We want to shine brightly in Gijon for you, Lord
25 Feb 2020
I don’t think there was ever one specific time or event that motivated me to work cross-culturally, but looking back it seems that somehow God just wove the desire into my fabric without me even realising. It started with my first trip to Europe when I was in my early twenties as that definitely changed me … but I never really understood why or how. It wasn’t until I became a Christian years later that I even processed the thought that maybe my passion for Europe and the connection I felt had been deposited in me by God years before.
When I met my husband, we discovered we shared the same vision and so began what I always refer to as our Spiritual Treasure Hunt. But it wasn’t until after we had had four children (sometimes it takes a bit longer than we anticipate for God’s plan to come to pass) that we spent a year in Italy and Portugal as a family pretty much searching for clues. The people God brought alongside us and the things we experienced during that incredible year abroad really laid a concrete “faith foundation” for what was to come. When we returned home 12 months later, we were so enthusiastic and felt ‘more than prepared’ to head straight back, but it took another 10 years. There were certainly times in that period we felt maybe it was not meant to be …that we had somehow misinterpreted God. But each time we questioned if we should stop ‘dreaming this crazy dream’ God would move and take us a few more steps forward. Close friends who were believing and praying alongside us were such an encouragement plus keeping in touch with the team we had visited in Gijon, definitely helped us stay the course.
Queremos brillar para ti en Gijon, Señor
When we finally arrived in Northern Spain four years ago it was almost surreal as the streets, we had ‘Google map walked ‘ so many times we were now standing on. All the prayer, passion and energy we had put towards getting here we transferred to language learning and relationship building as we so desire to connect well with those we are surrounded with. We have found we have such an incredible love for the generous, loud, passionate, friendly, smiling, fiesta and siesta loving people of Spain (did I mention loud haha), but there is a dark religious stronghold on this country and its precious people, and the light of Jesus is so desperately needed. We have written on our kitchen wall ‘Queremos brillar para ti en Gijon, Señor’ and that is our prayer that we shine brightly for Him whilst we have the privilege of serving Him here.
– Julie, a Pioneers worker serving in Spain.
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