Hello All,
To those who are on the Spain Chain, this will not be new news. The Spain Chain has been our monthly email that has accompanied our ministry since it's incception. Below is our latest edition with some very pertinent information.
December 28, 2006
Dear Spain Chain,
We hope that you have had a wonderful Christmas, and our wish is that you and your family would have a Happy New Year. May 2007 be a landmark year in the Lord for each of your family members. May this be a year filled with growth and the presence of the Lord in a great measure. This past year has been a tremendous year spiritually for us, and though it has been difficult, the reward of becoming more intimate with Christ has been worth the cost. We pray that the same could be said by each of you. Now, onto some business.
Coming Home
After much prayer and counsel, it has been decided that we must come home from the mission field of Spain. The permanent visas which we have waited for the better part of this year and have still not come, are the catalyst issue, dealing mainly with our legal provision to be here longer than 90 days. Not having them has created quite a difficult emotional backdrop as we have traveled now three times back and forth between continents, and we feel now that we cannot continue under that circumstance. Therefore, as a family, we have decided that we will make our residence back in the States for an indefinite period of time.
There are many things to talk about with regard to the future of this ministry. Suffice it to say, our burden for Spain remains strong and our love for Calvario De Jerez, her Pastor and people, remains steadfast. At this point, the questions outnumber the answers, but we are confident that the Lord will bring those when we need them. At present, our energies will be focused on readying our house here in Spain for occupation, ironically for Pastor Carlos and his family! I’ll tell that story in a moment.
I feel that it is important to point out that we are not discouraged. We were ready to give many years of our life (and God may yet require that!) to overseas ministry service. We simply feel that God called us to and provided for the time that we have had. In that time, we have watched the church heal from difficult circumstances and we have gained a first hand perspective regarding the challenges that face missionaries on the field today.
We return to the states January 17th, just a day or two short of the permitted 90 day tourist stay.
• Please pray for this time of transition back to the states and back into respective workplaces.
• Pray that the Lord would make it clear where He would have us serve Him next, as this is currently not known to us.
• For those who might have the ability to help us with furniture donations, please contact us through email. We would very much appreciate it!
• Pray for Renae’s transition into yet a 3rd school for this year when we return. As of now, we are hoping to place her into The Packinghouse Academy.
Trading Places!
As I mentioned in the previous section, Pastor Carlos and his family will be moving into our house at the end of January. Carlos had been originally told that he had until July to vacate his current house. Just about a month ago, his landlord informed him that he would need to leave much earlier than that, specifically the end of January! We were all surprised, but immediately the idea of them moving into our place began to take shape, essentially since our homes are virtually identical.
We view this as another piece in the puzzle of how God is working from every angle to provide. We have had a wonderful relationship with our landlords, Antonio and Marguerite over the last year, and through that, they have also come to know and trust Carlos. For all parties involved, there is peace and a feeling that this is right.
It will also be exciting to see our neighbors response to Carlos. For the better part of a year, they have watched us and have talked with us, but because of the language barrier are hesitant to attempt deeper discussions. They know why we are here and there is no secret to our beliefs. However, now with Carlos living here, there is a real chance for him to complete what has been started through our life. It will be a very good fit for that purpose as well.
• Pray for our neighbors, that their curiosity will be piqued and that Carlos will begin a fruitful relationship with them. We pray that all will be blessed and touched personally by the Lord.
So What Now!?
At present, our Pastors who have been mainly responsible for sending us out have been notified. Likely before this reaches you, we will have at least sent out another email to them to begin a dialogue about what should happen next with regard to ministry.
Regarding Spain, there will likely be another trip that I will have to take for my visa sometime later in the year, around October, in order to renew it for another 2 years. As far as our family, it looks like we will eventually have to re-apply for our visas for Lela and the kids. When we feel that the time is right, we will make those applications again, should that be the Lord’s call to us.
Aside from that, I continue to remind myself of a story in the Bible that has tremendous meaning to me right now. King David looked around at his house and decided that he wanted to build God a house. He and Samuel the Prophet discussed this and Samuel gave the “go-ahead.” But then God told Samuel that he misspoke. David could not build the temple because he was a man of war. So what did David do? He assembled everything necessary for the building of the temple, so that when Solomon, his son, became King he could build it. That’s what I want to do. I want to help prepare others and join in the ministries that we already have personal contact with, so that we can continue to bless Spain and lay a foundation for a time when God might swing the doors wide open and ask us to return.
Until then, we will regather our strength and sense of bearing. Please note that the call of destiny has not grown faint! In fact, it grows ever more loud. A continent and an ocean shall not dissuade us from continuing to sow into this Harvest field.
Toward that end, our account with Intensive Care Ministries will remain open for a time until costs for possible return trips are covered and our family returned to the workforce.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at lelafrank@aol.com. And for the time being, our website will remain focused on life here in Spain, so please feel free to check that out at www.frankandlela.com.
Finally, and most sincerely, thank you all for your prayers, your gifts, your support and your love during this last year. Many times, because of your partnership with us, we felt comforted and encouraged in ways that we may never be able to express to you. Your presence has been felt. You have helped us to feel as though we were not so far away. Thank you a million times over!
Happy New Years and we will see you soon.
Blessings,
Frank Sanchez, Author
Lela Sanchez, Chief Editor
Renae, Caleb & Elizabeth Sanchez, Los Tres Terramotos (The Three Earthquakes!)
To those who are on the Spain Chain, this will not be new news. The Spain Chain has been our monthly email that has accompanied our ministry since it's incception. Below is our latest edition with some very pertinent information.
December 28, 2006
Dear Spain Chain,
We hope that you have had a wonderful Christmas, and our wish is that you and your family would have a Happy New Year. May 2007 be a landmark year in the Lord for each of your family members. May this be a year filled with growth and the presence of the Lord in a great measure. This past year has been a tremendous year spiritually for us, and though it has been difficult, the reward of becoming more intimate with Christ has been worth the cost. We pray that the same could be said by each of you. Now, onto some business.
Coming Home
After much prayer and counsel, it has been decided that we must come home from the mission field of Spain. The permanent visas which we have waited for the better part of this year and have still not come, are the catalyst issue, dealing mainly with our legal provision to be here longer than 90 days. Not having them has created quite a difficult emotional backdrop as we have traveled now three times back and forth between continents, and we feel now that we cannot continue under that circumstance. Therefore, as a family, we have decided that we will make our residence back in the States for an indefinite period of time.
There are many things to talk about with regard to the future of this ministry. Suffice it to say, our burden for Spain remains strong and our love for Calvario De Jerez, her Pastor and people, remains steadfast. At this point, the questions outnumber the answers, but we are confident that the Lord will bring those when we need them. At present, our energies will be focused on readying our house here in Spain for occupation, ironically for Pastor Carlos and his family! I’ll tell that story in a moment.
I feel that it is important to point out that we are not discouraged. We were ready to give many years of our life (and God may yet require that!) to overseas ministry service. We simply feel that God called us to and provided for the time that we have had. In that time, we have watched the church heal from difficult circumstances and we have gained a first hand perspective regarding the challenges that face missionaries on the field today.
We return to the states January 17th, just a day or two short of the permitted 90 day tourist stay.
• Please pray for this time of transition back to the states and back into respective workplaces.
• Pray that the Lord would make it clear where He would have us serve Him next, as this is currently not known to us.
• For those who might have the ability to help us with furniture donations, please contact us through email. We would very much appreciate it!
• Pray for Renae’s transition into yet a 3rd school for this year when we return. As of now, we are hoping to place her into The Packinghouse Academy.
Trading Places!
As I mentioned in the previous section, Pastor Carlos and his family will be moving into our house at the end of January. Carlos had been originally told that he had until July to vacate his current house. Just about a month ago, his landlord informed him that he would need to leave much earlier than that, specifically the end of January! We were all surprised, but immediately the idea of them moving into our place began to take shape, essentially since our homes are virtually identical.
We view this as another piece in the puzzle of how God is working from every angle to provide. We have had a wonderful relationship with our landlords, Antonio and Marguerite over the last year, and through that, they have also come to know and trust Carlos. For all parties involved, there is peace and a feeling that this is right.
It will also be exciting to see our neighbors response to Carlos. For the better part of a year, they have watched us and have talked with us, but because of the language barrier are hesitant to attempt deeper discussions. They know why we are here and there is no secret to our beliefs. However, now with Carlos living here, there is a real chance for him to complete what has been started through our life. It will be a very good fit for that purpose as well.
• Pray for our neighbors, that their curiosity will be piqued and that Carlos will begin a fruitful relationship with them. We pray that all will be blessed and touched personally by the Lord.
So What Now!?
At present, our Pastors who have been mainly responsible for sending us out have been notified. Likely before this reaches you, we will have at least sent out another email to them to begin a dialogue about what should happen next with regard to ministry.
Regarding Spain, there will likely be another trip that I will have to take for my visa sometime later in the year, around October, in order to renew it for another 2 years. As far as our family, it looks like we will eventually have to re-apply for our visas for Lela and the kids. When we feel that the time is right, we will make those applications again, should that be the Lord’s call to us.
Aside from that, I continue to remind myself of a story in the Bible that has tremendous meaning to me right now. King David looked around at his house and decided that he wanted to build God a house. He and Samuel the Prophet discussed this and Samuel gave the “go-ahead.” But then God told Samuel that he misspoke. David could not build the temple because he was a man of war. So what did David do? He assembled everything necessary for the building of the temple, so that when Solomon, his son, became King he could build it. That’s what I want to do. I want to help prepare others and join in the ministries that we already have personal contact with, so that we can continue to bless Spain and lay a foundation for a time when God might swing the doors wide open and ask us to return.
Until then, we will regather our strength and sense of bearing. Please note that the call of destiny has not grown faint! In fact, it grows ever more loud. A continent and an ocean shall not dissuade us from continuing to sow into this Harvest field.
Toward that end, our account with Intensive Care Ministries will remain open for a time until costs for possible return trips are covered and our family returned to the workforce.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at lelafrank@aol.com. And for the time being, our website will remain focused on life here in Spain, so please feel free to check that out at www.frankandlela.com.
Finally, and most sincerely, thank you all for your prayers, your gifts, your support and your love during this last year. Many times, because of your partnership with us, we felt comforted and encouraged in ways that we may never be able to express to you. Your presence has been felt. You have helped us to feel as though we were not so far away. Thank you a million times over!
Happy New Years and we will see you soon.
Blessings,
Frank Sanchez, Author
Lela Sanchez, Chief Editor
Renae, Caleb & Elizabeth Sanchez, Los Tres Terramotos (The Three Earthquakes!)
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