Personal Express Spring 2002

The past few months have been quite busy in many ways, but perhaps not always the ways we might have liked! Too much time working on the administrative sides of the job! Yes, we have enjoyed the visits and preaching opportunities, the weather has been very mild over the winter and Extremadura remains a wonderful area to live in. Snowy peaked mountains, green fields full of skipping lambs, warm sunshine and open roads all make it much more enjoyable than cold, contaminated, traffic-collapsed Madrid! Winter really can be wonderful. But there are a lot of areas in the specific ministry we have come to do in which time has been in front of the computer, rather than on the road. We have been discussing both the overall strategy and our specific job description with team members and leaders and we are seriously looking to find a different way to more effectively develop OM’s regional ministry here. At the same time, new regulations are making life more complicated, if eventually more helpful for the low-income OMers, like getting into the Spanish Social Security system... which is not automatic but reserved for employees, or special groups like, from now, evangelical pastors. Not all of us fit into this specific category, so again, our position needed to be examined. Important work, but not quite my cup of tea and definitely not Hilde’s. She has, meanwhile, enjoyed giving a series of about 10 studies based on Esther at the local church in Plasencia. A few weeks ago, I was taking photos of Coria and decided to snap the shield of the Spanish inquisition, which still guards the gate of the city. Remind you of anything? Pity that OAC didn’t include a paint brush when they designed the logo!

Looking ahead, the main event coming up is the summer campaign, which will be held close by in La Vera. 20 small towns and villages make up the district. Dates: July 13 to Aug 3. Pray that the Jaraiz town council will give special permission for us to use a disused school for accommodation. If all goes well, they might even be persuaded to let OM take it over for a number of years for use as a retreat centre. It is very well suited to this purpose.

Thank you for supporting us in prayer! Much love... Chris & Hilde