Entry 5

I can't keep up with the days, (I think I titled the last 2 entries "Day 4") so I'll start numbering my entries instead of days.

This weekend has been pretty chill.  Bree and I have just been hanging out in our hostel and making small visits to Plaza del Sol.  We're pretty much just waiting to hear back from the family.  The father sent us an email last night saying he still hasn't met with the other girl he is going to interview, but that he'd try to do it today and get back to us soon...Still no email yet.

Yesterday Bree and I woke up and hung out in the hostel lobby using the internet.  Then we went to Pita & Company for lunch (the place with the 1 euro menu) then we tried to go check out the prayer room (Kilometro Cero) but it was closed.  :(  So we went back to the hostel and I worked on my thesis a little while Bree read and used her computer.  Then we went to El Corte Ingles, which is a big shopping mall in Plaza del Sol and we explored a little and bought groceries for dinner and breakfast.  Our selection is limited by not having a kitchen, but groceries are definitely cheaper than eating out.  So we ate in the room and went to bed fairly early.  It's kind of hard to get a good night sleep with a window facing the streets because all of Madrid comes to Plaza del Sol to party on Fridays and Saturdays, it's SO LOUD.

Today is Sunday and Bree and I woke up and got ready for church!  One of the friends we met while he was out evangelizing on Friday night had given us the address of his church and we google-mapped it to get directions.  We have the metro system figured out, but the problem is when we come back to street level there are no street signs!  The church is only a couple blocks from the metro station, but since there were no street signs, we headed in the wrong direction.  We ended up finding the church and getting there only 15 minutes late.

The church service was AMAZING.  Here's the church's website: http://www.amistadcristianamadrid.org/index.php
They were finishing up worship when we got there and they played a few familiar songs translated to Spanish. I could feel God's presence very strongly!  Then they took offering and we had communion.  Then they had the sermon, which was given by a guest speaker.  I'm not sure what his last name is, but I plan on figuring it out.  He is from Bolivia, was saved during a nation-wide revival in 1972 and pastors a mega church in Washington DC.  His testimony is amazing and he is extremely anointed, with healings and miracles to prove it!  He spoke on why God allows Christians to suffer.  He spoke about the loss of his daughter and what God taught him about suffering through the book of Job.  To summarize it, he said God allows us to suffer because He is proud of us and He knows our love for Him is genuine and goes beyond His blessing.  He knows we will be proven faithful through testing because we love Him for who He is, and not just for the blessings He gives us.  It was so good.  Then we went to the main church building (they hold services at a bar down the street on Sundays--I think because it's bigger) because they gave us a coupon for a free Bible from their bookstore in the welcome packet.  So we got a Bible in Spanish and I bought a book about the Holy Spirit.  :)  We got to talk to a few people who invited us to the college-age Bible study on Tuesday nights.  I hope we can go.

After church we got on the metro again and returned to our hostel.  And here we have been since.  I think we're about to go out and find some dinner now.
Hasta luego!