Conectate Meeting in March, 2006
TESTIMONIES......
Carrie Eckel:
My name is Carrie Eckel and I am a senior at Clemson University. I studied
abroad in Sevilla, Spain in the Spring of 2006. It ended up being the best
semester of my life and I enjoyed every moment I was there. At first, I had
planned on going to Chile to study abroad but the program ended up not going
through Clemson so I was really bummed and had no idea where I wanted to go.
A girl in my class said she was going to Sevilla through CCCS so I decided
to find information about Spain because I didn't know anything about it. My
main decision was whether to go to Spain or to Argentina since the Clemson
trip changed from Chile to Argentina. After talking to people they told me
how awesome Spain was and it was great because you could also travel all
over Europe while you were there. So I eventually decided to go to Sevilla,
Spain through CCCS.
A few weeks before I left for Spain I went to the Passion Conference in
Nashville, TN. As I walked along the tables with information about
different ministries I saw a table that said, "Studying abroad in Madrid?
Study Abroad while doing missions at the same time." That was when I
realized I wasn't only going to Spain to study, but also to do missions and
be a witness in a dark world. I got in contact with the lady who was in
charge of missions in Madrid and she had told me how she had studied abroad
in Sevilla when she was in College. It all started coming together so
perfectly and God gave me such a peace that I had never experienced before.
The first weekend I was in Sevilla I attended a church in a small town
outside of Sevilla and this was where I met Kim and Michelle. After church
we went to the pastor's house and sang worship songs and told a little about
ourselves. Kim announced that she felt the Lord was calling her to disciple
someone and at the same moment she said that I really felt the Lord wanted
me to be discipled. Not to mention when I first met Kim I felt like we
really clicked and had a lot in common. The thing that was REALLY weird was
that she and Michelle had been in contact through the pastor with the SAME
people I had gotten in contact with who were doing missions in Madrid and
were planning on going on the same retreat outside of Madrid the next
weekend that I was planning on going to. So, to make a long story short the
next wkd I rode with Kim and Michelle on the bus to Madrid and roomed with
Kim who was my discipleship leader while I was in Spain. It was amazing how
everything worked out perfectly.
That weekend was amazing -- Worshipping God, hearing different speakers, and
learning how to be a witness while at the same time studying abroad in
Spain. I would recommend anyone studying abroad to get involved in as much
as possible. I really learned that God can use you in any circumstance you
are in. I can not wait to go back to Spain after I graduate college and see
where God leads me.
carrieeckel@hotmail.com
Another Testimony fresh from Seville, 2006!!!
The first two weeks that I was there, I found myself discouraged. I
hadn't really connected with any of my roommates or classmates or my
senora. I was expecting God to do great and powerful things with my
time in Spain, and I wondered how that could be when I was already
struggling with loneliness and slight homesickness. My first Sunday at
the church, God provided a taste of home, not America or my family, but
of my eternal home. Being surrounded by believers again was a new
sense of my extended family and God's perfect providence of His love
through His church. Getting connected there was by far the best thing
I did with my time in Sevilla. I met new friends that kept me
encouraged and accountable to utilize the little time I had in Spain.
Though it was difficult being surrounded by a completely different
culture and new people, it was an exciting experience-- one that was
completed by a time where I can look back and see how clearly God
worked there.
I also have this distinct memory of singing a worship song with the word
Alleluia in the chorus. We just kept singing it over and over again,
and I imagined how big God was smiling down at us-- all of His children
from Spain, Germany, America, and Poland in this small Spanish
church, praising Him in the same language, even if it was only one
word.
If I were to give advice to anyone studying abroad, it would be to
attend a local church. You can experience a refreshing
worship experience and your view of God will expand tremendously... and
you can always count on a few hugs to bring you back home.
--Meaghan Wilkerson