Just before I left Spain

Hello my friends,

It has been such a long road here in Spain, and such a short one at the same time. I cannot begin to describe the sadness I feel in leaving. This time here as an exchange student, as I had thought it would be, has been life defining. I can remember so many of the things that we had talked over and did to prepare for this trip. I can remember the day, about 2 and half years ago, when my best friend Lukas said to me in passing, "They are going to start a campus ministry in Spain", and I replied without a moment of thought or deliberation, "Good. We´re going." And here we came, and here we go.

I remember Trasie Topple talking with us before we left, and saying the true measure of success is whether or not you come back a changed person. How could I not be different? I feel like a different human being all together.

I remember Rick Harper asking us "Why are you going?" The only answer we knew for sure was "Because God wants us here." Who knew how much God loves us? Who knew that he would provide the funds to get us here. Who knew that we would actually meet spanairds and actually have an impact in their life? I had no idea to what measure. Who knew in what way God was showing up on this continent, setting the stage for something incredible to happen, something we never thought possible.

But now it´s time to come home for a little while. Time to finish school. Time to rest. Time to work. Time to serve. Time to grow.

As we go, we´re collecting the e-mail addresses of the people that we know and love so much here. One day we´re going to get phone calls and e-mails from people named Javier, Isa, Inez, Alvaro, Juanho, and Lofy. One day they are going to call us and tell us how finally it has all made sense. Finally, they see how God has pursued them from the day they were created, and how much they want to know him. They will tell me how they are going to spend the rest of eternity with their friend, their father, their king. What a day it will be.

So in the way you´ve supported me in with finances, with prayer, with love...support Chris, Jeremy, Cheryl, Sophie, and Jesse now as they have planted themselves here. They love the students so much that they aren´t just giving them the gospel, they are giving them their lives as well. I think that´s somewhere in the bible. You can look it up.

I don´t know when exactly I´m coming home because I´m on this thing called a buddy pass. It can be your best friend or your archnemisis. I think I´m going to try for Thursday or Friday, and if I don´t get on, then I´ll be spending my Birthday Saturday in the Madrid airport. By the way, you have 5 shopping days left. Maybe more, depending on flight availability.

Okay, I´m going to go because I have a whole bunch of stuff going on between here and home, but I love ya´ll more than you can imagine, and appreciate everything you´ve done for me. See you soon.

So Long, Tatum