Semana Santa experiences

If you want to see a plethora of gold, "images" (as it's called in Spanish), parades, dedicated people, some party-ers, and streets crowded day and night with thousands upon thousands...
Holy Week in Sevilla is the place. Easter is not really a big deal here, but the emphasis seems to be
on the crucified, suffering Christ...
and on the "Virgin" (what they call Mary usually).

Imagine walking in a parade for up to 12 hours, hidden underneath a huge parade float, carrying it along with 35 other men.
Then imagine one taxi driver we met, who was going to do this 6 days, taking his vacation during that week!
My friend Sierra is pictured here with one of the Nazarenos. During Semana Santa some of the women wear clothes for mourning.

Those with the conical hats are called "Nazarenos" and hide their faces for penitence.

Semana Santa is a one -week monumental celebration in Sevilla, where members of 40+

brotherhoods walk to bring 1 or 2 ancient statues from their church to the Cathedral in Sevilla,

so the statues can greet the main "Virgin" (Mary, mother of Christ) statue there.

Each brotherhood may have as many as 200 up to over 2,000 marching in its procession. Sometimes the processions go round the clock.

Vision Trip to Jena aka "Connexxion Headquarters"

In February we enjoyed SO Much having our very 1st "Vision Trip" with students from Braunschweig, Germany & Sevilla, Spain heading to the FIRST ever Connexxion group-- in Jena, Germany! Here is Inga, a former intern with Connexxion, re-united with Abraham and Jose Maria.
We had sessions for Bible study, meeting in the Baptist church... and also workshops and small group times, and special breakfasts -- on campus, in a student residence hall, and the Lutheran Church.
The students & staff of Connexxion Jena did a marvelous job of organizing everything!
We also had a training time on campus, right before we went out to try photo surveys called "Soularium".

Here is our Sevilla group, with the hills of Jena in the background: Sierra, Jose Maria, me, Lea, Abraham, & Jake!

Hanging out with students

Hanging out, dinner, on a Friday night, in my apartment...
In the city on Friday, after "Charlemos"... (Jake is wearing a cowboy hat because he, Carolina and Sierra had been with Inma's Mom's school earlier in the afternoon demonstrating country swing dance!)
Dad on the campus lawn, with the "Cambio" Bible study group, made up mostly of American exchange students.
Dad spoke on mentoring to over 20 students-- what else?! :-)

Travels with Dad- Portugal & Ronda

Two great "captains" -- Dad and David!
Our team of Sevilla friends went to nearby Portugal for a planning retreat during the Semana Santa (holy week before Easter) ... It was a bit too cold for swimming... but here is Dad enjoying a game of UNO with the kids & interns. Dad also led us in 2 Bible studies.

It has been good to get to travel with Dad some the last 2 weeks that he's been with me, although mostly we've just stayed in town.

Last Saturday we went with Jake and Abraham to the city of Ronda, high above a valley, one of the "white villages."

One more photo of Portugal (the sun was in Dad's eyes here!) Gorgeous coastline!

Ko Ni Chi Wa (HELLO!)

Our last party was such fun (until 4 a.m.!!) last weekend, when we transformed the apt. into an activity center for Japan... here I am in the kitchen with Carolina, who grew up a big part of her life in Argentina (and has a darling accent)!

We decorated (using very little money) Japanese -- Liz & Abraham made cool calligraphy, characters and put them on the walls. I bought an umbrella at a Chinese store for 3.50 Euro.

And students poured in to enjoy Raman noodles...

... and they tried out origami (the word in Spanish is "papiroflexia")... Liz (who is Korean- American) was a big help to Paco, Jose and Nico here

... and Sushi (made HERE by Marcos, a friend of Abraham's)....

... and we used Paco's "Sing Star" to sing Spanish & American songs (karioke)... (Alberto & Jake looking on)

And Inma, even JAKE, and Sierra tried out chopsticks for hair decoration, in keeping with our theme!

games night

I learned this new game called Tantrix from my friend Silvia... she is an architecture major, & it has to do with finding how each octagon can fit with others using the same colors & lines/ curves that match-- so I guess it's no wonder that she WON!

Daniel is from Peru and we met through English Club. Sergio is from the Canary Islands, and he has gotten the chance to teach substituting for a prof, while he is getting his Masters in something related to geography & economics. I'm impressed & promised I'd attend one of his lectures!

This Friday we had a games night-- a little bit of this... a little bit of that... students are still in end- of the -semester exams so it was a chance for them to "chill" and take the stress off. Most students stayed until 1 or 2 a.m. -- it was a come & go thing.

Silvia had fun juggling!

Kick Off Sunday

Take an empty former bar/ cafe building... fill it with love, paint and chairs-- and....

This was part of our final "work crew" on Saturday to clean the new cafe, and get it ready for a kick-off Sunday (no- not the Super Bowl kick off, but something much more important!). The kick off of a worship center in the town of Bormujos (and much more, to be used for classes & workshops, & small groups & kids' programs). On the right are our 2 new interns, Johelen and Andrea.

Today our new church start in this suburb pueblo just had it's first event in the new building we are renting (a former bar, cafe)

Actually, it was the first un-official start of our Sunday worship. Previously we met each Thursday in a restaurant. But because we have no water or electricity, yet, we are not quite official in this location for meetings. We also need to buy a small kitchen, lamps & lights as well as 2 staircases that are missing or not useable, etc. And more CHAIRS-- we ran out!

I thought you'd enjoy seeing the difference in the LOOK of our new "home" after 1 more week of painting and cleaning, putting together furniture, etcetera. (see blog from a few days ago)

It was a blessed day-- with over 50 attending. You go down the stairs from the cafe area to the worship center.

Since we don't have our "own" band/music team yet, we'll be enjoying visitors each week from other churches.

Another "HOME"

See the right side of this building, with the green front on it? Sierra, Jake and I went to help paint a new "home" for a church this Saturday! My Sevilla colleagues are pastoring and starting a new church in the suburbs, across the river in a town/ bedroom community called Bormujos.

We have just rented a former pub and are turning it into a

casual cafe/ sitting area for meetings & youth/ children events (at the entrance level);

a classroom for English, women's events, and other activities (like folklore dance, on the floor above);

and a worship center in the basement! God is so good to give us this cool space-- now, we just gotta figure out how to furnish it. Our first worship is THIS Sunday at 11:30 a.m., after drinking coffee and munching on "churros." (But we have no water or electricity yet!)

There is even an area for the babies, in back of the worship room, which looks onto a patio.

For more info. about our ministry there in Spanish, click on this!