“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
I am learning that with every new season comes new blessings, new lessons, and new strength. The beauty of walking into a new season is that the Lord is already there, preparing the way for us. I was able to see Him do just that as I spent a week in Mallorca, Spain from August 4 – 12.
Here is a sneak peek into this new season through photos….
Before leaving for Spain, I received the news that I was granted the religious visa!! Thank you so much for your prayers!!!! The verse below is the verse I read a few days before I got the notification. What a precise word from the Lord!
August 4: Airport drop off! We didn’t count it strange to go through a little hiccup right before I checked-in for my flight. When I arrived at the airport and grabbed my new suitcase to take it out of the car, the suitcase opened entirely! We noticed that the zipper broke and although the locks were still on the zipper pulls, the zipper separated and split open! There was so much traffic getting to the airport that heading back home to switch suitcases was not an option. We prayed for wisdom as we walked to the terminal. Upon entering the terminal, we found a travel shop that had exactly what we needed! We bought a roll of plastic-wrap and wrapped my suitcase nice and tight! My suitcase arrived intact to Spain! Praise God!!
The main reason for my trip was to participate in a strategic workshop for the Christian school I will be a part of. Everyone vital to starting this school was there. The workshop was an 8-hour meeting where the facilitator and brother in Christ, Michael Gobran, guided us in such an amazing way. He took us through great discussions about the vision, purpose, and mission of the school. We established the principles and values that our school will uphold. At the end of the meeting, we developed specific and attainable goals to be reached in the next 12 months.
The team is composed of many people from different professions and backgrounds. It was a huge blessing meeting each person! Everyone on this team has a desire and is committed to reach children and their families for Christ. I’m honored to be a part of this team! I can’t wait to see how the Lord will use our gifts and talents for His glory as we work to establish this school together! We had an awesome time after the meeting as we enjoyed a BBQ meal together and sweet fellowship as brothers and sisters in Christ!
I tried keeping something a secret during the meeting… the meeting was held on the actual day of my birthday! Thanks to Facebook, the word got out and the team sang “Happy Birthday” to me at the end of the meeting. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift than to be part of this planning meeting! It was an honor to take part in the beginning stages of our Christian school!!
I had the opportunity to take a sneak peek of the apartment I will be living in. The apartment complex is called “Jardin de Luz”, in English that is “Garden of Light”. It is about 1 mile away from the church and a little less than a mile from Brenda’s house, the owner of the apartment. I spent a lot of time with Brenda and I was incredibly blessed by her kindness! We had amazing conversations over coffee/tea about the Lord as we shared our testimonies and prayer requests. I’m so glad I was able to spend that time with her and I look forward to more coffee/tea times together!
I attended Friday morning devotions that Pastor Raf leads every week. The devotions are open to anyone that would like to attend. I took so many notes as Pastor Raf taught and led a time of discussion. It was so edifying!! I’m looking forward to attending every Friday!
I had many lunch and dinner times at Pastor Raf and Lorretta’s home. I was very blessed by their hospitality and care for me while I was in Mallorca! I was also taken along to BBQs and other gatherings where I was able to meet other brothers and sisters from the church. I was blessed by the fellowship I had with so many new people! I truly look forward to getting connected with the local church and sharing in ministry as the Lord leads.
I mentioned earlier that I tried keeping my birthday a secret in Spain. Here at home, however, I wasn’t able to do that at all!! My wonderful care team celebrated with me before leaving for Spain and had a beautiful cake for me too! I am tremendously blessed by this group of loving and supportive friends and family that have committed to “hold the rope” while I take this leap of faith.
My beautiful family also celebrated with me after I got back from Spain. There are more birthday pictures on my Facebook page. I’m easy to find if we’re not friends yet, just type in Zully Ruano!
The month of August was a huge blessing and a wonderful preview of what is to come. Although there is a sense of uncertainty over some things, the Lord has promised renewed strength for this new season. So this is just the beginning!
Your prayers, support, financial gifts, encouraging texts, and your hugs are a huge blessing to me and I am incredibly thankful to all of you!! We’re in this together to further the gospel in Spain!
Contact me if you too would like to take part in this ministry with me. I would love to share with you how you can team up with me in this calling.
God bless you,
Zully
Prayer Requests:
- Wisdom for the final preparations before my departure
- For my family as we get ready to say our goodbyes
- To desperately seek God’s direction for all things
- Strength in the midst of the spiritual warfare
- For the Lord to continue to provide in all areas
