Volume 48   Number 3                                                                November 2005

Spain today is a people finding their footing. A country growing into freedoms. Freedoms before thought of, but not mentioned. The militant dictatorial regime of Franciso Franco was oppressive in many ways. Virtually every institution of life and government was defined and run by the dictates of Franco, including your religion. Freedom of religion was not an option! When you began public school, you would have already been well indoctrinated, and suggestions of curriculum not approved by the church for your course of study, would have been considered treason. After the death of Franco in 1975, that all began to change.

 Now, when we look at Spain, we are looking at a generation 30 years old since the fall of the Franco regime. This is the land of opportunity where Roman ‘Roger’ Wanasen and I had the pleasure to visit in September!

Not only was it my privilege to see the beautiful country of Spain, but staying in the Mina’s home and visiting other Filipino homes in Madrid was like taking a miniature trip to the Philippines as well. Our hostess, Jocelyn Mina, is a younger sister of Roger Wanasen, the wife of Leopoldo (Leo), Mina, and mother of two beautiful and well mannered sons, Mark (age 11) and Michael-Angelo (age 5 months). There are several Wanasens that I have not yet met, but all that it has been my privilege to meet, have been a pleasure to know. Jocelyn is no exception as she was a superb and gracious hostess to me and Roger. Not only did she provide delicious meals for us and do our laundry, but she was in every way a joy to spend time with and get to know. She is a woman truly in the example of (Proverbs 31:10-31). A fine Christian young woman whose steadfastness and patient goodness, I am quite sure was a factor in winning over her husband for the LORD, (I Corinthians 7:16; I Peter 3:1, 2). Our host, Leo Mina, head of the household, is no less gracious than his spouse. He is a fine, hard working man. A caring husband. A good father. I liked Leo from our first meeting, and only grew to appreciate him more through the course of my visit. Leo has a hunger for the word of God and is doing his best to guide his house, and lead the congregation. Leo is relatively new to the faith, (he was brought up Catholic) so it is a big responsibility upon his shoulders to be the only adult male in the group there which meets in his home. Add a sister in Christ named Sarah, (a very sweet and engaging woman), and you have the Madrid congregation.

Our first Sunday meeting, there were about 15 of us. All Filipinos, except for me. The second Sunday, there were probably more than forty of us. Filipinos, two Espanolas, one woman from India, and one Americano (me). All of the “visitors,” were relatives or friends (in some cases current or past employers), from different backgrounds, Catholic, Pentecostal, and even Hindi. So there is interest and therefore, potential.

Here’s how our studies worked: I would teach for about an hour (in Spanish), then Roger would “back up” as he put it, what I had been teaching. Roger used the book of Philippians as the base he worked from. Roger spoke in Tagalog and in Ilocano. After we had rehearsed everything in those three languages, we would reaffirm in English. Every scripture would be read in Spanish, then Tagalog, then Ilocano, then English. We would thoroughly discuss the topic at hand and entertain questions on topic, on related topics, or on completely different topics. Along with our study, we sang songs in Spanish which I had brought along.

Our evening Bible studies were on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We would begin at 8 or 9:00 p.m., and go until 10:00 or 12:00. With the arrival of Robert Wanasen on Friday the 24th, things got more intense, with sessions in the Mina home consisting of Roger, Robert, Leo and myself, going until 3:00 a.m.. On Sunday Morning the 26th, after ending our session at 3:00 a.m., we slept for a few hours, and then we were back at it by 9:30 a.m.. We continued the discussion until about 11:00 a.m., then we had breakfast. Naps (siestas) followed, with lunch at 3:00 p.m.. A visit to the Prado Museum, then back for the evening congregational meeting which began at 6:00 p.m..

Food is most definitely an integral part of Filipino culture. Whenever you come as a guest into a Filipino home, expect to be well fed. Food is hospitality. Food is fellowship. Food is a gracious gift to be given and received and enjoyed by all. And food is a factor which impacts church meetings. Bear in mind that poverty in their home country is what brought the Filipinos to Spain. Yes, they are much better off materially speaking than they would be in the Philippines, but they are by no means “well off”. They must work very hard and be very frugal with the wages they earn. Therefore, if your home is your meeting place, and you are obligated to feed everyone who comes for meeting there, and forty people come, you simply cannot afford to feed them all every week. Put this together with the high cost of fuel, and you have difficulties. For instance, the current meeting place for the congregation is the Mina flat in Alcobendas, a province of Madrid, about 30 miles outside of the city. Everyone except the Minas live in Madrid, so if they come to Alcobendas, they must do so after the hours of their employment and navigate through L.A.- style traffic congestion. Once they get to Alcobendas, they must park at a lot several blocks away and walk to the Mina home, because there are no places to park outside the flat.

For these reasons, the group is trying to find a centrally located building to rent in Madrid, something within walking distance of those who might attend. These brethren are doing the best that they can with the means that they have. Hopefully, they will be able with their own means, to secure a better meeting place. Songbooks in Spanish, Tagalog, and Ilocano, would also be appreciated, as would more Bibles in the same languages.

Thanks again to all the brethren who enabled this venture. I look forward to more work with the brethren in Madrid. Roger and I are working on plans for next year. Roger also indicates that there is a possibility of his younger brother Carmelito, being sent out to Spain as an Evangelist by the Wanasen’s home congregation in Resurreccion. In terms of all of the needs that they have in Madrid, this would be the best and most important one to consider. The work there as anywhere, needs a constant presence and the ongoing attention of an Evangelist. ( II Timothy 4:11; Titus 3:12; Ephesians 4;11b)