Arrival and Departure (June 17!)

Arrival
For those of you who didn't already know, our son - Rafael Martim (Martin in English) Darling - was born April 14 at around 3am Portugal time!  Praise the Lord for his safe arrival, and for a complication-free labor and delivery.  Caryne and Rafa are doing great, Rafa is growing well, and as you can see, the girls are all in love with him!  They are all awesome helpers, and we are all overjoyed to have him here!

Departure
Proverbs 16:9 - "The heart of man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps."  This verse came to my mind as the Lord establishes the next steps for our family.  We had originally planned to head back to the States in August or September, but some "out-of-this-world" plane ticket prices showed up last week, and our timetable really accelerated!  We are flying back June 17!  Much has to be done in a short amount of time, so we covet your prayers as we work through everything for the big move!

Financial Transition
There are two financial aspects involved in this transition back to the States.  First, we thank you for your continued monthly support as I actively seek a full-time position in the Central Virginia area.  Praise the Lord He has provided part-time/temporary work for me in the next coming months, but we are grateful for your monthly giving as we transition to full-time vocational work.

Secondly, we are praying for specific transitional project funds as we are essentially starting all over again! We will be in need of funds for a family vehicle, and startup funds for things like furniture and everything that will be needed to get reestablished in the States.

Thank you in advance for prayerfully considering giving to these needs!

We are so grateful for each and every one of you, and we are looking forward to reconnecting with all of you!

The Next Step for the Darling Family in Portugal

Our time here in Portugal has truly been a time of growth, a time of learning, a time of training, a time of blessings for all of us.  The Lord has solidified our convictions of who we are in Christ, what are gifts are, and where we are going from here.  

An important conclusion that we have come to is that full-time ministry is not what the Lord has for us moving forward.  In the last few months we have felt the immense leading of the Holy Spirit that full-time vocational work is where the Lord wants to use us for the furthering of His kingdom.  It is important to state that this decision has come after many months of prayer, tears, and discussion.  I will be pursuing a career in my field of study, which is Sports Management.  It is a field that I am passionate about and feel the Lord has given me the desire to be a part of.  As Sports Management positions are very few and far between here in Portugal, we have made the difficult but correct decision to move back to the United States.  We will be moving back to Virginia this coming August or September.  Because there will be a transitional period involved, Caryne and the kids will stay with my parents in Connecticut while I get things set up in Virginia.

It is important to note that until we leave we will continue to be in active ministry with our church here in Portugal.  Because of this we thank you for your continued financial support until we move back to the States.  We will also have many extra costs involved with such a big move, including passport renewals and getting settled back in the U.S.  Thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration of helping us with those costs.

We cannot begin to express how we feel about all of you and what you have done for us throughout our time here.  It has been an amazing privilege to have you all partnering with us here in Portugal in ministry.  The Lord has done and will continue to do wonderful things in this country for the furthering of His kingdom!  Each one of you has sacrificed much to be alongside us, and we have been blessed beyond measure by your love and support!

We are excited about this new chapter in our lives as we move forward in obedience to the Lord!  We are also looking forward to reconnecting with all of you as we get settled!

We will keep you updated as things progress (next important event - the birth of our son! - please be in prayer for a complication-free birth!)

To Him be all glory and praise!

"Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my Heart"

I have the awesome privilege of being a part of our praise and worship team at our church, IBA Porto.  I have been greatly affected this week by the words of a classic hymn we have been rehearsing, "Be Thou My Vision."  One of the verses of the hymn says it this way:

"Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,

Thou mine inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art."

May that be our daily prayer, that He alone is our treasure and inheritance!

A Christmas Concert
During the Christmas holidays we were blessed with the opportunity to invite unsaved friends and family to come hear about the true reason for Christmas.  We sang about the miracle of the virgin birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and how He came and died for us, and rose again!  Many were confronted by the Gospel, and we are in constant prayer that the Holy Spirit would work in their hearts to bring them to Him!
We were also able to present the same concert in the prison that I have shared about in the past.  Many men came and heard the Gospel.  The Lord is doing great things!  Please be in prayer for all of these people who have heard the Gospel!

The Big Move
We are officially residents of the city of Alfena, Portugal!  The move has not been without its difficulties and frustrations, but we are getting settled and excited for what the Lord has in store.  As we have shared in the past, our vision is to get completely immersed in the community in which we live, being in prayer that the Lord will bring natural opportunities for us to share the Gospel to those around us.  This will also include starting a Casa Farol (Lighthouse) in our home as soon as we can.  Please be in fervent prayer that we will be wise in our decisions, and that the enemy would not find foothold as we look to shine the light of Christ in this lost community in which we live.

30 Weeks!
We covet your prayers as we move closer to the birth of our fifth child.  Caryne and baby are doing well. There will be more doctor's visits now as we are approaching the last 10 weeks of pregnancy.  Pray that we will get to the hospital in a timely fashion this time around!  Thank you so much for your partnership with us here in Portugal!