New WEBSITE!!!

Check out my new website at:

http://web.me.com/erinneises

Check out my new blog on this website to keep up to date with my new transition to Campus Crusade this coming September '08 in Málaga, Spain.

Thanks for all your support and constant reading of my blog and website!

If You Hear It. Would You Believe It?

Can you believe what you hear, from someone you trust? Because I have got to share a quick personal story with you all!

It was late at night, around 1130 pm, and just a couple days ago when Katy Kerl and I cleaned our kitchen in order to get rid of a few cocroaches. We removed all our food, other various things out of the kitchen, and sprayed it down with a special spray. We then closed and sealed the kitchen for 48 hours, like the instructions said. However, during all the moving and spraying we accidently moved a stove button to turn on the gas without knowing. The kitchen was filled with so many fumes that you couldn´t breath, and had to cover your mouth. We had no idea that our gas was leaking.

That next morning at 730 am, I quickly broke in the kitchen to get some milk and smelled something so strong and out of the corner of my eye saw that the gas button was on. I immediately opened the windows and aired out the kitchen. In the matter of just a few hours, let a lone the whole night, all our gas leaked out. In Spain, gas is used to heat hot water and for cooking on the stove. Not to mention that our hot water heater in the kitchen behind a cupboard door. If you turn on hot water, the hot water heat kicks in and lights a flame that is visible and behind it's cupboard door that has plenty of ventilation.

Okay, so the follwoing morning, after spraying at night, I woke up to get to my class. I washed my face like usual and put the water on hot. But no hot water would come out after a few minutes of letting the water run. So I just washed face with cold water, thinking the gas was out. After a long day and finishing the evening with training, I come home all sweaty and ready to take a shower. But knowing that I was about to have a cold shower, because there is no more gas to kick in the hot water. So get this... I turned the shower water on hot, just hoping for a quick second of hot water, and it was instantly hot, and stayed hot. Which means a flame was lite in the kitchen cupboard to ignite the hot water.

Ask yourself this?

How come Katy and I didn´t have hot water in the morning, when the kitchen was filled with gas fumes. You can try to respond to that question however you may like, but you all know that Katy and I are still alive by God's grace, and it is called a MIRACLE!

When you hear this personal story do you marvel at God's wonder, or does your heart get hardened with doubt?

I have never been faced with something so strong in my life to imagine the love, the protection, the dedication God has for us. If He can do this, imagine what other grace He has for us. All we are asked to do is to recieve His gift.


WITH ALL THE LOVE I HAVE, Thank you Jesus!

Love,
-Erin


´In my heart I give you the control for you consume all of my inside. I love you from the depths of my inside, for your light will shine for ever.´

Who ever would have guessed.....

Just a couple months ago I began my Spanish language course in Málaga, where I was fortuante to be put into Professor Paco´s class. Right from the beginning this man was very kind to me, and I sensed teaching was his gift in life. Little did I know that just a couple weeks after the start of my class we would run into each other at my Catholic Church. It was so refreshing to know that God played a role in his life. Knowing this, opened the door for me to get to know him, and share with him that I am doing mission work here in Málaga. He has been so supportive of my work, and helping me in any way I need. This last week in class we had to write an essay on some boring topic so I didn't do the homework. Well, he caught me after class the next day and instead asked me to write him an essay on my relationship with God. I responded with such joy, inspiration, and fulfillment. How cool for him to be intrigued by me, my relationship with God, and for him to know how to ignite his students. I don't think I have been this motivated to write an essay since I was in college.

I can't believe God has placed a teacher like this in my path to help guide me, and support me. But not only that, but a mere person who I can also share God's work with.

I can't wait to hear his response to my essay!

Soccer Moment

http://www.covchurch.org/cov/news/item6217

Hey guys! I just played in one of the biggest games of my life of soccer. And the Cov just wrote this amazing article about it with the advice of Eus and Pia! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as i did! I got one more game to come this Sunday and then the season comes to an end! Thanks for all your support through our ministry in Spain!

-Erin

Today I had the great opportunity to play in a fútbol sala tournament with my teammates from Málaga. Every couple weeks our team makes an appearance at a local high school in the Málaga region to play soccer and reach out to the surrounding community. We visited a school where there are only Moroccan students. The unique story behind these kids is that they for some how made it over to Spain, ilegal, and within the governing laws of Spain, the government is obliged to help them. Could you imagine being at a boarding school in another country, without your family, and without being in touch with them? These kids are so fortunate and live a life of luxury compared to their past life in Morocco. Needless to say that today represented more than just soccer. It was a day focused on integrating culture, and uniting the world little by little. My teammates and I were the only girls of the tournament, and we played hard. We did not come out on top, but we had a great time. After our time on the field, we all ate together paella and integrated a little more. We also had Moroccan tea, and dessert.

One great thing today was that after we played each player was given a medallion. One could see the unity behind this great group of people, such that everyone was cheering and supporting each other as they received their award. I thought back to when I was little, and how I felt when I received an award. It brought me such joy to be part of their lives even if it was for one day!

Fútbol is doing wonders for the world!!!

Soccer Academia : Colegio Europa

This past week I had the amazing privilege of visiting a near by school here in Málaga as part of my soccer team Málaga FC . There were 6 of us players who were available to talk, share our personalities, and demonstrate our soccer skills with elementary age kids. For me this was the first time speaking to a large audience of 75+ kids in Spanish. My teammates had fun mocking me, my accent, and how I pronounced Zinedine Zidane, who I shared with the kids as my favorite player. The kids had a blast asking us questions and looking at us as if we were super stars! But merely we are just women who love soccer. As part of our team and partnership with the league we reach out to nearby schools and share who we are. This is a great inspiration for young girls to let them know that they can play, and that there are opportunities! In this type of atmosphere

The best part for me was after our interviewing session we went out and played. There was this skinny little girl about 7 years old, who had an immense fear, and ran away when the ball came near her. I took her aside for a quick minute and gave her a quick pep talk to let her know how to play with confidence, and I shared a little bite with her on how she should play. I merely wanted to bestow her with the ability to be a strong player, ¨a brick wall!¨ Behold, the next time she got the ball she struck it with courage and fierceness in her eyes. I was so proud of her and after our game I gave her a big hug and kiss! Maybe this time I did not have the time to share the word of God with her, but God was able to use me to influence her in His character and personality. And for reasons like this, I know I am meant to be in Spain playing soccer, using my body as the tool of His ministry, allowing God to reach and strive deeper in the lives here.

As a team we are off to another school this week, so check back soon for updates and more pics this next time around!!!

An Amazing Ministry Has Begun!!

¨I could only imagine what my eyes will see when my face is before yours! I could only imagine, I could only imagine!¨

I could never have imagined a life, a ministry, a passion ignited from within, and an opportunity to be in your element.

The most amazing gift and opportunity has presented itself infront of me after months of waiting. First, from the beginning God has placed an amazing gym member at Parque Victoria, David (pic below)who I have been getting to know now over the past two months, who had presented me to the women´s soccer team here in Málaga (pic below). David knows the coach-trainer for Málaga who arranged a chance to train and try out for the team. Second, I went and trained with the team about three weeks ago, and when I was there the trainer and I were able to talk and get to know each other very easily. Third, within La Liga you can only have one foreigner on the team, and now that the team is 3/4 of the way through the season there was still no foreigner on the team, which means that the opportunity to play was hand molded. Fourth, I went and trained with them to do a try-out, and had an amazing try-out. For the first time as an athlete I felt God using my body for ministry. I struck the ball like I have never struck it before, I had concentration, and timing like never before. I have never felt God using my body, being in control of my being during sport. I have spent my whole life being a member of God´s team, and for the first time I was called off the bench to be a representative of his colors

. Lastly, the team has accepted me very fast, and their medical staff acknowledges my background with sports medicine, and since my first practice I am leading the stretches for the team at the end of practice. More and more the girls are opening up to me and we are developing amazing friendships with good people!

Right now, God has made this opporunity to play and minister. I never knew this chance to play would arise when I decided to be a missionary in Spain to do sports ministry, nor did I know I would be part of this team. But I do know that God uses us as tools in ways that we never knew. For the first time I feel like a missionary doing sports ministry. I can only say thank you for God uniting my passions and the ability to be His servant. I am only here because of God´s strength, and for His freedom to utilize my spiritual gifts!

There are so many good things to come when God is on your side, and I can´t wait to see how God uses us all with Parque Victoria and my soccer team.

Aside from these amazing girls and soccer team, I am continuing developing relationships with our gym members through our fitness center and aerobic classes. There are two beautiful girls my age, who I have become friends with, Cristina and Mercedes. I have been getting coffee with now weekly after our morning aerobic class, and their friendship has been incredible because they are first women, second my age, and lastly because we can relate and talk openly about lif

e and God. Also, this coming February we are hoping to get a weekly soccer hour for girls to come to the center and have the opportunity to play soccer. So look for news coming soon on the development a girls soccer academy!!!

Check out some pics: http://northpark.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019706&l=4798f&id=67601014