Local Church Youth Soccer League

I wanted to update you on something I mentioned a while ago. My pastor at our local church here in Lynchburg, VA has asked me to head up the launching of a youth soccer league at our church. The Lord has blessed the church with some land right next to the sanctuary that is perfect for sports outreach. He has also blessed the congregation with tons of kids, and they just keep coming! We envision this league as an opportunity for parents to come together for a great time of ministry. We also have a larger vision of reaching out to the local community to bring their children to play. The league will be volunteer-driven, which means the parents will be coaching, setting up cookouts, refereeing, and anything else that comes along. We trust the Lord will use this league to stir up conversations about what He is doing in our lives! We will start with two divisions. A three and four year-old division, and a five and six year-old division. If the Lord sees fit to grow the ministry, then we will add more age groups. We start registration this Sunday. We are looking forward to watching the Lord work! Please pray that the Lord will use me to further His kingdom through this ministry!

We continue to pray the Lord will provide for me to take the TEFL in September, as well as for a plane ticket to Iowa for the BILD Summit in November. Please pray the Lord would make clear His will regarding those events. Thank you for your continued support!

TEFL Certification/Target Date

The time spent with Pastor Antonio Figueira has truly created such an eagerness to move forward! There are two steps within reach that need to be completed as part of the process of going to Portugal. They are explained below:

First, I have found the specific TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification course that will open the doors to work in Portugal. The course is Oxford Seminars and is offered at the University of Virginia, which is about one hour from our home. It is taught over three weekends, starting this coming September 11. The cost of this course is more than what I listed in a previous post, $1095. This price includes all course materials, TEFL teaching resources, full access to the English Language Schools directory, and six months free teacher placement service. We are praying that the Lord will provide the funds to take this course in the form of sponsors who would like to invest in this ministry with a one time gift. Would you prayerfully consider becoming a sponsor? If so, please send a check to the BILD International address (located in the April 3 post), and please include "Jeff Darling, TEFL Certification" in the memo line of your check.

Second, BILD International is holding their annual summit in Ames, Iowa, November 1-5. The purpose of this summit is to learn the curriculum and discipleship program used to train up leaders within the local church. I will also have the opportunity to interact with church leaders from all over the world who are already implementing this curriculum in their churches. Pastor Antonio wants me to attend this summit as a part of my preparation in joining his church. All I need to do is purchase the plane ticket to Iowa, as BILD takes care of all the rest. The cost of a ticket to Des Moines, Iowa is between $300-$350 round trip. Would you consider sponsoring me for this trip? Please include "Jeff Darling, plane ticket" in the memo line of your check.

We have set a target date to be in Portugal: August/September 2011. We can't wait to see how the Lord will accomplish his plan for us, as it is truly only Him who will accomplish these things. Thank you so much for joining with us!

Briefly in Connecticut

Here is myself and my family with Pastor Antonio Figueira. This was taken at my parents home Sunday, May 2.

We're Back

We arrived back in Lynchburg earlier this week from a long but productive and enjoyable trip for both myself and my wife and children. Caryne and the girls departed April 23 to Philadelphia, PA and then on to upstate New York. Caryne's main purpose of the trip was to help her mother during the recovery process following chemotherapy. Please keep her parents in your prayers. From there they traveled to North Haven, CT, to spend some time with my parents.

Meanwhile, Pastor Antonio Figueira arrived in the United States. I picked him up on Wednesday, April 28 in Madison, VA. From there we embarked on a journey, meeting with pastors and old friends, discussing our ministry vision and looking for partners to join us in that vision. The Lord truly blessed and it was an experience I will not soon forget. We began with a brief meeting Wednesday night with my pastor, Pastor Marvin Suitt of Living Word Baptist Church. The purpose of this meeting was to receive Pastor Suitt's blessing on me in joining and ministering at the church in Porto, Portugal. From there we headed north and made stops in York, Harrisburg, and Telford, PA, before reuniting with my wife and kids in North Haven, CT.

Sunday morning, May 2, Pastor To' and myself had the privilege of sharing in Sunday school at my father's (Pastor Dan Darling) church. We had a tremendous time with the congregation there, and I praise the Lord that he is doing an awesome work through my father there. It was also a great time of catching up, as Pastor Antonio and my parents were in ministry together for many years in Portugal during the 1980s.

I learned much more about the ministry of Pastor Antonio through the many hours on the road together. The Lord is accomplishing much through the work of Antioch Baptist Church in Portugal, and we are anxious to join with them in ministry.

Thank you for your continued prayers as we take steps toward this goal!

Destination: Portugal - Our First Official Newsletter

Well, we have delayed publishing our first official newsletter until now as we have been trying to gather all the necessary materials to send out hard copies. That has proven to be a bit difficult at the moment, so without further ado...

It is truly interesting to see the Lord so clearly at work presently in my life. As we strive to seek Him we cannot deny that He is in control. I was born and raised in Portugal, and moved to the US at the age of eleven. Since leaving, my desire to return has remained all these years. I have visited the country four times in the past twelve years. I have wrestled with understanding whether it is God's will for me to return, or if its just a case of me missing where I grew up. I believe the Lord in various ways has affirmed that He wants me to go. He has blessed me with a wonderful wife who is ready to go and serve wherever the Lord leads us. Good friends have encouraged me with prayer and advice. And of course, the invitation from a pastor I have known my entire life and look up to as a powerful man of God. These things have blessed us as a family, and we desire to go wherever He wants to take us.

Pastor Antonio (To') Figueira's church, Antioch Baptist, is located in the city of Porto. The church is a growing and vibrant place, and I had the privilege of attending a service while we were there. We are particularly impressed with their strong discipleship program, and their understanding that everything in the Christian life has its foundation within the local church.

There are numerous areas within the church where we will be serving. It will begin initially with a leadership role with the youth, but of course we will be involved wherever we are needed. Pastor To' is very involved in church planting both in Portugal and within Portuguese-speaking countries. He envisions us having a role in that work as well.

We feel it is important that we are able to serve in Portugal fully supported, so that will be our objective as we move forward. However, I will be looking to become certified in teaching English as a second language (TESL) to open up doors for part-time employment. This strategy will help supplement our income until we are full supported. Antioch Baptist is a church of about 150 members, so consequently they are unable to provide any salary for us. We will rely on support and part-time work for our lively hood.

Will you prayerfully consider becoming part of a powerful team that will come along side of us in this ministry? It cannot be understated that prayer is the foundation behind any strong ministry, so first and foremost we ask that you would become a prayer partner.
Specifically our prayer needs right now are the logistics of getting to Portugal, preparing ourselves through ministry here in our local church, and for Caryne and the girls to begin learning the language.

Secondly, in order for us to be able to devote all our efforts toward the church and to the people of Portugal, financial support is needed. I will indicate specific financial goals at a later time, but for now please consider sponsoring me to cover the cost of TESL certification. The cost of the course is approximately $550. I desire to begin that process as soon as possible, as Pastor To' will start speaking to potential employers in Portugal on my behalf.

Antioch Baptist Church partners with the US ministry BILD International. They are the American link where financial support can be sent. They also provide the foundation for the church's discipleship program. BILD will provide any necessary receipts for tax purposes. Please visit their website at www.bild.org to see their mission statement and philosophy. Their address is 2400 Oakwood Rd., Ames IA 50014-8417. Would you consider supporting us monthly, with a one-time gift, or sponsoring me for TESL certification?

You can give by sending a check to the above address. Please write on the subject line of your check either "Darling Family/Portugal/Monthly", "Darling Family/Portugal/One-Time", or "Darling Family/Portugal/TESL Cert."

Thank you for your continued prayer and encouragement! Please pass this along to anyone who could join us in reaching the Portuguese people.

Pastor To' Coming (1st Official Letter Still to Come)

Life has really been quite crazy (with that necessary day job), so our first official newsletter is still not ready. I am very excited, however, because Pastor To' is coming to the States the end of April. He will be participating in a number of activities, which include workshops for Portuguese-speaking churches, fundraising, and visiting old friends. He will be spending time in Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. He will be stopping here at our home In VA and I will be joining him for his trip to New Jersey. There we will participate in workshops in NJ, as well as visit my brother-in-law's church outside of Philadelphia. We also plan on making a stop in CT to visit my father's church. For those of you interested in what the workshops mentioned are about, please visit this site: http://www.bild.org/philosophy/Overview.htm. There is some very cool info there, so I recommend visiting.

We covet your prayers as we begin to build a team of supporters, both in prayer and monetarily. I would ask that you would seek God's guidance about possibly supporting us as we move forward.

I truly can't wait to see what God has in store!

Jeff

By the way

The most recent entry was written by Jeff.....