3 YEARS!

Friends and family at the airport as we headed to Spain

I cannot believe that 3 years ago we stepped off an airplane at the Madrid airport, teary eyed, full of hope and expectations, and scared to death.  We thought we knew what was ahead, but in reality we could not have imagined the highs and the lows that would occur. There have been days if I had an airplane ticket back to the states I would have run all the way to the airport.  There have been other days that if I had been given a ticket, you would have had to drag me there.  Roller Coaster ride is about the only way I can describe these years.

The highs (in no particular order):

• I passed the language exam - who knew that it was possible?  I think I was more proud of that passing grade than I was with either of my college degrees (which were awarded with honors).
• The relationships - oh what dear friends I have made here.  The fun thing about making friends with other cultures is that not only do you get to learn about their likes and dislikes, but relationships are filled with questions and you really get to understand what makes them tick.  And when you live an ocean away from family or friends, you place a new value on friends - both old and new.
• The country - if you need a vacation spot where heaven meets earth, come to Spain.  This is an incredibly beautiful country.  Where else can you visit both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic?  Where can you see the starched brown land of a desert and then a few hours later be in a plush, green forest?  The castles and the churches and the rivers and the pueblos and ....  It is all here.
• The church - after 3 years we are finally settled in a ministry site and are partnering with a small Spanish church while also hoping to start a point of mission here in our pueblo.  We walk into this church and we feel at home.  We fell in love with this church when we were first here and God has allowed us to return "home."  I wish everyone of you could come worship with us just one Sunday.  
• Our teammates - we all have different callings, different strengths, different life styles, different theologies or philosophies, but we all have a love for God and a desire for the world to know Him better.  
• ECA (the school where Alex attends and I work one day a week) - Alex did two years in the public schools and did fantastic, but a time came when he needed to be in an English speaking school that would prepare him for college in the states.  Without ECA we would have had some hard decisions. ECA allowed Hannah to spend her senior year in Spain making lifetime memories.  If you are a teacher (new, retired, looking for a sabatical), consider coming to ECA.  We need teachers.  
• Our partners - it seems like every time we are having a rough day one of our partners sends us a note of encouragement.  We literally could not be here without their support - prayer and financially.  We thank God for them everyday.
• Family - the ocean is really big and there are times when it feels even bigger, but our families have been great.  Sisters, and cousins and aunts and uncles have filled in for me when I felt as if I should have been there for my parents.  My parents have encouraged us to be here, even knowing how much they would prefer to see their grandkids more often (they have not seen Alex in 2 years).  Scott's sister has taken on the role of caregiver for his mom.  Zach and Hannah have had to navigate adulthood a lot faster, but have done so with cheerful hearts.  
• Teams and Visitors - Every visitor, whether on a short term trip or just passing through, have brought joy with them.  We have gotten to share our friends and land with them and they have filled us up with energy and love to keep going forward.
• Peanut Butter (well, care packages in general) - amazing what a care package can do for you!
• God - do you know that He is exactly who He claims to be?  He says that He will never leave you nor forsake you.  He says His strength is sufficient.  He says that the same Holy Spirit that lives in Him lives in us and will give us the strength to get through whatever may face us.  He says He loves me.  He says that He desires good for me and not evil.  He has proven to be everything He says He is.  Life has been hard; it has been filled with some incredibly difficult challenges, and yet, God has been who He says He is.  

Maybe another day I will come back and share the lows of the three years - but for today I will celebrate the highs.  I can't wait to see what year 4 has in store for us!