Great News! Last week our teammate Scott received a call from the owner of one of the cafés that we had been looking at. We spent the week working out the details of buying the business from her, and on Saturday we received the keys. Immediately we began to give it a facelift. In the original place that we were going to put the café we had a shell of a building that we would have had to renovate to transform it into a café. However, our current location was previously a café which helps us immensely because there is much less that we have to do as far as construction. It is approximately the same size of the original location that we had. It receives a ton of natural light with two huge front windows, and it has a large terrace that we can put tables and chairs on in the summer. It is also literally a block from the Cathedral, which is basically the center-most point of the city. So, we are working as hard as we can to open for next week which is Semana Santa (Holy Week). We have been painting and changing things that we did not like about the old place and placing orders for drinks, coffees, pastries etc… Since this past Saturday we have been busy from morning to night setting things up. Please praise the Lord with us for his faithfulness! Also, please continue to pray for us as we learn how run this café. Please pray for our families as we attempt to balance our schedules. Please pray that God will grant us unique insight for ways to share his love and truth. Please pray that God will bless our witness as we have a more visible presence in the community. In Him, Matthew and Lori 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [1] 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the LORD , you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. 8 "For I, the LORD , love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." 10 I delight greatly in the LORD ; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61

March 19, 2004 When it rains, it pours. That seems to sum up the past week and a half! Way more has been happening around here than I have time to write down, but I will fill you in on as much as I can. Thankfully, after a forced two month sabbatical from our internet service (a frustrating ordeal that does not deserve more than one line of mention), we are ecstatic to say that our main line of communication is back and running again. If you need to contact us through e-mail please disregard all other old addresses for us that you may have and use matt.swain@iteams.org or lori.swain@iteams.org Café News If you have ever been in the process of buying or selling a house, then you might understand a little of bit of the roller coaster that we have experienced in the last weeks. Several weeks ago, I sent out an e-mail regarding a café location that our team really liked. The rent was a little high and so we began negotiations with the realtor and owner. Last week the realtor called our team leader with an amazing offer and we accepted it. They made plans to meet later to sign the paperwork. Five minutes later the realtor called back to say he had some bad news. The owner had been talking to a family member who was interested in taking over the business, and the owner wanted to wait one week before he did anything. On the verge of having the place, we now had to wait a week. The realtor was equally annoyed, because after weeks of negotiating back and forth between the owner and us, he would be cut out of the deal entirely if the owner went with the family member (apparently real-estate laws here are drastically different from how things work in the states). So, after a week of waiting and wondering, the realtor called us back Wednesday to let us know that the owner chose to go with the family member. Our team was bummed after having been so close yet again. However, we are continuing the search and quest for the place to make Café Terra Nova a reality here in Spain. Thank you so much for your prayers and we will continue to keep you up to date as developments unfold. “I am Running Home” Two weeks ago we tried our first art discussion over Rembrandt’s painting of “The Return of the Prodigal Son”. We used Henri Nouwen’s book of the same title to help guide us in our discussions. One of the guys who came last week for the first time went out later with our teammate Matthew Hanlon and talked with him about the painting some more. He told Matthew that that he feels a lot like the Prodigal son. He said that he feels dirty like the prodigal in the painting and wants to become clean. Then he said, “I am not yet kneeling in front of the Father, but I am definitely running home.” Please be praying for him as he begins this journey and pray for us to be sensitive to the Spirit. Family Life Isa is already one month old. It is crazy how quickly they grow and change. We love seeing her personality bloom as she smiles, coos, and cries to tell us what she is thinking. Abigail loves Isa incredibly and normally wants to go see “babeesa” first thing in the morning. Abigail turned two years old last week and Lori’s birthday was on Sunday. So, last weekend at the Swain house we were chanting, “Party, Party, Party” and eating lots of birthday cake. Weekend Visitors This past weekend we were blessed to have some fellow I.T. workers from France come down and join us for a weekend. The President of International Teams also stopped by on the last leg of a two week around the world journey. It was so awesome to hear stories of how God is working to change lives in various cultures from Sidney, to Vietnam and Austria. It was also a great reminder to me of how big our God is. I often get so caught up in what is going on where I live that I miss out on the greater picture of what God is doing around the world.

March 11, 2004

 I woke up early this morning and immediately saw the headlines on the internet. The first headline I saw was about a terrorist attack on a train in Madrid. I turned on the TV and most of the stations were covering events as they unfolded or in the process of getting cameras to the scenes. As I watching the tragedy unfold I felt pangs of remembrance, heaviness and sadness that I felt on September 11. Thankfully, not nearly as many people were killed, but I could not help but well up with tears as I saw the confusion and pain of all the innocent civilians in the aftermath of the attack. Tonight we had an art discussion planned at our house, but we decided to post-pone the discussion to another night. There was a definite somber mood in the air as the students had spent most of the day watching the facts come out little by little on TV. We had a time of debriefing the day with the students who came and then had a time of prayer. Thank you for praying for Spain right now. "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Some excerpts from Matt’s 2004 journal entries. Jan 10- This evening Juan stopped by our house. He began to ask me ask me a series of questions about the Bible. We talked about a wide variety of topics from things like the great flood and giants of the Old Testament to what Peter said about us being a kingdom of priests. I never know what directions our conversations are going to go. However, I feel like some day Juan is going to stop by and say, by the way I want to be a Christian. Jan 11- We went to the Hanlon’s for dinner to get to know the four new interns a little bit. We had a good time getting to know them and answering some of their questions about the ministry here in SdC and prepping them with some cultural info. Jan 12- Tonight was my evening to lead the GBU Bible Study. I talked about how our spiritual life is like a house and how we often only allow Christ into some of the rooms of our soul instead of giving him full access. My words seemed to resonate with the students. I hope that it will be a challenge for them to not just be Christians when they are in church or with their Christian friends, but submit every area of their lives to Christ. Jan 14- Last night we put Abigail in her “Big Girl Bed” and she was absolutely thrilled. Putting the crib down in the baby room makes everything with second baby seem more real. I cannot believe that she will be born in just a few short weeks. How cool! Jan 16- I started reading The Heavenly Man today and could not put it down. I could not believe the things that read about that are going on in the church in China today. I felt a renewed sense of awe at God’s power and was totally inspired and convicted as I turned through each page. Jan 17- Tonight the Hanlon’s invited us to dinner with their landlord and their friend Victor and his family (sisters, mother, and some extended family). I had a great time talking with Victor, but I felt like I was learning Spanish all over again as I had to decipher the Chilean accent and slang words that he kept using. Jan 20- Today Danny and José interviewed me in a mock radio program for their final grade in one of their Journalism classes. They asked me questions regarding my work here in Santiago. Afterwards, I looked at Danny and said that I thought I made up a few new Spanish words. We both laughed, and he said that I didn’t invent too many. Jan 21- Matt Hanlon was invited to an ecumenical meeting of Catholics and Protestants last night. He was intrigued that some people appeared to be learning policies for the first time that the Catholic Church instituted in the 1960s during Vatican II. However, he was encouraged at the desire of both branches of the church to work together and encourage one another in SdC. Jan 22- I was relieved that I was able to get in contact with all of the work teams today before anyone had bought their tickets to come to SdC. They were all equally as shocked as we were - that the owner of the café locale decided to stop renting to us today. After two years of renting to us and approving our plans to put in a café it seems like really weird for her to pull out now. We were all glad that it happened before we started doing renovations. Today I was comforted all day by the proverb that says “commit your plans to the Lord and they will succeed”. Our whole team seemed to be at peace, as we trust that the Lord is leading us where he wants us to go. Jan 23- We received an e-mail from Tim and Becky Chesney today. They have started training in Elgin, IL and are planning to come join our team this year. Jan 24- Tonight Padre Sal took us and the Hanlons out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. He ordered way too much food, but we all had a wonderful time catching up. He also brought a friend from Romania for us to meet because he new that the Hanlons speak a little bit of Romanian. I tried Peking duck for the first time in my life. Wow, was it delicious. Jan 27- Today the leader of GBU in our province invited me to a coffee. He was coming through town and wanted to catch up. It was very encouraging to meet with him and know that he appreciates the work that our team is doing in SdC. We talked for a couple of hours in a little café with a very annoying dancing parrot. In spite of the parrot we had some excellent discussions. Feb 2- I feel pretty good today in spite of hanging out with Luis from midnight to 5 am. We watched Super bowl XXXVIII in one of the only bars that was open that late on a Sunday night. It was fun being the expert on football, since I am normally the least knowledgeable person in any given room that contains Americans. Some excerpts from Lori’s 2004 journal entries. Jan 9 – Hour 18 of our 21 hour trip back to Santiago. Madrid airport. Abigail is asleep in the stroller, Matt went to go get some water, and I am an absolute Zombie. I want to be asleep in the stroller. I put my swollen feet up on my suitcase, lean my head back and shut my eyes for just a few minutes. Then I feel someone standing and looking at me. I open my eyes, and see three someones standing and looking at me. After pushing back the cobwebs, my brain tells me that I don’t recognize two of them, but the third one. . . Erin! It was three of the college interns who arrived in January to do ministry here in Santiago for a semester, and somehow we all managed to be on the same flight from Madrid to Santiago. Seeing them woke me up a bit and made the next hour and a half of waiting in the airport actually kind of fun. Jan 14 – Today we put the crib in the baby’s room and set up a twin bed for Abigail. She was so excited to have butterflies on her bed. She finally settled down and slept well after she flicked the lights on and off for a while, played with all of her toys, and finally came out into the hall. She loved it. Jan 24 – Tonight Father Sal took us out for Chinese. He is a Filipino priest who has retired here in Santiago, and since he spent over 18 years in the states, he has sort of adopted us as his family here. He may be retired, but he is full of vision and ideas. At dinner he shared with us his desire to see some of the unused properties that the Catholic Church has around Santiago turned into shelters for immigrants who are looking for work. Feb 2 – Our language tutor, Marta, started a new job today at an art gallery. Last week she told us that she makes a commission off of the pieces that she sells, and if she doesn’t sell anything then she gets to choose a painting from the exhibit. To me it sounded like a pretty good deal. She invited us to the reception for the first painter who is exhibiting in the gallery. We were excited to go and see her as well as to look at some cool art. When we got there, I quickly glanced around and immediately thought 70’s. Then, as I’m looking I see that there’s at least one naked woman in every painting. Eventually Marta introduces us to the painter. He said, “Well, this is what I paint.” Matt managed to be polite and say that he thought they were well done. Poor Marta. She’s going to have a hard time choosing a painting. January 24, 2004 Must Read! I just finished reading an amazing book called “The Heavenly Man”. From time to time I recommend books that I find worth the read, but this one quickly moves to the top of my list. While I was not overly impressed with the writing style, I was so intrigued with the real life stories that I could not put it down. It is an autobiography of Brother Yu, a Chinese pastor who became a believer in communist China in spite of the governments attempt to suppress the spread of Christianity. This book gave great insight into the state of the Christian Church in China, and the persecutions that believers there are willing to face for their beliefs. Once I opened the book I was captivated by the faithfulness, captivity in communist prisons, and ways that Christ worked in and through the life of brother Yu and his family. I was equally inspired and convicted as I read about the various experiences of Brother Yu. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it!!! Radio Show Two weeks ago, I got a phone call from one of the students that I know from the GBU Bible study. He is majoring in Journalism and for his class has to do a mock radio program every week. He asked me if I would be willing to come to his class and do an interview with him in Spanish for his final project. He told me that the topic of our interview would be about what drew me to do ministry here in Spain. So, I had the opportunity to explain in front his class, experiences that I have had that drew me into ministry. I also talked about how all who are Christians are called to be ministers in word and deed no matter where they live. I the end of the interview we both laughed over some of the “new” Spanish words that I invented during the interview. February 19, 2004 Special Announcement!! Isabel Nora Swain was born on February 11, 2004 at 7:15 pm. She was 7 lbs and 20 and1/2 inches. Isabel means “consecrated to God” and Nora means “light”. Both Mom and baby are doing very well and are now at home! Lori and I call her Isa and Abigail calls her “Babeesa”. We have been trying throughout the week to get both photos and an announcement out at the same time, but to no avail. We switched e-mail service last month and are still waiting for the service to be set up in our house. As soon as we are set up we will send a barrage of photos. Café News! Many of you have been praying with us and we have received many encouraging e-mails regarding the café. Well, this week things really began to move in a good direction. Lori and I have been to busy with the new baby to write anything, but wanted to pass on the most recent news that our team leader Scott sent out. Also, if you would like to see some photos of the place described in his letter, you can see them at thestriblings.org under “café Terra Nova”. So, here is Scott’s letter: It's just past midnight here in Spain and I'm having a hard time sleeping. It's amazing how many things have happened in the past month, and especially the past few days. Since we lost the lease on the original café location, we've searched the city and our hearts, prayed for hours, called on what feels like 10,000 places, talked to a zillion agencies, and seen inside opportunities for a new location. Nothing has kept me up at night like this place that we found a few days ago. How does it compare with the original place? Well, it's at least double the size, has two levels (meaning we could do all of the ministry things we hope to do), in a FAR better location, and it is virtually the same price to get into. Amazing. Oh, and we would be open most likely sooner than our original target date of May 1st because it already has all of the permits that the city requires. It's ready to go, only needs a few coats of paint and the changing of a few pictures on the walls. Maybe buy a few comfy couches. So, we need some prayer! We are in the middle of negotiating with the owner about the major details- and the obstacle at the moment is the price of the rent. It's higher than it should be, but not completely and totally out of range. We'd really like to see him lower it though. Would you pray today for that? Pray that we find favor with this owner so that we could proceed, and that he would lower the rent. If we can agree on a rental price- then we he would let us take 30 days to secure financing and get all of our ducks in a row. That means our team would have a month to raise the rest of the support that we need to get this place, and then we would be able to open for business. Soon. So, please pray with us! We should know something about the rent hopefully before the weekend. We'll keep you all in the loop. Thanks to so many of you who have followed this story and constantly write with encouraging things to say and letting us know that you are praying. It's been an challenging time for our team, obviously, but I feel like God is bigger than ever. Many blessings, I'm off to bed to hopefully get some sleep now! Scott

The following are archives from Swains in Spain Highlights 2003. January 2003 Letter to the First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Ohio The first semester of this school year was filled with many firsts for our team. We began our first weekly Bible study for people who want to know more about the Christian faith. Students from Spain, France, the Philippines, Argentina, and Uruguay came together in fellowship to discuss the essence of what it means to be a Christian. We had our first intern come and spend a semester living with Spanish students and working with us. Arianna Aspan came from Texas where she just finished her first year teaching. She is a photographer and used a portion of her time here to help our team with a photo project of Santiago landmarks. We are so privileged to have had her here to share in the ministry. Our Teammates Troy and Jen Hellmann just had a baby girl: Emerson Grace Hellmann. She is their second child; her older brother Jack is now 18 months. Holding her makes our daughter Abigail seem like a giant. We are so happy for their family and very thankful for our newest team member! As we dive into 2003 we are excited about what God has in store for our team. We hosted our first short term missions team from Australia in January. Natalie and Richelle came here for several weeks on a trip to expose them to missions and church planting in particular. In January we also welcomed a new intern, Christina Gerskovich. Christina participated in the very first summer team that came here in 2001, and we are excited about ministering with her again this semester. We thank God for each of the people that he has brought into our lives here in Santiago. Please pray that this year as we continue to share our lives and our hearts that God would be glorified through these relationships and that our friends would grow eager to know God deeper. We love you and thank you for all of the e-mails and letters. We appreciate all of our friends and family at First Presbyterian and thank you for joining us in ministry to the students of Spain. Sincerely, Matt, Lori, and Abigail Swain Avenida Figueroa Nº2-2º 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain January 6, 2003 Holiday Traditions Today we are celebrating the day of Kings, the third and final holiday of the Christmas season. It refers to the magi who visited baby Jesus. It has been fun for us to learn about the different holiday traditions here. Kings’ Day is the traditional day for gift giving – instead of leaving stockings on the fireplace, little kids leave their shoes out on the balcony for the kings to fill. While Christmas is celebrated here it is more of a day of family feasting than gift giving, although Santa Claus is beginning to gain in popularity. One other Holiday tradition that is fun, but takes some time to master is on New Year’s Eve. At midnight with the first twelve chimes of the clock tower in Madrid it is custom to eat one grape with every dong. This is made more challenging by the fact that the grapes are not seedless. Crunch Crunch! Back to School Tomorrow the Holiday season is over and the students will begin to return to Santiago as classes start again on Wednesday. I am excited to be starting a Spanish class at the University on Wednesday in order to continue improving my communication skills. Australian Delegation At the end of their 34 hour trip, Scott and I picked up two Australian girls yesterday who will be here for a few weeks on a short term missions experience. They left Australian Summer to come to Santiago Winter and we are excited to have them here with us. In their first hours here they were able to experience Santiago rain as we watched the parade of the Kings and fireworks. Please pray for their time here and the students that they will come into contact with January 24, 2003 Do You Play Tennis? I recently met with a student who has been coming regularly to our Bible study. He is a French Catholic student with a heartfelt love for God, and he has really enjoyed studying and discussing the Bible with us. While the two of us were meeting over tiny cups of rich Spanish coffee, we were discussing the state of the Catholic Church in Spain. In the midst of our conversation I told him that most of the students I meet say something like, “Yes, I am Catholic, I just don’t practice.” He immediately said, “Yeah, I play tennis, but I don’t own a racket.” I was impressed with his quick comeback, but also with the realization that I am not the only one frustrated by this cloak of religion that people hide behind in order to avoid the most important questions of life. ….Do you play tennis? My Life in a Nutshell That’s part of what I spoke about when I was invited to speak at the University Bible Study (GBU) this past Monday night. I talked about why I decided to go into ministry and especially why Lori and I felt called to Spain. I talked about this within the context of how God has been working throughout history from the beginning to bring people into a right relationship with him. I think I did a fairly decent job speaking in Spanish, the students did not laugh too much. It was a great first experience (giving a talk in Spanish) and I hope that there are more to come! Aussie Posse We just wrapped up our first short term mission team from Australia. Australia is on summer break, so Natalie and Rachelle traveled 37 hours to experience first hand what missions work is like here in SdC. Once they recovered from jet lag (no small feat) they spent their days living with students and meeting with intercambios (Language exchanges). In their free time they taught us a plethora of Australian words like “oca” (a very Australian Australian), “struth” (use in place of “wow” or “whoa”), and “bindy” (a bothersome thing that gets stuck in your shoe). Out of Town We will be out of town between Saturday, January 25 and Wednesday, January 29. We will be traveling to Albecete, Spain on a business trip to pick up our new residence visas. In case of emergency you can reach us at 011-34-652-306-207 or 011-34-658-662-863. Prayer requests: -For a safe trip to Albecete and that everything goes without a hitch. -For students we have been and will be meeting with in the upcoming weeks. February 10, 2003 Answered Prayers The following accounts all relate to various prayer requests that we have had. We have been privileged to be a part of what God is doing here. We want to pass it along to you, and thank you for remembering us in prayer. Church History Spreads the Gospel Last Thursday evening one of the Spanish students (José) who I talked about in our December Newsletter stopped by our house as he often does. We spent quite a bit of time talking with him about our families and catching up on life when out of the blue he asked me about the differences between Protestant and Catholic churches. So, I gave him a brief overview of church history which led us to Martin Luther. I told the story of this Catholic monk who did everything every thing that he was told to do by the church at that time, but could not shake the sense of guilt that he felt in his life. Then, after reading Romans, Luther understood for the first time what grace really meant. José and I read several passages together and through explaining this simple history I was able to explain to him the central belief of Catholics and Protestants. That it is only through Christ that we are saved by faith and not by works so that no man can boast. (For more of the Martin Luther story read The Body by Charles Colson.) One Student Starting Youth Group “And things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:2 You may have seen this verse at the bottom of my e-mail from time to time. Well, this is the whole reason that we are here in Spain. We want to train up leaders in the Gospel who will in turn be able to go out and do the same. When Jean (the French Catholic student) began attending our Bible study he already had a deep love for Christ that was evident in his life. However, this week he wanted to let us know that he was really frustrated with the state of things in the Catholic church that he has been attending here in Santiago. Lately, he has been feeling compelled to do something. He has talked with the priests at his church and is going to start a youth group there. He thanked us for the example that we have demonstrated to him in our study group and said that he learned a lot from us and hopes to use what he has learned in his youth group. We are so excited about his new endeavors and pray God’s continued blessings on all that Jean puts his hands to in this new ministry. Offer Too Good to be True Our team has been specifically praying for a girl that we met here last summer. She is a foreigner who was invited to Santiago by family members with the promise of employment. When she arrived they basically used her as free labor and refused to register her with the government because they would be required to pay Social Security for her. So, she left their employment and found another job that paid 2.50€ an hour. Now, her boss has skipped town without paying her the 700€ that he owes her, and she’s virtually powerless because she has no papers. So, because of the hardships she had encountered here she was trying to decide about what she should do, and our team was praying for her in this decision. She received an offer from a man to go to Switzerland. He told her that he had family there in the government who would help her to get a job that would pay well. She was about ready to go with him when a Spanish friend told her that the man was not who he said he was. He actually runs a prostitution ring and preys on women who are having financial problems, takes them to a country where they don’t know the language and then informs them of their new job. She recounted this story to us with tears of relief as she was so thankful that she did not go with him. I praise God for protecting her and we continue to lift her up as she still has many tough decisions in front of her. These are just a few of the answered prayers that we have witnessed in recent days. We thank you for backing us up, and while this city is often a spiritually dark place we are encouraged by seeing God work and by knowing that you are lifting up this work in prayer! Prayer Requests Please pray for our up coming team retreat: -That God will direct our plans and visions as we talk about the coming year. -That we will be spiritually, emotionally and physically refreshed. -That God will bless our friendships and time together with teammates. Please pray for our personal and business finances and that God will provide for all of our families needs. Please continue to pray for these three students and also the others that we come into contact with each week. Pray that we will encounter students when we are not expecting it and that God will provide opportunities for us to share our faith both in word and deed. March 14, 2003 The Church God is working all of the time and sometimes we have the privilege to see it first hand. In the last letter I sent out I talked about a girl who was living in Spain as a foreigner who had been exploited by her employer and not paid for her work. After hearing about her situation, someone who had never met her was angered by this injustice and felt led to send her the full 700€ ($760). She was entirely overwhelmed by this generosity, and this spoke volumes to her of a God that cares for her and provides for her - even through the gift of a total stranger. Our entire team is encouraged by this and recognizes that this is the church truly being the church in the life of this girl and for this we praise God! Year Number One Yesterday we celebrated Abigail’s first birthday. Lori’s mother came from the states to join us in the celebration as well as friends who live here in Spain. Abigail is a people person and loved playing with all of the other little kids from our team. She is walking everywhere and very curious about everything. She loves playing with balls, telephones, exploring drawers and cupboards, flipping through her books, and being read to. Lori made a beautiful fish cake and Abigail shoveled it in. Café News In the effort to start a café/ministry center, our team recently has been making some significant headway. Visiting government offices to find out how to start a café as a foreigner has been a nightmare and literally has led us in circles. However, this past week two things happened that have been encouraging to us. First, online we found a complete list of what a foreigner has to do to start a business. This was posted by someone who has successfully navigated their way through the bureaucratic labyrinth. And second, some of our teammates had dinner with one of their neighbors who happens to be a lawyer that helps people start businesses. He was excited about what we want to do and has offered to help us. Thank you for your continued prayers for us in this endeavor! Finances We have been totally blessed as many have recently stepped forward to join us by supporting this ministry. However, over the past year the euro has continued to strengthen in comparison with the dollar. For us, this means that during this time, our salary has continually been worth less while prices around us continue to rise. For this and other reasons, we are in the process of raising more support. We realize that this has been a tight year for many of you as well, so we’re simply asking you to join us in praying for both our personal and business finances. April 12, 2003 TERRA NOVA “Terra Nova” is Gallego and means “New Earth” or “New Ground.” Terra Nova is what we are hoping God will create in the lives of young people here in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Terra Nova is the name we have chosen for the coffee house. Since we first moved to Santiago, we have been dreaming of the amazing potential a coffeehouse based ministry could have here among the university community. In the past month this dream has started down the path to becoming reality. All within the span of about a week and a half, (after about a year butting our heads against many walls and closed doors) God led us to a website that has detailed descriptions of all the steps that foreigners in Spain have to go through in order to start a business, and he led us to a neighbor of the Hellmanns who is a lawyer who works primarily with starting businesses. Through these two things we have successfully begun the lengthy process of starting the Café Terra Nova. We have already registered our name with the government and the next step for us is to deposit €3500 as seed money in a Spanish account here to establish our limited liability corporation. Currently our team has €1000 of this money. For those who are interested in contributing directly to the coffee house, tax-deductible donations can be sent to International Teams (411 West River Rd. Elgin, Ill. 60123) and designated for “Project Compostela.” Matt in Navarra This weekend I (Matt) will be traveling with a friend from Oasis Trails to the northeastern part of Spain near the Pyrenees Mountains. Oasis Trails is a ministry organization from Holland which runs hostel ministries for Pilgrims on the Camino to Santiago. I will be volunteering for a couple of days in the hostel in Navarra and am looking forward to the time that we will have with the pilgrims there. Please pray for the time and conversations that I have while I am there. I have been told that it is not uncommon to meet people from 5-6 different countries each day. Gallego Class Every where we go in Santiago and Galicia (our state) we hear people speaking a language that sometimes resembles Castellan Spanish and at other times has apparently nothing in common with it. While almost everyone speaks Castellan, Gallego is the language of the people. A cross somewhere between Spanish and Portuguese, we have picked up words and phrases during our time here, but this month Lori joined a Gallego class that is taught by the Government so that she can communicate on a deeper level with the people in our area. We’re Moving Over the past two and a half years we have been blown away by God’s provision for us and this ministry, and we have learned to rely on God in ways that we never could have had we stayed in the States. During the past year or so (with the arrival of Abigail) we began praying for a new place to live. We love our little apartment with the small balconies off of the back that face the Cathedral and the perfect location right in the middle of everything that happens in the city. However, in spite of the beautiful location and character of our place we realized that it is not the best place for children. This week we signed a lease on a house that is a ten minute walk from where we live now. It is near a part of the city that is called the “Door of the Camino”. It is a gorgeous place that has everything that we have been praying for and some extra things that we think are cool but probably never would have prayed for. We are most exited about having an office separate from our family room, a full sized refrigerator, a patio, a guest room (sorry, if you stay with us, you still may sleep on the lumpy futon for a while) and heaters that are in every room. We praise God for this new place and pray that it will not only be a home for our family but that it will be a place where people congregate and feel His presence. Our new address will be effective May 1: Matt and Lori Swain Calzada de Santo Antonio 6 Santiago de Compostela, SPAIN 15703 June 21, 2003 Coming to a city near you! We will be in the states in August 1 through September 15 for a working trip and hope to see as many of you as possible. We will be in Ohio throughout the month of August, in Pittsburgh for the tentative dates of September 3-5, and Chicago for the tentative dates of September 6-12. If you will be near one of these cities during these dates drop us a line and we will try to get together. Summer Team 2003 The American college students who join us for two months of cross cultural ministry experience have been here since the beginning of May. It is always fun for us to have them with us and to study and live what it means to be the church of Christ. Please continue to keep the students in your prayers as they seek to be a light to the Spanish students whom they encounter each day and for the extra challenges added when trying to do that in a foreign language and culture. Night of Prayer We were blessed to be able to use the “Bajo” (the nickname we have affectionately given to the storefront that we are renting. Bajo- literally means ground floor) to let the GBU students host a night of prayer. GBU is the Spanish bible study group that Matt has been attending this year, and as we came upon finals they wanted to dedicate a night to prayer (not just for finals, but as a time to connect with God and pray for friends, family and the people of Spain as well). We donated the use of the bajo and then they did the rest. They decorated the bajo and divided it into three main sections. They walled it off with sheets of plastic and covered the wall with scriptures in English and Spanish. The zones that they divided the room into had three specific purposes for prayer. The first was for a time of introspection and penitence, the second for worship, and the third for intercession. They invited anyone who wanted to come and it was great to see God work in the lives of Spanish and American students alike. One American student told me that this has been the best experience that she has had in Spain! Comings and Goings One of the exciting and more difficult parts of living on the mission field is the almost constant ebb and flow of visitors and people who walk beside you for a time in this journey of ministry. In the middle of May we were blessed to be joined by Chris and Cathy Gouzoules who are missionary church planters that are currently working in Mexico. We had a great two-day mini-conference with them as we studied the bible together and were challenged spiritually as we looked in depth at what it means to start a church movement in Spain. Then we had the privilege of hosting our first house guest in our new home. Susan Duncan went through International Teams training with us and stopped to visit us while she was in Europe. Susan is working in Costa Rica with an IT youth ministries program. We were so thankful to be able to see her again and to see how God is working in her life and the ministry in Costa Rica. Christina Gerskovich was the second student to complete a semester internship program here with us this spring. We were so blessed to have her here with us and see God work through her friendships here with Spanish students. She has an amazing gift with connecting with people and we are sad to see her go. She graduated this winter and postponed starting her new job at Bank One Downtown Chicago until this summer. We thank her for her sacrifice and pray God’s continued blessings on her in her new career. NEW! Abigail Video Lori just got finished updating our site with new photos, a new video clip of Abigail (grandmas and grandpas definitely want to check this out) and some other reformations. When you get a chance visit us at http://www.fade.to/swainlife and let us know what you think, we love hearing from you! Feel free to pass this on if you know someone who is interested in the ministry here in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. If you received a copy of this and would like to be added to our snail-mail list please contact matt.swain@iteams.org . As always we appreciate your prayers and know that we could not do what we are doing here if we did not have the support and encouragement of friends and family behind us! Sincerely, Matt and Lori October 15, 2003 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15 Isn’t it amazing how one tiny candle can fill a dark room with light or be seen from quite a long distance away on a dark night? This week at the campus Bible study that I attend and help out with the students turned out the lights and then lit candles as they prayed for this city. Each person lit a candle to represent their life of faith. In a room with only nine students I was reminded of how light conquers the darkness. Even though we live in a city that appears to be overwhelmingly secular, God can and will work through the lives of those who love him to bring his light to the world. Most of the students prayed for wisdom as they start a new school year for how to best share their faith with friends and loved ones. They prayed that just like the candles in the room they would be able to shine on their campus, in their classes and in their homes. Please pray for these nine Christian students who want to share the gift that they have been given. Pray that God will give them wisdom when to speak and when to say nothing. And most of all pray that their love for Christ continues to grow and deepen daily. Sincerely, Matt, Lori and Abigail Swain October 20, 2002 The following are discussion questions that we talked about at church after watching the movie “The Body” with Antonio Banderas. Feel free to use them if you watch this movie in a study group or even with a group of friends. Before the movie What is Faith? (Luke 7:9, Ro 1:17, Ro 4:5, 2 Cor 5:7, 1Tim 4:1, Heb 11:1, Jas 2:14) If you call yourself a Christian, why did you choose that religion out of all of the religions in the world? Does Christianity call us too blind faith? Why or why not? (2 Cor 5:7 We live by faith not by sight. Luke 16:31- Why do NT authors refer to OT prophesies?) Have you ever questioned or challenged your own beliefs over your faith? If so, what conclusions did you come to and why? If not, why not? What is the one key that holds all of Christianity together, the one thing that makes Christianity true or false? (Answer only to yourself in your own mind- Be honest!) If there was evidence that absolutely proved to you that Christianity was a lie, how would that change your life? If the was evidence that absolutely proved to you that Christianity was true, how would that change your life? After the movie Were you bothered or nervous at any point in this movie? If so, when and why? What are some of the healthy and unhealthy ways that characters in this movie responded to challenges of their faith? (Especially talk about the cardinal, the priest, and Antonio) Is there actual evidence surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? If so what? 1. A Public Execution Assured His Death 2. A High Official Secured The Gravesite 3. In Spite Of Guards, The Grave Was Found Empty 4. Many People Claimed To Have Seen Him Alive 5. His Apostles Were Dramatically Changed 6. Witnesses Were Willing To Die For Their Claims 7. Jewish Believers Changed Their Day Of Worship 8. Although It Was Unexpected, It Was Clearly Predicted 9. It Was A Fitting Climax To A Miraculous Life 10. It Fits The Experience Of Those Who Trust Him Additional reading on this topic: More than a Carpenter- Josh McDowell The Case for Christ- Lee Strobel Mere Christianity- C.S. Lewis Evidence that demands a Verdict II- Josh McDowell November 14, 2003 Night of Worship With the warm glow of the fireplace to our backs, and the smell of hot cocoa, Spanish cookies and candles, the dark chill of the Santiago rain melts into a faint murmur in the background. The guitars are tuned and the discussions decrescendo as the music begins and then intensifies. Then in a tongue that used to be meaningless babble to us, we begin to sing songs from our hearts that declare the power and majesty of our God. As we sing, something holy happens as the words of each song penetrate the hearts and the minds of those in attendance. For those who are believers we are reminded of the God whom we serve, and we declare our love for him and desires to grow closer to him. This year we have continued what we call Spanish worship night. Every Thursday we meet in our living room with fellow teammates and Spanish students and worship in Spanish. During this night we also have a different person speak each week and share of a time when they saw God work in their life. This has been a wonderful time for us each week to pause and connect with God through music. It is also our hope that this will be a place where people can invite friends who are seeking God. Please pray for God’s blessings on this weekly night of worship. Pray that all who come will be challenged in their walk with Christ. Also, pray that God will draw those who do not know him to this night so that they might experience a taste of worship. Matthew and Lori Swain Calzada de San Antonio Nº 6 15703 Santiago de Compostela, SPAIN matt.swain@iteams.org lori.swain@iteams.org December 1, 2003 Modern Day Cinderella Story Gossip columns around Spain have pretty much given their sole attention to Prince Felipe’s recent engagement. Anytime a royal gets engaged it is big news, and even more so in Prince Felipe’s case since he is heir to the Spanish throne. His story is a unique one because instead of marrying another person of royal blood (which is the longstanding tradition), he will be marrying Spanish news anchor Latizia Ortiz. Incredibly their love for each other remained secret for over 7 months until they made a public announcement. Neither the paparazzi nor Latizia’s family (save her mother) knew about her secret boyfriend until they made it public. Anyway, Spain is curious to know more about their future queen and all of the details that surround the upcoming royal wedding. Café Encounter Recently I went to a café that I frequent to read the paper and study. If you have come to visit us we have probably brought you there for a coffee (it is the café that serves a mini-croissant and a small OJ with a coffee). Anyway, I went through my normal café rituals, and as I got up to leave, the waitress who works there asked, “Mateo, would you like some roasted chestnuts?” Chestnuts are a typical food this time of year, and when they are hot and roasted they cut some chill of the winter rain. I said, “Sure.” And so she piled two huge handfuls of chestnuts on the bar. Then she said, “So what is it you do here? Are you some kind of teacher?” From her questions we had an hour long conversation about who I am and why our team is here. We talked about more things in that hour than I could ever write in an e-mail like this. She asked tons of questions about our church and what it is that we believe and gave me a glimpse into her life by telling me a little bit about her kids and family situation. Several of the members on our team have been praying for this particular lady for some time and it was so cool to see God working in her life. Before I left, I looked her in the eye and said, “I am really glad that we talked about these things today.” She said, “Me too. We will definitely talk some more later.” We praise God for encounters like this and we continually pray for opportunities to be salt and light in this land through word and deed. Please pray for this woman as well as other people like her that we know. Art Sale First Presbyterian Church will be having an art sale this Sunday, December 7 after both the first and second services. A group of volunteer artists from Lancaster has been working for several months on producing artwork - from paintings and drawings to jewelry with a Spanish theme. The artists that have been working on these projects are donating the proceeds to help fund the opening of Café Terra Nova. If you can not make it on Sunday, but would like some more information on how you can see the artwork, please contact Mindy Boyd at (740)-536-7216. Stationary Fundraiser Last year our team was blessed to have an intern who was also a photographer. While she was here she took black and white photos of the ancient buildings in Santiago and donated the photos to our team. These photos have been printed up into stationary in packets of 8 cards and 8 envelopes. If you would be interested in selling some of these for us in order to help raise money for Café Terra Nova please e-mail me for more information at matt.swain@iteams.org Pass it on: Feel free to pass this on to anyone who is interested in the ministry in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. If you do not currently receive this update just e-mail matt.swain@iteams.org

The following are archived Swains in Spain highlights from 2002. March 4, 2002 We are now and the final days of the pregnancy and very excited know that labor could start any day! So far it has been an amazing experience and we have to thank God for his grace and each of you for keeping us in your prayers (The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective –James 5:16). Lori’s mother will be coming to Spain this Friday and be spending several weeks with us. Please continue to keep Lori and the Baby in your prayers as well as that the delivery goes without any complications. February 2002 Divine Appointment As it happened I was eating a meal of pasta and pork chops in the middle of the student cafeteria that I frequent. The thing that bothered me most was that I was eating alone, and while I was sitting at a table in the midst of students I was still isolated from them, far outside of their world and praying for a way to enter into it. On that Tuesday I went to the cafeteria by myself in hopes to catch up with some students that I already knew. When I first walked in I was reminded of the experience that I think every kid experiences in high school or college. You step out of the food line and stand on the edge of the dining area peering around quickly for someone that you know so that you don’t have to stand there gaping too long. It is a moment that can stress even the most self-assured people in the world. If you’re smart, you’ll start looking while you are still in the food line, and if you’re timid you’ll only go when you can walk in with a friend. Well, when I walked into this cafeteria I did not see a single face out of the sea of heads that I knew or recognized. The waiter asked me if I would like to sit at a table near the back. While my first instinct was to just leave, I decided that I would make my way back through the tables of students to the one that he’d pointed out, because this would give me another opportunity to look for people that I knew. Unfortunately, I made it to the table without finding anyone, and that is how I came to eat alone. I decided that since I was there, I might as well make the best of the situation by praying for students around me. When I finished my meal and was getting ready to order dessert, a student that I knew entered and sat at a table nearby with some friends of his that I had not met before. He glanced over and saw me and I waved. He saw that I was alone and he said, “Grab your stuff and come over here and sit with us!” Not two minutes after I sat down with them another student that I knew walked by and said, “Hello.” So, I invited him to sit with us as well. He did not know the other three students, so there were introductions all around. It was wonderful! I found myself sitting at a table surrounded by students: some new and some that I had met before. Not only that, after lunch I had coffee with one guy and we had a great conversation. He asked me about our church, and he told me about his family. Then, the next day another student from that table came to our apartment and watched a movie with me. The protagonist in the movie thought money was the answer to happiness, but no matter how many millions of dollars he had, it was not enough. After the movie we talked about what truly makes someone happy. I thank and praise God for that lunch appointment that he set up! However, I also wonder how many appointments he has set up in our lives that we miss because we are too afraid, too busy, or just plain disobedient. Pray that God will set up some appointments for you and for me this week. Some with old friends, and some with new! But most importantly pray that we will be ready and recognize divine appointments when they are set before us. “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” - 1 Peter 3:15-16 April 2002 Swain Life Well, Abigail is over a month old now, and we are all starting to get used to life together. The first several weeks were difficult as she lost a good bit of weight and didn’t seem to be gaining very well. However, things have improved a lot, and at her one-month check up she had gained so much weight that her pediatrician told us that he thinks that her original birth weight was recorded a little high. It is amazing how much she has grown and changed in just a few short weeks. Lori and I both love just to watch her look around with her big dark eyes. We have even been able to coax a few smiles and cooing noises out of her from time to time. New Teammates Besides new team babies we have also been joined by a new couple. Troy and Jen Hellmann and their son Jack arrived in SDC at the end of March. The Hellmanns are from Texas and have been good friends with Scott and Shelly Stribling for years. Most recently Troy was an assistant pastor at a church that he and Jen helped to start in College Station, Texas. We are so thankful for their experience in church planting and praise God for them and what they bring to our team! Coffee House News We have a place!!! Located in the heart of the Old City of Santiago. We began renting a small storefront that is two blocks from our apartment and a short walk from the Cathedral. It has a tiny kitchen that we have converted into an office and another small room that we are going to use as a children’s playroom. The main room is freshly painted but entirely unfurnished at this time. It is our goal to line the walls with bookshelves and put in couches and chairs. We also would like to build a small platform to have a worship band or live music and designate an area for painting and drawing. We want this to be an interactive place for students to come and experience the truth and love of God. As we have looked into getting the permits required to serve coffee we have found that it could take a year or so. So, we are not giving up on coffee even though it could still take some time. While we are moving forward to obtain those permits, we have a place where we can try out our other ministry ideas. If you would like to know more about how you or your church could be involved in this coffee house/ministry center, please e-mail me and I will send you a packet of information. Student Cafeteria I have been continually amazed to see God open doors as I continue to eat lunch with students at their cafeteria. I have met many new students and been able to get together with several guys and play guitar. Last week two new guys sat with me and asked me what I studied. I explained that I am here to study the Bible with students. I started to tell them about the café that we are going to open and they said “Oh yeah, we heard a friend of ours talking about that the other day.” I was so excited that people are already talking about the Coffee House even while the paint on its walls is still wet. Thank you for your prayers! We can tell that God is giving us new opportunities here each day and your prayers go before us. Out of Town Our team will be out of town on a team retreat April 21-27. If you have an emergency and need to contact us, you can reach us at the following numbers: 011-34-652-306-207 or 011-34-658-662-863 Pass it on! Please feel free to forward or print out a copy of this to anyone who may be interested in the ministry in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. If you obtain a copy or forward of this newsletter and would like to receive it at your e-mail address please contact me at: matt.swain@iteams.org April 28, 2002 Evangelism Anxiety??? Does the word “evangelism” cause you to get excited and make you want to lace up your shoes and go meet the world head on? Or does the word “evangelism” give you butterflies in your stomach and make you want to run into your house, close the door, draw the shades and hide under the bed? In either case, I just read a book that I think has a very fresh perspective on evangelism and what that looks like in today’s society. Whether the word evangelism pumps you up or scares you away, I think that you would benefit greatly in your own spiritual journey if you check out Brian McLaren’s book, More Ready Than You Realize --Evangelism As Dance In The Postmodern Matrix. Summer Team We are already having a blast with the fourteen college students that came from College Station, Texas last week. They have sacrificed two months of the summer vacation that they could be using to work summer jobs or hang out with their friends, to come and be living examples of Christ to the students of Santiago. A few more students from some other states will also join us in the weeks to come. This past weekend was their first here in SDC, so we spent time giving them background on the city, praying and worshipping together, and letting them get acquainted with the culture and city. Most Spanish students hardly know anyone their own age that truly believes in God. So these students will be some of the first believers that these Spanish students have ever met. Please pray for the next two months and the time that they spend with their roommates and Spanish friends. Team Spain Our Team leaders Scott, Shelley, and Madeline Stribling are currently in the last week of their USA tour to go to conferences and visit family and will be returning to SDC in about a week. Please pray for their travel. Also, in the past two weeks every member of our team has been sick in one-way or another. This could not have happened at a more inopportune time as we have making preparations for the summer team. So, please pray for health and energy and they we will be able to get the things done each day that we need to do. We appreciate this more than you can know! Family Life Abigail continues to grow and amaze us daily with her new developments. Although she does not say many words yet (ha ha), she tries to talk to us through baby sounds. Last night she had us cracking up as she would make a cooing talking sound and then start laughing (Don’t worry Grandmas and Grandpas, we got some good video footage). Today we had her two-month check and everything is very good. She received two shots and I am not sure if it was harder on her or on us! Web-page –Under Construction!!!— If you have visited our web site lately, you may notice that has not been updated recently. We are in the midst of totally revamping it and will be changing the format a bit. IT will include a new section for family photos (translated: that means Abigail photos). Lori has been working very hard on this in her “free time” and we will let you know as soon as it is completely updated. August 6, 2002 This is a letter to the summer team of American college students after they completed two month ministry experience with us. Greetings from Lancaster, Ohio. Lori and I arrived in the states about the same time as you. Abigail did very well on the flight over. She was very excited to watch everyone on the plane, so she did not sleep much, but she remained in a good humor. Ever since “all ya’ll” left I have been meaning to write to you and let you know how much I appreciated our time living, playing, studying, worshipping, and doing ministry together this summer. Since we have arrived in Lancaster we have been talking with friends, family, at Bible studies and at church services. Every time, I get the privilege of telling how awesome the last two months have been. I have been sharing stories of people like Juan, Mariah, Carlos, Roberto, Rosa, and Jose to name a few. These are just some of the visible ways that I was able to see God work this summer and I just wonder how many invisible seeds were planted that we might never know about. As you think about each of these people (and others that you met) please continue to lift them up in prayer over the course of months and years to come. You may the only person in their life who cares enough to pray for them. I wanted to thank each of you for sacrificing a summer break that you could have spent working or just goofing off to come to Santiago and minister to Spanish students. I know that God will honor your sacrifice! I think that the Spaniards that came to the train station to see you off with tears in their eyes is a testimony to the work that you did. I hope and pray that you take time to reflect on how God has worked in your life this summer. Being back in the states I realize how easy it is to fall in to old habits or mindsets. Please don’t let that happen. Instead, consider where you are now a continuation of the work that you were doing this summer. May the light of Christ shine through you and touch every person that you come in contact with. We love you and miss you and this is my prayer for you: Que el Señor te bendiga Que el Señor te proteja Que el Señor te bendiga Que el Señor te proteja Que el Señor te miro con agrado y te muestre su bondad Que el Señor te mire con amor y te conceda la paz In Him, Matt Swain August 15, 2002 Father’s Love Lori and I have had such a wonderful time in Lancaster seeing friends and family and we want to say thank you for making us feel right at home. While we were here we had the opportunity to catch up with several of the students that were in the youth program while Lori and I worked at the church. In the midst of these reunions a conversation with one young man sticks out to me. He has recently been struggling in his faith and feels like a failure as he realizes that he has not been following Christ in the ways that he wants to and knows that he should. The more we talked, the harder he berated himself for neglecting God and he just seemed unable to forgive himself, let alone seek God’s forgiveness. Finally, we talked about the prodigal son and looked at that story from a new perspective as I described to him what it was like to be a Father. I told him that on the day that our daughter Abigail was born I loved her immediately and unconditionally. I said that no matter what she does, there is nothing that she can do that will make me loose my love for her. I am sure that she will mess up and I know that she will even upset me. However, even when she makes me mad or hurts me, my love for her will not diminish. Then I said that if you look at my love for her it is still flawed, imperfect love from an imperfect and wretched sinner. But God’s love for his children is absolutely perfect love. I know how much I love my daughter, but God’s love for his children is infinitely better than the love of any human. At this point I exclaimed, “Imagine how we would live our lives differently if we even grasped a fraction of that love!” He said to me, “You are right; everything that we did would be different if we remembered God’s love like that.” “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” -Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:11) September 30, 2002 The First Invitation Today Matt Hanlon, Troy, and I(Matt) met to make plans for the new school year, and we decided to begin a small group Bible study next Tuesday. We will be using the Alpha Course which is geared toward people who are not Christians. It addresses many of the fundamental questions of what it truly means to be a follower of Christ. Tonight when I got home from our meeting I called Juan, one of the students that went on the Camino with us this summer, and he said, “Mateo, I am just getting into town. Can I come to your house at 8?” “Of course!” I said. So, he came over and we spent some time talking and catching up. While we were talking he asked me if our team was going to be meeting together to study the Bible. I told him that we were going to begin meeting on Tuesdays. Before I could say anything else he asked me if it would be OK if he came next week. I said, “Of Course!” Please pray for Juan and that God would transform his life. Also, remember us in your prayers as we meet with other friends and students this week to invite them to the Alpha Course! Divine Appointment Over a year ago I (Lori) had an awesome language partner. We would meet regularly for me to practice my Spanish and for her to practice her English. It was great because my Spanish was getting better and we were becoming fast friends. Unfortunately (for me), Maria got a scholarship to study English in Cambridge and was gone all of last year. We lost touch and I never really expected to see her again. Today as we sat down to lunch, Matt said the blessing, and as he did, he asked God for “divine appointments” this week. Late this afternoon, I decided to take Abigail for a walk. I strapped Abigail into her front pack and we headed into the park. About halfway around the loop, I heard someone call my name and I looked over and it was Maria! Talk about answered prayer! She was just as excited to see me as I was to see her. The last time she saw me, we had just found out that we were expecting, so she was thrilled to meet Abigail. We got to hang out this afternoon, and I’m looking forward to what God wants to do with this friendship. We ask you to praise God with us tonight for faithfulness with both Juan and Maria! “I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let your glory be over all the earth.” Psalm 57:9-11