One Family, Many Nations
We greet you with so much gratitude and joy!
The last three months have been full of people, ministry, travel, unexpected opportunities, and many reminders of God's faithfulness. July, August, and the beginning of September have taken us through a very full season, but as we look back, one thing stands out clearly: God continues to open doors for the Gospel and connect His people across nations.
A Summer Full of Mission
July was an incredible month here in Alicante!
Throughout the month, we had the privilege of hosting more than 150 people who came through different short-term mission teams from the United States to serve alongside the local church. It was a beautiful picture of the global Church coming together with one purpose: to make Jesus known.
Together, we had opportunities to preach the Gospel to hundreds of people, share our testimonies, pray with people, and have conversations about Jesus in the streets, shopping malls, and along the beautiful Esplanada of Alicante.
We also had the opportunity to serve people experiencing homelessness and to visit a refuge home that cares for women who have been victims of human trafficking. These moments reminded us again that ministry is not only about what happens inside a church building. It is about carrying the love of Christ into the places where people are.
God was incredibly faithful throughout the entire summer!
In August, we welcomed the final two mission teams of the summer. We had another beautiful and powerful time serving together, building relationships, reaching people, and seeing how much can happen when the local church and believers from different countries work together.
Looking back, we are deeply grateful for every person who came, served, prayed, encouraged us, and gave their time to be part of what God is doing here in Alicante.
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
— Mark 16:15
A Very Special Visit
July also brought us a very special guest.
Many of you will remember Natalia, the young woman from Ukraine whom we have known and deeply loved for several years. She has become like a daughter to our family, and now that she is 18, we wanted to give her the opportunity to come and spend some time with us here in Alicante.
She stayed with us for two weeks at the beginning of July, and it was such a beautiful time together!
We were able to enjoy simple things: being together, exploring Alicante, laughing, eating, talking, and simply having time as a family. After everything she has experienced growing up in the middle of a war, we were especially grateful to give her a little space to rest, enjoy life, and experience the love and safety of family.
Those two weeks were a precious reminder that sometimes ministry is not about preaching a sermon or organizing an event. Sometimes it is simply being present for someone you love.
Ukraine: A Closed Door, But Peace
One of the more difficult parts of this season has been Ukraine.
I had planned to return to Ukraine this year, as I have done many times throughout the war. I currently have a visa waiting for me in Lviv, but because of changes and complications surrounding the requirements for entering the country, I was not able to return to pick it up.
Honestly, it has been frustrating.
Ukraine is not simply another place where we do ministry. There are people there whom we deeply love, friendships that have been built through some incredibly difficult years, and relationships that mean so much to our family.
So, not being able to return has been painful.
But even in that disappointment, I have felt peace in my heart. For now, it seems that this chapter of returning to Ukraine may have to wait, and I am choosing to trust that God has a reason for it.
At the same time, we are focusing our strength on what God has placed directly in front of us here in Alicante. And perhaps that is exactly where He wants us in this season.
An Unexpected Trip to Costa Rica
In August, something completely unexpected happened.
A friend from Costa Rica contacted me at the last minute and asked me to come back to Costa Rica for a week. He generously bought my ticket because he wanted me to have an opportunity to minister into his life, but also because he knew how meaningful it would be for me to spend Costa Rican Mother's Day with my mom.
It had been more than ten years since I had been able to celebrate Mother's Day together with my mother, so this was a very special gift.
And once again, we could see God's timing in the middle of everything.
I also needed to obtain some official paperwork from the Costa Rican government for our residence process here in Spain, so the trip ended up allowing me to take care of those things as well.
But this was not a holiday trip.
While I was in Costa Rica, I had meetings almost every day with pastors and leaders from church. I also had opportunities to preach, encourage people, and minister into different people's lives.
So, in the middle of everything, God allowed me to see my mom, reconnect with pastors and friends, take care of important paperwork, and serve people through ministry.
It was another reminder that God's plans are often bigger than the plans we make ourselves.
A Time of Rest in Sweden
After such a full summer, we were also very aware of our need to rest.
At the beginning of September, Rozanne and I had the blessing of spending ten days in Sweden with our family.
A friend we met when he came on a mission trip to Alicante earlier this year opened his home to us and welcomed our family. It was such a gift to have a place where we could slow down, breathe, enjoy God's creation, and simply spend time together as a family. Thank you, Andreas' family & friends, for your hospitality!
It was a true season of refreshment.
And once again, ministry found us even while we were resting! I had the opportunity to preach and minister to the young adults community in the church there. What God is doing in Sweden through these passionate people is gonna be amazing!
We are so grateful for the freedom to serve God while also receiving from others. It is beautiful to experience the generosity of people who open not only their churches, but their homes and lives to us.
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
— Mark 6:31
A New Season for Young Adults
Now we are back in Alicante, and we are excited about what God is doing in our local church!
Our Young Adults community has continued to grow throughout the summer to the point where our house is becoming a little too small for everyone who is coming!
Every Wednesday we gather around 6 PM. We share dinner, worship together, open God's Word, and then spend time simply being together.
And perhaps one of our favorite parts is what happens after the "official" meeting is finished.
People stay.
They talk, laugh, share their lives, ask questions, and build friendships. Sometimes people stay for another hour or even longer because they simply don't want to leave.
We began this new season with our first Young Adults gathering after the summer at the beach. We worshiped together, preached the Word, and enjoyed the freedom we have to talk openly about Jesus in a public place. We want everyone to hear the good news!
There is something beautiful about seeing young adults from different nations and backgrounds come together, hungry for God and hungry for community.
We are excited and expectant for what God will continue to do!
“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
— Hebrews 10:24
One Family, Many Nations
As we look back over these past three months, we keep coming back to one simple truth:
We are one family.
In just a few months, God has allowed us to serve alongside Americans in Alicante, welcome a Ukrainian daughter into our home, minister in Costa Rica, spend time with the Church in Sweden, and now return to serve the local church here in Spain.
Different countries. Different languages. Different cultures.
But one Father.
One Church.
One Gospel.
We are incredibly thankful for every person who has opened their home to us, welcomed us into their church, prayed for our family, served alongside us, encouraged us, and supported what God is doing through our ministry.
This season has reminded us that we were never meant to do this alone.
Thank you for walking with us from wherever you are. Thank you for praying. Thank you for giving. Thank you for believing with us.
We are excited for what God has ahead for our family, for the church in Alicante, for the young adults we are serving, and for the nations God continues to place around us.
The best part is that the story is still being written.
Praying Points:
God's favor & wisdom, our family, financial mission partners, Alicante Church, and Spain to be reached with the gospel.
With love and gratitude,
The Venegas Family
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