TEAM All Europe Conference in Hungary

We participated in the All-Europe TEAM missionary conference the first week of August 8th near Budapest, Hungary. The day before the conference started we stayed in Budapest and walked our feet off seeing the sights in this old capitol. It was great to be able to meet other TEAM missionaries from around Europe and hear about their experiences. Our guest speaker, Bill Hull, spoke on the importance of discipleship.

Liberty Plaza

Budapest Parliament

Community Involvement & First Baptism

You hold a plate of freshly baked cookies in your hand, cheerfully making your way down the hall to the apartment where new neighbors have just moved in. They answer the door and politely accept the cookies, thinking, “How quaint, that’s just like what the Americans do in the movies!” They tolerate the intrusion this time, but a second attempt would be regarded as too aggressive.

This was one of the gems that we learned by participating in the volunteer school of the Community of Madrid held April 6-8. We now have a better idea of cultural norms and needs in the community as well as being certified to volunteer in a nonprofit organization.

Sharon has already begun helping a foundation dedicated to provide quality activities and courses for mentally challenged adults and youth. On Thursday afternoons a group of volunteers supervises an outing to a park, museum, gallery, exposition and the like. Sharon was able to present the Gospel already to one of the other volunteers. Peter is taking a web design class at the newly opened cultural center in our neighborhood. Why are we doing this? We learn valuable lessons in the culture and make connections with families.

Our partners, the Muhas, are in the process of forming an association called New Life Unlimited. This will give us legal recognition to be able to offer courses and activities to the public.From March 5-13 five college students from Aletheia Church poured their energy into helping out with English classes taught by other missionaries. They also participated in street evangelism and practiced techniques of sharing the Gospel with props. We also helped with an English camp. Due to health problems, the director and some volunteers had to be absent, so we were available to meet this unexpected need.

Our ID number process has taken longer than normal. Peter was called in for his fingerprints and now has less than a month hopefully until he gets his plastic ID card. Sharon is now waiting to go in for her fingerprint stamps.

While our daughter Heather has been with us we took an orientation trip to Cataluña, one of the provinces that speaks a different language. An old friend of ours from Carúpano, Venezuela, Basilio Crespo, gave us a great tour of Barcelona to get us started. We learned firsthand some of its uniqueness and insistence on being different from Spain.

After 5 years of doctors’ visits, tests, and therapy our daughter Melissa is planning to undergo knee surgery in June as the pain and deterioration has increased. Pray for grace and strength in the meantime and details involving Sharon’s trip over and recuperation.

Recent activities: April 9- a seminary professor instructed our group in the basics of hermeneutics. April 17 was a joyful day for our budding church as we witnessed 3 people get baptized, Daniel, Luz Marina, and Jackie. We used a church in another area that had a baptistery.

First four months - Video Update

Here is a link to a 5 minute video that we made of the first 4 months in Spain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcf-9H9wAug

New Year's Greeting from Madrid

What has happened to the McMillans? Did they ever arrive in Spain? Did they ever find an apartment??? The answer is “yes!” We stayed with the Muhas for 11 days while we registered with the court house, opened up an account at a bank, hunted for apartments, arranged to rent/borrow a car, bought a GPS (very important)and adjusted to the 6 hour time difference. We had our first team building retreat on the first weekend after our arrival. After that, we moved to a guest house/office combination outside of the city so that there would be room for Melissa and Jonathan. They arrived on Dec. 20 and 21. By then we had a contract on an apartment, and we needed to find something to sleep on, eat on, eat with, cook with.....


On Christmas day we moved in, threw a chicken in the oven, and went to pick up Heather at the airport. Later that afternoon we went over to celebrate together with Micah and Kimberly Yaun, a young couple from our home church who are doing an internship in a township east of Madrid. While our 3 visitors were here, 2 of them became engaged! Heather is now engaged to Jonathan, who is finishing his masters in Civil Engineering in Delft, Netherlands.

We made an overnight trip to Cordoba to see the famous Mesquita and other historic sites in the city. After Melissa left on January 5^th we set about in earnest to look for furniture. We went with prefab furniture that you put together for the office and extra kitchen counter and cabinet space. Since all of the buildings where we live are less than 10 years old, the apartment is really nice, 4^th floor, 3 bedrooms plus a storage room and one parking space in the basement. Once our shipment arrives, the office, spare bedroom, and storage room will fill up quickly with mostly books and resource materials! Now that the big sales have started we have ordered our bedroom furniture which should arrive in a month. The last major item is the living/dining room combo. We bought a 2001 Ford Focus.

As far as our visas go, Peter has gone to the immigration office 4 times. They had asked for 2 new documents that were not previously required. After each appointment the agent sent him back for another adjustment. Finally everything cleared. Then he asked the other agent about Sharon's visa. There it was, on the top of the agent's desk! She said that we should hear from the embassy in about 2 weeks. This means that Sharon will go back to Washington, D.C. sometime in February to pick up her visa.

We have been able during the holidays to get together with some of the members of the church. Peter has already preached 2 times, Sharon has helped some with the children and gave a workshop this past Sunday for those interested in working with children. Also, she filled in on piano during the worship service. We have begun weekly team meetings on Thursdays, as well as the regular men's and women's Bible studies. The three leaders and wives will begin intentional discipleship with the people who regularly attend. For 4 days we will be at a camp location near Toledo for the TEAM Spain annual conference starting Jan. 20.