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This is the part of the blog post where I apologize for not actually blogging! Let's just pretend I did that and move on... 😀

(on a side note, we definitely need to start using more gifs!)


Teams
Things here are in full swing. I can hardly believe we're quickly approaching the end of June. July will be here before you know it and we'll be headed into the peak time of the season. We've just had our second missions team with us, and they were brilliant. They were here for 2 weeks, and during that time they got a real taste for the work we do here. The teams do everything from participating in our night time street work, to giving out free popsicles on the beach!

The heart of what we do happens out on the streets of the west end at night. When you go out at night wearing our 24-7 Ibiza t-shirt it doesn't matter if you've been here 2 days or 2 years. People will approach you for prayer or for help. It's always amazing to watch these teams quickly get over their shock, and dive right in!

Church
We have a church service we offer the working community on Sunday evenings in our center at 7pm. It's a super simple service, meant to connect with people who don't normally go to church.The goal is to keep around 30 minutes long. We're doing a series on the attributes of Jesus that's been going great. I got to speak a few weeks ago, and some of the talks have been real conversation starters.

Streets
I spend three nights a week out on the streets of the west end. It's a crazy place full of bars and clubs, and I love it.

Since our first night in May, we've seen some amazing things happening. There have been so many opportunities to help vulnerable people. My favorite thing out on the streets is to get to pray with people and to offer them the hope that Christ brings. We're never pushy about sharing faith. Everyone knows that we're "The Christians", so they often will come to us with their questions about faith. Or they just want prayer. One of my favorite encounters happened one night when I was walking by a club in the west end. I was going to give a wave to the guy who works on the door when he approached me, and grabbed both my hands. "I really need you to pray right now, because I'm having a shit night." he said to me. I grasped his hands, and we prayed. So many people have been responding to prayer because they say it makes them feel better. We know that's the Holy Spirit at work! Every night I see the proof that God is alive and working on the streets of the west end. A place so many people have given up on. God is moving. He hasn't given up on this place, or the people in it!

Here We Go...

Since I arrived in January, I've had a growing feeling of excitement. I'm excited to finally be here, and excited for the summer season to begin.

Monday night was our first night back out on the streets of the west end, and it did not disappoint. I'm gonna be honest, the first night kind of snuck up on me. Even though I had the date down in my calendar, I found myself a little shocked as I sat in the prayer room at 10:30 for orientation. After all the years of praying and working to get my Spanish visa, it hit me that I was finally here.

For about 30 seconds I let the pressure get to me.

"What if I let people down?"
"What if I came all this way for nothing?"
"What if I go out there and nothing happens?"

Of course that's all in my head. None of what happens here depends on me. It all depends on God. The truth is that going out into the streets of the west end isn't about me being prepared, or having some sort of amazing master plan. It's simply about me following God's leading.  With him everything is possible (Philippians 4:13).

In the end my first night was great. I met a lot of people that I'll get to know over the summer, and I had a great conversation with one of the long term workers. I even got to pray with someone out on the streets!

I walked home that night with a smile on my face, and a heart full of anticipation. This is just the beginning. I can't wait to see what God's going to do next!

Bring it On...

As of today, there are only 8 more days until the season begins. Our first night on the streets is April 30th, and I must admit that I'm excited.

We're not alone, as the whole island is getting ready for the influx of people that will be coming to visit this summer. A lot of businesses in Ibiza are closed in the winter. Now all those places are cleaning, painting, and getting ready to open.

The true sign that things are getting ready to kick off, is that the Burger King inside the Ibiza airport has re-opened. It's an unofficial sign that it's time to get to work!

The last few months have been good. I've had a chance to settle in, and I've been able to be a part of the winter rhythm of prayer. I've gotten to experience a little of the quiet before the storm, but now it's time to get to work!

Easter in Ibiza 2018

Happy Easter everyone!

Today we gathered as a community to have Easter service on the beach. 

Today was also baptism Sunday. 

In baptism we are publicly confessing our belief in Christ. As we go down in the water, we are letting go of our past, and as we break through the surface we are raised to new life in him!(Romans 6:4) 

After church we had a barbecue, and it was just a great time to relax and get to know people better.

I can hardly believe that I've already been in Ibiza almost 3 months. The time is flying by. Our first missions team will be arriving within a few weeks, and the excitement is building as we get closer to the beginning of the season.

Construction Zone

The season is getting closer, and in preparation we've been giving our center a makeover. There's been painting and hammering and nailing, and things are starting to come together.

The more work that gets done, the more excited I get about the coming summer season. This past month has been full of planning meetings and prayer sessions. Every week we get together to pray over the different areas of ministry we do here, and I love it. Through construction and prayer, we're getting ready!

God in the Details

A few weeks ago I had a pretty amazing Sunday afternoon. One of our friends from Spanish class works at a really nice restaurant here on the island. Ibiza really does have a little something for everyone. There are the cheap spots, and the not so cheap ones. The place our friend works fits in the "not so cheap ones" category. He encouraged us to come, and even though my budget was laughing, I went. In my head I figured I could splurge on a glass of juice or a smoothie.

One of the things I love about the work we do, is that we get the opportunity to share our faith in different ways. One of those ways is by building genuine friendships with the people God puts in our path. The hope is that as we do life with them, they begin to see the difference that Christ has made in our lives. And as our friendship grows, we get an even stronger platform to share the gospel from.

So we get to the restaurant, and let me tell you it was freaking beautiful. It's on a beach overlooking a magnificent view. Our friend was so excited that we'd come. And after he seated us, he proceeded to spoil us.

I'm sitting with my €10 orange juice (about $13 US), overlooking the view, and just enjoying life! I was there with Barbara and Stephen, and we all felt super fancy. 

Barbara, who's my housemate, is Dutch. She noticed that the couple sitting closest to us was speaking in Dutch. At one point she tells Stephen and I that this couple is actually having a conversation about God. About 30 minutes later, the couple finishes eating and comes to sit next to us in the lounge area where we're sitting. Barbara greets them in Dutch, and then the conversation starts to flow. Turns out they speak English as well and soon they're asking us why we live in Ibiza. 

We quickly learn that they're Christians, and that they love Ibiza so much they visit 3-4 times a year. Before long we've exchanged information and they've promised to come to church next time they visit. We chatted about life and God, and as we got up to leave they insisted on paying our bill. 

Later that night Barbara got an email from the couple saying how encouraging it was for them to meet us, and to hear about the work we do. 

It was another reminder that God is all about the details. I really believe that we were all there at the same time because God orchestrated it. And because of that we were able to encourage one another! It challenges me to keep my eyes open for those opportunities. 

I've been in Ibiza for almost 7 weeks now. The time is flying by! I feel more settled in everyday, and just wanted to let you guys know that I'll be stepping up my blogging game. You can expect at least one post per week from me. 

Thanks for reading! 

Thoughts on Waiting

Waiting is hard.

 As I sit here in the living room of my apartment in Ibiza, I realize that part of me still can't believe I'm actually here. I've been waiting and praying for this for over 7 years.

While waiting is tough, I have to admit that I learned a lot during those years. One thing waiting did was force me to step up my trust game. I felt God calling me to go to Ibiza, so I had to trust that he was going to help me get there. I'd love to tell you that my heart was full of trust 24 hours a day, but...

I'll admit I had my moments of doubt. It was in those moments that I clung to God. One of the songs I listened to a lot was "God I Look to You" by Bethel Worship



God I look to you I won't be overwhelmed
Give me vision to see things like you do

God I look to you, you're where my help comes from
Give me wisdom, you know just what to do.

Proverbs 3:5 says this:

 "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own." (MSG)

The song and the verse reminded me to not let the visa process overwhelm me, but to keep my eyes focused on God. It wasn't my job to try and figure it all out alone. It was my job to trust and to let God guide me each step of the way. 

And you know what? Even though my waiting is over, the trusting doesn't stop! My hope is that I'm learning, and growing in that area. Every day I pick up that trust, and I remind myself that God is good. His love is unfailing, and I can trust in that!