Pamplona Visit

I just got back from the Veldts in Pamplona. I was going to be there Thursday through Sunday, but I called the coordinator at the school to see if I could extend me stay one day, which she approved. I changed my ticket and came back on Monday instead of Sunday, spending one extra day with the Veldts and Luccas. I'll make up the hours throughout this week and next.

There was a mix-up and the Veldts thought I was coming Friday, while I thought I was coming Thursday (and came Thursday), but it got straightened out after a few hours of phone calls/waiting at the train station wondering why no one was picking me up. I was really really excited to see them, then I felt abandoned and upset, then when I thought that maybe there was a mix-up, a little panicked (which I had already felt) and searched for their phone number, started on my way to their house alone, and they picked me up where the bus to their town used to stop. I guess in a year and half the bus routes changed, which isn't entirely surprising. At the end, I felt bad because the mix-up had been my fault, and they felt bad since I was waiting so long at the train station alone and panicky. The same day I arrived, ETA set off a car bomb at the private university in Pamplona. Luke told me about it when I arrived. Seventeen people were injured, but luckily no one was killed. It's really sad that they have to hurt people to make their statement. Don't worry, I'm fine. Luckily, the rest of the visit did not follow the same trend.

Friday I met some of their friends and new Christians, Pia and Chino, who were married this past summer. In the afternoon Luccas came over and we all visited until the kids began arriving for the first of 4 Halloween parties that were held throughout the weekend. Jodi and Nate (Colin's age) teach English classes to connect to the community, while Luke, Mr. Veldt, leads a church in their house and Bible Study. The Halloween parties were a huge success. The kids decorated cookies, received and/or carved a pumpkin (depending on age and size of group), played pin the mouth on the jack-o-lantern, and other games. The older ones bobbed for apples, were blind-folded and tried to guess what food they were touching, and ate donuts off a string. In the middle of each party, Luke and Nate put on a little puppet show about the meaning of the Jack-o-Lantern to them. It was a wonderful way to share the gospel. Here is the story (without the silliness and creative script that Nate and Luke created to entertain us more). They hope that through the classes, someone's heart will be opened to God.

What the Pumpkin Means to Me
We are like the pumpkin, filled with yuckiness. Just like the pumpkin can't clean itself out, neither can we rid ourselves of sin. Someone else, God, has to do it for us. The pumpkin, after being carved and cleaned, has a new identity, a new face, even a new name. It changes from a pumpkin to a jack-o-lantern. Then, at the end, we put a candle inside the pumpkin and let it shine out into the night. The candle is like the spirit of God, that fills us and shines into the world.

Besides the parties, I enjoyed hanging out like old times, albeit missing some important people. We played poker and Settlers of Catan, frisbee, watched a silly movie, and enjoyed Jodi's cooking. Sunday afternoon the church met in their home (about 15 people). The are some single guys, Luccas, the Veldts, Pia and Chino, and an Argentinian family.

Jodi and Luccas took me to the train station today. Jodi couldn't come in, so Luccas walked with me into the train station and saw me off. It was sad to say good-bye, but at least I know that I'm going to definitely see them again, unlike the last time I left Spain.

Pamplona Visit