In Spain, a time to keep silent and a time to speak
Sensing when to share the gospel, even with close friends, can be incredibly tricky in Spain.
“Every Catholic we know here would say, ‘I’m Catholic, but not practicing.’ They have nothing to do with the church, except for all the traditions,” said Giles Davis, SEND Spain Area Director. “There’s a sense that Christianity had its chance in Spain, but it failed miserably and brought death and pain. The last thing they’re looking for is Jesus.”
So, evangelism in this context becomes incredibly relational — but even then, Giles said, “if there’s any sense that you’re in this relationship so that you can share the gospel with them or if you invite them to a religious event without making it totally clear what the nature of the event is, that just totally kills the relationship.”
Many Spaniards consider evangelical Christians — who make up just 1 percent of the population — cult members.
“Spaniards assume that you’re going to try to force them to believe, and the moment you start talking about Jesus, you can almost watch 1,000 years of history and preconceived notions just flashing before their eyes,” Giles said. “They’re not even listening to you, because they think they know Jesus. You have to break through these things by showing them that the Jesus you’re talking about is not the Jesus they think they know.”
Daniela’s story
The Davises saw this play out in their own lives when Debbie Davis starting praying for an opportunity to share the gospel with a new friend, Daniela*. As she waited for a God-ordinated moment, Debbie made sure she was ready by carrying a little notecard on which she had written key Bible passages that would illustrate the gospel.
One day, Debbie and Daniela were hanging out, and Debbie was thinking that maybe this
was the moment to pull out her card.
But then Daniela said, “You know, I was just talking with my family and they wanted to know what an evangelical lady was like and were you brainwashing me, and I told them, ‘Oh no, she’s totally different. She hasn’t forced anything on me. She believes what she believes and she lets me believe what I believe and she doesn’t push anything on me.’”
Debbie didn’t say anything, but she went away from that conversation and cried out to the Lord, asking, “Should I have been bolder? Or are you closing this door?”
God answered when, several days later, Daniela came to Debbie with a question: “You seem to have this direct line to God. How does that work?”
That
was the moment! Debbie pulled out her card and shared the whole gospel with Daniela.
Daniela pondered the verses Debbie told her about for several weeks before she prayed to receive the Lord. Finally, Debbie and Daniela had moved from friends to sisters in Christ!
‘You let me decide’
Debbie and Daniela discussed the whole process later.
“I was so scared that you were going to feel like I was trying to force this on you,” Debbie said.
“Oh, no, quite the contrary,” Daniela replied. “You didn’t force anything on me. You just showed me what the Bible said, and then you let me decide whether I was going to believe that or not.”
“The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in him,
So it is best for us to wait in patience — to wait for him to save us.”
So it is best for us to wait in patience — to wait for him to save us.”
* Not her real name
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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