(reading time 5 minutes)
Rain is a tricky subject. Here a lot falls, elsewhere little. Lately, large parts of Europe have had a lot of rain. In northern Spain, on the contrary, they were yearning for rain. In his latest letter, Guido Groeneveld writes about answer to prayer: rain finally came. And there is also refreshment for a thirsty soul. Are you reading?
After a long period of drought, Girona has finally had a few weeks of abundant rain. Although reservoirs are still low, we are out of the danger zone for now. This rain has refreshed the city and the surrounding forests and brought a renewed sense of hope to everyone. During our weekly prayer meeting, we also ask that God brings this kind of rain, beauty and new life amidst the spiritual drought of our city, and also-why not-in our own lives.
Although a bit busy at times, it was very nice to welcome family, friends and acquaintances to our city in the last few months. (...) Unfortunately, I, Guido, have been ill regularly in recent months. Although these illnesses were not serious (a flu once, a cold here and there), each time it takes quite a long time to get back to normal. This is sometimes a bit discouraging because it also keeps me away from work and study activities. While perhaps nothing alarming, Evelin and I notice that this is much more frequent than a few years ago.
We feel encouraged by the everyday encounters in the neighbourhood. We have grown closer to other families in the city and have been able to share the gospel with some of them. One example is a school family who asked us for a Catalan children's Bible (after seeing one at our home). They have now started reading it together. These are encouraging signs and we pray that they too may discover that joy and hope of the Gospel.
I try to spend most of my time with people. Regularly with core group members or other Christians, but more often with people from outside the church, such as some fathers the school, both on (when health allowed) and off the bike. Taking believing and non-believing men on a bike ride often provides interesting opportunities to share our life experiences and arouses curiosity about our ministry and the gospel. But not only on the bike, also simply with other school parents in the playground while the children play.
Public meetings and core group
Each 'public Sunday' consists of two services: a morning service in Catalan and an afternoon service in English. We see these gatherings as opportunities for our core group to practice hospitality and explore what a church service here might look like. Since we started our monthly public worship services, we have seen a steady attendance of about 20-30 people per service. In March, April and May, we did so two Sundays a month; during the summer, we will go back to once a month.
We do invite everyone to also come to our core group, which meets on other Sundays. There, we study the book of Jonah with the theme 'Grace for Sinners and Saints'. We also meet for other activities and meals.
Until August, we hope to continue our weekly prayer meeting, where we pray for Girona and the people we are called to love in our city. This prayer meeting is always an encouragement. It reminds us that the church does not exist through our activism but through faith. By praying together, we learn to slow down and seek the Lord and His presence rather than immediate results. Please pray that God would protect and expand this prayer meeting.
Looking ahead
We consider it our vocation to remain committed to the (often slow, invisible, but so important) cultivation of relationships with a wide variety of people in Girona. Therefore, we also keep trying to keep our schedules reasonably open and avoid tasks that are not needed, in order to be truly available and ready to listen. We believe in the importance of investing time to get to know people and gain their trust so that we can share our faith while respecting their lives and circumstances. We feel privileged to have gained the trust of many new friends and look forward to what God still wants to do in Girona.
Furthermore, as a core group, we want to continue to explore how to spread the gospel in day-to-day life. We also pray for new team members to help with Catalan and international worship services.
We are also praying for a more stable location for the church. Currently, we rent a meeting room in a hotel, but in the long run, we long for a space of our own where we can expand our mid-week activities and gain more visibility in the city. This involves not only finding a suitable location and getting approval from the city council, but also having people to manage the space so that we can continue to focus on relational evangelism in the city.
Guido also makes some concrete prayer requests:
- Health: Please pray for our family, for protection and strength and spiritual growth. Please pray for my health, that I may fully recover and regain the energy I need for work and study.
- Neighbourhood contacts: Pray for deepening relationships with our neighbours and the families we are connected with, that they may experience the hope and love of Christ.
- Core group: Pray for spiritual growth of our core group, for protection in case of allegations and for new members.
- Summer: Pray for a restful summer, with time for family and opportunities for study and reflection.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
