Two Thousand and Ten has been a great year for the Hearn family and our ministry in Spain, directing the G42 Leadership Academy and the new community center, El Epicentro. We have stepped into increased roles as we administer, teach, and disciple as part of the training of the G42 Leadership Academy, and now as we reach out to the community with events and classes geared toward serving our friends in the quaint village of Mijas, Spain.
From Bec: The Hearn family is thriving. We are content, fulfilled and full of life. Emma is still doing well with her snack bar/tuck shop and is saving up to buy a computer, so that she can launch a web design business! Recently, she bought a basket for her bike and sells handmade crafts and candy in the town square. We figure that if Social Security is doomed, we’ll be alright in our old age, with Em! Gabriella is becoming very Spanish, she now knows words in spainish that she doesn’t know in English. She goes to a dance class we have at our new epicentro, and can totally bust a move to Beyonce :o) Ben has found a voice. He is in the “why” stage, and is unbelievably adept at computer games. Thank goodnesss for sesame street.org. He is a little joy and gives great kisses. I am teaching English to 12 local children three nights a week and I have a new found appreciation for teachers. Dave is working hard at the academy and epicenter, he has also built three websites for customers in the last six months. We truly love what we are doing. We are completely busy, sometimes a little stressed and frazzled. But when we see the interns get life, and find a direction it is brilliant. We are unmeasurably thankful that we get to do this. The New Year has a lot of changes. Working on worship leaders coming, increasing our classes to the locals, and expanding the use of the epicenter facilities, to turn into a ‘for profit’ business. We have started scholarship funds for third world interns, we support three of our graduates and a ministry in India. So many great people doing hard, unnoticed, life-saving works. It keeps us humble in our work.
Dave’s Turn: I am really excited about “el epicentro,” our central office, classroom, and community centre located in the middle of Mijas village. We already hold classes for dance, English, Spanish for foreigners, and tutoring. And when our planning permission and opening licenses are complete, we hope to open to the general public as a café and community center with free wifi, comfortable couches, excellent café con leche, and live music streaming into the street. All to make a place where the community is comfortable hanging out, enjoying life, talking and discussing important topics like what exactly is our destiny and inheritance here on earth and beyond!
We are beginning to see the returns on our investment, as G42 graduates begin living out their dreams and developing plans to bring light and life to the dark places of the world. We just wanted to highlight some examples:
Freed by Design was started this year, which is a business run by Dave & Lindsay Hoogendam, who graduated in June. It is an amazing concept: beautiful jewelry, made by women who have escaped the sex trade in Thailand and Cambodia, for sale in the U.S., whose proceeds go to the education of orphans in the Ukraine. Rescuing women from the sex trade, and giving orphans an education… and giving hope to both!
Arise to Freedom/MATTOO Spain was developed by Stephanie Fisk, a March 2010 graduate. She is returning to Spain, working with “Men Against The Trafficking Of Others” (MATTOO), to minister to prostitutes and those trapped in human trafficking—which is a larger problem than you would think here on the Costa del Sol. She is developing a program that will raise awareness, share the gospel, provide jobs, and save women and children who have been trafficked to Spain for this purpose.
Last Spring, Jennifer Rose Goeddertz came to life at the Leadership Academy. Demure, softspoken, and super-sweet, she was loved by everyone she met. Little did we know she would be G42’s first missionary to Africa. Since her graduation in June 2010, she has served LightForce International’s Uganda ministry, providing basic medical care and ensuring that LightForce’s Health Centres were running efficiently and effectively.
We are truly beginning to build a worldwide family that is connecting, helping, and communicating with each other as they share the love of Jesus to the world.
In 2011, we are looking at even greater things, as G42 is planning four charity events, a public opening of el epicentro and even more graduates sent around the world to make their dreams into reality.
We want to extend a great THANK YOU to those of you who are praying and supporting us financially. Your contributions to our family and our ministry are having an impact in Spain and around the world.