On the Move

We're Moving!
We have reached the two-year mark since moving here to Portugal, and we have decided to move to a new house and new area of Porto.  When we first arrived we were tremendously blessed to move into a beautiful apartment in the same building that Pastor Figueira and his family live.  It has been a wonderful place to call home and it will be bittersweet for us to say goodbye to it.

But as our church continues to move forward with the vision to reach this great city for Christ, we have felt the Lord leading us to strategically relocate so that our family may be used by the Lord in a more effective way. Our new home is in an area close to several families of our church, and Lord-willing we will launch a new Casa Farol there.  If you remember (Info on Casas Farol), Casas Farol are an important component in the vision our church has to reach the lost of Porto.  It is a home located in a quieter area of the city, with a little more space for the girls to play, and within walking distance of their new school.  Thank you for your prayers as we make this move!

Special Project - There will be some new expenses related to the new home, so if you would like to give to that specifically, you can send funds to BILD International with a note containing the title "Darling's Moving Expenses."

Nana's Visit

We had the wonderful privilege recently of receiving a visit from my grandmother, affectionately known as Nana, along with her friend Sue.  They spent several days with us here in Porto getting to know our church family and our city.  I was also able to travel down with them to Lisbon, where we spent another several days revisiting where I grew up and where Nana and my grandfather had visited so many years ago.  It was a true blessing from the Lord to be able to spend that precious time with her and Sue!

Music School

Several weeks ago, another important component in the vision of our church, a music school, was launched. Understanding the importance of music for the growth of any church, we began in May with over 10 students, with classes in music theory, piano, guitar, and bass guitar.  Several of the men involved in this school, including myself, are either current or future leaders of Casas Farol.  This school will enable us to learn to read and play music, giving us the ability to lead worship within Casas Farol.  The school also gives our kids and youth interested and/or gifted in music an opportunity to develop their abilities.  Please pray that this school will be used in a mighty way to spread the Gospel!

"My Help comes from the Lord"

Photographic Reflections

Thank you, as always, for your partnership!

"If we live by the Spirit..."

Church Addition
For the past months a building has been taking shape directly behind our church.  This multi-use building has been a vision of this ministry for many years, and praise the Lord through recent financial blessing we have been able to move forward with construction. It will include a new kitchen, and Lord-willing will be used for outreach programs (such as providing meals in our community to those who need it), as well as youth activities and more.  We are very encouraged about what the Lord is doing now, and will do in the future, through this ministry!
Happy Birthday Isabel!
Our awesome and full-of-life daughter Isabel recently turned three years old!  She is a joy to our family, as well as to all those she comes in contact with.  We know she will be used of the Lord in exciting ways!  Parabéns!

Prison Ministry
Please continue to pray for our church's prison ministry in the nearby town of Custóias.  Lives are continually being impacted with the Gospel in many different ways. Tomorrow we will begin taking soccer teams into the prison to play a team of inmates.  Please pray that these games will be used as another way to spread the good news of the Gospel!

Ministry Partners in the States
Pastor Figueira returned today from a two-week ministry trip to the States.  There he met with many current and future ministry partners who are working alongside our church, both in northern Portugal and in other Portuguese-speaking nations (like Mozambique and Brazil).  Praise the Lord for a fruitful and safe trip! Please be in prayer concerning these partnerships, as the Lord continues to open doors for the Gospel in the Portuguese-speaking world!

It is a blessing to have you alongside us!

Wonderful are Your Works!

Recent Converts
Please be in prayer for four specific names - Catarina Teixeira, Catarina Guiomar, Sérgio Peixoto, and Jhoan Viafara.   They are four young people that, through the ministry of our church, recently accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Each one of them have unique backgrounds and stories, and our most important objective now is to help them grow in maturity in Christ.  Please be in prayer for that specifically, as spiritual growth is what is so crucial now in their lives.  We praise the Lord for what He is doing through our church!

Casas Farol
A very important component in the ministry of our church are our Casas Farol - our Lighthouses.  Every week different groups from our congregation meet in homes throughout the city of Porto.  It is a much more informal and intimate setting where we sing praises to the Lord, pray for one another, and study His word. These Casas Farol are also very important in our church's strategy to see the Gospel spread throughout this city (a city with approximately 1.3 million people).  Because of the more relaxed setting of these Lighthouses, it is a great opportunity to invite unsaved friends and family.   Additionally, Casas Farol are key in the overall vision to establish new local churches in this part of the world, as they can be a catalyst for the Gospel in each of the communities where they exist.

Please be in prayer for this particular ministry of our church.  Each of these Casas Farol require a faithful, spiritually mature leader who is able to teach God's word effectively.  Men are currently in training under the teaching of our pastor for this very reason.  Also, we are soon to launch several new Casas Farol in other parts of the city.  Its an exciting time, and we are so thankful to have all of you as partners with us!

Ministry to Widows
We have several widows in our church family, two of whom just became so.  Not too long ago we decided that a great part of the ministry of our young people would be to regularly visit these widows, to spend time with them and encourage them.  We visit these women's homes, where we sing, pray, read God's word, and eat together.  It is a great blessing to all involved to see these women's spirits lifted, and to watch the effect this ministry has on the young people.

Thank You
Many of you answered our need for additional monthly support, and for that we are grateful.  It is such a blessing to be able share with you in this ministry.  As the apostle Paul would say, grace be with you!

Photographic Reflections - The Past Few Months in Pictures

Thank You for Your Partnership!

"All to the Glory of God"

We are now entering into the middle of our second year in Portugal! We are so humbled and thankful for what the Lord has done, and will continue to do, in our lives. We are truly grateful for the investment that so many of you have placed into our family!

Monthly Needs
We are so encouraged about what is being accomplished through our church here in Porto!  The Lord is using this church to reach people in this city as never before (more on that in minute)!  Thank you so much for your vital partnership that enables this ministry to continue moving forward!  We wanted to share with you our current financial situation so that you could be in prayer with us about a specific need.  We are currently at approximately 75% of monthly support.  An additional $600 monthly is needed for us to be at 100%. Our stategy has always been to take on part-time teaching hours to supplement any financial shortfall. Unfortunately, getting enough hours can be quite challenging, so we are praying for full support.   Thank you for praying with us, and for your consideration in financially partnering with this ministry!

Reaching our "Jerusalem"
As mentioned above, the Lord is using our church - Antioch Baptist Church - to reach those around us like never before.  We have a powerful ministry in a local prison, where we meet with at least 20 inmates every Saturday to pray, sing praises, and share the Gospel. Members from our church meet inmates individually during the week just to spend time listening and praying with them.  The Lord is using our young people to reach families in a low-income housing neighborhood, as well as spend time each month with widows in our congregation.  The Lord has also opened up new doors to provide basic needs to downtrodden families, with their salvation always as the primary focus.  Praise Him for what He is doing!

Your Partnership
We can't wait to see what the Lord will do this year in Portugal, a country that is in desperate need of the Gospel!  Your partnership is vital!  Thank you for coming alongside this ministry!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!/Feliz Natal e Bom Ano Novo!