Dear people, it is already high time to write down some things about our life in Spain. We have again experienced several beautiful things and I would like to share them with you.
The Netherlands
We went to Holland for several weeks in April and May, partly for the Connection Weekend we had planned there. It was nice to see many old acquaintances again. Not only during the weekend, but also outside when we met friends and family from Emmen and surroundings.
Mexico…
A while back we were asked by Torben if we wanted to come and help him with the Bible school he is going to hold in Mexico. That seemed like a good idea, and we started praying for it. But we didn’t get a clear answer. Still, we thought it would be good to go and renew the children’s passports, because they were about to expire. So that was necessary anyway. But that turned out to be not so easy from here. It is a lot pricier than from the Netherlands, and moreover the waiting times are very long. The best way for us turned out to be through an agency in Madrid that cooperates with the Dutch embassy.
Madrid is easily a six-hour drive from where we live, so we decided to book two nights there in a cottage at a campground. We could also use that time nicely to meet some people we had previously met (but not yet met in person) in Madrid and the surrounding area.
Once there, we met Cynthia, among others. A Spanish young lady who came to faith not long ago, but appeared very hungry to learn more about following Jesus. She asked us if we wanted to do a kickstart with her and a few other disciples. We wanted to, but we were only in Madrid for a short time, so it didn’t work out (partly because she had to work). She asked if we couldn’t stay a little longer until the weekend and offered to extend our stay at the campsite.
So after we got the passports arranged, we stayed longer and did a mini-kickstart in the park. I taught about following Jesus, the gospel, how to pray for the sick, etc. Then we went out to find people who were open to prayer. This succeeded, and so Cynthia was able to pray for someone who needed healing. This person noticed change through prayer. Then she turned out to be very open and we were able to explain the whole gospel to her through the gospel cards.
Cynthia heard of our plans for Mexico and God made it clear to her to apply for that school. She did, and she has since been accepted for the school. In doing so, she is taking a bold leap of faith, as she is leaving not only her country but also her job to leave for Mexico indefinitely to be further trained in following Jesus.
…maybe later.
After our visit in Madrid, a few unexpected things happened that left us with the impression that maybe going to Mexico is not the plan for us. At least not yet in July (this month) that we were thinking about earlier. One reason is that the passports are still not in after about eight weeks! While the deadline is six weeks.
Another thing was that a few weeks back I was suddenly offered work (as a programmer). We could really use this extra income and I had even started looking for remote programming work a while before. But that came to nothing. So then this came suddenly and through a very different route. And we were very happy about that. I could earn a nice amount of money with a job of a few weeks. But after working on the project for 3 days, I got a message from the client. The project had been canceled! That was a very sour moment.
But then something special happened. A nod from God. Me a message from a friend at exactly the same time saying, ‘Hey Robbert, your shirt is ready to ship. Is this color right? I had ordered a shirt from our friends Alberto and Giulia a week before. And the timing was perfect. After all, the shirt features birds with a reference to Matthew 6:26-27 “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them; do you not far exceed them? Who yet of you with worrying can add one cubit to his height?” Based on this text from Jesus, we once embarked on this journey years ago. Jesus makes it clear to us that we need not worry. For everyday things, food, home, money…. God the Father cares for us, for the things we need.
The sour moment immediately passed and I could laugh at the whole situation. “Then God has something better for us,” I said.
Based on this text of Jesus, we once embarked on this journey years ago.
A day later, a friend from Holland came with a technical question about a website. He has his own business and needed to make something complicated for this client. After I gave him some advice, he asked, “Can you make that and what will it cost?” This has seriously never happened before in all the years I’ve been on the road with God. That someone offered me work in such a way. Besides, this job was a lot easier and more manageable.
I just wanted to share this with you, to show you that God is good, and trustworthy!
And Mexico … we’ll keep you posted on developments.
One Response
Hi Robbert.
Thank you for the testimony/update. So wonderful to hear that God is faithful and he never changes.
So so happy for you guys being led by his Spirit.
May God continue to draw you closer to his heart as a family and show you wat is ahead.
Many blessings from Latvia!
Roberts, Aiga, Leah, Ariana, Deborah, Merida.