Again, sorry for all of the military symbolism, but that’s what The Hearn Family is doing. Rebecca, Emma, Gabriella, Ben and I have finally made the jump from America (Phoenix was our last stop) to Spain. We’ve been here two weeks and there is finally a lull in the action that I can write you again. We are the ‘scouts’ going ahead to make the way for the G42 Leadership Academy.
First of all, thank you for all of your prayers and financial support. It seems that a
t every step we’ve taken, God has granted us favor, allowing us to bypass the nonsense and get down to business quickly. It really is amazing how much we’ve been able to accomplish in two and a half weeks–Juanito Jonsson, the local pastor, has expressed to us that getting all of it done this quickly is unheard of in Spain!
Thanks for the prayers for the girls as they started school, although we had tears (and I’m sure there will be more), it was very smooth and the girls are actually enjoying themselves. I have to give them credit—they are being very brave in an alien environment—thank God there are some other English-speaking kids to give them a little help!
So, besides getting kids enrolled in Spanish school, getting residency visas, locating an apartment, and finding our way around town, we are setting up the Leadership Academy—a training center and base for leaders and radical Christ-followers to learn about Kingdom planting—whether in church or business , stepping out in faith and authority, and leadership. The first students have been accepted for the March term, and we are moving forward! They will begin to arrive the last week in February, so please mark your calendars to pray with us as they travel here and begin classes, acting as our “guinea pigs” for future terms! Students are already submitting applications for the term starting in June, so if you are interested in joining us, let me know soon—we are planning for a packed house!
We are building from scratch, so this will mean a lot of growing pains and a lot of work in the next few months. In the initial stages, we are partnering with Palabras de Poder, the church and bible school, located in Fuengirola and here in Mijas, respectively. They have been a huge help to us, driving us around town, helping us with translating, and making our transition a smooth one. We are sharing their bible school, at a place called “Villa Los Grillos”—where we will not only hold our classes, but build community too. A place where students can hang out, study, and enjoy the presence of God in a beautiful environment. The location is excellent—because of the brilliant weather, people have flocked here from all over Europe and Africa—it is an international crossroads where we will have access to many different cultures and networks. We are situated in the south of Spain on the Costa del Sol.
We are excited! We know that God has big things in store for our family, and the vision for the school is taking form here: in less than a year, we will be placing students into their own callings, as pastors, church planters, ministry leaders and business leaders! And along with giving them a deeper knowledge of the spiritual battle, we will be giving them the keys to becoming a glorious church.
And all armies need a “logistics tail”—a supply line that runs all the way back to home. And we thank you for being our supply line. We are living and working in Spain only through your generous gifts and support—and unfortunately we are still short for our living expenses. If you can, we need your help for monthly support—for things like health insurance, public transportation (we can’t afford a car), and the monthly groceries. We are using personal savings in these first few months, but we are believing God’s promises that our full support will come in by June! If you can support us, please go to this link or go to our Adventures in Missions blog listed below.
If you’d like to invest in the Leadership Academy, there are many opportunities to give. The school must purchase:
- A used 7-passenger van (7000 euro—about $10,000)
- An upgraded kitchen in the villa—one that will be able to support 20 students or more! (2,000 Euro/$3,000)
- Office equipment (200 Euro/$300)
- Furniture and household items (beds, a sofa, rugs, etc – about 1000 Euro/$1500)
Again, thank you! We’ll be sure to send you updates as the months go by. This is an amazing adventure we’ve started on, and we are glad you’ve decided to share it with us. If you’d like to get in touch with us, please see our blog at http://davidhearn.myadventures.org or email me at warriorshepherd@gmail.com .
Gracias,
Dios Te Bendiga,
DAVE