September | 2025 | Jorge and Donna

By Donna:

Isaiah 43:2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

The month of August was a balancing act of water and fire. After leaving the family in Cascais we travelled to the coast to avoid the 40 plus temperatures inland. We came upon a very nice campground which was refreshing and relaxing. Temperatures there were 10 degrees lower than at home! There was sand and sea and lots of water! Upon return to the farm, Jason came to visit us and it was very nice to have him here again. Jorge and Jason worked together to place the newly acquired water storage containers in their proper locations. These 1,000 cubic liters containers hold the water supply for the irrigation systems that we set up to daily irrigatethe young trees and plants. We have been taking this water from the pond as it is evaporating anyway from the hot summer sun. Then it was off to the coast again! We thank God for the freshness of the coastal areas and the sea waves and the swimming opportunities that bring joy during the heat waves. Mom spent time in the south with Cristiana and Nuno and Afonso and Dad had time in Penacova with friends and family members. All the while, the fires were raging. The skies over the farm were smoking from the 18th to the 27th. Unprecedented wildfires concentrated in forested areas mainly in northern and central Portugal, fueled by strong winds and extreme temperatures, have devastated an area of over 2,610 square kilometers, almost double last year’s count. The fires closest to us were in Guarda, Serra da Estrela and Castelo Novo. It was very sad to return to our local river beach and see so much of the terrain torched. The firefighters fought hard and were brave and thankfully not too many human casualties occurred. We do not stop praying as at this present moment there are still fires raging.

On another note, we have been blessed with an abundance of fruit this year! A harvest of grapes and figs is on the menu! We are eating, sharing and drying the fruits. Our neighbors share with us their melons, pears, passion fruits etc. We thank God everyday for the gifts he so abundantly gives!

On the 23rd of August, Jason celebrated his 22nd birthday! We are sure that he had a fine time with friends and we wish him a blessed and fruitful year ahead! Jorge celebrated on the last, but not least, day of the month. We took a trip up north to visit with friends and enjoy the beauty of the areas near Porto and the historical Tras-os-Montes region. It was beautiful weather, we camped at some lovely sites near the Tua River and filmed some amazing footage to share with the world! What could be better than entering into your 75th year of life in full health, enjoying nature and receiving calls and messages from your beloved children. It must be said, Jorge is truly blessed!

Images of the month: