Our Spanish Classes

Escuela Delengua
Granada, Spain

We have just completed our first week of Spanish lessons. Almudena is my teacher and Juan teaches the boys. In my class, I have Misuki from Japan, Jules from England and Ottr from Norway. The class is totally in Spanish. It has been such a treat to spend time learning with these folks. They are fun, interesting and our discussions have been lively. The more Spanish I learn, the more I realize how little I know. I can’t help but laugh at how my head and tongue don’t seem to want to work together in spitting out the words and at the end of class each day I am exhausted in a mental and tongue twisted way.

The boys have been witnessing to Juan. I am amazed at their boldness to speak to him. This morning Hatcher dug through the few witnessing items we have left to find a specific tract to give to Juan. He had already given him one the day before but wanted a different one today. This afternoon they told me that Juan had asked, “How can Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit be One?” Hatcher answered, “They are like a pretzel twisted together, three in one” I silently thanked God for giving him the wisdom to answer.

It is interesting to me how often the discussions in my class go in such a direction that I can speak of God. From day one, I explained we are on a mission trip to witness about Jesus. Every night I pray for each member of my class. Occasionally I feel called to pray in depth for one of them. God has given me a sense of what specifically to lift in prayer for them individually.

During one exercise we were to list what was important in our lives. I listed God first. I was questioned that I would list God before my children. I assured them He is first in my life, before anything. What I regret is my lack of knowledge of Spanish that I couldn’t explain how if I did not have God, I could not be the parent that I am. Without God and His grace, I know that our family would be in a totally different place. A dark place wrought with problems, pain and struggles, a place I shudder to think about.

I know I am able to love because of the love God shows to me. Without His love, it seems it would be hard to love others to the depth that I can.

I don’t mean to imply that our family does not have problems because we have God. Yet because we have God, He is who we lean on during any problems and by His wisdom and grace we get through what problems come our way. When God is first, we have His light and in His light, all issues fade.

Mirana

Apartementos Gloria, Calle Gloria
Granada, Spain
By: Gloria Gault Geary
Mirana
It was the third time we had run into her within 3 days and the fifth time we had seen her in as many. We originally met her when we went to get an appointment to get the boy’s hair cut. The next day she had cut both Reid and Harrison’s hair.
Reid was the first to speak, “Mom, I think we are supposed to pray for her.” Harrison piped in, “I just thought that too when I saw her.” Two of my children had just voiced what I felt the Lord had spoken to me the night before after our second encounter with her.

I suddenly felt a huge burden not to let this opportunity slip by. We were sitting on a bench finishing ice cream and I almost got up and stood in her way so she could not get past us. She and two friends were in a shop buying pastries.

As God would have it, they walked to the bench next to ours to sit and eat. As soon as they were settled, I walked over to her. She speaks no English and my Spanish is poor at best. I tried to explain that the boys and I had felt called to pray for her. “En Iglesia (church)?” was her question. I could sense her uneasiness. I explained that we wanted to pray right where we were and at that moment. I assured her it would only take a moment or two. She still wasn’t sure.

I asked what she would like for us to ask of God for her. She thought for a moment and her only answer was for her work. In my heart I knew there was more but that she was not comfortable voicing it. I told her we would ask God to bless her work and whatever else came into our heads while we were praying. The boys gathered around. We knelt on the sidewalk in front of the bench and we prayed.

The boys prayed for her work, her health and for God to pour out a double portion on her. As I prayed I felt a strong sense of God pulling her toward Him and prayed for that. When we ended the prayer, she smiled and thanked us.

One of the many things (and there are many!) I love about being a servant for God is how He works. I know that Marana had absolutely no understanding of what we prayed, yet I also know that God, in His mighty and supernatural way will change something in her heart or life. I rejoice that He would choose my boys and me to be a part of His plan for her.

Later Harrison told me the friends with her had stared at us somewhat amazed as we prayed. My radar for the friends was not even active. I was so focused on making sure we answered this call of God. Somehow my guess is God’s radar was on full blast for them as well. May God bless them all.

Please pray for Marana, that God’s will be done in her life. Please pray for her friends, that God would open their hearts to Him. Pray that all would come to know God in a more intimate way.

Apartamentos Gloria, Calle Gloria, Granada

http://www.vistaalhambra.com/gloria.html
Yes, we're staying in the Gloria Apartments on Gloria Street:-) It is a God-thing, nothing I did.
I like to imagine it is God’s sense of humor shining through. The building was built in the 1500’s. We are in a small two bedroom apartment. The floors are marble and the main rooms have large marble columns in the center. The ceilings are ornate wood. Outside our door is a lovely little courtyard. It has a pretty little water fountain, but no water. To get to our apartment, we walk up a narrow stone street, called Calle Gloria (though no car could enter it).

Calle Gloria runs into another street which is just wide enough for one car. Click on the pic & you'll notice Hatcher> When a car rides down this street, the pedestrians must move over against the buildings so the car can get by. It is quaint and there is an air of easy living here.
Granada is Beautiful!
Hatcher and Reid flagged down the cab for us. Sergi was his name. When everyone speaks of Granada in Spain, it is followed by the word, “bonita” which means beautiful. In an attempt to start up a conversation with Sergi, I asked, “Granada es bonita?” His reply shocked me, “No, es muy feo!” His gruff manner and voice conveyed to me his thoughts long before my mind could recall the meaning of feo. Feo means ugly.
It took me a minute to take all this in. Sergi had just told me he was from Granada and had been here all his life. He hated where he lived! How could someone hate where they live? My mind jumped to the deeper meaning of this. Sergi was probably a very unhappy person.
I sat quietly for a minute, praying God would give me some word of hope for Sergi. Sergi broke into my thoughts. He made a comment about the boys. His comment was not kind, it was on the verge of being unkind. The reality was he was an inviting me to complain about my boys. I thought a minute before I responded and said, “Yes, three boys…God has been very kind to me.” The boys immediately handed a website bracelet to me. Even though Sergi and I were speaking in Spanish, they knew I was looking for an opportunity to minister. Yet, I did not feel led to give the bracelet to him. I looked for a tract in Spanish and there were none. I asked the boys if they had one….nope. I knew then God would not use us to speak to this man. I do not understand, but there are times when I know God wants me to keep my mouth shut. ....... .....Reid enjoys the view across from our home^.

That is one of the most difficult tasks He asks of me.
We were at our destination. I paid Sergi and tipped him. Quietly I said a prayer for God’s timing to speak to him. This morning I have prayed for him again. I trust God will break through his angry and hurting heart at the right time and with the right person.

Granada, Spain

We await news from Granada...

In the meantime McDermott Scholar, Alyssa McMenamy wrote the following article during her recent visit to Granada.
Granada, the fruit of Spain, the pomegranate of pithy flesh and thousands of tiny seeds, cultivates a trifold history of Arabic, Christian and Jewish influence. The gypsies, Arabians and Castillians contribute unique flavors to the savory picture that flows over all senses. Flamenco, the dance of Andalucia, with the backdrop of La Alhambra brings passion and meaning to lives filled with tradition and modern urbanity. The ancient songs of undulating voices decry times of war and of first loves. The wild stamp of feet and the rustle of many-layered skirts beat the rhythm of a simulateneously raging and trickling river. Granada is a medium-sized sprawl of urbanity. Never before have I experienced the urban life in such vivid color. The people live in high rise apartment buildings. Few homes are within the city. Shops on lower levels with apartments above belie the intermingling of residential and commercial zones. Beautiful parks with running trails and benches beneath beckoning branches of shady trees provide respite from the congested air. The city has wonderful treasures in remote locations with intricate networks of streets that begin and terminate at seemingly random intervals. Such is the paradise of an avid Spanish student. Small enough to allow glimpses of friendly faces on the street with an urbanity that reflects the character of New York.The Sierra Nevadas provide a breathtaking backdrop to the skyline of the city. The ancient Moorish palace, La Alhambra, winds along a slope over looking the city, reminding the populace of several hundred years of Moorish rule. Andalucia prays upon the heart and awakens the deepest desires to dance with abandon.

We hear that the whole family is currently taking spanish classes ~ How 'bout some comments in spanish from our spanish speaking friends out there?!

Díganos por favor de su amor para Jesucristo

(Please note that this item was posted by a friend helping with the Blog, but all posts entered this way automatically say "posted by Gloria, Hatcher, Reid, Harrison Geary".

What constitutes a successful mission trip?

Train from Madrid to Granada
A Successful Mission Trip

How does one determine if they are successful or not?

It is a question that I have been pondering and praying about for some time now. As an American and a businesswoman there is a part of me that wants to quote statistics or “bottom line” information.
I want to be able to report things like, “We won 6000 souls!” or “We shared the Gospel with 1 million people!” Now that sounds like a successful mission trip…or is it? I don’t know the answer, but in my spirit I feel that being able to quote these statistics does not “in itself” mean a mission was successful, at least not in the eyes of God (and of course the eyes of God or God’s opinion is truly the only one that matters!). It is my flesh, my business training that says I need proof. I am beginning to believe that only God knows if our time is successful.

Are we following His will?

Are we seeking His face?

Are we being obedient to His call on our lives?

Are we listening for and heeding His still small voice?
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7:21-23

Almost daily I wonder if we are doing enough. Should we be bolder? Are we speaking to as many people as we can? What if that woman who just stopped and asked us for directions needed Christ and I didn’t even mention Him to her?

I asked the boys what they thought would make our mission trip successful. Harrison said, “to tell others about Christ”. Reid offered, “to know Him more” and Hatcher felt, “if one person, even if that one person was in Gaffney (our hometown) was saved because we went, then we have been successful.”

What do you think makes a mission trip successful?
I think and ponder this question, and then another more important question arises…

What do you think makes a life successful?

Our mission trip is important, but it is only a portion of my life… when I stand before God on judgment day…will He be pleased when I report the results? ….of our trip? ….of my life?

I don’t know the answers, but I know that I need to continue to ask the questions of Him until I do.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:4-5

Please do share your comments by clicking "comments" below :-)

Your family blessed us...

From: Dan & Tracy Meddaugh dan_tracy_meddaugh@suddenlink.net
To: gloria@gearyfamilymission.com
Dear Gloria,
We returned from the Czech Republic a couple of weeks ago. We met you on an airplane--you were a great encouragement to us and to the missionaries we went to see. We gave them the bracelets, movie, and the soccer balls and their boys got very excited. Zachary was so excited when the lights were out one night and his bracelet lit up. I forgot to tell them that the bracelets glow in the dark. The Czech Republic is not an easy place to live as you can see, and the couple was encouraged by the fact we prayed in the airport!

We passed out sandwiches (sandvich--I know about 10 Czech words now) in the train station. We got a different response from the homeless. We also were able to pray for some--they grabbed our hands! I am very puzzled about this country and Eastern Europe in general. Why are they so hard? What has made them aetheists? They were not very open in general, but my husband got to pray for a visitor at our friend's Bible school in Slovakia. He thought there were many roads to heaven. My husband asked if he could pray for this man.

Our friend that has Bible schools in Czech Republic moves in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His website is http://www.schwarzministries.org/ They have lived in Prague for 12 years.

We were blessed by your family's heart to share the Gospel. We share the same heart and believe God calls families. Our kids have been willing to do things they never did before for God as a result of this trip. They are getting used to speaking in front of others and doing puppet shows that share the Gospel. They also made the sandviches and helped pass them out in Prague. We long to raise our kids to walk in the miraculous and to walk in God's ways. What you are doing is a great inspiriation to us and your kids are a great blessing!
God bless you,
Tracy Meddaugh

This email arrived recently. What a blessing! We thought this would be a great encouragement to others traveling with kids. We'd like to encourage people to pray for them and maybe support them in some way. (please visit the site above for more information) May God bless each of you! ~ Gloria & family

Embassy of Unnamed Country

Madrid, Spain
GG’s Birthday!

We arrived at the Embassy. The door to the consulate was locked. We walked around to the other door, it too was locked. Immediately the door opened and out walked a woman who looked to be responsible for cleaning the building. In my broken Spanish I explained we were there to get a visa. “They closed at 12:30,” was her reply. I asked the time and we learned it was 12:34. I couldn’t believe it. We had been traveling for over two hours to get there. We had spent the whole morning trying to get things together to get there. We had gotten lost twice and we had missed it by four minutes.

The woman turned, opened the door and invited us in. I was shocked, yet thrilled. She spoke to the woman at the front desk whose response I didn’t need to translate. I knew our chances were dwindling. The kind woman disappeared and returned. She brought me four copies of the visa application. We sat and I wondered if maybe they would have mercy on these tired travelers.
The door opened and in walked a man who obviously had clout at the Embassy. The woman at the desk began explaining to him why we were there. He spoke to me and I explained that we were traveling for six months and had several visas to obtain and could not afford the time before we left the U.S. to mail in our passports for the visas.

I didn’t get far into the story. He simply said, “We close at 12:30.” The conversation was over.
Every drop of my American blood wanted to argue. My mind came up with all the arguments…. Did he understand how difficult it was for us to get there? Did he know how much money we were going to pay for this visa? Shouldn’t he be grateful we were going to spend time in his country? God ever so gently reminded me that I have been praying for Him to make me humble and I realized this was an opportunity to walk out that prayer. I purposely closed my mouth so that nothing would come out of it. When I knew it was safe, I opened my mouth to confirm that we could come back the next morning to apply. I thanked him and the two women for their time and we left. I wanted to cry. We had planned to leave town that afternoon. We had planned to do some sightseeing. Our luggage was checked at the train station and we had only the clothes on our backs.

The boys and I talked about what had happened and what our options were. Suddenly I knew what we had to do. We threw every plan out the window. We booked a room at a local hotel. For whatever reason God did not want us leaving town today, we would trust in Him and make the best of it.

We had a lovely lunch, stopped by the local store and bought a deck of UNO cards. We spent the rest of the day playing UNO in the lobby and taking turns having a nice hot bath in the great big bath tub in our hotel room. We witnessed to the hotel staff as we interacted with them.
I prayed that night that God would give us an opportunity to witness to the man of clout. The next day in the same clothes we wore the day before; we applied for the visas and caught the evening train.

I would love to be able to say we met the man of clout and witnessed to him or that we had a supernatural encounter with one of the hotel staff. But the reality is nothing out of the ordinary happened. The truth is this incident was all about me and my willingness to walk in humility. Was I willing to honor one in authority even when it meant a total rearrangement of our lives? I’ve prayed mightily for over seven months now for God to teach me humility. It is a lesson that I am having a hard time learning. God had given me an opportunity to grow in humbleness. It wasn’t the first opportunity, but it was the first that I felt good about how I responded. There have been many others where I failed miserably.

As of this writing, there is still some question about how and when we will pick up the visas. Who knows, maybe God will still use us with the man of clout. If not, I know that God used the man of clout to remind me that my role is to follow Christ in being humble before those in authority.
Scripture---God has put those in authority to rule over us

A time of Rest

Madrid, Spain
We have been here for close to a week and have seen nothing but the two streets near us, the Ghana Embassy, the internet cafe and the grocery store. We have only ventured out to eat and to do what business we have had to. To say we were exhausted is putting it mildly. I don’t know that as a family I have ever seen us stay still for this long. We have done school work, read, watched movies, played games, taken baths, and slept. Then we slept some more.
We were all thrilled to see the bath tub when we arrived and it has been well used since we have been here. Our next big thrill was the washing machine…we smell a little nicer this week too. We also found popcorn at the grocery store and I think we have eaten about 15 bags. We keep seeing ads for American pizza, but have yet to find any….maybe tomorrow.

Sharing the bad with you too
The last 48 hours have been a spiritual battle for me. I have felt a heavy oppression and have been too weak to fight it. On Saturday, I emailed my precious prayer partners to ask for prayer. Within hours of sending the email I could feel their prayers. It is a powerful thing to know someone is standing before the Lord for you. This past year I have learned the importance of leaning on those in the family of faith when I am struggling. God intends for us to lean on one another. It is not always easy for me to share with others when I am in need, but I have learned that is what God wants and He will work through the prayers of others when I cannot fight the battle myself. I have also learned that bringing to light (telling someone) any darkness I am struggling with is like taking the ammunition out of Satan’s hand. There is a shift in the spiritual realm whenever I do this. Try it the next time you are struggling with something.
“Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” I Corinthians 12: 14 & 27

The last two nights I have had the same dream and God has been dealing with me on some very deep issues. He has convicted me about some serious mistakes I have made and how I had allowed myself to be deceived, actually I should say how I deceived myself. If you are not familiar with the story of Balaam and Balak (Numbers 22), I encourage you to read it. It is a very unique and different scripture that deals with being disobedient to God’s word. I heard John Bevere preach on this several years ago. After hearing that sermon, I literally had a crisis of belief about the Lord, spent many weeks struggling with Him and came to a new and deeper relationship with the Lord as a result of that. This week I have been reading a book that discussed this same story. Again, God has taught me on a deep level about myself through this scripture.
I have also struggled with many negative thoughts. I have doubted everything in my life, my ability to raise my boys, complete this mission trip, hear God’s voice, manage my business, or be a decent friend. I have even questioned my salvation and Satan has been working overtime to bring me down. It seemed that every negative word ever spoken in my presence was going through my head. Intellectually I could see the craziness that I would even think these thoughts, yet spiritually I could not fight them. It has been years since I’ve had a struggle as difficult as these last two days.
Somewhere deep, deep inside I knew that Satan would only be working this hard to bring me down because he was afraid of the work we are doing. It is that little spark deep within my soul that kept me from losing all hope.
After much weeping, repenting and general prayer the oppression lifted this afternoon. It is not something I can even explain other than at one point I didn’t think I could go on and the next minute I knew we would be fine. It is the difference of being oppressed and God setting the captive free. I thank God for His goodness and faithfulness to provide me with sisters in Christ who stand beside me in prayer even from another continent and who fight a spiritual battle for me so He can set me free.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
Thank you dear prayer partners! And thank you all who lift us in prayer.

A Memorial Day Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
As we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our service men and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and presence as they stand in the gap for our protection.

We also remember the families of our troops, and ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes and your peace, provision and strength to fill their lives.

May the members of our armed forces be filled with courage to face each day and may they trust in the Lord's mighty power to accomplish each task.

Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

US flags flying at Fort Logan National Cemetery during Memorial Day.

Observed by United States and US citizens everywhere.
Type: Federal (and most U.S. states)
Significance: Honors men and women who have died in military service
Date: Last Monday in May; 2008 date May 26, 2008; 2009 date May 25, 2009
Observances: visiting cemeteries
Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (in 2008 on May 26). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who perished while in military service to their country. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include casualties of any war or military action.

She haunts my thoughts...

Madrid, Spain
We stepped into the crowd and suddenly there was a lot of activity around us. The cab driver was doing his best to protect the boys and myself from the throng of locals trying to get money.
She was a young woman in Muslim dress. She held in one hand a bunch of flowers and a bundle in the crook of her arm like a baby. It was too small to be a baby, or so I thought. “One pound”, she repeated the price of the flowers over and over to me and motioned toward the bundle with sad eyes. The cab driver shooed her away, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the bundle. The boys went with the driver and began to get in the car. I followed the woman and reached for the bundle.
She opened the wrapping and inside was the tiniest baby I’ve ever seen. It was dark outside and I couldn’t see her well, but she moved ever so gently and yawned.
These words went through my mind, “Gold nor silver do I have, but what I have…”, I placed my hands on the infants head and whispered a blessing over her. I looked at the mom and reached out to her cheek. I quietly spoke a blessing over her too. She spoke back to me but I did not understand what she said. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a 10 pound Egyptian note and handed it to her.
I turned and got in the cab, checked on the boys and put my seatbelt on. Then I turned to look at the woman. She had walked over to a parked car with four men inside. She handed the money to them and I saw her laugh. When she turned she saw that I was watching and quickly kissed her child. As we drove off I looked at the men in the car.
My heart was hurting. I asked the cab driver what she did with the money and he gave a couple of vague options. The cab had a deafening silence in it and I knew it hurt his heart too.
It has been almost a week since this happened, but I can’t stop thinking about this woman and her infant. I continually lift them to the Lord in prayer. I pray too for the men in the car. I don’t know what is going on, but my spirit knows it is not of the Lord.
There are other words that continue to pop into my head when I think of this mother, “There but for the grace of God, go I.”…I am convicted daily in my need to lay prostrate before the Lord and praise Him that He has provided for our needs. That I do not have to beg on a street corner or sell my body or my child’s body to feed us. I can’t stand in judgment of this woman, because I do not know what has happened in her life. I know only to lift her and the infant to the Lord for His protection.
Please pray for all the mothers of this world who need help to care for their children. Pray they will seek the Lord for their covering.