The Lord’s Day

I awaken feeling alert and refreshed. Knowing the way jetlag feels from previous trips abroad I thought perhaps is was the middle of the night and worried that I would be unable to sleep anymore through the night. Reaching over to touch the button on my Treo 700p I was pleased to see it was only 10 minutes prior to the sounding of my preset alarm at 7:00 AM. I arose and begin the process of getting ready for our first full day in Madrid and the services that we were scheduled to attend.

A complimentary breakfast was served in a small dining hall on the floor below ours. Though it was a simple menu with selections including toast (looked like Texas toast from home) topped with butter and preserves, churros (minus the sugar and cinnamon), and an assortment of packaged Danish delights (or should that be Spanish delights). Coffee was offered (with or without hot milk); and packages of cocoa mix could be added to hot milk to make hot chocolate. A few members of our group were already there and availing themselves of the offerings.

Upon returning to our room I examined the programmable safe in the closet. It seemed simple enough to use. You just enter a number of your choice and hit the pound key. It automatically locked until you entered the same number again. It was of an adequate size to hold both of our laptops, our phones, and my wife’s wallet. I carried her passport with mine. With our service schedule today I really didn’t want to lug our laptops in my backpack but I was reluctant to leave them unprotected in the hotel room. We assembled in the lobby and divided up into two prearranged groups for transport to the services. My group was to attend service with the congregation of the pastor and missionary Gary Sones. From our group Paul Bertram, pastor from the San Diego area, was to preach in the morning service while Wayne Miraflor, Antioch, CA, preached in the other church in the southern part of the city of Madrid.

We arrived early at Tabernaclo de Vida but some were already assembled for prayer. The auditorium was a former bridal hall where wedding receptions were once hosted. It was tastefully decorated and six huge chandeliers were suspended from the high ceiling. The sanctuary was thoroughly furnished with musical instruments, sound system, computer projection and lighting. The padded chairs (dining room style) were arranged in close rows and would accommodate about 400 people (388 were present this morning). The service was well organized but spiritual and lively. A praise team sang out in harmony with the worship leader. A young man read from the Scripture. Another led in prayer. Missionary Sones dedicated two small infants brought by their families in the course of the service. Ron Krantz and I were called on to leave a brief testimony and greeting to the congregation. Paul Bertram preached from a Scriptural setting in Genesis 14 concerning the four kings that were defeated in the slime pits when Lot was taken into captivity. He related it to 1 John 2:16 as the present kings of this world that could bring us into captivity: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life, and the devil. The message was well received and many came to prayer in response to the altar call. At least four received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the morning service.

We met up with the other group for lunch following our services at Vip’s café, a Denney’s style establishment. I sat by Missionary Sones and we discussed Christian Life College among other things. He gave me permission to speak with his daughter about visiting the college in about a month as she is making some life decisions. The Sones are originally from Texas and were in Life Tabernacle in Houston. Texas gave us something else in common to talk about. Texans have to stick together!

We left the restaurant and the vans transported the group back to the hotel for a siesta! I volunteered to go with Missionaries Sones and Markham, and Pastors Miraflor and Krantz, to the airport to check on our missing luggage. We stepped through the international arrivals gate (like we knew what we were doing) and approached the guards separating us from the baggage claim area. They allowed us to go to the counter but denied access to Missionary Sones. Brother Markham stayed in the background and came along with us to help us at the customer service counter. I presented our baggage claim tickets and the form we received the previous day. We were directed to a conveyor at the opposite end of the huge baggage claim area where an assortment of luggage was awaiting someone to claim it. Joyfully, I recognized one of my suitcases. We began to check off the numbered tags and pull them off the conveyor, loading them on baggage carts. According to our inventory there were still two bags missing when we finally checked off all that were available. Brother Markham and I waited with one cart for the arrival of another flight from Munich or Frankfurt. One of my suitcases had a tag that indicated it had arrived through Frankfurt.

When the suitcase did not appear to be among the arriving luggage we reluctantly left for the hotel. It was after 4:00 PM and we were scheduled to leave for the next service at 4:45. There was a lot of jubilation over the 16 bags that were delivered to the waiting recipients at the hotel. Unfortunately, the one suitcase we were missing belonged to Lorraine Bertram. She was pretty bummed but was coping with it. We quickly freshened up and changed into our dress clothes for the evening service.

Tonight our group attended the church in south Madrid, Tabernacle of Praise, where Brother Gerardo Guervara is the pastor. Missionary Markham took us there in one of the vans. This auditorium seats about 250-300 people and was very close to being filled for the service. I met briefly with the pastor who was going to translate the message for me. I gave him my Scripture text and a brief overview of the message so that he could have a frame of reference by which to interpret. We entered a very exciting worship service. Again the music was well organized, the presentation was good, and a wonderful spirit of praise was evident. Worshippers filled the altar area, dancing and praising God as they sang out to God.

Missionary Markham introduced me and the pastor interpreted into Spanish. After a few remarks, my wife and Lorraine Bertram joined with me and we sang an English worship chorus, How Great is Our God! I preached on the subject, Built on the Rock, from Matthew 16:13-18. I brought out that the church is built on Jesus Christ. It is not built on a man (like Peter), nor is it a physical structure, nor is it built on our own ideas or philosophies. It must be upon the solid rock, Christ Jesus! There was a good response and it appeared that several visitors came forward during the altar service.

Brother Markham drove us back by the other church where they were still in the altar praying so we returned to the hotel and met them there when they concluded. We walked several blocks from the hotel to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. The meal was brought out family style. They continued to bring food out until we were all stuffed. It somehow seemed strange to see Chinese waiters conversing freely in Spanish as we dined on fried rice, almond chicken, and assorted other dishes. I guess it is no more strange than hearing Chinese speaking English in America!

We got back to the hotel about 11:00 PM. It was a long and exhausting day, but one filled with the blessings of the Lord. I was too tired to stay up and blog so I took a Melatonin and retired. It was either Jetlag or indigestion that kicked in about 3:00 AM so I got up, turned on the computer and begin to relive the events of the day. Since we are eight hours ahead it is still early evening at home. If I can get online I will post these ramblings and try to get some more sleep before breakfast.