Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe that 2010 has come to a close! Are we really more than a decade into this millennium? I know that may make me sound old, but it's how I feel! 2011. Somehow it feels like there are so many new possibilities when you enter into a new year. And for us, this year is especially full of possibilities considering we're spending most of it here in Spain! We are certainly looking forward to it. But as a friend reminded me, Christ is the only source of new beginnings. I hope I can shed the hype of a new year for the True Source of change and possibilities.

We have spent the last couple of weeks adapting, touring, and settling in to our new place! We love it here! Of course, there have been things to get used to, accept that we may not ever understand why someone does something the way they do it (at least not for a while), and hopefully not look down on as inferior (it's just different, right?). But it's been a great time for us. God has provided us a great place in a really central location, which is nice since we have no car! Our place is a 5 minute walk to the bus station, and a 15 minute walk to the train station. Between those two places, we can go anywhere! We've had a great time touring around. We've been to a couple places downtown, and we plan to go back next week. We've also been able to meet a few people here, and hopefully get together with them this week! We're finding already that English is a big felt need here. Will you please pray that we'll have the courage to enter in to what God has for us and the strength to wait if we need to?

One of my favorite things that we've done (fun things, that is) is a tour of Belenes (Bethlehem's). Spain has a wonderful tradition to set up what we might consider a Nativity scene in each town hall and in many churches. But there's is not just the Nativity, it's the whole town of Bethlehem. All include the wise men, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and the star. But we have also seen the temple, the angel telling the shepherds, the journey to Bethlehem, Herod's palace, general village life, Herod taking the baby boys, running water, markets, the angel telling Mary she would give birth... Some of them just tell the whole Christmas story! It's so great! The Belenes stay up until January 6, which is the holiday "Epiphany" or "Tres Reyes" (Three Kings), where they celebrate the wise men coming to Jesus. We hope to visit a few more around the neighboring towns before the 6th.

Here's a video of Plaza Mayor in the middle of Madrid. Right now there is a Christmas Bazar going on where you can buy little Belen figurines for your household one. It was packed!

Here are links to other photo albums that we've taken since we've been here if you're interested in seeing more pictures!

This album is of a Castle and also the gardens at the palace in La Granja.

This album is of all the Belenes that we've seen so far.

This album is just general pictures we've taken over the last month!

We are so grateful for everyone's support, and we can't wait to share what God has for us this year!