About 100 missionaries and volunteers gathered in Spain in July to pray over unengaged towns in the Andalucia region of Spain. Here is just one of the amazing stories from that came from that week of intentional conversation, faithful prayers, and abundant Gospel sharing!
From a Team Expansion worker in Spain:
Our team arrived in Castro del Río, Spain, on Wednesday for our first prayer walk of the day. While preparing to take a group photo in front of the town’s cathedral, we heard someone shout, “Patatas!” (which means “potatoes”, but in Spain is the equivalent of yelling “cheese!” before a picture) as a funny cue for us to smile. The woman who yelled was Magdalena, a 74-year-old local resident, sitting with half a dozen elderly ladies in a plaza nearby. None of us could have guessed the doors the Lord would open before us… all because of “potatoes.”
A Door Opens Through Compassion
Magdalena’s silly comment led several of us over to their bench to engage in small talk, after which, I noticed a woman named Isabel sitting in a wheelchair, almost completely motionless. She had Alzheimer’s. With respect, I requested permission to pray for her. The group initially became cautious and protective, but then Magdalena reassured everyone by saying: “Don’t worry, these are good people!” Because of her trust, the team was allowed to pray.
The First Sign of God’s Work
The engagement with the ladies at the park bench deeply impacted Magdalena and increased her curiosity about the faith of the mission team. Moved by the experience, Magdalena invited the team to visit her home.
An Invitation Into Her Home
Our team continued with the prayer walk, but before leaving the town, we decided at the very least to attempt knocking on Magdalena’s door to see if she was serious about the invite. We found her, sitting with other ladies on a different park bench, and to our surprise, she perked up and said, “Are you ready to come to my house and have something to drink to cool off?” We could barely believe this was happening!
Inside her home, she demonstrated remarkable hospitality. She invited everyone to help themselves to drinks from the refrigerator, then proceeded to arrange the dining room and served olives and cheese for everyone to share. The atmosphere became relaxed, personal, and welcoming.
Sharing Lives and Sharing the Gospel
Magdalena shared some of her personal story, and our team got to share some of our own testimonies and the purpose of our visit. Magdalana amazed us by announcing that after our prayer for Isabel, the woman in the wheelchair, Isabel had wept openly for all her friends to see. This opened the door to explain the power of faith in Jesus Christ. Seeing Magdalena’s openness, we shared with her the story of Zacchaues, and while we reflected on Jesus’ words that “today, salvation has come to this house,” the Lord opened a beautiful opportunity to explain the salvation Jesus was referring to. Using a simple bracelet, I explained the Gospel to Magdalena.
A Heart Ready to Respond
At the end of the conversation, I asked Magdalena: “After hearing this message, what do think you ought to do?” Without hesitation, she answered: “This needs to be shared with others in the town!” Her excitement revealed that God’s Word had already begun transforming her heart.
Immediate Obedience
The following day, our team returned with a Bible for Magdalena. It took us a while to find her (while we waited, we got to share again with Isabel and her caretaker), but by the time we found her, she had already contacted Ibania, a Nicaraguan woman in town, to read Scripture with her that afternoon. We were amazed by Magdalena’s immediate obedience.
By God’s grace, as we left that second day, we ran into none other than Ibania! In conversation, we noticed fear, shame, and even a sense of unworthiness to share God’s Word. The Lord gave us a beautiful opportunity to encourage Ibania, giving her confidence to step forward and share her faith boldly. We were also able to give her several extra Bibles so she could share them with other women who wanted to join.
Witnessing the Beginning of a Ministry
As our team drove past the town square—the very place where it had all begun with “potatoes”—we could hardly believe what we saw. Only minutes after our conversation, Ibania was standing courageously before several women on the bench, newly gifted Bible in hand, reading God’s Word aloud.
In that moment, it became clear that the Lord was already raising up new workers for His Kingdom.
