by Donna
January, was a month of new beginnings, replete with hope and expectation of many good things to come! Here we are in the cold of winter , a phenomenon we have not experienced for quite some time. Waking up to 1°C weather is not our natural comfort zone, but as the day progresses we have the sun warming the atmosphere and our hearts along with it!! We are getting accustomed to the temperatures and looking forward excitedly to Spring!!!
We made a road trip up to the North this month to visit with friends and distribute more iBibles. Braving the cold, we adapted our caravaning techniques and added more clothing as per time of day:) En route we visited a few “Aldeias de Xisto” roughly translated as “Slate Villages”, where all the houses are made of slate! Walking through the small alleyways and enjoying the peculiar architecture is an amazing experience and the quietness of the countryside and the fresh air is well worth the journey!
One nebulous morning we explored the Castle of Lousa and it’s beautiful surroundings of waterfalls and mountains. Surreal is a good adjective for its description! Also complementary to the experience is the fact that this time of the year there are no tourists lining up for parking so we had the place to ourselves . Nice! Our appreciation of being close to nature is growing every journey and the list of places to explore is increasing exponentially.
Upon arrival in the Douro region, an extremely beautiful region dressed in its winter attire, we attended a Sacred Music Concert in the Monte Corvo Basilica with our good friend who is a native of that city. The organist and the choir were inspiring! The hymns written to give glory to the Creator!
There were 3 birthday celebrants this month, Emanuel, Cristiana and Philip! All three entered into their new year with good health, precious families and hope for the future! God is good and we wish them all the best for their upcoming year! The Chinese New Year was also celebrated in January 2023. Although not as prominent in Portugal as in the East, we celebrated with traditional Chinese gastronomy and family ! Very yummy indeed and it brought back many happy memories of our years in China! Xin Nian Kuai Le to all!
This month Gabriel set off for Macau to begin a semester of teaching. He is dearly missed but we know that he is happily placed with family and friends in his new abode. Gloria is making plans for her Erasmus semester and will be departing in just a few days. She continues to prepare and make arrangements for her semester in the University of Pisa.
The only thing constant in life is change! To every thing, there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. He hath made everything beautiful in His time…Ecc 3 1-11
Please pray with us for the end of the war.
Assorted images received from Macau:
