We are truly blessed!

Way maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper

Light in the darkness

My God, that is who You are

WAY MAKER by [insert one of many artists]

August being my birthday month typically is my favorite month of the year, however this time it wasn’t just because of it being my birthday month. At the beginning of this month, August 1st to be more exact, Andrew and I moved into our first place together, to which I will be referring to as our piso. Getting to this point has been one adventure, to say the least, but all throughout this adventure, we have seen and felt God’s presence with us. I love that about God; when He makes a promise, He keeps His promises.

Before getting married, we searched and searched for a piso here in Spain, yet with every knock on the door we were turned away. Once we knew that our return to Spain was near, we began the search again. I remember praying to God with all the requirements that fit my desires for a piso, but finishing my prayer with, “but You know me better than I know myself, and You know what we need better than we do, so I trust You and the plans You have for us more than I trust myself. So Lord, Your will be done.”

As we continued our search, it continued to look impossible for us to get a piso in Spain. We both are missionaries who depend on the support of others for our “income” – who in Spain really understands that, but other missionaries. As we continued to be turned away, we continued to trust that God would provide, as He promised He would – we trusted that He would make a way for us. You know, we truly believe that God is WAY MAKER!

Well, I want to take you on a short adventure with me, so come join me for a bit:

  • July 6th:
    • we left the states, headed for Spain
  • July 7th (early in the morning):
    • we arrived to Spain and went to stay with our friends Ben & Ale, in a city about 15 minutes away from Torrejon de Ardoz (this is where the YWAM base is located).
    • the plan was to stay with them until we found a place.
      • My plan was for us to be with them no longer than a week, however, well…keep reading
    • sister (Ale) and I began the search for pisos on the different apps and websites here in Spain, and sent a few messages to some, in hopes to hear back.
  • July 13th:
    • we went into the base for our Transformation Ministry meeting (this was scheduled for every Monday), and then I received a phone call from a real estate agent in regards to one of the pisos I sent a message about.
    • we ended up going to visit this piso that same day
      • this piso was located about 10 minutes walking distance from the base. It had 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, and came furnished (except for the bedroom). It is also located in an apartment complex that has a pool. The piso itself didn’t come with tons of space inside but it did come with a storage unit and a parking space in the garage.
      • As we walked around to see the place, the real estate agent was talking as thought the place was already ours. We chatted with him for a bit, asking him about the kind of requisites he was looking for from us, and we explained to him that we are missionaries – that we receive money from the states, but we do not have a salary. All he asked was that we be able to prove that we have money coming in and for me to send that to him as soon as possible.
  • July 15th:
    • WE WERE APPROVED FOR THE PISO!!!!
  • July 15 – 30th:
    • We had time to get a few things to help in moving into our piso – you know: bedroom furniture, a furniture for a “pantry”, microwave, and other little things that help with storage inside the piso.
  • July 31st:
    • we signed the contract for our piso and were able to move in most of our things into our piso
  • August 1st:
    • We officially moved into our piso!

Yes, if you were paying attention, we did find a piso a week after coming to Spain. Yes, God DID make a way for us to have a place, without running into all the “NO’s” we were running into before. Yes, God did keep His promise in providing a place for us, one that we NEEDED. And let me just tell you, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE our little place.

Every morning, I am welcomed in my living room by the beautiful natural light, and each evening, I get to enjoy the beauty of the sunset painted sky. When I need to grab something quickly from the grocery store, I can do so, because there is a grocery store right next to my apartment complex. There’s also a park and a few of our favorite places to visit right near by. Friends, when I say God thought about everything, HE LITERALLY THOUGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!

God has truly blessed us. And with all these blessings, we don’t ever want to forget to do the same for others. We know that it is not enough to be blessed, but we must also be a blessing to others. I mean, Jesus said it Himself, “It is more blessed to give than to receive“. Being a blessing to others can come in different forms, however we have decided to begin by inviting people over to our home, provided them with a meal and a great time :). We are both so thankful for what God has been doing in our lives and how He has continued to show Himself faithful to us. It is our desire to continue being a blessing to others; to continue loving on people as God loves; for people to see and feel God when they come to our little home that He has blessed us with.

I am thankful for the time He gave to us, in between getting approved for our piso and moving in, as it allowed time for sister and me to spend some “sister time” together without time/distance getting in the way. It also gave Andrew and me time to search for various things we needed for our piso on wallapop (for my friends in the states, this is like Craigslist), and from our friends nearby. I am thankful for the community God has blessed us with not only in the states, but also here in Spain. His timing is perfect. His ways are perfect. His love is perfect.

I want to leave you all with this…I know 2020 has seemed to come in “like a wrecking ball”, but I want to challenge you to embrace all the “discomforts”. We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose, [Romans 8:28, ESV]. I have personally seen this to be true in my life when I think about getting married, going on a honeymoon, getting to home-school my nephew, helping out with a food distribution at the dream center of my church, returning to Spain, and getting my own piso. The way I “planned out” my 2020 was definitely not how it has happened, but I am thankful to God for it and how He has not left me, but has walked with me and pushed me. I know that God’s ways are not my ways, so the way He works may not always make sense to me, but it for sure works out better than I could ever have imagined.

If you need someone to walk with you in this time of discomfort, reach out to me. In the meantime, I pray this over every one that reads this:

The Lord bless you

And keep you

Make His face shine upon you

And be gracious to you

The Lord turn His

Face toward you

And give you peace

May His favor be upon you

And a thousand generations

Your family and your children

And their children, and their children

Amen

The blessing by elevation worship

For now, enjoy the pictures of our sweet little piso, and when you’re in town, know that you have an open invitation:)