September 2007 Update

Greetings from Kentucky! It's hot here--way too hot for September. I'm daily reminded of what a bad job I did of packing to come back to the U.S. Not enough summer clothes!

By the way, like the snazzy new email format?

I've been back 2 1/2 weeks, and already I've visited four churches, filed visa papers in Chicago, gone fishing, dislocated my toe (don't ask), and gone through two boxes of Multi Grain Cheerios. It's great to spend time with family and friends who I dearly miss, but at the same time I'm starting to itch to get back to Madrid already. Pray for me to be content where I am and get the most out of this time.

So far I've had some great meetings with potential supporters, but I still have a lot to raise. I'm convinced that God wants me in Madrid and that He will provide for me to live there. Pray that the support comes in and that I will rest in the assurance that God is my provider. And while we're talking about support, email me if you'd like more info about becoming a member of my monthly support team!

Ok, with that shameless plug out of the way, here is some news about what's been going on in Spain in August and what's coming up in Madrid while I'm away.

Thanks for reading!

Connect 2007

I joined fellow CAI missionaries, board members and guests in Sopron, Hungary for our annual staff conference, which is now called Connect. As usual, we had a wonderful time. Our new venue was the beautiful Hotel Fagus. As usual, my favorite part of the conference was the community I experienced with other people who love Jesus and who live in Europe. It's one of my favorite weeks of the year.

We were privileged to be able to spend Monday, August 13 in Vienna serving in various projects. Many of CAI's churches around Europe have been doing these service projects, and we are actually having our own later this month. It was a joy to be able to serve the people of Vienna en mass.

We were encouraged by our speaker Gerard Kelly; he encouraged us that God is not done with the church in Europe yet. Also were encouraged by worship and prayer together. I led worship for one of the sessions, but otherwise I was able to relax and worship without worrying about leading--a much needed refreshment for me!

Shani Kilasi

Shani is one of my first friends from Madrid. She has been helping out a ton with the church and now it's official! I'm happy to announce that Shani is now on staff with Christian Associates and will be serving a one-year internship with us at Oasis Madrid to start with. We're thrilled to have her officially on board. She has been practically staff already!

Serve the City

Oasis Madrid are really excited to be part of Madrid's very own Serve the City, coming up from September 26th until the 29th. They'll be passing out drinks and snacks to immigrants standing in long immigration lines, doing some work at a center for troubled youth, passing out additional supplies (like socks, toiletries, sleeping bags) to our homeless friends, and doing clean-up in a couple areas in Madrid. I'm hopeful that they'll be able to have lots of conversations with people about why we are serving. For more information, check out Serve the City Madrid online.

I have been involved in the planning of this event and am VERY sad that I can't be there for the actual service. But I'm glad it's happening anyway!

Things to Pray About

Things to Pray About
1. Pray for new contacts and new financial supporters, and that I will be ready to head back to Spain, fully supported, in early October.
2. Pray that my visa/immigration papers go through smoothly and efficiently.
3. Pray for safety as I drive all over the place here! (keep in mind I haven't driven in a year!)
4. Pray for God to use Serve the City in Madrid in big ways
5. Pray for new people interested in the worship ministry that will plug into Oasis.
6. Praise God that Shani is sticking around and working with us!

With love and thanks for all you do for me,

Kelly