Spain

Starting in 1971, God gave me 28 wonderful years in Spain enjoying the ministry, and the fellowship of a dedicated team. Shortly after arriving, in a meeting in Madrid, God spoke to me that He wanted CLC to expand to other cities in Spain. Soon after, the Spanish leaders at the time, Jose and Pilar de Segovia, sent me to Valencia to open a bookshop there.

I started with books stored in the CLC apartment and made visits to the local churches to make CLC’s ministry known and to take their orders. I found premises to prepare and then opened the shop. I needed a co-worker. God supplied when He healed the daughter of a couple who had received me with great kindness. God told me that He would heal her and, in a meeting some months later, He did it! Later, this lady joined me as an excellent godly helper who took charge of the shop when the Spanish CLC leaders left and I had to return to Madrid.

Back in Madrid, life gathered pace as we moved from the seventh floor office we had as a shop to a small premises near the Bullring by the inner ring road. Then we were offered the distribution of Vida books and started our warehouse in the garage below the house. Ian Currie found a suitable warehouse in a block of warehouses built by the side of what became an outer ring road. The team grew with more missionaries, and we also opened shops in Vigo, Sevilla, Malaga and Murcia as Spanish workers joined the team. The more recent economic depression has robbed us of three of these bookshops and brought years of struggle to our wholly Spanish team. But the work has adapted and continues.

Fusion of Madrid Warehouse & Shop

CLC has had to adapt to the current difficult economic climate. Darwin Vergel writes: “In 2014, we were finally able to go ahead with our project to bring the wholesale and bookshop properties in Madrid together under one roof. We found a location just 60 metres from the old bookshop, which was just what we needed in terms of space and facilities. Changes have never been easy, and this was no exception because the challenge was to unite distribution and retail in one place with a multifunctional team to cover all areas. We continue to work to improve our service and attention to our Christian family and customers in general, both in person and through our website.”