Reaching kids for Christ through camp

Now you know about Spain, about its regions, and Catalonia. But what about where I’m actually serving? That would be L’Arcada, an evangelical mission organization whose main outreach is its summer camp, offered to kids and families June-August.

L’Arcada (whose name means “The Arch” in Catalán) features weeklong camps with themes such as English Camp, Adventure Camp, Basketball Camp, Indian Camp (apparently, Native Americans are very popular in Spain), and Family Camp. I came in during training for Family Camp. First, there’s a week of training for the camp counselors and volunteers; then, the campers arrive for a week of games, crafts, music and Bible lessons. The camps are very popular, attracting more than a hundred kids every week; usually, the staff has to close registration early because they’re as full as can be.

Kids stay the week in teepees instead of tents

The missionaries at L’Arcada describe their mission in the following statement:

“L’Arcada is a Christian foundation in favor of the family, whose goal is, through recreational education, to form solid families that will contribute positively to the society. Every value and principle shared during the camps is based on the Bible.”

That doesn’t mean every camper who attends the camp is Christian; in fact, many aren’t. But as they return year after year (with some campers starting at age four and continuing until adulthood), these campers hear messages of God’s love for man and man’s need for God. The camp is not a hard-core Christian camp like the ones we often find in the states, run by Christians for Christians. This camp introduces Christian concepts to kids who’ve never been to church or cracked open a Bible. The messages are softer, simpler and perhaps more inviting. And many kids and families do come to know Christ during their time at L’Arcada.

Girls at a Bible study and discussion session

L’Arcada was started in the 1980s by Dave and Debbie Frank. Dave comes from Chicago and Debbie grew up the daughter of missionaries in Peru. Originally, they considered starting a mission in Germany, but God led them to Spain to open a summer camp that shared His message with the people of Catalonia. Now, they have a camp that spans 750 acres at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains and hundreds of visiting campers every year. In addition to the camps, they host discipleship training, conferences and other year-round projects. While Debbie and Dave are no longer the directors of L’Arcada, they still organize Family Camp and work on many other projects.

David and Debbie Frank have shared the Gospel in Spain for more than 30 years

You might read this and think, “All this is well and good, but shouldn’t missionaries focus on the areas that really need them the most, like China and Kenya? Europe’s a Christian continent, isn’t it? And isn’t Spain almost totally Catholic? They already know God!”

I admit, I thought that before I came over to help. I figured there were still some people in Spain who needed God, but overall most of them would be believers. After all, Europe led the great Reformation and still has Christian rulers heading the countries. But it turns out, that view of Europe is really behind the times. According to Dave and Debbie, only 3% of Spaniards consider religion to be one of the three most important values in their lives. Three percent! Sure, 80% of Spaniards say they’re Roman Catholic, but in reality only 10% actually practice. The rest consider Catholicism more cultural than spiritual; they’re Catholic because they’re Spanish. Only 0.3% of Spaniards are evangelical Christians, and about 7,500 of Spain’s 8,105 cities and towns don’t even have an evangelical church. Christians sometimes need to drive hours to go to church in the morning.

That’s a far cry from the Spain we imagine after learning about the country in history class. Spain was one of Roman Catholicism’s biggest supporters, boasting “the Catholic Monarchs” Isabel and Ferdinand and being called “more Catholic than the pope” at one time. Now, most Spaniards avoid religion religiously. Why? One factor was the late Franco regime. Franco was a strict Catholic and not only installed Catholicism as the official religion in Spain but also persecuted anyone who wasn’t Catholic. For this reason, many people drew away from any form of Christianity once he was out of power. Even supporters of the Catholic Church started questioning the institution when faced with the church’s dealings in politics and the vast amount of land and wealth it has accrued over the years, which many people resent during Spain’s time of economic difficulties. Another reason is all the Muslim immigrants who are moving into Spain and bringing their religion of Islam. Catalonia has the largest amount of Muslims in Spain. In addition, recent studies show there are more than 300 cults in Spain, including 61 satanic groups.

While people tend to think that only third-world countries need the Gospel, this is simply not the case. In fact, China claims more Christians than all of Europe. I don’t think that means we should all rush over to evangelize Europe, but I do think we can learn from this: People need the Gospel everywhere. People need the Gospel in Ghana and people need the Gospel in Wisconsin. No matter where we are, we can share the good news of Christ. In fact, we’re called to! We don’t have to be missionaries living in huts in a foreign land. If that’s where God calls you, fantastic! But He also called people to witness at work, at school and to their own families. Where is He calling you?

The volunteers for this year's Family Camp

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15)

The culture of Cataluña

Now that you’ve got the (rough) history of Spain down and understand its regions, I can write all about the region where I’m serving, Catalonia.

 

Our camp is about 25 miles north of Gerona

 

Catalonia (“Cataluña” in Spain) is one of the northern most regions in Spain, right up against France (and also Andorra). Its capital city is Barcelona, which is also the most popular tourist destination in Spain. The further north you go, the more rural and nationalistic the area becomes. For example, while Barcelona is technically in Catalonia, it doesn’t feature much of the official language of Catalán. However, once you get up near the French border, everything is written in this language, and some of the older generations don’t even speak Spanish.

 

Catalonia has about 7.5 million people living in it. Because they’re so close to France, the people in Catalonia have a history and culture distinctly different than their neighboring regions. The language itself has bits of French-inspired phrases, as well as architecture and food elements. Traditional clothing here is much different looking than the flowing, lacy dresses of southern Spain, and the food uses less spice than other areas.
 

So, what’s Catalonia like? Well, that depends on where you are. If you go to Barcelona, you have a staggeringly-modern metropolis jam-packed with millions of people. Next to that is the famous Mediterranean Sea. If the beach isn’t your cup of tea, you can drive north two hours and run smack into the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a barrier between Spain and France. There are also plenty of forests and plains, and even medieval towns if you’re a history buff. All in all, there is stunning scenery in this region wherever you end up. The camp where I’m serving is right up against the mountains, which is great because they’re my favorite, probably since we’re decidedly flat in Wisconsin and it’s such a change of pace.

 

France is just a hop, skip and a jump over those mountains...

 

The food here is pretty interesting, too. One traditional appetizer is bread with tomato and olive oil. You take a tomato, cut it in half, and smear it all over the slice of bread. Then you pour olive oil on top and sprinkle the whole thing with garlic. It’s pretty tasty! They also serve Spain’s famous sangria and paella. But my favorite food I’ve found in Spain is choco-duo. It’s sort of like nutella, but a mix of chocolate and white chocolate spread. You can put it on anything. At camp, we put it on our bread every morning for breakfast. You can never stop before five slices because it’s so delicious!
 

The food of kings

 

The people themselves are a mixed bag, which I suppose is true wherever you go. The ones I’ve met have been pretty reserved at first, even to the point of coldness, but once you break through with persistent friendliness, they melt into really cheerful people. For example, even some Christian counselors at camp were wary of outsiders at first. Debbie (the missionary with whom I’m living) says that’s all part of the culture. People in this region are distant and aloof at first, sticking in safe groups until they really get a feel for a newcomer. Then again, I also met some people who were so exuberantly cheerful, you couldn’t help but get swept up in their friendliness.
 

Catalonian customs run deep. I mentioned in the last entry how many people here are pushing for Catalonian independence—heck, today (Sept. 11) is Catalonian Independence Day. Yep, they have a whole holiday about it. Pretty gutsy for a region that is not, in fact, independent. Besides their fierce sense of autonomy, people here really cherish their families. Whole family groups will live in the same town (or the same house!), and people rarely move far from home after they become adults. In my family, having dinner with the grandparents is something we do on holidays. For people here, it’s a weekly event. 

That's a giant Catalonian flag on the cliff face... this guy is serious about supporting his region

 

So there’s a small sketch of Catalonia and its culture. Obviously, it runs deeper than what I’ve been able to explain via blog post. But maybe now you can picture my environment a little more clearly. Next time, we’ll dive into the spiritual environment of Spain, which is an even more complex and important topic.

The touchy relationship between Spain and its regions

If you’re following along this blog, you’ve read my previous entry and know a little bit about Spain and its history. But now we’re going to get a little more detailed. I mentioned before that Spain has 17 regions, which are sort of like America’s states. This is a decent comparison… sometimes.

The 17 regions of Spain

 

The 17 regions include Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, Basque Country, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra and La Rioja. (I had to memorize all these in Spanish for a college Spanish class—not fun.) My mission is located in Catalonia (or Cataluña, as it is called here), in far northern Spain, just miles from the French border.

The regions are kind of like states, like I mentioned before, but in some ways they’re totally different. Each region is fiercely proud of its own heritage and customs. The regions all have different histories, some drastically different than others (southern Spain has a much more Moorish-influenced history, for example, while parts of Navarra identify strongly with France). In fact, most Spaniards identify more closely with their region than with their country, saying they’re “Basque” or “Galician” first and “Spanish” second.

One sign of this nationalism is the language situation in Spain. Many Spanish regions have their own official language that coexists alongside Spain’s official language of Spanish. In Catalonia, the official language is Catalán, a mix of Spanish, French, Latin and indigenous dialects. In Catalonia, 6.5 million of the 7.5 million residents speak Catalán. Schools are taught in this language, the region’s official business in this language, and most street signs and billboards are written in this language. Obviously, this makes it a bit difficult for me, since I speak Spanish pretty well but know nothing about Catalán! Thank goodness many of the words and structures are similar.

Traffic signs written in Catalán

This can cause quite a few problems throughout the country. In Basque Country, the official language most everyone speaks is (surprise!) Basque, while in Galicia, it’s Gallego. What happens if someone from Galicia wants to move to Basque and find a job? It’s nigh impossible. It’d be like us needing to learn Virginian if we wanted to move to Virginia. Things get even more complicated in the official political sphere, since Madrid, Spain’s capital, does everything in Spanish, but other regions do paperwork in their own languages. When they need to connect for something, they need a translator just to get through the basics.

Some regions take their sense of autonomy further than others. Catalonia and the Basque Country are probably the most extreme regions in Spain. They both constantly threaten to leave Spain and start their own countries. Catalonia is having a vote in the next few years to decide whether to secede (though I don’t know how Spain would react to that). In the neighborhood where I live, you can’t walk a block without seeing a Catalonian independence flag waving from a window. Some towns fly the Catalonian flag at the same height as the Spanish flag, while other towns don't bother to fly the Spanish flag at all. In a way, I guess Catalonia is Spain’s Texas, though for all its bluster, I doubt Texas will ever really try to escape the U.S.

Independence for Catalonia!

This lack of central patriotism in favor of regions is a totally foreign concept for me. Growing up a true-blue American in the heart of the Midwest, I never thought my state was more important than my country. If a European asked me where I’m from, I’d instinctively say the U.S., not Wisconsin. And I’m much more concerned about the state of my nation than my state. Heck, if I don’t like how Wisconsin is changing, I can move to Michigan. But people here are born and die in the same region, sometimes refusing to ever even visit other parts of Spain, with a sort of “why bother?” attitude.

I'm not sure why it's written in English, but the sentiment is still there

I think a healthy dose of state love can be a good thing. I look forward to my state fair and my town’s yearly summer celebration. I identify with people who live in my state with me and the problems we need to overcome together. But at the end of the day, people from California and people from Vermont are still Americans. We have a lot more in common than we don’t. I think it’s dangerous to get too wrapped up in regional love, because it divides people over things that aren’t so important. We already have racism, sexism, ethnocentrism and a bunch of other “isms.” Why add one to the list? Who cares if you make paella with shrimp and someone from Valencia makes paella with chicken? The important thing is to focus on our shared humanity and to work together to create a better country for all of us.

A glimpse into Spain

Spain has a long and rich history, one that’s far too detailed for me cover in depth here. But I can give you a basic outline of the country so you understand a little bit more about our mission field in northern Catalonia.

Spain shares borders with Portugal and France and is only miles from Africa

Spain received its name (“Hispania) from the Romans, who ruled the country as part of their Roman Empire starting around 200 B.C. German tribes wrenched control away from the Romans during the Middle Ages, but Spain was by then deeply rooted in Roman traditions and culture, from its language (Spanish is almost totally derived from Latin) to its religion (Roman Catholicism). At the same time, Muslim Moors from North Africa took control of southern Spain in 711 and ruled for centuries, introducing elements of their own culture into the ever-evolving country. It wasn’t until 1492 that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella reconquered Spanish lands and united the kingdom under one steady, solid rule.

King Charles II chose Spain's flag design in 1785

Spain used to be the greatest economic power in the world in the 1500s, with colonies flourishing in South America thanks to Columbus’ recent explorations. But because of inner turmoil and failed war efforts, the country lost its worldwide influence during the next three hundred years. Things reached a new low after the Spanish Civil War, which erupted in the 1930s and pit Nationalists (those in favor of a strong national government and traditional monarchy) against Republicans (who wanted a more liberal democratic republic). During the three-year war, 500,000 people were killed and another half million Spaniards fled the country. General Francisco Franco, leader of the Nationalists, eventually emerged victorious and became dictator of Spain until his death in 1975.

Francisco Franco ruled from 1936-1975

When Franco’s successor, Juan Carlos de Borbon, came to power, he transitioned the country into a democratic republic. Spain now has a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarch. Spain was classified as a first-world country in the 1980s when it joined the European Union, though it still faces many problems, leading Europe in cases of AIDS, drug problems and abortions. Another problem is unemployment: 26.2% of Spaniards can’t find jobs, and it’s even worse for young people, who have a 56% unemployment rate.

Princess Letizia, Heir Apparent Felipe, Queen Sofia, and King Juan Carlos II

Here are a few other quick facts about Spain…

·         Spain is the 2^nd largest country in Western Europe, with nearly 48,000,000 people

·         There are 17 regions (like U.S. states) and 50 provinces

·         The official language of Spain is Spanish, but there are three other major languages spoken in the country: Catalán, Basque and Gallego.

·         Spain’s climate varies greatly throughout the country, with mountainous areas, beaches, deserts and plains.

·         Spain’s greatest source of income is tourism, with more than 70 million tourists visiting the country ever year.

·         Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil and Europe’s largest producer of lemons, oranges and strawberries.

·         Spain’s fertility rate is only 1.47, but the country’s population is steadily increasing thanks to a great influx of immigrants, especially from Africa and the Middle East

So that’s the country where I’m serving this fall. I’ve always been interested in Spain, with its rich history and distinctive customs such as bull fighting and flamenco dances. But Spain isn’t one giant fiesta full of matadors and sangria; it has many distinct people groups with their own histories and cultures. And it has many problems, too. I think tourists usually only see the glossy, exciting parts of Spain, and I’ll be the first to say they’re very exciting! But the people are hurting in more ways than we can see, which is why the mission here is so important. But I’ll have more on that in the next post…

Arrivals and departures

All good things must come to an end, and my trip around Europe with my sister and best friend Faeth was no different. After visiting eight countries in two months, we arrived at our final destination, Barcelona, where Faeth’s flight home left August 6. Once our trip came to an end, I’d begin a new adventure: a three-month mission trip in northern Spain, ministering to kids and their families at L’Arcada.

L’Arcada is an evangelical Christian organization that offers Gospel-filled summer camps to kids and families across Spain. They have a 550-acre plot of land in the mountains of northern Spain, only 40 kilometers from the French border. Kids come for a week and stay in teepees instead of tents (for some reason, Native Americans are really popular in Spain), learning valuable life lessons while participating in typical camp activities such as rock climbing and swimming. Camp lasts until the last weekend of August, when the missionaries shut everything down and start planning for next year’s itinerary.

Political correctness is not quite as important in northern Spain

Our church has supported two missionaries from this camp, Pedro and Vicky Adrover, for some time. Because of my Spanish language background, church members often asked me if I’d go over and help some summer. While I was interested, I didn’t want to go just to go; I wanted to make sure God was calling me there. So it was always on the back burner. But last year, I started thinking about it more and more. After actually meeting Vicky and Pedro to talk about the possibility, and weeks of prayer, I signed up for a mission trip, which quickly grew from six weeks to twelve: August 6-Oct. 30.

The plan was simple: drop Faeth off at the airport in the morning and grab a bus to Girona, where missionaries from L’Arcada would pick me up and take me to camp to start my three-month mission trip. There was only one catch: Faeth missed her flight home. We left two hours early to get to the airport, but in hindsight, we should have ignored our hostel receptionist’s advice to take the train and instead just have hired the more expensive taxi. As it was, we arrived at the airport too late for Faeth to get through security. The lady at the counter was no help whatsoever (I have discovered many Spaniards do not take much pride or care in their work). By the time we realized the inevitable, I was surprisingly calm. Two weeks earlier, I would have freaked out, but now I saw that there was nothing we could do about it right then so there was no need to panic. Instead, we pooled the last of our euros together and just barely had enough to buy two tickets instead of one for the bus to Girona. I would just take Faeth to camp with me.

When we arrived in Girona and met Vicky and Pedro, they were surprised to find an extra guest, but they were very understanding when they heard what had happened. They took us to camp, gave us some lunch and helped us settle into our teepee, which we would share with several other girls. We met David and Debbie Frank, the founders of the camp and former directors, who now work with international volunteers (that’s us!). They said Faeth could stay as long as she needed until we could find her a flight home. Then we had to call our parents and let them know what had happened. They took the news pretty well, too. After all, there was nothing to do now but try to switch tickets, and at least we were safe with friendly missionaries instead of wandering the country by ourselves.

This was actually a lot more comfortable than many of the hostels we visited

In the end, our mom came through for us spectacularly and snagged Faeth a ticket home Friday morning, only three days later. Until then, she hung out at camp with me and helped the mission team get ready for the next camp session. We’d come in during “training” week, when mission teams arrived and prepared to help in camp sessions, which occurred every other week. There was lots to do to get ready for the 120 kids and parents who’d be showing up in a few days.

Between getting accustomed to camp life and helping prepare for the start of next week’s camp, the days went fast. Before we knew it, it was time for Faeth to go home. Her flight left at 10:45 a.m., which meant we needed to be there at 7:45 a.m., which meant we had to leave at 6 a.m. We didn’t get much sleep that night! I insisted on going along to see my sister off, especially since this was the first time she was going to fly alone. We got her checked in, checked her bag and walked her to the security line. Then I had to give her a last hug and let her go. It’s funny—during our two-month travel adventure, there were times I regretted even traveling with her, times I was so angry at her I wanted to punch her in the nose or storm off never to return. But as I watched her move further and further along the line and further and further away from me, I remembered just how much I love my little sister. And I burst into tears thinking about going on without her by my side.

Hasta luego!

Faeth arrived home just fine. I was on pins and needles the whole day until I received a call the next afternoon (stupid 7-hour time difference) from my dad letting me know they’d picked her up without problems. Call it big-sister protection instinct. Sure, we can get on each other’s nerves sometimes (especially when we’re confined in small rooms for two months!), but she’s my sister, and I love her. And I’m so thankful for the opportunity to explore a continent with her. The bumps in the road where definitely worth it. What a blessing! And what an adventure!