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!

"He alone is my rock and my salvation"

All Glory to Him
We recently had a very blessed and emotional day that included celebrating the wedding of a young couple in our church, followed by a baptism service.  One of the men baptized was a recent convert that accepted the Lord through our prison ministry!  He was granted time to leave the prison, and in this short time he came and was baptized at our church!

On the Move
We are moving!  Because of some complicated issues regarding our current place of residence, we have come to the difficult conclusion that it is necessary for us to move.  We will still be living in Greater Porto, about 10 minutes from where we are now.  We covet your prayers, as the move will mean a new school for the girls, and a new community to immerse ourselves in.  Please be in prayer as we get to know the town we are moving to, that the Lord would open up opportunities to share the Gospel, and that we would be ready and willing to take those opportunities!  We are excited for what the Lord has in store!

News!
As some of you have probably already heard, we recently found out that we are having a boy! The due date is April 6, 2016.  Please be in prayer for mom and baby.

Thank You!
It is truly awesome to have all of you as partners in the ministry here in Portugal!  If you have any questions, or if we could be in prayer for you in a specific matter, please don't hesitate to email us at jdarlingportugal@gmail.com.

"Born again to a living hope"

Back to School!
Anadia and Cora headed back to school on September 21st.  Please be in prayer for them, as each day they are walking into a true mission field.  We as a family have a tremendous burden to reach the lost here in our community in our town called Milheirós.  Our local school is of course a part of our community, and it is a daily challenge for Anadia and Cora to be salt and light to those around them so that Christ shines through their lives.  We thank the Lord for His guidance and protection!

New Convert!
Praise the Lord another young lady dear to our church family has come to know Christ!  Her name is Bea. Please be in prayer for her as her journey in Christ has just begun!

Ministry
Please be in prayer that we would always be ready and willing to be used of the Holy Spirit in all opportunities the Lord gives us in both sharing the Gospel, and in discipleship.  First and foremost, our constant prayer is that the Lord would use us to reach the community in which we live.  We are also blessed to be able to disciple young men and women, I have had great opportunities through teaching English, and we are blessed to be a part of our local church ministry.  What a privilege it is to serve the Lord!

Thank You!
We have been praying for additional monthly support, and that prayer has been answered!  Thank you all for your faithful partnership!  

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Thank You!
We are back in Portugal, excited for what the Lord has in store for His church here in Porto.  We wanted to thank you all once again for receiving us so warmly during our time in the States, and for blessing us so richly, beyond what we could truly ever express.  It is an awesome privilege to be a part of the body of Christ!

Another Little Blessing on the Way!
For those of you who don't already know, Caryne is pregnant with our fifth child!  We covet your prayers for both Caryne and the baby, as well as for us as a family as we prepare for the new addition!

Things to be in Prayer For
 - Please be in prayer for our pastor, as he will be travelling to Mozambique in a week to continue the work that our church is involved in there.

 - We appreciate your continual prayer for our church, IBA Porto, as we seek to be a body used of God to reach the lost of our city.

 - We are praying for additional monthly support.  We are currently at 72% of our monthly goal of $2500.

To Him be the Glory!

Blessings Each Day

Thank the Lord for the blessings He gives each day!  We have had such a precious time so far here in the States visiting family and ministry partners!  We have been in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and New York, and it has been a joy to share about Portugal everywhere we go.  Thank you for your continued prayer as we will be heading to Connecticut, then Alaska, back to Connecticut, and then back to Portugal August 27. 

Thank you so much for your faithful partnership!

We are on our way!

Trip to the USA

We leave for the U.S. tomorrow!  We are truly looking forward to seeing many of you, and are excited about the opportunity to spend some time with our families!  If you are interested in knowing our itinerary for the 10 weeks we will be there, please message us through our Facebook page!

Cause for Celebration

This month we've had the joy of celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary on the 7th and then our sweet Soraia's second birthday on the 8th.  We praise the Lord for what He has done, and will continue to do, in our lives!

Thank you all for your partnership!

"Praise Him for His mighty deeds!"

Happy Birthday Isabel!

Praises!

Praise the Lord two prisoners in our church's prison ministry have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!

Praise the Lord He has provided all of the funds needed for our trip to the States this summer!

Praise the Lord for the inauguration of our church's new multiuse building!

Praise the Lord for the successful surgery and recovery for our sweet Isabel (please go to Caryne's Facebook page to read about what happened)!

Praise the Lord because He is in control!

 

Working on the garden next to the new building

Men of our church working together on the new addition

 Thank you for your partnership!

Seek His Kingdom

The Lord through His word has reminded me recently that I need not be anxious about what lies ahead.  Luke 12:22-25; 31 - "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.  Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds!  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his spam of life?  Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you."  Let's place our lives in His hands, and give Him all the glory for what He has done, and for what He will do!

Michel

For the past 18 months I have been visiting a prisoner a couple times a month as part of our church's local prison ministry.  His name is Michel, he is Dutch, and he speaks almost perfect English.  It has been a truly heartwarming experience for me as I have watched firsthand the Lord working in His life!  He is a believer in Christ, and when I first started meeting with him he was very discouraged and downtrodden.  But as we have been studying the Scriptures together and sharing personal experiences, the Lord has put a desire in him to truly "seek His kingdom"!  It has been such a blessing in my own life to see him go from an unhappy and angry man, to a man that is resting in the peace that only our Lord can give.  My prayer now is that he will begin to see that he has a mission field all around him in that prison, and that his life will shine the light of the Gospel where he is!

This Summer

It is hard to believe that our trip to the States is only about three months away!  Our agenda while we are there is taking shape, and we are excited about what the Lord has in store as we visit family and partners in ministry!  We appreciate your prayers as we still need to raise a little bit more to be fully funded for the trip. As soon as I can I will post what we are still needing so that we can pray about that more specifically.

Young People

Twice a month Caryne has been meeting with the young women of our church in our home.  There they study the Scriptures together and discuss important life issues.  Caryne is even leading this time with the young ladies in Portuguese!  She has been doing great learning the language and it is so awesome to watch her being used of the Lord in this way!  Pray for Caryne and these young women!

Our Girls

Anadia, Cora, Isabel, and Soraia are all doing great, praise the Lord!  Please be in prayer specifically for Anadia and Cora, as they are in a true mission field every day that they step foot into their school. It is a real example of being light in the midst of darkness, as they are confronted with complicated issues almost on a daily basis.  Praise the Lord they both have a wonderful heart for Jesus, and we pray for the Lord's protection and guidance in their lives!

More Than Conquerors

What an amazing truth we can hold on to that "we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Our hearts are at peace as we place our lives in His hands for Him to mold and shape us in such a way that we may glorify Him with all that we do!  What a privilege it is that we can be used of Him to accomplish His purposes!

Bible Study/New Teaching Opportunities

Towards the end of 2014 the Lord blessed us with a much needed teaching English opportunity.  I am now giving English classes twice a week in a company situated about 30 minutes south of Porto in a town called São Jõao da Madeira.  What was an added blessing was the fact that a family that attends our church happens to live near São Jõao.  I had been praying for the chance to spend more time with this family, specifically their two children, who are ages 14 and 22.  The Lord answered that prayer and I now have a Bible study with them once a week in their home.  It has been a joy as we grow together in the knowledge of our Lord!

The Next Generation

It is so important that we equip the youth of our church here in such a way that they will carry on the Gospel effectively for generations to come.  Please pray that the Lord will guard the hearts of each one of them, and that as a church we will be used of the Lord to raise them up in maturity in Him!  

Praise the Lord just a few weeks ago a young women came to know Christ through the ministry of our church!  We had been fervently praying for her conversion, and we praise the Lord for the answer to prayer! It is just the beginning, however, so please pray for her that she will have the passion to grow closer to Him!

Prison Ministry/Event

Every Saturday our Pastor meets with about 15-20 men in a local prison.  There they sing, pray, and study the Scriptures.  The Gospel is preached, and lives are being changed.  Many of our church members also meet one-on-one with some of these men during the week, where we can follow up with them at a more personal level.  All of this came about because one of our church members ended up in this particular prison for a mistake he made many years ago in Romania.  It was all part of God's plan, of course, as the testimony of this man began to draw many to the Lord!  He has sinced been released, but wants to continue being a part of this ministry!

We recently were able to have a Christmas service in the prison, and we were able to bring with us our praise team, along with a local professional athlete who is a member of our church.  He shared his testimony in front of over 30 men, which included several guards.  We truly sensed the presence of the Lord in the service, and many lives were touched by the Gospel!

Pastor's Trip to Mozambique

Please be in pray for Pastor Figueira, as later this month he will be travelling to Mozambique to continue the ministry there.  He has not been able to go back for quite some time because of political unrest in the country, so this trip is very important for the ministry moving forward.  Hundreds of leaders are being trained there, and we pray that the Gospel will continue to spread!

Support

We cherish the fact that so many of you partner with us with prayer and financial support!  In this new year we are in need of some additional monthly support (more specific details to come).  Would you prayerfully consider financially partnering with us as we serve here in Portugal?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Our Family to Yours!

Celebration of the Birth of our Lord Jesus
What a joy it is to celebrate together the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!  We trust you had a wonderful time with family and friends during the holiday season!  As a family we retreated into the mountains for a few days for Christmas, and we had a great time!  Let's celebrate our Lord Jesus each and every day!

Prison Ministry
The awesome ministry that our church has in a local prison continues to be blessed by the Lord.  We have seen several decisions for Christ, and new faces come to our meetings almost every month.  I continue to meet with a prisoner named Michel from Holland several times a month.  We have seen encouraging spiritual growth in him, and our prayer is that the light of Jesus will truly shine through him to those around him in the prison.

Casas Farol
As I have mentioned before, Casas Farol (Lighthouses) are an integral part in the vision of our church here to reach the lost for Christ.  In these meetings we get together in homes throughout the city to sing praises, study the Scriptures, pray, and share.  We hope to soon, in these meetings, begin to also gather around a meal to celebrate the Lord's Supper.  Please be in prayer as this year we are going to start what will be our fourth Casa Farol in the southern part of Porto.  It is our prayer as a church to see Casas Farol in every corner of this city!

Music School Ministry
Our church's music school ministry is doing very well.  The purpose of this ministry is to train people within our church to be able to use music to serve the Lord.  There are classes in piano, guitar, bass guitar, and music theory.  We also hope to have voice classes soon.  We have already seen fruit, as one of our students now plays bass guitar in our services.  I am encouraged as I am progressing with the guitar, and have already been able to use what I have learned with our girls, as well as in some meetings with church members.

Thank You
It seems as though the transition with our support has gone quite smoothly, and we want to thank you all for that, and for your faithful partnership!  We are so blessed to have each and every one of you alongside us on this journey!

Important and Exciting Changes!

The address for our support funds has changed! Here is the new information:


Twin Cities Church
memo: Portugal (Darling Family)
2375 W. University Ave, Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55114

Any questions please contact finance@tccmn.org.


NOTE: You can also go to http://tccmn.org/give/ to give online or have automatic withdrawal set up!


Seven years ago a man named George Stagg felt the Lord leading him from Oakwood Road Church, the church where BILD International was founded, to plant churches in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. They now have a thriving church that meets in both cities (You can read a little about their story here - http://tccmn.org/about/).


This church (Twin Cities Church) has recently become a partner of our church here in Portugal, Antioch Baptist Church. They have felt led by the Lord to join forces with us in reaching the lost here in the city of Porto. George and his wife visited us just a few months ago, where we strategized together on the best way to organize our churches so that the Gospel will spread in the most effective way possible.


We are very excited about this and everyone involved felt it important to make this change, as Twins Cities Church is at the moment better set up to handle all finances involved with our support. As you read above, there are now many different ways you can give, which we hope will make things easier for you going forward.


Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you, as always, for your partnership!


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


In Christ,


The Darling Family

P.S. Stay tuned for an update on what's going on in the ministry here in Porto!

Blessings Abound!

Baptism
The Lord continues to bless the ministry of our church here in Porto.  Last week we had the joy of witnessing the baptism of a recent convert who came to Christ through the faithful example of a member of our church. Please pray for this young man from Colombia named Jhoan.  Pray that he would grow in spiritual maturity as he seeks to serve the Lord.

Bible Studies
An awesome part of our ministry here is the opportunity to have weekly Bible studies with several of the young people in our church.  I meet with three of our young men on separate days of the week, Caryne meets with several of the young women at least twice a month, and together we meet with a young dating couple each week.  It is such a privilege to study and grow in maturity together, and to see these young people with the desire to serve the Lord with their lives!  Please be in prayer that the Lord would guard their hearts, and that they would be effective witnesses to those around them!

A Special Visit
We were so blessed to have my parents here in Porto for two weeks!  They had a great time getting to know the ministry here, and visiting places in and around our city that are special to our family.  The girls loved the time with their grandparents!

What a joy it is to serve the Lord in Portugal!  Thank you for your partnership!

Plans for a Trip to the States

A Furlough
As the Lord continues to bless the work here in Portugal, we have begun praying about the possibility  of visiting the States to spend time with family and partners.

It is such a privilege to be a part of the Lord's work here in Portugal.  On June 15 of this year, we reached two years of living in the great city of Porto.  We are now praying for the opportunity to visit the States on a short furlough in the summer of 2015.  We are looking specifically to arrive on June 20, and stay until August 20. We will begin to connect with our church partners to see about opportunities to visit and share all about what the Lord is doing here.

Trip Expenses
As we are a large family, the biggest financial challenge will be the cost of airfare.  We will be needing to purchase six plane tickets.  We will also have in-country expenses like van rentals, etc.  Our plan will be to spend time with our families in the northeast, as well as visit each one of our church partners, both on the east and west coasts.  Would you prayerfully consider giving towards our visit to the States?  Thank you, as always, for your partnership!

Important
If you would like to give specifically towards this trip, please write your check out to BILD International (as always), and include "Darling Family Furlough" on the memo line.  You can also give by credit card by calling BILD at the number in the upper right hand corner of this blog.


   

Greater is He that is in You

New School

One of the awesome features of our new home is that the local school is within walking distance for Caryne and the girls.  For both Anadia and Cora it will mean moving to a new school and everything that a change like that brings.  This past year they had been attending separate schools, but praise the Lord they both have been accepted into the new one!  They certainly are excited that they will be together every day!  Please pray for them that they will integrate well will their new teachers and classmates, and that above all else they will be able to show God's love to those around them!

Special Project

As you all know, there are always extra expenses at the beginning of the school year for things like books and supplies.  If you would to give toward a special project specifically for the girls' schooling, the costs will be around $200.  

This little one has discovered the joys of walking :)

Recent Convert

Please be in prayer for a recent convert in our church named Laura.  Please pray that she will grow in Christ, and that we as a church will be effective in leading her to maturity in the Lord.  We praise the Lord for all that He is doing through this local church!

From a recent day trip to Gerês, northern Portugal.  

Getting Settled

Our New Home/Cora's Birthday
We are feeling wonderfully blessed as we settle in to our new home.  On July 9 we had the joy of celebrating Cora's sixth birthday, along with hosting our Casa Farol (led by Pastor Figueira).  We had many church families come to celebrate with us, and to dedicate our home to be used for the advancement of the Gospel.

Prayer Request - Neighbors
We are encouraged as almost right away we have connected with two neighbor families in our new community.  Our girls have struck up friendships with the children of these families, and we are excited about what the Lord has in store.  Please pray continually that the Gospel has an impact in our community!

Thank you for your partnership!