SILENT AWAKENING

Looking out my window I can hear the birds happily chirping as I gaze off into the distant mountains that border the beautiful caramel-colored buildings that make up the complex but quaint city called Barcelona. The stillness is a gift from God, for the first time in quite a while I can hear my thoughts. With the increasing spread of the Coronavirus in Spain the government has announced a national enforced quarantine that will last a minimum of 15 days. As of Saturday the only reason we can leave our apartment is for the purchasing of groceries or a medical need. So here I am, day 7 and still sane... I am doing surprisingly well amidst this almost surreal situation. The real game-changer is that I live with 4 amazing guys that all love Jesus and we are all facing this quarantine together. We have food, community, and fellowship, what more could you ask for right? I say this in all respect understanding the gravity of this situation and how it is negatively affecting so many areas of our society. My love and prayers go out to those who are sick or struggling during this time.

So what to do with 16 hours in the apartment each day?  I have been spending a few hours a day developing a teaching on evangelism I will be sharing with a discipleship school next week (now virtually). The teaching prep gives me something very meaningful to work on that is also really helping me grow in my passion for the Gospel during this time where I cannot physically be out sharing my faith and connecting with skateboarders.

To not find ourselves inactive as a ministry during this time, Calling All Skaters Barcelona had our first virtual meeting on Wednesday and came up with some creative ways we can use this time to invest in people. Maybe I can't go meet a friend but I can call him and see how he is doing and encourage him and offer prayer. I had a really good chat with a friend who feels like, during this time, God is calling him to wake up and begin to follow Him, this guy is not a believer at the moment. I am very expectant to see how God is going to move through this "silent awakening" as we intentionally reach out to people and ask God to work in their hearts and lives. Also we are still hosting our weekly Calling All Skaters Bible studies, now online for all our skate friends who want to join in from their homes. As the days go by we are more and more excited to see what God will do through this time. Please join us in praying for a move of the Spirit in the lives of the skateboarders in Barcelona.

Lastly I am thankful for a time where I can simply focus on being in God's presence. Usually, I am always rushing on to the "next thing", I often struggle to just be present. This hurried spirit really takes a toll on my quality time with God, I often find myself struggling to focus on Him when I have a lot of other tasks on my mind. So this time is a gift because I am very limited in what I can physically do and am much more free to just be with Him.So I have been spending more time reading and talking to God and listening to His voice during this time. I feel encouraged and refreshed as I spend more time in His glorious presence!

This is a photo from our last Calling All Skaters Bible Study before the quarantine. Skateboarders from Sweden, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, France and the USA all together getting to know Jesus through His Word!

Who ever thought a bunch of skateboarders would be in a virtuall meeting?

MY RECENT VISIT HOME

Just a week ago I was having a picnic on the beach in New Jersey with my family, enjoying the surprisingly good weather and simply being together. For those who may not know, my sister got very sick this past December and was hospitalized in Australia for some time before coming back to the USA to continue recovering. The story is complex but by the grace of God I was able to spend a beautiful time with my whole family and see my sister who is now almost back to full health. I want to thank God and all those who joined us in praying for Nicole's health during this difficult season, our faith has been strengthened as a result of trusting in God and seeing Him move in miraculous ways. This was the first time in six years Nicole and I had been home together in the house where we grew up. The visit was short and sweet but was very encouraging and special for my whole family. It is a blessing to come from such a beautiful family that shares a unifying mission and passion to make the Love and truth of Jesus known to the world.

I hope this update is encouraging and inspirational! I believe that God has special things in store for all of us during this time as we seek his heart and enjoy His company.

Your prayers are felt and greatly appreciated! God Bless  Dave