A Whirlwind of Portugal
We landed in Portugal on Thursday morning and since then have had three full days of sightseeing. Thursday we toured the village of Obidos. It was an amazing view. We learned how God had moved the mountains to make what was once this port city fifteen miles away from the ocean (due to earthquake in 1757).
Thursday was a great day, although it was a struggle for all of us to stay awake. However, the Hendersons did their best to keep us awake by taking us to Obidos, and showing us the views. It was hard to stay alert, but we have adjusted to the time difference very well because of it.
Friday was a full day touring all over Lisbon. We visited The Discover's Monument that was built in 1960, and that our very own Jerry Carpenter was part of (as a sailor in port there at the time, he was asked to march in the parade dedicating it). It was a very moving experience for all of us, but especially for Amy who is here as part of the team.
Believe it or not, we were cold that afternoon. Of course, we were on the top of a double decker bus seeing the sites of the city, and the upper deck was open. It has been extraordinarily cool here for Portugal, but the sun has beamed down on us brightly almost all the time. (This picture below was taken just after John caught Pastor Coon's hat that flew off his head while on the bus. We were all impressed at John's quick reflexes and Pastor was relieved he didn't lose his hat.)
God was very much in that day as well. While there were many "God moments," the one that sticks in our minds the most was our new friend Victoria (Vicky), who will be working with us during VBS. She was with us all of Friday, and her mastery of English as well as her native Portuguese was really important during our tour of Lisbon. She is a radiant young woman, Angolan by birth, but Portuguese through and through.
Today, we went to Evora, another walled city with some ancient sites (a Roman Temple of Diana), and the Capela do Ossos (Chapel of Bones). The chapel was lined with the bones of townspeople (over five thousand different skeletons), and the purpose was to remind people of the brevity of life and the eternality of us all. We also visited the Cromelique (the Portuguese equivalent of Stonehenge, a megolithic site). Its purpose was to please gods of some kind. It was kind of sad that so much attention is paid to the dead bodies from years past and working to please the gods, but nothing about the shed blood of Christ for salvation.
The Hendersons are doing well, and we are cherishing every moment we have with them. Their Portuguese language skills are incredible, although they are very humble about it. Their heart for the unsaved continues to be tender, and Conseicao is a woman we all are now praying for. She is a communist woman who has come to know God's love through Susan, but who still needs to believe that Jesus died for her. We look forward to tomorrow and worship services with two different congregations. Please pray that we will step out of our comfort zones and interact with the Portuguese people.
Thank you for all of your prayers. We miss you all, but know this is where God will move in magnificent ways while we are here.
For His Glory,
Thursday was a great day, although it was a struggle for all of us to stay awake. However, the Hendersons did their best to keep us awake by taking us to Obidos, and showing us the views. It was hard to stay alert, but we have adjusted to the time difference very well because of it.
Friday was a full day touring all over Lisbon. We visited The Discover's Monument that was built in 1960, and that our very own Jerry Carpenter was part of (as a sailor in port there at the time, he was asked to march in the parade dedicating it). It was a very moving experience for all of us, but especially for Amy who is here as part of the team.
Believe it or not, we were cold that afternoon. Of course, we were on the top of a double decker bus seeing the sites of the city, and the upper deck was open. It has been extraordinarily cool here for Portugal, but the sun has beamed down on us brightly almost all the time. (This picture below was taken just after John caught Pastor Coon's hat that flew off his head while on the bus. We were all impressed at John's quick reflexes and Pastor was relieved he didn't lose his hat.)
God was very much in that day as well. While there were many "God moments," the one that sticks in our minds the most was our new friend Victoria (Vicky), who will be working with us during VBS. She was with us all of Friday, and her mastery of English as well as her native Portuguese was really important during our tour of Lisbon. She is a radiant young woman, Angolan by birth, but Portuguese through and through.
Today, we went to Evora, another walled city with some ancient sites (a Roman Temple of Diana), and the Capela do Ossos (Chapel of Bones). The chapel was lined with the bones of townspeople (over five thousand different skeletons), and the purpose was to remind people of the brevity of life and the eternality of us all. We also visited the Cromelique (the Portuguese equivalent of Stonehenge, a megolithic site). Its purpose was to please gods of some kind. It was kind of sad that so much attention is paid to the dead bodies from years past and working to please the gods, but nothing about the shed blood of Christ for salvation.
The Hendersons are doing well, and we are cherishing every moment we have with them. Their Portuguese language skills are incredible, although they are very humble about it. Their heart for the unsaved continues to be tender, and Conseicao is a woman we all are now praying for. She is a communist woman who has come to know God's love through Susan, but who still needs to believe that Jesus died for her. We look forward to tomorrow and worship services with two different congregations. Please pray that we will step out of our comfort zones and interact with the Portuguese people.
Thank you for all of your prayers. We miss you all, but know this is where God will move in magnificent ways while we are here.
For His Glory,
Team 1 (Scott & Lissy)