First question answer-- Why Spain?

As I promised, here I am. I am doing some better but I am still sick. It is funny thought NOT, that although I have a stomach virus and I can´t eat much, and what I do eat doesn´t stay long, when I weight myself I realize I do not lose weight. I know VANITY but hey! Whatever…..

Last night, I stayed home while my husband took our visit out for some more visits around the city. I asked him to pick up the cards I wanted to include for the giveaway. I can´t show them to you though because he took the camera with him to Malaga. He is taking our visit to a different city where there are no churches (they are missionaries on their survey trip) and we have never been there so the camera is a must. He will be gone all day :)

Anyhow, I thought I would start tackling some of the questions you gals have asked.

A few of you asked about how is it that we ended up being missionaries in Spain, so I figure I would start with that one.

Of course, most of you know that I am from Spain. I didn´t move to the States until I was 22 when I got married, so when I surrendered to be a missionary wife when I was 18, Spain was not what I expected. You know, I always imagine Africa to be the place. When you think of being a missionary, you never think of your own country. Of course, then, I didn´t know He had a wonderful American guy waiting for me, and that He was going to call him back to my country, which is something that now, I am so thankful for. Especially for the great blessing of the wonderful American guy :).

So, when I met Matthew I knew I was looking for someone that had been called to the mission field or that, at least, was open to that calling. It was obvious that we liked each other even from the first “Yo hablo mucho español” (that story I will leave for later :)), so when we were heading for something more than friendship, I told him that my desire was to go on the mission field and asked him how he felt about that. He was very honest and told me that there were people that went to the mission field and people that would support missionaries so they could go to the mission field and that he was the second. He was sure that was it for him (not rebellious or anything, it was just something he was certain of). Of course, I don´t need to tell you that kind of cool me off about a possible relationship with him, but God was making it so clear His will for me to be with him, that I figure I would leave that up to God. I told him though, that God had called me to the mission field and that I was sure that He wanted me to marry him so….. he was going to be call one day.

I waited for 5 years for that to happen, but it happened. About a month before he surrendered (I didn´t know then that God had been dealing with him for a couple of months already) he got a pamphlet from my brother in law, from a missionary in Spain, talking about the need in this country. He told me if God ever called him to the mission field, Spain would be the place. Again, I didn´t know God was already dealing with both of those things and that he wasn´t just “talking”.

During those 5 years I cried and cried every missions conference, feeling the great burden for the souls around the word, and knowing that it was God´s will for me to go. Then I would ask Matthew how he felt, and he would repeat the same thing he did that first time. He wasn´t being called, and he really was telling the truth. I didn´t understand how God was calling me and not calling him. Of course that didn´t make sense, so I battled with that and tried to rest in Him.

In 2004 we had our missions conference in our church. The same thing happened just like every year. But that time I didn´t ask him, I guess I had given up… I don´t know. 4 months later we had the missions conference with the Spanish congregation in our home church. The preacher preached and I told God one more time that I was surrender to Him, but that it was up to Him to call my husband. The very next day Matthew took that same preacher to the airport and God turned a 45 min drive into 2 hours because of traffic. God used that preacher there, in that car, to help Matthew to completely surrender. He came back home and told me. He told me if there was something he knew, it was that He was calling us to Spain. He has given Matthew a love and burden for my country, my family and my people.

Was I excited you think? Or was I not very thrilled about it? That one I will leave for tomorrow. I don´t want to bore you today, somehow I can´t make a story short :).

So, do I see you tomorrow?

And hey, remember to enter my giveaway!! Last day to enter, June 26. Make sure you leave a question for me so it will count.