Mary Gets Married!!!!!

On April 16th Mary married Ben Bosse at the Village Chapel in Nashville. It was a joyous occasion for all. Mary was beautiful and Ben was just as handsome. It was a fun weekend all around. The Bosse family hosted the rehearsal dinner on Friday night, followed by a party at McNamara's pub hosted by Barbara's family from Little Rock. The wedding was followed by a reception at Belmont University. Ben and Mary have to pass on a honeymoon at this time as both are working full-time at their first jobs and Ben is finishing his Master's degree next month. We're hoping that they'll be able to come to Spain sometime soon for their trip. Check out http://www.jessicaoatman.blogspot.com/ for pictures of the wedding and reception. Thanks to all who attended and made this such a special occasion.

Christmas in the USA

We've had the privilege of spending the holidays with friends and family in the US this year. While we miss our friends in Spain very much, it's been good to see our children and grandchildren (see photo above). We spent our family Christmas last week in Charlotte, NC, at Daniel and Virginia's home. We were able to see my sister and her husband in Memphis this weekend and are spending the next week in Little Rock, AR, with Barbara's mother and her family. Merry Christmas to all with all the blessings of the season.

Back in the USA

We've spent the past month in the US after Barbara had to return for surgery for a ruptured disc. The surgery went well, and her recuperation progressing nicely. It's given us a chance to reconnect with friends in the Knoxville/Oak Ridge, TN area. Also, we've had the opportunity to spend time with our children and grandchildren, including new granddaughter, Ella Katherine (in photo with Barbara), born October 20th. We'll spend Christmas with Barbara's mother in Arkansas before returning to Madrid on January 4th.

Happy 35th!

We celebrated our 35th anniversary on July 19th with over 500 campers and leaders at the YL camp, SharpTop Cove. Our Spanish teens enjoyed the best week of their lives, and we were there to share it. While Jasper, GA, isn't exactly a romantic getaway and that many teens doesn't necessarily make a date, we enjoyed being a part of the fun. Hopefully, when the camping season is over the middle of August, we'll get away for a weekend somewhere in Spain. 35 years!! Could either of us possibly be that old???

YL Camping, Summer 2010

We enjoyed a week of basketball camp the week of June 21-25. Each year the camp gives an opportunity to meet new students and their families and interact with them in a positive, fun environment. Special thanks to Steve Shipley and Janet Cockrum who came from the US to coach.

We're now in the Tennessee with 13 students from Madrid for our USA Summer Camp time (see photo above at the airport in Madrid). The students are living with families in the Knoxville, TN, area and working on their English in an immersion experience. We have several activities planned for the month, not the least of which is a week at Sharp Top Cove, the YL camp in north Georgia, July 18-25. After a few more days with the families, we'll return to Madrid on July 30.

In August we'll be taking students from Madrid to Joventura, our YL adventure camp in Catalunya, near Girona. It's a beautiful area that mixes the mountains and the sea. We'll be there from August 7-14.

Finally, the YL Madrid staff will be working on the Camino de Santiago, a historical pilgrimage in northern Spain, in September. We'll be working in a small hostel owned by Campus Crusade for Christ for pilgrims walking the Camino. Each night we host 10 pilgrims, providing them with a bed for the night, a family style dinner, and the love of Jesus. During the day we serve coffee, tea, and water to people who stop to rest and use clean bathrooms! Last year we talked with people from 34 countries in 5 days and had pilgrims form 17 countries spend the night with us.

Mission Conferences 2010

We spent a busy two weeks in late February and early March at mission conferences in Knoxville, TN. After speaking at a conference on ministry in Europe at a church in Knoxville, we spent four days with the wonderful people at Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church presenting the YL Madrid ministry to them. Barbara spoke to their women's group on Saturday. They were great hosts and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. On Sunday we finished at CCPC and then shifted to Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church for their conference which lasts a week. It was good to be back with our home church which sent us out in 2004. Jim returned to Madrid on Friday while Barbara finished the week giving more presentations. After giving 15 presentations in 10 days, we both were tired but very satisfied. It's always good to share our vision for the work in Spain with friends and supporters. Thanks to the Sharps, Beamans, and Peters who hosted us.

YL European Conference 2010

We spent four great days in January at the European Regional Conference in Catalunya, Spain. The Young Life staff from three regions came together to hear from our President, Denny Rydberg, participate in workshops about minstry in our various countries, and just enjoy being together. There were staff from more than 15 countries in the United Kingdom and Europe. We had a great time of inspiration, fellowship, and fun. All of us headed back to our respective countries ready to get back to work.

Holidays in the US

We spent four wonderful weeks with our children, grandchildren, and families in the US. Thanks to the Mayes family, we were able to use their home in Asheville, NC, for the week of Christmas. All nine of us were able to enjoy the comfort of a home for the holidays. We even had 6" of snowfall left over from the week before for a white Christmas. This was the first Christmas for grandchildren, Riley and Wyatt. Trips to Nashville, Knoxville, and Little Rock to visit family and friends filled the rest of the time. We head back to Madrid today rested and ready to get back to work.

Riley visits Madrid

Daniel, Virginia, and our granddaughter, Riley, visited Madrid last month. One of the hard things is living so far from family in the US, so it's a special blessing when our family comes to visit us. We enjoyed time together at home, sightseeing in Madrid, and a quick trip to Rome to see the sights there. We're looking forward to having the whole family together for the Christmas holidays in the US.

David Beltran Joins the Madrid Team!

We are thrilled to have David Beltran, a 27 year old Spaniard from Madrid, join us on the Young Life national team. David is pictured here with Kate and Mary before he left Madrid.

He is currently in Knoxville, TN, observing Young Life ministry in the area. David landed in the states last week and has had the opportunity to participate in the Young Life banquet, attend Knoxville leadership training, attend a UT football game (American football), and worship at Cedar Springs Church. We look forward to his return in mid-December and hearing about all his adventures.

We are so thankful for the Reynolds' family, as they host David for these next two months. Also, we appreciate Tim Teague's investment in David and the impact it will have on the students in Madrid.

Joventura

In August Jim participated in the second annual campamento de verano, sponsored by Young Life Catalunya. 47 campers attended the week long camp, twice the number they had in 2008. Days were filled with activities which included biking, hiking, swimming, crafts, and rock climbing.
Each evening students watched a drama about Princess Gisele, who was eventually set free from an evil Cardinal. The last night of the program, volunteer leaders shared what had kept them in bondage and how Jesus had set them free.

Pictured are Jim, David and Israel dressed in their musketeer costumes.

baby wyatt is born!

We welcome to the McNamee / Cornelius family our new grandson, Wyatt James Cornelius. He was born to Katherine and Jeremy on June 18th in Nashville, TN and he is adorable! Barbara was able to arrive on June 20th to help with the transition of mom and baby to life at home.

Wyatt (along with Katherine and Jeremy) had lots of visitors during the following month, including great grandmother GG, great Aunt Mary! Wyatt has recently met his Aunt Mary, as well as Aunt Virginia, Uncle Daniel and cousin Riley.

Our family continues to grow and we feel truly blessed. Thanks to all who prayed during Katherine's pregnancy. All is well.

yl basketball camps

Children from 7 to 18 years of age, Spanish as well as International, had a blast at our 2009 YoungLife basketball camp. The American coaches, Steve and Landon Shipley, Jeremy Johnson, Janet and Mark Cochrum, and Mary and Jim McNamee, spoke English all week. Learning and/or improving their English is the reason many kids come to our camp! Our translators Tomás, Mary, Mitchell, Lauren and Sarah were amazing, as were Kate and Anna who held down the registration and kitchen for the team.

Thanks go to all the volunteers, who helped make this event possible!

An exciting note: we had more teenagers at camp this year. This is very encouraging, especially as we begin national (Spanish speaking) ministry in the coming months. The camps have helped us meet Spanish teens and their families in the Madrid area

younglife spain retreat

May 22-24 was our annual YLSpain retreat. We drove 7 hours to Banyoles and had an amazing time of fellowship with the entire YoungLife team in Spain. Jona organized the weekend of praise, teaching, humor and fellowship with co-workers, who share a common desire for kids in Spain to hear the good news of Jesus' unconditional love.

The Madrid group consisted of 5 staff, a volunteer leader and Drew and Sharalyn who are praying about joining the YL team in Madrid. What a blessing to know like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ in the same country!

wednesday women's Bible study

The Wednesday women's Bible study finished its year May 20th with a silent retreat followed by lunch at "Mi Hermano Y Yo." What encouragement we have experienced in learning how to satisfy our thirsty souls with the Lord. It's a great group of women, who have shared much in the past few months. I am so thankful for an authentic group of women with whom I can share life in Madrid, Spain.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

mission possible

Jim returned from a three-day Christian conference in northern Spain called Mision Posible. He attended workshops for pastors and lay people who have the privilege of working with teenagers in Spain. Along with the opportunity for networking with other Christian youth leaders and learning more about the Spanish teen culture, Jim helped facilitate activites (such as Sumo wrestling) that were offered the over 1000 youth at the conference.

barbara celebrates her birthday with riley in charlotte!

the whitmire family arrives!

On March 1, 2009 Chase and Katie Whitmire landed in Madrid with their four daughters and ten pieces of luggage to join Jim and Barbara and the YoungLife Madrid team. After merely two weeks in Spain, they have located a place to live, a school for their oldest 3 girls and a car. That’s amazing!! Preliminary paperwork on their residential cards and on their container have been completed.

Jim, Barbara, Anna and Kate welcome the Whitmires to the Madrid team, “¡Bienvenidos!“