Medieval Fair

I got to go to the Medieval Fair in Ibiza Town this week. There were people dressed in period clothing, and different merchants selling everything from handmade soap and jewelry to spices and chocolate. It was a fun night off!

Messy

It’s 4:47 in the morning, and I just got back to my apartment, took a shower, and then sat down to type out a few thoughts…

Tonight was a good night…

There was lots of praying, and chatting with people in the west end. Plenty of opportunities to share God’s love with people…and…there was also VOMIT!

We were heading home for the night when we came across two guys who needed some help. They’d both been drinking (a lot), and were in no shape to get back to their hotel on their own. So we offered them a ride.

Here’s a little Ibiza 101 for you: If you’re too drunk, the taxi cabs won’t take you anywhere. They’re afraid you’ll vomit in their cab, and they don’t like that!

So we get these two guys in the van, and as we’re driving them back to their hotel, one of them starts to vomit on the floor.

We had another situation with a young lady who was on her own, very drunk and obviously in a lot of emotional pain. She would go from weeping, and talking about how lonely she was to telling us to leave her alone. She didn’t want our help, so we watched her from a distance, as she tried to stumble her way home…

Both situations reminded me that people can be messy. Not just in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense as well…But the most awesome thing is that even in the middle of the mess, God is still there!

It’s when we take our mess and surrender it to him that he begins to do miraculous things in us.

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

The 24-7 Center is Open!

On Wednesday May 2nd, our center officially opened!



The center is open during the summer season primarily for the workers who staff the bars and clubs of the West End. We offer them free internet, table tennis, and we have a Wii. They can also sign up for 30 minute slots on one of the computer’s we have in the center.



It’s a place that we hope they will think of as their home away from home.
All of the services we offer are free, and it’s a great way for us to continue to build relationships with a group of people that we see on an almost daily basis! The center really allows us to serve them in a practical way!

Right now a lot of workers are still arriving, but once it picks up, we see around 150 people each week. We’re open Monday-Friday from 4pm-8pm.

Let’s Go!

…

Last night there were six of us out on the streets. It’s still pretty early on in the season, so there are still some bars and clubs that haven’t opened yet. Each week brings more and more people to the island.
Last night in the prayer room, we started praying about the strip clubs in the west end. There are three of them. The more we prayed for them, the more we asked God to transform them. We love the workers who work in these places, but to be honest, we wish they were out of a job! Mostly because we want those clubs to close down. We don’t want them to move someplace else on the island, so when we pray, we ask God to just shut them completely. If they’re going to stay open, we want them to be right where they are, so that we can be light in the darkness in those places.
It was cool tonight, because while we prayed, something happened to the electricity in one of the strip clubs, and they had to close!
It felt like God was letting us know that he is listening!

Look What I Got!

 

Yesterday, I mentioned that I was thinking about buying a bike…Then today one of my team members stumbled upon this beauty! It’s used, and I got it for a great price. Since I can’t get a Spanish Driver’s license until I get my visa, this will do for now!
What a blessing…

My Ibiza Apartment

Here are some pictures of my apartment!
I live in San Antonio, just “Around the Bay” from the West End. It’s a bit quieter over here, so it’s nice to get a break!
It’s a small apartment, with two bedrooms. I have two roommates who both just arrived on Wednesday. Kate and Kezi, both seem lovely, and I’m excited to get to know them better!
Since I arrived first, and will be here the longest, I snagged the single bedroom!

My Bedroom

(Yes, that’s the washing machine in my closet…welcome to Europe!)

The Kitchen & Living Room

The Bathroom

The Balcony & The View!

I already feel at home!

Why Pray?

24-7 Ibiza is a part of 24-7 Prayer, which is an international prayer movement. This week they released a great video on why we should pray. Have a look...



"Real prayer is a two way conversation with a living God who loves and listens to the things we say..."

Amen!