April Update: Robbed!

A week ago today, I was robbed.

Ever since I got here, people have warned me -

"Madrid is a safe city, except for one thing: theft."
"Always keep a hand on your purse, especially when you're on the metro."
"If someone offers to carry your suitcase, always say no. They may be trying to steal it."
"If someone asks you for the time, be wary. They may be trying to get into your purse while you are busy looking at your phone."

I somewhat minded, somewhat ignored all that. 'My purse is always slung securely over my shoulder,' I thought. 'And the pockets are always closed. I'll be fine.'

I didn't consider the fact that some people are experts at theft. I also didn't consider burglary.

Last Monday, my roommate Kate and I left our apartment at around 3:50 PM to buy groceries. We were aware of the time, because Kate had a dentist appointment at 5. After stopping by the bank and the corner "Chino" store for plantains, Kate and I arrived at our favorite grocery store only to find it locked up. "Closed for repairs," the sign read, "until April 5th." We checked the time - 4:15. There wasn't much time left before Kate's appointment. We should just head home and do our shopping later.

About 5 minutes later, we reached our floor and emerged laughing from the elevator, only to see a sight that made us hesitate. Puzzled, I took in the scene in front of me - door ajar, papers strewn on the floor of the apartment. Did we forget to close the door when we left? But, no - that wouldn't explain the papers on the floor. Did the cat go crazy? It wasn't until Kate said what she did that I considered the alternative.

"Someone broke into the apartment," she said, putting a hand on my arm to stop me from going any further.

Then I noticed a few details I had missed earlier - the slivers of wood on the floor at the base of the door, my open makeup pouch on the entry room chair, overturned. Just as I stepped towards the apartment to have a closer look, Kate stepped backward, in the direction of the stairs.

"Pssst!" she whispered at me. "Come here!" motioning for me to follow her down the stairs. I followed her down the stairs, down, down to a door between the first and second floors, to where our doorwoman, Marcia, lives. We didn't have to explain much to Marcia. Slippers on her feet and saw in hand, she followed us up to the apartment, where she agreed with Kate that we shouldn't enter, then down to the bottom floor, where we waited until the police arrived.

The rest of the day was filled with policemen, a criminologist, and lots of phonecalls, as we discovered exactly what had been taken.

Strangely enough, although there are 5 of us, and each of us had a laptop in our rooms, in plain sight, not a single laptop was taken. Phoebe's phone and iPad were still there. Cielo's iPod and Levi's jeans were fine. Maritza's TV was untouched.

"They never take stuff like that," the policemen explained, "because they are too easily tracked. What they look for is cash and jewelry. Things that can't be traced."

Sure enough, my wad of cash from inside my closet was missing - my tithe for the next two months and the money I had set apart to pay for an upcoming church retreat. And then there was my makeup pouch - empty. Well, of course, I had only brand-name items in there. Several days, later, I realized they had also stolen a Nordstrom sweater of mine. Kate was missing some US dollars from a pouch, and Maritza a pair of sunglasses. Other than that, and a general mess in our bedrooms, nothing else seemed off.

The sweater in question

Oh, and those woodchips on the floor? Those were from where the burglars had somehow sliced through the screws that secured the latch to the door frame.

What a feeling of utter vulnerability!

As I walked to a makeup store later that day, I found that something had changed. Where before I would have smiled at the people passing by, now I viewed them suspiciously. Is that one a thief? Or that one? They all look normal, but how am I to know?

I've had a few days to process this, and a few things encourage me:

1. God knew what would happen.

The morning of the burglary, I read Proverbs 28, which says, among other things,

"Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways."

Whoever broke into our apartment will have their appointment with God one day, and I will have mine. If I present myself before Him as a poor person, may I at least be an honest poor person!

Also, just the fact that God led me to that scripture that morning makes me smile. He knew what would happen, and He was faithful to prepare my spirit to receive it.

2. Nothing was taken that I can't replace or live without.

In fact, when you get to thinking about what they stole from me, it's not hard to see at least one reason why God permitted it. 

I mean, come on - 

Money.

Makeup.

Clothing.

Greed (or stinginess) and vanity come to mind? These are both vices I've been convicted of. Keep on cleansing, Lord! (But, please, no more burglaries! 🙏)

3. There are more important things to focus on.

The same day as the burglary, our doorwoman told us she had gone to church on Sunday. Maritza has been inviting her to church for the past four years! We are just so happy that she decided to take that step outside of her comfort zone, to see if God would meet her (and I believe He did).

"Hearing that made the whole burglary business disappear," Maritza said later. And she's so right. Someone else's eternity is way more important than our temporal possessions.

I can just add this to the chronicles of this Spanish adventure!

---------

I've run out of steam for today, but let's do this: If you have a question about my time here, why don't you ask it in the comment section (on Blogger or on Facebook - either is fine)? If there are indeed some questions, I'll address them next week! 😉

To read more from the Spain saga, click on one of the links below:
July: The Comeback
August: While I'm Waiting
October: An Exercise in Trust
November: Spain-bound!
December: Wanted
January: Building an Altar
February: The Great Adventure

Hasta pasta, 

Dahlia

February Update: The Great Adventure

Hello, friends!

I am happy to share with you this lovely President's Day! This month's update will take on something of a narrative format, so, when you have the time, I invite you to sit in your coziest chair, with perhaps a cup of tea (my preference) or coffee (seemingly everyone else's), and share some of these recent experiences with me.

For those who have missed previous updates and would like to catch up before reading this one, feel free to browse the other episodes in this Spain saga, ordered from most recent to least:

January: Building an Altar
December: Wanted
November: Spain-bound!
October: An Exercise in Trust
August: While I'm Waiting
July: The Comeback

Chapter 1: Another Time Around the Circle

It was the plane trip that I dreaded the most, and, to be honest, it turned out as I had feared. Not my seat neighbors -- no, no! They were splendid (a couple from Mount Vernon with whom I played a few rounds of Heads Up!) It's just...you know, the not standing for 10 hours part, and the not sleeping for more hours part.

But it wasn't all bad. Aside from the game of heads-up, one cool thing about the flight was that, several times, I had to pull my journal out of my backpack to jot down ideas for my 4th grade classroom, one idea after another, like corn kernels popping.

After a brutal layover in London, a short connecting flight, and an informative ride back to my apartment (Jaz filled me in on all I had missed), I found myself in bed at 3 PM with what would prove to be a severe case of jet-lag and, perhaps consequently, a dismal outlook on the next 6 months.

"Why am I even here?"

Isn't that interesting? It's actually the same feeling I had the first time I landed in Madrid - that brief yet sincere moment of....what, exactly? Doubt? Regret? Foreboding? Let's be honest - it was probably just the jet lag, but - who knows? Maybe my flesh was anticipating what lay ahead and throwing a tantrum.

Chapter 2: Saddle Up Yo' Horses!

Thankfully, that yucky feeling left quickly, as it had the first time. What didn't leave so quickly was the jet lag! For an entire week, I woke at ungodly hours, had my breakfast smoothies well before my roommates were even awake, and was ready to collapse by 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

That first week also happened to be a week of fasting and prayer for Amistad. It was during this week that I realized that the nice, easy month of introductions and feet-wetting was long gone, and that God now had a mission for me.

I arrived on a Saturday and had a few obligation-less days to, essentially, sleep. But then, Maritza invited me to a workshop on Wednesday afternoon at Ontheredbox, to craft my 2-minute testimony, which I could then use to evangelize on the street. I had attended this same workshop during my last stay in Madrid, but I had struggled to identify my testimony. The usual story I'd shared so often lacked a critical component: the moment I was convicted of sin and repented. When WAS I born again, exactly? What sin did I repent of, specifically? This time around, it all came to me, and, in that classroom, for the first time in several years, I publicly shared my testimony. And, for what I believe was the first time ever, I shared it in Spanish. Perhaps it was a small step, but it was a significant one for me.

After the workshop, I was very sleepy, so I was about to sneak away when Maritza saw me.

"Where are you going?" she asked. (I feel like she sees through my soul sometimes!)
"Home. I'm sleepy."
"Home?! You can't go home! You're playing piano in the prayer room!"

And so it was that Dahlia stepped completely out of her comfort zone twice in one day, into a new mission, and simultaneously out of jet lag.

Chapter 3: This is the Great Adventure!

Since that Wednesday, I have sensed God asking me to step out of my comfort zone repeatedly, or, to put it another way, to "mount the horse" and let it take me along this adventure.

Teaching a Sunday School lesson, playing piano for a time of worship, leading a prayer meeting, co-leading a class for adults, standing on top of a box and declaring my testimony on the street, driving in Madrid (😱) -- all of these activities have forced me to confront my insecurities. But this is exactly what I wanted when I came to Madrid. 

There's a topic I'd like to bring up, because it's relevant, and it's worth some thought. It's the topic of spiritual gifts. In Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul lists different spiritual gifts, adding that each of us is a member of the body of Christ, and, as such, each of us is important to the functioning of the body, mainly through exercising our unique spiritual gifts.

I could say I have the gift of teaching, which would explain why I am now a teacher. There are tests available online and surely in books that claim to help you identify your unique spiritual gift.

However, if teaching is my gift, then why would God ask me to play the piano? Or, if teaching is my gift, why would God call me to evangelize, or to pray for a sick person, or to organize a closet, or to sweep the floor? Surely, other people in the church have THOSE gifts, so why should I bother with any of those activities? Shouldn't I stick to what I do best?

That is kind of the way I have viewed things. But Maritza and I have been doing a devotional together, and the author of the devotional challenged the idea of only serving in areas that use your identified spiritual gifts. For, didn't God call Moses, a timid man who stuttered, to lead a nation? And didn't God call Gideon, an indecisive coward, to lead an army? 

Perhaps, then, God doesn't just give us certain gifts and assign us to the tasks that correspond with those giftings. Perhaps the true gift God gives each of us is His Holy Spirit, who is the essence and the power of God, and who "gifts" us with everything we need to accomplish whatever mission God places before us.

This way of thinking eliminates all reliance on human strengths and pushes us to rely instead on the Holy Spirit.

And THAT is what makes life with Jesus such an adventure! He could call us to do any sort of thing at any moment, and, though we, in ourselves, are timid, stuttering, indecisive, and cowardly, He makes us valiant. He equips us with all the skills we need to complete the mission.

So I am making a conscious effort to no longer excuse my participation because of my inferior piano-playing skills, ineptness at driving in the city, or my inadequate Spanish. And, when someone asks me if I can lead a group, play on a worship team, or drive to Ikea, I am practicing saying, "Yes."

Chapter 4: FAQ's

FAQ 1: How is it? How are you liking it? 

I really don't like this question! I never know how to answer it, because it's so general. (How rude would it be if I told people just to read my blog?)

In an effort to answer the question, though, I am all about the people around me. It's not so much about where I am as who I'm with, and I love who I'm with!

We've dubbed our apartment "Maritza's House" (I pushed for a cooler name, like "The Music Box" or "Piso Pestañas," but no one seemed to like my original ideas! 😧), and we've had an inaugural movie night! We also cook together often and, as I mentioned before, we often gather for a morning devotional together. It's a great crew I live with.

Also, that doesn't even count all the other people I am in contact with throughout the day. But - enough. Next question.

FAQ 2: What are you doing now?

I mentioned some things already, but I'll outline it here so it's more clear.

1. Work related to the children's ministry
2. Tutoring in English
3. College-aged youth group
4. Street evangelism
5. Alpha course for nonbelievers
6. Youth group

That's the skeleton schedule, but it usually fills up with other fun bits!

FAQ 3: Have you done much traveling?

None, really. But I HAVE been:
1. To Toledo for a women's conference
2. Sledding
3. Ice-skating

And I have a few trips in the works:
1. A soccer game in Barcelona
2. A week-long mission trip to Germany
3. Some sightseeing in England with my brother

FAQ 4: When do you go back home?

I don't have a return flight yet, but I plan to return in July or August.

If you have any questions I haven't answered, feel free to ask below!

And I leave you with a fun fact: There is no "garbage day" here in Madrid. We take out the trash daily, and the garbage guys come along at MIDNIGHT with their trucks to remove it!

Oh, and all of the chapter titles reference this *classic* song from the 90's. Enjoy:

Building an Altar: January Update

A month away, 

a month at home. 

I have been back for nearly a month now - possibly the best month to be in NCW. I mean - come on! Snow, sledding, Christmas, New Year's, not to mention the opportunity to do my way-more-complicated-since-I-rented-out-my-condo income taxes. 

Plus, I got a trip to San Francisco out of it (to go to the Spanish consulate - remember?). Granted, I was alone...and super stressed a majority of the time (more complications with the visa)...oh, and slightly fearful for my life, walking through some pretty ghetto parts. As it turns out, being alone and being disappointed are actually really good ways to grow in faith and trust. Go figure!

(You've got to understand - I'm choosing to treat that subject lightly so as not to spend too much time on it. In truth, I was ugly-crying in my San Francisco hotel room, pleading with God for answers as to why nothing seemed to be working out. But I'm telling the truth when I say God did work all this for good.)

To those who have been reading my blog posts these past months, do you sense a theme? Because I sure do. I wouldn't say I ever thought I needed more or bigger faith. It's always been pretty easy for me to see things in black and white. Either it's of God or it isn't. If He says to do it, I will. If not, I won't. If I pray, He'll answer...sometime. I never wasted much time asking God why something happened, or doubting His sovereignty.

But this whole process has opened up weaknesses I didn't know I had. For instance, did I really believe it was God who allowed me to graduate college debt-free? Or did I kind of credit it to my mad money management skills? And did I really think God was the one who gave me a teaching job? Or did I chalk it up somewhat to my endearing qualities and connections in the district?

Oh, I've known the pride in me. I just never saw before how pride affects my faith in God. 

For the first time, I know what it is like to do everything right... yet fail. Repeatedly. And it shook my faith a bit. Because, all along, my faith had been partly in God, and partly in myself, my efforts, my merits. When my efforts weren't enough to produce the results I wanted, I could either despair or deepen my faith in the God who is faithful to His promises.

The Biblical Abraham, often referred to today as the Father of Faith, was called by God to "leave [his] country, [his] people, and [his] father's household and go to the land [God] will show [him]." (Genesis 12:1) Abraham left as God had instructed. Later, when God confirmed His promise to Abraham (that his offspring would inherit the land), Abraham praised God and built an altar. This was a practice that all of the patriarchs observed - building an altar, often to commemorate an encounter with God. Sometimes, they even named the altar based on the nature of the divine encounter.

[Fun fact: God used Genesis 12:1 to confirm my Spain trip to me.]

So, this Friday, as I leave my country and go to Madrid for another 6 months, I leave behind a figurative altar that I have named "God is faithful to His promises." And I praise God that He has placed me in disappointing and frustrating situations to help me see His faithfulness.

As always, feel free to ask questions or comment below! And, if time permits, enjoy this song👇

Hasta pasta, 

Dahlia

To view previous posts in this series, click on the links below:

July: The Comeback
August: While I'm Waiting
October: An Exercise in Trust
November: Spain-bound!
December: Wanted