Is there life on Mallorca?

Short answer: Yes.

And the rest of the story....

Nathan and I are about to wrap up a 3 month stay with a church family in Mallorca (minus a few trips to the important B's: Burgos, Barcelona and Berlin).

When we arrived we didn't know what to expect. Our pastor here, Andrew, and his wife, Vivienne, tend to be modest people, so they 'failed' to tell us just how much love and growth is going on in this humble, healthy church family.

And adding to the mystery was Mallorca's reputation for being a bit of a party island. It's (unfortunately) renowned as a place that the Brits and the Germans come to if they want to spend a week drinking, dancing and generally degrading their lives -- to regrettable excesses.

So one would wonder -- is there life on Mallorca? Is there any chance for truth and growth on an island 150 miles off the coast of Spain?

It seems a silly question (God can do all things!), and yet we've heard not just a few tales of people coming to this island thinking that they would not find a church family, thinking they might be the only Christians in this place ... And to be honest, we had no idea what to expect, either. We, like many others, wanted to serve the church, but also thought we'd have a great chance to see the island, relax and head to the beach.

We were in for a surprise. We found out there's life on Mallorca. There is a thriving church family here, and we had the privilege to be a part of it. From our first week here with an overwhelming welcome from the church family, all the way through to our final days here, we have received the kind of love that shows God to be who he claims to be -- a God of love, of faithfulness, of power and of truth. This church family is living, breathing proof that God works in all places and through all people who love him and value the teaching and preaching of his Word -- The Bible. He is at work here.

And so we prepare to leave this place. And it is a sad moment! We keep saying to ourselves how excited we are to return to the States, to our families and our church and all that God has given us. And it's all true! Yet we can't help crying when the reality of leaving this church family hits us. There will be many tears this weekend (probably mostly mine), but they will stem from a genuine joy, because we know that God is at work in this place, in these people and we know we will no longer be actively amongst them in this journey.

Thank you for your prayers for us. And even more, thank you for your prayers for this church. It is a bright light in a dark place. Let's keep praying that God would make this light to shine even more brightly, with unity, and truth, and joy and courage.

Brooke (+ Nathan)