He is Exalted!

Conversions

In the past three weeks three people have accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior through the ministry of our church.  Praise the Lord!  We are so excited to see how the Lord is using this community of believers here in northern Portugal!

Church Plant

Our church is currently going through the process of establishing a new church in a town called Trofa.  We appreciate your prayers for our leadership as all the details are worked out.  The priority has always been that through everything the Lord will be glorified, and the Gospel will advance.  Please pray that in this time of transition, that priority will remain steadfast.

Caryne and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding
anniversary on June 7.

Caryne's Pregnancy

Our fourth child has not arrived yet, but we are getting close!  Caryne and the baby are doing well.  Please pray for strength and good health for them both.  Please also pray for Anadia, Cora, and Isabel, as once their new sibling arrives they will have to spend a few days with Pastor Antonio's family.  We are so thankful for such a loving and helpful church family!

Bible Study/Youth

Please also continue praying for the youth of our church.  They face very difficult challenges ahead, as Portugal remains in financial crisis.  Our prayer is that they will place their relationship with the Lord above anything else in their lives, as only in Him is there peace and clarity.  We continue to have weekly Bible studies with some of the young men, and we will also begin to have more frequent weekend get-togethers to study God's word.  Thank you for your continual prayers for the young people.

We praise the Lord for your partnership!

Dia de Portugal

Statue of Luís de Camões, Lisbon, Portugal.

Our fourth child is due June 10, which just happens to be an important national holiday in Portugal.  (The holiday celebrates Luís de Camões, who wrote the famous poem Os Lusíadas, a poem which focuses on the great 16th-century Portuguese explorations.  For more information, click here).  We recently toured the hospital where Caryne will have the baby, and we are making the final preparations for the new arrival.  We covet your prayers as another wonderful and challenging change comes our way.

A Citizen

Some very interesting and exciting news came our way this past month!  Through the research of a lawyer friend at our church, we learned that I am in fact Portuguese, and apparently have always been!  As most of you know, I was born here, but of American and Canadian parents.  However, the law in Portugal the year I was born stated that anyone born here was automatically a citizen, regardless of the nationality of the parents.  So, consequently, I received my citizen card just a few days ago!  This also gives the right to Caryne and the girls to have dual citizenship.  We praise the Lord for this news, as it makes living here much easier financially and otherwise.  We never cease to be amazed with how the Lord works!

Mãezinha

Mãezinha

Recently Alicínia da Graça Salgueiro, Pastor Antonio's mother-in-law affectionately called "mãezinha," went home to be with the Lord.  We are saddened by the passing of such a wonderful servant of the Lord, but we rejoice in that she is in a better place!  Thank you for lifting up her family as well as the church in this time of loss.

Church Plant

Praise the Lord the opportunity has opened up to plant a new church about twenty-five minutes from ours here in Porto!  The pastor of this new church will be a man that was raised and trained in our church, and he and his family are ready and willing to begin this new work!  We are joyful in that the Gospel will continue to advance in and around this area, and we appreciate your prayers as this new congregation begins to take shape.

Ministry Opportunities

Please continue to pray for opportunities for us to share the Gospel with those around us. The Lord has given us wonderful occasions to be witnesses of Christ's love, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will touch the hearts of those that we share with.

Thank you for your partnership!

The Lord is Never Surprised!

Vehicle Provided

Through the Lord's provision, and through the gracious support of wonderful ministry partners, we were able to purchase a van!  As we seek daily to put everything in God's hands, we are blessed and humbled as He provides for our needs.  We are so thankful for the privilege we have to serve Him!

Pastor Figueira in Mozambique

Pastor Figueira and an elder (Jorge) from our church left yesterday for Mozambique. Pastor has been traveling there at least four times a year for many years.  The purpose of those trips has been to teach pastors how to train up new leaders within their local churches.  These new leaders are being used to plant new churches as the Gospel expands.  On this current trip, Pastor Figueira hopes to establish a unified strategy on how to most effectively reach Mozambique for Christ.  Key church leaders from all over the country will gather together to map out this strategy.  Pastor and Jorge will be gone for two weeks, and will be traveling all over the country.  Please pray for blessing in ministry, and for safety.

Anadia and Cora

Through much prayer and discussion, we have decided to enroll Anadia and Cora into Portuguese school here locally.  They will begin in September.  We pray for wisdom and strength as we approach this exciting, yet anxious, time for our family.  We appreciate your prayers as we begin this new chapter.

Caryne and the Baby

Caryne and the baby are well, praise the Lord.  As we approach the due date, there are many details and preparations that need to be taken care of.  The Lord has it all in His hands.  Please pray that we will rest peacefully in that fact.  Thank you for your prayers for this pregnancy.

Young Men's Bible Study

We recently began a new young men's Bible Study here at the church.  It has already produced fruit, and we are excited about what God is doing, and will do, through these young men.  Please be in prayer for this ministry.

Thank you for your partnership!

Spring is Coming!

We praise The Lord for every opportunity to serve Him!  We continue to steadily move forward with the opportunities we are given, and look forward to seeing God working in the hearts of the people.  We are very aware of God's presence and guidance here, and that His word does not return void.  

I continue to teach English, and though the schedule fluctuates, God always provides just the right amount of work.  Teaching English has opened up many opportunities to share with people about our personal relationship with Christ.  In a culture where God is either distant and unavailable, or just a religious practice with the hope that "maybe I'll be good enough", discussing the fact that we have a personal, one on one relationship with God is an unfamiliar concept.  We pray for many opportunities to live this out.  

We anticipate many good things as our church transitions to a more family centered, and outreach focused ministry.  As we study carefully through the book of Acts, we are striving to emulate the early church in it's form of discipleship and multiplication of churches.

At home, Caryne and the girls are doing well.  The girls enjoy their school routine, but look forward to going back to the beach, since we are starting to have more sunny days! Caryne and baby are healthy and doing great, only 15 weeks before the due date!  As this time gets closer, we would ask for prayer that the delivery would be smooth and the baby would be healthy.  Also, pray for clear communication with the hospital staff, especially for Caryne.  We look forward to welcoming this blessing to our family!

We continue to pray for upcoming expenses, knowing that the Lord is never surprised. We are in need of a bigger vehicle to accommodate our growing family.  We are praying for the opportunity to purchase this vehicle soon so we may be ready for the new arrival. In June we will also be needing to renew our visas, which will include a new visa for the baby.  The cost for these visas will be approximately $1,000.  Thank you for your prayer and consideration regarding these needs!

We can never thank you enough for your partnership.  To Him be all the glory!

"Keep Seeking the Things Above"

It is a true joy to be called a child of God, and a tremendous privilege to be able to serve Him.  I will never tire of saying that.  Despite our depravity, He loves us, and gives us the awesome responsibility of being a part of furthering His kingdom.  I am so thankful for that truth.

After a restful holiday season spent with dear families of our church, we are back in full swing of a busy schedule.  I have about fifteen hours of teaching English per week all around the city of Porto.  My students are made up of several members of our church, as well as those from the company that I teach for.  We praise the Lord for how He perfectly provides the work needed.  I also spend an hour and a half twice a week in Portuguese language class, taking the valuable information I've learned back to Caryne and the girls. Monday and Friday nights we are involved in church-based theological classes, where we learn and discuss together with several individuals and couples of the church.  Saturdays and Sundays typically consist of the girls being a part of the kids program, we have a time together with the youth of church, and our Sunday services.  Our prayer is that we will always follow the Lord's leading in our lives, and we are thankful for the opportunities in ministry He has given us.

Caryne is 21 weeks along, and she and the baby are doing well.  We are so thankful for our church family, who shower us with gifts and things we need as we get ready for this new life.  The girls are well, growing every day both spiritually and physically.  Caryne and I are so aware of the important responsibility and blessing we have in raising our children in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord."  Each one brings joy to our hearts.

Things You Can Be In Prayer For:

 - Please continue to pray for this pregnancy.  Pray for strength and good health for both Caryne and the baby.
 - With our fourth child coming soon, we will need to purchase a larger vehicle to accommodate our growing family.  We are praying for approximately $8,000 for that need.
 - Please pray for our church.  There are several important changes being made in our effort to reach the city of Porto with the Gospel.  Please pray for wisdom and discernment in this important time.

Thank you so much for your invaluable partnership in this ministry!

Feliz Natal!

Downtown Porto

We have been in Portugal now for six months! As we celebrate the birth of our Lord, we are thankful for so much.  We have been blessed with a wonderful home, a loving church family, opportunities in ministry, opportunities to teach, and a tremendous network of partners alongside us.  We are very encouraged to see the movement of the Gospel here, and are humbled to be part of God's work in Portugal.

After spending several days with my parents in Connecticut, I returned from the States on the 16th of November.  Praise the Lord my father is doing great following his surgery, and his rehab is going well.  I also was wonderfully blessed with the opportunity to share with North Haven Bible Church family.

The Lord has graciously brought so many awesome partners to this ministry.  We are praising the Lord for your support, as the needs mentioned in the last blogpost have been met!  Finances were given for our winter necessities, and another generous gift given enabled us to pay for the car we've been using.  We marvel at how the Lord always provides for our needs.

The last thirty days have been a busy time in the life of the church.  I continue to have the privilege of spending the weekends with the young people, and have greatly benefited from theological training every Monday and Friday. Additionally, the Lord has provided Portuguese lessons every Tuesday through the English school I work for. These lessons have already greatly improved my ability in the language, which of course is a huge help as I communicate with the youth.  Meanwhile, Pastor Figueira has had the opportunity to minister to several Portuguese communities in the region.  There are church-planting movements in both the Azores (Portuguese islands), as well as in Luxembourg. Pastor has recently met with key leaders in both those areas.  Please be in prayer that these growing partnerships will be used of God to spread the Gospel throughout the Portuguese-speaking world.

The girls are all well and are enjoying their first Christmas season in Portugal.  The church family has wonderfully embraced our family, and the girls love to spend time with them.  We see almost daily improvement in their grasp of the language, and its great to watch them become a part of the culture here.  Caryne and the baby are also doing well, praise the Lord.  Please pray that the Lord would watch over this pregnancy.

As year 2012 comes to a close, we reflect on all the Lord has done.  We are thankful for His love, grace, and provision.  We are thankful for each one of you, as your partnership is absolutely vital, and its a true joy to share our passion for this country with you.   We rest in the knowledge that He has everything in hands, and we look forward to what He has in store for the future!

Grávida!

Isabel is going to be a big sister!

Well, the Lord has brought along another blessing! We recently found out that Caryne is pregnant! We are thankful for the wonderful news, and we appreciate your prayers as a new life prepares to join us.

I have spent the past week in leadership training in Ames, IA, at the annual BILD Conference.  What a true blessing it was to worship and train with several hundred men and women from all around the world.  I am grateful for the opportunity to meet and share with fellow believers in Christ.

I am now in Connecticut spending the next several days with my parents before I head home to Portugal on Thursday.  We praise the Lord that my father is recovering well from his recent surgery.  Today I had the great privilege of sharing and updating our wonderful partners here at North Haven Bible Church.  We are so thankful for their love and support of our family.

Preaching and Teaching Workshop at BILD Conference

Caryne and the girls are doing well.  I rest in the comfort that they are well taken care by our awesome church family in Porto.  

Specific Things You Can Be In Prayer For:

*We are in need of approximately $1550 to pay for the car that a man from our church has allowed us to use.  He would like these funds by the end of the year

*With the winter coming up, we are in need of $400 for the purchase of space heaters and wood for our home

We thank each and everyone of you for your partnership in this ministry!

Jerry Neuman (Brazil), Myself and Pastor Figueira in Iowa

Cora enjoying a warm water bottle

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"