Thank you for your prayers not only for the ministry here but for the decisions I have needed to make. I now can tell you officially about the next steps.
After 39.6 years in Spain, I believe the Lord is directing me to shift from fulltime church planting ministry in Spain as of December 13th to a ministry of community transformation through corporate prayer in Guelph, Canada, beginning in January 2023.
Before sharing about the new ministry, I’ll share why, after a great deal of prayer and counsel, I’m leaving Spain now.
- I have handed over all responsibility at Betania Church in Sevilla, where I’ve ministered for 18 years. I’m grateful that the church has committed to prayer and evangelization in my town (Castilleja) with the goal of seeing a mission point established here in the future.
- I’ve come to identify ways to continue remotely, even after relocating to North America, to maintain relationships, continue to encourage my Castilleja friends and students, and assist Betania Church. If and when I’m able to return for short on-site visits, there will be no shortage of offers to host me.
- Even before the pandemic, but increasingly in the last two years, I have really struggled with a degree of isolation. Rarely could I find optimal times and means of personal renewal. God has sustained me, but now points me once again to a team ministry—a setting of face-to-face human fellowship.
- It seems prudent to relocate to North America while I’m in good health and still have energy.
But why Guelph Canada?
- I will once again be a member of a team—with Jake and Karen Ginter, with whom I worked in Madrid from 2000–2002. (Next month they will greet you and tell a little about themselves)
- Two years ago, they started a ministry called Guelph Prays dedicated to promoting corporate prayer among believers in the city of Guelph, outside Toronto. The mission: grow greater unity within the body of Christ aimed at greater transformation in their city. Their vision excites me; it recalls how just that kind of corporate prayer was THE key to earlier church plants I’ve been involved with. In fact I had already begun praying remotely with their team. That led to a direct invitation to come be part of their team. After much prayer and counsel, I have decided to join them in Canada for the first six months of 2023. We’ll pray to discern if I should extend the partnership (and whether it would continue on-site or be done remotely).
- My financial support needs will thankfully not increase, during the initial six-month commitment. They’ll remain roughly the same as in Spain from January–June 2023.
Back to Sevilla and Castilleja de Guzmán
Here are praise and prayer items:
- Praise that Teresa is now more determined than ever to form a habit of daily Bible reading. Pray for wisdom as I disciple her.
- Praise that many of my former students are open to a good-bye visit. Pray that it will be clear who I should give bilingual Bibles to and for their parents to give permission.
- Praise that the Betania Church baptisms at the beach were a blessing. Some non-believers attended and were touched. Pray that those who were baptized would grow in their faith.
- Praise that I can continue conversation classes with Estrella until I leave Spain. Pray for conversations about Christ with her and her mother Concha.
- Pray for strength as I continue to pack and prepare to leave my home by November 30th.
- Pray for wisdom as I continue to plant vision with the church to continue the work of evangelism and discipleship in Castilleja after my departure. Next prayer walk here: October 22
- Pray for a debrief conference I’m attending from October 9–13, followed by goodbyes to friends and La Elipa Church in Madrid, through the 16th.
Near the retreat where I’ll be doing the debrief is a place that brings back memories. In 1987 I was sprawled on the grounds of a medieval home having a day alone with the Lord. Psalm 121 leapt off the pages: “I will bless your going forth and coming in from this day forth and forever more.”
A day later my Dad had a heart attack and by the next evening I was in the States; one month later he was with the Lord. 1987-1990 were filled with abundant changes. Likewise, in the upcoming year I want to be just as flexible and open to changes God has planned for me. Yet today I am grateful for how God has guided me in “promised land” and “desert “for almost 40 years. Thank you for being there for all or part of the journey. Don’t stop now. Your support, however, you’ve been led, has been just as important as my presence here. Mil gracias: a thousand thank-yous.
That’s all for now. Next month I’ll continue orienting you to the next steps and explain more about “Guelph Prays.”
Mary Woodward
Giving: https://www.actioninternational.org/missionary/Mary-Woodward or ACTION US, PO BOX 398, Mountlake Terrace WA 98043 indicating it is for Mary Woodward.