We have arrived! - June 2024 [ENG]

Finally, after a long waiting, on June 19th and 20th we moved to Spain. During the last month we were participating in activities of our local church and some other churches close to us in Guatemala, but we were also preparing to move. We had to sell a lot of things, from the furniture to the silverware, some clothes, and our cars…if it didn’t fit in the suitcase it had to go. During this time, we saw how God provided the right people to do business with, but He also gave us opportunities to sow into other people through the things we had to leave behind in Guatemala.

We have had mixed feelings during the last few weeks. We were excited to step into the new season that we knew God had for us, but at the same time, leaving our family and friends behind was a sacrifice. During those days, every family gathering was a little reminder of what we would have to leave behind. The goodbyes were pretty emotional and we shed a few tears, but we are fully confident that we are where God wants us. The Lord spoke to us a few weeks before the trip from Luke 9:62 “But Jesus told him: Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” This word confronted and encouraged us a lot. It wouldn’t be easy, but once we put our hand to the plow of the work of the Lord, we can’t, and we shouldn’t look back. Will the separation hurt? Definitely, but Jesus promised to be with us.

Our face after the long trip. We made it home tired but happy.

It was a 30-hour trip from the time we left home in Guatemala to the moment we arrived to our new home in Spain. From the beginning we saw miracles. We packed our lives in four suitcases, two hand carries and our backpacks. The suitcases were completely packed and we were expecting to pay quite a bit of money for the extra suitcases that we had. Because of the type of plane ticket we bought, we had to pay for the luggage fee for both airlines. When we got to the airport, we were told that our suitcases were overweight (not surprising, to be honest). The miracle came when we got back to the counter after rearranging our luggage.  They told us that they were not able to charge us the luggage fee, that it was our “lucky day” and that the suitcases wouldn’t have a cost. We were estimating to pay around $400, and that was reduced to zero. Once more, The Lord was showing us that we are walking in the right direction.

During the trip, we had a lot of grace on the flights and connections, although in Madrid we had to rush to arrive to our next flight. The customs line was really long, and what seemed to be a relaxed connection, became the workout of the day. Once in Málaga, pastor David picked us up and brought us to our new home. Jet lag was not as bad as other times, it took us two days to adjust to the new time zone and not waking up in the middle of the night ready to take on the day or barely being able to stay awake at 3:00PM.

We are in the process of adapting, working on all our paperwork with the Spanish government, getting new phones, internet, bank accounts, and so much more. We are living in a little studio apartment, very pretty and comfortable. Meanwhile we are praying to get a bigger apartment or house where we can stay long term. We also started looking for a car. We had our first Sunday service with our new local church and we are starting to get involved in our new community of faith.

You can pray for us in this adapting process in a few ways. First, for all the process and papers we still need for the government here.  For grace with the local authorities so we can complete all the paperwork soon.  Second, for the work we have to do here as we will start having one-on-one follow ups with the pastors we are working with here. We will be meeting influential people in the region to present the project and the ministry. Third, now being in a completely new place, we face risks and the process of knowing the environment and the culture takes time, so we pray for grace in this adaptation process.

Thank you for your support in prayer and financially. Know that all that we do here is thanks to the Lord and to the support of everyone that constantly join us, in one way or another, to make this possible.

Rodri & Katie.