Written by Lindsay Kelly, a Spring 2016 Veritas student from Kansas State University. She is majoring in apparel marketing, with a secondary major in international studies and a minor in non-profit leadership.

This semester has been beyond amazing. I did not really know what to expect from the semester, and what I got was beyond any wildest dream. I went into the semester completely on my own. I knew no one, and thanks to Veritas, I got 14 instant lifelong friends. I’ve always said that you have quicker and deeper relationships with fellow believers, which was so true of this semester. Sharon and Carey had us over to their house our 2nd weekend, and we were all crying and hugging late into the night. Testimonies were shared, walls were broken down, and Jesus was praised. These are the moments I will remember forever. Never have I been surrounded by such diverse, determined, inspiring ladies. Their love for the Lord ignites mine.

Lara was such an amazing mentor. I connected with her from the beginning. She was with us every step of the semester. She is so easy to talk to and is always so encouraging. I loved getting involved with her life and checking out the ministries she is involved in. Bible study with her every week was such a refreshing time and it was great to be with our strong community. I was continuously amazed at who our group would invite to our meetings. It was so fun to watch the group grow and grow. I can’t imagine the semester without this group. It put me at peace the whole semester knowing that I had Godly friends who valued and invested in me.

The mission side of things panned out very differently than I had originally imagined. In a country like Spain, where economic poverty isn’t the problem but vast spiritual poverty is the issue at hand, you have to look at ministry in a totally different way. I had never been exposed to this type of “mission work” before, and it was so interesting to hear about it from our mission mentors. They have invested in people for years; sometimes, they don’t see the seeds bear any fruit. Spaniards are slow to open up and warm up to the idea of Jesus. They have “everything” they need and don’t “need” Jesus to be their anchor and stronghold. I respect missionaries in
Spain so much, but after the semester, I don’t see myself in this area of the mission field, working in a well-developed country. I love that this experience has narrowed down and focused on what I feel I am really called to and what my skill set is accustomed to.

Arguably, the most important part of my time in Spain was making relationships with the Spaniards. It has been so hard saying goodbye to them. I have been blessed to make so many great friendships, and I hate having to leave them right as a bond is being made. It is easier to say goodbye to my new American friends, knowing that the odds I can see them regularly are very high. But with Spaniards, you can never be sure, and Lara repeatedly told us not to make any promises.

So many natives have made an impression on my heart. First, we have my awesome host mom, or as she prefers, amiga, and my host sister Claudia, who is three years old. Though it wasn’t always a perfect relationship, I feel so lucky to be able to spend three months with them and am so thankful that they opened their home to me. I loved how comfortable I felt in the home and how the bond between me and my little sis grew. I definitely shed some tears saying goodbye. I liked telling Lola we were praying for her because she always seemed so surprised. I think it made her feel good that someone cared for her on that level because she had never experienced that before.

My Spanish friends my age also have become very important to me. Our intercambio David quickly became such a good friend. He and his sister Estrella started hanging out with us extremely regularly. Though they weren’t originally who I was matched with for an intercambio, we quickly became a solid group. It was mind-blowing for them to have friends that were all about Jesus. As believers, they are surrounded by nonbelievers, and we loved being able to encourage them in their faith.

They were able to bring us to their church and let us become part of their community. My favorite thing to do while in Spain was to hang out with them and their friends. I truly felt like I was part of the culture and the city. A lot of these kids I was hanging out with were 15 and 16. I loved the idea of being an older role model, but when in their country, I was constantly following them.

My favorite of the group was Lucas. He is 15, and I loved hearing his story. He has one of those personalities that is magnetic, that draws everyone in, and everyone wants to be around him. Kind of like our friend Jesus. He always has a smile, is always positive, and has such charisma. He can talk to anyone with such ease and grace. I have a big spot for him in my heart, and I plan on continuing to invest in him as the year goes on. He is one of those people that I know I will see again. These friends made an impact on me that they are not even aware of. The fact that they cared for me, allowed me to hang out with them, translated for me, and helped me live like a Spaniard enhanced my time abroad 100%.

I saw Jesus in ways I’ve never seen him before. He has done a lot of work in my mind and heart over these past months. I am forever thankful for this time and praise God for bringing me on this journey. My Veritas group will always and forever be important to me. I didn’t expect to have friends all over the country after the semester. I cannot wait to travel the country and spend time with my friends. I also didn’t expect to have lasting friendships in Spain, and that is such a blessing in my life. I’ve learned that being a missionary doesn’t always mean having to accomplish incredible things or making huge impacts but that investing in people and their lives is the most important thing you can do. When being intentional, the huge impact will follow suit.