¡Bienvenidos!…Welcome…Fàilte…

What is life like in Spain we are often asked? In many ways very different to life in Britain, but at other times so similar.

How is the credit crunch affecting your lifestyle? Petrol and food prices rising sharply, value of property plumetting, usual holiday plans being curbed etc. In Spain these issues are affecting Spaniards and especially immigrants, where the building market is seeing it’s biggest slump. In the month of August 100,000 people laid off, taking the total in the last year to 1/2 million. Many in the building and constuction sector. The government is trying to devise relocation schemes to enable people to find new suitable employment. Not easy.

What is happening where you are? What are the pressures your friends and neighbours are feeling? Do you have words to encourage  them or like me do you often feel heavy hearted talking about these issues. No pat answers please, but we can and must sieve through the issues to find the biblical principles for hope and future, despite often depressing and grim realities infront of our eyes. Jesus did it beautifully, often with tears, prayer, but always with love and a heart that knew the real heart of the stuggle of mankind to find peace and happiness. The answer for which only lies in him.

 As challenging and difficult as this year is in many ways, lets use it as a time to go back to basics and dig deep to find water, living water.

The state funeral for the 154 victims of the tragic Spanair accident in Barajas, Madrid’s busy airport, is to finally go ahead this coming Thursday 11th September. The plane was taking off from Madrid, heading for Gran Canaria.One believer from Madrid died in the accident. There was a memorial service for him in our mother baptist church in Madrid city. This is a busy route for islanders as well as tourists. Edgar takes this trip sometimes once or twice a year, just as we use the Atocha train route from time to time.

The official enquiry into the accident is still going on, with much rumour and speculation still abounding. The domino effect is being shown in other flights being delayed, planes with technical problems causing great anxiety and concern.

I think the effects of globalization make such issues felt worldwide and travellers understand that feeling of vunerability and uncertainty which suddenly rocks a pretty self absorbed and insular lifestyle.