Honoring a Legacy of Training

Henry was a great visionary and had great foresight of the significance of the Media in the Kingdom of God.

He was a pioneer in mobilizing the media in the Church in South Asia.

We had the great privilege of having him in Sri Lanka to conduct Media seminars and train many people in this ministry. He was instrumental in producing Open the Bible in our languages in South Asia.

We praise God for his humble and exemplary life and ministry.

Michael Dissanayeke; Former Superintendent of Assemblies of God Sri Lanka

We honor Henry and his legacy by continuing the vision of training and multiplying the gospel in media to every nation, tribe, and tongue. Throughout his years of ministry, Henry Marsh devoted countless hours to growing relationships cross-culturally: many times for the purpose of training in media ministry, but mostly out of his heart for connecting with all people in a personal way. 

As a team, we carry the mantle passed to us by training not just the next generation in media ministry, but also reaching into the unreached places, planting seeds, and meeting the needs of the local church and community. Pray with us that the Lord would use IMM and our team to multiply his gospel in places missionaries can’t reach through the strategic tool of media ministry. In this way, we honor Henry’s legacy and build upon the foundation he left us: a platform for reaching the lost through genuine, Christlike relationships.

Henry Marsh (right)

No One Expects the Spanish Inquisition

The year was 1680. King Charles II of Spain, his court, and the cream of Madrid society were gathered that hot day in June to bear witness to one of the many trials of faith that occurred during the 350 years of the Spanish Inquisition. That particular day, Inquisitor General Diego Sarmiento de Valladares had gathered the many inmates held in different inquisitorial courts of the region and decided to showcase the zeal of the Crown in the defense of the faith in carrying out the pronouncements and executions of sentences.

The plaza was transformed into a splendid outdoor courtroom. Royal tapestries woven with religious symbolism hung from the plaza walls. Ornamental seating in the stands for the ecclesiastical authorities, relatives of the Holy Office, commissioners and notaries of the court were all filled. It was standing room only. Earlier, 250 soldiers in their ceremonial finery had collected large bundles of firewood to be used in the public burner just outside the Gate of Fuencarral. Now the soldiers stood in lines, ready to enforce decorum, awaiting their next task.

The 120 prisoners, up at 3am to be dressed in their carefully marked gowns to signify their respective crimes, were given a light breakfast in preparation for the holy procession and ceremony of the long day ahead. The prisoners represented a variety of threats to the True Faith. Some were former Jew and Muslim converts that had lapsed, others were bigamists, adulterers, Protestants, Anglicans, Freemasons, forgers, witches and sodomites. Some had confessed and were allowed to be strangled before their bodies were burned. Some were to only receive flogging, or a life spent rowing a galley in one of the many wars, others sentenced to burn were spiteful, impatient, and defiant. But first, there was to be a Mass.  (facts chronicled by Joseph del Olmo and published in that same year.)

The Accuser of the Brethren drapes himself in theater and pageantry, using the very Law brought down from heaven to drive us into hopelessness and despair. We are guilty. We stand in chains facing the holy courts of justice, hearing the list of heresies and crimes we have committed. We are the transgressors of the law. Our punishment is death.

But we have an Advocate. “And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by His grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3: 22-24).  We have a worthy Redeemer who has paid the price for our crimes. We are to go free because of His merciful love towards us. However, Jesus says, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” (John. 12:48).

It is Jesus Christ who has stood before the court in our place, was flogged, humiliated and killed. He paid our ransom. Our future is secure. “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, “The victory and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah have now come. These things have come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown out. He is the one who accused them day and night before our God” (Rev. 12:10).

Our desire at IMM is to see the advocate, Jesus Christ, on every screen. That can be a very large screen (we future-proof by shooting in the highest resolution our cameras will allow), or a small screen. In the last few months, one of our projects was to translate the stories of the People Who Met Jesus into Dari for Afghanistan. It was a challenge IMM has met before - working with a people group who would be brought before a religious court in their country and charged with Apostasy. In some cases, the pageantry of a religious trial would be absent, but a swift execution would still be carried out.

The story of Perpetua, who was killed in an arena for being a Christian, is part of our Heritage series, which is still being translated into many languages. One of the completed languages is Farsi, which is spoken in Iran. A dear friend of IMM, a Christian from Iran, spent time in our studio, fearless, in front of a camera, in order to get the Good News of Jesus to her country. She was no longer afraid for her life, as she had already spent long months in solitary confinement in Tehran for her apostasy. Our broadcast partners into the areas of Iran will reach into millions of homes via satellite.

Our target audience at IMM are those being accused by the enemy of their souls. They may not know that Jesus Christ has paid their price in full. We tell them this Good News, so they may have hope and joy, as they face trials in this fallen world. And despite the headlines, know that God’s Kingdom is growing daily as the gospel is proclaimed. “Then the Lord answered me: ‘Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed” (Habakkuk 2:2-3).

What Changed?

This week at IMM, we hosted two pastors in Spain to help lead our staff retreat. Unlike last year where we went to a monastery for the retreat, this year we stayed in our building, at IMM. An internal staff retreat. 

At this time last year, I had just arrived on the field and was still incredibly jet lagged. I remember roaming the halls of an ancient monastery and reverently touching the stone, breathing in the Spanish mountain air, and convinced it was all part of a dream I had yet to wake from. 

This year, I just finished a 10 day long vacation with a close friend across the Iberian peninsula. I felt confident navigating multi-cultural situations and treating Spain like the home I’ve begun to consider it as. But it’s taken almost a year to get there. For months, I felt as though I was drowning in culture-shock, unable to even walk down the street and buy snacks at the convenience store.

So what changed? It certainly wasn’t the Lord’s faithfulness, favor, or presence. Those remained the same through the whole process. I’d love to say my own skill and endurance gave me the strength to grow under this pressure, but that’s simply not true. The only difference between healthy living and drowning is the power of Christ. It’s only been by his hand upon me that I’ve been able to grow and adapt and heal while in Spain, in a foreign country surrounded by complete strangers.

IMM is being refined in so many ways. Our team is being strengthened. Vision is being awakened. Distraction and death is being conquered, and new life is springing forth. Even so, God, in His infinite goodness, has given us the time to touch every stone, breathe in the Spanish air, and live out the dream He’s given us since the beginning.

Psalm 27:

Verse 4: One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Verse 8: My heart says of you, “Seek His face!” Your face, Oh Lord, will I seek.

Verse 13-14: I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Whom Shall I Fear?

There will never be a lack of bad news to hear. Whether it be from the news, word of mouth, or social media. There is and always will be a plethora of scary and heartbreaking events going on in the world. Some events affect people more directly than others, but the recent threats of violence that have been heard on the news lately can cause a heart to shudder and worry.

Israel (my husband) and I have both been meditating on what the “Fear of the Lord” means. Many times throughout scripture it says that the Lord wants us not to fear man but to fear the Lord. What does that mean? How can we put that into practice? As I was reading Isaiah this week I read a verse that spoke directly to what has been on my heart. God is speaking to Isaiah and instructs him not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy’, concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.” (Isaiah 8:12-13)

Now God was not saying that destruction would not come, in fact just verses before He warns that the Assyrians will invade the land of the Israelites and bring destruction because of the Israelites disobedience. Yet He still tells Isaiah not to fear. Not be be afraid of threats. Not to let his heart be troubled. Just those few phrases bring peace to my heart. Isaiah’s response is absolutely beautiful and it makes my heart yearn to respond to the Lord in the same way: “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait on the Lord, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him. Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion.” (8:16-18)

At IMM so many of our videos are translated into the languages of Iran, Ukraine, Russia and the Arab speaking world. These countries show up on the news over and over again and never seem to get a break from suffering. But through the videos and the gospel message we want them to know what it means to fear the Lord. Yes, they are surrounded by conspiracies, threats and troubles. But our heart is that the women of Iran will look to the Lord of Hosts and honour Him as Holy. That the Ukrainians will not fear man but will fear the Lord above all else. That the Russians will know God as their dread and will answer to Him alone. Above all, may God convict each and every one of our hearts and show us ways that we cause fear of man to control us. May we honour God as Holy, may we fear Him and let Him be our dread. May we all respond to the Lord’s voice with the same humility as Isaiah, “And I will wait on the Lord…I will hope in Him…here am I…”

Stillness

Psalm 46:10 

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Stillness. For me, stillness is the holding of breath, the feeling of being surrounded by something much larger than myself. In a world that is busy, full of noise, communication, and stimulation, sometimes it is good for the mind and the spirit to sit in stillness; to allow ourselves the discipline. 

There are many moments in scripture where God speaks and reminds us to be still, to allow ourselves to feel the peace that comes from Him. I know for me, this has always been one of my favorite verses. It is a constant reminder that even though I deal with anxiety and can be so overwhelmed, that I can always take a moment of stillness, that I can be surrounded by His peace. 

Many people focus on the first part of the verse. You see it quoted everywhere, that one small reminder that at any moment we can take a second to know Him. However, the second part of the verse is just as powerful. God is bigger and greater than our circumstances. I have always found comfort in things that are larger than me, knowing that the world is vast, and we are a very small part of it. No matter what may come our way, God is exalted throughout the world, He will be exalted in circumstances we may face. 

I wanted to just write this reminder that this verse is something we can put in our hearts daily. That no matter where we are in our lives, whether going through something mundane and ordinary or going through something large and vast, that in those moments we can know that God is there. He will not leave us, He is powerful in every circumstance and He will always be on the throne and He will always bring us peace when we ask.

The Lush Garden

On a tiny green plain located where the rivers Jarama and Tajo meet, sits a fertile oasis, a Royal escape from the stifling air or governmental intrigue and responsibility.  A settlement since the Bronze Age, the Romans called it Arajovis, after a Roman temple dedicated to the god Jupiter. After the Romans, the Arabs who rested in the plain’s calming beauty called it Aranzuel, a place of the walnut trees. A strategic place during the Moorish domination, sitting between the Muslim Kingdom of Toledo and the Catholic Crown of Castile, it eventually fell to Spanish Crown during the Reconquista of Spain, becoming a placid retreat frequented by kings and queens, a favorite location of the itinerant court, who preferred to reside there in the blooming of early Spring, staying until the arrival of Summer.

“A friendly climate, life-giving water, a universe of small animals that gave life to remotest corners of the forest” the gardens received expert care and attention from the Spanish sovereigns. Leafy trees lined the roads; orchards and vegetable gardens were planted and nurtured. In the beginning, no walls were constructed to enclose the natural gardens, this was to be a place of Christian humanism and enlightenment. Much devotion was given to the “delicate enchantment” as described by visitors in the 1700s. Architectural planning and a broad, open design began to characterize the location. Aranjuez became a magnificent royal symbol for the religious knowledge and power used to govern the Empire.

Much loved for its ordered beauty and repose, Aranjuez also became an instrument of power, because this enchanting paradise, this place of beautiful flowers and fruit trees, belonged to the king, and only the king. No one but royalty and nobility were allowed to dwell within Aranjuez for many years. Outside of these gardens was the most arid of places.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden, they were both sent away. “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24). The beautiful garden that the Lord God had planted became but a memory for us, just an unnamed longing in our hearts.

The long journey we experience as pilgrims in the arid lands unfolds as Jesus the redeemer pays the price for our return to the heavenly courts. We have been adopted by royalty. We are now children of the King. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:4-10).

We are not alone in these arid lands, our King walks with us until the day of our return. “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:11). The riches that belong to God and His “royalty” are no longer off limits to us.

The theme of our return is the heartbeat of scripture. “And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.” (Ezekiel 36:34-36).

As children adopted into a Royal Family of the Living God, we use our creativity to herald the return of His creation to His presence. We use the tools in our hand to proclaim this Good News to those living in arid lands, the refugees, the down-trodden, the enslaved, and the enchained. Embedded in our productions are the promises given us. A blessed hope, a wonder to consider, and a joy to give strength to those on this journey with us until that promised day.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4).

Language of the Heart

As I am in the process of learning Spanish and dealing with the frustration of not being able to effectively communicate with the majority of people I encounter, the concept of mother tongue or language of the heart has been on my mind. Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”

IMM’s Heritage Project series has been produced in 10 languages to date, including both Moroccan and Egyptian Arabic. That was news to me that Arabic was different depending on the country. Again, this shows the importance of sharing the gospel in as many mother tongues as possible so it can reach the hearts of the people. Another unique thing about the Heritage Project and a number of other programs IMM has produced is that they are designed to have a national host, so the viewers see someone speaking their language while the drama parts have voiceovers.

“If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.” 1 Corinthians 14:9 

Even though that verse refers to speaking in tongues, it is applicable to languages as well. IMM is working to not only get Jesus on Every Screen but also in as many heart languages as possible.

Honoring the Legacy of Henry Marsh

International Media Ministries lost Henry Marsh, an integral team member and missionary colleague Tuesday. He has been a loyal friend, advisor, and colleague. He worked in partner relationships with our distribution outlets and gave our lead team the voice of reason and clarity about what was and was not likely to work, always with a good reminder of our goals and our limitations.

We had a meeting scheduled in a few days, so it’s an unexpected situation and a hit to how we are looking at the future. Henry had some ongoing health challenges but was dealing with regular doctor visits and a planned surgery. He took a sudden turn and was gone in just a few days.

We are far away here in Spain from him, Janet, and their adult sons in Florida. Yet Henry was at weekly staff meetings and lead teams through the magic of technology and a big help in various aspects of distribution and leadership. He would pause and give a wry smile before some witty comment that could make the issue so much clearer.

As young people in 1993, Kerry and I arrived at IMM in Belgium. We worked across several departments and one of those was in production under Henry Marsh as production manager. Henry and Janet seemed like ‘grown up missionaries’ with a house and children and a career in missions. Henry had begun missions as short term MAPS worker in 1981. We were temporary young vagabonds who knew a bit about media. We were stretched and grew in those two years and the friendships we established never left us.

Henry went on to work with the Global Media Alliance and Global University and others. From this perspective of working with media people across the world, he brought loads of connections and ideas from a vast perspective. He had a tenacious memory. When an idea would come up, he could name someone or connections that would be relevant to develop the opportunity. More than 40+ years of missionary work and wisdom just can’t be replaced.

When he rejoined the IMM team a little more than 10 years ago, we were thrilled. It is humbling to find yourself in leadership with someone who was a ‘boss’ in the past. What an honor to learn and serve together though.

Particularly focused on distribution but also bringing training and production experience to the table, Henry has been a great contributor to the crew and our processes. He and Janet came to serve here on the ground in Spain before planning to retire. The pandemic shutdowns here were more intense than in the USA, so we decided it was best for them if they returned to the states and wait out the quarantine. As Henry got more information on some ongoing health struggles, they had to remain in the US. This did not stop him from being involved. This year alone Henry has facilitated contracts for Farsi speaking projects, Indonesian, Bulgarian, and Albanian, among others.

Jesus has appeared on more screens around the world and in more languages because of Henry’s perseverance in missions and in faith to share the hope of Jesus. That is a great triumph but we will truly miss him.

Changed for Eternity

This past week IMM helped produce a TV program--Who Is this Jesus. On the way to the river to shoot the scene of Jesus getting baptised, we had John the Baptist and Jesus riding in our car with us.

The weather was perfect, the sun was shining, and it looked like a promising day for shooting video, so I said, “It’s a great day to get baptised.” Immediately our John the Baptist actor spoke up and said, “Every day is a great day to get baptised!” 

His reply was a timely reminder that we were not just shooting an ordinary video. We were and are telling The Story of Jesus, the One Who can change people’s eternity.

Somehow One

One of my favorite parts about getting to do what I do is the people I meet from all over the world.

When I first got here it was intimidating. Meeting Ines, Abdel, and Lily*. I remember asking Ines and Abdel, two presenters who frequently show their faces on camera in Christian programming, “How come it isn’t as dangerous for you two to put your faces on camera like it is for some other people from Morocco?”

Their response was basically, “It’s dangerous for us too. But that’s a risk we’ve decided to take.” Instantly I was humbled. I knew I’d led a privileged life in the states, especially when it came to religious freedom. So I always felt inferior. I figured God was probably saying, “You need to learn from these people. Look how much holier they are than you.”

And I certainly have learned a lot from them. But the more people I work with, the more my insecurities wane. What strikes me every time I encounter a believer from a new country or culture is not our differences but our similarities.

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to talk to Rahim*, a young man from Morocco who gave his life to Jesus about four years ago and acted in one of our videos. I got that same urge to feel inferior. But as he told me why he decided to follow Jesus, he said, “My life didn’t really have a purpose. I was just going from one thing to another, and then I met Jesus. He gave my life purpose and freed me from addiction.”

As Rahim spoke, rather than hearing how inferior I was, I heard God saying, “Listen to how he talks about Me. It’s as if he’s speaking about the same God you know. Six thousand miles away from where you grew up, he found Jesus – the same Jesus you know, love, and serve. And in the same way that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever, I am the same savior to people from the United States as I am to people from Morocco, France, Australia, Nigeria…”

Even though we come from different countries, our love for Jesus and what He’s done in us often looks the same. The way Rahim talked about Jesus, His role and power in his life, and the things He had done for him sounded a lot like what He’s done for me.

Unity is not something that “just happens”. We live in a divided world. Conflicting opinions exist everywhere. Even among the body of believers, sometimes we’re so different that it stresses me out. But one thing that encourages me is the people I’ve met who come from vastly different countries but have been loved by the same Jesus I’ve been loved by.

The beauty and otherworldly unity of the Church speaks to the beauty of God Himself. His love is powerful enough to transcend our distinct countries, languages, cultures, upbringings, and not to mention, personal struggles. This one God brings us together, gives us new life, adopts us into the family of Christ, and somehow makes us one.

*Names changed for security reasons

Weak and Willing

In a society where the main message being promoted by the world is “love yourself”, “do what makes you happy”, and “pursue comfort”, I have found those messages creeping into the church and even into my own heart. I have seen my mindset shift to think, “God will use me in what I am good at already” and “if it makes me nervous or anxious it must not be from God”. Leslie Ludy refers to these as safety cones. We put up safety cones in our relationship with God and say: “I will go only this far and no further”. “I will serve you in this way but surely you wouldn’t ask me to do that other thing”. But that is not biblical. God requires death to self, to pick up our cross, that in our weakness He is glorified. Full surrender. 

Gladys Aylward was a young lady with a calling to go to China. After having applied to a missions sending organisation that could have supported her trip to China, she was rejected by the mission because of her inability to progress in learning the Chinese language. So she sold her best pair of shoes and saved every bit of money that she earned working as a housemaid to buy passage to China. She headed off on her journey wearing two left shoes (all that she could afford) and survived the journey from England through Russia, Japan, and finally into China. Her story is one of putting her life at risk for others countless times. Not only did God use her to share stories about Jesus with travellers, escape Japanese invasion with more than 100 orphans over the mountains, and in calming a prison riot that even the guards couldn’t control, but she received favor from the Chinese government. Gladys became the official government “foot inspector” in stopping the practice of foot binding in China and becoming a national of the Republic of China herself. 

When I look at Gladys’ life I see one of total surrender, incredible bravery, and of loving others above herself. Yet Gladys spoke of her own weakness and tendency to worry, and how her courage was borrowed from God and it was His peace that flooded her soul. One of my favorite quotes by her is this: "I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done in China...I don't know who it was...it must have been a man...a well-educated man. I don't know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing...and God looked down...and saw Gladys Aylward...and God said, 'Well, she's willing."

Gladys didn’t let the fact that others saw her as unqualified and unfit to deter her from doing what God had called her to do. She knew that in her weakness, God would be glorified. I often see myself shrinking back from doing things that other people are better at than me. I am sure it comes down to my own insecurities, I don’t want people to think less of me. Yet that is idolatry of the heart. Caring more about the opinions of others than of God’s opinion. Just this week my husband led worship at a small church plant in Madrid. It was just going to be him and his guitar. The day before the service he asked me if I would want to join in singing with him. Now, I have never considered myself a strong singer and I kept thinking about how there would be people in the audience that would be better vocalists than myself. But then I thought back to Gladys and the countless other believers that have been willing to do things outside of their comfort zones. I know that God has given us all a heart to worship Him and that through our worship His name will be exalted. Even though I was nervous leading up to service, when I got up on the stage, I felt like everything and everyone faded away and it was just me and God. The nerves were gone and I wasn’t thinking about what people could be thinking of me, I just wanted the Holy Spirit to have His way in the service and in the hearts of those present. I want to follow the example of Gladys and more than that, the example of Jesus. I no longer want to give in to the worldview that my comfort is the most important or that God will only use me in the ways that I am strong. Just like the well-known verse says: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). 

Living Water

John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Water, to me, has always been serene and cleansing. Water brings life to dry things, creates beautiful ecosystems and cooler places, quenches thirst. It is always fun to float in the ocean or stand in the rain. In water, you don’t have to worry about your burdens, you don’t have to carry anything at all really. 

In the Bible, water is referred to many times as life-giving or “living water”. Jesus himself can provide living water to those who accept him, to those who ask for it. What do we do with that living water once we receive it? What does it look like? To me, the living water that Jesus describes, is the fruit of the spirit, that is, the attributes that He gives us in our salvation. It looks like forgiveness, patience, strength, gentleness, self-control that only He can provide. These attributes, this fruit of the spirit is like a river of living water in the hearts of those who are hurting, those who need to hear from the Lord. 

In my year of missions, I have learned a lot; a lot about the country I now live in, the culture, the people, and a lot about my own relationship with the Lord. I have learned how to make new relationships, how to reach a whole new group of people through the Word of God. Spain is a desert, literally and spiritually, and, oh, to be a river of life that can run through it. Every day, I am challenged to strengthen my relationship with the Lord so that out of my own heart can flow rivers of living water. I ask that you pray and ask the Lord what it is that you can do to bring life to those around you. We all have an incredible opportunity through salvation to bring life to others.