Apartment Tour/ Now a Spaniard

Some videos below for fun. One FINALLY of my apartment and one of my Spanish residency card. I'm feeling more and more Spanish!

Suffering at the Beach for Jesus

First trip for work!
Alameda Bridge- there used to be a river that ran through Valencia, but it would flood the city. The river has been redirected and the river bed is now a big green area that runs through the city.

Valencia supposedly is the origin of Paella- a Spanish dish with rice and different types of meats or seafood
Valencia's metro is ALOT slower than Madrid's

Valencia's beach
Bull ring and train Station

When a pregnant woman in Valencia speaks English to you and tells you to go to an evangelical church that her mom goes to, you go. After a crazy day last Tuesday of getting off to the airport (a team members purse was stolen AND at the airport the check in counter wouldn't let Brook use her Spain ID card to check in, even though the website said you could, so Nolen had to go back to our apartment and get her passport), we finally arrived in Valencia. The flight was short, but as soon as we stepped outside we could feel the humidity. The weather is actually very similar to Florida, since Valencia is on the east coast of Spain.

We got to our hotel, and then decided to scope out one of the neighborhoods we had researched. This barrio (neighborhood) has a reported high population of Latin Americans living there, so Brook and I walked around for awhile. We walked into a vegetable and fruit stand and asked if anyone knew of a Latino restaurant in the area. Before we knew it we were outside with several people speaking English to us trying to give us directions. It was a very bizarre moment because many Spaniards do not speak English. It was also bizarre because we were surround by Spaniards, Latinos, and Indians. A pregnant woman, Lorena, walking by heard our English and stopped to help.

We told Lorena who we were and what we were doing in Valencia, researching the realities of Latin American immigrants lives in this city. Once we explained our desire to learn more about the immigrants here, she told us about her mother's church in Valencia that does alot of work helping people. She further explained that she no longer goes to church because she's a "naughty girl" but that if we go to this church the people there would help us out. AND this entire conversation was in English because Lorena had spent 5 years in Australia. What a blessing! Brook and I have been so nervous about our Spanish, and here on the first night God brought someone to us who could communicate perfectly with us. It started to rain, so we head back to the hotel after saying good bye and thanking her for her help. Pray she returns to the Lord and realizes that Christ came for the "naughty" people of this world.

The rest of the first week we've visited consulates and tried to visit other organizations that specifically work with immigrants here. We've had alot of hits and misses. You have a map in your hand and finally find your way to the location only to find sometimes that the organization has moved or no longer exist. Or you find that no one is willing to help you. A lot of time is spent walking around and engaging in conversations where you can. This can be going to a highly Latino populated barrio and visiting a cafe asking for advice or information or it can be spending some time praying that someone will help you or give you the needed information. Ultimately our goal in being here in Valencia is to know how Latinos here are being reached with the Gospel.

Yesterday we went to the church that Lorena told us about. As we entered we were welcomed and then an American man walked up to us and asked us if we spoke English. We come to find out that Chris and his wife, Anita, are missionaries in Valencia with another Christian organization! We tell them a little bit about why we are here, and they graciously open up their home to us for an after church meal. We spent an amazing time talking about the ministry here they serve with (Mision Urbana) and how this ministry reaches out to immigrants who move to Valencia. It was such a blessing because once again the language barrier was taken down and we were able to pick their brains a little big about the immigrant situation in Valencia and receptiveness to the Gospel.

Today Brook and I went seeking out more organizations, some of which are closed for August (even vacation cities are apparently closed during August) or have moved locations. Tomorrow we are going to Mision Urbano to hopefully learn more about how Latin Americans are being helped through this, and Wednesday we have a meeting with a pastor (who also speaks English!). God is opening up doors for us and little by little we are learning more about the barriers and bridges that exist here for the Gospel. We even had a great talk with a man from Ecuador today. He was very open to us in sharing his experience and the motives in why he is here in Spain.

As we blaze a trail in Valencia, I pray that we leave lights of truth along the way. I pray that we build healthy relationships and that Brook and I are accepted by those who we are asking questions to. Pray for our time tomorrow and Wednesday. Pray that we learn more about the realities of immigrants and that we know bridges to sharing the gospel. I rest assured that the Spirit has already gone before us (I mean, obviously, with us meeting so many English speakers!). Pray that Brook and I are tuned in with the Holy Spirit and that we continue to have opportunities to share truth. Some good and exciting news is one day on the metro there were 3 people from Colombia around my age. The girl had a Bible in her hand, so I was able to talk to her for awhile. There are people seeking the Lord here. Pray that they seek and find the Truth that we are here to share.

Health: My health is doing fairly well. Something kind of crazy is that I recently had an allergic reaction to ibuprofen (I have red welps from head to toe). I had another reaction to a medicine at the beginning of July (slow, difficulty breathing and well as severe dizziness), so I think I'm allergic to anti-inflammatory medications. This is a bummer because ibuprofen had been helping me manage my pain, so now I'm back to using a stronger medicine. Walking is a daily challenge and my joints and muscles still ache, and I can't go all day long like I wish I could. Also with the amount of walking, I'm slowing down. All that to say, I am doing okay, and I can feel the prayers. Please keep praying because Brook and I'll be here in Valencia until September 1st. I cannot tell you how much your encouragement blesses me. Sorry if that was a scattered update, but I wanted to let y'all in on the work being done right now! Oh and from the title, you probably figured that Valencia is on the coast. Yes there's a beach, and yes Brook and I have visited it. I know, I know, suffering for Jesus is tough :)

A lot of love from Spain,
Taryn

A Loose Grip

Brook and I are FINALLY getting to travel. We will be leaving Tuesday the 10th for Valencia in the south of Spain. We will try to contact organizations, churches, and do street interviews to better understand the realities for immigrants in this city. We also want to know more about how many churches reach out to Latin Americans. Please pray for our time there (22 days living out of a suitcase!) and that we will be able to communicate clearly. God has been teaching me a lot lately about the dreams I have in this life. Before all the events of November, I had big dreams of going above and beyond in my job. I didn't know what exactly that would be, but I knew that's what I wanted to do. I had this unrealistic expectation that I wanted to be Super Taryn. I am learning that God never wanted Super Taryn for this job. He wanted broken Taryn.

With that, I am learning what it means to have a loose grip on the things I call my dreams. There are many things that I believe God has truly placed on my heart. For instance I knew since 13 months ago that this was the job I was called to. Some dreams I have for the future include adopting kids from different parts of the world (I love the idea of having a household that reflects what we'll encounter in eternity), and there's a specific location that I feel called to for the future to serve. But even these dreams, as good and well as they are in life, cannot be priorities in my life. The thing that always must be first is my love for the Father. I had big dreams of coming to Spain at full force. I had big dreams of engaging with people and interacting all the time with them. Instead those big dreams have had to change to doing the work I can to the best of my ability now. No above and beyond for me, in my opinion. I hate that. I hate limitations, and I hate giving up what my dreams and expectations were. I hate that instead of going full speed, I am barely making it to average speed most days. Even then I have to pace myself. I expect more out of myself. I expect to be 100% even though every doctor I have encountered tells me that this isn't a possibility in recovery at this time from what I've been through.

Shattered, broken dreams. Expectations crushed and ruined. Doubts, confusion, and frustration. I've had to ask myself lately if my dreams have gotten in the way of the One I love. I've had to step back and ask if I've loved my dreams more than the Lord. He challenges me to keep a loose grip on my dreams. He calls forward in loving and serving Him in the midst of trials. The point isn't fulfilling my dreams. Like I said, those are things that I strongly believe God has called me to do, but what if they don't happen? What if God doesn't allow for me to adopt children from all over the world? What if I never get to move to this one particular country that has a hold of my heart? Am I okay with that? How tight is my grip on my dreams? I do not want to forget my first love and the Creator of these dreams. I just have to keep reminding myself to keep a loose grip on my dreams. The Lord gives and takes away, but I must follow no matter what. I have to remember how deeply He loves me. I have to remember He hurts with me. He feels every beat of my heart. He knows my deepest fears. He intimately understands what makes me tick or what interest me. He knows me. I can trust Him. I can have a loose grip on my dreams because no matter what, the Lord has my best interest at heart. I let go of these dreams, but He's the one who decides what He does with them and how He uses them to stretch and grow me.

Growing isn't fun. I sure hope that I've been growing through all of this. I would hate for this to all be for nothing and for me to not grow so close to the Father during this time. I would challenge you to examine yourself and look at the things or dreams you have grasped in your hands. Are you willing to loosen the grip and trust whatever it is to God? We can give it all to Him, if only we'd let go.

Keeping a loose grip,
Taryn

August Update

The Journey Girls of Madrid!

Madrid's Exodus

Hello hot African heat! Let me tell you something… the air here is dry and hot! With that just about everyone leaves Madrid the end of July and the entire month of August.

This past Friday night Brook and I went to see Toy Story 3 (in English, wahoo!), and we noticed that the metro was really crowded and that everyone had suitcases. We were a bit puzzled and then realized that August was upon us. It is well known that things shut down in Madrid during this month. Literally offices will be closed the entire month!

With that I am running into a bit of a problem as I am seeking out a second opinion on my legs. Please pray that I can find a doctor in the midst of Madrid’s exodus. With my communication with the Board’s medical team, they suggested a 2nd opinion before looking to any kind of surgery. I am still hoping that no surgery will be necessary and that my body is just still healing. Swelling is still up and down. I get really excited when it’s low, but then it seems within the next few days it’s back up again. Please pray that I don’t get discouraged by this.

Brook and I have been working on some more neighborhood population information specifically for Valencia and Sevilla. We found that Burgos didn’t have a significant Latino population, so we won’t be going there. We have had some contacts with evangelical organizations. We are hoping that these connections will help us discover some of the realities of the immigrants here, and how those things can be bridges to the gospel.

Brook and I keep thinking that travel is around the corner, but we still aren’t set on a specific date just yet. We know it will be sometime this month though. We’ve been working on some interview formats and getting those translated. You have to be culturally aware when asking questions to people because you don’t want to ask something that offends someone.

Please pray that these interview formats will be functional for our work and will help us gather the necessary information about Latinos here. The main focus through all of this is to know how people need to be reached with the Gospel.

Poco a Poco

I really enjoy learning Spanish phrases. Some things they say are similar like “poco a poco” (little by little) and some things are different like “boca arriba” (mouth down instead of face down) and “hablando del rey de Roma” (speak of the devil, but literally means speak of the king of Rome). There are always good language days and of course bad ones. I feel accomplished when I have a smooth conversation and I feel like I understand everything going on. Then there are other times where I wonder if I know any Spanish at all!

With language, work, and relationships I am learning that things in life are “poco a poco.” I have a personality where I like to be going and moving quickly. In many ways that’s changed for me physically because I’m not 100% yet. In many ways a fast pace isn’t how things go in ministry as well. Ministry is a lot of relationship building and time invested in people.

Brook and I have been praying for some Latino friends. We have some Spanish friends, but we both realized that we are here to focus on Latino immigrants. The other day while we were at our local hangout (so fun that I can say we have one!), we were talking to the waitress there. We’ll call her R.

R had begun to respond to us when we would go there because we’ve been going to this restaurant since April. The other day we started chatting with her, and she asked us about why we were here. When we explained our job, she said, “Oh, I’m from Argentina!” Brook and I had no idea that R was Latina! She’s fairer skinned with blond hair and light eyes. We had assumed she was German or Russian.

R is our age and seems very open to us and we plan on spending some more time with her soon. Please pray for her heart. Pray that through our relationship we can share the love and hope in Christ.

PRAYER REQUESTS
Legs– for swelling to go down/ no pain
Continued practice of language
Memorization of Spanish Scripture
For R and that her heart will open to the Gospel

PRAISES!
Excited for a new Latin American friend my age!
Language is coming along
Interview formats in the process of revision to be used for travel

Please let me know how to pray for you!

In Him,
Taryn

Brook's Bday/The 4th/Strike/World Cup/Rayos-X

The symbol of Madrid in Sol- a bear climbing a tree.

Birthday Girl!
The end of June and up until now in July has been hectic to say the least! June 28th marked Brook's 24th birthday, so we celebrated with cake, balloons, streamers, and presents. Welcome to your mid 20's!

No Fireworks
The 4th of July was fairly uneventful. I tried to see in the US embassy was doing anything exciting, but found no information. Funny how you realize what a big deal something is in the States and then here, people know nothing of it. That's okay though. I missed the fireworks that I usually watch at Kanakuk or being on the lake somewhere watching fireworks. So in a moment of patriotism I hung up a Spanish flag in Brook and mine's apartment. I know, I know... so wrong. But then again it felt so right. Just trying to assimilate!

Metro Strike
Oh my word! The metro of Madrid is the lifeline of the city! Without the metro things slow down and are way more crowded. With my increasing knowledge of the bus system, I decided I would beat this metro strike and just take a bus... along with the rest of Madrid! So Brook and I had this bizarre experience of being on an overcrowded bus where no one was paying for bus tickets because no one could get to the bus driver to pay for them. We literally had no room to move. Luckily for Brook and me we were at the front of the bus near the driver. He took a liking to us foreigners and shared his lunch with us. He gave us some cherries to eat and also borrowed our ipod earphones to check out the tunes we were jamming to. After we got off the crazy bus, Brook and I just started laughing so hard. I couldn't believe I ate cherries out of a strangers hand! My dad would be so disappointed!

When there are meetings across from my apartment, I know they will strike!

Crowded bus!

When I took this picture some Spaniards were jokingly saying, "Oh yes, a very typical Spanish picture!" Even they hate strikes!

World Cup
There is this thing in the rest of the world called futbol. Not American football.... futbol! We would refer to it as soccer, but Americans love for soccer comes no where close to the love that the rest of the world has for it. Needless to say I caught the futbol fever over here and had an AMAZING time watching Spain win! VIVA ESPANA! The streets were chaotic and the day after the big win I joined millions (literally) of Spaniards in the streets to watch the CAMPEONES (Champions) be paraded through the streets. You just can't help but to catch the fever and sing all the chants like "Yo soy Espanol, Espanol, Espanol" (I'm Spanish) or "Si, si, si! La Copa ya esta aqui!" (Yes yes yes! The Cup is already here!).
Down by Plaza de CibelesVictory!
Megan T. and me celebrating!

Gran Via- Where the Champion parade was! PACKED OUT!

Esther (another j-girl) waiting to see the Champions!


Rayos-X
Rayos-X is how you would say X-rays in Spanish. Just the little things you learn when trying to get x-rays for a new doctor here! My adventure in getting my rayos-x consisted of going to a hospital down the street from my doctor's office. I didn't need an appointment; you just show up and you are in line. I had some problems understanding the directions through the hospital for where to get these rayos-x. I finally got them, they gave them to me, and I asked where I needed to pay, and had a sweet lady escort me to the front desk. Poor guiri! (guiri is a nice word for foreigner) At the front desk I was then able to pay for my x-rays and then after this took the film to my doctor's office. Whew! Quite a bit of work when I got used to going to Dr. Young's office where they did the x-rays there and had them ready to look at on the computer immediately.

Update

Things are going well as I continue with so research and contact of evangelical churches and organizations in Spain. I finished my tutoring and was so glad to get this extra help with my Spanish. Still no news on whether or not I have compartment syndrome, but I am in contact with the medical team. Hopefully I'll be able to have a test done some time soon to confirm or deny if I have this issue. Your prayers have been felt to say the least. I've been all over the place with asking a bunch of why's lately. I'll continue to trust with a blind faith. All the more reason why I need continual prayers to push forward! Let me know how you are!

In Him,

Taryn

Desperate Prayer Request

I am in great need of prayer from you. In my last doctor’s visit, the doctor expressed concern that I need more surgery soon. I had to some degree prepared myself for surgery in the future such as the possible removal of the pins in my legs and the plate in my jaw. I was thinking this could be in the next year and half or 2 years. This assessment from this doctor, however, came as a shock. He believes I may have compartment syndrome in my left leg. This is based off of my symptoms of unalleviated pain in this leg. He was talking about surgery as soon as September. I am, of course, seeking out a second opinion and am communication with my supervisor. We are starting communication with the medical team at the IMB, so we can figure out what exactly in going on in my body. I am hoping that no surgery is necessary and that if it is necessary it will be minor and not too invasive.

My heart is heavy, and I am overwhelmed by the thought of more surgery. I have many concerns about my job and my ability to continue on if I have to have surgery. For all of these reasons I am asking that you pray for me. Pray for wisdom for the doctors I encounter, for clear communication, and for peace in my heart. After I received this news Thursday, I spent most of the day by myself talking with God, and honestly, several hours crying. I am reminded that as believers in Christ, we are called to bring praise to the Father despite our circumstances. He calls us to suffer well. This means despite our pain and heartache, His glory is first. This isn’t easy for me to accept this, but pray that the Holy Spirit gives me the strength I need. There is a great importance in suffering well. It’s for the fame of our Lord.

For His fame and not mine,

Taryn

July Update

Watching the US/Ghana soccer game with Brooke- a new friend that interned here the first part of the summer!

The bear climbing a tree in Sol- this is the symbol for Madrid

Retir0 Park

Retiro park with a bench that says "Nobody is illegal"- random!

Brook, Brooke, and me on the metro

Why? Where? What?

There are several questions I am constantly asked by people like why I’m in Spain, where I work, and what exactly I do. Many times since I am talking to Europeans this can be a tricky question to answer. The word “missionary” carries a negative connotation here, so I choose another way to explain the work I do. I tell people I’m here in Spain to research information on Latino immigrants in Europe. I tell them the company I work for is out of the U.S. and that I don’t have an office building I go to.

This answer leads to many confused looks which allows me to further explain that the company I work for wants to help better peoples’ lives. Europeans seem to be okay with “bettering” lives. As time progresses, I can tell more about my job I am able to explain what this “bettering” of life looks like.
It’s tough because being outward and bold here is not about shoving the gospel in someone’s face. It very much is about relationships and showing that your life is different. I pray daily, even though I’m sinful, that the light of Christ shines through.

There are many things about me that are different from Spaniards. For instance Spaniards think it is so bizarre I don’t drink or smoke. I pray that they don’t think these differences are only moral preferences or because of legalistic ideas. I pray that they see past these differences into the change that Christ has made in my life. Please pray this with me.

Latino immigrants that I’ve encountered for the most part have been open in sharing their experiences. Some of them constantly face discrimination from the police and still feel as though they are not treated equally.

Please pray that these experiences will open up their hearts to our God who values us so much that he made a way for us to have a relationship with him. Please pray for a person of peace (someone open to the gospel) and for the team members trying to start churches among Latinos in Madrid. I will start traveling throughout Spain at the end of July to gather first hand information about immigrants. Please pray for people I encounter and for chances to share the Gospel.

Are you from Sevilla?

As far as language goes I am doing very well! I did a language evaluation this past week and my language coach, Julie Clifton, said I did well enough that I don’t need to continue with more language class (thank you mom for making me minor in Spanish!). This last week I met with a Spanish tutor, Luis, who is a believer. I’ll get to finish a few more language sessions with him this week.

I was very encouraged because Luis said there isn’t a problem for me in communication. I just need to work on details in the language. For instance in English we say “I like food.” In Spanish you always say “Me gusta la comida” which means “I like the food.” You can never leave out the “the.” These are the minor details I’m working on! On top of that I’m learning Spanish phrases or sayings. One thing they say similar to our “you’re pulling my leg” is “you’re pulling my hair.” These random things are fun to learn.

There are days where I feel like I’m conquering the language and other days where I wonder if I’ll ever get it! Recently Brook and I were asking for directions and a man asked us if we were from Sevilla, another city in Spain. I was excited because even though we have accents, he thought we were native Spanish speakers! Gotta love the little victories!

Physical Progress Update:

I have found and visited an English speaking doctor. He suggested that I begin more therapy and prescribed me some more medicines. The bad thing is that I had a reaction to one of the medicines. I’m okay, but please pray that I don’t have any more problems like this. I plan on blogging about my visit to the doctor and my adventure in getting some X-Rays, or Rayos X! You never know what vocabulary you need in a language until you are without it!

PRAYER REQUESTS
Legs– for swelling to go down/ no pain

Continued practice of language

For evangelical contacts– to help know about Latino populations in specific cities Barcelona, Burgos, Valencia, and Sevilla.

Memorization of Spanish Scripture

PRAISES!
I now have a doctor here!

Language is progressing

Let me know how to pray for you!