Learning about Leaning

Firstly, a really happy new year to all our friends and family!

Something the Bible encourages you to do is:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)


This last term and these last few weeks have been full of events that have brought home the truth of this, both personally as a family and collectively as a church plant. We move forward as best we can, using the brains God’s given us, and He nudges and re-directs us as we go! It’s a privilege and confidence that we have as God’s kids and, as we’re learning, it apparently plays a big part in church-planting:

On Sunday evening we had our first meeting together in a new venue, slap bang in the middle of Madrid in a spot that overlooks ‘Puerta del Sol’, the main central square! It’s an exciting development and something we haven’t seen coming but feel could be one of God’s key ‘nudges’. Having used our wisdom to strategise (though to be fair the wisdom resides pretty entirely in our leader Kev!) we’d been searching for a venue that would suit our growing needs in the north of the city, where most team members are based. We had our sights on a particular venue and after frustrating delays on the part of the owners we met as a church to pray outside it, to ask God for breakthrough. I felt God put in my heart that He had an ‘excellent change’ in store for us and an ‘immediate handover’ of the venue… but that same day, for some reason, we were turned down L Yet leaning on God’s wisdom and not our own is part of the adventure and incredibly, the same day Kevin received an email from another church leader in the city, saying that they were looking for a church that would join them in sharing their building in the centre! J We haven’t worked out the details and implications of it all yet, but we feel that God’s in this and we’re following his lead and looking forward to him using this in his plans to impact and draw people to himself amongst us. On Sunday at least 2 guests were with us as Kevin shared the gospel – if you pray, please pray with us for this, our goal and longing, that there may be joyful fiestas soon!!

As a family we are generally really well and enjoying our lives and work here. There have been some tough challenges though, particularly in the last few months. Many of you will know that sadly, Sally had a miscarriage in December, after a pregnancy that had been much longed for. We’ve been well loved and looked after though, and I’m especially amazed at Sal’s resilience. In this too, we are choosing not to lean on our own understanding, even though it hurts and we might not understand.

On the morning of the day of our appointment for our 12 week scan, when we were expecting to see our baby for the first time (unaware that the baby no longer had a heart beat), I was praying and reading the Bible. The passage I read was Ephesians 6 about standing firm on the day of evil and the particular verse that I felt God impress on my heart was verse 16: “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Previously Sal and I had both felt God warn and prepare our hearts before the arrival of our son Joseph, who needed major surgery at birth, but who is now such a bundle of energy and a delight to our family. And this particular morning I wanted to ignore that verse and impression, dismissing the whole thing as paranoia after our previous experience… yet now again God’s faithfulness is evident to me in the midst of difficulties – the loving whispers of a God who doesn't leave us alone but lives in us by his Spirit; who doesn't surround us in bubble-wrap so we escape trials in this life but who walks through them with us. And we want to choose to trust him and his paths for us. Please pray for us in this too; for grace to keep leaning on him and to walk forward into the good things he's got for us.

Finally, a few highlights of things we are enjoying these days:

- We loved our Christmas here, probably because we are feeling so much more at home in terms of friendships and where we’re living. We enjoyed ‘doing Christmas’ in a more Spanish way (24th evening meal, presents from the 3 kings, ice-skating in the park with friends, parades & nativity scenes…) and it was a privilege to be invited into our neighbours’ home for their family New Year's Eve meal (and the eating of 12 grapes at midnight!). Really special times.

- We’re loving getting to know new team members (Tom you’re a legend!) including the latest family that has joined the team - Gethin & Geofree and their two kids (our Welsh-Venezuelan element!). They live in our neighbourhood, their kids go to our kids’ school, and we’re sharing host responsibilities for our home group. It’s great to be on the adventure with them but generally we’re just big fans of them – quality people!

- Sal’s enjoying the fact that in some topics her Spanish vocabulary is now better than Al’s. Al is not. L

- And we’re loving normal family stuff like Ellie learning to read and write, Joseph mastering a fake Brit-speaking-bad-Spanish accent to make us crack up, taking the kids to countless birthday parties or having their friends over, Spanish swear words slipping out of our kids’ mouths from time to time… many laughs and very blessed with our family!


Anyway, better stop there. Thanks for your interest and support. God bless you all, trust this finds you well and until our next post!

Al, Sal, Ellie & Joe x