Jill Harlow – Valencia, Spain … Twenty students from Campion Academy (CA) in Loveland, Colorado, led by Jill Harlow, CA Spanish and English Language Learner (ELL) teacher, and two other sponsors arrived in Spain last week to begin their six-week journey learning to live in a new culture and to communicate in the Spanish language. The group will primarily be staying at the Seventh-day Adventist campus in Sagunto, Spain, near the city of Valencia, attending the college-level classes at Escuela Superior de Sagunto (ESDES).
The trip began in Barcelona, Spain, where a few days were spent touring before starting studies in Sagunto. In a tour that involved many miles of walking and public transportation, the group learned to navigate the city as they experienced famous sights such as the Sagrada Familia cathedral, Park Guell (with the iconic mosaic walls and city views), the museum at Camp Nou (FC Barcelona’s stadium), and much more.
Josh Fresse, upcoming senior student, commented, “A highlight of Barcelona for me was visiting the Sagrada Familia because it was so big, and very detailed and symbolic. It was cool to be in the presence of God in such a big space with fellow believers.”
A Saturday stood out as one of the most memorable experiences as our group led out in the Sabbath worship service at the Barcelona International Seventh-day Adventist Church. The church of about 40 attendees, mainly immigrants from Ghana and the Philippines, welcomed the group from Campion with open arms and many delicious potluck dishes.
Recent CA graduate, Lilly Resz, shared, “It was a very welcoming environment. Everyone was so friendly and happy to have us. They seemed so sincere and just wanted to praise God with us. And of course, the potluck was great!”
A group of Campion students led out in the song service for both Sabbath School and worship service and good naturedly went along with leading hymns that were sometimes not even on the preselected list. Other students were involved in special music, children’s story, scripture reading, and prayer.
“While I had initially planned this to be just a student-led outreach, God had other plans and two weeks before, the church asked me to give the sermon!” commented Harlow. “It was a blessing to connect and worship with other Seventh-day Adventist Christians across the world.”
On Sunday, they arrived at the school in Sagunto and started settling into their new routine of morning classes, beach or extracurriculars in the afternoon, and open gym in the evenings.
Every Wednesday is a field trip day, and the first trip was to the historic area of Valencia. About 30 minutes from the school, Valencia is Spain’s third largest city and has both a historic center and a modern city of arts and sciences. Students explored some of the ruins of the original city, the cathedral, and other buildings from the medieval period.
“Please continue to pray for our students here as while it is an amazing experience, they still face the challenges of living far from home, trying to adapt to a new culture, and the sometimes-overwhelming feeling of learning to understand a new language,” Harlow requested. “We praise God for the many ways he has answered prayers and blessed our trip already!”
—Jill Harlow is Campion Academy Communication director. Photos supplied.
