by Donna
We had another adventure this month on our road trip to the north. Our first stop was Coimbra, in central Portugal, the city where Jorge lived as a young boy. The interesting occurrence was that the people with whom we arranged a meeting with had chosen a location which was exactly situated in the area where Jorge used to romp and roam in the forest near the river! It has since such time developed into a highway and upper class residencial zone, however Jorge was able to walk to his former residency and perchance meet a man who lived on the same street as Jorge in his home town of Penacova and they had been playmates in their childhood years!!! Absolutely uncanny! To top it off, the campground in which we stayed was also located in the same vicinity a short walk from our meeting place. We had an interesting discussion getting to know the organist and priest from a local church and also made good friends with some adventurous youth in the beautiful campsite.
Next we were off to Porto and Espinho. The weather remained warm, to our delight and once again we were able to connect with brethren and meet some missionaries who are involved in outreach to the Chinese community. There is a neighborhood where there is a large number of people from the mainland and we contributed IBibles to the work being done there.
Following we went back up to the spectacular Alto Douro region to see our good friends and fellow laborers Abilio and Julieta. Along the way we were privileged to
camp right next to the expansive Douro River and later enjoy the magnificent landscape in Sao Lourenço, which is the River Tua with the backdrop of the mountain ranges… In Trás-os-Montes ( behind the mountains) we are beginning to understand the habits and customs of these very traditionally minded people. It is definitely a challenge bringing the light of the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, but one we plan to continue pursuing.
When nearing Lisbon our van suffered a transmission collapse and we had to get a tow truck to deliver it to our mechanic. All is well that ends well ! We thank God for His protection throughout the hundreds of kms travelled and we thank God for those who pray for us!
On the home front, Jason has started his uni course and is up very early every morning in order to get to class on time. His Portuguese skills are taking off with new classmates and lots of studies. Joana is working and living in Lisbon and Glória is pressing through her 5th year in med school. Gabriel is busy teaching and completing online projects and presently is helping with the almond and walnut harvest for a few days.
We continue to pray for Europe and the challenges it faces in the economic arena and the coming winter. May God grant us peace on earth and good will towards all men.
