Basque Country Prayer Points for November 2024

Sampie Brown on November 30, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • The flooding that happened in the Valencia region continues to be a major topic. Aid is still needed to support those who were impacted, workers to help clean-up from the devastation and people are looking to understand why and how this happened.
    • Pray for those impacted, the aid/relief workers and peace as people work to understand why.
  • November 25 is the day against male (domestic) violence. They shared some of the statistics from the last year and they have seen a ~7% increase from the same period as last year. About 6,000 women have received protection from the Ertzaintza (Basque Police) this year.
    • Pray for leaders as they look for solutions to reduce male violence, those who help protect and serve those affected, those affected and those who are the aggressors.
  • A leader in the Basque government is highlighting a concern about the declining usage of the Basque language in daily life. A resolution was presented to the European Language Equality Network (ELEN) and passed which further supported the concern. They are looking for ways to revitalize its usage and make it more commonly used.
    • Pray for leaders as they look for ways to preserve the Basque language.
  • Germany is the second largest buyer of products from factories located in Basque Country. Through the first 8 months of 2024, Germany has bought ~17€ million less than over the same period from 2023. Further data shows that the German economy may be moving into a contraction period.
    • Pray for the economies of Germany and the Basque Country as they look to understand these changes and adjust.
  • Spain is considering making a change to the legal limit of alcohol in the system after being the same for 35 years. It is currently at 0.5g/l and they are considering reducing it to be 0.2g/l.
    • Pray for those who are political leaders, officers who enforce the limits, victims of drivers under the influence and those who make a choice to drive under the influence.
  • The Basque University System is about to elect a new leader for the first time in 16 years. The term is for 6 years and the previous years only saw 1 candidate run. This time there are two candidates. The university has quite the world wide reputation being listed in the Top 400 in the Shanghai rating system, with some programs being in the top 200.
    • Pray for the candidates, those who are voting, the students and next steps the university will take with the new leader.

The verse for the month:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    his love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV

Basque Country Prayer Points for October 2024

Sampie Brown on November 2, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • While the Basque region has not been impacted by the recent heavy rains, it’s quite an issue for Spain. The number of deaths is over 200 people as of this writing and is increasing every day. The devastation is immense and the mobilization of relief is quite the undertaking given the impacts. The area received a year’s worth of their normal rainfall in less than 8 hours.
    • Pray for those who have been affected by the floods in the Valencia region and the relief efforts throughout Spain.
  • Housing has been a key issue. One issue is the lack of affordable housing. One economic leader has pointed out that if the problem is not addressed, it will be difficult for businesses to attract new workers and the impacts for future economic growth in the region. An option to address the issues is that in some areas they will no longer be issuing permits for tourists only apartments. A program that helps people get into affordable housing had 29,000 applications and approved only 181 of them. Another key data point was the construction of new homes. The current level rose very slightly, 0.5%, compared to a demand of 8.5%.
    • Pray for the leaders, builders and citizens as they look to find solutions for the housing shortages.
  • In July of 2024 a 24 hour center to help victims of sexual violence was opened. Since opening the center has received ~140 different requests in that time. The requests have mainly been phone calls with others coming from WhatsApp, in person and email. This is one of 8 centers currently open and they have plans to have 52 opened by the end of the year.
    • Pray for the people who help the victims, the victims, the aggressors and others who are affected by these actions.
  • The number of people who profess Catholicism as a religion in Gipuzkoa has decreased ~20k since 2019. Currently ~35% of the population would identify as having no religion. An article with those statistics talked about the shortage of catholic priests and the need for more to cover the towns and responsibilities. They also saw that ~7% identify with other religions.
    • Pray for those in Gipuzkoa who are seeking God would find a place to worship
  • The difference in salary between those that have a university degree and those who have completed technical school is getting smaller. In 2013 the difference was ~500€ per month and in 2024 it’s ~300€ of a difference. They also reported that females earned a lower salary in both categories.
    • Pray for business, employees and universities/technical colleges as they prepare for these young people to enter the labor market looking to earn a wage that will support a family.
  • On November 6 the new leader of the Basque Government, Imanol Pradales, will meet with Pedro Sánchez, the current leader of the Spanish government about next steps for becoming an even more autonomous region. The Basque region has already completed the requirements set forth to become more autonomous. They are working through a list of items that still need to be transferred to the Basque region. A few of them are how to handle ports, airports and the social security system.
    • Pray as the leaders of the two governments meet to have wisdom on next steps of the Basque region becoming more autonomous.
  • In Egia, which is an area in Donostia they have had to stop giving out free meals to people due to security concerns. This has raised quite the concern with residents as leaders look for a way to support these people while also ensuring the safety of the citizens.
    • Pray for leaders, social organizations and citizens as they look for a solution to help those less fortunate in Egia.

The verse for the week:

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12 NIV

Basque Country Prayer Points for September 2024

Sampie Brown on October 2, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • This time of year, sees an influx of existing, new & Erasmus (Europe’s study abroad program) university students arrive in the city. It is becoming more difficult for students to find affordable housing. The city is also looking for solutions with the number of homes that are designated for tourism.
    • Pray for students, home owners and the government as they work through solutions for affordable housing.
  • A recent report is pointing to several different unhealthy habits that are causing problems for the Basque Hospital system. One of those factors is that ~50% of the population drink some amount of alcohol. Another factor is they are seeing that ~25% of young people (14-18) have smoked cannabis within the past year.
    • Pray for the health of the public and the Basque hospital system as they explore solutions to provide better care to the citizens.
  • Pedro Sánchez has announced his plans to move forward with a government with or without a legislative body in place. They are scheduled to meet between November 29 and December 1 to have elections and set the agenda for the upcoming legislative session. An important item will be a new budget since a new one was not passed for 2024 as they are using the one from 2023.
    • Pray as the political leaders prepare to meet to have a legislative body to address issues for the citizens in Spain.
  • The public hospital system continues to face criticism from the public. A new leader of the system has been appointed. They are working to hire more staff to address the needs of the system, though not enough staff exists. They stated it will be 3-4 years before the staffing needs are met.
    • Pray for the leaders, medical staff and patients as they work through the current challenges in the medical system (Osakidetza).
  • The number of workers that have two jobs has doubled over the last year. Various reasons were shared with one of them being the need for some to have a second job to be able to afford the increase in living expenses. Another was related to the change in employment contracts, along with the number of new jobs in the area. Data from the summer shows that spending stayed the same or went down compared to last year. Businesses also saw this summer about a 10% increase in credit card usage.
    • Pray for the employees, families and businesses as they navigate these uncertain economic times.

The verse for the week:

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13 NIV

Basque Country Prayer Points for June 2024

Sampie Brown on June 28, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • The increase in home prices is continuing for both renters and buyers with no relief expected in the near term. They are saying it is due to several different factors. One of the largest of those is the lack of available housing. Others are the recent laws that were passed, apartments for tourists and for Donostia and its growing popularity.
    • Pray for people as they look for housing, the builders and leaders as they look for solutions
  • For the upcoming school year the trade schools (formación profesional), are seeing a significant increase in students registering. The number of employers who will support the program is also increasing. They are seeing this as beneficial as the labor market has shortages across several areas: factory mechanics, business admin and accounting, electricity and several other areas.
    • Praise that the trade school system is seeing an increase and for the collaboration with business to meet the needs. Pray for the students and teachers as they begin these programs.
  • The population in Basque Country with a university degree is the 4th highest percentage in all of Spain. Additionally the number of Basque Students that choose to continue studies in University is also 4th. This comes as Basque Students complete the exam for entering the university system at the beginning of June.
    • Praise for the high number of University Educated people living here and prayer for students as the look to make a decision about their education.
  • The European Parliament elections were held June 6-9. The results in Basque Country compared with 2019 saw PNV support drop and EH Bildu along with PSE-PP seeing an increase. For all of Spain, the PP party gained 9 seats and PSOE (PSE-PP)  dropped 1. Overall the PP party has a 2 seat advantage (22-20). The next largest party is VOX (far right) with 6 seats. The right wing parties did make some advancements, though not enough to have a majority.
    • Pray as these newly elected officials meet to form coalitions that will govern the EU for the upcoming 5 years.
  • Absenteeism is a growing concern for Basque businesses. Over the last ten years the number of days that workers are absent has doubled to be 22 days in 2023. Two listed causes were longer wait times to be seen by the health care system and mental health issues. The concerns for this increase are being voiced by business and political leaders.
    • Pray for workers, business and political leaders as they look for solutions on decreasing the number of days workers need to be absent.

The verse for the week:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for May 2024

Sampie Brown on June 2, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • Recently pharmacies have agreed to help share the phone number to report sexual aggression with it being visibly posted. Additionally, people can ask for a small piece of paper that will have the number for them to call, report and ask for help.
    • Pray for those who are in these situations and for those answering the phones.
  • The global economy is having its effects on Gipuzkoa, with the first two months of the year seeing a large drop after a record setting year in 2023. Concerns exist with the other EU countries, the US and China.
    • Pray for a healthy global economy as the effects are felt by everyone.
  • With the results of the recent Basque election, the parties that are currently in control (PNV and PSE) have a list of several projects they’d like to complete. The top 5 are about the hospital system and transportation. Over the past several years larger projects have not made progress as expected.
    • Pray for the efforts of the government as they look to improve the lives of the citizens in Basque Country.
  • Identity Theft is on the rise in Basque Country. Over the last 5 years they have seen a ~73% increase. They are also seeing that 9 out of 10 attempts happen over the phone. People usually find out when they are attempting to sign up for a new service and have a large balance that needs to be paid.
    • Pray for those who are affected by identity fraud, the authorities as they look for the offenders, businesses working to reclaim the charges and those that are doing the taking of identities.
  • On June 6-9 elections will happen for the European Parliament. The last elections happened back in May 2019. A lot has changed since then. The parliament has 720 seats with representatives from the European block. Spain has one of the largest delegations with 61 seats.
    • Pray for people as they select representatives for the European Parliament and the decisions this governing board will make for all of Europe.

The verse for the week:

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

‭Psalms 42:11 NIV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for April 2024

Sampie Brown on April 30, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • Elections for Basque Country happened on April 21. Part of the coverage included an article stating that ~94% believe corruption was present in the political system. Part of this they felt was due to some old cases that have been re-opened for both socialist and populist parties. The results saw very little change from the previous 4 years. The majority party will still be a pact between PNV and PSOE, though EHBildu did gain 6 seats in the election.
    • Pray for the newly elected leaders as they look to make decisions that impact the people
    • *Note*: Last week Pedro Sánchez announced that he was evaluating his future leading the Spanish government due to an investigation of his wife. On Monday he announced that he was going to stay in office while the investigation was going on. This situation should also be held in prayer. 
  • On April 15 a new center was opened that has 10 spots to host children and young adults who are having problems within the family. Currently ~81% of the need are  female, with an average age of 14. This was created due to the increasing demand being seen with them needing a safe space due to violence or difficult situations in the home.
    • Pray for the leaders of the center, the family and children/young adults dealing with these difficult situations and the allocation of the limited spots currently available.
  • The Basque Country are the leaders in Spain for sports betting, betting on almost any sport: soccer, pelota, tennis, basketball, etc.. The average person is spending 25€/month/person. It was also reported that ~30% of men between the ages of 18 and 30 have placed a sports bet. Most people think they can control it, though some are unable and it causes quite a lot of problems in their lives.
    • Pray for those that have a gambling problem, the families that are impacted and organizations that attempt to help them stop.
  • Praise that wages in Basque Country are increasing and are showing to be the highest in Spain. On the other side though food costs are high and continue to be a large part of the budget for families.
    • Pray for families as they look to spend money wisely

The verse for the week:

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

‭Zephaniah 3:17 NIV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for March 2024

Sampie Brown on March 27, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Recently the Basque police visited the local schools to talk with students about the dangers of social media. They have seen a rise in Sexting, Grooming, Sextorison and cyberbullying.
    • Pray for the young people, parents, school staff, and government officials as they work to address this problem.
  • Farmers in the Gipuzkoa region have recently held protests in the streets due to laws being in place that do not allow them to make a livable wage and bureaucratic processes. These protests are happening in several other regions of Spain and greater Europe as farmers look to address these issues.
    • Pray for the farmers and political leaders as they look for solutions to address these problems.
  • Young adults trying to start life in Basque Country are finding it challenging with salaries not being high enough to live on their own. Most young people are having to live with their parents into their late 20s/early 30s due to wages required to be independent.
    • Pray for young people, their parents, businesses and the government as they explore options to help young people start life.
  • The Spanish Catholic Church has elected new leadership with Luis Argüello being president and José Cobo being the vice president. They will face many challenges in the upcoming 4 years of their term with the number of priests reaching retirement age, the abuse scandals and the continued secularization of Spain.
    • Pray for these church leaders as they look to guide the Catholic church over the upcoming term.
  • Basque elections will be happening at the end of April and 25 seats in the congress will be elected, which could result in a change in the controlling party.
    • Pray for the political candidates and citizens as they prepare to vote in the upcoming elections.
  • Spain has chosen to continue with the budget from 2023 and not make updates for 2024. They will work to make changes for the 2025 budget. One reason for continuing with the 2023 budget is because it took quite some time to elect new leadership after the summer elections.
    • Pray for political & government department leaders as they work through having the same budget as the previous year when changes may have been expected.

The verse for the week:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 

‭Romans 1:16 NIV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of January 22, 2024

Sampie Brown on January 28, 2024

Prayers points:

  • The number of healthcare workers in the Basque system who requested mental health assistance has almost doubled compared to what was seen in 2019. The treatment is for anxiety, depression and for burn out. The increase in requests are also being seen across other communities in Spain.
    • Pray for the mental health of healthcare workers.
  • Suicide continues to be one of the leading cause of death for all ages and for youth it is currently near the top. This has raised concerns and they are working to understand them while looking to provide solutions for the causes identified. It is also being seen across the world as an issue. One solution for Basque Country has been to provide training in primary schools (US elementary school), talking with health care professionals on how to see at-risk people and have a special number for people to call for help.
    • Pray for those who are contemplating suicide, their families and leaders as they look for ways to address the situation.
  • The results for a EU wide evaluation exam of the education system showed that Basque Country had a significant drop in scores across language, reading and science. In Math, Basque country, even with the fall, was still above the rest of Spain & EU countries. However in reading and science they were below the averages.
    • Pray for the educators, students and leaders as they investigate the drop in test scores and look to improve them for the future.
  • Since 1975 the King of Spain has delivered a message on Christmas Eve at 9pm. For 2023 King Felipe VI started talking about the different problems in Spain. The focus then shifted to 45 years of the constitution for Spain, what it provides and how it needs to be protected, as well as the importance of unity in Spain as it looks to move forward in the future.
    • Pray for the future of Spain and all the different regions that make up the country.
  • Inflation is currently at 3.4% in Basque Country and is expected to continue to be high in 2024. The cost of food for the Christmas meals was higher than last year, as a result some families moved to other non-traditional foods for the meal. People are continuing to make changes to their regular purchases to get the most of the money they have.
    • Pray for the population as they look to spend the money they have wisely
  • Basque Country will be having elections sometime before August 11, 2024, with them likely happening sometime in April. The parties have started to circulate candidates for the open positions. At the national level Sánchez and the PSOE party continue to face opposition from the PP party due to the amnesty agreement.
    • Pray for the upcoming Basque Country elections and that the national politicians would work together.
  • Statistics about pornography were recently reported with ~63% of young people (13-17) have seen it for anywhere between 300-400 hours. Boys are more likely to consume ~82% compared to girls at ~40%. The government has attempted to put a verification system in place, though it does not seem to be working. The Basque school system currently has sex education in 5th/6th grade, though is thinking of moving it back to be in 3rd/4th.
    • Pray for leaders as they look for solutions and young people to not be drawn to this form of media.
  • Pope Frances is nearing the completion of his 11th year. Recently he stated that priests are permitted to bless same sex marriages or those who were divorced previously and remarrying. This is also after his announcement about baptisms for trans-sexual and babies of some sex couples.
    • Pray for the catholic church and the impacts of these decisions.

The verse for the week:

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

‭Hosea‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭NIV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of November 27, 2023

Sampie Brown on December 3, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Recently the Spanish government reduced the hours for a work week from 40 to 37.5. Employees will still be paid for the 40 hours, though employers will have 2.5 less hours of their time. Spain already had a lower productivity rate than the rest of Europe, so greater concern now exists with the reduction in the work week hours.
    • Pray for employers and employees as they adjust to the new work week changes.
  • The sexual abuse that happened in the Spanish Catholic church continues to be discussed. Some of the current points under discussion are the number of victims, the damage it caused and justice for what has happened.
    • Pray for those leaders, counselors, perpetrators, victims and their families as they search for answers and healing.
  • Pedro Sánchez has been re-elected as the leader of the Spanish government. This happened through an agreement to grant amnesty to Carles Puigdemont and others that were part of the Catalan separatist movement. This has caused quite a bit of concern in the political parties and with the citizens.
    • Pray for peace as Sánchez looks to lead another 4 year term.
  • The Basque language is facing challenges from the judicial system as some of the Basque people want it to be a primary language for Basque Country. They made changes to the employment requirements for the language and the priority it is given for being taught in school.
    • Pray for those who see the Basque language as part of the heritage and how leaders can support it to continue to be so for future generations
  • The number of marriages that happened in 2021 increased. Last year saw the highest number since 2017. While many of these were civil marriages about ~10% were done in a church.
    • Praise that the number of marriages is increasing, pray this continues and existing families are strengthened.
  • The region has seen a couple of large protests. The first was on November 25 and was to continue to call attention to gender violence caused by males. Then on November 30, was one for equality of women and was quite large. The November 30 protest saw impacts into the workforce as several different unions supported it with some business closing and buses running on reduced schedules.
    • Pray for those impacted by male violence and for equality of women.

The verse for the week:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‭-‬9‬ ‭ESV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of October 23, 2023

Sampie Brown on October 29, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Over the past 10 months the Canary Islands have seen more 28,000 African immigrants. This is the highest number they have ever seen and the support system is having a hard time keeping up. Some of the immigrants are likely to be arriving in Basque Country in the coming weeks. Many are looking to find a better living situation.
    • Pray for the immigrants as they try to start a new life, those who serve them, and the leaders as they look for how to best handle the situation 
  • Experts are sharing the impacts of access to mobile phones is having on young people. One of those impacts is access to pornography. They are seeing that the age for exposure is 10 and under. Some of the impacts they are seeing from pornography is how they relate to each other and expectations. Another impact is language development and the feeling of being isolated.
    • Pray for youth who have access to cellphones, along with parents and leaders as they look on how to best allow access to them
  • The job market in Spain continues to do well, which was not what was expected. They are reporting an employment growth of 3.5% over last year. These are being reported as  record numbers.
    • Praise that the job market is holding strong in Spain and pray that it will continue to do so
  • Spain still has not completed the process to elect a new president. Pedro Sánchez is still trying to work through an agreement with different parties to win an election to remain president. The current path is likely to come with agreement with some of the Catalonia parties by granting amnesty to Puigdemmont, which has strong opposition. The election process needs to be completed by November 27 or new general elections will need to take place in January 2024
    • Pray for the leaders as they work to form the next government
  • Workers in the public sector (teachers, public transportation and others) are making their voices heard through being on strike. The total number of days is 25 days during the months of October, November and December. Some groups have 1-2 days while others have 3-5. A protest for the events in Gaza has also happened.
    • Pray for the workers, those impacted and the leaders as they look to address the situation.

The verse for the week:

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

Psalm­ 39:7 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of October 9, 2023

Sampie Brown on October 15, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Statistics for crime were recently released for the first half of 2023. An upward trend was seen in some areas: sexual violence was up ~20%, Cybercrimes was up ~30%. With a down trend being seen with robberies using violence and intimidation down ~10% and forced robberies in homes or other premises down ~10%.
    • Pray for those who are victims of crime, the police officers who protect the city and those who commit the crimes to have their eyes opened to its effects.
  • The Catholic Pope recently announced 21 new cardinals, with 3 of those being from Spain. The Pope has been working to make changes to the organization to have more representation from Catholic minorities. With the recent announcement Spain still has the 3rd most in the organization, behind Italy and the United States. Their purpose is to elect the new Pope.
    • Pray for the Pope as he makes new appointments and for the cardinals when the time comes to elect a new Pope.
  • A new president still has not been elected in Spain. Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) has until November 27 to rally enough votes, should that not happen. Spainards will once again be heading to vote in January. He is facing a lot of pressure as he looks to gain support from Catalonia, specifically Puigdemont who is requesting amnesty from the judicial process he is currently facing. Feijoó (PP) is also working to be elected, though he does not look to be able to gain enough alignment from others to get the needed votes.
    • Pray for the legislatures as they look to elect/re-elect a President for Spain.
  • The number of small businesses closing is quite large for the Gipuzkoa region of Basque Country. In the last 4 years ~1300 small businesses have closed, with ~60% of them having been open for 5 years or more. The service sector was most affected, seeing ~75%. One of the biggest reasons for the closures are the effects from the pandemic.
    • Pray for small business owners, workers and the government as they look to navigate the current economic environment
  • Last week Iñigo Urkullu (PNV), who is the leader of the Basque government, participated in a meeting sponsored by the local newspaper. During the discussion he talked about how the coalition between PNV and PSE was making progress even though another political party felt they were not making progress. He presented numbers showing how in the last 10 years GDP for the region has grown and that unemployment is down close to ~10%. He also talked about the current status for electing a new president of Spain and the desire to have healthcare wait times reduced to what they were before the pandemic, as they have increased afterwards.
    • Pray for Urkullu as he works to lead the Basque Government with wisdom and peace amongst all the different parties.
  • The concern for the mental health of youth was described as serious and increasing, as the professionals see higher cases of anxiety, depression and attempted suicides. They are seeing the causes be more than from COVID, as some students feel isolated and do not have a group of friends. Due to the situation the Basque Government put a strategy in place to address this and over a year 613 incidents for suicide prevention were opened in Basque Country. This is currently the highest non-natural cause of death in Basque Country and they are putting protocols in place to try and address it.
    • Pray for the youth that have these thoughts that they find the right help, as well as parents, school administrators and leaders as they look to develop systems to help youth in these situations.

The verse for the week:

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Mark 8:35 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of September 25, 2023

Sampie Brown on September 30, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Inflation continues to be a problem, while it’s not as high as it has been people are still feeling the effects. To help, the government has reduced taxes on gas and electricity while reducing public transportation fees, though households are still feeling the effects as wages have not been increasing either.
    • Pray for families as they look to figure out how to pay for food, rent and other life items and the government/economists as they look for ways to assist.
  • Osakidetza (Basque public healthcare system) is continuing to explore solutions to help with suicide prevention. A new risk system has identified that it has helped close to 400 people over the past 15 months. They are planning to continue to evolve the system and will be sharing training materials with those who work in the health care system to help in identifying those who may be at risk.
    • Pray for healthcare workers as they look for those who are contemplating suicide and for those who are in the situation where they believe suicide is the best option.
  • Basque Country is seeing the highest level of narcotic drugs in its history. With the prices going down and the purity level increasing it has also required the hospital system to be more prepared, along with recovery clinics. Recently Ertzaintza (Basque Police) and the Spanish military police seized ~600 pounds of drugs, which included hashish, cocaine, marijuana, speed, and ecstasy.
    • Pray for the police as they look to understand the problem, and the hospital system and rehabilitation clinics as they look to treat patients. That the population young and old would not see this as the right source to escape life.
  • The Basque legislation recently passed The Law for History and Democracy, with an objective to remember the victims of terrorist attacks between 1936 – 1975 and work to ensure that the acts against democracy are not repeated. The voting was 68 of 75 in favor, which is one of the largest margins for passing a law in recent history. Additionally, the leader of the Basque Government, Urkullu is wanting the Spanish Government to explore gaining more autonomy, though some are unsure if the Spanish Constitution as written would support it.
    • Pray for those who have been impacted by the terrorist acts and the leadership as they look to explore more autonomy.
  • After the July national elections, the newly elected leaders are working to form a new government. Part of the process is selecting a new leader. Feijóo was the first candidate put forward given his party (PP) has the most seats though not an absolute majority, Feijóo was not successful in gaining an absolute majority this week after two different votes were taken. King Philip IV has called for meetings with the political leaders on Monday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 2 to start the voting process for Sánchez. Sánchez has been working to make agreements with other political parties to gain enough support to be elected. Some are not happy with the commitments Sánchez is making with the other political parties to get elected.
    • Pray for the newly elected political leaders as they try to elect a new leader and then begin and address the items on the congressional docket.

The verse for the week:

 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James 1:19-21 NIV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of September 4, 2023

Sampie Brown on September 7, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • The number of cases of sexual diseases in Basque country is on the rise, so much so that health care officials are concerned. The number of cases of syphilis and gonorrhea have gone up exponentially since 2018. The director of public health shared this was not a problem unique to Basque Country as similar increases are being seen in other parts of the world.
    • Pray for those who are sexually active with multiple partners and the health care workers that are treating them.
  • Basque country currently has ~5700 people who have some level of protection due to male violence. Most of the protection is directed towards women, though children and men are being protected as well. Four levels of protection exist with most of the cases falling in the basic level of protection.
    • Pray those who are being protected, those that are doing the protection and those who are the attackers.
  • The Basque Country budget has increased ~21% over the last 3 years. The three areas that have driven the largest part of the increase have been: health care, education and government services to help with employment and social services. Thankfully they have been able to address the increase with European grants and taxes.
    • Pray as leaders work to ensure these areas are well funded without neglecting the other areas.
  • Schools officially are scheduled to start on Thursday, September 8. New education rules were passed and were partially implemented for the last school year. This school year they are obligatory. The evaluation process is an area that is seeing considerable change as they move from a number grade system to be one that uses 5 different categories to communicate mastery of the material.
    • Pray for educators, parents and students as they return to school and as they work through the impacts of the new education laws.
  • The next steps are being taken politically after the July 23 elections. On Saturday, September 2 Pedro Sánchez was inaugurated as the leader of the PSOE party. He is also the currently functioning president of Spain. The legislature will vote on who will be PM on September 26/27. It’s expected to be a close vote between Sánchez and Feijóo (leader of the PP party). Puigdemont is also back in the news as his upcoming trial starts Thursday September 7 for his actions in the Catalonia separatist movement in 2017. Also, conversations have restarted about changes in how some regions interact with the Spanish government, with Basque Country being one region that is leading the request for this change.
    • Prayer for the political leaders as they begin the legislative session at the national and regional levels.
  • The employment market took a turn in August, and the impact was felt across several different sectors. It‘s much better than 2022 and they believe it’s part of the normal cycle that has been seen in previous years during the month of August.
    • Prayer for those who are seeking work, business owners and leaders as they work to understand the situation now and for the future.

The verse for the week:

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of August 14, 2023

Sampie Brown on August 20, 2023

Prayers points:

  • The results of the July 23 election are in, with the PP party gaining some additional seats and PSOE losing some seats. Neither party has the absolute majority by themselves. Each party was working to put agreements in place to have an absolute majority for the election of a new legislative leader. Pedro Sánchez was able to gather enough support to be re-elected leader of the coming congress.
    • Pray for the newly elected political leaders and coalitions as they start the legislative process.
  • On May 26, the Spanish legislation passed a new law in order to help with home rent prices. However, it’s not helping as the paper showed a graph where rent prices have increased by ~18% since May of 2022, with the prices increasing 10% since April. Property owners are increasing the price due to the changes in the law causing the opposite of what was desired by the new law.
    • Pray for legislators, realtors, renters and owners as they look to determine reasonable rent prices.
  • Recently data about suicides were analyzed to understand and determine what improvements in the health care system can be made. They discovered that 75% of them had recent contact with the healthcare system. Only 30% of them had been in contact with a mental health professional.
    • Pray for the health care workers and leaders as they work to see early symptoms and explore other options for those who are thinking of suicide and people who are contemplating the option.
  • The Gipuzkoa region of Basque Country labor market is doing well, though they are having some challenges with younger workers. They are looking for more than just a salary, they would like to see a career path. People on unemployment assistance has dropped and is at the lowest levels since 2008, which is when the last financial crisis happened. The labor market also saw the creation of almost 12,000 jobs.
    • Praise that the job market in Gipuzkoa is seeing growth and pray that the growth continues through the coming months as the younger workers are entering the workforce.
  • For the first time since the end of the pandemic the wait times for most medical specialists is decreasing. It has taken almost 3 years to get back to this state.
    • Praise that the wait time for most medical specialists has decreased.  Prayer that the wait time continues to be stable and improves for the specialties that have not yet seen the decrease.

The verse for the week:

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:6 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of June 19, 2023

Sampie Brown on June 22, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • After the recent local and regional elections, the different parties are having to renegotiate the relationships to determine how they will co-govern as no single party won an absolute majority. This has been completed and leadership in the various levels of government is in place including the ceremonies to present the new leaders.  The other parties in Basque Country who were trying to gain influence are having to rethink their strategy given it will be another 4 years before the next elections. The national elections have been set for July 23, which was a bit of a surprise. The political parties have been working to organize themselves in preparation for these elections. The PP party is hoping to gain additional seats in congress which would result in a change in the majority party.
    • Pray for the newly elected leaders and the coalitions that will need to be formed over the coming weeks to start the legislative process. Additionally, pray for the upcoming national elections.
  • A local college professor published a book on suicides and was then interviewed. He pointed out several different facts about suicides. The most critical age currently are people between the ages of 40 to 60. In 2021 that age accounted for 50% of the total ~4000 suicides. They also said that currently a system of prevention does not sufficiently exist.
    • Pray for those who are contemplating and those who have been impacted by suicide. 
  • The number of women leaders for businesses in Basque country is at ~22% which is lower than the 40% required by the law in 2023. Some do not like the quota though understand the need to start the change. The women also talked about the difficulty they have faced as they have moved into positions of leadership.
    • Pray for business leaders and women as they look to fill leadership roles in different businesses.
  • The previous leader of the Spanish pension system committed to bring it back in balance in 2023. However, that was not possible and it will run a deficit through 2025. Part of the impact was the record number of new applicants to the system and the cost of inflation.
    • Pray for the new leader of the pension system as they look for ways to bring the system into balance as it supports millions of Spanish citizens.
  • This week was the end of the 2022-2023 school year and families have had to determine how to care for their kids during the break. This year summer break has ~80 days. Families are exploring the best option(s) available between day camps, staying with relatives or hiring a sitter. Each family has its set of challenges to get the coverage in place: financial, aging parents and number of vacation days for the parents.
    • Pray for families as they look to make plans for child care for the summer and that kids have a nice summer break.

The verse for the week:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:27 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of May 28, 2023

Sampie Brown on May 31, 2023

Prayers points:

  • On May 28 elections were completed for the local (city) and regional level. I was incorrectly stating the national level in the past editions. The regional and local levels have several different political parties who are looking to either maintain or gain power to make changes. In the Basque region the party who was currently in control retains that control, though the margin is much lower than 4 years ago. Other places in Spain saw a similar shift with several regions moving to be more conservative. Pedro Sánchez, a member of the socialist party, and the current PM called for the national elections to be pulled in from December to July 23. That was quite a surprise after the results that happened on Sunday.
    • Pray for the newly elected leaders and the coalitions that will need to be formed over the coming weeks to start the legislative process. Additionally, pray for the upcoming national elections.
    • *Note: If you’d like to have more information on the voting process let me know and I’ll share what I’ve learned thus far.
  • Young people are looking for more security, flexibility of hours and other advantages offered by the public sector compared to the private sector. Over the last 4 years the public sector has been hiring more workers than the private sector. The private sector has been highlighting this gap and they are looking to understand what can be done to ensure they get the talent they need.
    • Pray for the public and private sectors as they look to find solutions in hiring young people.
  • A cold front recently came through that was very wet. One area saw the rain falling at the rate of ~65 gallons/minute. With that amount of rainfall in a short time it caused some significant localized flooding for those residents. One area saw damage to 240 homes and businesses and 95 vehicles.
    • Pray for those who have been impacted by the floods and as they look to recover
  • On Tuesday, May 16 a woman was shot and killed by her ex-partner, who then killed himself. This happened in a public park while several people and children were also in the park.
    • Pray for those who have been impacted by this event and search for answers.
  • The EU has communicated to the Spanish Government that adjustments need to be made to adjust their spending to be within a 3% deficit. This means the Spanish government will need to reduce ~9 Billion euros from the current budget. One area to be considered is the government subsidies that are in place, which have an anticipated cost of ~14 billion euros.
    • Pray for leaders as they review budgets and make adjustments to satisfy the request from the EU.
  • Recently a few fans made racial remarks towards a professional football (soccer) player, which is not often talked about here. The government has a number for people to report these incidents should they witness them. The local paper also interviewed 6 different people who live in Basque country who shared their experience with racism.  Some have experienced name calling and another was detained in Germany in security while traveling without explanation.
    • Pray for those who commit and are impacted by racism

The verse for the week:

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭143‬‬:‭10‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of May 8, 2023

Sampie Brown on May 13, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • On May 28 elections will be happening at the local (city), regional and national level. The regional and local levels have 5 different political parties who are looking to either maintain or gain power to make changes. Leaders across the different parties are communicating messages for why people should support them and their party.
    • Pray for the people as they look to determine which candidate will best represent them in the coming years to make legislative decisions.
  • The regional government is building a new location for those who are affected by male violence. It will have space for women with children, women who are solo and for people who are in need of additional privacy or monitoring. They have double the number of spaces available over the last 5 years.
    • Pray for women & children impacted by the violence, men who are acting in this manner and workers who support those impacted.
  • Concern about the Basque Pubic health care system continues. A couple of weekends ago thousands of people in the 3 Basque capitals took to the street to protest the situation. Many are seeing that making certain types of appointments are taking months to get or that the local health care centers do not have enough staff to support the needs of the community. The leader of the system provided comments that contradict this view talking about the investments that are being made in the system, which have increased over the last 10 years.
    • Pray for those who are looking for care, the workers and leaders as they all work to navigate the current situation.
  • The effects of the low national birth rate are continuing to be seen. The latest area of impacts is in the education system. The number of students enrolled in schools over the last 5 years has dropped by ~8500, which has resulted in reduction in the overall number of classrooms.  Even some schools have closed or consolidated with others due to this drop. Another effect is the decrease in first communion in the catholic church, with another reason being secularization of the population.
    • Pray that young people will start to have a desire to have more kids and for leaders as they navigate the current situation.
  • Last year the price of electricity was the topic of considerable discussion as the price was very high. Thankfully this year the price thus far has gone down, with the daily rate recently being ~62€/MWh compared to ~178€/MWh on the same day last year. Another area where costs have also been high is food items. The local paper over the last year has shared the cost of the same items in February, March and now May. While the overall cost is being recorded at historic highs, thankfully this month saw a slight overall decrease, though some items in the list saw an increase.
    • Praise that people are seeing some lower energy bills after having high electricity  & gas bills. Pray for people as they look to determine the best way to spend their money.
  • Over the last several years a group of historians in Basque Country have been researching the biographies of soldiers with Basque heritage that participated in World War II. They believe in total ~2500 soldiers are in that profile, and they are working on biographies of 1600. Recently they made a presentation in Texas about their findings.  They also have a desire to have a monument built for the 85th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in either California, Nevada or Idaho where there is a large population of people with Basque heritage.
    • Pray for these historians as they look to show the contribution of Basque people during World War II.

The verse for the week:

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of April 17, 2023

Sampie Brown on April 19, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Over Holy Week the province of Gipuzkoa saw a significant increase in the amount of tourists both national and international, with hotels being filled to somewhere between 85% to 95%. Also restaurants and tourist spots saw a similar large increase in tourism.
    • Praise that over the Holy Week Gipuzkoa saw a rise in tourism which is good for the economy
  • Basque Country is continuing to see the population between 18 to 29, which is ~44% of the population, not being involved in associations (sociedades, cultural clubs, etc.).  Several reasons where shared from they do not connect with them, change in habits and values.
    • Pray for the young people and organizations as they look to find ways to support each other
  • With the upcoming election in Spain on May 28 one of the local newspapers had an interview with the current President of Spain. A variety of topics were covered: unintended consequences of the new “only yes is yes” law, education, pension and labor reform.
    • Pray for the people as they look to determine which candidate will best represent them in the coming years to make legislative decisions.
  • Part of the economic engine in Basque Country is manufacturing. During the 1950s through 1980s it made up between 45% to 48% of GDP. It was declining to a low ~21% in 2010, recently it’s started to pick back up with 2021 showing an increase to 22%. The gap in the economy has been filled by services and construction.
    • Pray for the different economic sectors of the Basque Country as they look to provide sustainable jobs and income
  • The Basque Government shared recently that the fraud department, which is focused on job related incidents, had 24 cases of sexual or gender-based harassment reported in 2022. The previous 2 years they had 0. They are working to understand the difference. One reason stated is people are more aware of this type of behavior. Overall 2022 saw ~400 more reported irregularities.
    • Prayer from employers as they look to provide good working conditions for the employees.
  • Point of Interest: The recent winner of the Master Golf Tournament in Augusta GA was Jon Ram. He was born in Barrica, Biscay, Spain which is part of Basque Country. I just wanted to highlight that this region has a rich participation in international sports.

The verse for the week:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of April 3, 2023

Sampie Brown on April 8, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • The Basque Public Health Care system continues to be under strain. Some of the local clinics are having to reduce hours as they do not have enough staff to cover them. Another problem is the average number of days patients are having to wait before surgery. It is currently an average of 64 days versus before COVID being 49. The public health leaders are attempting to put measures in place to help reduce the time.
    • Pray for medical staff, leaders and patients as they navigate the different aspects of the healthcare system
  • The leader of the Spanish Pension system is communicating that currently they do not see a reason to delay the retirement age. The reason for this message is because of changes that are happening in the French retirement system. They communicated that the Spanish system is robust enough and is viable through 2050
    • Pray for the leaders of the retirement system. Also pray for those who are considering retiring as once that happens the wage is locked in except for cost of living increases and for those who are already retired as they try to make the salary they receive from the system work given the economic environment.
  • Recently the Spanish Congress passed an increase in the minimum payments for those on the retirement system. This will benefit more than 3 million people as they will see an increase over the next 4 years.
    • Praise that those in the retirement system are seeing an increase in the pay that helps offset some of the increases in the cost of living
  • Access to pornographic material by minors is something Non-governmental organizations and the government are investigating. France recently put a technology solution in place to verify those accessing the material were over 18. With the average of first access being as young as 8 and the average age 14, the government and others are looking for ways to ensure the material is only accessed by those of age.
    • Pray as solutions are being investigated for preventing access to pornographic material to those who are underage.
  • On May 28 elections will be happening here in Spain. During these elections new leaders will be selected at the local, regional and national level. Those choices will have an impact on the upcoming legislative calendars for what projects will continue and/or law changes that will be made.
    • Pray for the people as they look to determine which candidate will best represent them in the coming years to make legislative decisions.

The verse for the week:

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of March 20, 2023

Sampie Brown on March 25, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • The Basque Government is offering several different options to help families offset some of the costs associated with having children. Historically the requests have been made by women, however over the past 2 years the number of men who are requesting these options have increased.
    • Pray for mothers and fathers as they look to make the best choice for supporting their families and decide about having more kids.
  • The Basque police recently reported the crime statistics to the Basque Legislature. One statistic that is being highlighted is the number of sexual aggressions in Gipuzkoa. In 2022 the number was 128, which is double from 2021 (57). Another area that was highlighted was inter family violence, which also saw an increase in 2022.
    • Pray for the victims of sexual aggression and against family violence along with the police officers that respond to assist in these situations.
  • March 2023 marks 10 years since Pope Francis was elected to be the new leader of the catholic church. The paper had an article discussing several different topics from this ten year period: potential for schism, receiving two leaders from South Sudan and mass for 6 million in the Philippines.
    • Pray for the Pope’s leadership of the catholic church 
  • Mental health education and support for minors is undergoing changes. On the education side they are planning to start offering some classes starting at 12 years old. The Basque Public health care system saw an ~16% rise in the number of minors needing such help.
    • Pray for education system leaders and the health care system as they look to support the youth’s mental health
  • Iñigo Urkullu, president of the Basque government, is on a push to show the importance of the Basque region in Spain and Greater Europe. To accomplish this, early last week meetings were held with other key Spanish regional presidents. Then later in the week he attended meetings with leaders from different regions in Europe.
    • Pray for Urkullu as he communicates with other leaders about the Basque Country and it’s offerings
  • Young adults looking to move out on their own continue to face challenges. One is the cost of rent, which currently has a minimum of ~500€/month. With the median salary being ~1400€/ month, that does not leave much room for the other expenses in life.
    • Pray for young adults as they look to start life in Basque Country
  • The increase in building materials and energy costs are impacting public construction projects in Basque Country. Currently there are 40 projects that do not have bids on them due to these factors, which is another economic impact for the region.
    • Pray for rising material & energy costs as the impacts are felt across several different sectors

The verse for the week:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of February 27, 2023

Sampie Brown on March 5, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Some apartment buildings have communal heating. The area had a very mild December, however in January the temperatures were lower meaning more heating was needed. The places with common heating powered by natural gas saw a doubling of the gas bill over the previous year.
    • Pray for families as they look to pay these higher heating/energy bills and property owners as they look for solutions.
  • The number of people who live in Guipuzcoa (Province of San Sebastian) has seen a steady increase in the number of people who are living in the area. The two main reasons stated are challenges in finding a job and people who are returning back to their home country. The number of people has tripled in the last 30 years.
    • Pray for employment opportunities in Basque Country.
  • In the Spring/Summer of 2022 the Spanish legislature passed a law about state secrets 50 years or older. This would include those from the Franco era which were previously considered confidential with no plans for them to ever be public. The person leading the declassification has communicated that they are unsure of when they will be able to provide documents. Additionally, there are ongoing discussions regarding the logistics for deciding which documents are declassified.
    • Pray for those working to declassify documents and what they may reveal from the different leaders.
  • The public healthcare system (Basque name: Osakidetza) continues to be under pressure from workers and the public. On February 25 thousands of workers and citizens were in the streets of the three capital cities to communicate dissatisfaction with the current situation. On the other side, the leader of the healthcare system is attempting to show counter points to the grievances of the workers and citizens.
    • Pray for leaders, workers and citizens as solutions are discussed for the system.
  • The Basque pension system is starting to see the number of retirees increase, with last year seeing a historic high. Changes are being made to ensure the system can support the planned retirees in the coming years, which they expect to be high numbers.
    • Pray for those making retirement decisions and leaders as they explore potential changes to the system to support those in or approaching retirement.
  • A new law which is called “solo sí es sí­” (only yes is yes), which is a law related to sexual abuse and sexuality, continues to be an issue for the coalition of PSOE and Podemos.
    • Pray for those leaders as they work to write the law in such a way that meets what is being asked and protects all those involved.

The verse for the week:

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Matthew 10:16 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of February 13, 2023

Sampie Brown on February 15, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • The government sponsored family mediation service is reporting an increase in use with a large percentage of the overall request being couples conflicts.
    • Pray for the mediators and couples as they work to find common ground, along with the health of families.
  • The Spain & Basque governments are exploring laws to limit rent prices as prices have been increasing over the last several years.
    • Pray for the legislatures, property owners and renters
  • Crime statistics were released for 2022 recently. Violence against women saw an increase of ~16% and homicides were almost triple from 2019.
    • Pray for the women who are/will experience violence, greater peace and the officers responding to these situations
  • The public healthcare system (Basque name: Osakidetza) communicated several requests for better working conditions and are awaiting a response to those requests. 
    • Pray for the healthcare workers, leadership, politicians and those needing care as they work through the situation.
  • General elections are planned for May 28 in all of Spain and you can see tension building between the different parties PSOE, PP, VOX, PNV and others.
    • Pray for the people as they vote for who will lead them and the candidates as they share their plans.

The verse for the week:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of January 23, 2023

Sampie Brown on January 29, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • The Basque region was the second most generous region in Spain with donations to charitable organizations. The data showed the region had a 4% increase from the previous year.
    • Praise that the people in the Basque region continue to be generous with their money.
  • The general cost of food at the supermarket has increased ~16% which has impacted the types & quantities of foods being purchased, according to one of the local supermarkets.
    • Pray for families as they look to adjust to the rise in food costs.
  • Last year saw some changes to the labor laws for employee contracts with businesses. One year later some of the news is positive and some not so positive.
    • Pray as businesses look for employees & employees as they look for work.
  • This is an election year in Spain. Several primary races have already been held and Sunday May 28 is the date for general elections.
    • Pray for the candidates and those voting as they look to elect leaders for the next term
  • The public healthcare system (Basque name: Osakidetza) continues to have tension and negotiations are ongoing.
    • Pray for the healthcare workers, leadership, politicians and those needing care as they work through the situation.
  • The current Basque legislative had plans to address 36 different laws, to date they have only addressed 17. They are hoping to address the other 19 before the end of the legislative session in 2024.
    • Pray for the political leaders as they look to work through the remaining legislative calendar.

The verse for the week:

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:14 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of December 12, 2022

Sampie Brown on December 18, 2022

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • The public healthcare system (Basque name: Osakidetza) is having lots of tension as several leaders have resigned after a couple of leaders were let go. The system was already under quite a bit of strain and this is adding to it.
    • Pray for the frontline healthcare workers, leadership, politicians and those needing care
  • For conversations between the Basque and Spanish Government as they work through items that would give the Basque Government more autonomy
    • Pray for the political leaders on both sides as they work through this situation
  • Last time I talked about the historic low of low income housing. A shortage of housing in general exists across all economic levels. In Gipuzkoa they are now saying that 40,000 homes are needed.
    • Pray as the city looks to build the necessary housing for the city across the different needs of the citizens
  • The new catholic bishop for the diocese of Donostia, Fernando Prad Ayuso, was officially ordained for the office yesterday.
    • Pray for the new leader and the diocese as they go through this transition period
  • Salaries for young people are not high enough to live independently, wage increases on average in the 3rd quarter were much lower than inflation. Pension payments, while increased, are still not enough to keep up with inflation
    • Pray for people as they evaluate how to spend their money

The verse for the week:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of November 28, 2022

Sampie Brown on December 2, 2022

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Violence against women has seen a 14% increase over the last year. This information was shared in the lead up to International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25. A call center has already received ~2500 calls this year from women requesting help.
    • Pray for women, children, families and men impacted by these actions.
  • Currently ~80 minors are needing a foster home in Gipuzkoa. There are already ~380 in foster homes.
    • Pray for those who are in foster care and those still needing to be placed with a family.
  • A shortage of ~5000 skilled workers for Basque businesses such as plumbing, bakeries and construction are having a hard time finding trained workers. While others workers trained in fabrication, industrial robots and computing are having a hard time finding employment. A general concern exists with an aging population and not enough births the labor shortages will worsen.
    • Pray for those businesses needing workers and those looking for work.
  • Since 2015 the percentage of young people that want to have kids has been decreasing, with a 17.8% drop in the last 7 years. The reasons noted for the decrease are economic insecurity, culture changes and social priorities. Additionally, COVID-19 added to the uncertainty of them wanting to bring kids into this world.
    • Pray for those who are trying to determine if they want to have a child.
  • The debate about how Basque Country and Catalonia relate to Spain is a topic that will likely be put on the legislative calendar for 2024. Leaders from both regions believe now is the time to once again have conversation.
    • Pray for political leaders as they look to determine how these regions interact with Spain, the EU and the world.
  • In Gipuzkoa the number of homes that have been built for the different social programs are at historic lows. To address this shortage, plans are being made to start construction on 500 new homes before the end of the year.
    • Pray for those who are building them and those who are needing to find affordable housing

The verse for the week:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:14–16

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of November 14, 2022

Sampie Brown on November 16, 2022

Prayers points:

  • Rising energy costs and inflation continue to be a concern for businesses, families and those on fixed incomes
    • Pray for all those who are being impacted by these rising costs
  • In 2021 people who desired to have their sex changed has doubled in Basque Country
    • Pray for the participants and those facilitating these changes
  • In Gipuzkoa aggression against women has seen an increase of 20% this year
    • Pray for the women, the men and other family members who have been affected by these aggressions
  • November 1 was a National Holiday for All Saints day
    • Pray for those who have lost loved one’s in the last year and that they may seek to better understand God’s plan for their life
  • Donostia’s new Catholic bishop Fernando Prado
    • Pray for him as he looks to guide the city’s Catholic churches
  • 2023 budget process for the Basque Government
    • Pray as leaders review spending and determine which projects to fund
  • Cost of medical care has doubled in the last 10 years as treatment costs have increased
    • Pray for the public system as it looks to secure funding to run
  • Spain has submitted its request for the next payment from the Next Generation fund
    • Pray for approval as the European Commision reviews the information submitted as these funds several different planned national and local government projects

The verse for the week:

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Colossians 3:2 NLT

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of October 24, 2022

Sampie Brown on October 29, 2022

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Government making plans to increase pension payments for those receiving retirement benefits
    • With rising costs and inflation at historic highs, retired people have been asking for an increase in how much they receive each month.
    • Pray for the government as it looks to meet this need for those living on fixed incomes
    • Medical system as it faces a shortage of workers
  • Some health centers are having to restrict available hours due to a lack of doctors, nurses and healthcare staff
    • Pray for those seeking medical care and desires for people to begin a career in medicine
  • Winter Heating Costs
    • With the increase in gas prices and other basic necessity costs also increasing, people are concerned about how they will pay for heating
    • Pray for those who are unsure how they will stay warm this winter
  • Victims of the terrorist organization ETA, Gal and other politically motivated crimes
    • Pray for those who are helping the victims as they work toward healing and reconciliation among ~400 victims

The verse for the week:

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Colossians 3:16 NLT

News for prayer for Week of October 3, 2022

Sampie Brown on October 9, 2022

Headline News:

The Basque medical system is continuing to feel the effects of the pandemic. The number of people waiting for an operation has increased 20% over the last 2 years. In 2006 the Basque Government established that the maximum time to wait for surgery should be less than 180 days. Currently about 1000 people are outside of that limit. Also, the wait time to enter a residential home for older people is seeing improvements down to 3 months. Before the pandemic it could be up to 7 months. For a person with a disability, they may have to wait up to 500 days before entering a facility.

With school starting statistics are starting to be released about the makeup of classes. A statistic that was highlighted is the number of foreign students in the education system. The number has increased 15% over the last 5 years. A majority of those students are coming from North Africa, with South America also being a large percentage. Also, the legislation approved changes in the school system which are still working to be finalized. They were hoping to have those finished before this school year; however, it’s now looking like the changes will need to be implemented next year with the delay in government finalization.

Economy:

The Euribor, which is how interest rates are set for mortgages in Spain, has been climbing since the start of 2022. This is affecting people buying houses. The government is looking at alternatives on how to address the problem given the rise in the rates. A rise is also being seen on consumer loans and credit cards given the changes with the Euribor.

The Basque government is attempting to do all it can to help the business sector. They recently passed a 14 million € package to help them during the current economic situation. September also saw inflation fall to 9%, with the main driver of the reduction being reduction in electricity and fuel costs.

The IBEX35 ended last week on a downward trend closing at 7366.80, a 2.86% decrease over the previous week.

Political:

The end of September 2022 marked 40 years since ETA started the process to disband due to the initial violence not having the intended effect. It would take another ~30 years before the organization was fully disbanded. With that they started to shift their strategy.

Last week Pedro Sánchez tested positive for COVID and had to cancel some of his engagements while he recovered. The new leader of the PP was recently interviewed. The interview covered a range of topics: Spain’s financial situation, status of Catalonia, lack of meetings between him and Sánchez since April and the upcoming election. Urkullu’s interactions with Sánchez were recently documented. The most recent request was an email sent on September 21 about the Basque’s desire for self-government, although to date no response has been received.

International:

With Putin having made a military requirement for males to show up for recruitment, the Ukraine SOS in Basque Country received about 50 calls for assistance from Russian’s trying to flee the country. It was also noted that the number of Ukrainians still in Basque Country has reduced as they return home or seek refuge in other parts of Europe. Currently ~900 students have registered and are making plans for education in the Basque system, which is slightly less than last year.

Other international headlines included: Political changes in Italy, Brazilian presidential election results, hurricane Ian’s landfall in Florida and various themes regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sports:

Real Sociedad played against Sheriff Tiraspol, with the result being a 2-0 victory. With that victory the team is in 7th place overall in LaLiga. The next game is Sunday October 9 against Villareal.

Gipuzkoa Basket had its first game on Friday October 7. The result was a 68-62 win. The next game is on Tuesday October 12 against Castello and will be the home opener to the season.

The Spanish national soccer team has played two games in the UEFA Nations League. The first was a 1-2 loss against Switzerland. Next was a 1-0 win against Portugal. The next game is November 23 against Costa Rica in the World Cup group stage.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Basque Medical System
  • Political Interactions
  • Economy

The verse for the week:

No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 NLT

News for prayer for Week of September 19, 2022

Sampie Brown on September 24, 2022

Headline News:

Non-government organizations are seeing a decline in volunteers, especially in young people. Most of the new volunteers are those over 30. The last study of people that volunteered or helped socially was from 2017, with 14% of the general population participating. That was ~6% higher than when the study was done in 2012. The smaller organizations are really feeling the effects, while the larger organizations (Red Cross & Cáritas) seem to be stable.

Last time I talked about people feeling a pinch while in group settings, like a shot being injected into the body. The government reported that ~120 cases were reported. A majority of those occurred with women, though a small number was seen against men. Thankfully the blood analysis did not show any form of toxic substances. The government is still investigating several reports of assault from the summer.

The sexual abuse that happened in the Spanish Catholic church is getting some coverage. One case was escalated to the Vatican and the Pope pressed for reopening the case. The request was approved and the judicial system is once again going to look at the case. They are also continuing the investigation of the 201 cases that were reported. A committee of 17 members met with them and those results are being reviewed for next steps.

Economy:

The cost of living continued to be highlighted on the front page. Over the last year across energy cost, food, transportation, the return to school and a few other areas, costs have increased 400€ over last year. Another article talked about how food costs, across different products, have gone up 20% from September 2021 to September 2022. The grocery stores are seeing more and more people look at the generic brands to save costs. The 2.6% wage increases Spanish workers have seen between April and June of this year are the lowest in the EU.

The IBEX35 ended last week on a downward trend closing at 7984.70, a 0.60% decrease over the previous week.

Political:

The Spanish government made a request to the European parliament to include Euskera, Catalan and Galician as additional official languages for its sessions. Currently 24 languages are in the list. The Spanish government is willing to absorb the costs for the request.

The polling data for the month of September was released. The PSOE party had a small increase while the PP party saw a small decrease. The PP decrease is due to decreasing confidence in the leader Feijóo. Also, in the polls for leadership Pedro Sánchez, current president, was in third place behind Yolanda Díaz and Alberto Feijóo.

On Thursday September 22, the Basque legislature returned to session. For the first time in two years there are no restrictions for masks, social distancing, etc. Urkullu is looking to address the energy crisis and rising cost of living in addition to the regular items that will need to be addressed.

International:

Coverage was across these topics: Several articles about Queen Elizabeth II’s passing and crowning of King Charles, Russian Invasion of Ukraine, and Italy addressing challenges after recent elections.

Sports:

Real Sociedad has had 4 matches since the last edition. The result of those matches was 3 wins and 1 loss. This has them currently in 8th place overall in LaLiga. Last season they qualified for the Europa League competition, where they have won both matches played thus far. The next match is Oct 6 against Sheriff Tiraspol.

Gipuzkoa Basket has been playing a couple of pre-season games. One was against Basket Navarra which resulted in a 82-86 win. In addition, they are playing in the Basque LEB cup. The first game was last night against Zornotza and won 74-56. They will play tonight in the championship game against Juaristi Iraurgi.  The regular season starts on October 7 against Ourense.

The Spanish national teams have also been very active lately. The national basketball team won the Eurobasket tournament this year. A key player on the national team was Dario Brizuela, a native of Gipuzkoa. Additionally, the national soccer team is playing in the UEFA Nations League against Switzerland Saturday September 24.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Decline in volunteers for non-government organization
  • Basque legislature
  • Economic impacts

The verse for the week:

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

James 5:13 NLT

News for prayer for Week of September 5, 2022

Sampie Brown on September 8, 2022

Headline News:

This section is a little longer than usual as I thought it was important to highlight additional items.

On Tuesday September 6 2022 Spain celebrated the 500th anniversary of the return of Juan Sebastián “Elcano’s” completion for circumnavigation of the world. The crew started out as ~250 and included Magellan. He was one of 18 that arrived back to Spain. He was a native of Getaria which is located in the Basque region of Spain.

Russia has officially turned off both NordStream1 and NordStream2. This is resulting in quite the energy crisis in Europe as those pipes provided a majority of the fuel for European countries. Spain was not very dependent though given the connected nature of the EU energy prices here are increasing. The Spanish/Basque government has been working to increase capacity at the different Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) facilities to provide additional supplies for Europe, in the hopes to help offset some of the demand from Russia.

While some Ukrainian refugees have returned home, a large number are still in Basque Country. With school about to restart the Basque education system has received a total of ~770 requests to be enrolled in the Basque education system in the upcoming year.

A data poll for Spain showing the number of Catholic weddings, baptism and communions from 2009 and 2019 was published. Over that time period it’s been a drop in all of those areas. Catholic weddings have seen a 24% drop, baptism have decreased by 17% of births and communions have dropped the smallest at 8%.

Economy:

Basque people were shown to dedicate/pay the largest amount of money to buying food in all of Spain. The region currently has an average of 20% higher spending than the median average of Spain. Fortunately minimum wage in this area was also about 17% higher than the rest of Spain. They are also seeing people transition away from going to several of the local shops and instead heading to the larger supermarkets that have it all.

A highlight for the region of Gipuzkoa is that of the 88 total municipalities, 35 of them are debt free. They point to legislation for municipalities to control debts. The legislation was passed during the 2008 financial crises and they are seeing some positive results from the measure being in place.

The IBEX35 ended last week on a downward trend closing at 7932.20, a 1.63% decrease over the previous week.

Political:

The budget negotiations for the Basque government is planned to start in October. The primary focus will be economic activity/employment, and investments to ensure the future of the society and social services. They believe that the budget will be higher than the previous year given the increase in salaries and changes in energy costs, though nothing is for sure until the negotiations are complete.

International:

Here are a few of the international headlines: United States involvement with Taiwan, passing of former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev and the Chileans vote for a new constitution.

Sports:

Real Sociedad has had 3 matches since the last edition. The result of those matches was 1 loss, 1 win and 1 draw. This has them currently in 9th place overall in LaLiga. Last season they qualified for the Europa League competition, which starts the group stage Thursday, September 8 against Manchester United.

Gipuzkoa Basket will kick off the season on October 7 against Ourense.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Reduction of gas from Russia
  • Decrease in Catholic weddings, baptisms and communions
  • Budget negotiations

The verse for the week:

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:9 NLT

News for prayer for Week of August 15, 2022

Sampie Brown on August 20, 2022

Headline News:

The local director for Cáritas, an International organization belonging to the Catholic Church which is a service organization dedicated to combating poverty and other areas, was interviewed recently. He was sharing concerns given the high cost of living and amount of help families are needing. They are seeing that the numbers since the pandemic return back down as people begin to return to work. However, they are concerned with the cost of gas for people as they look to warm their homes in the winter. The people groups needing the most help currently are immigrants, women and young people.

With all the festivals happening in the different cities of Gipuzkoa, the police are having reports of at least 11 women being drugged by injections. They feel a pinch and when a blood test is run, they find that a chemical has been injected. Only 1 arrest has been made about the injections. They are also having reports of sexual assaults during the festivals.

Economy:

Several articles talked about the economic situation in Basque country. The expectation was that this summer everything would return to normal, however that is not the expectation now. With the energy concerns and rise in inflation several experts are expecting a complicated fall. One item that has seen a decrease of ~2.5% in the past several weeks is the cost of gas. A positive sign for the economy is the number of people that are working. Unemployment numbers are currently holding steady over the past couple of months even with the pending uncertainty. Spain ended the month of July with inflation being reported at 10.8%, the highest it’s been in over 20 years.

The IBEX35 ended last week on an upward trend closing at 8,400.40, a 2.85% increase over the previous week.

Political:

In 1968, during the Franco era, a law was put in place to protect the secrets of the state. However, that law is now undergoing some change. A new law has been written where a committee will review the secrets of the state and put it into 4 different categories. Additionally, it will carry another label for the potential severity of damage, which also has 4 categories. Depending on those labels, information will be able to be released after 20 years versus the previous law under Franco that was forever.

Recently Sánchez put an executive order for energy savings that went into effect on Aug 8 and will remain in effect until November of 2023. The order stated that in summer the AC for business and public places could be set at a minimum of 77ºF. For winter the heaters could be set at 66ºF max. Initially Urkullu was not planning to conform to the request, however by the end of the week they were willing to follow the request from the new orders. The fines for not complying could be as high as 60,000€ and will be enforced by the autonomous regions. Similar restrictions are now being done in Germany, France, Italy and Hungary.

International:

A sampling of the international headlines included the following: Russian invasion of Ukraine, rise in tensions in Gaza, FBI removing documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and Afghanistan 1 year after US’ departure.

Sports:

Real Sociedad finished preseason play and began La Liga play on Aug 14 against Cadiz CF with a 1-0 win. That had them in 3rd place at the end of the first week. Their next game has them playing Barcelona on Sunday Aug 21.

Gipuzkoa Basket starts official play on October 8.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Aggressions against women in festivals
  • Economic Situation

The verse for the week:

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? … But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. (Psalm 13:1-2a, 5)

News for prayer for Week of July 25, 2022

Sampie Brown on July 27, 2022

Headline News:

Last week this area experienced a heat wave for several days. It resulted in a red alert given the high temperature. The temperatures were in the upper 90s to low 100s for those days. Many in this region do not have air conditioning so cooling off can be a bit of a challenge especially in the small towns. The heat wave saw an increase in forest fires for Spain that have affected hundreds of acres of land thus far. Thankfully the heat wave broke and temperatures have returned to be more pleasant.

The results of the selectivity exam have been sent to students and the application process for university has opened. The number of applications is over 19000 to attend the Basque University system. The score of the selectivity exam is competitive as it determines which field they can study. When applying the students have to rank the areas they’d like to study. Most will likely get to the second or third choice depending on which one’s they chose.

Economy:

Inflation over the last week was a headline item and also discussed in the political and economy sections of the paper. The political conversation was what the government can do to help the current situation as inflation is over 10%. In the economy section the Central Bank of Europe raised rates 0.5% the most it has done in 22 years in an attempt to limit the future impacts. This is after a 0.25% raise in June. The article shared how the Eurozone was in alignment with the policy moving forward to address the issue. It was also a headline article on Sunday sharing how people in Gipuzkoa have reduced spending by 7.5%. Additionally, stores are seeing consumers move to general brands versus name brands as they look for ways to save in stores.

The IBEX35 ended last week on a small upward trend closing at 8,051.60, a 1.33% increase for last week.

Political:

Urkullu, the president of the Basque Country, is looking for ways to build pacts with other parties as the region exits the COVID-19 situation and moves forward. Parties are looking to address areas that have not been addressed recently. They have seen success with political cooperation in the past with updates made to the education system. A couple of the concerning areas highlighted in the article were the public hospital system, increase in social program spending, birth rate (which was reported as one of the lowest in Europe) and minimum income. The problems with public health care were front page news, as people are needing to wait longer for emergency care and to visit the doctor.

The PP party continues to gain momentum in Spain. Last week the latest poll figures were released. It showed that for the first time with the new PP leadership of Tezanos, now having 1.9% advantage over PSOE. PSOE is the party currently in power of the Spanish government. The PP party gained 3.1% in the poll, while PSOE lost 1%. PSOE leadership under Sánchez is trying to recover before the next election cycle. The current trajectory for the next elections would be a year and a half, though that could change.

International:

Here were some key headlines: The heat wave that affected the United Kingdom, Italy and France where temperatures were over 100º F, Russian invasion of Ukraine with the EU taking additional sanctions, Political situation in Italy as it will be the 68th new government since WWII.  

Sports:

Real Sociedad has started its preseason play. Over the off season they had several new players added and are looking forward to the return of Oyarzabal after his knee injury last year. They have played two games with one being a loss and the other a draw. Two more preseason games exist before the start of the season on August 14.

The Tour De France ended on Sunday. The winner was Jonas Vingegaard, a 25-year-old who suffered from anxiety at the start of every stage. It was reported that his favorite race in his career was the Itzulia, which happens here in Basque Country, he specifically talked about the 2021 race where he had a mental change. He will also be racing in the San Sebastián Classic that happens this Saturday.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Economic impacts from inflation
  • Political unity
  • Heat wave impacts

The verse for the week:

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

2 Peter 3:9 NLT

News for prayer for Week of July 11, 2022

Sampie Brown on July 14, 2022

Headline News:

COVID has made its way back into the news. One area is the impact they are now seeing on the admittance to the hospital for assistance with mental health. They reported that those between the ages of 11 to 17 have seen the largest increase, 45% since 2019. In 2021 they have also seen a rise in the number of patients that need to re-enter within 30 days after leaving, with a majority of those being girls. The other is the number of cases due to summer festivals. In this region some type of festival/celebration will be happening every weekend through September. For the areas that have had a festival they have seen the number of cases double. Some are calling this the seventh wave as people have once again started returning to pharmacies to buy at home tests.

It has been 25 years since the assassination of Basque politician Miguel Ángel Blanco. The paper I read had a 24 page pullout walking through the events of the assassination. On Sunday a ceremony was held to remember the event. Those in attendance included King Felipe, President Sánchez, Iñigo Urkullu, leader of the Basque government, several other leaders from the Spanish and Basque governments and members of his family. This event changed people’s perception to be more against ETA in Basque Country and greater Spain.

Economy:

Inflation has gone over 10% as of June, the final number was 10.2%. Previous months had it in the upper 9% range, as discussed before these numbers continue to be the highest seen in over 40 years. One of the principal reasons for the increase was the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the reduced availability of grains. These grains are basic ingredients in several items, one of them is feed for animals, which impacts meat prices as well. The government is attempting to figure out what can be done to address the issue.

With tourism starting to ramp up in the region the workers in the accommodations sector went on strike to improve some conditions. The agreement between workers and businesses had not been refreshed since 2019. Originally the strike was supposed to last for 3 days, fortunately it only lasted 24 hours. One key change was a pay increase of 0.8% in addition to inflation cost for 2022 through 2024. 

The IBEX35 ended last week on a slight downward trend closing at 8100.30,  a 0.93% decrease for last week.

Political:

On June 19 elections were held in Andalucia and the results were historic. The PP party won 32 seats and VOX gained 2. The absolute majority for the legislature is 55 so PP now has full control without needing an agreement with another party. Voter participation was at 58%, slightly higher than 2018. PP is also looking to see how they can have greater influence in Basque Country. PP is beginning to gain confidence about unseating PSOE as the currently prominent political party in Spain. 

International:

Here are a few key items from the international section here: French President Macron preparing the upcoming changes in government after his party lost the absolute majority, Boris Johnson, UK Prime minister, stepping down, and the assassination of Shinzo Abe in Japan. The Roe vs Wade decision got a special pull out on the Sunday after the decision was made, where the author was from Texas talking about the impacts the change has made in the state.

Sports:

The sports normally covered in this section are in the off season. One item of note is that San Sebastian is one of the 15 locations to be a host stadium for the 2030 FIFA world cup. The winner will be announced in May or June 2024.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Mental health
  • Impacts of rising prices on households
  • Political unity

The verse for the week:

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Romans 15:4 NLT

News for prayer for Week of June 13, 2022

Sampie Brown on June 15, 2022

Headline News:

The Spanish legislature is attempting to introduce legislation that would make prostitution illegal, as currently it’s not illegal and quite a gray area in the law. In Gipuzkoa it is estimated that ~700 people work in this industry. Most of them are from Brazil and Columbia. An organization that works with these women in Gipuzkoa is concerned that the new law will make it worse for these women and push them further to the fringe of society.

The Sunday paper included an article with interviews from 4 different people of Catholic faith. They were a young pastor, retired pastor, person of faith (catholic roots) and a catholic. The article title included the following statements: the church not being in style, problems of the church and Gipuzkoa becoming more secularized. All 4 of the people had hope and different suggestions for how the church could become relevant in society again.

Economy:

The restaurant businesses are quite concerned about the upcoming summer season because they do not have the wait staff to support the demand they are expecting this summer. This will be the first summer in 2 years that will not have restrictions on hours open, mask mandates or limits on maximum people inside/at a table. This industry was hit particularly hard during the pandemic and hiring of new staff has been slow for them. Options are being explored on how to help this industry including how foreigners, who may not have full residency, can be hired and changing the minimum wage.

The Central European Bank announced that at the end of July they will be raising interest rates. This will be the first time for a rate increase in 11 years. The current plan is for it to be 0.25%. They will monitor the inflation situation and may make another adjustment in September.

The IBEX35 ended last week on a downward trend closing at 8,390.60,  a 3.83% loss for last week.

Political:

June 29 & 30 Madrid Spain will be hosting a meeting for NATO. The meeting will have leaders of 30 different nations visiting the city. Security for the event is a key item. The air space in Madrid will be restricted and the city will have an additional 35000 security personnel to ensure protection. The three areas they currently have concern about is an attack are: Jihadist, violent protest from opposition groups or a group upset about the Russian-Ukraine invasion.

The Spanish court system ruled last week that ETA prisoners would no longer be required to write an apology letter to victims as part of the transfer process. It was argued that some did not have definitive victims and it should not be required. The article ended with parts of a letter from a prisoner talking about his reflections of his actions.

The diplomatic relations between Spain and Algeria are a bit tense at the moment. Last week Algeria attempted to put some economic sanctions in place against Spain. They are saying this is due to Pedro Sánchez having conversations with Moroccan authorities to discuss some trade options. The EU is stepping in and trying to better understand the situation and help address the tension.

International:

The Russia-Ukraine invasion still has a good amount of coverage in the international section. Other articles were: Celebration of Queen Isabel II Platinum jubilee, another French election and US gun violence/control.

Sports:

The Spain National Team is currently playing in the UEFA Nations League Tournament. They are currently in League A Group 2, where they finished in 1st place. The next set of games will be in June of 2023.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Women working in prostitution
  • Church influence in Gipuzkoa
  • Basque Economy (Restaurants & workers)

The verse for the week:

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2 NLT

News for prayer for Week of May 30, 2022

Sampie Brown on June 1, 2022

Headline News:

The Basque Government is looking for ways to increase the birth rate in the region. The latest measure passed will be that for every child under 3 years old, 200€/month will be sent starting in 2023. They will also see some tax breaks in the following year. The paper also shared how other European countries are attempting to address the situation. Most of the other countries are also giving money along with some type of tax benefit. The birth rate last year was the lowest it’s been. The impacts are being seen in the education system as they reduced the minimum number of students to form a class. They are also concerned about longer term impacts on the work force and pension system.

Sexual aggression saw a significant increase of from 2021 (8) to 2022 (23). Given the increase in this area concerns exist for the summer, with the nightlife and celebrations that will be happening. To help educate young women on prevention a guide has been released. They also saw an increase in contact made with minors for sexual purposes. Last week also saw passing of new legislation that changed several parts of defining, punishments and assistance for sexual offenses. The conversation took two years before it was passed. 

Economy:

Over the last five years ~1100 businesses have closed. A majority of those, 605, have closed in the last two years. The reasons for closure are from COVID, impact from people moving to online shopping and people retiring. These numbers are similar to what was seen in the 2008 financial crisis and is a cause for concern for the area.

The Association for Gipuzkoa business released its latest forecast for the GDP for the region. When they released information in February it was at 5.5%, however the number released now is showing growth at 4%. The reasons they listed for the change was the cost of raw materials, increase in salaries and the decline of sales margins. It will be a joint effort between businesses, employees, governments and society in order to continue operations.

The IBEX35 ended last week on an upward trend closing at 8933.60,  a 5.29% increase for last week.

Political:

Last week the Atlantic Arc convention met in Donostia. This organization was established to show how different regions in Spain and other countries contribute to a better and richer EU. Urkullu presented a 64 page document and re-committed the Basque region for another 2 years as part of the group. Additionally Urkullu started his trip that was discussed in the last news for prayer, which is the first time he has traveled internationally in close to 3 years. 

Juan Carlos I is making an unexpected return to Spain to have a private conversation with his son. All that has been going on Felipe VI, his son and the current King, has been creating distance between them.The last time the two were together was May of 2019. A quote from him on what he was looking forward to in the visit, was hugging and seeing his family.

85 years ago Gernika, Eibar, Irun, Elgeta and Durango suffered attacks from German planes. The attacks on Gernika were brought up by Ukranian President Zelenski in his speech to the Basque parliament. The damage done by these attacks was very impactful. This year the Spanish government approved a declaration condemning the attacks on Gernika and the pain to its victims.

International:

The international section continues to have a focus on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Currently 3060 people from Ukraine have asked for temporary living assistance in Basque Country and the school system has 748 Ukrainian students. Other international items included: ArchBishop of San Francisco’s statements to Pelosi regarding communion, the tragedy that occurred in Uvalde Texas and the Colombian elections.

Sports:

Real Sociedad has completed their season. The final game was a 1 Р2 loss to Atl̩tico of Madrid. The team finished in 6th place overall, which qualified them for the Europa League for next season.

GBC has also completed its season. The final game was a 93-92 win in overtime against Castello. The team finished in 11th place overall missing the playoffs for this year. The team finished 17-17 for the season.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Birth rate
  • Sexual Aggression
  • Economic Growth

The verse for the week:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:21-23

News for prayer for Week of May 16, 2022

Sampie Brown on May 18, 2022

Headline News:

Addictions are seeing a rise here in Gipuzkoa. One organization that helps people with addictions saw a ~18% increase in people seeking them for assistance. While alcohol is the largest substance abuse, they say it has stabilized. Cocaine saw the greatest increase for substances people needed help with.

The celebration of first communion is quite large here. For the first time in 2 years they are being celebrated without restrictions. Some 2000 young boys and girls will take part in the ceremonies. Restaurants, dress and suit stores, photographers and hairstylists are reporting a significant increase in use of services for this celebration. The paper reported that families usually spend ~2600€ for the event.

COVID cases were not mentioned in the papers I bought. It seems to be focused currently on the impacts and not so much on the number of cases. I’ll include updates as appropriate moving forward.

Economy:

Amazon has decided not to open a second facility here in Basque Country. This had been in the planning stages for over a year and several businesses were not excited about the facility opening due to the impacts to businesses that could happen. The owner of the facility believes others will be interested in using the space for transportation.

Inflation in the Basque country was reported at 8.4% in April, slightly down from the 9.5% in March. During this time salaries have only increased 1.5%. Questions are being asked on what to do in order to help with the situation. 

The IBEX35 ended last week on a small upward trend closing at 8,338.10,  a 0.19% increase last week.

Political:

The number of ETA prisoners in jails that are in Basque Country or Navarra is currently at 104. While the remaining prisoners are in other parts of Spain (65) and France (29). Most of the moves to bring the ETA prisoners closer to Basque Country have occurred while Sánchez has been the leader of the Government.

The national security agency in Spain continues to make headlines for the installation of spy software on cell phones. New leadership has been installed and they realize the difficult road ahead of them as they try to re-establish confidence in the job needed to be done to protect Spain after the incident. This is also affecting Pedro Sánchez as he looks for how to manage the crisis that happened during his leadership. The judicial system is also reviewing what role it played in the approval given to the agency and sees some faults.

International:

The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to carry a significant portion of international coverage. A few other headlines were: COVID cases starting in North Korea, elections in the United Kingdom and Finland and Sweden requesting to join NATO.

Sports:

Real has won the last two games they played and secured a spot in the Europa League for next year. The team has one game left in the season on Sunday against Atletico Madrid.

GBC is currently in 11th place and in order to qualify for the end of the season playoffs they will need to move up 2 places. They play the 9th place team this weekend, so a chance does exist that they qualify though it requires help to do so.

The women’s handball team Bera Bera won another league title over the weekend. This team has had quite the history over the past 15 years. They have won the league title 8 times and 13 other titles from tournaments. Quite the accomplishment for this club!

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Addiction Recovery
  • Inflation Impacts
  • Russian Invasion of Ukraine and the wide reaching impacts

The verse for this week was focused on lament, this one seemed to fit well.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice!

Psalm 130:1

News for prayer for Week of May 2, 2022

Sampie Brown on May 7, 2022

Much appreciation to Jeff for writing an extra news for prayer while we were out for family vacation. Thanks also to Jeff for all the years of writing the newsletter and providing us all with information on how to be in prayer for the Basque people. Wishing you well as you move into the next season of your life after all the years of service here in Basque Country. For the future, my plan is to write these twice a month.

Headline News:
For COVID it’s been a little over two weeks now that masks have been removed from being required indoors. For numbers, it’s hard to share anything as it’s not being reported on any more. The COVID news has almost gone away and it is hard to find much about the current situation.

The president of the Bishop’s council is working to provide protection to health care workers who want to consciously object for reasons of faith to abortions and euthanisims. The bishops produced a document on March 25 that expanded on the theme. The president commented that even in the military it is possible to be able to serve with a conscious objection to carrying a weapon, the same should be the case for healthcare workers. I normally do not read/talk about opinion columns. However I’m including one this time. The title was about the future of faith and the Church (Catholic). The opinion talks about how the area is waiting on a new bishop. In it he talks about waiting patiently for the new bishop and the importance of connecting with the next generation of believers. He talks about the confidence they should have in God to provide the right person to help address these areas and others as the church looks to impact the area. (I’d add in a bit about how you responded to reading this… )

Last weekend was Mother’s day here in Spain. The Sunday paper included several pages highlighting different mothers and the appreciation for them. An article was also written about birthing in Basque Country. 30% of babies born are from mothers outside of Spain, ~40% are born to mothers who are not married and the number of mothers over 40 increased by ~1.5%. They also shared that only ~65% of Basque under the age of 30 want kids, a 17% drop in the last 5 years.

Economy:
In Europe the unemployment numbers are at historic lows after the pandemic. The numbers in Spain however have not been recovering as well, they are also seeing high numbers (high unemployment rates?) for young workers.

This past Sunday the paper had an interview with a leader from the Central European Bank. Three key points from the article were about the current economic crisis and pensions. On the topic of pensions they said it was a political decision, though they have methods to help guarantee the system is sustainable. On the current economic situation, the comments were positive, though tough decisions need to be made to prevent a recession. A positive for Spain is they see it as a stronghold in the current situation versus a burden it had been in the past.

The IBEX35 ended last week on a downward trend closing at 8584.20, a 0.79% drop for last week.

Political:
The leader of the Basque government has not left Spain for almost 3 years. The last trip was in August of 2019, when he traveled to the Vatican. Over the coming months he has plans to visit Japan, Corsica and Paris. An objective of the trip is to discuss political strategy with other international leaders.

In 2016 CNI (National Intelligence Center) for Spain purchased a license for Pegasus. This is software that allows you to spy on smartphones. Two weeks ago it was reported that this software was initially used to spy on Catalonian political leaders. However that was expanded in 2019 until now to include several other people. The CNI is now under investigation and lots of push back on the government about who has been spied on.

International:
The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to carry a large portion of international coverage. Immigration of Ukrainian refugees to Basque Country has been increasing. They are seeing that ~10% of them who came are starting to return home. The last number I’ve seen for immigration was ~3,250 in all of Basque Country. The paper also carried an article about the Roe vs Wade conversation with an article from a New York correspondent that shared a little historical context, current response and potential impacts. There was also a small article talking about the history of Roe vs Wade.

Sports:
Real Sociedad has had a tough stretch the past couple of weeks. Last week they played to a draw, then last night they lost 2-1. They have 3 games left in the season and are currently in 6th place.

GBC has won 2 games and lost 2 games since the last news for prayer. With three games to go the team is trying to move up one place in order to qualify for the playoffs. They are currently 2 points behind.

Real Sociedad women’s team for the first time in its history qualified to play in the Europa League. The team has been playing well over the past couple of years winning tournaments against other women’s teams in Spain. This will put them in the next level to compete against other women’s teams in Europe.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:
Those looking for employment
Catholic Church Leadership
Russian Invasion of Ukraine and the wide reaching impacts

The verse for this week was from a recent daily verse:

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
Romans 8:26 NLT

News for prayer for Week of April 4, 2022

Sampie Brown on April 6, 2022

Headline News:

New COVID cases are continuing a downward trend. One of the big discussions is when do masks go away for indoor spaces. Initially they were talking they would go away before Holy Week, however today it was communicated that it will be going away on April 20. Places where you will still need to wear one are hospitals, public transportation and assisted living homes. The majority of people who have had the vaccine are reporting very mild symptoms. However, 76% of women who have symptoms are reporting them to be severe.

The truck strike finally ended last Wednesday March 30 after 17 days. One of the changes that happened is the government is providing a 0.20€ rebate on gasoline. This does help, though the cost is currently up over 50%, which has far reaching impacts. Not everyone supported stopping the strike, as the vote was 50 for stopping, 31 to continue and 8 abstained. The traffic in one of the busiest ports here in Gipuzkoa reported that truck traffic returned to normal on April 1, the day after the vote happened.

There was a headline story about the increase in opioid use. In the last 6 years they have seen it double. They believe that between 11% to 17% of the population in Spain has chronic pain. To help with the control of opioid use moving forward they are looking to put additional measures in place given its addictive nature. Another story explained that Gipuzkoa has approved space for the burial of Muslims. They have made adjustments in the laws to accommodate Muslims since they do not use coffins and need to face Mecca. They have been working on this approval since 2018.

Economy:

Bars & Restaurants are having to raise prices due to the increase in the cost of electricity and impacts from the Russian invasion of Ukraine on some items. The owners of restaurants feel they have to increase the prices in order to survive the current environment. The increases are small, 0.10 € on drinks and .50€ on plates, though menus and other material will need to be updated to reflect the change.

The IBEX35 ended last week on an upward trend closing at 8503.70, a 2.08% increase for last week.

Political:

Urkullu, the leader of the Basque autonomous region, has started his talks with the other political parties. These are regular talks he has with all the different political leaders represented in the legislature. He plans on discussing the recent trucker strike, the energy crisis and impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The PP party held its 20th congress to approve new leadership. After the recent departure of its leader Pablo Casado, new leadership was elected. Alberto Nuñez Feijóo was elected with 98.35% of the votes and the other leadership roles in the party were filled. This Thursday April 7, Feijóo will meet with Pedro Sánchez for an initial conversation.

International:

The big item here continues to be the Russian invasion of Ukraine. To date they have seen 1500 to 2000 Ukrainians move into Basque Country. The school system has seen an increase of ~250 students (including a girl in our daughter’s class). Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, gave a speech to the Spanish congress on Tuesday April 5.  During the speech he referenced the current situation to similarities of an attack that happened in 1937 to the Basque town of Guernica. Spain also deported 27 Russian diplomats yesterday for security and Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

French elections for president happen on April 24. Macron, the current leader, has been in power for 5 years. He is currently the favored candidate, though Éric Zemmour, a strong candidate on the extreme right, is making a big push. 

Sports:

Real Sociedad had a special pullout in the paper on Sunday as it was the 1 year anniversary after the team won the Kings cup against Basque Country rival Athletic Bilbao. It was such a special win for the team and city last year. They played Espanyol on Monday April 4 to a 1-0 victory. With that victory the team is in 6th place overall. 

GBC has played two games. The first was against Basquet Girona and was a 88 – 91 loss in overtime. Next they played against Oviedo and it was a 79-77 win. Two very close games the past couple of weeks. They are currently in 11th place overall and play again on Friday against Forca LLeida.

Itzulia is a cycling race that started in the Basque country city of Hondarribia on Monday April 4th and will go for the next 6 days. The race has 23 different teams, even some of the contenders for this year’s Tour de France.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Russian Invasion of Ukraine and the wide reaching impacts
  • Truckers Strike
  • COVID-19

The verse for this week was from a recent daily verse:

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

Psalms 40:1-2 NLT

News for prayer for Week of March 21, 2022

Sampie Brown on March 23, 2022

Headline News:

COVID coverage has been greatly reduced. Overall the number was up double compared to last week, though they are not seeing an impact in the hospital system. They are currently saying the increase is from the large gathering of Carnival that happened. The territory map is showing considerably more color, as previously it was all red. It was noted that positives in the residential homes increased 45% in our region. Also they are not planning to provide a fourth dose of the vaccine for those in residential homes or those over 65. Thankfully the number of positives in the workers of those facilities continues to be low.

Last week the Basque Country experienced winds that contained Sahara sand. This resulted in the air quality being very low for a couple of days. Additionally everything was covered in sand particles. Since it’s passed the lines now at the car wash places have increased as people look to have their cars cleaned as even after it rained a thin layer of the Sahara sand was still present.

Economy:

We are now into our second week of the truck driver strike. They are on strike as the price of fuel has increased 50%, without them being able to compensate for the increase. It is also impacting the delivery of fresh fish from the docks, as the ships arrive they are not finding the transportation for the fish to the fish markets or distributors. It is also starting to impact deliveries to the supermarket and the paper is reporting some of them are having shortages of different items.

The living cost for a family has increased ~350€/mnth. That was comparing Feb 2021 to Feb 2022. The largest increase was in the housing category which was impacted due to increase in energy cost. The only category that had a decrease was communication, which was a very small decrease. Inflation for the month of February in Gipuzkoa was reported at 7.1% which is the highest level in 30 years.

The IBEX35 ended last week on an upward trend closing at 8417.60, a 3.38% increase for the week.

Political:

The leaders of all the autonomous regions in Spain gathered last week for the first time in a decade. Pedro Sánchez gathered the leaders so they could talk about the current humanitarian and economic crisis that is happening due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One key point was how to address the continued increase in energy cost that is affecting everyone. During the week the Spanish government put forward a request to limit the cost of electricity to 180€/Mwh. They also talked about how to help the Ukrainian refugees who will be making Spain their home.

Pedros Sánches also made a visit to Morocco. The visit has not been viewed well by several different parties. This is because of what happened 47 years ago when Spain transferred control of Western Sahara to Morocco. While this was a strategic discussion, it is causing quite a stir politically for him. It seems the United States was putting pressure for him to have the conversations.

In Basque politics, it looks like the education reform will finally be passed. Conversations for changes began in February and it’s been quite an effort to get the reform passed. They believe this is a good pass for the future of the Basque Education system. Though not everyone is in agreement with the direction of the reform as the teacher’s union was calling for a strike on March 25. To date the document has not been published publicly. It will be a couple of weeks before that happens as it works its way through the approval process.

International:

The only story covered in the international section has been the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Last week the leaders of Poland, Scotland and Czech Republic traveled to Kiev. The purpose of the trip was to ensure that Ukraine knows they have the full support of the EU in its effort to defend themselves. A lot of concern existed for the safety of travel given the Russian missile strikes, which is why they chose to travel by train. People in Gipuzkoa have been very generous and last week 5 trucks from the area were driven to Ukraine with donated items. The Basque government is working on a plan on how to help those who will be arriving from Ukraine. They are expecting between 350-700 people, though the number could be more.

Sports:

Real Sociedad played against Sevilla to a 0-0 draw. The team is currently in 6th place overall. They also lost the team captain Mikel Oyarzabel with a knee injury for the rest of the season. The next game is against Espanyol on April 4th.

GBC played against Mallorca Palma to the result of a 85-67 loss. Then they played against Hueseca and lost 68 – 85. Then another loss, 68-74 to Palencia. With the 3 losses the team is now situated in 11th place overall.

The women’s hockey team in San Sebastian won the championship in the Iberdrola Hockey league, for the first time in its history. The team had an incredible regular season winning 17 of 18 games. Then they went on to have victories in semi final and final to win the title. The team has quite the makeup of ages from 16 to 40.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Russian Invasion of Ukraine and the wide reaching impacts
  • Truckers Strike
  • COVID-19
  • Education Reform

The verse for this week was from my weekly reading:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

News for prayer for Week of March 7, 2022

Sampie Brown on March 9, 2022

Headline News:

COVID continues moving in a very positive direction as the overall number of cases continues to be low. With restrictions easing people are returning to activities that they used to do. One of those is going to a Cider house where they eat a meal and drink cider. The Cider houses are seeing a few changes in habits. People want to eat in the afternoons versus evenings/nights and they prefer to eat outside on terrazas versus inside. In the hospital system face to face appointments were very limited during the pandemic. Now with the current state of the pandemic people are able to make in person appointments. Another change is that quarantines for close contacts have been eliminated with or without a vaccine. Lastly they are tentatively talking about a date for the end of masks inside. It looks like it could be either March 21 (start of Spring) or April 11 (start of Holy week and the more likely date).

Tuesday March 8 was international women’s day. The paper had quite the coverage building up to the event. Then in the Wednesday March 9 paper they dedicated the first 7 pages of the paper to the coverage of the event. The focus continues on ensuring that women have the same rights as men. The paper included testimonies from 6 different people where one of them said that equality only exists on paper not in real life. Additionally the Basque Government passed a new law for the equality of women and men and life free of male violence. It includes government monetary assistance for those who have been affected and need economic assistance. It took more than 2 years for this legislation to get approved.

Economy:

The impacts of the Russian invasion in Ukraine on the local economy were starting to be reported on. A study by the Basque government found that 5% of the economy depends on Russia. Additionally they are seeing the impacts on some raw materials and a rise in energy costs due to the cost of oil increasing. They are also starting to limit the purchase of sunflower oil as Spain imports ~20% of it from Ukraine and they are looking to prevent panic buying that happened during COVID. Additionally ~40% of natural gas imported in Basque Country comes via sea from Russia.

I feel like a broken record about the cost of electricity. The thought was the price would stabilize, though with the Russian invasion that has not happened. The costs are beginning to increase and setting records for the maximum for 2022. 

The IBEX35 ended last week on a significant downward trend closing at 7,720.90, a 9.02% drop for the week.

Political:

Juan Carlos I the King emeritus in Spain is back in the headlines as the anti corruption investigation continues. They reported last week that he defrauded the tax authorities between 30 to 56 million euros. Pedro Sánchez believes that he owes the Spanish population an explanation for what he had done. Some are also looking for a way to reform the existing laws that protect the King without touching the constitution. 

Urkullu (PNV) and Andueza (PSE), met to talk about two key items they have not been in agreement on publicly, education reform and autonomy status next steps. They also spoke positively of the collaborative work that exists between the two parties. They cited several different laws that have been passed under the current coalition. The talk for the education reform was timely as also last week results of the academic levels for Basque students were reported on. The results are from 2019 and were the worst seen in the last 10 years. The largest drops were in the areas of science and Basque language, along with lower results in math and English.

International:

The main news item in this section is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Several times the invasion was the headline story, including a very graphic and powerful image showing the impacts of war. The people of Gipuzkoa have responded very positively to supporting the Ukrainians. This has been seen by positively receiving refugees, sending supplies, the Basque leaders speaking against the invasion or families who are already living here driving to pick up family members and return here with them. Basque Country currently has a population of ~3000 Ukranians and that number will be increasing as more arrive.

Sports:

Real Sociedad has played against two LaLiga opponents. The first was Mallorca and was a 2-0 victory. Next they played against Real Madrid, who are currently in 1st place. The result was a 1-4 loss. Overall the team is in 6th place. The next game is Sunday March 13 against Alaves.

GBC has only played 1 game since the last news for prayer. It was against Leyma Coruna with the result being a 62-49 win. The current league standings with the win in 9th place overall. The next game is against Mallorca Palma on Sunday March 13.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Russian Invasion of Ukraine and the wide reaching impacts
  • COVID-19
  • Women’s Rights

The verse for this week focused on being a light and I thought this verse was appropriate:

No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.

Matthew 5:15 NLT

News for prayer for Week of February 21, 2022

Sampie Brown on February 23, 2022

Headline News:

The big headline as of late last week is the schism that happened in the PP party. I’ll discuss it in the political section below.

Over the last week COVID cases have continued the downward trend. This is good news considering that our restrictions have been greatly reduced. Night clubs are open and the first large community gatherings are starting to happen. One happened this past Saturday night, called Caldereros here in Donostia. Then tomorrow (Thursday, February 24) Fat Thursday starts the kick off of carnaval in a nearby town of Tolosa.  With the number of cases down significantly normal surgeries have restarted at the hospital.

The trial of a serial sexual predator who assultated women for 7 years in Lasarte-Oria (small town just outside of Donostia) has started. They believe he assaulted at least 10 women. During the trial it was reported that he used chloroform to subdue the women in the attacks. They were able to confirm his identity thanks to DNA.

The sexual abuse that happened in the catholic church continues to be reported on. An independent council of 18 people has been established to review all the cases. The two focuses of the council are to review the previous work done by the dioceses and to establish contact with the victims. The Basque Government made a statement that it condemns what happened and will make available all protocols to hold those responsible for what happened.

Economy:

The cost of inflation for January reported at 6.1% which is down 0.4% compared to December. This was the second straight month that it was above 6%. These levels have not been seen in almost 30 years. Salaries are not expected to match this pace. The expectation for February is to be 7.1%, while the whole year is expected to be 4.6%.

The IBEX35 ended last week on a small upward trend closing at 8,590.00, a 0.01% increase for the week.

Political:

As stated above, the headlines have been focused on the schism that is happening in the PP party, who are considered conservative. The news broke last week after Ayuso (a member of the PP who leads the city of Madrid and has been rising in popularity) made accusations against Casado, the current leader. The accusations are that the leaders in the by PP party were attempting to discredit Ayuso and were investigating irregularities with a purchase made in April of 2020. The purchase in question was done by Ayuso’s brother for 250K FFP2 and FFP3 masks for ~1.5 million euro. One leader has already stepped down and there is a call for Casado to step down as well.

International:

The focus of a majority of the international headlines has been the conflict between Russia – Ukraine and the response of the rest of the world. Easing of some EU border control regarding COVID restrictions starting March 1 was also reported on.

Sports:

Real Sociedad played two games last week. The first was for the Europa League, in which they are in the playoffs of one home game and one away game. The first game was played in Leipzig (Italy) and the result was a 2-2 tie. The next game is at home tomorrow (Thursday, Feb 24). On Sunday it was back to La Liga play in which they played their Basque rival Athletic Bilbao to the result of a 0 – 4 loss. This moves the team to 7th place overall. The next La Liga game is Sunday against Osasuna. 

GBC has played two games since my last update. The first was against Estudiantes which was a 54 – 72 loss. Next they played against in-province rival Juaristi Iraurgi. The result was a 80 – 70 victory. The team is currently in 9th place, last spot for the end of the season playoff. The next game is March 6 against Leyma Coruna.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • COVID-19 continue downward trend
  • Impacts of inflation
  • Political stability in Spain & the world

The verse for this week focused on peace given all that is going on. I thought this verse fit well:

And the Peace of God, Which Transcends All Understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:7

News for prayer for Week of February 7, 2022

Sampie Brown on February 9, 2022

The cover page images for the 4 papers last week were the following: Rafa Nadal after winning the Australian open for his 21st Grand Slam, restaurant owner removing the sign about needing COVID-19 passport after the TSJPV ruled against them and results of the Real Sociedad game against Betis. The Sunday front page had two focuses with the top portion focused on the 40th anniversary of Ertzaintza (Basque National Police) and the other was child refugees from Greece and Syria being taken care of in Gipuzkoa.

Headline News:

COVID continues to be in the news as the government attempts to transition to the next phase of the pandemic. The COVID passport had been in effect since December and the government was looking to extend the use of it for a bit longer. However the judicial system did not agree with the further usage & expansion, so last week the need for a COVID passport was removed completely. This was the seventh time the judicial system did not support the recommendations of the government. The government has also started the process of returning 2.5 million euros that were collected from the fines issued during the various State of Alarms that have now been ruled unconstitutional. The numbers for the 6th wave are beginning to trend down, though the map for Gipuzkoa still is showing all red. The demand for home tests continues to be consistent, and is much lower than what was seen in early January.

The catholic church had two headlines. The first was more coverage surrounding the investigations of the abuse that happened in the Church. They highlighted that in February 2019, 4 cases of sexual abuse were reported for Gipuzkoa. For two of the cases, the priests had already passed away, and the other two cases were sent to Rome for further investigation. Another article talked about ~50 cases that have been reported in the last 50 years for Basque Country. The Sunday paper included a two page interview with a Criminal Investigator from the Basque University. It was very direct and talked about several different aspects of the abuse that happened. It also included thoughts about the way forward for the people and the church. Another article had one victim who raised concerns about the current process and he believes that no investigation will happen. The other headline was that the current bishop had his last service on Sunday after being the ArchBishop for 12 years here. The church was at maximum capacity of 60% due to COVID and also had people outside protesting with posters. He will be moving to Alicante.

Economy:

The outlook for 2022 for the Basque economy continues to look good. They are expecting the GDP for the region to be between 4.5% and 6% for 2022. They believe that 5,000 new jobs will be created. They also acknowledged that some sectors are still needing help (Restaurants and tourism) and are looking for solutions as those businesses are still being impacted. Cost of energy was also listed as a concern as that will also impact the profit margins for companies. 

The IBEX35 ended last week on a downward trend closing at 8,589.30, a 0.24% decrease for the week.

Political:

Two big political items were the focus last week. Both were items that were voted on in the Spanish legislature. The first were updates to housing laws, which were passed. It included protection for small home owners, incentives to help keep prices low, options for houses that are vacant and public housing. The measure was passed with the unity from the PSOE and Unidas Podemos parties. The second item was labor reform. For the past several weeks, it’s had at least one article in the paper. Effects from the labor reform impacted several areas: seasonal contracts, unemployment benefits, contracts for young people entering the workforce, among other areas. The measure barely passed with a 175-174 vote count. The headline talks of how a vote that made the decision was cast incorrectly telematically. This vote was from one of the senior leaders in the PP party, who have been vocal about not supporting the measure.

International:

Here are a few headlines from the international section over the week: The main focus was Russian & Ukraine border tension termed here: The ‘New Cold War’. Also included was the Portugal election with the surprise outcome and high voter turnout, the US attack against Hajji Abdullah, and a view from two different EU countries handling the COVID-19 pandemic: Denmark declaring the end versus Austria implementing fines for those unvaccinated.

Sports:

Real Sociedad played two games in the last week. The first was a King’s Cup match in which they played against Betis. The outcome was a 4-0 loss. With the loss that end’s Real’s attempt to win the King’s Cup in 2022. The other game was a LaLiga match where they played against Valencia, with the result being a 0-0 tie. That result left them in 7th place.

GBC had a game against Tau Castellón which was a 69-77 loss. They only scored 5 points during the third period of this game. The next game they played was against Almansa with the result of a 101-78 victory. The paper commented how it was a well played game for the team. The next game was against Real Valladolid, where the team secured another victory with a 85-71 victory. The team is currently in 6th place overall.

The Monday paper had a spotlight on Rafal’s career after his victory at  the Australian open. He is currently number 4 in overall career victories and 5th in the ATP rankings. I noted in the opening paragraph that he has 21 Grand Slam victories, along with a gold medal in the Olympics in both individual and doubles.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • COVID-19 and it’s continued impacts
  • 2022 Outlook for the Basque Economy
  • Basque and Spanish political leaders
  • Leaders in the catholic church

The verse for this week focused on our paths in life. I thought this verse fit well:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

News for prayer for Week of January 24, 2022

Sampie Brown on February 7, 2022

The cover page images for the 4 papers last week were the following: The mayor presenting the honorary drum for Tamborada, children preparing for Tamborada, children in the street as they were preparing to perform in the Tamborada parade and image from a town showing the family where the last person born was 2017.

Headline News:

From the cover images you can see that Tamborada was a big story last week. While the adult parades were canceled, they still had parades for the children. The children’s parades were held in 5 different parts of the city, with only a small number of schools participating. On Wednesday there was a ceremony to present the different honorary positions for those who were participating in the children’s parade. The attendance was limited and the program much shorter to comply with COVID health requirements. The mayor communicated a message of hope that 2023 would see a return to what the past celebrations looked like. While there was no “official” Tamborrada kick-off at midnight some 300 people gathered in Constitution plaza, which is where it normally officially kicks off, as an impromptu start to the celebrations. 

COVID continues to be a topic across a multitude of areas. One area impacted was the number of people who were unable to work. Over an 18 day period the hospital system communicated that 85,000 people were unable to work. They also shared that in a two week period they had received close to 1 million calls. The number of cases in the residential homes is also higher than the previous waves. In addition residential home workers are also seeing a high number of positives. Youth vaccination as of late last week had only seen about 50% have received one shot. This puts us at the average for the rest of Spain. The director of the Hospital Donostia shared that more than 1000 operations per month are being postponed due to COVID. The hospital workers and supporters had a protest on Sunday as they looked for more support. A large number of them are retiring and currently the investment from the Basque government is below the average when compared to the rest of Europe.

The first 4 pages of the Sunday paper talked about the population drop in Basque Country. The statistics are showing that the national population is decreasing and young people do not have a desire to have children. The government is exploring options to help increase the birth rates as a large percentage of the population is older and nearing retirement.

Economy:

The Bank of Spain has come out making a commitment to have inflation under 2% by the end of the year. At the end of last year inflation was at 6.5%, which was the highest it’s been in almost 30 years. They are planning to follow the lead of the US system as it plans some rate adjustments during the coming year. The risks to the current outlook are geopolitical tension and steady salaries, which includes pension payments.

The Basque Country economy continues its recovery. In November for the first time since COVID started the exports were greater than before the start of the pandemic. The country saw a 22.7% increase in exports in 2021 when compared to the same time frame of Jan through Nov of 2020. Two of the biggest areas that have seen increases are ship building and agricultural and livestock.

The IBEX35 ended last week on a downward trend closing at 8,694.70, a 1.27% decrease for the week.

Political:

The tension between the Spanish and Basque Government is increasing. One reason is the changes to the labor laws and the impact the Basque government may be able to have over them. Another reason was how much was shared out of the EU funds that have been allocated to Spain. The amount shared was considerably less than what was expected based on the initial criteria communicated on for the distribution of those funds.

Spain has the CIS which is the Sociological Research Center and they perform regular surveys in the country. The recent survey for the political climate was released last week. It showed the current political power PSOE gaining 0.5%, PP, the party directly behind them gained 0.7% and VOX gained 0.1%. They also reported that 27.4% of those surveyed had confidence in Pedro Sánchez, while 69.3% said they had little or no confidence in him.

International:

Here are a few headlines from the international section: Boris Johnson’s dealing with accusations over violations of COVID protocol, election of a new leader for European Parliament, which is Roberta Metsola – a 43 year old female from Malta, Russia and Ukraine conflict (Spain has already sent fighter jets to assist) and upcoming elections in Italy.

Sports:

Real Sociedad played Atletico Madrid on January 19 which was the night before Tamborrada started. The team helped start the festivities with a 2-0 win. Though some of the fans got carried away as they impeded the exit of the Atletico Madrid team. The paper had several different interviews about how disappointed various leaders were with this behavior. On Sunday the team returned to LaLiga play where they played against Getafe with the result being a 0-0 tie. That puts them in 6th place overall in LaLiga. The next game is a King’s Cup Game on Feb 3 against Betis.

GBC has played two games since the last news for prayer. The first was against Prat which resulted in a 81 – 70 victory. This was the first game played at home since December 12, as such it was an important win for the team. The next game was against Castellón. It was a 69-77 loss. The team is currently 7th place overall. The next game is on Sunday against Alma.

In July of 2023 the Tour de France will spend the first three stages in Basque Country. The first is in Bilbao, second is a ride from Vitoria to Donostia and finally Amorebieta to Baiona. It is the second time for the city of Donostia to host the race. The route plans are being discussed and will include several different points in the region.

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • COVID-19 and its continued impacts
  • Interactions between the Spanish and Basque Government
  • Basque population struggles

The verse for this week centered on moving forward as we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic. This verse spoke to me as I looked through different ones.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

News for prayer for Week of January 10, 2022

Sampie Brown on February 3, 2022

The cover page images for the 4 papers last week were the following: Results of the Real Soccer Game against Alavés and Celta, the start to sales season and the winning numbers for a lottery drawing.

Headline News:
COVID continues to be the main story for this region. COVID passport’s are required to enter restaurants, concerts and movie theaters. The responsibility is on the owners to perform the check. One day the paper shared that compliance was very low as they entered several different restaurants and only had 1 ask them for the passport. School also restarted after the Christmas/New Years/Three Kings holidays. As they started 11,000 students and 100s of teachers/staff were confined. The restrictions for what happens in classrooms continue to be revised. The Sunday paper broke down data from each of the 6 different waves, which was interesting to see. One data point to note is that the 6th wave has more positive cases than the 3rd, 4th and 5th waves combined. An interview with a local Psychologist discussed the many different mental affects the pandemic has/is having on people. Last week also saw the cancellation announcement of Tamborrada, a city wide celebration for San Sebastian, for the second year. The mayor communicated that it was a very difficult decision to make, though with the current situation it made sense for them to cancel as they believe it would be difficult to maintain the health protocols currently in place during the celebration.

The Bilbao diocese has opened 5 different investigations after a report that was released by ‘El País’ concerning the abuse of minors, who had collected ~250 reports for Spain. They have set up a commission consisting of 5 different people.  They will start by reviewing all the information that is currently available. Some of the incidents have only a little bit of information and a request was made for people to come forward. The diocese wants the truth to be known and ensure that the situations are addressed.

Economy:
Economic growth for the Basque region is currently projected to be higher than it was at pre-pandemic levels. The lowest levels in the pandemic were seen in the second quarter of 2020 at -19.9% and the highest was at 18.6%, which happened in the second quarter of 2021. The current government projects growth to be 6.7% for 2022. The result would be a ~700 million € increase from 2021 and be a record for the region. Energy cost, material shortages and inflation are areas that may impact the growth of the economy. Additionally the unemployment numbers have returned to better than before the pandemic. Those who are currently unemployed are finding it difficult to find a job.

The passing of José María Baztarrica, leader of the CAF (Construction & Other Railway Service) from 1995 to 2015 and his impact was remembered last week. Under his leadership the CAF grew considerably. When he started the company was heavily dependent on Renfe, the train system operated by the Spanish government. He led them to become more international where they had 90 projects in 35 different countries. This growth added several new jobs and a rise in exports for the Basque Country.
The IBEX35 ended last week on an upward trend closing at 8,751.80, a 0.44% increase for the week.

Political:
After the July 2020 elections and a coalition formed between PNV and PSE resulting in a majority, it was believed that legislation would move quickly. However that has not been the case. Thus far they have approved 4 laws and 15 projects. They still have 17 projects initially identified and several laws under consideration. They are hoping that during the next session they will be able to address more given the majority that is in place.

This past Saturday a protest in Donostia and Bilbao called for the return of all the ETA prisoners to Basque Country without exception or delay. Leaders for this movement pointed to the fact that ETA ceased activity 10 years ago and how Spain has not taken a closer look at what happened under Franco. After the protest one of the political parties, PNV, announced that it would no longer be supporting this movement going forward. Before this protest, the leader of the Association of Terrorist Victims made a request to the Basque Government to prohibit such activity or the celebration when ETA prisoners are released. In the request they pointed to existing laws that would support the request. Later this month, they are also planning a meeting to discuss what else should be done to help those who are victims of terrorism. An article also shared how victims of ETA are asking that the violence that happened be condemned so that a path can be made to move forward.

International:
Here are a few of the headlines/themes for news outside of Spain: Russia/Ukraine border concerns, US Capitol incident 1 year later and the upcoming presidential election in France.

Sports:
Real Sociedad played against Celta Vago this past Saturday. The result was a 1-0 victory. The next game is against Atletico Madrid on January 19 and is part of the King’s Cup. In La Liga the team is currently in 5th place. Currently they are 1 point away from being in the top 4 which would qualify them for the Champions Cup.

GBC was scheduled to play Iraurgi S this past Sunday, however due to COVID cases the game was postponed. The next game is scheduled for January 15 against Prat Joventut. The team is currently in 7th place overall, which would qualify them for the end of the season tournament.
Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • COVID-19 (omicron) and it’s impact
  • ETA victims & prisoners
  • Catholic church as it proceeds through the investigations

The verse for this week centered on light. The following verse carried the message well:When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12