Freedom- from religion? Or - to believe?

I just came across this article which explains some of the differences between Europe and the USA and how we view religion. I thought that they really captured a the significant differences and did a good job of explaining how our different histories have led us to where we are today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

To see some Thanksgiving pics go here. We also have some other albums here, here and here.

A Walk in the Park

Today was a beautiful day in Santiago. It was cool and crisp. Lori was working at the cafe this afternoon so the girls and I went to a nearby park to collect some leaves and enjoy the fresh air. This park used to be a monastery. They don't make granite playhouses like they used to 300 years ago. :)

Why are we here?

Tonight I am speaking a GBU. It is a Bible Study for university students in Spain. I am going to talk a little bit about International Teams and the kind of work they do all around the world. Then we are going to do a Lectio Divina on Isaiah 61. I love this passage! It is what Jesus read outloud in the synagogue at the at the beginning of his ministry. It made some people so mad that they tried to kill him. My challenge for the students and myself is how can I take part in fulfilling Isaiah 61 where I am? Also, if God is challenging me to some specific ministry or place what am I doing about it? I often wonder what the world would look like if Christians all around the world lived out their life daily with a sense of their life being about ministry. When we pray "Thy Kingdom come" do we really mean it and seek it today? Do we really see our selves as anointed by the Spirit of the Sovereign? Do we see our selves as healers and rennovators of the ancient ruins in peoples lives around us? Do we see ourselves displaying the splendor of the Lord? What would that look like, the "splendor of the Lord"? Will we hear our calling as priests and ministers of God no matter our vocation or station in Life?

November News 2005

Recent Visitors- We just spent a few days with visitors from IT. Barthe Companjen and Rick Knox stopped by on a journey throughout Spain as they look at future ministry opportunities for IT. Tim Barnes posted a few entries about his time here with us that you can read at his blog On The Global Edge. Todd In France- Todd works with International Teams in France. Lori and I have been reading his blogs lately to get an insider's view of why there is unrest and what is happening. We have found this really insightful and learned things that we would not learn just watching the news. Cafe News- It has been fun starting to meet some of the new students who frequent the cafe with new school year. In our very limited space we added a Laptop Zone last week. This allows us to free up some of our table space and provide electricity for our laptop users. We put it in the front window so our laptop users have a great view while they are doing their work. We also just put in a new art exposition by local artist Estrela Rua. Video Project- Gary Brunson is a freelance video producer from Texas. He has come for a few weeks to donate his skills to helping the team capture the atmosphere of SdC and the Cafe. This will be a great way for us to show what is happening here to prospective team mates and interns. Future Teammates- We are praying for future teammates, especially those who have a background in Spanish and Managerial skills. If you fit that description and have been feeling a nudge towards cross-cultural ministry send me an e-mail at matt.swain@iteams.org. Family News- We have some new photos posted on our family album page and If you have not had a chance to see what Lori has been writing about lately you can visit her page here. There is also a link to it in the right column. --->

Interesting Article

Here is an article describing the refugee situation in Spain. This is a little about International Teams and and basic facts about refugees. The following quote on the IT sight made me wonder how we think about and treat refugees. "Refugees in the Bible include Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, and Jesus."