Metropolitan Spain visits rural Alabama
By A. Ray Lee
Columnist
The adversarial forces of distance, language and culture were successfully overcome, and a partnership between Creu Alta and Lebanon churches became a reality.
In June a group of 10 adults and a child who would celebrate his first birthday in a few days arrived in Alabama. We met at the Birmingham airport and brought them to the Lebanon pastorium, where we relaxed in lawn chairs as our hospitality committee completed preparations for a welcoming meal.
A mockingbird was singing in a nearby tree as crickets chirped underneath it. Honeysuckle vines were buzzing with bees, and a sweet aroma drifted on the breeze.
In the distance, cows were grazing in a spacious pastor. The only buildings in sight were the church and one distant house.
All of this was very different from Sabadell, a suburb of Barcelona, where our new partners lived in apartment buildings opening onto sidewalks and streets without any open spaces around them.
As we enjoyed the pastoral quietness of the evening, an elderly lady leaned back in her chair, lifted her arms upward as if to embrace the scene and sighed with a smile of approval and contentment.
In those moments I knew that although Alabama was far removed from Spain, its differentness would be appreciated.
As the sun set, we moved into the pastorium and enjoyed the meal awaiting us. Afterward we did not linger long. Our guests were paired with host families and soon departed for restful sleep after their long flight.
I had taken into consideration the language differences in securing housing arrangements. The only real challenge was one lady who did not understand English. She would be hosted by a couple who did not speak any Spanish. I was not overly concerned because I knew the abilities of each and was confident they would find a way to communicate.
The next evening we all gathered for a church-wide fellowship dinner to introduce our new friends. Our people welcomed them with open hearts and embraces.
When the meal was finished, ladies from Creu Alta immediately began to help our kitchen crew in clearing tables and washing dishes, causing one of our own to comment, “They are just like us. They could be our sisters.”
Bonding that began that night was expressed in many ways and grew stronger in the following days as we were united as one body in Christ in worship, ministry and fellowship.
During the time our partners were with us, a foundation was laid for dealing with challenges each church would soon face in restoring aging facilities. Soon a number of Lebanon’s members would travel on a mission to Sabadell to assist Creu Alta in the construction of a new church building to provide space for expanding ministries.
