i have been meaning to sit down and write this post for awhile now, but over the past month God has given me so many more things to add to this that i figured i would wait until after Semana Santa. So here it is por fin!
my prayer since the beginning of the trip has been that God would open my eyes and show me the Spain that He sees, that He would break my heart for the things that break His. An awesome thing about our God is that He loves to answer prayers. He has shown me exactly what i asked. It has stretched me beyond my limits at times and sent me running to Him with questions on more than one occasion, but it has also brought about growth in my life.
one of the first experiences of Him showing Spain from His eyes is just living in this culture. it is very closed off. people do not relate on personal levels until after knowing each other for years, and even then it is unlikely that you will ever talk about anything more than sports or gossip. personal problems are pushed aside, appearance is what matters most.
appearance is everything to the people of Spain. Cultural catholicism is the norm. dress defines who you are to those around you. it was hard and still is hard to get used to the culture of "if you´ve got it, flaunt it". girls walk around on the street in skin tight everything, they are pressured to be thin, they wear make-up from the time they are in grade school. they lost their innocence early on and struggle with effects of it constantly.
kids easily fall into the botellon culture. they hang out in groups and get drunk just to fit in. those that chose to stand apart are looked at as abnormal. there is such a small population of christian youth, and those that are constantly fight to remain and not give in to the cultural norms.
working in the ropero, a ministry that gives out clothes to those that need them, i have had to face every type of poverty. they ar ehungry and thristy and most believe that material things will save them. women come every week looking for clothes and food for their children. the children are dirty and in need of love. my heart breaks to see their tears, but overflows with joy to see the beautiful smiles after they have been helped. the women that work with me at Ropero are constantly joking and keeping the mood light, they don´t mind the dirt or smell of unwashed bodies, they just share the love of Christ with them in any way possible. this has challenged me more than anything. it is hard to not grow tired and discouraged with all the need that surrounds me, but i know that there is hope for these people!
the hardest thing that hit me, was seeing a family of six living out of a van. the van is blue and always parked by the river, we always joked that bad things went on in that van since it looks like the typical hippie hang out. i got a huge shock while walking to church one sunday and seeing a son helping his father was his hands and face from a bottle of water while the son´s wife and kids sat and watched the whole process waiting on their turn. this is the picture of Spain that best fits for me.
there are people that are hungry and dirty and waiting on their turn to be clean. God is like the son, in a way, He patiently helps us wash the dirt and sin off of our bodies and then turns to the next one of us and begins the process again. the people of Spain are hurting. the economy is bad, many are hungry and homeless and need the hope that He offers. it won´t be easy, but He is a God who likes to break down walls to get us to the place where we need to be.
He is the God of this city and the God of this country. He will bring these people to His side and love them with the everlasting love of a father. there is so much work to be done here! at times it is overwhelming, but i continue to trust His guidance. He has opened doors for me to get to know and get involved with various ministries here and to see the things that He is doing. He has put people in here that have wonderful hearts that are reaching many. I know that He will see this through to the end, He that began a good work will be faithful to complete it!
