Dear Friends and Family,
It really is difficult to imagine that my time in seminary is just about over. The funny thing is and I’m not sure how many of you know this, but half way through my studies Margaret decided to get a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. I will be done after this summer and Bird has another year and a half to finish. We are beginning to see with clarity God’s plan for us in the near future. We are very thankful to Gordon-Conwell because they understand the need to put practical experience to head knowledge and in order for me to finish out my degree in World Missions, the seminary requires that we take a six week trip oversees, to see if I actually learned anything and to give us direct mentorship on the field.
Margaret and I have prayed hard for God to match our passions and gifts to a people group that we can learn from and be challenged by. Going into our prayers we decided, based on our desire to work with the Hispanic population inside the United States that we were going to go to a Spanish speaking country. Our goal is to be fluent in Spanish within the next two years. This is so that we can better serve God’s global mission as bilingual servants of the gospel. With these things in mind as personal desires, we combined the need for Evangelical awakening in Europe and our prayers led us to one place, Spain!
Spain is a country full of bull fights, flamenco music, soccer, nominal Catholicism, post-modern narcissism, and the home of the lowest percentages of Protestant believers in all of Europe. Less than .42% of Spain claims any kind of Evangelical faith. Please do not misread that statistic that is less than 1% of a total population of 40 million. But we believe that the Spaniards are an extremely strategic people group to reach in regards to future mission work. The Spanish are by nature adventures and gentlemen with this combination we believe that once reached the Spanish people could build cross-cultural bridges into North Africa penetrating highly Islamic nations as well as serving with other Spanish speaking countries in Central and South America.
Before this can happen though the Spaniards have to come to faith. That is where Bird and I fit in. We are using this opportunity to finish out my degree in Spain but using these two months as a scouting trip to see if God is calling us to Spain full time. We will be traveling to Madrid and then on to the University of Salamanca on June 28th. While in Spain we will be taking Spanish at the University of Salamanca the same University where St. John of the Cross (The famous Spanish Mystic) studied. Our opportunities weekly will be to lead a Bible study for English speakers who are studying there over the summer. During one week of our trip we will be traveling down to the south of Spain to work with a church that does direct work with immigrant Muslims up from Morocco. After studying Islam in seminary we are eager to work with the Moroccan’s.
Again all of this is in preparation to discern God’s future plans for us in Spain. With that said it is our great honor to call on you to send us on our way, not only by giving toward our goals but also in sending us through your prayers and meditations. Paul said it best when he said, “I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while” Romans 15:24. I only wish I could see each of you before we go because we do hold you in our hearts. Seminary has been a difficult but invaluable time for growth in ministry and we look forward to finishing this season on yet another blessing from God as He launches us into our next phase.
Our Prayer Needs are very specific:
1. Language learning: Pray that God will give us the gift of tongues as we try to learn Spanish
2. Holiness: Pray that we would represent Christ there as we do here with all love and compassion.
3. Future Missionary Work: God has given us both hearts for his global mission and we will be a part of that in some way.
Our Financial Needs:
Our total budget for both of us to go to Spain is $5,480
This includes the following:
Airfare—$2,500
Rent for six weeks—$780
Food—$500
In country travel—$350
Miscellaneous—$250 (Coffee with students and a few meals out)
Spanish Course—$550 each
*NOTICE*
Make Checks payable to GCTS with Gregg Jennings (160995) in the memo.
Checks can be mailed to:
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
C/O OMP Fund: Financial Services
130 Essex St.
S. Hamilton, MA 01982
