And the winner of the giveaway is.....

Alicia from Confessions of a Snowflake!!!!!!!

Congrats girl!!! I am specially excited to give her this giveaway because not too long ago I won one she was hosting, so now I can return the blessing.

She is also a great blogger friend, a faithful commenter and I just love, love, love her blog. If you haven't visit her before make sure you go there like.... right now!!!

Everyone, have a great weekend!!! I'll see you on monday!

Day 2: Forgot my camera :(

Hello everyone from Madison, AL

Day number 2 was great as number one, but forgot my camera at home so no photos. Still day number 2 had ladies visitation first thing in the morning, mexican food for lunch, a little shopping and spanish church at night. Matthew preached there.

While on visitation one thing strike me, it wasn't much difference from going on visitation in Spain. I can see how the hearts of americans are getting harder to the things of God. Yes, the churches are bigger here, but out of the church doors, it doesn't seem to be much of a difference with hard Europe. We must pray!

On wednesday, pastor preached about the silent 7,000 from the time of Elijah. God told Elijah he wasn't alone, that He had a remanent of 7,000. But Elijah felt alone because those 7,000 were standing for God but were not being a witness. They had not kneel down to Baal, but they had not tried to make a difference.

There are so many christians in America, may us not be like the silet 7,000. I still believe that in the US, if we want to make a difference, we still can.

Another difference in the non spiritual side, and to lighten things up, is how cheap everything in America is. The cars, the houses, pretty much everything. You may not feel that way, but be thankful, because it is that way.

One thing more expensive than Europe, yogurts, fresh veggies and fruit.

Usually friday means Photo Friday Flashback, but while I am here I won't be able to participate because I don't have my photos :(. Stinks though because I really enjoy this meme. To enjoy Photo Friday Flashbacks go over to Alicia's blog.

Today is my blogversary, and tomorrow I will be letting you know the winner of the giveaway. Make sure you enter for your chance to win.

When I started blogging last year, I really did it because I have a friend that does it and she told me I must got into it. Funny though that she doesn't really blog anymore :), but I just did it to give it a try. I figure it would be an easy way to keep family updated, and I figured that it would save me some time from writting all those different emails. That way whoever wanted just needed to read it here.

Now is not about that anymore, it has turn into part of my day. I am so thankful for all the new friends God has given me through blogging. I look forward getting to know many more through the next year, and getting close to those I already know and enjoy. You ladies have been a blessing to this blogger. I love you all!

Sweet Home Alabama

Hello everyone!!!!

We are now save and sound in Madison, AL. I wanted to thank everyone that prayer for a save trip. We had a good one, the girls sleep a long time, the battery for their DS lasted long :), they had tons of movie for you to pick up individually and watch them.... all those things make a 9 hour flight seem much easier :).

My in laws were waiting for us in the Atlanta airport. Have you ever been in the Atlanta airport? A good one I have to say, but plan about 1 1/2 to 2 hours from the time you get off the plain to the time you get off the airport there. The lines are so long, and you even have to take a train!!! Anyhow, I am use to it because we always stop there but my in laws were starting to get worried because, I believe, it was the first time they had come to pick us up there.

The 4 hours drive from GA to AL was a blur, but of course we had to stop in Chick fil a to eat and to Walmart to pick up some things :)..... oh, I have missed all this!!!! It feels good to be back home... :)

Noelia was up at 5 am with the time change...... she never went back to sleep...... so I see a nap time sometime today :)

I will be letting you know how everything goes here. I am so excited to do all those little things that you miss when you are away.

Sweet Home Alabama

BTW, have you enter for my giveaway? Friday is your last day to enter!!

Getting ready and a few photos

The last couple of days our house have been getting ready for our trip. Tomorrow we are heading to Madrid from where we will get our flight to the States on Tuesday. Please pray for traveling mercies from us if you would think about it, and also for health.



I am sure I won´t be able to get in here until wednesday so I am leaving you with a few photos from the last couple of weeks hoping you enjoy them.



We are all excited, we are so looking forward this much needed vacation!!!



All of us in the Alhambra while the first group was here. Can you believe that I sat my purse next to the chair I was sitting in and then forgot about it and left it. It was a good 10 min before I realized I didn´t have my purse. I went back thinking there was no way that it would still be there, but praying it would. Praise the Lord there was a lady sitting in that chair. She said that as soon as she saw the purse she sat down to make sure no one would take it and got her husband to call security to find the owner of the purse.



I am not much of a hugging person but right there I hugged her!! I was so thankful praise God!!



My cute girls and me! Yes, I know today is Father´s Day in the States but here in Spain it was in March and I don´t have one of Matthew and the girls!

My sweet Noelia on friday! She is growing so much and she is sooo beautiful! Just like her other two older sisters.

This was taken on friday also right before her graduation, as you can tell :)

On friday night they had a little party. Nicole was suppossed to dress up like a cat. Her class was going to sing cat songs for the parents in the party. She even had a tail!

Nicole with some of her class all dressed up.

Kayla with her class getting ready to sing

Havew a great day everyone and remember the giveaway!!!!

Thanks my friends

I don´t have much time. There are things to do and suitcases to pack but I didn´t want to put off thanking Dani Joy and Christy Rose for giving me "One lovely blog award". Thanks so much for thinking of me, and sending the award right back because you sure have a lovely blog too!!

I am suppossed to pass this award along to 15 other new found bloggers. But because I hope you understand the lack of time to blog today, and because I tried picking and is too hard because I love you all, take the award and coming from me to you because you, my friends, sure deserve it!

God is giving me so many blessings through all of you!!

Btw, have you enter my giveaway???? Don´t forget to leave a comment with a question from you to me :)!!! You have ´till next friday (included)

Why Spain? -- Part 2

Note: This is the continuation of yesterday´s post, so if you haven´t read that one you may be a little lost.


So, was a thrill when Matthew told me we were going to Spain? I mean, what is not to love? Wouldn´t be going back to you mother country the best scenario? You already know the language, you already understand the culture, even if you move to the other side of the country from your family, at least you are in the same country. You can go buy groceries from day one without translator. You don´t look different and neither do your kids. Why would I not be thrill? Still, I wasn´t.

Because as much as I knew that coming to Spain would make things a lot easier for everyone (of course when Matthew said Spain was the country was after being lead by God and not but all those “positive” things), still I knew lots about Spain. I knew about the apathy of the people towards God. The lack of interest on spiritual things. The hard hearts. The “we don´t want your church here” attitude.

And I always remember seeing the missionary presentations about places like Africa, where 100 people would get saved in one day. Still, I didn´t tell that to Matthew.

On our survey trip, two years later, God gave me a compassion for the people. It wasn’t that I didn´t have it before, it was just that I was being selfish. I look at their eyes, I saw that emptiness and I thought that once before I have had that emptiness in my eyes. Once before I have had that apathy towards spiritual things. But there I was then, and all because of the mercy of God, and because of the surrendering of a missionary. If I wasn´t willing to sacrifice for my people, how could I expect someone to.

And my heart changed, and I am not going to say it is always easy. Sometimes you feel like quitting. Sometimes you feel like there is never going to be a change. But on those times is when God reminds me where I came from.

Following God´s will is not always easy. It may come with difficulties. We may not be able to fully understand it. But who is wiser than God. And who loves us more than God.

His will is perfect.

P.S. Don´t forget to enter my giveaway!!!

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.

Monday..... and sick

Hello my wonderful dear friends,

I have been trying to get in here all day but haven´t been able to. I got some stomach virus or something like that and I have been suffering with it the last couple of days. I hope it gets better soon, but until that happends here I am, or at least half of me :)

Thanks for entering the giveaway. Soon I will drive downtown to get the other half of the giveaway. I wanted to mention that you have until the friday 26th to enter (including that day), because that will be my actual blogversary.

Lots of you wanted to hear more about Spain. I found a nice 3 min video of images from Spain and I thought I would put it here so you guys can watch it and see how beautiful this country is. Enjoy it, and I will make my way here and post and visit you at your blogs even if I have to drag myself here :)



If you haven ´t enter the giveaway yet go here and comment. Ask me a question about something you want to know about me or something you want me to write about.

Love ya´ll

A little part of the giveaway and a thanks to a friend

Hello ladies,

I know, I usually don´t post on saturday, but I have a little break from all the visits and I thought I would take advantage.

On thrusday, a family from a supporting church came to spend with us a week. They have been called to Spain as missionaries and this is their survey trip. So we are trying our best to behave ;).. LOL... and to make this trip a blessing to them.

On friday we received a group of "young adults" that are studying missions in a college in the States and are visiting different countries and areas as a survey trip also. They are staying actually with a missionary friends of ours in Madrid, and they thought they would come for a day and pass out tracts with us. Last night we passed way over 1,000 tracts downtown Granada.



Both groups and my husband are now visiting the Alhambra. I started going with them, but it is over 104 degrees and the girls were having a hard time, so I got them back home and so... here I am :). I will meet them for lunch.



Anyhow, I did find part of my blogverary giveaway. This time I wanted a giveaway with a Spanish flavor. Something typical from here. While walking throught the city last night I found this.

And what is this you ask?

Is a fan!! What is more typical from Spain that a handpainted spanish fan??? Pretty much nothing. Maybe a bullfighter but hey, we are all girls, so .... who is going to want a bullfighter? :)

Isn´t it beautiful? This is the back of the fan.... or the front..... whatever.....



You can start entering for this giveaway (I will be getting something else this week for you gals to include in the giveaway.... I need to look some more :)) by commenting in this post.



So, here are the rules. Because it is my blogaversay I want to thank, giving this giveaway, someone that has been a regular in this blog. Because I don´t have a way to know if you have been regular but by your comments, you would have had to comment in this blog more than a couple times. If you have, then I would love for you to enter. But one more thing, in your comment I want you to let me know what would you like me to write about. Give me an specific question, nothing general. It can be about me, our ministry, Spain, my family.... whatever! Your call!

I would also like to thank Kim from Stuff could always be worse, for the "Attitude of Gratitude" reward she has given me. I feel always so humble about someone thinking about me when wanting to give a reward, but I appreciate it so much. May it be always clear the God I serve by my attitude and testimony.

I hope you gals have a great day and I will see you on Monday!

A giveaway in the making and a little from Spain

Have I ever told you ladies you are a great blessing to me? Your comments are always so encouraging. I love you gals and I have never met most of you!!

I just realized that my blogversary is coming soon. I can´t believe it has been almost a year. I checked back to my first post and it was done right after we have finished moving here to Granada, so I have a doble Anniversary :).

Time sure flies.

So, since I have more visits coming on thrusday and I am going to be going downtown to all the souveniers shops I am going to be picking up something to give as a blogversary giveaway. I am going to be looking for something very Spanish..... I have a couple of things in my mind. :) So next week I am going to be announcing a new giveaway... so, stay around.

On another note, while going all over Granada walking with the last group we had with us, I saw a couple of things that got my attention. Here, as in many other countries, they use buses or taxis to advertise. This ones though were a little different (in a possitive way) and got my attention because really, those annouce something that are pretty much against popular believe here in Spain.




"The right to kill doesn´t exist. What it exist is the right to live." This is a against abortion campaing that unfortunaly I know very little about (but it is about to change because I am so getting in the web page and see if there is anything I can do to help). Here in Spain young people are living very sinful lives. They think they can do whatever they want and then just turn around and eliminate the consequences of their actions. They don´t obey any authority but their own. It is so hard for me to talk about this and make sense because I feel so strongly against abortion.

They just passed a law in Spain that allows 16 year old minors to go to abortion clinics and get an abortion without parental permission.

They just passed a law in Spain where a pharmacy can sell the "day after" pill without needing medical permission.

How easy is it for teenagers here to be sexually active withouth having to deal with the results of their actions? Very easy.

It is not a wonder why the hearts of the Spaniards are so hard to the Gospel.



Another taxi sticker I found was "God exists and you must know Him". I think many have heard about an iniciative that started in London I believe where atheist groups where putting out signs in buses saying “God doesn´t exist so enjoy life” (or some senseless thing like that). So some evangelical groups (at least that is what I heard in tv) are “attacking” back with signs that say “God exist and you must know Him”.

When I saw the sign I thought that for sure the taxi driver must been a christian. One of the guys from the group went and talk to him, to ask him if he was a Christian. He wasn´t, he was being paid to put the sign in his taxi. We left a tract with him and left. He wasn´t interested he said.

Would you pray for Spain today if you have a chance? God is the only one that can break cold, hard hearts

Got a winner!!!

We got a winner for my first ever giveaway. This Cd is going to....

Congrats Justin, send me an email to pilar@spainforchrist.com and let me know where do you want me to have it sent. I am sure it will be a great blessing to you.

And for those that didn´t win, don´t worry, go to www.alltheglory.org and buy it! :)

Have a great weekend!

Your last chance

Today is your last chance to enter to win my first ever giveaway. Make sure you go there and leave a comment with your favorite song and why is a blessing to you. Many have already enter, make sure you don´t miss out this chance. This CD will truly be a blessing to you.

Everything is going well here. I am being hit with pretty bad allergies and the medicine is making me feel pretty.... dizzy/sleepy.... so I can´t really think today.... I never had allergies before until last spring.... getting old stinks hehe!

Tomorrow when I get up I will pick a winner and post it. So make sure you come back, because whoever wins is going to have to give me a sending address :)

My First ever giveaway!

Well, I know you guys are going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my first giveaway. I was thinking about something typical for Spain for it, but thought I would wait for my 1 year anniversary in this blogging world. I wanted something that would be of a blessing to the one that receive it. Right away, I thought about this. I just know you are going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my first giveaway. :)

One of my bestest friend in the world, Deanna, with her brother and sister, have a music group. It is called “All the Glory”. So far they have put out 2 cds, one in spanish and one in english. Of course I have both!! And I just love them both!!! I can’t wait for them to put out another one. Their music is Christ honoring and soul uplifting, you are just going to love it! One of the songs was written by their dad “Cry for the Lost”, who was my first Pastor. I praise God for this family. Another special fact about this family is that they are 3rd generation missionaries!

Well, before I get teary eye I will go on. If you are looking for a mother's day present or any other present, and you don't get to win this giveaway, this will make for a great gift. Take it from me! If you want, you can go to their web and hear some samples of the music, but you just have to be nuts not to fall in love with this cd. They also have a Spanish cd, so if you speak Spanish and prefer that one, I don’t mind sending you one or the other, just let me know.

Anyhow, here are the rules:
· Leave me a comment and tell me one song that God has used to touch your heart and why.
· If you write a post in your blog about this giveaway you may enter twice, that way you will have more chances to win this great FREE blessing! :) You got to love free stuff!

You have till next Friday April 24th to enter. Saturday 25 I will announce the winner. My little Noelia will pick the winner…. And she doesn’t know how to read so you KNOW there won’t be any cheating going on here :).

Well ladies, hope you have a great weekend. Tomorrow we are having the people from our church coming over for lunch. A couple of our mexican ladies in our church are making us a great mexican meal (I have been missing real mexican food so much since we got to Spain.... don't dare to ask what you are thinking ;) hehe). Pray for this activity because we are also using it to invite a couple of people (One of then with his family) from Matthew's football team. None of them are christians or attend any church that I know of. May we be a testimony to them and may this be an open door for them to come to church. What are your plans for the weekend?