International Kiki: Legacies

The church as it is today in Aguilas

Here's a little bit of background to the ministry here in Aguilas. The church was started by Esther's grandfather. Esther is the present pastor's wife and tourism director for the city.
But her grandfather and mother's story in itself is a great story of God's mercy and provision.
During the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) Josefina (Esther's mother), sister, mother and father fled to Barcelona to escape the fighting. Josefina said that she and her sister were in the house when it was bombed, and as a result, her sister 's lungs were severely damaged. Josefina's sister was sent to a sanatorium for two years. During all this time the church in Barcelona helped the family to survive, and finally sent the family to Aguilas to minister there. Tragically, because the family was not Catholic, the nuns who ran the sanatorium refused to give Josefina's sister food and care. She died there at the age of 15, asking for Josefina. The cost of following Christ was also shown when the family was denied ration cards because they weren't Catholic. In wartime Spain, this meant starvation. An uncle who ran a grocery store and again, people from the Barcelona church helped provide for the family.
In spite of great trial, ministry continued. Josefina's husband, Santiago (James), served as pastor in the Aguilas church. Although the evangelical church was forced underground during the dictator Franco's reign, they started a camp for children. Because being evangelical was illegal during this time, the camp was billed as a health camp because of the nutritious food served to neighborhood children. Praise God, this 50-year-old camp served food of the spiritual variety as well.
The family of believers continues today with Pastor Paco, Esther and their sons, Samuel and Abraham. Josefina still lives down the street from the church.