By Donna:

 We welcomed 2025 in Zhuhai ! During our time in the mainland we were blessed to meet together with some dear brethren from our past fellowships. It was great to connect with old friends after many years!  God continues to move mightily in the mainland and we were inspired to share our vision for future plans for the Lord’s work. We also made new friends and we are excited to return whenever possible!  We are very positive about God’s promises, forgetting the things that were before and looking forward to the things that are to come!  The future is as bright as the promises of God, dear Lord increase our faith.

Back in Macau we were able to spend valuable time with family and friends. Outdoor activities together were a real blessing for everyone. We celebrated Emanuel’s birthday a few days early, with the enthusiasm and  joy that we were together again and that Emanuel is thriving, healthy and fit as ever!!

At the end of our stay we moved forward to start learning some Turkish vocabulary from Selen.  I have to admit, it is not an easy language to impress on the memory, and after spending 3 days in Istanbul, I do think I was finally able to say thank you in Turkish and actually could hear someone echo it back to me, albeit more quickly and with a different cadence:)

Besides the lovely time we enjoyed with Selen’s family, we learned lots of history during our short stay in Istanbul. Constantine, the  Byzantine Empire and Hagia Sophia, the Ottoman Empire, etc. etc.

It is amazing to realize  how much of the growth of Christianity took place in Turkey.  Just a few things mentioned in the book of Acts: On the day of Pentecost, Jews from Cappadocia, Pontus , Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia , all part of modern day Turkey, along with Jews from other nations  were gathered in Jerusalem. and they all heard the gospel in their own languages. Acts 2:10. Paul , formerly Saul, was from Tarsus, which is in the shadow of the Taurus Mountains, located in modern day southwestern Turkey. Paul later wrote many letters to the churches established in Asia Minor, i.e. Turkey. The believers were first called Christians in Antioch, south central Turkey.  Acts 11:26. Paul and Barnabas had  extensive missionary journeys in Asia Minor. The letters written by John to the 7 churches referred to in Revelations chapters 1-3 are all located in Western Turkey. The isle of Patmos where John was exiled to is in Turkey. Noah’s ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, northwest Turkey. The First Council of Nicaea was held in Nicaea, now Iznik, Turkey, from May  until the end of July in 325. It is an interesting study indeed and I am still investigating different aspects of this history.

Album of Palace

Album of Hagia Sophia

Istambul Museum

Hotel, Streets, etc

Upon arrival in Portugal, we were just in time to celebrate Cristiana’s birthday! It was a very festive occasion with lots of music, singing and dancing! Cristiana, Nuno and Afonso are very happy in their new abode and are very excited for the year to come.

   As of today we are  back to the farm. Upon arrival we were greeted with intense rainstorms.gale force winds and low temperatures.  It has been an intense winter so far and we still have a few months to go! Before we left, we pruned many of the olive trees but did not have time to clean up all the cuttings. We purchased a small tractor to help us haul all the branches to the front of our property in order to burn them. This vehicle has been a great help and is saving our backs and knees!  We are in the middle of the clean up, but it is much easier now!

On the 21st of January, Philip celebrated his birthday. We chatted online and are glad to see he is feeling great, was dropping the kids off at school and heading to the gym! (sorry, no pictures received.)

   Last, but not least, Xin Nian Kuai Le to all those who celebrate Chinese New Year! May the joy of the Lord be your strength! 

Assorted images from January:

By Donna:

Dearest family,

    What a wonderful year! What a wonderful life! When we look back we are amazed at the myriad of miracles that have happened in our lives last year and we are so  very thankful.

We started off with a very cold winter at the farm with a lot of work pruning vines and trees and continuous work on improving our cabin and living facilities. The Lord gave us the strength and health to accomplish a great amount of work throughout the first half of the year, and our efforts were not unrewarded. We were able to enjoy a family reunion with Phil and Julie, Zac and Riley coming over as well as Gabriel and Selen and her brother and mother and the rest of us who are living in Lisbon, as well as a later visit from Joana.  Although very hot, it was wonderful being all together again and we are looking forward to it happening again in the future ! We were blessed with a great olive harvest and the chance to meet many new friends and neighbors during the harvesting season. The harvest truly was plenteous!

   In 2024 we celebrated the birth of our grandson Afonso, and watched him grow into a healthy little tot and Cristy and Nuno grow into loving parents, 

We also celebrated he marriage of dearests Gabriel and Selen.

Not least we witnessed the persistence and graduation of Gloria from medical school. We enjoyed Jason driving us to Lisbon and listening to Ben’s newly released music recording.

We then  traveled to Macau to celebrate Christmas with all our beloved family here! What a beautiful season! We celebrated Gabriel’s birthday in grand fashion and mom was able to see a screening of Joana’s film, which was showing in Hong Kong.

Crossing over to the mainland, we have been able to contact  dear friends and brethren who we worked with many years ago and this has richly blessed our souls. His work goes on with it without us! God is good , and we are looking forward to another year of blessings to come all through the grace of the LORD.

Our prayers are for all to be blessed with a wonderful year in Jesus, with the grace, courage and faith to overcome any and all challenges that arise in 2025.

The Lord is our light and our Salvation. The Lord is the strength of our life, of whom shall we be afraid.

    ‘But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ Isaiah 40:31

More Images of this month:

We can only thank God for His mercy and abundant supply!

Love and Prayers

Donna

The overriding emphasis this month at the farm was olives. Olives, olives everywhere! However, this year with so many strange weather patterns, the vegetation and fauna suffered tremendous altercations. On one olive tree there were ripe black olives, young green olives, and half dried up olives. This has not happened before and it became pertinent to harvest the olives sooner rather than later. We began on November 1st, collecting Cordovil olives from the heavy laden trees behind the cabin. Next day, we began a full harvesting operation with the help of our battery operated shaker!! This shaker is truly a gift from God!  A few days after our trip to the olive press in Spain, the sun did return , so on Thursday  we were back in the race to get the olives harvested and to the press before the weather changed again. In three days we had over 550kgs loaded in crates and bags int the van and were off at 6 am, Sunday morning to the local press. It just so happened that there was a backlog of vehicles who did not get their olives pressed on Saturday and so we had to wait in line for 23 hours before we could unload our own olives into the press. It was a matter of determination and unfailing will and Jorge arrived home at 5 am on Monday morning with 56  liters of organic, extra virgin green olive oil all collected in our little “quinta”. The oil is very green and supposedly very nutritious since the majority of green olives have a lower water content and thus a higher quality of healthy fats ,antioxidants and polyphenols, etc. It sure was a marathon , and we could have gotten more if we had had just a little more stamina …Next year! 

We had lots of extra olives so we soaked and brined a few jars full. 

     After the harvest it was a good time to prune the larger olive trees so that next year they can bring forth more fruit!  This takes quite a lot of time and is a learning process.The trees in the front area are finished and we will continue  the process in the beginning of next year. After we pruned one fig tree we had five small saplings with roots; three were planted alongside the pond and two near the baby olive trees. Jorge also finished the fencing along the back of the property and a bed full of garlic was planted. 

   We came back to Lisbon near the end of the month.  Gloria finished her final exam which will qualify her for choice in a medical specialty next year . We attended the Hippocratic Oath ceremony for the recently formed doctors. Present were many distinguished guests besides the new doctors including parents, friends and directors of the various medical institutions and the President of the Republic of Portugal. It was very touching and inspiring. 

Jason is very busy studying and training. He is also co-coaching games on the weekend with Estoril.

Cristiana and Nuno are preparing for a big move and baby Afonso is alive and kicking with 2 new teeth! He enjoys eating his nicely prepared lunch every day and is very excited about every new thing in life! We are so very thankful for all the blessings our good Lord has given us and every day is a day of Thanksgiving! “Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good:for his mercy endureth for ever.“ Psalm 106:1.

Donna:

The month started out great with RAIN! All of nature rejoiced as the flora turned green again and hydration was brought back to all living things! We used the opportunity to go into planting  mode. After Jorge finished the fence around the side and front of the land we planted a new set of grapevines, green and red table grapes which should be delicious! Black Cabbage was planted and subsequently had to be treated as the local plague was eating the leaves. We replanted a few trees that did not get well planted the first time around and two lovely Chestnut trees near the pond.  A new connection was made for the pipe that will carry the water out of the pond when the flooding occurs and channel it to the front of the  land where the trees are located for watering purposes, Jorge did a lot of grass cutting, pruning  and preparation of the areas under the olive trees for the soon coming harvesting. We also visited the local Agricultural Fair which displayed the prizewinning livestock and largely focused on new agricultural technologies more  applicable to large-scale farming in our area.

  Home repairs never end. We had to change the lock to the main door and also spent many hours adapting the diesel heater in the caravan. It sure came in handy during our trip to Coimbra and Penacova. We camped by the Rio Mondego and afterwards in Figueira da Foz and the evenings and early mornings were made much cosier with the heater running in the caravan!:)  We travelled to these areas to film all the beauty of God’s creation from rivers to ocean to mountain ranges and lagoas. It was gorgeous as most of the places had also experienced large amounts of rainfall in the previous weeks and the sun had just come out to display all the growth set in action during perfect weather conditions! Watch the clips online to see some of the highlights.

  In other news, Zac turned 9 this month!  He is very busy at school and very active on the football pitch over the weekends! Donna also got a little, not a lot, older and enjoyed a lovely weekend swimming and  traveling! Life is amazing and it is a big blessing to enjoy it in great health and thankfulness! 

  Olive Harvest

We started our olive harvesting! It was time, as weather conditions are changing continually and the olives either are not ripening or are gaining a type of rot. The trees which last year bore little fruit were abounding with olives and in one day and a half we harvested 300 kgs! We got some help from an electric shaker machine which shakes the branches and releases a great majority of the olives. Then we go in and pull down the leftovers by hand. This greatly reduces the time of harvesting a tree, and also is easier on our arms and wrists. We joined a communal effort to take our olives to the press and in doing so we were able to get oil pressed from our very own olives. Since half the olives were green, this oil is different from last year’s oil. We have come to learn that when harvested green, the olives have their highest nutritional value, and thus, organic, cold pressed,extra virgin oil is the highest quality of oil! It surely is a divine blessing to have this harvest! 

On a side note, Jason came down with the chickenpox! We still can’t figure out why he didn’t get it as a kid, but he survived the ordeal and is now immune. One less thing for him to worry about. 🙂

Love and prayers.

The month started with some tribulation over the noise in our apartment in BxB: The new restaurant down on the ground floor just plugged the old extractor that has been out of commission for several years, which unfortunatly is located right abobe our two rooms. The noise was bad and caused us to take the issue to the owner who at first was not too kind about it. Finally, we managed to sort out the situation, not before some negotiations and patient endurance. The problem seems to be solved, not totally to our liking but bearable for now.

This in turn caused us to spend more time at the farm. No big problem for me, (Jorge) much to the oposite. Autumn is nice here.

We were honored to receive Joana at the farm, where the quite and simple life of Autumn regenerates the body and inspires the soul. Sunrises and sunsets to remember plus pleasant dinners on the front porch. A visit to the Monsanto Village had to happen as part of the true Lusitania experience.

We are now ready for the next family visit, whoever that may be, and hurry up if you are coming because in exactly two month, God willing, we are leaving for Macau. Yes, it is confirmed. Unless the world’s situation deteriorates any further, that is to the point of hindering international travelling, or, God forbid, any health issue, we should be taking the Turkish Airlines to Hong Kong on the 6^th of December (see the ticket schedule images below).

Hopefully, we should stop in Istambul for a few days on the trip back. More on these plans later.

Until then, we should get in top shape, especially since we have half tone of olives to reap in mid November, which should give us enough oil for our lamps in the next year.

Thank you for your prayers.

From mom (Donna):

We planted some “Christmas Cabbage”, Couves de Natal, refertalized our young fruit trees, set up a compost bin and finished setting up the side fence. Amazingly we harvested some delicious “honey drop figs” and rare grapes from the vines. Now the persimmons are ripening abundantly and are next on the menu. Over to the cabin, we installed a hot water heater which is run by the generator and extended the pipes so we could have both showers with hot water and also in the kitchen sink! Hallelujah!

We also adapted the heater to warm the side bedroom which will soon be very useful.

The weather turned very hot again so more time was spent out in the early mornings filming and producing nature/verse videos. Then the fires started. We came from Lisbon to protect and water our trees, and thank God the closest fire to us was on the other side of the mountains. We started praying for rain as at one point there were 172 fires raging  mainly in central and northern areas of the country. A few firefighters lost their lives and thousands of hectares of  land burned. Finally, it did rain, Praise the Lord and we do hope it will be the end of the forest fires this year.

We took a trip to Videmonte, Guarda, to hike the Passadicos do Mondego. These amazing walkways are all constructed in wood and take one down into the  luscious green valley hiking alongside the peaceful Mondego River. It is a 12km hike,  but there are ways to cut your hike shorter if necessary. Jorge did 6kms and I did a lot less! 🙂

At the end of the month Autumn arrived and to celebrate Jorge dug a big, big,hole and planted an Oak tree! This will grow and grow and give us lots of shade in the future! We also planted two “freixo” trees, which when grown should also give shade near the cabin and six baby Olive trees! An investment into the future, under which many will sit and shose shade many will enjoy!

We also received some beautiful photos from family this month, which we share here:

Love and prayers.

One year ago, we started with the work on this farm project. We may say now that we experienced the four seasons here.It has been great. I put together a photo album of the farm for 2023 and another one for 2024. Check these out and watch the changes operated. These are random pictures. Chose the ones you like.
Some tender care, not least human and financial resources, to make this the place where you can come and rest awhile or stay longer. Love to have you here, anytime.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6hzeFU98965knhVT8 – from 2023

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CdX1gyqcrrRapfF77 – Farm development

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HmnKnd6bD64RfjPv7 – 2024

Mom:

Sitting outside at sunrise, here at the farm, in the beginning of September, it seems as if lovely autumn has arrived. Now there are cool mornings of 14° and fresh winds. In the beginning of August the heat was intense. We were on a mission to save the young trees and plants  during this hot and dry weather. Meanwhile, we took a trip up to the Porto area and we stopped at the coastal city of Aveiro where the temperatures were 12-15 degrees lower. It was a very nice getaway. We were able to catch up with some friends there and spend some time filming and exercising. Back to Lisbon  afterwards, where grandma had time with little Afonso. He is now 3 months old. He communicates with everyone  who has time for a conversation, through smiles and gurgles, charming all with his intense blue eyes!

He also had his baptism, and his public debut was impeccable, not one cry all afternoon!  We continue to pray for God’s blessing upon all our children and grandchildren!

Birthdays this month:

Isabel arrived  at the ripe age of 9, a milestone she has been looking forward to for many a year! She is so excited to return to school this fall and face all the challenges of education in  this modern world. What a gem! God bless her!:)

 Joana celebrated her 30th year one day previous, in a setting quintessential to our dear Jo: roller skating in a retro fitted venue with music and vibes from the 50’s-60’s. She is so thankful to be alive and has sooo much energy for the future!!!! 

Jason celebrated his 21st birthday in Lisbon!  He then came up to the farm to spend a few days.

Jason and dad were able to put up the next section of our fencing, putting up posts and cementing them in, as well as fitting the horizontal wires. The three of us also drove to Salamanca, the capital of Salamanca province, in Spain, about 200kms from here. The old town is known for its rich sandstone architecture and historic university. It was a key educational center in the 15th and 16th centuries – Columbus study there!. 

 For dad’s birthday., on the very last day of the month, we went up to some historic towns north of here. We read an article about the reenactment of a famous siege, in Almeida! The Siege of Almeida was part of the Peninsular War, a conflict of the Napoleonic Wars.It was a very happy atmosphere and actually we enjoyed a very peaceful atmosphere in that old walled village.

We thank God for all that He is doing in our lives. For the way He protects and provides for us and step by step shows us our duty in life:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Eclesiastes 12:13

Love and prayers

Donna:

The wonderful month of July was full of wonder!  First of all we were able to finish off many of the projects that were pending or requiring finishing touches  before the family arrived for a visit. We were able to purchase a new hand held grass cutter and clean up around the house area. We added more outdoor insulation on the back of the cabin and built an area in which to keep the bottled mountain water  protected from the heat. The main metal door has been insulated with cork and best of all the WP sign was placed at the entrance of the driveway so that there is no mistake where to turn in. 🙂

Back in Lisbon, Gloria had  defended her thesis and in thus doing so has finished all requirements for graduation! Last step is to be inscribed in the Ordem dos Médicos in Portugal.

 Over in Macau, Benjamin won two prizes at the music competition, one for best composition and one for judges selection. His song is entitled, ” Tired of  Running”. Good theme for an Olympics year:). Very nice song indeed.

   On the  of 19th of July, Gabriel and Selen and family  arrived for their stay in Portugal. Previously, they held a lovely wedding celebration with Selen’s extended family in her hometown Adana and since our family could not attend they came here to share the joy one more time!  We enjoyed  a lovely lunch on Saturday and in the same evening an amazing boat ride down the river Tejo! The weather was perfect, the company was spectacular! Our thoughts and wishes are that the newlyweds will enjoy many many years of happiness together.

   Next, it was off to the farm! Philip and family had their own rented camper and arrived first. The next day Gabriel, Selen, Selma, Gloria and Jason were here! The tents had already been set.

One of the main  attractions was Gabriel setting up the hammocks! Dear Selen was a very brave camper and proved she could sleep in the hammock all week long! 🙂 It was hot and the forecast was for a very hot week as well. We happened to spend one of the hottest weeks  in history by splashing at home in our little water tank and going to the nearby river beach.

We also ventured out on a historical/ cultural mission to Monsanto,  also known as the  ” Most Portuguese Village in Portugal”, complete with cobblestone streets, massive granite boulders, castle and trails. 

We cooked together, ate together, laughed together, played games together. That was the essence of our 6 days, sharing life and getting to know family. It was wonderful, and we are  looking forward to the next opportunity to meet! Behold, how good, and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity. Psalm 133:1. 

And here is another selection of images for your enjoyment:

Maximum temperature reached in the shade on the hottest day of the year (We survived!!)

We missed some of our family who could not be here. We do hope we can meet all together again with more participants another time. This should not be the end of anything but the begining of something very beautiful and healthy for everyone.

Also, from Cristiana, Nuno and baby Afonso we received these amazing photos. Beautiful.

Love and prayers.

June has been another busy month. At the farm the vibe has been “palletes”!  The well was needing a cover so we used a set of palletes for a strong sturdy cover. The top layer is of artificial  grass to keep the wood from the hot sun. We also built some benches from the pallets, a “pallete palace”  to keep the extra wood and various pieces of construction materials and a BBQ set up. There now exists a wall of palletes to keep the wind from blowing down the greenhouse and some of the bedroom wall divisions are made from palletes..! 

The cover for the water tanks was in need of an overhaul. After a thorough cleansing, we redid the lid with protective material and then artificial grass. Now it has a flat surface to climb upon and watch the sunset! A fence is in the process of installation, the guest room has been completed and decorated and a play area has been designated. It actually got cold for awhile with rain and the  grapes are growing everywhere! The pumpkins are flowering. the figs are ripening, the plums are falling since there are so many of them and the apples are getting bigger every day! First fruit harvest! 

On other news:

Miranda celebrated her birthday on that famous June day and she is looking forward to her summer holiday! Gloria turned 25 on the 25th and is looking forward to finishing all the requirements necessary for graduation!  We pray that both are blessed with good health, much wisdom, and the joy of the Lord in the year to come! 

Baby Afonso is growing by centimeters and kilos. He sure is good at keeping mom and dad busy and brightening up their lives with his precious smiles! Join us in prayer for his health and well being!  

It is good to remember the Lord and be thankful for all His many blessings:

‘And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.’ Isaiah 32:17

Love and prayers.

Donna:

The month of May has been absolutely aMAYzing! We starting off the month by watching Joana as protagonist in the Macau TDM production of “Gusto de Amor”. It is a sweet story of a Portuguese young lady who went to Macau in search of a secret recipe which her grandfather had shared with her when she was a young girl.  Along the journey of recovery of the long lost instructions Joana has very interesting experiences  in Macau and even a touch of romance. Joana interprets her role very convincingly, as if the part was  written especially for her, and we truly enjoyed the production. Benjamim did a great job behind the scenes filming with the videography team. Kudos to all who worked together to produce this rich Macanese cultural delicacy:)!

  Cristiana and Nuno received a very, very special gift on Mother’s Day May 12th!  It was the long awaited arrival of their precious son Afonso!!  On Saturday afternoon, Cristy went in for a check up and let us know she was waiting to see the doctor. What a surprise it was to receive a message early Sunday morning that the baby was already born! At precisely 12:17 am, Portugal time, little Afonso made his grand entry and soon was in his mommy arms to start that precious bonding experience and their unforgettable first day of life together!  Nuno was able to be with Cristy at the birth and during the subsequent days of  her recovery. We are so thankful that all the circumstances of this blessed event have worked together for good and we congratulate Cristiana and Nuno on the birth of their little boy! ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward’!  As of writing, little Afonso is already 3+weeks old and both Cristy and baby are doing well!  Mommy and daddy are getting used to sleepless nights and all the other special perks of first time parenthood and are doing a spectacular job of balancing all their new responsibilities! I am sure will have more pictures soon.

  On May 25th, we joined in celebration at the graduation ceremony for Gloria from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. To us, the past 6 years seem like a blip in time, but for Gloria, it probably was long enough! In Portugal, the procedures of the day are singular and of great significance. In the morning the Christian Blessing is held including Scripture reading, hymns and prayer. In the afternoon, the culturally rich “Queima das Fitas” , burning of the ribbons is held.  The graduates will come to the front of the school and will have in their possession their academic “Finalista” folder, a type of top hat and a cane. Each faculty has its own colors and the Faculty of Medicine”s color is yellow. A person of the students’ choice will adjust the students” clothing, put a pin on their lapel, place the hat on the student’s head and then proceed to hit the top of the hat with the cane three times. Following, they will burn a black ribbon which symbolizes the end of academic life and goodbye to any negative past.. The first Queima das Fitas ceremony was organized by the students of Coimbra University in the 1850’s., and with few variations is still held in various institutions all over the country. . It is a unique and vibrant celebration and we enjoyed the festive atmosphere shared among the graduates, families and friends. 

   As for the farm, the baby grapes and olives continue to grow, the baby birds in their nest have flown, roses are in bloom and we now have to protect ourselves from the sun”s rays instead of the cold wind. We also trimmed the vines, planted pumpkin seeds, fertilized the baby trees and had a portion of the grass cut. One year has gone by since we obtained this piece of land – The changes are noticeable.

Disclaimer: the above is NOT a swimming pool. It is a cold water dipping tank (3×3 meters)

We praise God for all His wonderful works and for the many blessings he continues to bestow upon us.! O LORD, how great are Your works and thy thoughts are very deep. Psalm 92:5

Love and Prayers

Donna:

Back on the farm, we are experiencing a cold wave again as the temperatures seem to go up and down like a yo-yo. It is windy and cold and there is snow on the mountain range! 

But everything keeps growing and blossoming just the same. The vines are starting to produce their  miniature grapes, the olive trees, their miniscule olives, the rose bushes, their lovely roses etc. The birds are preparing their nests, the frogs populating the pond and the wild flowers proliferating across the fields, better than Solomon in all His glory. 

Jorge has been hard at work transforming a cement storage space into a new room. I think the cold weather comes just for him, as he has an inexhaustible amount of energy when the temperatures are low. I am not the same and relish a bit more heat. We also came up with a few new ideas of how to protect ourselves from the sun when it comes in all its fury during the summer months. Every season has its challenges and we are learning to deal with them all.

***

Ben celebrated his birthday this month.on the 25th.   He is a very busy man, and we were happy to have a very deep, existential conversation and share a birthday cake with him on the internet!We are looking forward to the time we will be together again! 

Dear Aurora is now officially 6 years old after celebrating her annual birthday party event! She is adorable and looks ready to begin her skateboarding career!.

Cristiana and Nuno are enjoying their rest as their life changing career as parents is scheduled to begin in the very near future. Please join us in prayer for a safe delivery and a healthy and happy mother, father and baby!  Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward! Psalm 127:3.

Love to all

Donna:

We were blessed to witness from afar the wedding of Gabriel and Selan in Macau!  It was an entire day of ceremony, joy and celebration with family and friends! Both the bride and groom looked satisfied and fulfilled!  Indeed, the photographer Ben did a great job of capturing their mutual  sentiments on that lovely sunny March  day! Our best wishes to the lovely couple!

Also, Cristiana’s pregnancy is progressing well and with approximately 6 weeks to go the clock is ticking… Soon we will meet little Afonso!! We continually pray for mommy and baby’s health and well being.

Joana  was able to make a trip to Brazil where she saw Christ the Redeemer in the clouds from the air! She said it  was an amazing and beautiful experience! One day every eye shall  see Him, the live Redeemer,  coming in the clouds!!

News from the farm:

We returned to our homestead in the warmth of Spring eager to do some planting!  Into the ground went 2 cherry trees, 2 lemon trees, 2 tangerine trees, 2 pear trees, 2 peach trees, and one loquat tree.( The partridge in the pear tree will come later:) ! We also planted some camelia flowers as well as manuka plants. We were zealous to improve the landscaping at the front of our cabin, so we took to zoning a patio area, and a straight and narrow pathway to the deck. With the use of gravel we were able to create walkways to the different rooms in order to stay out of the mud during the rainy days. The east side in front of the vineyard was zoned off as an area for tents if anyone is up for camping! It took a lot of energy to get it done, but we were up to the task and did not rest till it was finished.  

  The outside bathroom has benefited from an additional facelift. With the addition of some wood tiling on the wall, a sink and toilet and showering facilities it is looking pretty nice indeed! Yesterday we added some electricity and with a few additional touches yet to be installed it will be fully functional! 

  After a week of balmy 24 degrees afternoons, the cold returned and so did snow to the top of Serra da Estrella. Since it is only an hour drive from here, we went up and saw so much more of the area that we were not aware existed. We saw the ski slopes and lots more snow than on our previous trip there. We got some great drone footage courtesy of mother nature herself. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

   We are back to very cold and rainy weather and eager to see how all our saplings respond to this change.  We are newbies at this agriculture science and do the best we can with  the information we receive. Locals tell us it can be bad for the cherry trees as some species were in full blossom, a situation which arrived from an early warm front ,and this abrupt. drop in temperature could direly affect this year’s  cherry production. This area is famous for its  delicious  dark, sweet cherries. We are praying all will turn out well. Farmers surely do have to trust the Lord for a good and successful harvest!

  We had Jason’s help for a few days while he was on spring break from uni. He lent his strength to cutting the way overgrown grass, helping drill holes through concrete walls and install electricity in the bathroom. Jorge and Jason also installed a window in the cabin, a treasure for  the entrance of light and fresh air!! 

  To end on a high note, the wind and rain finally stopped and we were able to plant some veggies, fill up the water tanks, fix the broken electric circuits in the caravan and get the heater working!  All’s well that ends well! And such is so with the Easter story! After the tragedy of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion on our behalf, we are greeted with the empty tomb on the first day of the week, and after this glorious revelation nothing is the same! Everything has changed! Jesus Christ is the living one who died and is alive forevermore! Rev. 1:18. Death is swallowed up in victory!! O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? 1 Cor. 15:54,55.

  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this? John 11:25,26. Happy Easter!!!

Donna:

   This month was a short month but full of Work Projects and activities at the farm! The month started out cold and rainy so we covered the well to keep our water source clean. We made a cross network of wooden posts and then covered them with a tarp. Working fine so far, but we may come up with another solution in the future. We also built a storage area behind the house to keep large items like fencing, tubes, outside materials etc. That area is less exposed to the elements and things keep well there. Amazingly, we  then had a  one week hiatus in the cold winter and the temperatures soared to the 20’s (centigrade)! It was beautiful, but according to locals, far too early, as the fruit trees began to blossom and it seemed as Spring was in the air. Well, it didn’t last long and soon we were back to winter.

  Meanwhile, the solar panels arrived and we set out to install them immediately. These new panels increased our wattage considerably and lessened the need to use the generator. It was quite a challenge figuring out all the electrical connections for the set of panels, but we researched the process and an amazing job was done to make them all work together to produce energy for us! Praise the Lord!

  We deemed a second bathroom as essential thus, after the hard work of laying the drainage pipes underground, we took the task of laying the tiles. This is definitely not easy either, as the  wall preparation and exact cement mixture is necessary to keep the tiles on the wall! All is well that ends well and after a couple of days, it is all looking great. The first steps were taken, the rest will fall into place in due course, by God’s grace.

  We have two water tanks which store water from the well. We took to cleaning, resurfacing and repainting the interiors and exteriors. This project is still in the works to be continued next month. Cover possibilities are being designed and studied. We purchased a small, easy to assemble, portable greenhouse. We will enter the planting stage soon, when the evening frosts end, As for the moment, we continued to prune the olive trees, destroy the briars, clean up the land, plant some lavender and rosemary cuttings and a few potatoes and carrots. Energy and strength are at a premium, however, the cold weather invigorates us to get these projects done before the heat arrives.  ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted’. (Ecc 3:1,2)

  As for overseas, family members in Macau have celebrated Chinese New Year  with all of its traditional aspects as the year of the dragon enters! The boys have had some amazing camping adventures and Selan has arrived! Benjamim had his photographs published in a Macau magazine as well as an article about him. On this side of the planet, Gloria and Jason are working hard to complete their second term in uni and Cristy and Nuno are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the baby in a couple of months! Everything is going according to God’s plan and we rejoice in every day of life we are so mercifully granted. We pray for wisdom and grace for all in order to accomplish the tasks God has set before us! Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. “Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”! (Ecc:12:24.)  

Images:

Farm Overview

Farm Details:

Family images:

Donna:

We returned early in the month and set out to work. The most spectacular event of all, I should say, is that we were able to get running water piped into the house! We set up a pump  which runs on batteries to draw the water from the tank into the kitchen and bathroom. For anyone who has recently been without running water you may understand how elated we are!  The beginning of the month was cold and very, very rainy. We had to channel the water out of the pond as it was flooding  the area near the house.  We covered the waste tank with dirt and dug a trench around it as well. On one side of the house we installed a door and window on the small storage room. Later, he installed a window on the opposite wall. We also were thinking and planning for a while an outside  deck area to utilize some empty space near the water tanks. Teamwork was necessary to bring it to fruition, requiring not only planning and  purchasing but drilling, sawing, painting, installing etc. Now we have an area where we can sit and enjoy the scenery surrounding us. We also made a wooden cover for the left water tank and we are working on the right one presently.

We purchased some electric pruning scissors and began the “poda”. Donna worked principally on the vines to the best of her ability. It was a task that took weeks as there were quite a few vines to be pruned during the intermittent  rain .She did not receive a diploma but her efforts were appreciated and hopefully the vines will deliver a good harvest of grapes this summer:) Jorge was instructed by our friend Mr. Joaquim on the pruning of the olive trees and continues the pruning over time as it is quite time consuming if done properly. 

We had a visit from Gloria as she  had traveled to a town nearby to  participate in an Imed competition. The next day we drove up to Serra da Estrela and were delighted to find snow. It had been 11 years since we had not seen snow.

As for family, we had an abundance of birthdays. Cristiana was first, but due to her having the flu we put off our celebrations till she recovered. She is five months pregnant now and needs to be well protected during the flu season which is in full swing right now. Emanuel also got a little older, and enjoyed a grand party with family and friends for the occasion. Philip also got a teeny bit older, but nobody really noticed anyway. He had fun skiing and is looking fine and as fit as ever. Thank God for life and the celebration of it! All glory be to God the king who gives life to all and Jesus Christ , who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Love and prayers.

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.

***

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! 

Images:

For farm images follow the links below:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZqHdwKx3ganf2otc9

More here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/q9ogjdEBGefoXCdTA

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NvPQVwey9LQSxULq7

May the Lord bless and keep you all. Love and prayers.

Jorge and Donna (dad and mom)

If you happen to be one of the few previledged people who reads this, you should know that alhough nothing reported here is a secret, this information is restricted to our family. The purpose to keepng this up is a remembrace, a record, for reference only and, sometimes. perhaps, encouragement.

If you do not wish a picture to be placed in here, you may expressly say so, although in this age of instagram and facebook it is hard to understand why someone would be restrictive to an already restrict, personal and innocuous (not harmful or offensive) means, we can only respect others’ opinions if we know what they are. Tks.

This months a lot has happened in our family and we do not know what we are authorized to reveal. Let us say that there are a lot of good things happening wherefore we are glad.

From my part, after spending near one month in Macau and China (where i was wonderfully welcomed by family and friends) I came back to Portugal and went right up to the ‘farm’. The ‘farm’ is this piece of land with many olive trees and vines, we have been previleged to obtain for reasons not yet totally known. One thing I know though is that it is inspiring, relaxing and productive. I get charged and inspired when I am there. Certainly, contrary to what some might think, that is not our endtime refuge. Such refuge we only have in the Lord: ‘God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble…’ as the Psalm goes.

So, after 15 days up there there are tales to tell and I let mom tell about it here (the pictures follow):

Donna:

After repeated warnings that the olive harvest was nearing its final weeks, we jetted off to our homestead for the pickings! First of all we gathered our materials; small hand rakes, gloves,  large buckets and plastic bags, a large tarpaulin and some ladders. We were delighted to arrive in the fall season with the leaves changing colors all around us and the sunshine maintaining the temperatures still high in the teens.! It was time consuming and yet a beautiful experience of reaping the fruit of the trees by hand instead of using mechanical means. For one week we spent at least 5/6 hours plucking fat, ripe, Gardunha olives from their lovely trees! If anyone would have told me that we could pick nearly 500kgs of olives from a set of 24 trees I wouldn’t have believed. But, thanks be to God that is actually what happened! In most areas the harvest this year has been very weak and in fact many of our trees did not produce much at all. As we learned, the olives have to be fresh for processing as they are given a quality control rating. After 4 days we took our first  batch of olives to the mill and were allotted 25 liters of fresh olive oil! This mill has the policy of a subsequent delivery of oil which we will receive in a month’s time. Anxious to see some pure olive oil, our second harvest was taken to a different mill and we were allotted 17 liters of olive oil on the spot! This was a good ratio of olives to oil as they were very full, ripe and fresh! It was hard work but very rewarding, not just for the profit in oil but in the entire experience.  We also kept some olives for curing in jars which will take a few months to present as cultured table olives! It is our first time to do this so we hope they come out tasty!

  Amazingly, after our week long harvest the weather totally changed to cold, foggy and rainy. We began work on covering the interior walls of our little cabin with wood panels to help isolate the walls from the cold outside and also look beautiful inside! Also, he set up a diesel heater which keeps us warm in the evenings before bed and early mornings when temperatures dive to below 8 degrees  Celsius! He also set up running water in the kitchen sink, a mechanical pump for the shower, installed electric sockets for charging devices and we reorganized the kitchen area! So, no time was wasted as the rain poured down outside and the work in the fields finished before the winter. We were able to plant three rose bushes, and are hoping they thrive in the cold! 

  One Sunday we ventured to the ancient hilltop village of Alcaide to visit the annual Miscaros Festival. Miscaros is a wild mushroom that lends its name to the festival  At this time of the year the area is great for foraging  an amazing  variety of mushrooms  but you do have to know what you are looking for, as some are edible and some are definitely not!  It was very interesting and there were so many Portuguese cultural elements included. Besides  the mushroom workshops there was the traditional folk music and one man bands  and artists wandering through the streets. Traditional food varieties  abounded including fresh made ‘rabanadas’, similar to a deep fried donut, and one can even join the long  queue for a free bowl of mushroom risotto! All in all, it was a very festive atmosphere thanks to the villagers and organizers of Alcaide!

  The following Sunday we made our way to Monsanto, one of the historic villages of Portugal and which is distinguished  as being the “most Portuguese village of Portugal”. This village consisting of a castle { which unfortunately was destroyed  in the 19th century because of an explosion in the ammunition depot of the caste} and churches and houses and abundant crosses is all built on a granite mountain which has traces form the Romans and the Visigoths and the Arabs. Monsanto’s history is extensive and  worth  looking into!.

Images:

MACAU:

Portugal:

Otter images

From Donna

The beginning of October was spent at our homestead and we were very  thankful for the cool, dry weather. Our quest was to continue to improve our basic living conditions in order to spend more time in that area.  We installed a bathroom, insulated the ceiling and the walls and connected the kitchen and bathroom plumbing to the drainage system, among many other things.The final touches  are waiting for a future opportunity.  The insulation of the loft area makes a huge difference in the  temperatures below. As for the horticulture, we harvested boxes of dried-on-the-vine raisins, which are super sweet, although they are seeded. The trees were also heavily laden with quinces and persimmons. which were promptly turned into jam.  We also learned how to remove the  new shoots which are growing at the ground level of the olive trees, resulting in  hours of free exercise in the fresh air! The trees look handsome indeed and we are looking forward to the olive harvest in November! 

  In other latitudes, this month dear Zach turned a big 8 on his Birthday!  He is now in second grade, reading up a storm and  getting really good on the soccer field, He is a lightning bolt of energy not to be taken lightly, scoring amazing goals in every match! Riley is enjoying her pre-kindergarten class, especially arts and crafts and singing!  Donna also enjoyed a very happy birthday with family in Portugal. She is fighting hard to keep her energy level high in order to keep up with all the activity and so thankful for all the young people in her life!

   Over in Macau Joana has featured in a locally produced film called “Dreaming Girls.” It was released in the cinema in Lisboeta this month. This is the first time Joana has appeared on the big screen and the film seems to have gotten good reviews.  Joana has also made a short documentary about the film and has appeared in several magazines as well. Kudos to you Joana! Still in Macau, Benjamim has performed at the popular Lusofonia annual event.  He featured his own songs and included Portuguese favorites as well! The performance was a great success!

  Jorge has taken a trip to Macau in order to take care of WP business and some legal papers.

Assorted images from this month:

We thank God that our family is well. No major events have been reported this month. From our side, we are excited about our new project. Donna has written this short report:

Good morning from the countryside on planet earth – also called, soil, dirt, dust. Indeed a different planet when you first come out here to stay awhile. After becoming accustomed to the surroundings, one  begins to realize the beauty embedded in the simplicity of nature. Simplicity as compared to a city full of modern technology, but actually very complex in its own ecosystem. The best moment for me has been waking early to go outside and look east to the sunrise, up to the  stars and  planets, and west to the full moon illuminating the sky as if dueling with the sun in capacity to light up the world.  With nature waking up to the call of a new day, Then I think not only of the work to be done,  but of the wonderful things I can learn if I only pay attention!!!

   We are also creatures that desire comfort thus have decided to improve inside the small building structure located on the grounds between the olive groves and grape vines. This is no small feat, and we have taken to it with vigor and passion. The last few weeks it has been very warm around here, so it has been a good time to invest in basic infrastructures. We built a false roof of wood to create a loft and will install insulation to keep us from extreme temperature variations. We also had a septic tank installed and now are working on the bathroom inside the house (if we can call it that). The electric circuitry is being laid, water pipes all the way from the well, drain pipes, kitchen pipes, etc. This place is slowing changing from a simple 4-wall structure to a home and we enjoy every moment of progress! For now, we have a portable kitchen which moves inside or out, depending on the need, which is like camping at its best. We are off grid, meaning we are not connected to any utility services like water or electricity or gas. We get free drinking water from a fountain nearby, which comes from the mountain and is great to replace our usual bottled water! For electricity we use  solar power and .a generator. For cooking we have a gas camping stove. The only service we use here is the internet and we have great coverage, for which we are truly thankful!!

  As far as the land, we still have a bumper crop of grapes. We have been eating the table grapes, and the wine grapes are turned into juice and jam. We didn’t sign up with the cooperative  this year, but in the future we plan to do so. Eventually we will make our own wine in a small scale production just for fun. or alternatively, we will sell the grapes to the community co-op. The trees are bursting with persimmons which are also being turned into jams. In November it will be time to harvest the olives. We have more than 25 olive trees. Lots of work to do always, but it is fun the see the produce.

  For relaxation we like scouting out the surrounding areas. There are many historical UNESCO villages nearby, like medieval towns with stone houses, etc. In our local village, about one kilometer from here, we buy bread in the morning. We enjoy getting to know the local people there.

All in all, this is a great outdoor experience, a new outlook to life, for us, with many new things to learn.

 Hopefully you may be able to come and experience it with us.

‘But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.’ Micah 4:4

Love

Mom

Images of this month:

Donna:

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalms 118:1

    In the beginning of the month Jorge and Jason made a trip up to Fundao to get a head start on some major projects.  They set up a small generator to get some power for basic necessities  such as phone charging, lights etc. 

  It was great timing as the grape harvesting season had begun early due to the very hot sunshine and temperatures held during the summer months. Jason harvested bucketfuls of grapes, quite a variety of them indeed and since then we have been brainstorming ways to make use of this abundance including grape jam, raisins, frozen grapes, grape pie, as well as sharing them with neighbors and friends. They are sooo sweet and planning to go back to get more soon! Also plenty of plums which serve well for plum preserves!

  It has been a birthday galore month! Sweet Isabel is now 8 and has grown in stature by leaps and bounds this past year. Joana has been busy as ever this season, a veritable globetrotter, performing in her myriad of artistic elements.! Jason has left the teenage years and  moved on to his 20’s! He is enjoying his last weeks of summer holiday and helping dad with the farm work at times. Jorge has grown older and wiser and we thank God that he has reached this season of life with so much good health, vision and energy to spare! He is excited for the new off-grid farm project and all the new videos waiting to be recorded in the months to come!

  August has been great for a getaway holiday to restore the spirit and relax before a new work phase begins. Eman and family were  blessed to spend time with Philip and Julie at Phil’s place.and all the amazing nature of their home and surrounding areas! The four  young cousins, Zac, Riley, Isabel and Aurora had a great time together from  what we hear  Gabriel is back from Turkey where he got to explore the Bosphorus  region with Selan. He is now back home  and just in time indeed.! He was able to secure the fort in the face of Severe Typhoon Saola. This signal 10+ storm had speeds of 185 Km/hr at its center and was 30 km  from Macau at its closest moment. Thankfully it passed quickly, leaving its path of destruction behind. Thankfully, we suffered minimal damage from a broken glass window and lots of fallen tree branches. The storm  has passed and now clean up has begun. 

Iimages :

An that is all for now. Thank you for the time reading this. Love and prayers. Mom and dad

Donna:

  Amid the displeasure of having to say goodbye  to Emanuel at the end of last month we   experienced the joy of receiving Gabriel to our home and also to our homestead!   Gabriel   lent his strength and helping hands to our new  ‘eco-agricultural’ project and was  our first guest and family member to enjoy the first-fruits of the land! When starting any new project, there is   so much to do, so much to plan, that it  can be overwhelming. So, here is some of the progress that was made:

Jorge and Gabriel rigged a tarp above the entrance area of the agricultural  building,  which for now is used for storage.
Jorge was able to set up a makeshift dining room inside this area so we could enjoy a respite from the intense sunshine outside as the temperature was rapidly increasing by the  minute!
We enjoyed our first meal on location and ,as per necessary, a welcomed siesta!:) Gabriel proceeded to the brush cutting operation in the heat of the day. armed with the   shoulder strapped   brush  cutter. and his turkish agro pants!
Donna was able to collect grapes ready and ripe to harvest, adjust vine  placements, as well as relieve the heavy leaden plum trees from the weight of their delicious plums.

Overall, it was a wonderful first day of work in our new project, but unfortunately the experience was short lived.
The very same evening Jorge came down with a high feverm which  resulted in a sleepless night in the camper van. We decided to head home the next day as we really weren’t set up to deal with viruses and the intense heat wave hitting the region.

Preparing the van for the journey home, Jorge noticed the front punctured tire. 🙁 Fortunately we were able to locate, and buy some new tires  in a garage nearby, but it did take a good chunk of the day to get them installed.
Exhausted as we were,  it was Gabriel who drove us all home in record time without a glitch!   

   Well, we can’t really tell you the name of the virus that hit us, but it was a strong one and it had both Jorge and I down for about one week, with   another week necessary for full recovery. Thank God no one else contracted it and we are so happy to be up and about again! Thank God the human body can heal itself if we give it the right conditions to do so. We stuck with our usual arsenal of garlic, vit. C. herb teas along with lots of water and rest doused with a good dose of prayer! Praise God for His healing touch!

 On the other side of the world, Benjamim was back in the spotlight this month with the Macau TDM music awards!   Ben won two awards for his song “Wait Till Summer”, which he wrote and produced along with recording all the vocals and instrumental accompaniments. He received the prize for Best Performance and Favorite Song. It was great to see him on stage again and I am sure we will be seeing more of him in the future!!

   Gloria has finished her Erasmus program and has returned home. Gloria enjoyed her time in Pisa and now has contacts with other medical students in different areas of the country. Praise the Lod.

+++

Meanwhile, Gabriel is in Turkey with Selen and enjoying it, in spite of the heat wave there too. Not least, we heard a lot of good things about Emanuel’s family visit with Philip’s family on the Far West of the USA.

We share with you some images of the month here:

Farm images:

Home images:

Other images:

‘ It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ – Lamentations 3:22-23

Love to all.

” But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.” Micah 4:4

For several years now, we thought we would like to have a place in the country side. Perhaps for peace and tranquility, perhaps to practice some old fashion agricultural skills. Maybe for fun too or some outdoor activities. Maybe to start a new project that we may not know yet where it will lead. Perhaps permannent, perhaps not.

We have travelled in the North and in the South, and while making videos for the channel, we kept our eyes open and inquired here and there. The price is usually the first hurdle. The amount of savings we have to invest is frugal to compete in a hot property market.

In the beggining of this month of June, probably one year after our arrival, to the day, we visited a place we liked. We had seen it online and from the first impressions it seemed to be close to what we have been looking for. We travelled up there, visited, talked to the agent and we have been in negotiations ever since.

I think we are in position to positively anounce that we shall be harvesting grapes in September and olives in November, plus lots of figs and other fruit this summer. More details are to be settled in our next trip up there, with Gabriel, who is also excited about it, but now thta we have your attention, here are a few images of the little landplot:

Not least, we are enjoying the visit of Emanuel and Gabriel, who are spicing out our summer here with lots of outdoor and travelling. So far we have been in Costa Vicentina and Penacova Mondego region with Emanuel and Jason, and soon we hope to go up to Serra da Estrela region with Gabriel and Jason.

Here are some assorted pictures from June:

We thank you all and hope to see more of you, at least in picture, this next month. Praying for you .

dad and mom