My Wonderful Weekend

Okay, I have to brag! Tim, my 22 year old son, drove up from San Jose, CA to visit us this past weekend. We hadn't seen him since November so we were very excited that he was coming! Also, Meghan had a Bible Quiz Extravaganza and her team was undefeated until the very last quiz. In the end the team that they were against, Modesto, had lost one quiz so they had to beat OCUPC twice to win first place. Modesto won the first quiz but Oregon City won the last quiz, which meant that they took first place!

So, needless to say, we had a fabulous weekend. Here are a couple of pics of two of my beautiful children!

You gotta admit, these are some Gorgeous kids!!!!!

My Heart is Full

I am so excited and my heart is overflowing today! The last year that we were in Spain we had been working with several people trying to show them the truth of One God, Baptism in Jesus Name and the necessity of the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. We had quite a large group of people, as I've already posted, coming to our services and bible studies. Each and every service these things were taught and preached! Right before we left to come back to the USA there were a few people that told us that they were "almost persuaded". So, when we left we were hoping and praying that these people would soon see the truth!

Last night my husband called Bro. Luis, the new pastor, to see how things have been going. We received GLORIOUS news!!!!!

Karin is an immigrant from Peru. She had been having a bible study with sister Mari, one of our saints, before we returned to Spain last year. When we arrived back in Vigo and started having services again she attended faithfully and my husband and I started teaching her a bible study in our home. Karin is one of the most hungry young ladies I have ever met. But, she was steeped in Charasmatic Trinitarianism. She loved to listen to the likes of Benny Hinn. When my husband let her know what he thought about these kinds of men, and Benny Hinn in particular, we were afraid that we were going to lose her. But she was there the next service, worshipping God with all her heart. So, we were ecstatic to find that 3 weeks after we left Spain, Karin received the gift of the Holy Ghost and is being baptised in Jesus Name today! Thank You Jesus!!!!

Lenny, Tanya and their son Wesley are an immigrant family from Nicaragua. They, like Karin, were stuck on Charasmatic Trinitarianism. But we worked with them and taught and prayed and loved them. They too have all three received the Holy Ghost and are being baptised in Jesus Name today!!!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!!

Estela is from Peru and had been attending our services since our very first service in our livingroom in Vigo. After our last service before returning to the USA she hugged Meghan and I and we all just cried and cried together. But, we are thrilled that she too has received the gift of the Holy Ghost and is being baptised in Jesus Name today!!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!

Claudia is a young Colombian girl that came to Spain to live with her mother. She arrived in Vigo at the same time that we went there to start the church. She had attended a UPC Foreign Missions church in Colombia but had never received the Holy Ghost or been baptised. She, too, has received the Holy Ghost and is being baptised in Jesus Name today.

Brother Luis told my husband last night, "Thank you, Brother Wiggins, for coming to Spain and planting this church! Wonderful things are happening here because of your sacrifice". My heart is full and my tears falling as I type this! I am so thankful to God for the opportunity to do something for him. And, I am so thrilled that these people that we grew to love so much are now saved!!! Someday we will rejoice around the throne of God together! I can't wait for that day!!!!!

Back in the USA

It's been months since I have posted on here! The last few months have been a time of soul-searching and decision making for us. We have had to make life changing decisions, some good and some heart wrenching. So, I just haven't been in the blogging mood. Here's an update of what's going on in our lives.

When we first came to Spain in January of 2007, we had raised all of our support for the year in cash. We did not rely on any monthly support. Which made it much easier to know how long our stay would be. The US dollar did weaken that year and we had to cut our stay short by 1 month, but all in all things went as planned. We returned to the states at the end of 2007 to raise our budget for the next year. But, because of bad economic times and other issues, it was more difficult to raise the amount we needed this time. So, when we returned to Spain we had part of our budget in cash and part in monthly commitments. As the months went by, due to bad economic times in the US, our monthly support shrank by over $700 per month. And with the weakened state of the US dollar the exchange rate was even worse than the year before. So, we were forced to make the decision to return to the States. We could have returned and traveled again to raise more money but, to be honest, that's just too difficult on the church in Vigo and on our 14 year old daughter. So, we found a good man to come and take over the church and came back to the States.



Bro. Luis was born in Ecuador and immigrated to Spain 9 years ago. He has started 2 churches in Spain and is thrilled to relocate to Vigo. The church in Vigo is now running about 42 people. They are happy to have Bro. Luis as their pastor but hated to see us go. Leaving was gut-wrenching! It was very difficult for all of us and for the church. But we know that they need a pastor that can stay and not have to leave for months at a time.

We arrived back in the States 1 month ago and are now living in Oregon. When we were traveling last year we fell in love with Oregon and made the decision that when we returned to the States we would move here. We are attending church in Oregon City and praying for God to give us direction. There are alot of Hispanics here but not many Spanish speaking, Apostolic churches. So, we are praying about starting a home missions work.

In the meantime we are trying to put our lives back together! We sold everything before going to Spain so when we got here all we had were our suitcases, some dishes and 3 air mattresses! We had a little money in savings and have since purchased a couch, 2 chairs, a dinette set and beds. Mostly used. But, we know that God will help us and little by little we will have what we need. Meghan is thrilled to be in a good youth group! Things like that are so important to a teenager! She is attending the Christian school at the church and is loving every minute. Seeing her huge smile every day when I pick her up after school and listening to her chatter happily about what happened that day makes me realize that we made the right choice.

We would greatly appreciate your prayers that God would give us direction and open doors. Tim and I are both seeking employment and desperately need God's hand on us! Tim is looking to sell insurance again so that if we do start a home missions work he will have a flexible schedule. I have applied at a few banks and have an interview in 2 weeks.

We have started on a new chapter in our lives and are very excited for the future!

The City of Vigo

A couple of days ago we drove up on a hillside and had a breathtaking view of the city of Vigo. I took a few pictures and thought that I would post them here. I had to shrink them down to get them to fit so they don't do it justice but you can still see what a beautiful city it is.





This picture was taken looking to the West. You can see the Atlantic Ocean. There are two islands, Islas Cies, at the mouth of the bay that are connected by a strip of beach.





This picture was taken looking North. You can see more of the ocean. Vigo is the largest fishing port in Europe.





This picture is a little more Northeast than the last one.

Here is a little more info about Vigo:

Vigo is the largest city in Galicia, Spain, in terms of population, located in the province of Pontevedra. Vigo also is the largest non-capital city in Spain.

According to the 2007 census, the population of the city of Vigo itself was 294,772; and the population of the entire metropolitan area was estimated to be 420,672. This makes Vigo the 14th-largest metropolitan area of Spain. The city is well known for its fishing industry, shipyards, food, cultural and night life, and football (soccer) team, Celta de Vigo.

¿A Donde Vas?

This was what I heard a Spaniard lady tell her husband this morning while waiting for the light to turn green at a crosswalk here in Vigo. Tim and I, in our never-ending battle to loose the extra “baggage” we carry around, were out on our morning walk. We came to one of the hundreds of crosswalks that are in this city and the walk light had just changed to the little red man. Which means, “Parar” or stop. A Spaniard couple was walking just behind us and when they came up to the crosswalk, she stopped and he took a couple more steps, like he was going to keep walking. She looked at him with a look that I have seen many wives give their husbands when he is about to do something she thinks is stupid, myself included, and in a very loud voice said, “A Donde Vas???” which being interpreted means, “Just where do think you’re going????” He stopped immediately and just kept staring ahead like nothing had happened. I had to laugh to myself as I thought, “some things are the same the world over”.

I have never really “fit in” in Spain. Being tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed in a sea of short, dark-haired, dark-eyed people kind of makes you stand out. Meghan and I are constantly stared at but we have grown accustomed to it, for the most part. Another thing is when people hear us speaking English they will literally stop what they are doing and just look at us. It’s so funny! We have been walking down the street and been talking and all of the sudden, somebody that was walking in front of us that hadn’t seen us but could hear us, will just stop dead in their tracks and turn around and watch us as we walk on past them. This has happened more than once. Another time, right after we got back this year, Meghan and I were walking into a little market down the street from where we live. As we walked in we were chatting to each other in English. There was an older man kneeling on the floor at the front of the store, putting price stickers on cans of tuna. When he heard us speaking to each other in English he stopped what he was doing and gave us this harsh look. Then he said something that I couldn’t quite understand until the very last part, which was “necesita habla Espanol”. Which means, “you need to speak Spanish”. We haven’t been back to that store!

So, needless to say, I often feel like an “extranjera” or foreigner. But then I hear some Spaniard wife tell her husband “A Donde Vas” and I feel right at home!

Urgent Prayer Needed for Timo Simoneaux, MK to Africa

Timothy (Timo) Simoneaux, a missionary kid from Africa, has bacterial meningitis. He is being medivaced to Johannesburg. Here is an excerpt from his aunt's blog:

I've just hung up with Vicki again they are still @ the hospital. The Doctor was concerned that there was not a CT Scan of Timo's brain. Of course that technology is not available at the hospital he is at in Malawi. The cranial pressure is increasing which has caused some of the delays this morning. Vicki said to ask each of you to pray the following specifically: "No air bubbles on the brain, if so in flight the pressure elvates and the bubbles will get big and his condition will deteriorate rapidly." The Joburg team feels Timothy's condition is critical and feel like it is worse than they were expecting. Vicki and Tremayne feel very confident with thm. ALL tests will be repeated or etc upon arrival to the Garden City Hospital in Joburg.Tremanye will arrive in Joburg @ 3 pm. Carol Simoneaux, Tremayne's Mom, will arrive in Joburg from Botswanna @ 5 pm. Missionary David Flowers will transport each of them to the hospital.The flight should be a 1 hr 40 minute flight from Malawi to Joburg. Vicki is going to text me upon landing in Joburg.

You can find more updates at:http://www.tsmithconroe.blogspot.com/

Upon reading this please stop and say a prayer for Timo and his family and continue to pray throughout the day.

Happenings

Things have been really busy the last few weeks! So here's an update.

We were finally able to buy a car this month. A huge thank you to Bro. James Carney, pastor of Woodlawn Church in Columbia, MS and Bro. Herrington in Louisiana for donating the money for a car! It makes all the difference in the world! This will also enable us to go to A Coruna where there is a family that has been baptized in Jesus Name but has no church.


We have been having Monday night services in the apartment of a couple from Peru. Last Monday night we had 18 people.


We have a Wednesday night service in the home of a Romanian family. They have several friends that come to be in the service. We had 28 there last Wednesday night.


So we are having services on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday with a different group each service. We have a few that go to all of the services. When added together we are working with over 45 people! We really need to find a place to rent that we can call our church! That way we can all meet together and have freedom to worship and pray. We are praying that God opens the door for us to be able to find a place and to provide the finances. I really believe that if we had a church where we could all meet together and be able to have worship, prayer, music and preaching, we would have huge growth! Please help us pray.