ministry to teenage girls and show real relationships and
godly lifestyles. We have others going to teach in Eastern Europe with a desire
to bring life and light to the atrocity of genocide,......This is a group that will
enact change and refuse to let the status quo take control. The momentum
is growing and we continue to be amazed at the caliber of young adults wanting
to come to the leadership academy.
The visiting teachers, Ted Hanson, John
Marsden, and Hermann Haan....have made the interns heads spin and
spirits soar. It is fantastic, anointed, academic, it is about
seeing the offices of "pastor" "teacher" "prophet".....it is about letting them
see it all and watching as a switch in them is turned on.
We have had a few visitors too, who seem not
to notice the plumbing issues ( still can't flush toilet paper!) etc etc, but
they see church', they see a bunch of people, just having fun and living life
to the full and living to encourage each other and to worship God.
If you want to visist you are more than
welcome!
ut back to my title...it's the little
things..... We walk to to the town square on a regular basis, and there
always seem to be boys about Bens age on cool
scooter/motorbikes. Ben just points and looks longingly. It is so
heart-wrenching. The scooters in the stores are about $60 and up....so we
decided to go to the flea market and before we left I ask the Lord for the
exact same scooter Ben sees in the square...........(see below!)
So after years of being told that "God
cares" I am finally beginning to believe that He truly does...He cares
about the big and the small. I am finally believing that He does want us
to be blessed and happy.....( That is my next blog...."destiny, happiness, and
guilt"). Whether it's healing feet, touching body parts or finding plastic
toys, God is a big God who desires to show love in so many ways.
So that is to catch you all up a bit, and
hopefully you are getting the blogs we post on facebook, and our adventures in
missions page. If not let us know. Thanks for everything!
LIFE IS GREAT :o)
It seemed just as Ben's feet were healing, we were hit with yet another spritual battle.
Emma has developed a bit of a frustration with her feet and
clothing. Pants and shorts are a big no-no. Even underwear is a
struggle some days. Bathing suit bottoms, for some reason, are too
tight and restrictive, so we've gone to the pool in underwear. A then
there's her feet. She doesn't want her toes "touching", and goes to
great length to keep them separated. This means that most shoes won't
work. Another interesting thing is that this frustration will go
unnoticed one day, but the next, causes temper tantrums and tears.
Emma....!
Now, remember, Emma is our super-smart one, but also
super-sensitive. She is generous and thoughtful, and routinely gives
her allowance to others, tithes, but yet can also save for the future.
She is business minded, and daily thinks of a new business or idea.
She is creative, writes short stories and songs almost every daythe
girl is truly amazing and blessed with smarts and beauty.
That's why it is so hard for us when some days she is completely not
herself, shouting "I hate my feet!", "Why would God make my feet
icky!?!?", etc...
On one hand, maybe this is normal. She is growing, (only 7 years
old but still growing fast), she's gone through wierd phases before,
and we know this will pass. And when we read reports of
"hyper-sensitive" kids on the net, Rebecca and I wonder what kids in
the 1860's did, or orphans who have little to eatdid they worry about
how their feet felt, or how their pants frustrated them?
But on the other hand, when we hear her crying about how she is mad
at God for her feet and see how much her demeanor changes, we realize
that this could be another spiritual attack on the fabric' of our
family. We've prayed for her, had the students and other teachers pray
for her, replacing her shouts of frustration with shouts of blessing
and health. It just seems we've been under constant attack &
stress since we've been here in Spain, in one way or another. (BUT
we've had times of feeling we're at our best, and we're right where God
wants us toowe know that what we are doing has eternal signifigance!)
Please, keep us in your thoughts and prayers...don't get me wrong, I'm
not trying to over-spiritualize everything or make you think that our
family is falling apart. Overall, we are doing well, and using all of
these things to grow as a family ( like explaining to Emma how every
body part is important, and each has it's own job, just like Christians
in the "body" of Christ)
Sorry I haven't blogged in a month!... I've finally been able
to have some time in the office. You can check out the latest blogs
from the interns at the Leadership Academy at http://blog.g42globlal.org . Today, I just want to share with you some of the battles we've been going through.
I'm sure you've heard by now, but good ol' Ben hurt himself a couple
of weeks ago. He stepped on a metal plate in the back yard that had
been in direct sunlight all day. It was as hot as a frying pan and
gave him severe 2nd degree burns on the soles of both feet. We got him
to the hospital immediatelywhich began a week-long saga where Rebecca
and Ben were stuck in a dark, dingy hospital room, didn't completely
understand the nurses, and Ben had to go through daily (excruciating)
treatment for his burns. Meanwhile, I was home with the girls and
tried to juggle housework and kids. [sidenote: Bec, I don't know how you do it! Again, I love you and think you are a superhero.]
Hamming it up from his hospital cage--I mean, crib.
Yes, this is where Rebecca slept, and yes, they are SHARING a blanket.
It was an intense time... we contacted as many people as we could to
pray for Ben, especially when the doctors thought they might have to do
a skin graft. We were scaredBen was in intense pain, and basically
trapped in this hospital for an indeterminate amount of time. We
turned to YOU, to our friends and family, who encouraged us
tremendously and prayed for us, no matter where you were in the world.
And we believe we got a little miracle...
Their home away from home
Ben didn't need a skin graft. After the first scare was over and
some pain medication kicked in, he was back to his own happy self,
smiling and "brrrrrm- brrrrrrm"ing his cars over everything. We were
allowed to leave the burn unit and continue his treatment at home after
a week in the hospital. {Thank you Elizabeth, a nurse in the local
church, who volunteered to keep an eye on Ben and help us with the
bandages!} Being allowed to leave the hospital was a miracle in
itselfdoctors and other parents on the ward had told us to be ready
for a long stay, and none of the other children in the burn ward while
we were there had left earlier than three weeks-with various degrees of
burns.
But Ben is now home and life is getting back to normal. We see this
whole ordeal as yet another "trial by fire" for Ben and our family.
These setbacks just don't affect one or two of our family members, but
the whole family. Each link in the family is stressed: Bec and myself;
Me and the girls (it seems I'm now the meanie' of the family), the
girls with each other... this is where the real attack comes, against the
family as a whole.
Hamming it up at home (taken before the burn)
But through it all, we stand together, knowing this is all for a
Greater Purpose, and we are committed to working and growing through
these speed bumps. We know that Ben will have a tremendous testimony
and "Walk" in the future...
In part 2, I'll seek your help for the next battle in the war. Stay tuned.
I took a team of the interns to Morocco last week after they
completed their first term at the G42 Leadership Academy. Our primary
mission was to make contact with some new âfriendsâ that are living and
working inside Morocco to bring peace, hope, and love to this nation
caught between Islam and the West.
In one of the medinas -
Morocco is interesting in that it sits on the Straight of Gibraltar,
just an hour-long ferry ride from Spain and Europe. Because of that it
is one of the more âprogressiveâ Muslim nations, trying to hold on to
the rituals and rules of Islam while at the same time, embracing and
befriending the West. I was struck by the true âClash of
Civilizationsâ going on in this nation. On one hand, it is truly an
Islamic nation, with tight controls on behavior, dress, and religious
practice. On the other, the younger generations listen to American pop
music, dress in trendy European styles, and enjoy practicing their
English. And here we were, American (i.e. Christian) tourists who were
continually the object of attention for most locals.
On the trek near Moulay Idriss
Since our goal was to make contact with as many future partners as
possible, we traveled around quite a bit. We were based in Meknes,
which was a medium-sized city that was central to many of the places we
wanted to travel. So we did, by taxi (7 people jammed in one taxi for
2 hoursâ"fun!) and train, and by foot. We got to trek into villages and
speak to locals with a mix of Spanish, French, and Arabic; we got to
wander in old medinas full of colors (and smells :^P ); and we got to
visit and play with orphans at the Village of Hope orphanage in Ain
Leuh, Morocco.
The Village of Hope isnât really an orphanage, itâs more of a
childrenâs home. And it was nothing like we expectedâ"it wasnât rows
upon rows of dirty beds, bored children, and dusty grounds. It was an
oasis of family, community, life, and love!
A bit of backgroundâ"in a Muslim society, sex out of marriage simply
âdoesnât happen.â If somehow a girl does get pregnant, she is shuttled
off to the city to have an abortion or off to the country to have her
baby, leave it at an orphanage, and then return to her life. In fact,
we were told that Muslims believe that orphans are born without a soul,
therefore it is okay to kill them. So orphans in Morocco really donât
have a chance to ever re-integrate into Moroccan society. BUT, at the
Village of Hope, each orphan is actually adopted by a family that
commits to raising that child as their own until they are 18 years
old. There are currently 4-5 families with 8-10 âchildrenâ (natural
and adopted) each that live at Village of Hope. They live in
community, and their children attend school on the grounds, provided by
Moroccan teachers, in Arabic. The parents come from South Africa,
Holland, America, the UK, and around the world. So these kids get to
grow up learning multiple languages, in a family that loves and cares
for them. Itâs an amazing concept!
And the Village of Hope reaches out to the community as well:
children from local villages attend the school, they are currently
building a clinic that will not only care for the families on-site, but
will care for villages as well, and they bring in local tradesmen and
farmers to teach the children to be workers and leaders. They are
truly building a generation of Moroccans who will re-enter society, no
longer stigmatized, but who will be a light to their fellow citizens!
âŚ
That is just one place that interns and graduates may be involved in
the future⌠I will try and write more soon. Just as an update, the
June term starts Monday 15 June, with four new students in addition to
the five already attending. We are growing quickly and we are hopign
to move into a larger, more modern facility by September! Please be in
prayer that a property opens up that will be perfect for us. Other than
ongoing classes, this is my highest priority right now, to find a place
that will have the sleeping capacity, classroom space, and a large
kitchen to accomodate all of the students we are planning on having.
Thank you to everyone who is following us and praying for us on
this journeyâŚ. and thanks to Michelle for letting me use her photosâŚ!
Khalid, (with Sean and I) our unofficial tour guide for the city of Moulay Idriss
Posted in Spain by Dave & Rebecca Hearn on 5/14/2009
Hello again from the Hearn family.
It's now May, our 5th
month in Spain, and already we're realizing that we're exactly where
God wants us to be. Although we're really just starting, you can see
that He has paved the path for us, and we're already seeing fruit in
the lives around us.
We started our first term of the G42 Leadership Academy on the 2nd
of March, with a class of six interns. We are blessed to have this
group, as they already realize the authority, boldness, and power that
God has given them. They've been challenged by teachers and their
world is getting rocked with the responsibility that we're sharing with
them-to bring light to the dark places of the world, and bring the hope
of Christ to a desperate people. A typical day at the academy starts
at 9.30am with a two hour class, right now the subject being covered is
"Covenant"-what covenants are, what they mean and how do you walk in
covenant today? All good stuff. We just had two
excellent guest teachers, Jon Marsden teaching on the pastoral side of
ministry and Ted Hanson teaching about the prophetic, and activating it
within the interns. They were blown away and totally challenged by
both. This is not milk they are being fed, but hard core steak! The
interns then break for lunch and have class again from 2-4:30. After
class, a different team each week makes dinner and we all eat together
and hang out and chill at the kitchen table'.
Student life.
In this first class alone, we have
pastors, evangelists, teachers, and other tremendous gifts. We are
enjoying living in community, and having them in our apartment for some
fun times and good food. It is a wonderful thing that we live between
the school and the village store, so we are forever having "pop-ins"
and we get to just drink and hang with all the interns on a more
one-to-one basis. We also have some brilliant game nights where your
stomach hurts from laughing so much. These are top-notch people
devoted to the call of God on their lives; there is no mediocrity in
them at all. We just love being with them. And of course, they also
get to enjoy the beautiful countryside, the beach, and traveling on the
weekends.
Family life.
A normal day for Bec is dropping the girls off at school, hanging with Ben at home or having coffee with the school mum's (it IS
a hard "ministry", but someone has to do it), picking the girls up at
2.00pm and chilling at home for a few hours, or having the girls'
friends over. Then off to Villa Los Grillos (the name of the school
villa) to eat and hang with the interns until about 7.30pm. Meanwhile
during the day, Dave has been the school shuttle driver, accountant,
administrator, web master and graphic designer etc...He has
had the opportunity to sit in on a few classes, but most of the time,
he is just too busy. He has taught a few classes on leadership, and is
in the middle of planning the interns' practicum in Morocco, where he
will go with them for a week and put into practice the last three
months of studies. This will be exciting to see God move in this Muslim
country. Bec will also be teaching a class here soon based on the book
by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton, "Supernatural Ways of Royalty."
We eat with the interns four nights a week and have three evenings with
just our family.
Emma is still full
of ideas, and she fills notebook after notebook with lists, business
ventures, party plans, game ideas, and yet another role she would like
to fill as she grows up. She is enormously generous and recently tried
to spend all of her savings on a cake for Rebecca for Mother's Day.
Gabriella has definitely blossomed in Spain-she actually enjoys school,
and is showing a creative streak that amazes both of us. She is so
helpful and kind to little Benjamin, a mommy-in-training for sure.
Benjamin has also grown into his own, after many trials and errors'
learning to walk, he is now running around the house looking for the
most expensive and dangerous items to pull off of shelves.
All of the
children love spending time at the Villa with the interns, and have
taken over the role of school mascots... but the interns love them and
have fun chasing them around the house. What a wonderful thing to be
brought up with that environment as part of your life.
It is an amazing life,
and we are blown away that we get to live it. There is something to
be said about being absolute sure you are where you are supposed to
be. It has been a long time coming, but we know without a doubt this
is the right time the right place and the right vision. Our family
itself couldn't be in a greater position-after a (miraculously) smooth
transition, we are enjoying our time and our life. It seemed like the
first few months we were adjusting to all of the new bugs and viruses
of Spain, but now everyone is healthy and the sun is finally shining on
the Costa del Sol!
Thank you for joining
us on this adventure, thank you for your generous support and prayers.
We love hearing from you and hope you keep in touch!
-Talk to you later!
Here are some photos of Dave and the students ministering at a youth camp over Easter week.
So I have been a bit frustrated lately. I have felt like I am not involved with the interns as much as I would like, and this has in turn made me feel like my own kids were being a hassle. I was not enjoying them at all, more just getting through the day. It has been a very unfulfilling time really, not being a great presence up at the school or being a good mom.
So although my natural inclination is to want to hang with the students, and get involved in their lives, I have realised that right now, my first priority is my own three "students". During the next 50 years or so, I will have the opportunity to be a part and input into thousands of students, but I will only have three, young , trainable, impressionable, lovely kids for so long.
I am called to raise up these three so that they in turn will reach a generation.......
So I am embarking on going back to being the mommy, who has time to bake with them, play games and puzzles with them and be there to hear Emma as she tells me EVERYTHING that she did today :o)
Don't get me wrong, the interns are still a very big part of our lives, we eat with them four times a week, they come and hang out at our apartment, but instead of trying to do too many things and doing them not well, I will do what I am supposed to do and raise these guys up, to the best of my ability.
The school is doing really well. The interns are on information overload. This next week or so they are also getting practical with what they have been taught, and what their giftings are.
Since Dave hasn't 'briefed' them on what the specifics are, I will wait till next week to tell you! But these are a fantastic bunch, in your face, real, sold out, unafraid.....dynamic, charismatic....it's cool to watch as they can go from a time of worship and prayer to having salsa dancing lessons from the Brazilians in our shared 'villa'. Life to the full.
Ben was supposed to have a CAT scan amd MRI this week to make sure that everything is right, and that the slowness in crawling ,pulling up and catching himself is just a milestone he hasn't reached yet. The hospital haven't called us. But as I wait, I just keep reading the gospels and Jesus healed everyone, all different ways. Telling them " you will get what you believe". So I a little caught between 'faith and works'and having these tests, or just plain believing God to take care of Ben until everything in his little body works together. If any of you have any godly wisdom on this........... This boy is so wonderful. You can see in his eyes, the sweetness and thoughtfulness.
Gabriella got over her rash and tonsilitis, she still has some strange bumps all over her tongue, but she is doing just fine. Her artistic talents are coming out moreand more, and she is attempting to draw, paint all the Mr. Men and stick them on her door. she loves the empty toilet roll tubes, and picking up random junk off the street. In her mind it is all so useful and can be made into something.
Emma is full steam planning her birthday party. She wants a knight and castle theme, so that she can be a princess, but the boys can come and have fun too. ( she came up with this herself). She has her nose in a book most of the time. Punishment is me putting her to bed and not allowing her to read. She reads her bible more than me, I think, and will come out with an apt story all the time.
Dave is working hard on the school, and getting the practicals ready. Building blog sites, being the accountant, teaching, gardening, making the schedules etc etc....He is very busy , but loving every minute of it. He also gets to watch Manchester united at the local with the guys, and has a chance to relax and chat with them.
Still chilly, if you can believe it. In fact plain cold today and rainy.....back to the saga ofthe wet laundry ;O) BUT life is good, and it is exciting to think about the future here and the affect we are and will have. What a glorious opportunity.
The irony of remembering to blog since it is Wednesday, is that I have absolutely nothing to blog about!!!!
Our container has arrived, it has cleared customs (thank you God), but is now stuck in Cadiz because the dock workers or some workers are on strike!!!! But I figure we have waited over three months what's another few days? Although, I have to say that I am looking forward to mashing potatoes etc with a masher and not having to use a cheap fork, that bends each time i try to mash. Having something else to wear too, will be a really good thing. I have never worn the same outfits so many times. It's going to be like Christmas.
Gabriella came home yesterday with a swollen neck and a rash all over her body. By this morning her fever was gone but she had spots allover her face. And now they have moved to her arms. It's the craziest thing,as she feels just fine. It has motivated me to take Ben and get him caught up with his shots. We are 4months behind and one of them is MMR. So I am going to go back to the Drs tomorrow and see what they say. I went today to try and ask if the vaccinations were free. I thought my Spanish was really good, but the receptionist told me to come back tomorrow and speak with the other lady that speak English.( so much for all that practicing in my head!)
Emma wrote a note to the school principal today,asking of she could set up a booth in the playground,and sell stuff during recreo (playtime)....she will one day be on Fortune 500 front cover.
The other night she told Dave and I that she had "prayed for7 minutes", asking God to make her favourite stuffed dog, come to life. She asked us what we thought. So as good parents we said that "Hubble" was a stuffed toy and that it wasn't going to happen. With tears in her eyes she told us, " but anything is possible with God".......what could we say? I told her that God can do anything HE wants to , but he might also know that I couldn't handle a real dog in this tiny place.....Such faith, man I need some of that.
I really want to begin seeing God move and do something. I need to be a part of something that is supernatural. People set free, kids healed. I want to stop talking about it,and stop hearing about it, I want to see it and do it.
I want to hear the Holy Spirit more and know when to speak up and when to stay silent. When to be bold and when to stay back.
Patience has never been my strong point, but I am torn between 'everything in it's time' and feeling like I am letting God down by not doing more. Its hard to explain in writing, but i just don;t want to be living this great life, but have no eternal affect.......
Maybe next week I will have something to blog about!!! or at least upload photos of all my favourite things that should be arriving, and the memories to go with them. ( lots of junkin'day memories)...
vive Espana
Bec
P.S. A photo of some of the interns preparing their meals, and a nice group pic!
I realise that I am very late with this email,but right now is the first time in weeks that I find myself sitting down with no children around. It has been a wonderful few weeks. All the interns have arrived and totally settled in.
The first week I had the responsibility to make the menu and buy the food and cook for them all, the second week,my mom and Bernadette did it, and this week we hand it over to Team A.
Half of the guys have the responsibility of making the menu and cooking, and the other half are responsible for clean up and dish washing. Next week they swap tasks. We do this this for so many reasons ( one being, cooking is my least favourite 'mom job'!) but it teaches everyone how to work to a budget, once the money is gone,it's gone. Everyone learns how to make healthy food with good nutriton and not buy pre-packaged, chemical laced stodge. It teaches servanthood and serving one another, and team building..... One day some of these guys will have dozensof orphans to feed on very limited budgets and few appliances. It's good practice.
This week is about servanthood, and so today we have been cleaning out sheds and garages, and making "Villa Los Grillos" (the house) a better place. We have found tables with no top but ornately carved legs which we will make a mosaic top for ( Hannah's creativity), we found chairs that we are going to re-upholstery in the next week or so, and tables that need some TLC and wood glue and will again look fantastic. G42 is about so many things,and classes on the kingdom etc, but we are also about leaving things better than you found them. And using the gifts God has given. There were definitely some creativity gifts manifesting today. It's so good seeing something dilapidated and nasty become beautiful and useful.....(hmmmm sounds like a good sermon to me!!!!).
I have to admit that I snagged two chairs and headboards much to Dave's shagrin, but I just couldn't let them go on the trash pile. While I was in Germany and Colorado I did the same thing. I would fix them up and sell them on craiglist.....I would love to have a little business here one day. For now they are going to have to go in our landlords 'cave' until my tools arrive.
The girls are doing so well and have made lot of friends. Emma started football (soccer) last week. Here in Spain, it's totally free. In fact there is a coach that comes to the village and takes them to the fields. She was a little peeved after her first lesson as she thought she would just get to go and kick a ball around, but it was all drills and technique. But the Spanish are serious about their football.
Next week I am going to try and sign them up for a pottery class or music class in the village, which they charge some ridiculously low price for all the classes. Gabriella wants to learn how to play the guitar, so I am determined to help her, she could be our next generation worshipper.
It is amazing the things that are offered to children here. There really does seem to be a great fondness for the younger ones. It's lovely. Old people will rub the girls head and smile at them, and caress Ben's cheeks.
That's it for now, Life is good, in fact life is great! I am amazed that I am in such a position and place, and am so truly thankful for those of you making it possible.
Pray for our "stuff", apparently it is in the port of Cadiz, and we need to get it without having to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in import tax, fake fees etc. We need an ethical import agent who just lets have it without any problems.
I'll so try and be better keeping you up to date. (oh and keep praying for Ben's muscles in his arms and chest so that he doesn't bang his head when falls. The guys here have been praying and yesterday was one of the first times, Ben fell on the patio and didn't crack his forehead......this is really a great little miracle)