Final Stages...

Next Steps
Its nearly the end of January, and I am preparing again to go to Calgary to continue in partner development for the ministry the Lord has impressed on my heart, for the people who do not yet know him in Spain.

Support and Visa
I still persist toward the final financial and prayerful support that is remaining, and pray that it lines up with the visa that I already have submitted months ago but have heard nothing about...I just wait, its all I can do. I had called the embassy in December and they told me that it could take months. I trust the Lords timing with each, as I am required to be fully supported before I can go to Spain. Although once my visa is approved I have 90 days to leave the country or I will have to begin the process all over again. So the timing of it all is vital, I must have my finances in order before my visa expires.

Even though this causes me to stress a little sometimes, I know that in this too, the Lord is in control. So I wait, ready to run out the door, anticipating the next steps the Lord has for me, and waiting for his hand to permit me to move ahead. I have peace with the timeline, I trust that it is all on time and in order as he has prepared it, and even though I don't know the details I am holding his hand to lead me ahead when he initiates.

Winnipeg these last few months have been a good break and opportunity to rest as well as help again in the family business. Also it has been wonderful to spend time with friends and family and to soak in the last of these homebound snowy days, that I do believe that I will actually miss. Even now my car sits in a light layer of snow on the street and its too cold to even start, but these days I don't mind being housebound. I have been on the road for so long -since April- that to be housebound is a wonderful thing. Too wonderful. I now sluggishly attempt to jump back in the race of networking and persistence in the realm of life that seems to always move a step or two ahead of me.

My Heart
There is a lot for me to ponder these days. That of what is going on now in life, and the chaos of being somewhat without a home, always travelling, entering in and out of peoples lives, never really knowing where I fit and where I have already been replaced. It can be fun sometimes, and sometimes it can be challenging for me to uproot so often as it disrupts the ability to go deep with friends. But even in this I trust that God is in control and press ahead to what he has called me to.

Scheduled Timeline
February 1st- Fly to Calgary
February 2-3 Attending MTO Missions Weekend at Centre Street Church in Calgary

Projected Agenda Pre-Departure
February-March
- Deepen Intimacy with the Lord
- Book Speaking Engagements at:

churches, ministries, small groups and coffee dates in Calgary and Winnipeg

- Mail Merger to all contacts
- Pack whats remaining for moving to Spain
- Continue to help my family get the family business in order before my departure to Spain

DEPARTURE TO SPAIN- as soon as Finances, Prayer Partners and Visa are in, projected for end of March 2013.

Remaining Financial Support Required
30% of monthly pledges which equals:    13 people at $100/mo.

OR
26 people at $50/mo.
OR
37 people at $35/mo.

Number of Prayer Supporters Required

28 more people 

(to partner with me to commit that we would pray for one another weekly with regular prayer requests)

Thanks

Thanks for all you prayers, love and support. The Lord is good and in control. I have been reading through Revelation recently and am reminded how short our days on this earth are and how important it is to be ready for our Lords return. To those who belong to God it will be a glorious day, but to those who do not know him, the day will bring great tragedy, which is why we must be all the more ready to share with others the good news of our Lord and His Gospel of love and Grace for all peoples. 

Ways to Give

http://www.sendcanada.org/?i=1638&mid=1000&id=10428 

All my Love, 

 Missy

Lasting Impressions of Spain...

Madrid, Spain

Sat April 2, 2011

I'm here in Spain with one week left to go,

One thing I really wanted confirmation from the Lord while I was here was whether I should be in Spain or somewhere more unreached. My hearts struggle was that I heard that Spain was less then 1% Christian, but I wasn't sure if it was unreached in the way that Canada for example is becoming increasingly secular, and so that was why I thought maybe I would go somewhere more in need. I have always been sure of my calling but I felt the location was unclear, and so I was testing the waters to see where He leads me.

The first town we arrived at in Spain was called Siguencia with a population of about 5000 people.(I attached a photo of it for you). Standing in the centre is a huge Catholic church that remains relatively empty even on its best services, and the only other church is the one that the missionary's have started. Then I found out that even with that missionary's church of about 20 people, there are still no Spaniards who attend it, they are all immigrants who mostly were already believers before they came to Spain. This is only one of the small towns, there are so many city's with up to 30,000 people with NO believers NOR witness of the Gospel. The ones that are bigger then that are NOT more reached, its just that they have at least been found to have a small church or Bible study or some recognition of the gospel even though the number of believers is so small compared to the population. I realized that Spain is in fact an unreached country. I realized that there is a big task here in obedience to the Lords work and calling in order to remain faithful to the work and not be discouraged with this hard soil. And so I press on with Spain, I press on with the ministry here. I feel peace about moving here for ministry, and I feel urgency for the work ahead of me.

Pray for the missionary's here that they do not get discouraged with the small numbers and that the Lord would strengthen them in their faithfulness to Him. I'm so encouraged by their commitment to the work before them and their dependency on the Lord for His ministry. God is moving here, He is working in the in the hearts of the Spanish people. 

We are in a region called Guadalajara now, and there is this amazing ministry called METAS that the missionary's use as an outreach centre. Using this centre they have made contacts with Spaniards drawing them into the community of believers where they have the opportunity to hear the gospel and some have come to church through it. The work here is very slow, but intentional, and God is moving. The same METAS program is in that first town that I mentioned as well however the ministry among the Spaniards is moving slower there. Pray that the Lord would move in the hearts of the Spaniards that they have made contact with there as well. 

Anyways, just a little note. I didn't expect to write so much.

Melissa