Six Months to Think (that can hurt the head)…

- By David

The summer has come to Portugal.  Life has slowed.  People have dispersed for vacations and beaches.  In the absence of the hustle I have time to reflect on the first six months I have spent in Portugal.  The reflection has positive thoughts and areas that need improvement.

The Good Thoughts…

I had the unique experience of learning a new language.  This past week I even spent over and hour talking to a café owner regarding the Bible.  The entire conversation was in Portuguese! Imagine trying to explain to someone the concept of how the Old Testament being connected to the New Testament is a simple idea (Jesus); all in a language that you started learning six months ago. Good times my friends, good times.

I have been able to pour into a group of amazing guys.  Working with the Portuguese in football has been a blast.  Through these particular relationships I have been able to tell some stories from the Bible.  I love being able to share the wisdom and truth of the God’s Word.  I have been able to teach old and young guys a wonderful game and play it with them.  It is special to see how guys develop over a period of time.  The Lord is blessing with my current team.  He is opening doors into new communities and new people.  It is an exciting time.

Improvement Areas

While ministry with football is great, I have been struggling to find avenues into other parts of the culture.  I tried to volunteer at a local school, but the director said I need to be employed by the city to help… one door closed.  I have started to go around to local cafés and read my Bible in Portuguese and English.  I am hoping someone could help me with the Portuguese language by reading the Bible to me. Brainstorming for any method to start Bible studies has commenced.  Feel free to FB me with suggestions.  I think the Lord is teaching me that wonderful word, perseverance.

There is one community I am trying in particular to start a Bible study, Vila D’este (see the picture). Look at all those people . 

 

Prayer Requests

• Ask the Lord for Bible Studies to start in my surrounding communities. I am dreaming big.  I want several Bible study groups to start, but it is way bigger than me.  I need prayers for the Lord to do this BIG thing.
• Ask the Lord for a productive attitude from Daniele and me.  We don’t want to slow down with the summer.  We want to continue the work the Lord as laid before us.

Final Thought

Lucas 18:9-14… Jesus propôs mais outra parábola para alguns que se julgavam pessoas muito justas e desprezavam os outros: “ Dois homens foram ao templo para orar.  Um deles era fariseu e o outro cobrador de impostos.  O fariseu, altivo, orava assim: “Ó Deus, agradeço-te porque não sou como os outros, que são ladrões, injustos e adúlteros, nem como este cobrador de impostos que ali ésta.  Jejuo duas vezes na semana e dou a décima parte de tudo o que ganho.” Mas o cobrado de impostos ficou à distância e nem sequer se atrevia a levantar os olhos para o céu; apensas batia com a mão no peito e dizia: “Ó meu Deus, tem compaixão de mim, que sou pecador!” E Jesus concluiu: Afirmo-vos que o cobrador de imposotos foi para sua casa justificado aos olhos de Deus, ao contrário do fariseu.  Pois todo aquele que se engrandece será humilahado e todo o que se humilha será engrandecido. 

The Parable reminds me of my role with people.  A Pharisee is not special because he acts religious, and I am not special because I came to Portugal.  I am a sinner saved by Jesus, and I still need the grace of God for this work.  That is why I ask for your prayers, because Danielle and I are not going to accomplish anything of value without prayer support.

Hello, Summer!

Summer is here!!! In full force! It has been around 80-90 degrees this week, after a high of 60-65 degrees. YAY!
Hello Summer! Putting away the boots and jeans, and getting out the flip-flops and sun dresses.

However I may feel about summer, the Portuguese also have a love for summer. And everything else comes to a halt. Afternoons are spent at the beach and evenings are spent walking outside or sipping coffee at a café outside with friends. This is a great way to meet people or to meet up with people. It also can be frustrating when the Portuguese are, well, absent or sloooooowwwwww in responding to meetings.
Pray that we will be able to maintain relationships with the Portuguese during the summer as well as start new relationships and ministries.

But I can cope with the slow-pace of summer in Portugal.

My biggest prayer request this summer is for the purity of our minds during this season.
The dress in Portugal, or lack thereof, reminds me of late 80s and early 90s movies. Lots of neon. Lots of stomachs. Lots of leggings. Lots of see-through shirts showcasing colored bras. Lots of booty shorts. Lots of guys without shirts. And this is just the Metro…We won’t go into what is on the beach. The advertisements and TV shows in Portugal also are pretty scandalous, especially during summer. There are no ratings or censors in Portugal…things that I could watch because things were bleeped or blotted out back in the states, I can’t watch in Portugal.
Please pray that Christ will keep our minds and hearts pure for him… 

Language. Sometimes it seems like a bad word. We are meeting with language helpers and trying to speak with people at church, people that are in stores, and that we meet randomly. We are also trying to study from home.
Please pray that we will be motivated to learn the language, that we can find people to meet with us for language study, and that we will be bold in speaking (although not perfectly) Portuguese to people we meet. Our goal is always to be sharing God’s love with people, and preferably in their own language. Pray we will remember, always, that goal.

My last prayer request is that God will allow us to be a part of great ministries here in Portugal. We are trying to figure out another ministry, other than football, that we can be a part of to start new Bible studies. ESL, Game nights, English club, ESL, University ministry…There are so many options! Please pray with us that God will direct our path and show us which ministry to pursue.   

God is doing so much in Portugal! Thank you, Jesus, that we are able to be a part of it!

What ministries are you a part of this summer? VBS? Church camps? Mission trips? We want to be praying for you this summer, like you pray for us. Let us know how we can best pray with you!

May

Here are a few prayer requests.

• Continuing relationships and Bible studies that have already been started.
• Three people have given their lives to Christ so far! Pray for a yearning for the Word and for us to disciple them.
• Pray for us as we have been dealing with sickness and homesickness. (I wrote another blog about our homesickness.)
• Pray for us as we continue to learn the language without going to any formal school!

These past few months have been super busy!

We have finished language school! This means that we still need to learn the language, but without going to class. It also means that starting next month, I get my baby with me full time! That excites as well as frightens me! I will have my hands full with language, baby, and ministry!

We have finished football! Football season is over, although they still have practices twice a week. 

We have met with several people. These meetings are lunches, coffees, general hanging out, game night, and Bible studies!

We have several teams coming this summer. Pray for these teams, that they reach the lost people in Portugal and build bridges for us to start Bible studies and see more people come to Christ!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support! We would probably be home if we did not have such a good support system!

Possible Teacher - Very Real Student

Hey everyone. It has been another month of living and growing in Portugal.  I say the word growing with a humble grin.  It’s amazing to me how the Lord teaches.  I move across an ocean, confident of my ability to teach wonderful things about the Lord.  And now, I am only beginning to realize that Jesus has still labeled me… Student.  How can this be? Well, I am finding in Portugal wonderful people.  They are generous, loving, and genuine.  I find myself learning to love a people I am just beginning to know.  I dearly long to teach them God’s word.   At the same time, God is showing me that I still have much to learn about investing in their lives. Much to learn.  So this trained man still has short-comings and faults, even as a teacher.  That is a humbling thought when I view myself as a teacher.  It’s not so daunting or troublesome when I think of myself as a student of Jesus.  Always learning. Always.

Pray that my colleagues and I have hearts that are always willing to learn. We want to stand confident in God’s Word first, and then grow and expand our visions and love of the Portuguese based on God’s teaching, the Bible.

What is life like in Portugal this month?  I would say that is a good question, but that would be a little self-praising for the author .  The rain has discovered this nation again.  Apparently, I need to invest in a manly umbrella.  My wife has a rainbow colored one, and a pink one.  Carrying these two around a bunch of football players seems to draw chuckles and quips.  So, I have learned, acceptable social norms in America translate accordingly in Portugal… yeah for me.  Language is still difficult.  We had test of grammar that simulated where we should progress by May.  IT WAS TOUGH! I was suppose to hear a story in Portuguese and answer questions by filling in the blank sections. Ghhh, here is to hoping the next test is multiple-choice. 

• Pray for energy and focus for Brandon and Tiffany Hodge, and Danielle and I as we strive to learn this language.

How is the football ministry?  Awesome.  The Celtics are now 3-2.  One more win and we make the playoffs.  The team has great chemistry.  There was a volunteer team that came during their spring break, from Alabama.  They had many struggles getting here and returning.  However, they were able to coach different teams in a camp in Northern Portugal.  The first ever for Northern Portugal.  It is something special to see the sport evolving from its infancy 8 years ago.  For those who are coaches, we ran 7-on-7 in the camp.  This was the first time many of them have seen such intricate combination routes.  Wow! That was fun to watch.  The Alabama guys brought gifts: jerseys, pads, shirts, etc., but the best gifts were their testimonies and New Testaments.  They even lead a Bible study with some of the Portuguese! Hopefully, a first of many.  My hope is that the love of football expands across the entire nation and its people.  More importantly, as football spreads, the love of Jesus Christ does as well.

(Can you spot the Americans?)

• Pray for another team we have coming in this week to teach football.  Pray for the Portuguese guys to have free schedules and lots of energy so teaching and learning can take place… about football and Jesus.

Here is a challenge for you, the reader.  Where in your life are you normally a teacher, where you could you say ‘I will try and be a student this month?’ It seems to me that Jesus still has a bunch He is teaching me.

Baby Steps

Thank you for all your prayer and support! Some specific prayer needs:

• Teams from the states: There are several teams that have come in from the states this month and next. Pray that relationships will be built and strengthened from these teams. And that they will share God with the Portuguese people.
• Relationships: We have so many new relationships and friendships through football. Football is almost over this season, so pray these relationships are maintained throughout the summer. Also, pray for an avenue that we may gain relationships outside of football.
• English Clubs: We have an opportunity to help with an English club in a public school this year. Pray that details may be worked out, and hearts of teachers and students will be open to God’s love and His word.
• Bible studies: Several people have expressed interest in starting Bible studies with us. Pray that we may be used as God needs us, and that we may not be a stumbling block to those trying to seek His face.
• Language: We are supposed to take a language proficiency exam this May. When we went to sign up for it, it was already full. Pray that we may get into the one in July. Also, pray that we can find language helpers to help us this summer, as we end formal school in May. Also, pray we learn enough to pass the test!

This week, my son decided he wanted to take a few steps on his own. Just to try it out. He did it at daycare, and we persuaded him by holding a rock he wanted to play with out in front of him. He’s a pretty simple kid.

But that got me thinking about my time in Portugal. We have almost been here three months. It seems like we have been here forever, though. Everything is becoming very familiar and almost like home. It definitely has not been easy, as there have been many transitions in all aspects of life, from the weather to the transportation system to the food down to the plugs we use here. But in this whole transition period, the biggest stressor I have is the language.

No, Portuguese is not the hardest language on the planet. But starting from scratch makes any language seem like the hardest language on earth.

It is frustrating because so many people speak English, so even if I wanted to practice Portuguese many times they get frustrated and I get frustrated and one or both of us switches back to English. So many people also want to practice English with you. And let’s face it, many times it is more convenient and effective to just speak English.

It is frustrating because I don’t feel like I know enough quite yet to speak. I am, contrary to popular belief, a bit of a perfectionist. If I don’t feel like I can do it, I won’t do it. Language is the same way. Sometimes if it will take me forever to construct a sentence, I just won’t say it. And I’ll let David say it. It is not his personality to feel that way, and he is constantly making me get out of my comfort zone and speak the language. It makes me want to punch him and hug him…after punching him.

It is frustrating because I feel like I should be so much further in my communication skills than I actually am. Portuguese people will tell me all the time, “You do so well for the amount of time you’ve been here!” Inside I’m screaming, “NO I don’t! It’s not good enough!” Yes, I can order food and survive in Portuguese society, sometimes just by blank looks and the kindness of strangers who help when they see I’m lost. But, let’s face it, most of the time I cannot carry on conversations with toddlers. And I can only understand when people speak really, really slowly.

If you really want a lesson in humility, go to another country to live, not vacation, live. It is the most humbling experience of my life. And this is coming from a woman who has given birth naturally, and experienced all the glorious aspects that come with it!

But I have to remind myself at the end of the day, when I want to weep with frustration because I cannot understand the butcher or the bus driver or the sermon on Sunday morning, this is all for a purpose. Yes, it would be easier to just be complacent and get by with the phrases I know. Yes, it would be easier to study for the test I have to take and function as an American who knows some Portuguese. Or, I could study to the best of my ability for God’s glory.

The end goal, as God has reminded me so often, is for others to see Him. I can’t do that well without learning the heart language of the people.

As I read in Acts 8, Philip is speaking to the Ethiopian eunuch and asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I unless someone guides me?” That is my desire. To guide people to the Word of God.

Again, thank you for your prayers and your encouragement!

Nothing but the Good Times

 

Hey everybody. I hope all is well with you…  This is my first blog, ever.  Danielle and I decided to write 2 blogs a month.  She will write one while I write the other.  We have decided to make one blog compelling and exciting, a real page turner.  And the blog I write, who knows. 

I thought it might be helpful to give information about life in Portugal.  That way you can know how to direct your prayers… Life here is different and very interesting.  Although, sometimes I feel like I am back in Oklahoma.  One day is windy, rainy, and requires a big coat.  The next day is sunny and feels wonderful.  It is like a roller coaster. The architecture is amazing.  Each building is built unique.  They are beautiful as they sit on the sloping hills near the river.  Most of the city roads are made of bricks, and the roads are so slim.  I use to wonder why they drove such tiny cars, now I know why.  And almost all parking is parallel parking. Wow! I actually like riding the bus and metro to places.  

                                     

They economy is pretty bad here.  The unemployment is over 15%.  Minimum wage is just a little over 2 euros per hour, which translates into a monthly salary of about 470 euros a month.  Most apartments cost that much.  Now imagine that you have to get around the city, pay utilities, eat, live life, etc.  I bring up this point because I am associated with several people who are looking for jobs.  Life is not too bad yet for the unemployed, but it could be heading that direction.

- Pray for jobs for my friends.

Danielle and I are learning the Portuguese language.  I think Gideon has already surpassed us in this endeavor, that overachiever.  The difficult part of this challenge is that English is easily accessible in Portugal.  Many of my friends speak English, the television actually has more channels in English than Portuguese, and the malls even play American music!

- Please pray for our learning of the Portuguese language.  Who knows, maybe the Lord will bless us with minds like he blessed Daniel’s in a foreign land.

So, how is my life going with the Portuguese? How is the ministry growing by God’s work?  I truly think I am in the most blessed situation of all new missionaries.  I came to a field that is white for the harvest.  The football team that I play for and help coach, futebol americano that is, – NOT SOCCER, is perfect for ministry.  Instead of having to invest months building one relationship, the Lord set up multiple relationships for me.  Andy Milam, my colleague and supervisor, is the head coach.  Together, we have been able to tell biblical stories, have multiple spiritual conversations, and share the good news about Jesus. The guys on the team know what we believe and how this belief affects our lives.  If you have a chance, look for the team on Facebook. Our team name is the Canidelo Celtics. 

- Pray for our ministry with the team.  We are thankful to know these guys.  They are amazing.

I love this country and the people that live here.  They are wonderful people and worth investing your prayer so that they can know how much Jesus loves them.  As Paul wrote… the one who plants and the one who waters the seed of the gospel should not be the focus, what matters is that the Spirit gives growth.  Pray that the Spirit works beyond our limitations and hopes in Portugal.

The First Month

The first month here in Portugal has been a whirlwind!

We’ve been to the doctor twice with Gideon. I (Danielle) have been sick for about three weeks; this last episode with an ear infection.
Pray for renewed health and energy so we may focus on building relationships and sharing Jesus!(Gideon at daycare during carnival!)

We’ve been in language school for a long, long, long time, now! There are many frustrations associated with language. We have 16 hours of school per week, and we are required to get another 24 hours homework and being out in the community using our language. And the added pressure of passing a test in May! Pray that we will not stress out over language, and that we will be like sponges and learn how to speak effectively. The main goal is to be able to share Jesus with others…not pass a test.
(Our language teacher, Clovis)

We finally feel like we know our way around the city, and can effectively communicate if we need something (directions, food, etc.) I have even ventured going to the butcher shop! Love it! It is finally feeling a little more like home. Pray that we will meet people with whom we can build relationships and share Jesus.

(Some of the city where we do language)

David’s third game is tomorrow! We’ve hung out with several of the football players, already! Pray that we will continue to build relationships and show the team that we are about more than just football.

This month has been great! We are slowly becoming acclimated to the culture and the city. I know I may seem a little negative in this post, but we really do love it here. And we can definitely see that God is moving in mighty ways in Portugal!

Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.                         Isaiah 43:18-19

Esqueçam o que se foi;
não vivam no passado.
Vejam, estou fazendo uma coisa nova!
Ela já está surgindo! Vocês não a reconhecem?
Até no deserto vou abrir um caminho
e riachos no ermo.                                    Isaías 43:18-19