Spain Update

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to post this update on our trip to Spain.

Last week, my brother Dan, my son Markie, and I went to Malaga, Spain to lead worship for the Mission to the World European International Men's Leadership Forum (sounds important...) There were approximately 50 American missionaries and nationals from many different European nations. Overall, the trip went well and I am glad we went. I do believe that God wanted us in that place at that time. Here are some highlights:

1. God bless America! Honestly, when you travel to another country you see how blessed we are as a nation. Both Dan and I really missed our families. The trip also helped us to again appreciate our awesome church family. The Lord has given us great gifts at GRPC. Our worship services and ministries are a true blessing. I love the balance that God has given us--God is fully transcendent, but He is also fully immanent. We simply need both aspects--fully--in all of our ministries. That strive to strike that balance at GRPC (although it can never be fully achieved) speaks volumes.

2. After an all night flight from Philadelphia to Madrid and then from Madrid to Malaga, the three of us got held up in customs. We brought MARK INC CD's, my piano CD's, and Dan and Laura's CD's to give to the missionaries, and the custom's official wanted to know why we were bringing these into the country--he opened the boxes, looked at the CD's--none of us knew their language--and so it became very difficult. What started out innocently enough began to snowball and turned into an hour and a half interrogation with the police and customs officials. We were literally in a back room with a metal desk and a 486 computer (not that bad, but still). They talked to Markie without me there, and wanted to know why he wasn't in school. All they could see was two men (me and Dan)--who probably looked like we were on drugs (since we hadn't slept!), with a 12 year old boy who wasn't in school, trying to get into Spain with merchandise to sell. We also did not have enough information about where exactly we were headed (lesson learned the hard way) as we were being picked up by a shuttle. It was a mess--but it all worked out and will make for a great sermon illustration! We kept telling them to keep the CD's--at that point, we just wanted to get on with the trip. Ultimately, they kept the CD's, and more importantly, let us proceed into the country (with Markie). Later in the week, one of the missionaries, who speaks Spanish, went back to the airport with us, paid a couple dollars, and got the CD's.

3. It is always difficult planning worship for people you don't know--but it is especially hard planning worship for missionaries from all over Europe (with preaching pastors from Scotland where they sing only Psalms unaccompanied). It became obvious as the week went on that these men were very comfortable singing hymns and psalms, they loved piano solos, but they were non-responsive to newer songs. The younger guys really wanted us to introduce new songs, but it became obvious to us that it wasn't going to be productive to continue singing songs that the majority of the men either didn't know or simply wouldn't sing. This issue also made for great discussion and thought between Dan, me, and Markie on the relationship between worship and evangelism. It is good for iron to sharpen iron. That being said, I was greatly challenged in my thinking about worship.

4. Markie did a fantastic job. It was a long, stressful, taxing week for a soon to be 13 year old young man. His role was to run the powerpoint and he did a great job. The forum days were packed from morning to night with sessions. I am really proud of the young man of God that he is becoming. People forget that he is only 12--I am excited to see where God leads him--he told me last night that he would like to travel abroad when he is older to "do things" for the Lord. He is more profound in his spiritual thought than I will ever be--I pray that the Holy Spirit continues to work in his life. I loved spending quality time with him listening to the word, worshiping together, and serving together. I would highly recommend father/son mission trips.

5. The preaching was incredible. Richard Pratt, a fairly well known American Reformed theologian, was supposed to be the main speaker and he was one of the reasons why I accepted the invitation, but he was cancelled. Instead, we had David Meredith and Derek Thomas. Derek Thomas is perhaps equally renowned as Pratt--his preaching style reminded us of a Scottish version of Pastor Betters (my dad). David Meredith was equally amazing. Very thick, cool accents. I'd really like to get David Meredith to GRPC for a weekend conference--he was one of the finest preachers I have ever heard. He was engaging, funny, serious, down to earth.

6. We had an incredible witnessing opportunity with two men from Norway and Iceland. The Holy Spirit was moving through Dan in an incredible way and I will let him share the rest.

Dan wrote on his blog about the trip other things happened--some were very very funny and even profound--some are better shared in person. I will try to share more as I have time.

God bless,

Chuck