Madrid Retiro

this one didn't make it into the newspaper

Robben tussles with the Murcia leftback

friends in Madrid

I'm getting a little behind with my updates. Earlier this month, I spent the weekend in Madrid for a 'retreat' in a church called Nueva Vida. People came from all parts of South America, from Romania and Italy. It's actually the biggest church in Madrid, though most members are not Spanish! On the first night, I played a couple of songs with the band from Navalmoral. Here is a video of the main band.

I was staying with some Bolivians. They were incredibly generous and kind. The food was delicious and we enjoyed good fellowship, singing and praying together. It was interesting that my hostess is a teacher who is helping the church set up a Christian school. Needless to say, she offered me a job there! It's encouraging to see people in Spain with a vision to set up a school instructing the children in the ways of God.

The weekend culminated in a meeting in the Congress building. Over 1500 people were there and it was a special time of dedication to God and prayer for España. After about ten hours of meetings in only two days, I was exhausted. But as I mentioned on an earlier post, then came the invitation to watch Real Madrid. So all in all, quite a full weekend.

Healing in Your Wings - Mark Altrogge

Though the clouds may hide the sun, it’s always shining
And when the storms obscure Your face, You still are smiling
Here we will have tribulation
But there is one thing that is certain
You never change

You are always good and loving
Merciful in all Your dealings
Shining like the sun
Rising up with healing in Your wings

When the floods are swirling round me, You are with me
And when the flames rise all about me, they don’t burn me
You’re nearer than the air I’m breathing
Promised You would never leave me
You never change

So I will say it’s good that You afflicted me
That I might learn Your holy ways and to trust in You at all times

(you can download this song for free here or better still buy the album!)

Look where I am!

A glimpse of what was to come

All set for the match

65,000 fans

Incredibly, as I was planning to leave Madrid, the family with whom I was staying said that I should stay on a night. The reason: so I could go and watch Real Madrid. Now, I knew the tickets were dear - 100 euros each, but a man from the church gave two as a gift. I went with a Real Madrid fanatic, who somehow had never got to a match. Very exciting and noisy. Real Madrid won 1-0 against Real Murcia. But the best result of the weekend was Crewe 3, Yeovil 0!

I've been doing a bit of cleaning today. Not my favourite job, but my bedroom had become inhabitable. This is my dilemna with a king-sized bed and not much space anywhere else. However, there are two advantages to a bed like this. Firstly, I am able to double the time before changing sheets by sleeping for a week on one side and a week on the other. (The soaring temperatures in May/June, I'm sad to say, will reduce this time!) I am one of those people who throughout the day puts various items on the bed (well, I haven't got any more empty surfaces except for the floor!) This leads to the second advantage of a king-sized bed: I don't have to clear it every night. That's right! All I need to do is move my stuff to the other side of the bed. Downsides to this include, waking up in the middle of the night as bags and papers crash to the floor.

Enough of this frivolity. I have some good news. Last week two ladies in this town found new life in Jesus. It's wonderful to see when nominal Catholics discover the reality of Jesus death. Nothing else can transform as this. Also, a girl and her mother from the English academy went to church yesterday. I am humbled by the bold witness of Christians here who bring friends to church. As for me, one of my students has befriended me. He's a baker and last week, he invited me for a drink and some pastries. I want to be unashamed to speak with pride of my Saviour to him.

To finish I'd like to include a link to a 'song' by hip-hop artist shai linne in his album 'Atonement'. I hear some of you say, "Tim? Hip-hop?" But for me, a song with a strong message of truth, if not distracted by the music, is beneficial and this one is such a song. In echoing the words of the old negro spiritual 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?', I was struck by the fact that I, as a Christian, must 'see my face in the crowd' that killed Jesus. Not to carry guilt, but to rejoice that he chose to carry and pay for my sins. Here's the link

Meet some of the students

Los Mas Chiquititos

Attentive as ever: class of 6 - 9yrs

we can speak English! (a bit)

the teenagers (pre-intermediate level)