That All May Know Ministries Blog

Total population, as of January 1 2009, was 46,661,950

Spain, on January 1 this year, had a total population of 46,661,950 according to a report just published by the INE, the National Statistics Institute. The number, based on those registered at their local town halls, shows a population growth over 2008 of 504,128, and reveals that 12% of the population is foreign. National growth was 0.4% over the year, while the number of foreigners was up 6.3%.

Romanian citizens saw the greatest growth in 2008 with a population of 64,770.

The data also shows that 43.3% of the population is aged between 16 and 44, 41.2% is aged 45 or more, and 49.5% of the population is male.

Biggest population growth was seen in Cataluña, followed by Madrid, Andalucía, and Valencia, with no region of the country seeing a fall in population over the year.

The third campaign video for the European elections shows a selection of European Conservative voters

The new campaign video from the Socialist party has raised some objections in Spain. The video shows a cross section of right-wing voters from several European countries, speaking in their native language but subtitled, in which they give their opinions on several political subjects.

A German skinhead says that homosexuality is an illness, A British woman pictured shopping says she thinks health care should be private, and a priest says that there is only room for one religion in Europe. Another person comments that ‘immigrants steal our jobs’, another that climate change is a big lie, another that she believes in the death penalty, and a businessman says he believes in free sackings.

The video then says that the problem is not what they think, but the fact that they are all going to vote.

The Socialists have been accused of using scare tactics in the video which will be shown in Spain in the free airtime space made available to the parties ahead of the poll on June 7.

Someone sent me this video and it is very eye opening.  Being here in Spain, we can see this happening all around us.

So our purpose is clear. We as Christians must not be silenced. We have the "Truth" in Jesus Christ and we must continue to spread His name. We must not forget to pray for the Muslim nations and for those who are working amongst them trying to teach them of the One True God. We must not forget to pray for Spain and Europe. Everyone is aware of the difficulties missionaries face in Europe. It is difficult, however, not impossible. We serve a great God who can overcome any obstacle. We must be willing to go across the world as well as going across the street to share the wonderful news of Jesus Christ. Will you pray with us? Will you give your money, your time, yourself, to the Lord?

M

any people have asked me how things are going here as far as the financial situation.  We are all familiar with what is going on in the States and we continue to hear how it is a global crisis.  

I have read a few articles about the situation in Europe and everything looks pretty grim.  Here is an excerpt from one article that I recently read,

It seems the European banking system is about to collapse. An article in the Daily Telegraph claims European banks may have to write down $25 trillion in losses. Compare this to the problems in America... Even "Dr. Doom" – NYU economics professor Nouriel Roubini – says the most American banks will have to write off is $1.8 trillion.

In other words, the problems faced by American banks are nothing but a skinned knee compared to what European banks face.

This is because the European banks lost money in two major financial implosions. They made trillions in loans to Eastern Europe and other emerging markets and they also participated in U.S. mortgage lending, possibly even more aggressively than American banks.

According to the Telegraph, "Europeans account for an astonishing 74% of the entire $4.9 trillion portfolio of loans to emerging markets. They are five times more exposed to this latest bust than American or Japanese banks, and they are 50% more leveraged (IMF data)."

The final clincher is, no European "Federal Reserve" bank exists to print trillions of euros and bail everyone out like we have in America. Now, the European banking system is about to fall apart.

If this and other predictions come to fruition, we may see some devastating things happen on this side of the globe.  

However, how does this effect Spain? Even though the countries in Europe are their own separate entities, at least financially, the European countries are somewhat tied together.  In other words, when something happens in Europe, it affects all the countries within.  

So what about Spain?  Basically, here are some hard cold facts and numbers of what is going on.  

• In 2008, the number of people that were loosing their jobs or didn’t have a job rose by more then 25%.
• 3 million people in Spain are unemployed.  1 million of the 3 million people that are unemployed lost their jobs in 2008.  This is huge considering Spain is only a country of 40 million people.
• Construction has been the hardest hit industry by the Crisis.  One third of Spain’s economy is made up of the construction industry.
• Salaries are not rising in Spain.

Things are not looking up and it seems to be getting worse day by day.  There are so many immigrants here and many of them have lost their jobs and are being forced to go home because there is no work.  Spain has even implemented a program called, “La Oportunidad Retorno.”  Basically, the Spanish Government is paying the immigrants to return to their country.  They give them a plane ticket and at least one month’s salary to return home.  

So how does this affect us and our ministry?  While the economic crisis will be at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts and conversation, a solution, an answer, something of comfort, however, will also be the rare jewel that everyone seeks.  When things go wrong, people start asking questions.  As Christians, we have the Answer for them.  The answer is Jesus Christ.  Everything could collapse around us, but if we have a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we can have peace in the midst of the storm.  It is often in the darkest of hours that people search for light, peace, hope and comfort.  So many times in Scripture, we see God take the Nation of Israel through some sort of “Crisis” in order to draw them back to Himself.  May God use the global crisis to bring more people to Himself in Spain and around the world for His honor and glory.  

A parliamentary commission has suggested de-penalizing abortion in Spain.

Left wing parties are supporting a reform which would de-penalize abortion in Spain. A report drawn up by the parliamentary sub commission, a panel of experts called by the Ministry for Equality, on the subject has been supported by the Governing PSOE Socialists, as well as the BNG, ERC, IU and ICV, Galician nationalists, Catalan Republicans, the Left Wing Coalition and the Greens.

The Partido Popular voted against and the PNV Basque nationalists abstained.

The report proposes reforms of the 1985 law which would take abortion out of the Penal Code. Socialist spokesperson Carmen Montón said it would end the current legal doubts and establish the health service as the provider of the right to abort, as well as end current regional inconsistencies in Spain.

It suggests that children aged over 16 would no longer need their parents’ permission to carry out an abortion. The periods for that would be configured to comply clearly with the jurisprudence established in the Constitutional Court.

The current law only allows abortion when there is a danger to the health of the mother, rape or problems with the development of the foetus.

 Please pray for Spain!  

This morning the ETA, Spains own home grown terrorist group out of the Basque Region set off a car bomb in Madrid at the Campo de Las Naciones.  This is only 2 KM from the church that we are currently working in.  The missionaries who we are working with, Jack and Joy Loveday, told us that they felt the vibrations in their home when the bomb exploded.  We praise the Lord that no one was killed.  Below is part of an article written earlier today:

"A car bomb has gone off this morning, at 9am at the Campo del las Naciones in Madrid. The blast, described by witnesses as massive, came an hour and a half after a warning to the Red Cross in the name of Basque Terorrists ETA. The blast was opposite the offices of the Ferrovial company. The bomb was placed in a parked van. It’s practically the same place as an earlier ETA attack on the very same date in February 2005. There are no reports of any injuries.

The attack comes just hours after the Supreme Court in Spain banned two nationalist parties from fielding candidates at the regional poll in the Basque Country set for March 1. Both Askatasuna and 3DM have been banned, although they still have right to appeal to the Constitutional Court."

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Arrests of Al Qaeda suspects in Spain

A dozen arrests in Barcelona and Valencia for falsification of documentation for Al Qaeda

In an anti-terrorist operation the Spanish National Police have arrested a dozen people in Barcelona and Valencia. Those arrested are suspected of being members of a network for the falsification of documentation for Al Qaeda. Of the five arrests made in Valencia four of the detainees are of Indian nationality and one is Pakistani.

The anti-terrorist operation began in the early hours of this morning.