Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Psalm 107:1 - Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!
We have so much to be thankful for!
- We are thankful for the person of Jesus, for the salvation and purpose for life He has provided
- For beautiful, healthy children
- For loving and supportive family
- For a wonderful, committed local church
- For caring and supportive partners in ministry
- For the awesome privilege to serve the Lord in Portugal
We are thankful for the van the Lord provided in April!
We are thankful for the healthy arrival of Soraia Graça in June!
We are thankful for visits from family!
We are thankful that the girls are doing great in Portuguese school!
As always, thank you for your partnership!
Monday, November 11, 2013
For the sake of the Gospel
We are so thankful to the Lord for the opportunity we have to serve Him. I am reminded often how important it is to stop for a moment in our crazy schedules and remember that He chooses us to carry out His mission here on earth. That is such a humbling truth, when we think about how weak, fragile, and broken we are. It also is such a joy to watch our children grow in their knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and to see them begin to affect those around them for the Gospel. Anadia and Cora continue to do well in school, and Isabel and Soraia are also doing great at home. Cora is even beginning to correct us in our knowledge of the Portuguese language! Caryne is also doing well, and is impressively learning the language without any organized teaching. Thank you for your continued prayer for our family.
My sister Jen and her youngest child Ivy just left today to return to the US. They visited us for almost 2 weeks, and we had a great time. Jen and her family have always been a great encouragement to us, and it was a true joy to have her with us for a little while. We praise the Lord for the blessings He brings us through our families!
Pastor Antonio's Trip to the US
Pastor Antonio left for his annual trip to the US last Thursday. His itinerary there includes visits with ministry partners, attending meetings at BILD International headquarters in Iowa, and conducting leadership workshops in several Portuguese-speaking churches. Please pray that his time there will be fruitful, and for health and safety.
The Youth of our Church
Praise the Lord our youth group here is growing spiritually and numerically! We have had several new young people begin to spend more time with us, and we are really beginning to see the Lord use this group for the furtherance of the Gospel. Please continue to pray for this group of kids, as they are the future of the church here in Portugal!
Thank You as always for your Partnership!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
"Go Therefore"
This past Sunday I had the wonderful honor and privilege of baptizing Anadia. As we have been teaching her the foundations of faith in Jesus, she quickly began to understand that she needed to be baptized! We are very proud parents as we watch our firstborn grow in the Lord. It was an awesome service in front of our church family, and some family in the States even got to see it live! We praise the Lord for His goodness!
Pastor Figueira's Trip to Mozambique
Pastor Figueira departed today for another trip to Mozambique. He will be meeting with key church leaders in several different regions of the country. Strong foundations have already been built to ensure effective leadership training going forward. On this trip he will be looking to encourage the churches to continue pressing on with the vision of spreading the Gospel through church-planting throughout that nation. Please pray for effective ministry, health, and safety.
Anadia and Cora in School
Anadia and Cora are doing well in school, praise the Lord! They are learning the language, making friends, and discovering new things all the time. It is certainly not without its challenges, as most of you know, but we are thankful that the Lord is always with them in this new phase of their lives. Please pray as we continue to work out the kinks in regards to communication with teachers, purchasing of materials, and other things involved in school life. We trust that the Lord will use them as vessels to show His love to those around them!
The youth group of our church recently began a new ministry in a low-income housing area of the city of Porto. Through a church member, we learned of an elderly lady (Silvina) in this area in desperate need of help to clean and maintain her home. Because of her health, she is no longer able to take care of it herself. As a group we have begun to get to know her, and we have also begun the frequent cleaning of her home. Please be in prayer for the salvation of Silvina, and for the youth as they are introduced to a whole new world that involves some circumstances that can be hard to imagine. The ultimate vision for this ministry is to begin to hold Bible studies in her home, and Lord-willing to reach out to others in the neighborhood with the Gospel.
Prison Ministry
Pastor continues to hold worship meetings in a local prison every Saturday. Attendance has been good and consistent, with at least 20 men coming each time. I have also begun to visit two inmates every Tuesday. They both speak English, and before me they had never had any visitors. They also attend the Saturday meeting, and are open and hungry for the truth of the Gospel. Please be in prayer for this awesome ministry!
Soccer Ministry
Every Friday evening around 10-15 young men of our church get together to play soccer. This ministry is a tremendous way to invite unsaved friends and family, and it has already begun to show some fruit! Please pray that those who are invited would see a true difference in us, and that the time together will open up opportunities to share the Gospel!
"Special Project" for the Month of October
As winter approaches, we are in need of some reinforcements for the girls and for our home. As there is no central heating in our home, we be needing to purchase extra blankets and sheets, as well as wood for the fireplace. Would you prayerfully consider giving to this need?
Thank you so much for your partnership! We praise the Lord for each one of you!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Stand Firm in the Lord
September 16th is the first day of school for Anadia and Cora. This week we will be attending meetings to meet their teachers, familiarize ourselves with the campuses, and learn what supplies the girls will be needing. This is a nervous time for us as it is the first time we will be sending any of our children to public school! Our prayer is that the girls will feel the strength of the Lord as they begin something very unfamiliar to them. Ultimately, we pray that Lord will work in them and through them to shine the Gospel into a very dark world! We covet your prayers as we begin yet another new chapter in our lives.
New Casa Farol (Lighthouse)
Casas Farol (Lighthouses) are a vital component of the ministry of our church. Every week several small groups from our church gather in homes in their various communities. In these Casas Farol we gather together to sing praises, pray together, and study God's word. Our prayer and vision as a church is that these Casas Farol will become catalysts of the spreading of the Gospel through new church plants in these communities. Praise the Lord we began a new Casa Farol recently in the town of Pedrouços! Please pray for this important part of the ministry here!
We recently celebrated the wedding of two young people, David and Lídia. Lídia has been a part of our church for most of her life. David just recently accepted Christ as his Savior, and was baptised the Sunday before the wedding. Please pray for this young couple. David's parents did not even attend the wedding as a way of protest against our faith. This is a common occurrence here, something to always be in prayer for!
Children and Youth
This Saturday will be the official kick-off of fall activities for the children and youth of our church. Please pray for Caryne and I as we seek to follow the Lord in helping the youth grow closer to Him. Our main focus will be to lead them to become more unified as a group, develop a habit of a daily walk with the Lord, and stepping out to reach those around us for Christ.
Special thanks to those who gave for our August project - school supplies for Anadia and Cora
Thank you for your partnership in this ministry!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The Past Month in Pictures
 |
| The first service at our new church plant! |
 |
| Enjoying the day at a medieval fair |
"Special Project" for the Month of August
Both Anadia and Cora will be starting school the second week of September. They will be needing basic school supplies, including books, backpacks, etc. Would you consider giving for this need?
 |
| Spending the day with two members of our youth group |
 |
| Soraia is 2 months old and doing great! |
Thursday, July 11, 2013
"Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed"
Philippians 1:18 - What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.
Our Family
Much has happened since our last post! Caryne's parents arrived on the 19th of June, and we had a short but wonderful time with them. We had the joy and privilege to have Caryne's dad dedicate Soraia to the Lord on the 23rd of June here at our church. We are so thankful for how God works, as Caryne's dad has also dedicated our other three girls to our Savior. Soraia and Caryne are doing great. Soraia in growing well. She is already over a month old! On July 9 we celebrated the birthday of our precious Cora. She turned five, and we had a great celebration with many families of our church. We are so blessed to have the privilege to raise our girls in the Lord, and we are so thankful for family and friends around us who are joyfully a part of that.
Prison Ministry
Last year, through some very confusing and difficult circumstances, a brother in Christ (Gigi) from our church ended up in a local prison. He and his wife are both Romanian, and they are an essential couple in our church family. What has transpired from the point in which he entered the prison until now has been a wonderful work of the Lord. Gigi almost immediately began to affect those around him for Christ. Today, there is a powerful and growing ministry within the prison. Our church family is being challenged to reach out to the inmates that never receive visitors. Additionally, the Portuguese government recently approved our church to hold services with the inmates. Please pray for this ministry! "Only that in every way.....Christ is proclaimed."
New Church in Trofa
Last Sunday a new church was officially formed in our assembly. Several families from the town of Trofa, who have been a part of our church for many years, will be starting a new church in their town. The pastor of this new church came to Christ and was trained in our church, and he has accepted the call to lead this new flock. The commissioning service will take place this Sunday. Please pray for this new church! We praise the Lord that the Gospel continues to advance here in Portugal!
Young People
Please continue to pray for the young people of the churches here. The economic and social climate here continues to be a tremendous challenge, and the youth have very uncertain futures ahead of them. Please pray for their walks with the Lord, their relationships, their family life, and for their employment future. We will be having weekly activities with our youth group throughout the summer. Please pray we will see clearly what the Lord has for us to share with them.
Family Needs
With the growth of our family, some new needs have presented themselves. We are praying for additional monthly support, as well as giving for "special projects," things like car repairs, household needs, etc. Would you consider giving towards these needs?
We have been so blessed as we have now been in Portugal for over a year! Praise the Lord our needs have always been provided, and He promises that they always will be. Your partnership is essential, and we praise the Lord for each one of you!
Our Family
Much has happened since our last post! Caryne's parents arrived on the 19th of June, and we had a short but wonderful time with them. We had the joy and privilege to have Caryne's dad dedicate Soraia to the Lord on the 23rd of June here at our church. We are so thankful for how God works, as Caryne's dad has also dedicated our other three girls to our Savior. Soraia and Caryne are doing great. Soraia in growing well. She is already over a month old! On July 9 we celebrated the birthday of our precious Cora. She turned five, and we had a great celebration with many families of our church. We are so blessed to have the privilege to raise our girls in the Lord, and we are so thankful for family and friends around us who are joyfully a part of that.
Prison Ministry
Last year, through some very confusing and difficult circumstances, a brother in Christ (Gigi) from our church ended up in a local prison. He and his wife are both Romanian, and they are an essential couple in our church family. What has transpired from the point in which he entered the prison until now has been a wonderful work of the Lord. Gigi almost immediately began to affect those around him for Christ. Today, there is a powerful and growing ministry within the prison. Our church family is being challenged to reach out to the inmates that never receive visitors. Additionally, the Portuguese government recently approved our church to hold services with the inmates. Please pray for this ministry! "Only that in every way.....Christ is proclaimed."
New Church in Trofa
Last Sunday a new church was officially formed in our assembly. Several families from the town of Trofa, who have been a part of our church for many years, will be starting a new church in their town. The pastor of this new church came to Christ and was trained in our church, and he has accepted the call to lead this new flock. The commissioning service will take place this Sunday. Please pray for this new church! We praise the Lord that the Gospel continues to advance here in Portugal!
Young People
Please continue to pray for the young people of the churches here. The economic and social climate here continues to be a tremendous challenge, and the youth have very uncertain futures ahead of them. Please pray for their walks with the Lord, their relationships, their family life, and for their employment future. We will be having weekly activities with our youth group throughout the summer. Please pray we will see clearly what the Lord has for us to share with them.
Family Needs
With the growth of our family, some new needs have presented themselves. We are praying for additional monthly support, as well as giving for "special projects," things like car repairs, household needs, etc. Would you consider giving towards these needs?
We have been so blessed as we have now been in Portugal for over a year! Praise the Lord our needs have always been provided, and He promises that they always will be. Your partnership is essential, and we praise the Lord for each one of you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)