Sunday, September 11

            Today has been a nice restful day. Church didn’t start until 12, so we were able to sleep in again before heading to city center to take the bus to la Iglesia Evangélica Bautista de Sevilla in Sevilla East. We were able to remember the bus stop pretty easily, and we got there way early, so we sat in a park for a bit and practiced our Spanish with each other.

There was a group of four of us at church today, and we all loved it. Everyone who has spoken there so far has been easy to understand, and the messages have been pretty good. Today the pastor talked about how our first reaction to the question “what should I do” should be to pray. He used examples from the Old Testament of when faithful kings looked to God for direction and were blessed for their obedience. It was an encouraging message for us because it seems that time spent in another culture is always filled with wondering what the right thing to do is. I was especially encouraged by the worship and the reinforcement of the teaching that God always takes the victory.

After church, we were greeted by the pastor and the youth pastor, who invited us to the young adult Bible study next Sunday, which we’re all excited to check out. We also met another student from the US studying here for the semester, so we had fun getting to know her on the bus ride back to central Sevilla. Once Corinne and I got back to the apartment, we warmed up the lunch Rosa left prepared for us and enjoyed some downtime in the afternoon. Rosa had gone to see her newborn grandnephew and then another friend in the hospital, so she had lots of fun news to share when she got home.

I spent most of the afternoon reviewing material for my classes and preparing for the week. I’m feeling a whole lot more comfortable with my course load now that I’ve been in the grove of classes for about a week, and I’m excited to see what this week brings. It will likely be a bit busier, with prayer groups starting up and other activities getting organized, but I’m feeling refreshed and ready for the challenge. This weekend has been full of reminders of God’s faithfulness and His extreme care for me. I’m amazed looking back at the path He’s brought me on and encouraged and excited looking ahead, knowing that the challenges He brings are to draw me closer to Him and sharpen me as His child and that the blessings He pours out are constant and wonderful.