Pics: Madrid, Spain

In Spain, I stayed with Molly, a friend of a friend, who graciously invited me in to her home.  She didn't know me at all, but is a missionary from Indiana, a little younger than me, teaching English in a Spain elementary school and working with a Missionary Alliance church in Madrid. A friend connected us.

When we visited her school, it was the day before Halloween, which I found out is an American holiday, and the Spanish teachers were teaching all about it to their students.  I thought, "Great.  What a wonderful holiday to spread."  But in one class, they did have an apple-dunking game that was really fun.  I taught the kids how to press the apple against the bottom of the bucket to hold it there while they bit into it. Maybe it was cheating. But it was funny to see my group come up with dripping faces and the apple every time!

Molly took me all over Madrid, showing me famous sites and buildings, and we even got to go into the Palace for FREE.  God has sweet connections.  When we walked in to pay, and she wasn't even going to go, because it cost too much money, but then I was going to pay for her, which was a step of faith because I didn't know if my money was going to last through the end of Europe, we met this guy who was one of the officials there, and he knew Molly from some connection!  So he told us he would let us in for free and sign us up for one of the special tours, for free!!  I couldn't believe it.  We were walking around with a friend we met in a chocolate shop, who was another traveler.  He was a from Rome, and was studying in Jerusalem.  He was Jewish.  I was so excited to meet him because I had just come from Israel.  We ended up spending the day together, and I shared with him how amazing God was to get us on this free tour.  The tour was great.  I don't like to pay extra, but they give all kinds of great information and stories that I would have no idea about otherwise.  We saw some beautiful tapestries and fancy table settings.  It was a beautiful palace.  

Molly and I got to spend a few nights at another missionary family's house in Madrid.  We had so much fun with them.  They became like family to me.  They had their extended family come over while we were there for some holiday.  It reminded me of Thanksgiving.  Grandma and Grandpa were there, too, along with cousins, aunts and uncles.  It was so great.  We even had apple crisp, my favorite dessert!  I was so blessed.  I braided the girls hair and we played lots of games.  It was fun to be with a family again.  And then, before we went to bed, Grandma read us a story about princesses of the King, at our request.  It was a precious time.

Then Molly helped me race to the train station to catch my train to Barcelona.  God allowed one of the trains to be 2 minutes late, that is usually never late, so that we could get on!  I was so thankful; learning more and more that I can trust Him for everything.  I told that to Molly on the way to the main Madrid station.  "Molly, no matter what happens, we really really can trust God.  Even bad things.  He is not limited in the least, but can work through, and does work through all situations, to take care of us."  After I said goodbye to her, I walked around the station - it is beautiful, with huge gardens inside, some plants reaching up 50 feet to the ceiling!  Then I went to catch my train, and as I was going through security, I heard my train announced.  I quickly walked through the doors to get to the train, and then down to the end of the room towards my "gate" (the doors that led out to my track), and these train ladies stopped me and said I was too late.  "What?  The train doesn't leave for five more minutes."  "Yes, but your ticket says you need to be on here five minutes before."  There was no way they were letting me through.  I watched helplessly, through the glass window, down to the track, where my train was sitting.  That's what I needed to be on.  "We're sorry.  You'll have to go back to the window and buy another ticket."  God, are you kidding me?  I just had been telling Molly that we could trust You with anything.  And now, here was a huge test.  Would I trust him?  To be honest, I really didn't.  I thought it was a stupid mistake I made and now I would have to get out of this mess.  But His hand was over me the whole time, I just didn't feel like it then.  

I ended up having to buy a new ticket to Barcelona, which I found out later that I shouldn't have, but the ticket man didn't know that, or he told me wrong information.  Oh well.  I had my ticket.  I had to borrow a cell phone to call Eric, my friend from back home who lived in Barcelona with his wife, that I would not be on this train, but the next one.  He said it was no problem and that he would see me when I got there.