Report from Spain
The following is a report from Rev. Fred Hartley, President of the College of Prayer International, describing his December 2010 trip to Spain.
Spain's Air Traffic Controller Strike to the Glory of God
After three God-filled days at the College of Prayer in Spain coaching, training, equipping and mentoring the Servant Leadership Team, I arrived at the airport at 7 AM only to learn that the air traffic controllers were on strike. No planes would be flying over Spain's airspace today, December 4, 2010. I have learned to take these unexpected travel changes in stride. One of my intercessors, Onie Kittle, used to say, "I've never missed a flight God wanted me on." This change meant I would not be back in Atlanta Saturday afternoon in time to be in my wonderful church Sunday morning, but Sunday night was our All Nations Christmas Festival, one of my favorite services of the entire year. I really wanted to be there.
I was taken back to the final day of the College of Prayer in Madrid which turned out to be by far the most profitable day of the trip. Sitting in the third row listening to the Spanish leaders teach the curriculum I had written, and teaching it better than I do, was so fulfilling. The prayer and response time was dynamic. Watching pastors, wives, and leaders on their faces crying out to God in repentance was overwhelming.
My traveling companion, former Board member for the College of Prayer, Tim Goddard, did a marvelous job teaching on the family altar. I loved hearing him share from his own experience.
God gave me a number of prophetic words for strategic people particularly young adults studying for ministry. It became obvious to me that God is raising up a new generation to reach Spain.
A pastor and wife attended for the first time Saturday and thoroughly loved it. They were Brazilian missionaries who had planted several churches in Portugal before moving to Madrid. They talked enthusiastically about wanting to pursue bringing the College of Prayer to Portugal.
God gave me a picture of a box, the box of naturalism. When I shared this picture with the students in the College of Prayer, God cut them to the heart and led them in deep repentance, renouncing unbelief. God imparted a deep, new faith in the group.
God gave me a heavy burden for MarĂa Gracia, the 18 year-old daughter of a pastor and wife who are part of the Servant Leadership Team in Spain. Later that evening I had opportunity, with her mother on one side of her and her daddy on the other, to speak this word from God to MarĂa. She cried continuously for almost 45 minutes as I spoke the word of God to her. In a letter I received from her mother since returning to Atlanta she told me that her daughter's life was completely changed that evening. MarĂa also wrote that she had an extensive talk with her parents telling them everything about herself and that she has now decided to pursue Christian ministry. She keeps telling people, "The reason Pastor Fred came to Spain was just to pray for me." Wow! Think of it. God sovereignly planned that air traffic controller strike to keep me in Spain an extra day to share God's word with one 18 year-old girl whose life will be changed forever.
And you know what else? The strike ended within 24 hours. By 7 AM the next day, Sunday, December 5, I was back at the airport. My plane took off at 12:15 PM in Madrid, landed in Atlanta at 3:30 PM later that day, and at 7:30 PM I was preaching to 700 people at our All Nations Christmas Festival in my home church. All I can say is, it's nice to know that the CHIEF Air Traffic Controller who is ultimately in charge of all our travel plans.