Another Move- otra mudanza

Hoy estamos mudando del piso de iTeams a nuestra casa en Hoffman Estates. Estoy animada, estresada, y lista para esta mudanza. Aun estan embaladas las cosas que hemos enviado desde Espana. Estoy lista para deshacerlas y tener un solo lugar para la familia y sentir como "nosotros" otra vez.

Today we are moving from our apartment at iTeams to our house in Hoffman Estates. Iam excited, stressed and ready for this move. Our boxes that we shipped from Spain are still packed. I'm ready to un-pack and settle in and feel like "us" again.

BICOS

I blog a ton

No, really, I do. Or at least I come up with tons of great posts while I am running. Once I get into a groove and my body isn't protesting so much that I have to will myself just to put one foot in front of the other, then my mind starts to wander a bit. I don't know how many times my mind has mulled over a great quote or an issue or a verse, and I've been so sure that it would be the best post for this blog, only to return, shower, and get sucked back into daily life where my great post fizzles out. I have done some of my best blogging while out jogging.

I also am able to pray while I'm jogging. During the day my mind is so distracted that quiet moments to pray are rare. But while I'm out running, the hard work and rhythm of the breathing and footfalls allow my mind to focus. Friends in need, things in my life God is trying to work out, our marriage, our kids, our world, things I'm thankful for, things I'm repenting of. . . it's easy to sink into it and forget how far I've run, or how long I've been praying for.

I used to pray and think a lot in the pool, too. Something about distracting my body with something challenging and repetitive really allows my mind to dig in - whether it is some yet-to-be-typed blog post or talking to Jesus. Good thing for me that prayer works nothing like blogger - no logging in, passwords, or computers required!

The Move - La Mudanza

Oh the boxes! I will be so glad when the shippers come and take them away! Ay las cajas! Estaré tan feliz cuando llegan los transportistas para quitarmelas!

Swains Moving

Once again the city is filling up with Pilgrims and the slick wet winter plazas have dried and are now filled with sunshine and café tables as the rains give way to summer. This year, the first in a long time, we are not putting out out tables at Terra Nova.

Answered Prayer- With only one day left to spare in February (whew) we signed over the cafe to its new owners. This was a HUGE blessing. From the sale of the cafe we have been able to cover both the debt that we had to IT as well as pay back team members the personal finances that each of us had put into the cafe. This was an answer to many prayers and we praise the Lord for his faithfulness.

Time of Listening- As we mentioned in our last newsletter, Lori and I have been spending time praying about whether we should stay in Spain or move on to something else. We spent some time meeting with and talking to friends in ministry all around Spain. We prayed about ministries in Sevilla, Barcelona, La Coruña, Madrid, and of course staying here in Santiago. While we saw many worthwhile opportunities here, we both feel that it is time for us to return to the USA. This has been a long and difficult decision, but the more that we have thought and prayed about it the more that we believe it is the right thing for our family at this time. Right now is a crazy and bittersweet time for us as we are anticipating the things God has for us back in the US, but we are also grieving what we are leaving here. We tell our friends here that a part of our heart will always be in Santiago in the friendships and the life we have lived here.

Return Date- Lori and I have purchased tickets to return to the Chicago area on July 8th. We will be spending some time at International Teams in Elgin for a time of debriefing that they offer for returning missionaries. We hope to spend some time in Ohio with friends and family, but have not finalized all of our travel plans yet. We will do so as soon as we can.

Finances- As always, we want to say thank you for supporting us in this ministry financially. Since transitioning from one country to another is one of the most costly parts of overseas ministry, International Teams allows for returning missionaries to have three months severance pay to relocate and resettle. We would ask those who have committed to supporting this ministry to maintain their current level of support through September.

International Teams- We have loved working with International Teams and cannot express what a joy it has been working with this organization and seeing how God is working in and through people all around the world. We have learned so much about the world refugee crisis, inner-city needs, and so many other ways in which to be a witness of the Gospel in a cross-cultural context. We praise God for ministry organizations like IT and pray for God's continued blessings on their work!

Looking Back- As we think back over the six and a half years that we have spent in Spain, we can't help but praise God for the ways that he has worked in our lives. We are so thankful for all of the wonderful people that have been part of this ministry. THANK YOU to those of you who have supported us financially and through prayer, to those of you who have worked along side us both on our team and in short term experiences and GRACIAS especially to our Spanish friends who allowed us to share our lives and our faith with them. Each of these people have encouraged us and given us a deeper understanding of Christ and his love for us.

As more of our relocation plans finalize, we will be sure to get the word out. It's been a while since our last visit stateside and we are really looking forward to re-connecting with our friends and family there. For those of you in the Lancaster area, when we come to Ohio, we will be planning a time where we can get together at First Presbyterian to personally thank you and share the story of God's work in Santiago and Terra Nova. If you have any questions feel free to drop us an e-mail.

We love you all and appreciate your prayers,

Matt & Lori

"We must become holy not because we want to feel holy but
because Christ must be able to live his life fully in us."

- Mother Teresa

New (Cheap!!) Glasses

It was time for new glasses - not only had my prescription changed, but one of the girls had snapped off an ear piece of my older glasses, so I was only wearing (dangling) them at night at home. However, I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg like you can at some eyeglass places. With frames and everything the cheapest pair I could find at a store in town here in Santiago was going to cost me well over $100. I kept putting it off until Matt saw this post on Boing Boing describing a blogger who had found inexpensive yet quality eyeglass dealers online. I decided it was worth the risk.

So I went to the Glassy Eyes blog and chose a store. I decided on Optical 4 Less and above you have the result. For $66, I purchased two pairs of glasses, and was very pleased. This included shipping as well. I probably won't buy glasses in a store again.