Wandering

Ever since Kevin and I got married over four years ago we have been journeying on a path of God's calling.  While we have always been certain of the path, we have not always been certain about where it leads. For quite some time both of us have yearned for an "arrival" to a destination. Currently that destination is Spain. More than anything I think that both of us are ready to leave the nomadic life and plant roots somewhere, to have a place of our own, a community to invest in over a long period of time, and to be involved with the ministry we love.

Somehow, however, it seems that the "destination" eludes us. It is always just a little further ahead, but just like the rainbow's end when you "arrive" the destination has moved once more.  Little by little God seems to be revealing that HE alone is our destination and we can reach that destination wherever we are on the road of life. We will always have that longing to "arrive," but the truth is that that longing won't be completely fulfilled until we're in the physical presence of our Creator one day. In the mean time we walk forward, continually convinced that right now God is leading us on the path towards Spain, but he can bring us fulfillment and contentment (e.g. Philippians 4:11-13) wherever we are on that path  as we lift our eyes to him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

On a side note Eliana is growing like crazy, she is definitely not our "little baby" any more. She has about 30 spoken words in her vocabulary (plus some signed), and every day she tries to repeat new ones. Below are a couple of pictures, the first is her Tio Lawrence right before they went back to college, we took him out for milk shakes at Shubert's (contrary to this picture, Eliana only got sips, not the whole milk shake!). The second is the first time I was able to pull all her hair back in "big girl" pig tails. It isn't a great picture, but it's hard to get her to hold still now a days. :)

Back From Spain, Final Countdown

I (Kevin) am back from Spain!  It was a great trip and crucial to our placement in Spain.  I was able to formally meet future key relationships for ministry and legal residency.  At the beginning of this process we were "gearing up."  Now it is time to "countdown."

Support:
At the beginning of this process we needed to raise $5518/mo.  We have now gotten close and only need to raise $773/mo!

Ministry Placement:
At the beginning of this process we were headed to Madrid, then Valencia or Sevilla, then Malaga, and now to Granada (with a likely future move to Malaga).  We now have the key relationships in place to be mentored while learning the language and the culture and to begin planning and planting Spearhead - Spain, the practical missions training program.

Visa Procurement:
At the beginning of this process we had no partnership to invite us formally for our visa, nor the required monthly necessary funds for sustainability of our program.  Now we have reached the required funds to seek out our visa and have the inviting organization to serve as our legal reference in Spain.

It has been a very exciting and long process, full of unsurities, anxieties and much testing of our faith.  We are in the final stretch it seems and the various countdowns will begin.  Soon enough we will know when to buy our tickets to move and a daily countdown can begin.  Please be praying for all the final pieces to come together and for us to begin the daily countdown until departure.

¿Qué te pasa en Granada?

What happened with me in Granada one might ask?  Well I write this from Granada, so it is not over yet, but it has been eventful, particularly spiritually.

First, about the country and culture - it has far exceeded my expectations.  I have heard that Spaniards are not quite as service oriented as I might have come to expect if I was in the States.  Maybe that is true, but that has not been my experience on this trip.  Even the Spaniards here have warned me not to take it personally if the bus drivers are terribly mannered.  Yet, they have all been mildly friendly and even helpful.  The ease of getting around has been fantastic as well, a lot easier than I thought.

I have had some upsets and some assurances, which have made for a ping-pongy trip.  I came with expectations of receiving a letter of invitation and carrying that with me to the States so that we can have our visa appointment and get ready for moving.  That is not the case.  I came expecting to work under a certain leader here, but came to find out that things have changed.  I then came to expect working for another component of the very same ministry and THAT has turned out not to materialize!  So I've been forlorn on accounts and frustrated.  By in large I have been confused.  "God, we have been in this process faithfully for 2 1/2 years!  Why is it not all coming together?  The support is coming in, but have we followed the wrong path?"  God let me stew in that question for a good portion of my day yesterday.

God's response has come from some good things.  Unexpectedly a ministry I was interested in a while back does want us and its ability to house the future ministry of Spearhead is incredible.  Unfortunately this can't be set up right away and they are changing their legal status and are unable to provide invitations at this point.  The presiding board member of that ministry is also the head of the ministry that things have changed on us for, BUT he wants to be our inviting organization still.  Yahoo!!!  On top of that, I have had a couple of good conversations with LAM's president who has continually assured me of trying to do everything they can to get us to the field as soon as possible and has also apologized to me about the way things have turned out for us.  We also have swapped stories of many missionaries we've known that have had an even more difficult time getting their placement together.  So thank God for some movement.

Every day has required me to hit my knees while I'm here.  And I've had to do it without Leah, which makes that physical separation all the more difficult.  The hardest part about this trip has been that I miss her and Eliana so much, and I can't share with them the wonderful things I'm learning about Granada and can't come together directly in prayer for our future and where God is taking us.  God has continually affirmed our calling and we will continue in faith.

I just want to thank all of our friends and family who support us in this venture both financially and prayerfully. I can only tell you all that God has been faithful, and I do feel it.  Please be praying for things to continually be moving forward, for the Book-Satterlees to continually be putting it all in God's hands and to be released from our anxiousness.  We are called not to worry about tomorrow, which for most North Americans is impossible.  It is very impossible (as if there could be such a thing) for me without God's provision.  Yet it seems to be a lesson we are learning and poco a poco (little by little) God is providing us with what we need and strengthening our character and our hearts.

So in this beautiful city and this intriguing country I have made friends, come nearly to tears, and rested my nights in peace because God has always ended my nights with a whisper - "I am here."  That is what is happening in Granada this week.

Heading to Spain in Less than a Week

Next Monday I (Kevin) get to go to Spain.  I will be attending one day of board meetings with a missions training organization based in Malaga.  I will have the opportunity to meet some theological educators, which will be fun, but also I will have the opportunity to meet with the head of the organization who is going to provide our sponsoring visa paperwork.  Much prayer has gone into this placement and we are excited to get it down.  Following that day I will be heading to Granada, where we will be living.  This will be a time for exploration, to get to know the city, where we might want to live and pray for the people who will touch our lives and whose lives we hope to impact.  I will also get to meet with the man who will serve as our boss during our transition year(s).  Much prayer has gone into this relationship as well.

Please be praying for this time, that all the documentation we need will come through so that we can make our appointment on the 18th of January with the consulate in San Francisco (it is the day after I return from Spain.)  Please pray for Leah and Eliana as they do not get to join me on this trip.

Bye Bye 2010

Christmas has passed, but the tree is still up.  We are going to have to get used to the 13 days of Christmas when we go to Spain, letting Christmas ring in the New Year.  In Spain, they celebrate King's Day.  King's Day is a Spanish holiday and is often the day that children open their presents.  It is kind of nice to be able to let Christmas trail into the new year.

2010 was a good year for us, but in terms of getting to Spain, our preparation will be trailing into 2011, and even past King's Day.  While we won't be opening up our King's Day presents in Spain this year, we are confident that next King's Day Eliana will be speaking 2-year old Spanish and be opening King's Day presents with her little friends.

We have seen an incredible increase in support in the latter half of 2010, we have been given a city of placement by our organization - Granada, and in two weeks we'll have the paperwork in hand to apply for our residency visas.  Eliana has been blessed to spend time at the Book Farm with lots of family, has made numerous trips to Cupertino to spend time with family there too.  We've grown deeper with our friendships in Chico, making it harder to leave, but their support launches us well into the new phase of our life.

2010 has seen some big events and the economy still seems to weigh on peoples' minds.  Everyday NPR asks some economic analyst whether or not they expect the economy to bounce back or drag.  Some people will claim it to be one of the best years of their lives and others, sadly, one of the worst.  We have had a good year, but we look expectantly to 2011.

Today is December 31, 2010, and we fight the temptation to be anxious to get to Spain.  The Lord tells us not to worry about tomorrow.  So today we reflect on the year, let the twinkle of Christmas lights and ornaments gleam on our faces and watch as friends with new babies ponder Christ as a 6-day-old.

Goodbye 2010...

Rain, Advent and Preparation

It is a dreary day in Northern California with an onslaught of rain to come.  The weather for Granada, Spain is almost identical today.  That is one little similarity in where we are and where we are going that reminds us that God's plan is congruent.

Advent has gone by quick this year, as it seems to every year.  The advent festivities almost always overthrow advent contemplation of Christ's birth.  For us, this advent is a time for celebration, contemplation and preparation.  We are able to celebrate God's hand in getting us closer to Spain.  Our support has gone up consistently in November and early December.  It is time for us to contemplate the effects of the move in a few short months.  And it is time for preparation.

Preparation:  Kevin is headed to Granada in the middle of January to meet with ministry mentors there and finalize paperwork for the long-term residency visa.  There he will be doing some leg and camera work, exploring Granada for areas to live, and understanding practical things like transportation.  In that time, he is going to go schedule a prayer walk, that God would guide us, prepare us and begin preparing our ministry there.

Contemplation:  Just over fourteen months ago on a day much like today, the rain came down hard, the wind blew and we missed it as we stared at our new little baby girl.  The effect of seeing an infant in our arms has not worn off, and this Christmas we think again of Mary and Joseph as they held their little baby boy.  God did so much with so little.  We look to see how He will use us in his ministry continuing from that day and before.  Even more, we look forward to seeing how God will use Eliana in ministry.

Celebrations:  We thank God for Christmas, for Jesus, for family.  We have been severely blessed over these last two and a half years.  We celebrate those who have been around to support us with physical needs, emotional needs and spiritual needs.  Each person, whether they believe it or not, has a little bit of Emmanuel, God within them.  Christ walks in the hearts and actions of others, and ministers through those who do an do not know him.  We've felt Emmanuel - Christ with us and we celebrate.

Merry Christmas from the Book-Satterlees.  Celebrate.  Contemplate.  Prepare.

Still here...

So it has been more than a month since we posted on our blog -- oops! In the last month we have:

-- Almost collected all of the necessary documents for our visas (yea!)

-- Shared about our journey at two churches

-- Taken Eliana for her one year check up and shots as well as her first eye exam - because her right eye turns out. (She's doing well overall though we will need to visit a pediatric opthamologist in January -- but she also has developed a strong dislike for strange men in lab coats even though both her doctors were very nice!)

-- Taken on about 10 hours/week of recruiting for LAM (Kevin)

-- Met up with several different ministry partners

-- Traveled to Santa Barbara for a wedding

-- Celebrated Thanksgiving on the farm with family (Katie, Brian, Jack and Emma joined us from FL!)

Eliana has changed a lot in the past month.  At the end of October she was walking, but she would choose to crawl if she ever wanted to reach something in a hurry.  Now she never chooses to crawl -- even though it only takes a small breeze to cause her to fall over when walking!  Her walk reminds me of a mixture of someone who is in the late stages of pregnancy, and someone who has been riding a horse all day long!  Nonetheless, she perseveres and is quite quick!  We are slowly transitioning to a one nap vs. two nap day (which I have mixed feelings about!) and her vocabulary is growing.  Besides "mama" her best word is probably "shoes".  This is fitting because she is constantly on the go.  She enjoyed the visit from her cousins, holding baby Emma and playing (and fighting with) Jack. 

Time seems to be going quite quickly and slowly all at the same time.  Looking at our visa process it seems as if we will have a visa in hand by the end of March (at the latest).  That gives us around 4 months to complete our partnership team -- we have about 25% of our monthly need left to raise.  We are encouraged and challenged by this.  The next step in this journey is becoming more and more clear, yet at the same time there are a lot of little things that need to fall into place.

In November I (Leah) attended a Women of Faith event.  One of the keynote speakers spoke about trust.  She shared that she felt for years that our greatest call in life was to love God -- but now she feels that even beyond that is learning to trust God completely, and from trust comes unfettered love for and obedience to our father.  I was really impacted by what she shared.  Little by little God has been teaching us to trust him, but when we feel as if we might have "arrived" life happens and we realize what areas we have been holding back for our own control.  When confusion and panic are swooping down, threatening to overwhelm us, God is beside us, holding out his hand, simply asking us to trust him yet again.  In my quiet time I have been reading  through Proverbs and Romans.  Romans 12 is one of my favorite passages.  I want my life to look like the challenge Paul is laying before the believers in this chapter, and I feel like the more I trust God, the more he can give me his strength to be the person he created me to be.