Dear Friends and Supporters,
I hope you are well and filled with God’s grace and peace. It has been far too long since my last newsletter, and for that, I sincerely apologize. Life and ministry have been a great adventure here in Mallorca and the magnitude of responsibility I have with our Christian school here has been both busy and tremendous, but I recognize the importance of staying connected with you, my faithful partners in mission.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and prayers. Your encouragement sustains me during every season of my missionary journey in Spain, and I am immensely grateful for your partnership in advancing God’s kingdom.
While I may have been silent in my correspondence, the work of the ministry in Mallorca has continued. I have witnessed God’s faithfulness in remarkable ways, as He has opened doors for me to continue planting seeds into the precious hearts of our students and families, as well as opportunities to serve through the ministries at the local church.
I have now been serving the Lord in Spain for almost 5 years, (I can’t believe it will be 5 years in October!!), and as I am reflecting on everything God has done, I am reminded of the beautiful metaphor of seasons. Each season has brought its own unique blessings and my desire is to take you through a quick journey into what these seasons of serving in Mallorca have been like.
Season of Sowing (Spring):
Our school (I’m so glad we are in this together, it’s your school too!) has been running for 3 ½ years now! It has been a time of growth, of perseverance, and inevitable challenges. We are experiencing the sweet blessing of starting something very different in Mallorca; our school is not only providing a great academic program that parents love but it has also gained a reputation as a school that LOVES people. Praise God!! You and I know that what the children and their families are experiencing is God’s love overflowing through us!
We are receiving many new children through the recommendations of other families, and that has been a huge blessing! We currently have about 30 children ages 1-5 years old, with a waiting list to enroll more children. Within those 30 children enrolled, 83% are from non-believing families. As a result, they come into our school with a total unawareness of who Jesus is. What a privilege, honor, and a great responsibility to be the first ones to share Jesus with them!!
Season of Growth (Summer):
We are so excited in the steadiness of growth in numbers of students and staff at our school, however, I am even more so excited to share the growth that the kids are having in their knowledge of who Jesus Christ is!
We recently celebrated Easter, and what a joy it was to experience it once again through the eyes of our students who for the first time are hearing what Easter is all about. As the kids are receiving the gospel message, the inevitable questions come, and this year one of our 5-year-old students asked,
“Zully, why did Jesus have to die? Why did He have to do it?”.
We gifted this specific student with her first Bible, and as she was joyfully embracing it, she was waiting for my response. At that moment, I asked the Holy Spirit for wisdom on how to answer her question so that as a 5-year-old she would understand what I say and that it would resonate in her little heart as well. This was my response:
“Do you remember what happens when the kids in our class do not listen or they do something they are not supposed to do? They have to sit on a chair and wait until they are allowed to go back to play. Well, it’s like if Jesus sits on that chair for you and….”
She interrupts me and says, “Ohhhh, it’s like Jesus takes our place. He had to die because He took our place!”
With my eyes super wide opened, awestruck and amazed, I affirmed her response, “Yes, exactly! Jesus loves you so much that He took your place on the cross…” and I continued sharing more of the gospel message to her. The Holy Spirit made the gospel so relatable and understandable for her! What an immense privilege to be a part of that! I shared that “chair” analogy to the rest of the class and in this season of our school, it was the best way for our students to understand the gospel message. Praise God for those heavenly “downloads” that come down at just the right moment!!
Season of Harvest & Gratitude (Fall):
“Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.” – Psalm 2:8
The Lord gave me this verse during my birthday last year. My first reaction to this verse was a bit of intimidation as I felt the weight of this big promise. Then I asked the Lord, “What does this verse mean for me?” After praying, the Lord reminded me of all the Bibles we have given to the children at our school. Many of the kids at our school do not have a Bible in their home, so they are often so excited to receive their very own Bible! Since Mallorca is a very transient place to live in, it’s very common for some of our students to move back to their home countries (we have kids from all over the world) and they of course take their Bible with them. In addition, their parents have to read the Bible to them because they are still too young to read! The Lord revealed how all these Bibles are scattered throughout so many homes across the globe! The impact our little school is having is only through the power of God and His Word. For that I am so thankful!!
Season of Rest and Preparation (Winter):
The commitment to oversee and teach in our school has not been without overwhelming to-do lists and exhaustion. However, I can attest to the Lord’s sustenance, grace, and wisdom in my life. I can also boldly state that in those moments of exhaustion, He is my strength. When stress and worry want to creep in, He is my peace. When I consider the sacrifices that are part of this calling, I know He is worthy!
I am at the school every day, all day so any moments of rest are so much appreciated!! The times I have been able to fly back home have been a tremendous blessing for me! But by far, the season of rest that I am so thankful for was one in which the rest was a bit different. It was more of a sweet refreshing and encouraging time for me. It was the time my parents traveled to Mallorca last year!! I am forever grateful that my parents, who are my biggest supporters, were able to witness first-hand what God is doing in Spain! They are such a big part of the work God is doing here!
As I keep moving forward in God’s call, please be assured that I am committed to improving my communication to you all, ensuring that you are kept informed and involved in the ministry. Your support is invaluable to me, and I’m deeply grateful for your continued partnership in spreading the love of Christ in Spain.
Thank you for sticking around until the end! Thank you so much for being a part of this eternal investment. Thank you for your support and your prayers. Everyone at the school truly feels your prayers, they are sincerely powerful, so I kindly ask you to please keep them coming!! If you have any prayer requests, if you would like to know how to get involved in the work here in Spain, or just want to say hello, contact me via email, WhatsApp, or any of my socials. You are very much appreciated, love you all!
God bless you,