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THE CALL TO SPAIN: Lupita Rocha has served faithfully as part of the Mexican Evangelistic Mission for a number of years. She worked as Director of the Life and Truth Bible Institute as well, doing an excellent job. Herself a product of missionary diligence and discipleship, God called her to be a missionary, and led her to Spain. She is presently living in Albacete, Spain OMS International.
Please continue to pray for and financially support her in this ministry. Her email address is: lupitacolosense4_3@hotmail.com.
If you have questions about supporting Lupita in her ministry to Spain, please direct your inquiries to Rev. James Coulston at the EMC headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. 317-780-8017 or email Ken Swearingen at gbwm@aol.com.
THE CHALLENGE OF SPAIN: 40 million inhabitants, only 150,000 Christians, over 7,500 cities with no protestant evangelical church, approximately 400,000 Muslims.
 SPAIN: It is a land of contrasts, from the alpine pastures in the north to the near-desert plains of the interior to the sunny beaches of the coasts. It is a land of extremes, where it is possible to get a tan on the beach and ski in the mountains on the same day. In Christian terms, it is a land of great need, where evangelicals number 2% of the population--only around 150,000!
Historically, Spain has produced 4 Roman emperors and at one time dominated the largest empire the world has ever known. It is the only nation to successfully get out from under the yoke of the religion of Islam. It has been traditionally a catholic country, and only in the last 25 years has there been freedom to preach the Gospel openly.
YOUTH: Nearly 25% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 29. Alcohol kills more youth than heroine does--over 15,000 youth die in alcohol-related accidents every year in Spain. (Spain’s Channel 5, 12/2002).
RELIGIONS BELIEFS: Spain has experienced an uninterrupted growth in those who claim to hold no religious belief whatsoever. Simultaneously, the numbers are up from 22% in 1995 to now 33% of youth which use horoscopes and participate in other “new age” or “spiritual” practices.
From the Christian perspective, Spain is a “hard” country and is firmly rooted in Catholic beliefs and traditions. Most Spaniards are Catholic in name only, and are willing to entertain almost anything new on the spiritual horizon.
Cults are rampant: there are as many Jehovah’s witnesses as Christians, and the Mormon’s are doubling their number every 5 years! There are over 300 different cults, 30 of which are satanic in nature!
Spain suffers from over 300,000 cocaine and heroine addicts, which is an important factor in the AIDS epidemic. In 1992 there was some 100,000 persons infected with the HIV virus. 53% of the population uses tobacco in some form. (Might this be the consequence of Spain having been the first European nation to import tobacco?)
THE SPIRITUAL HUNGER OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE IS VERY OBVIOUS! Like so many people in the United States, they are tired of stale religion and want something of substance, but they are being led astray in their search by the devices of the Devil. They are looking in all the wrong places for true joy, fulfillment and purpose in life. We must offer them Christ!
Pray for Lupita as she goes to Spain to show the love of Christ to the spiritually hurting of that country, and preaches the Gospel of Salvation and the message of Scriptural Holiness to the people of Spain.
Lupita plans to live in the city of Talavera de la Reina, where the above statistics are everyday life.
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