First Day in Spain

As I looked out the window at Spain, the country that is less than 3% evangelical Christian, I couldn’t help think about my beloved Italy. I know that Italy is about 98% Catholic so I wonder if they have as high a percentage of evangelical Christians as Spain. That is certainly not to say that you can’t be evangelical or Christian if you’re Catholic. It just seems that Catholic religion in Europe is losing its foothold in my generation. Someone told my friend (and team leader) Stephanie that in Spain, God is like a fairy tale, only for children. They have been disappointed for so long in the antiquated teaching of their parents’ church that they don’t believe that God exists anymore. I imagine that is what it was like before Jesus came. For 400 years, there was silence from God. The Israelites hadn’t heard audibly from God in centuries and the prophets had ceased. The only thing they had to go on were stories passed down through the generations. Like fairy tales. It is funny how I still feel like I am just starting to understand my purpose in coming to Spain.

Once we landed in Spain, we had about 7 hours to kill before our flight to Sevilla. It does not matter the circumstances, there is no amount of napping on hard chairs, eating terrible airport food, drinking Spanish coffee, and reading magazines that will make 7 hours go fast. I was so excited to board that plane to Sevilla and just be there. Unfortunately, the plane ride was bumpy and uncomfortable to the point that I felt overwhelmed with nausea and fatigue by the time we got to Sevilla.

When we arrived, our “host family” Pepe and Mari were waiting for us. We had just enough time to drop our things at the hotel, take a quick shower, and get back in the car to head to the church. Pepe had planned a night of worship in our honor to kick start the week. We were so exhausted that (if I’m just being honest) I really wasn’t looking forward to going. Isn’t that sometimes when God will surprise you the most? We got there and the church was beautiful. It is much smaller than I expected, comfortably seating maybe only about 80-100 people max. But it reminded me of our church at home. And at the same time, it was nothing like our church. It felt like what I imagine the first church gatherings felt like. A group of friends that are close enough to feel like family, gathering to celebrate Jesus, sharing in communion, and having a meal together. Of course, the high tech production and soccer game on the big screen afterwards brought me back to reality but in a moment, I felt like I could’ve been in Spain 2000+ years ago. It was amazing. And they sing a lot of the songs I love from home, just translated into Spanish! It felt so comfortable and full of love that I knew the week would be great. Afterwards, we dragged our beat down selves back to the church and crashed. Hoping for a renewed sense of energy and excitement tomorrow.