NEHEMIAH PROJECT UPDATE #2
January 14, 2007

Dear Friends,

By now you have probably already heard our exciting news. After FIFTEEN YEARS of waiting, THIRTEEN YEARS of legal battles, the Free Will Baptist Church in Villalba, Spain has received permission to build! It was a landmark decision by the local city officials, because all the city councilmen of all political persuasions voted UNANIMOUSLY to grant the church the permit. In addition to that, they granted the permit without the church paying any additional taxes, which would have been over $20,000 US dollars!

Constructing a new church building anywhere is exciting. However, when you realize this is the very first and only free-standing Protestant church building on the whole Western side of the Madrid Province, and there are over five million souls here, that makes it even more significant. This will be the VERY FIRST and the only free-standing Free Will Baptist church building in the entire nation of Spain. It is exciting to be a part of such a unique effort in God’s Kingdom work.

From a financial perspective, the main damage the church has suffered as a result of having to wait fifteen years is that construction costs of the very same building has quadrupled. However, local believers and missionaries firmly believe that the God who has so miraculously worked to give the church permission will also provide the necessary funds to make this 15-year dream a reality. This is all for His honor and glory!

The cost of the construction, depending on fluctuating exchange rates, will be around $500,000 US dollars. The church is doing its part. They purchased the land where they will construct the new building. Today, this land is debt free and worth approximately $400,000. In the past few years, in addition to paying regular expenses, legal fees, and giving significant amounts of money to missions, the church has saved the equivalent of $72,000 to go towards the building. That money enabled the church to pay $25,000 in cash in architectural fees during 2006.

In order to help make the dream become a reality, we missionaries in Spain have created “The 100 List.” We are asking for at least 100 individuals to commit to give $1,000 over the next five years (that’s $200 per year or less than $17 per month), to encourage and to help our Spanish FWB brethren move forward with this unique opportunity God has given them. We missionaries are not asking anyone to do what we ourselves are not willing to do. Our names are at the top of this list. From now on, until the building is completed, we will send out regular updates so that you will know how the construction is progressing. We end this first update with “The 100 List” names we have so far. This is a great opportunity to be a part of something significant, making history, by putting the first free-standing Protestant church building ever in this city in Spain. Will you pray and ask God if He would have you add your name to the list? Please let us know if we can count on you.

Let’s build!

“THE 100 LIST” (Click here to see the updated list.)

1. Jeff and Susan Turnbough, Spain
2. Sam and June McVay, Spain
3. Tim and Kristi Johnson, Spain
4. Anthony and Lea Edgmon, Spain
5. Matthew and Brooke Turnbough, Spain
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


All gifts may be sent to Free Will Baptist International Missions, PO Box 5002, Antioch, TN 37011, earmarked “Spain Building Fund.”