Arise, April 2006

Day of Anguish or of Hope?

Bulletin nº30 (April '06)

The Bulletin of the Prayer Network for the Evangelisation of Spain

"This is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them." (Isaías 37:3)

Dear brethren who are praying for the evangelisation of Spain, greetings in Christ. Allow us to share with you a rather different bulletin to the norm. It is also a little longer, but we believe it is worth it. In this edition we do not present the usual prayer requests, but rather bring you reports and testimonies which have come in over the past two weeks. They are spiritually and emotionally charged, producing in us anguish, but drawing us to repentance and awakening our hope. In the midst of such a chaotic political and social situation as we are experiencing, the Lord calls us to turn our gaze back to His Church, because it is here that there is hope for Spain. But are we prepared to face the historic hour in which we are living? Why is this a time of anguish, punishment and dishonor? It seems to be a time to bear many spiritual children, but that the Church is not strong enough to bear them. This is the theme of the first testimony, received in a report on the 40 days of prayer and fasting promoted by our brethren in “España Intercede" (Intercessors for Spain):

NOW is the time to give birth, yet we have no strength! Greetings from Intercessors for Spain. I want to share with you what I consider a key prayer concern at this time on behalf of the Church in our nation. In Isaiah 37:3 we read a passage outlining the strange situation of a nation in which children were born, but in which the mother had no strength. In a similar way, some chapters earlier, another drama is related (26:17 & 18): a pregnant woman who groans, cries out in pain, conceives, has birth pains, but gives birth only to wind. These passages well describe our situation in the church in Spain. We are doing much, holding great evangelistic events, making a big noise. There are even non believers who are open to spiritual things – more than at any recent time; yet the catastrophe is complete when they enter our churches (something I mention with grief as I look at the problem in my own church, to go no further). I believe that we have reached a point where spiritual babes are being born, but where the mother (the church) has no strength. It does not know how to care for them, pastor them; it has no time or energy to concern itself with them. It is my prayer that God would give us the grace and the ability to consolidate these little ones and lead them to maturity, so that they come to spiritual emanicipation. A warm hug, my dear brethren. In Hm we will do great things. Pedro David.

Isaiah 37:3 is exactly the same word and feeling shared with tears in his eyes by a brother in the Lord who visited Spain recently. Another of the Lord's servants, a Spanish woman of prayer, mentions these issues as weakening the Church: discontent, grumbling, unbelief, tiredness and idleness. Dear brethren and coworkers in the work of the Lord, we invite you to postrate ourselves before Him, allow Him to examine us and convict of these sins. Before the Lord let us ask Him to grant us the grace of repentance and the strength necessary to give birth. Amen!

“Join me in concern and tears.” The following report comes from the director of the national TV programme Buenas Noticias TV (Good News TV), Jose Pablo Sanchez. He is also president of the radio station Radio Encuentro and brings this sad news.

If you were to live in Madrid I'd invite you to take just a moment to tune to 90.1FM and listen to Radio Piraña. The frequency is the one Radio Encuentro used for 5 years until at the end of last year we were forced off the air. The regional authorities, in the person of Sr. Vitoria, had tried to fine us and this forced us off the air.

I hope Sr. Vitoria is happy with the new user of this frequency. His campaign has meant that instead of a station announcing justice, love of our neighbours, tolerance and integration, now the new station (between expletives) is announcing lesbian parties, pornography, erotic discoteques and dullness. Where Radio Encuentro announced the Gospel and the resurrection of Jesus, now chaos is proposed and the resurrection of Carnival. Where people were invited to visit churches, now they are invited to 'social clubs' (or brothels). Let's see if Sr. Vitoria is able to get rid of them, since they are sure to have spare cash to pay fines from their business.

I feel bad, really confused and frustrated. Should we, could we have done more to avoid this? Sell my home? Go on hunger strike? Did I not insist enough that the churches support the radio project? I don't know. What I do know is that there is no project in the 22 years of my ministry to which I have dedicated so much effort, prayer, fasting and health. The Lord knows. We need to keep in the breach, in the hope that God will do justice, fulfill His promises and open paths in the desert. That is my trust.

- Radio Encuentro is still up and running. Over the past months it has been broadcasting worldwide over the Internet (www.radioencuentro.net). In addition we are broadcast on small FM transmitters in the towns of Guadalix and Navalcarnero in Madrid. In Barcelona, through Onda Paz, some of our programmes can also be heard. Soon we will be on air in Santander, Lugo, Toledo and up to ten more cities where the churches have requested retransmission rights, since they want to reach their cities with the Gospel. Our prayer is that, with small, very cheap transmitters many churches in Spain will dare to proclaim the Gospel using Radio Encuentro. The technology is already available. It only needs churches and brethren willing to fight ad to use the new technologies for the advance of the Kingdom. If you are interested in placing a transmitter in your city, write to the station's director, Fernando Díaz, at: radioencuentro@terra.es.

- The lack of finance has been the main problem for Radio Encuentro since the beginning. The upkeep of a professional quality radio station costs more than rebroadcasting sermons and playing canned music. We could do with 2000 Euros each month and we only get 800. Would you like to help? Would you like to avoid a repetition of the case of Madrid reoccurring elsewhere? Support Radio Encuentro. If you would like to do so, get in touch with our treasurer, who will let you know how you can best do this from your country: José Manuel del Yerro (proyectomwana@hotmail.com) Thank you for your prayer and colaboration.

Oh! And don't bother to look at Radio Piraña's web site or listen... It isn't worth wasting your time. But do take a moment to check us out: www.radioencuentro.net May the Lord bless you. Sirving the Master, José Pablo Sánchez President of Radio Encuentro.

Battle with no headquarters The adventures of Esther Rodriguez and her valliant team on the Costa Brava.

-As we had 40 team members, we had to go to a camp site. Fortunately, a nearby church helped out lending us tents and a caravan, as well as lending us cooks for the campaign. So we set up our base camp in an encouraged mood as the headquarters for the outreach in Palamos. All went well at first, but it soon became clear that this was to be quite some battle... with no headquarters. Thinking all was arranged with the city hall, suddenly they began to retract on permissions. After finally getting the papers signed, they decided to take back the barriers, then they failed to send the police escort. In short, every day there seemed to be a new problem. But despite it all we kept on and were able to do the programme every day.

- At the start of the second week, when things seemed to be improving, suddenly the 'climate factor' entered play. A thermal inversion developed over the region and you wouldn't believe it, but Palamos was the most affected city of all. After surviving an incredible night, the light off in the camp site, tents flooded and young people terrified at the torrential rain and lightning (over 75,000 strikes in 5 hours), they had to be taken to the homes of believers at 4 a.m. Along almost impassable streets. Imagine! It was a very long night and a real test of fire for the leaders.

-The morning came and with fear in our eyes and totally exhausted, we began to examine the damage. The tents were useless and we had to rent some 'bungalows', a cost we hadn't reckoned on. Yet we managed to set up the kitchen again and put up with two or three days more of sporadic rain showers. The park where the programmes took place was also full of puddles, since the tree cover did not let the sun through. Yet somehow we didn't give up. Every day we managed to complete a full series of activities.

- Although the bad weather resulted in smaller audiences than we would have liked for most of the children's programmes, God certainly gave us excellent contacts. One couple is attending a cell group, children have their programme on Saturday mornings and we keep praying that in the Lord's time a new church will arise in Palamos.

On another note, we need to print 50,000 new gospels of John for this year's activities. The cost will be about 20,000 Euros. Pray that the Lord provide from His gracious resources for this need. ltb@intercom.ec Telf. 93 441 40 82

Call of a soul in anguish The following message was sent to us from the website of the Conference for the Evangelisation of Spain:
I want to tell you my story. I'm really in a bad way. I've had a boy friend for years, a really great relationship and our son, Diego, was born 18 months ago. Just recently, Javier told me he thinks he is gay. My world has fallen to pieces. I am in despair and have no idea what to do. The only thought I have is to pray that God will illuminate him and lead him, me and our families so they can also help us find our way in all this, so he doesn't leave us. I beg of you that you help me in some way and pray for me or tell me how I can find help. I am 24, but this has really broken my heart. I don't know what will happen to me or my son. May God and the virgin hear me and may you pray for us. Greetings, Anita. Please include me in your prayers and remember me.
We wonder if there is anyone out there who is willing to help this person.

God will be manifest in power This testimony from Vanessa and her husband, a young couple who are clearly on fire for the Lord:
We want to comment that we joined the 40 days of prayer and fasting for Spain, which you held in January and February. We started on 1st March. Most of our church has got involved. The Conference's Prayer Guide has been very helpful in focussing our prayer. God is seeing and hearing the clamour of His Church in Spain. The Lord will do surprising things, more than we think or hope. In our local church, specifically, we feel the Holy spirit is leading us to prepare to teach The Word, because a great harvest of souls is coming. We must be ready to teach and disciple them. A revival requires preparation. Times of spiritual fullness, where God is seen in power, wonders and signs, with people turning to the Lord, will just evaporate if we are not prepared to play our part. The Word is what will consolidate and place the feet of the multitudes on the Rock who is Jesus Christ. We want sane, balanced multitudes, genuine conversions and solid christians. We don't want any of the forthcoming harvest to be lost. Thank you for your example, love and passion for God. Samuel and Vanessa.

Important change from the next news letter.

This is the last newsletter in its current format. We are indeed grateful that over the past years Leopoldo Lobo has been willing to produce this monthly prayer letter which is presented here in translation. From next month on there will be a new team of Spanish mission leaders working on the letter in its original (Spanish language) format. Pray for this working group from the Conference for the Evangelisation of Spain who will be working on this project. In particular, the oversight committee has decided that it is in future only to be posted on the web, rather than sent round a mailing list. Some have expressed their concern that this will reduce the number of people reading it. Pray that this would not be the case. Give thanks for the ministry of Leopoldo and pray for his work with YWAM and Intercessors for Spain.

Late news – missing boy

On 10th April, Josué Monge Rodríguez, son of members of an evangelical church planted by TEAM in Coria del Rio, Seville, went missing. At 24th April he is still missing. Pray for his safe return very soon now.