Two Days Left!

Yesterday was perfect. That's all there is to say. From the time we woke up in the morning Bird had every step planned and it was simply the perfect day. So today is crazy, we have been running all over the city trying to tie up our loose ends. We leave on Monday to start our vacation and we are so excited. We will write more about our vacation but we still have a few things to do in Salamanca before we head out. Tonight we are having a movie night for all those in our Bible Study and tomorrow we are having Pizza Hut, that's right there is a Pizza Hut here, with Jesse and Sophie to say good-bye. It's hard to believe our time is up, it has been one great ride.

Thank You Mom and Dad, For 30 Great Years!

It's 1 A.M in Spain just now and Bird is in the office at En Vivo creatively working on something for tomorrow's big day. She already has breakfast plans for us and plans for dinner at Isidro's. I am one blessed man. The three people next to me in this picture are my biggest fans in the world. Mom and Dad, you gave me the confidence to accomplish anything in the world and you instilled in me a faith that is unshakable. Bird you are the love of my life and tomorrow when I wake up I will be 30 years old. What ever you have planned for the day I simply can't wait. I feel like I'm 5 and I've never felt that way before on my birthday. The first thirty were good with an amazingly bright spot at the end, that was you! I simply cannot wait for the next 30 with you my love. Then we'll only be 60 and so I can't wait for the 30 after that either!

To all my friends out there and family...you have made my life such a joy. Thank you for enriching me along the way with your stories and your love. I am a blessed man and I have all I want and need. With a sweet baby on the way what else could one dream of. My dreams have come true.

Peace to you all.
Raise a glass, Gregg is 30! Or at least watch a Cardinals Game or something!

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What I've Learned about People:

This is a picture of last nights Bible Study. We had a quiet, intimate group with loads of good discussion. I feel have learned that people are people no matter what country you are in. People have hurts, scars, wounds but also they have victories and can be heroic. We have loved getting to know the people in our Bible Study. I believe God brought each of us, including myself to this study. Each person brought their own experiences and knowledge to the group and was willing to open up and be honest about their lives and faith, or lack of faith. I told Bird that I am always amazed that in a small group context how quick people are willing to open up and be honest about themselves. Then I thought, if people are not vulnerable to let other people in then the odds are others in the group will never get to know them. I've learned a lot about vulnerability from my good friend Anthony. I've learned that I like it when others are vulnerable, it makes me feel good like I can speak into their lives. However, I myself even when I think I'm being open an honest with others can keep just enough back to be safe and comfortable in my own walled up city.

I've learned people need friends.
I've learned people need love.
I've learned people want to laugh.
I've learned people want to be noticed.
I've learned people want to be know more about Christianity even if they don't want to be a Christian.
I've learned I am more reserved in evangelism then I thought I was.
I've learned people love a cup of coffee over their theological conversations.
I've learned people will label you no matter what.
I've learned people are beautiful.
I've learned people have a lot more in common with each other then they think.
I've learned people can be trusted.
I've learned people love and hate America.
I've learned that I love and hate America.
I've learned I miss the students at Harbor of Hope.
I've learned that family is the best part of life.
I've learned that my life is more important then my message.
I've learned that Italian food is better than Spanish food.
I've learned that people are what they ingest.

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Love to you all.
Gregg n Bird

What I've Learned About Fatherhood:

If you've been around me for a long time you will know that my favorite parable of Christ is found in Luke 15. Jesus is describing to the Pharisee's why he eats with sinners. In that Parable he talks about the love of the Father on a Son who ran away from home and squandered all he had on 'wild living.' A few years ago I read Henri Nouwen's book called the 'The Return of the Prodigal' and in it he describe that we often times associate ourselves with either one of the two brothers. Either we are like the Pharisee's and wonder how God could forgive the worst of sinners. Or we are like the prodigal who ran away from God and has returned to find God a loving Father and a merciful Lord.

Nouwen points out that while those two ways of thinking are legitimate the point of Christ's parable was to get his listeners to live and act like the Father. This thinking has revolutionized my thinking. For too long I had wallowed in my own sin thinking myself quite a Prodigal Son. Then I've had my bouts of Pride and Arrogance much like the Older Son. All along though God was calling me to be like him. To be willing to embrace those who hurt me and are unkind to me. In no way have I completed the journey of becoming like the Father, but in many ways I'm further along the journey then ever before.

The favorite part of my day over the last three weeks has been lying down at night beside Bird. It seems like that is when our baby is most active. She has read that during the day as a woman walks around the baby in the womb feels like they are being rocked and often sleep during the day and are active at night. We have found that just as Bird lays down the sleeping babe wakes.

I've learned that the greatest joy in my day has been putting my hand on her belly and feeling our baby move. Sometimes its a slight bump and at other times its a flip (or at least it feels that way) but always its a miracle.

Bird was 23 weeks preggo yesterday. She is feeling good during the days but simply cannot sleep at night. This morning I was up at 6 and found her reading in the front room and not having one minute of sleep. Nevertheless she is smiling, she is happy, but she is exhausted. Will you pray for her?

A few times in the last two weeks I've been brought to tears thinking about fatherhood. Words don't really describe my feelings. As I've listened to a song or have been thinking about baby names...I've never felt it before...but I hoping that actually being a father may allow to be just a little bit more like the Father in Luke 15.

What I've Learned about Missions in Spain:

You, in your experience may have had this figured out long before we did. But we are both a little hard headed at times and it often need to learn things for ourselves. All of my missions experience has been in 3rd world countries. Between Bird and I we have been to Mexico 4 times, Haiti, 5 times, and Jamaica once. It's not that we were ignorant before coming to Spain but I would say that we were not prepared for the differences in missiological strategies. In Haiti, I've heard my brother-in-law, who lives there, say, "You simply cannot tell a Haitian how wonderful Jesus is when they haven't had anything to eat in 2 days." I think he is right.

But the Spaniards don't need food in their bellies and Western Europeans in general are in such a different situation from the Haitians or Mexicans what is there to do? What we were not prepared for in Spain was the overall since that we were not needed. This is the trick I believe that 3rd world missions plays on us. We can get so wrapped up into feeding and building that we never take the time to get to know the people behind the hunger.

For a short term trip to work in Haiti and I know from experience, you feel a great since of accomplishment if you've done XY or Z to help relieve the suffering of the people. I've learned the suffering of the people of Spain is not as obvious a bloated stomach and a leaky roof. These are all needs that the body of Christ need to do their best to meet but they are no the needs of the average Spaniard.

There is nothing in my bank account or in my house in Boston that would provide these people with what they need. At the end of the day missions in Spain about relationships. In Haiti, I could go down the street and invite people to a feeding program and we would be able to be the hands and feet of Christ. In Spain if I go down the street and presume to offer them something they would reject me as an arrogant American Bush-Lover.

So what is the strategy? I have concluded that before we find the strategy we need to really understand the problem: I see the problems as follows:

1. Leadership Development in the Church

2. A viable alternative to Materialism and Secularism

3. An oppressive past not only from the Roman Church but from the Government

With problems like these where do we start? What is the game plan? What can we do?

1. Recognize that Spain needs and is still dependent, right now, on foreign missions.

2. Build long term relationships with churches around the world who speak Spanish and who can provide short term training seminars for churches and young Christians.

3. Live a life that proves dependence upon Christ not Materialism.

4. Live a life crucified to Christ not dabbling back and forth with Secular mindsets and hypocrisy.

5. Recognize that no matter how hard a Spaniard may come off as not needing you....you do have something they need...The Gospel. Rejection is a given in Spain. So we need to be confident in the LORD.

6. Church Planting: Most of the churches that we have visited are strong in some ways and weak in others. Spain needs an explosion of relevant church plants that understand the situation Spain is in and that understands Biblical Ecclesiology (Study of the Church and how it should function).

7. Authentic friendships: Where people in Haiti could be described as hungry, the people in Spain could be described as lonely and hurting. Particularly in the University town of Salamanca.

8. Christian Missionaries who are not arrogant, presuming they have the answer to all the Spaniards problems.

9. Strong Christian Families: The average birth rate in Spain just now is dismal. The government is paying couples to have 2 and 3 kids. Kids born in loving Christian homes will grow to be worshipers of God and will grow to be the leaders of tomorrow.

10. Autonomy from other forms of Christianity. The goal of Spanish Evangelicalism is to be just that...Spanish. Right now the Churches in Spain look very American or very British. The goal must be for Spaniards to take over the leadership of the churches and para-church organizations so they will be reaching their own people.

I hope I haven't board you to death. For us the question is where do we fit in? Over the last 6 weeks we have done our best to present Christ as the JOY of life. We have done our best to build friendships and love people where they are. As far as our long term thoughts about living in Spain...we haven't figured that one out yet.

Love to you all.

What I've Learned About Spaniards and the Church.

Picture of the Cathedral in Salamanca

During my time here in Salamanca I have had the wonderful privilege of interviewing two pastors of local congregations. Pastor Timothy (London) has been in Spain for nearly 40 years. Pastor Kent (Kansas) has been here nearly 15 years. Both of these men gave me absurd amounts of their time to ask all my questions which I am very grateful for. Also both meetings were over coffee as if they spoke my love language. I had an interview which consisted of over 20 questions and I loved their answers on all the questions. But one question that both pastors answered almost word for word was #14 "Is there one doctrine of the Church that Spaniards tend to find difficult to grasp?"

What I was hoping to dig up from the combined 55 years of ministry experience between these two guys was some thread of similarity. And I think we found it. Their responses went just like this, "Hmmmmmmmmm, is there a doctrine of the chur......GRACE. If there is one thing the Spanish people struggle with is Grace. They don't know how it can be FREE and they still feel they have to work to pay off God"

I told them that as Evangelicals we tend to think that we came up with the phrase "SAVED BY GRACE" rather than Paul, and yet even we, at times feel like our good works get us in to heaven. Both Pastor Tim and Kent feel that after centuries of oppressive religiosity from a distorted form of Catholicism, Spaniards who are believers in God, still don't understand GRACE.

What I have learned is that when working with a culture who has been oppressed, whether by the Church or the Government, in Spain's case both, the Doctrine of Grace must be taught and lived out all the more. We are talking about God's most precious gift to us and we simply can't jack this up in our communication and in our daily lives with one another.