I have been in Spain for one month! Wow!! Time goes by so fast! I arrived in Spain on September 30 and it has been a HUGE BLESSING!! I would like to give you a quick update on my first month in Mallorca, Spain!
PRAYER:
“Prayer is the mighty engine that is to move the missionary work.” — A.B. Simpson
A few days before I left California, my home church sent me off with prayer! What a special time that was! I would like to express a huge THANK YOU to all those that prayed for me before I left! My home church (CC Downey), Saving Grace World Missions, Calvary Cerritos, my Care Team, friends, family… truly your support through prayer means so much and I am very grateful!!
ONE WAY TICKET TO SPAIN:
“If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” — C.T. Studd
The day finally came to go to the airport and say goodbye to my family. I am definitely blessed by each member of my family! Their constant love and support is amazing! I love them very much!! So our time to say goodbye at the airport was filled with many hugs and tears. It was definitely not an easy goodbye but your prayers for strength carried all of us through!
In the midst of the emotions, there was a miracle at the ticket counter! I had an issue with my checked bags and I was being charged almost $300 to let them go through. When the ticket attendant tried to set my suitcases aside, he noticed that they had already been placed on the conveyer belt! So, he then admitted he couldn’t charge me the fee anymore. I didn’t have to pay anything extra! God is good!! The impact of your prayers on full display!!
WELCOME TO SPAIN:
“To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map.” — William Carey
I finally landed in Spain after about 15 hours of travel! The pastor here in Mallorca, Raf Manzanares and his wife Loretta, had a special warm welcome prepared for me in my apartment! What a blessing!!
One of my dearest and closest friends, Lisa Lampon, traveled with me to help me get settled in! She knew exactly how to help me! My apartment looks very nice and is in order thanks to her! Her support and prayers were a blessing. This was missionary care in a very practical and loving way, and as a single girl moving to a new country this kind of support was very much needed and appreciated. It was a blessing having Lisa in Mallorca! Love you sis!
LET’S GET WORKING:
“Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” — William Carey
The school project has been in preparation mode since before I arrived. Therefore, upon arriving it was straight to work on this exciting venture of faith! I was asked to take on more responsibilities within the administration aspect of the project so my days are filled with a lot of meetings, emails, researching, and coordinating. I know the Lord brought me here to Mallorca with that purpose. The journey that began many years ago, is now tangibly before me and I couldn’t be any more excited and honored to serve the Lord in this way!
There has been a lot to do as we are preparing to meet certain milestones we have set in place. These milestones will help us ensure that we can start our school next year. It is exciting, but definitely a venture that keeps us on our knees!
The Lord has provided an incredible team from all types of professions and backgrounds that have been a blessing and their involvement has blown us away! We have acknowledged that it is not for the faint hearted, so we have been united in prayer with the team as we fellowship together, stay in contact, and have meetings (both in person and online) several times a week. We know that the Lord will continue to lead us in His wisdom and strength to get this school started!
GOD’S LOVE:
“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” – Romans 15:7
I have been blown away by the love and welcoming I have received by the body of believers here! Truly, I am learning a lot about a new level of love and hospitality that I have never experienced before. From catching rides to all sorts of places with new friends to enjoying meals at the pastor’s house and others from the church. I have gone shopping for groceries with new friends that are teaching me the ropes – where to shop and what to buy. It has all been a huge blessing!
As I am directly the recipient of that love and hospitality, the Lord is teaching me to freely receive His blessings. I often feel like I have to earn God’s blessings or prove that I deserve them. But what a lie that is!! A lie that can keep me from experiencing God’s pure love given to me FREELY because He is the source of love, and He is my Father that genuinely wants to love on me and you…without having to work or earn His love! Let’s receive those big and small blessings simply and beautifully because He loves us.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
“The man or woman at home who prays often has as much to do with the effectiveness of the missionary on the field, and consequently with the results of his or her labors, as the missionary.” — R. A. Torrey
- My continual adjustment period of living in Mallorca.
- My family back home – for their adjustment period too!
- For the Lord’s direction and wisdom for everything concerning the school project.
- To complete the final steps in getting the official Foreigner’s ID card to legally live here. This process has been a lot longer than anticipated!
- For continual strength and dependence on the Lord.
This update is a true reflection of the impact of your prayers! Thank you for participating in this ministry with me through your support – prayerfully, financially, through encouragement, and sharing this info with others.
If you are new here, welcome! If you would like to know how to be a part of this ministry, please contact me via email: ruano@sgwm.com or Facebook Messenger (Zully Ruano).
It’s a blessing to serve together with you in this endeavor to bring the truth of the gospel to the lives of children and their families in Mallorca!
God bless you,
Zully