Day 15 - Last Visitation

We were treated to a buffet lunch this afternoon by the Chu family who owns a wholesale business in Madrid. Lunch was from 2:30-4:30pm. This evening, again the pastors went to visit two families; Lorraine took me and Emily to visit another family.

Our team came home between 10:30-11:00pm, and the pastors' team came home after 11pm. That's how late we had supper this evening.

Anyhow, this evening completed our official tasks in Madrid. Tomorrow is a free day for us to visit the city center. This STM trip has definitely been a learning experience and an eye-opener for all of us. We can't wait to come home and share what we've done and experienced with you all. I hope you all are ready to hear what we have to share.

Thank you all for your prayer support. Happy New Year! See you Friday, if not sooner.

Betty Mei

Pictures Updates 5

12-28 youth group meeting. Do you see someone you know besides Emily?

12-28 having fun in youth group

Betty singing a solo during Sunday workship

12-28 Preaching


12-28 Becky sharing at the fellowship group

12-28 Group picture after fellowship

12-28 Treated to a nice dinner after services

Day 13 & 14 - Sunday Worship & more Visitations

We're almost done with our mission now. Yesterday afternoon again I led the Sunday worship. Since it was last group meeting with the Madrid church, Becky and I both shared our personal testimonies at the service. I also sang a couple of solos before and after the sermon. After the service, we were supposed to meet with the 'single adults' group. However, because of the topic on husband's roles in the home, many couples also stayed. The meeting went very well, although the speakers - our pastor, Becky and I - were not prepared. A single person came up with the topic on Saturday evening during his conversation with our pastor. Becky and I only found out about the topic during the worship service when Pastor Young made the announcement. We were impromptu speakers! 'Li bu li hai?' 厲不厲害 :-)

The fellowship meeting ended at 9pm. But then we stayed around to chat, and say goodbyes to different people. By the time we were ready to leave the church for the restaurant, it was 10pm. We were treated to a nice dinner by a sister from church. Dinner almost lasted two hours. We left the place close to midnight.

Today, we have more visitations to do. Will give you one last update this evening or tomorrow morning. Please pray for our safe return and that the flights will be on time and everything. I think we all want to be home to see the 'ball' drop on New Year's Eve.

Betty Mei

Pictures Updates 4

At the Chu's warehouse

Audience participation during workshop II

Conducting workshop II on Family


Visitation at a Taiwanese lady's home


Emily with a few youth group members after Christmas program


Christmas Day

Witnessing to two nonbelievers

Emily playing piano solo

Day 12 & 13 - Last Saturday & Sunday in Madrid

We stayed home for the first half of the day because we didn't have any church activities until the afternoon. The pastors met with the men's group at 3pm and my workshop was from 5:30-7:30pm. The meetings went well. It was my first time conducting a workshop on Raising Godly Children and it lasted longer than I had anticipated; it lasted about two hours. But I still ended on time at 7:30. The feedback was very positive.

Today, Sunday, the 28th, will be our last group meeting with the church. I'm going to lead the hymn singing again and share my testimony. Becky will share her testimony also before our pastor gives the sermon. I'll also sing a couple of solos before and after the sermon. After worship, we're going to meet with the single adults' group.

We only have two more days left in Madrid. Tomorrow I think they're trying to see if they can get their haircuts and we may visit the city some more. Tomorrow evening, the Chu family who had moved from Panama and own a wholesale business here will treat us dinner. Looking forward to it. Also looking forward to coming home to our families and sharing our trip with all of you!

Betty Mei

Day 11 & 12 - Days After Christmas

We split up into three teams to do our visitations. The two pastors were one team; Lorraine took Becky;and a Cantonese-speaker from church took me to visit two other Cantonese-speaking ladies. Then we met up in the evening at Ah Keung's house for supper. Again supper was late. We didn't start until 9:30pm. We left at about 11pm. We got home close to midnight. Because the night before I only got to sleep a few hours, I was very tired last night when I came home. I went to bed right away. Becky and Lorraine visited a family who own wholesale business. The warehouse was very big and freezing cold; Becky didn't feel good last night because of the long hours there. She didn't say very much last night at supper and looked extremely tired.

Good news from the pastors' team. They visited the Ye family who owns a store. The father and mother are believers. Their son and niece accepted Christ during the pastor's visit. Praise the Lord!

I got to witness to two Cantonese-speaking ladies: one from Hong Kong who's not working outside of the home currently, and the other from Shen Zen; she and her husband own a photo shop. They are both non-believers. The one from Hong Kong was baptized because she went to a christian school and so she would tell people she was christian. But she really isn't a believer. I'm glad I shared my own testimony with her; and after that, she realized she wasn't a believer. I shared the gospel with her and encouraged her to continue to attend church and participate, especially since she doesn't have a job right now. She has plenty of time to learn about God.

This afternoon (Saturday, Dec. 27) I'm conducting a second workshop on Family, specifically Raising Godly Children. Praise God that within a few days, He impressed upon my heart things to share and I've completed a powerpoint presentation, which I'll use this afternoon. Pray that the workshop will be beneficial to those who will attend.

Betty Mei

Pictures Updates 3

Sarah and Abigail Young at the mall


Visitation with Ah Niu

Youth group presentation at Christmas program

Day 9 & 10 - Christmas

Dec. 24 was a relatively quiet day for us. Rev. Young needed a haircut and so he was going to take our pastor, Becky and Emily for their haircuts too. So they didn't plan for us to do any visitation yesterday. Since there was no 'work' planned, I took the opportunity to go to visit the nearby mall with Emily and the Young's girls since I'd never been to a mall here in Spain. It took us about 10-15 minutes to walk to the mall. We only spent about an hour there because Emily needed to get back and go with the rest of the crew for their haircuts; and I really only wanted to see what malls are like in Spain. Didn't spend anything! Seriously!

It ended up they didn't get their haircuts because the place was too busy. The hairdresser did not have time to do four more before they closed their shop in the afternoon. Remember yesterday was the 24th, most shops close in the afternoon to get ready for Christmas. So then Emily was dropped off at church to practice piano because she was going to play a piano solo at the Christmas program. Pastor Young had to do some Chinese grocery shopping, so he dropped off Becky and our pastor to visit a store owner from Shanghai who is not a believer. I've attached a picture of our last visit with the same person 'Ah Niu.' I stayed home in the afternoon to prepare for my Saturday workshop. I also took a break and went with Lorraine to do some grocery shopping at the supermarket because all stores would be closed on Christmas Day. She wanted to make sure we had enough food in the apt. Again, it was my first time shopping at a supermarket in Madrid.

Today, Christmas Day, was a fun day for us. The Christmas program began at 4pm at church. There were a lot of programs performed by the different fellowship groups. Emily was our representative to perform a piano solo. Our pastor gave a short message to conclude the program. After the program, there was a potluck dinner. We also got to talk to different brothers and sisters at dinner and afterwards. Praise the Lord for using us. Brothers and sisters here are very receptive and welcoming to STM teams.

Betty Mei

Pictures Updates 2

Emily meeting with youth group

Family workshop

Pastor Cheng meeting with men's group

Betty leading Sunday worship

Pastor Young at church

Pastor Cheng preaching

Becky distributing flyers at Plaza de Espana

Betty inviting people to the Christmas program at Plaza de Espana

Paella - famous Spanish dish

Roman Architecture in Segovia

Sightseeing at Segovia 12-23

Day 8 - Day of 'Play'

Tuesday, 12/23. Today is our day of 'play.' The Young's and a brother from church took two cars and took us to Segovia, which is about an hour from Madrid. Actually, our return trip took us two hours and fifteen minutes because when we got back into the city, we were in heavy traffic. It was the hours when people were getting off from work. Segovia is an old town full of history and it's a definitely a tourist site. We had really good weather today for sightseeing and had a lot of fun being 'tourists' for the first time since we got here. It was very tiring walking almost all day; but we got to see some of the Spanish history and taste Spanish food for lunch. We came back to the apt. about 9pm. The pastors were dropped off on the way home at the supermarket to get breakfast for tomorrow. With eight people in the same apt., food is gone fast.

Supper is being prepared right now even as I'm speaking to you. It looks like we're going to have dinner at 10pm again. That's common lifestyle in Spain. We'll definitely share more of this when we've returned to you.

Overall, today was very relaxing; and I'm sure everyone of us enjoyed the day.

Betty Mei

Day 6 & 7 - Busy, Busy, Busy

Again we came home around midnight. But yesterday because I had to lead the worship service, and after the service, we stood around and talked to different people at church, both Becky and I came home with sore backs and feet. We thought we would be done with church and supper by 9pm, and should be able to return to the apt. earlier than usual. But no. We didn't leave the church until 9pm; and then went to a restaurant near the church (again we had to walk) and had supper. By the time we got back to the apt., I was ready to hit the bed.

Emily led another youth meeting yesterday before the adult service. I helped her to lead the singing because she played the keyboard. All the meetings went well yesterday.

This afternoon (Monday, Dec. 22) we went to the market where many Chinese people go to buy fresh meat, fish, and vegetables, to distribute flyers to invite them to the Christmas program and Family workshop, Most people were open to talk to us and took our flyers; but a few wouldn't even take the flyers. After we're done with our work, we had lunch at 4pm. Today was probably the easiest day so far on our schedule. We actually got to see a little bit of Madrid city center this afternoon. After lunch, we went to visit a couple of sisters from church, one of whom owns a restaurant, who treated us supper. We came home before 10pm - first night since we got here when we're home at 10 :-)

Tomorrow is our first day of scheduled sightseeing day. Hooray!

Betty Mei

Day 5 - Saturday's Update

It's almost 1am on Sunday. We came home this evening close to midnight again. I stayed home this morning to prepare for my workshop on Family. The pastor, Becky and Emily went grocery shopping again. Pastor Cheng met with the men's group this afternoon at three at church; and I did my workshop on Family from 5:30-7:00 pm. Thirty people were in attendance for my workshop. Rev. Young came home and reported that to Lorraine and they said that was very good attendance. I talked to a few people afterwards and the feedback on the workshop was positive. Next Sat. I'm going to give another workshop on Raising Children.After the workshop, we were invited to have supper with a church family and had good fellowship with them.

Emily and Lorraine went to the first youth group meeting hosted at a church member's home at the same time when the adults were meeting at church this afternoon. The meeting went well. Again, Lorraine had good report on Emily's sharing and their meeting. Emily will again lead the youth group meeting on Sunday before worship.

Saturday was the first day when we met many brothers and sisters of the Madrid Chinese Church. They come from different backgrounds and places. There are a lot of things to pray for. The Young's ministries here are challenging. Praise the Lord we have a chance to come and understand their work here; and now we know how to pray for them.

Betty Mei