Family Update – December 2023

Great to spend some time with Cristiana and Nuno and some of Nuno’s family on Christmas Eve. We enjoyed the games, the Bible readings, the songs and the food. All excelent.

We enjoyed the chats we had online with the different families living in different parts of the world, from the Far East to the Far West… :). The icing on the cake was the New Year’s Resolutions, which we received in written form. We read together during a simple candle light ceremony on the 1st of the year, which has become a family tradition. Everyone’s prayers were echoed with ours and we feel at peace commiting another important year of our lives to the Lord. Well began is half done, as the saying goes, or it is good to ‘tune the instruments before the concern starts’… the concert is the new year.

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Donna:

We left for our homestead near the middle of the month with two vehicles, the car and the van. We decided it was more practical and economical to leave the van up north as we have already transported the major bulk of building materials and now we can travel back and forth to Lisbon faster as well as use the car for local trips.

Within a few weeks time the lovely autumn scenery had progressed to the beginning of winter, the cold conditions enhancing its original beauty. Early morning was exciting as the frost lay on the ground until the warmth of the sun performed its magic! During a 24 hour period we experienced temperatures ranging from -1 to 17 degrees Celsius as we consistently removed and put on various layers of clothing. We finished the insulation on the interior or our cabin, which keeps us quite cosy as we sleep at night without a heater. We installed a second diesel heater, which helped offset the cold during the early morning and evening periods. We added new shelves to our kitchen, We were able to sort out all the electrical connections after the wood paneling was installed. The two outer storage rooms now have doors and shelves for keeping all tools and equipment.. It was a whirlwind of a week with so many improvements. We also cleaned up a lot of the areas around the trees and vines and picked up 25 more litres of the finest azeite from the olives on our trees!! We are now pondering and planning what the next stages of development will be. We pray that the Lord blesses the thoughts of our minds and the works of our hands. ‘Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it’! We definitely do need His help!

We took a trip up to Serra de Estrella on Sunday. It was cold but beautifully sunny. There was no snow on the ground but the ski lift was moving to take people for a ride just the same! Such gorgeous scenery which gave vent to beautiful drone footage. We hope to return there in a few months to see the snow!

Christmas was with us and we enjoyed a beautiful time together with family. A no stress, loving season , as we remembered the miracle of God entering the human race with His arrival as a little baby in Bethlehem. Such an amazing concept that one could spend a lot of time just reflecting on this one truth!

Gloria one again collaborated with “Natal Diferente”, the volunteer effort in which the medical students visit local hospitals on Christmas Eve to share some companionship, gifts and music with those who must spend the holiday confined to hospital. RTP, the public news broadcasting company, was on the scene to record the event where Gloria and colleagues were visiting. The footage was then aired on national television that night! The patients were very responsive and thankful for the visit !!

This month sweet Riley celebrated her birthday on a wonderfully snowy day and now enjoys being 5 years old! Gabriel once again had to share the excitement of his birthday with Christmas but once again was very happy to do so!

At the end of the month members of our family connected by sharing the things they were thankful for in 2023, their goals and prayers for the coming year ,and a verse or two of scripture which inspires their heart. It is a family tradition which helps us to pray for each other even though we are far from home. We wish everyone a very Blessed New Year , the beginning of a wonderful walk with Christ every day!

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