L'Arcada Video

Enjoy our team's photo and video footage!

Lights in the Darkness

Thank you so much for your prayers and support as we were away serving in Spain. We came home exhausted and bug-bitten, yet filled with the hope of salvation and stories of the goodness of grace.

During the camp week, the campers were divided into eight teepees, each representing a large American city, like Los Angeles or NYC. The groups participated in competitive activities throughout the week, such as "mess fest" and "water games," in order to win points for their team. Although our Westover team was divided into various roles, we all got to interact with these precious campers throughout each day, whether at meals singing "Hands on the Table" as a prayer, during ESL activities in the afternoon, or during the night activity in the big tent singing and dancing before bedtime. During the times when we felt as though we had no energy left to give, we realized that "He gives more grace" (James 4:6). Some of the most meaningful times for the counselors were the "Teepee Talks," which gave us an opportunity to share our personal stories of how Jesus has worked in our lives and gave campers the opportunity to share their stories and ask questions about scripture and understand the meaning of the gospel.

We learned so much during this trip, but one major takeaway is that we want to long for true Christian community in the way that the Spanish evangelical church does. We so often take for granted that there are churches on every corner here, and that every person in our lives has a story that is precious in the eyes of our Father. We loved getting to know the Spanish nationals because they taught us to show genuine love and care for others, and invest in lives. We must ask real questions to others and desire to know each other in a meaningful way, which will in turn point us to the One who knows us more fully than anyone.

Indeed, that is the goal and journey of L'Arcada: to develop meaningful relationships that will last, and help disciple young believers to be lights in the ever-present darkness that surrounds them. Yet we know this: light overcomes the darkness, and the battle has already been won! Let us remain faithful to "shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

Love to you all!
The Spain Team
Overview Video of L'Arcada

Week 1 Catchup

Hola de Espana!

We cannot update regularly since there is no wifi/Internet access at Camp L’Arcada, so I will attempt to describe the beauty and glory we have experienced in our time thus far.

After the fog of an overnight flight and jet lag since it’s 6 hours later here, we arrived late Saturday morning and rode a bus from Barcelona up to the incredible Pyrenese mountains where L’Arcada is nestled amongst winding roads and fields of wheat, chamomile, and wildflowers. There are farms nearby, so from our large wooden platform teepees that sleep 10, we can hear roosters crowing in the early morning, dogs barking, and horses neighing in the distance. Our attempts to avoid tripping on the ruts in the grass made by wild boars are distracted only by the swift movements of lizards, the flutter of butterfly wings, and the occasional snake peeping its head out of the shower drains. The mountains and terrain remind us of the smoky mountains, so even though we are thousands of miles away, it feels a little like home.

There are quite a few full time staff here, including David and Debbie Frank who some of you may know from Westover, along with their daughter Tafie and her husband Christian, who are the directors of English camp, which we will be running next week here. This week is dedicated to getting to know the other staff, including the full time missionaries along with the others serving from various churches from North Carolina, Texas, California, and Alabama. There is also a group here this week called “Cantera,” which is a discipleship group for young teens furthering their relationships with the Lord (most of whom became believers by attending L’Arcada when they were younger).

Culture, Darkness, and the Gospel of Light

We were introduced on the first evening to L’Arcada’s purpose in Spain: the camp was developed because many people in Spain see evangelicals as “suspicious,” and they wanted to create a neutral place in nature for young people to open doors for new ideas and to share Jesus, develop long-term relationships, and portray a genuine understanding of the gospel instead of the false view that many people have due to previous misconceptions. We are here to help in that purpose and develop the idea that salvation is not found in a “religion,” but in a relationship with our Savior, Jesus. We learned that Europe is now understood to be the “dark continent,” consisting of less than 1% of the population who are evangelical Christians. This atmosphere is a result of the Spanish Inquisition because the Spaniards rejected all faith in the following years because it was associated with fear and hatred. Currently, Catholic churches in the area are in every town, but very few people attend. Evangelical churches in Spain are held in places like storefronts, and there is only one in every large area with a small but strong group of believers. This camp helps the missionaries establish and develop relationships, and we are here to support that mission. We are not building physical churches, but the relationships and opportunities that will build the true church, which is the people of Christ.

On Tuesday, we heard stories from some of the locals (or “nationals”) who are helping as counselors/translators speak about their experiences as believers in Spain, and we were astonished as we learned for example that Rut, a high school senior, was the only Christian in her school of about 600 students until one friend became a believer recently. Another volunteer, Ligeia, shared that when her school has carnival, some of the students dress as the Anti-Christ as a joke, and when these girls share their faith, they are met with animosity or rejected as members of a strange cult. Indeed, in this beautiful country, there is a hopeless darkness in the eyes of many who live here.

Aclarate: to Illuminate and Clarify

The theme of the camp deals with bringing light into the darkness. This week, we are training and preparing for the campers to arrive on Sunday, and for all that we will do throughout the week. The days are long and filled with learning the camp activities, such as ropes courses, archery,  games, songs, and curriculum, and the nights seem short as we curl up in exhaustion and prepare our hearts and minds for the days ahead. We are tired, but the Lord continues to provide us with glimpses of His grace, such as in the darkness when we look up and see shooting stars, conquer a fear, or get a hug and kiss on the cheek from a new Spanish sister in Christ.

On Sunday, we were able to tour Girona province and Catalonia (Banyoles, Tossa del Mar on the Mediterranean sea, and Besalu, which looks like a castle on a hill) in order to get a feel for the culture and people of Spain, and on Wednesday, we will visit the city of Barcelona, where I can hopefully (finally) upload this post! The main language of Spain is of course Spanish, but in this area, most people speak Catalan, which is a mixture of Spanish with French influences. The food here is fresh and delightful, and we wish we could bring some home to share!

Pray with Us

We have received our roles for camp next week, so please pray specifically for each of us as we serve in the following areas:

--Jeff will be a lifeguard and helping with camp maintenance

--Ellie will be leading drama activities and working in camp maintenance

--Abigail and Jared will be counselors, so they will each lead a group of campers

--Griffin will be an assistant counselor and helping with the high ropes course

--Mary is on camp activities staff and lifeguarding

--Stephanie will serve with camp activities and dance

--Debbie will serve on the ESL team with language activities

--Jill will help in preparation of camp meals and ESL language activities

--Ian will be a camper and interact with the nationals as a peer

Also, please pray that we will have endurance and positivity as we approach each day. We are getting exhausted due to lack of sleep, but we desire to be the light of Truth here. Pray that the Lord will provide us with rest from our burdens and that we will be still and know that His grace is sufficient in all of our needs.

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. I will probably not be able to post again until after camp is over, and at that time I can also upload some pictures. We miss and love you all, and cannot wait to share with you more when we return!  

Before We Go ... Pray!

Prayer Calendar: June 24-July 10

Our desire is to show the love of Jesus to children who will be attending L’Arcada Camp.

Week 1: Camp Training and Placement at L’Arcada

Friday, June 24th - Sunday, June 26th: Pray for safe travels and rest as we fly overnight and arrive in Spain Saturday morning, and that we acclimate well to our new environment as we meet the missionaries and others we will be serving with throughout our time at L’Arcada.

Monday, June 27th: We will be training this week for our roles at the camp. Pray for wisdom in the leaders as they place us and for our strength and rest as we prepare.

Tuesday, June 28th: Jill (team leader) asks for strength and health for the team as we work together, and for a smooth transition time for her family as they prepare to move while she and Mary are away.

Wednesday, June 29th: Debbie asks: “Please pray for my husband, Bob, as he is trying to manage being a single parent with trying to get Peter to and from places and a very stressful time at work. Also please pray for Peter, my youngest son, that he would be a help and be cooperative. Also for my physical stamina and to be flexible and joyful!”

Thursday, June 30th: Stephanie requests: “Please pray for our team - our Westover team and the larger L'Arcada team - for unity, a feeling of purpose, an excitement of a shared vision, connection with each other and with our campers, safety, and relaxing fun.  In these busy lives that we all lead and a year full of heaviness and transitions, please pray that this is a time where we let God lift our burdens as we help lift the burden of our neighbors.”

Friday, July 1st: Ellie asks: “Please pray for the Spanish ‘sheep’ that Jesus is calling into His fold, that they may know Him as Lord and Savior, and that we may experience the unity of one flock under our Shepherd, King Jesus” (John 10:14-16).

Saturday, July 2nd & Sunday, July 3rd: Pray for our team to have a restful and rejuvenating weekend as we prepare to meet the campers and visit some places near Banyoles, Spain and portray the light of the Lord as we interact with locals. 

Week 2: English Camp at L’Arcada with local campers

Monday, July 4th: Please pray today for the Strenk boys (Griffin and Ian) as they serve on mission for the first time.  May they feel the presence of God as they have never before, and may they walk forever closer to the Lord as a result of seeing Him move this week (Philippians 1:3-6).

Tuesday, July 5th: Abigail requests: “Pray for genuine relationships to be formed with the campers so that they will see Jesus and His love for these sweet souls. Pray that we ‘shine as lights’ (Philippians 2:15) as we interact with others.

Wednesday, July 6th: Pray for our three recent high school graduates serving on the trip: Mary, Griffin, and Jared. Pray that they will be stretched and grow as a result of serving at L’Arcada this week so that they can bring that into the future.

Thursday, July 7th: Pray for our team as we finish out the camp week; we will likely be worn down and very tired, so our desire is that the Lord will give us energy and glimpses of His grace as we run with endurance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1).

Friday, July 8th - Sunday, July 10th: Pray for our final days with the campers, missionaries, and other believers we have been serving with over the past two weeks — that we will finish strong, and then have a safe journey back on our flight to Charlotte and back home afterward. Pray for Debbie as she meets with a former student and his family at the airport the day we leave. Pray that God would direct the conversations and that she would be able to share some of what we did at the camp with them.

Thank you for your prayers! 

Preparing Hearts

SPAIN TEAM 2016
Mary, Jill, Abigail, Debbie, Jared, Ellie, Jeff, Griffin, Ian, and Stephanie

     The beauty of June has arrived with its warmer temperatures, blooming flowers, rainstorms, and summer events! In the midst of it all, the team has been preparing for the two weeks that we will spend in Spain from June 24-July 10 at L'Arcada camp. We have been meeting regularly to get to know each other, understand our strengths and weaknesses, and grow in faith together. Throughout the past few months, we have given our testimonies, shared laughter and tears, and studied the history and culture of the area of Spain where we will be serving.

     Our time there will be during "English Camp" at L'Arcada. The first week consists of training in our areas of service, which could include counseling, teaching, cleaning, activities, cooking, or specialty areas, and then the second week we put it all into action with the campers, who are children from Spain who will be practicing English skills, and we will have opportunities to share the gospel. We will be staying in wooden teepees with no electricity, so updates may be sparse, but we hope to post pictures and videos during our time there, as well as share "Moments of Grace" with you, which will be stories that give you an insight to the Lord's work while we are there.

     Please continue to pray for our hearts as we prepare, and for the children we will work with, along with the missionaries who are established there. Our purpose is to serve and help them in their ministry. We are also praying for the Lord to provide the remainder of our financial support. The camp theme is "Light It Up," originating from Matthew 6:22-23, so we pray that we will be lights for Christ as we serve.

The website for the camp: http://www.larcada.com/en/camps/youth/english-camp

Would you like to give? Go to http://www.westoverchurch.com/give/ and select the "Give" link. Then, log-in or create an account. Go to "Giving" in the top menu bar and follow the four steps. In Step 2: Funds, please place amount into the "Mission Fund" box and type in "Spain Team" in the Optional Description and then submit.

We will soon be embarking upon this glorious new adventure, and we are so excited! Thank you for sharing in our journey and praying for us.

Love,

The Spain Team