Madrid, Spain

Summer is a busy time at IBC, Madrid. Approximately 150 multi-cultural international children and close to 100 volunteers were delighted to learn about “Following Jesus, the Light of the World” in our recent Vacation Bible School, 27 June-1 July at the International Baptist Church, Madrid, Spain. (called Cave Quest, published by Group). With creative skits and exciting worship music, kids started and ended the morning all together in their crews. Then the crews rotated through four learning stations with snack time in the middle: active outdoor games, videos about real kids who are following Jesus, interactive Bible stories, and creative crafts. It was a great week for the kids and for all the youth and adults who participated as well. It was also a wonderful way to train children’s workers and to get newcomers involved.

Our Spanish mission in the Madrid suburb of Torrejón was also hosting a basketball camp that week, so Pastor Lucas and Betzabé Colmenares visited the local mayor to get his support for the project and the use of public basketball courts, to which he was very amenable.

The next week we hosted a basketball camp sponsored by our Spanish church plant (which meets on our campus Sunday evenings). It was a real answer to prayer to have children from our neighborhood participating as they learned basketball skills, practiced English, and heard the Gospel in music and Bible teaching. Volunteers from First Baptist Houston, Texas (USA), joined local members to work with the 65 kids who attended daily. We praise God for all the good seed of His Word sowed in young hearts and for all the young workers trained in the process!

Our youth came back for a work day on 4 July to help paint and clean up, though we “rewarded” them with a hamburger cookout  — what a blessing!

David & Susie Dixon