When retirement approached, Dr. Anne Hoffmann Leygue and her husband Arturo asked whether God might have another place for them in his mission. Nearly two years later, the couple are building friendships and sharing their faith in Roquetas de Mar, a coastal town in Andalusia, southern Spain. Their story appears in the August–October 2026 issue of Allianz-Mission's move magazine.
The Hoffmann Leygues are part of a growing number of "Silverliners" — retirees who dedicate their post-career years to cross-cultural mission. Arturo was born in Bolivia, giving the couple a natural affinity for Spanish-speaking contexts. Allianz-Mission, the overseas arm of Germany's Bund Freier evangelischer Gemeinden (FeG), supports their work. Spain, despite its deep Catholic heritage, is a minority evangelical context. The Federation of Independent Evangelical Churches of Spain (FIEIDE) has set a goal of planting 100 churches by 2036, underscoring the need for new Christian witness in the country.
Anne meets weekly with Pedro, a retired Spaniard, for a language tandem — German for Spanish — at a local café. After a year, a trusting friendship has developed between the two couples. They also seek connections at the local senior citizens' club, a fitness studio, and the official language school, where they have shared about German Christmas and Easter traditions and spoken "in a very natural way about Jesus." Anne notes that building personal relationships in Spain requires "perseverance and patience" before spiritual topics can be broached, but sees each conversation as a step in God's timing. She says she finds "meaning and purpose" through her relationship with Jesus — and believes retirement has opened, not closed, the door to mission.
(Originally published in German. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: Allianz-Mission / Bund FeG — allianzmission.de
