All my life I've heard preachers say that "the best place to be is smack in the middle of God's will". My reaction to hearing this was always the same: "What a vague statement to make!" For one thing, how exactly does one know God's will? We're always told to find it and do it, but rarely are we given suggestions on how to find it. Also, what if God's will is somewhere that we, with our human nature, really would rather not be either physically or spiritually? It's one thing to say it's the best place to be, it's another thing to feel that way when you're there.
Now I know all of the answers. I grew up hearing it and I could list every reason both scriptural and non, but hearing isn't understanding. Experiencing - that's different. I can now honestly say that I finally understand what people mean when they say that the center of God's will is the best place to be. Because now I know how it feels.
The trepidation I felt leading up to my time in Portugal can't even be explained. However, with the emotional support of those who loved me I kept walking through the open door, no matter how anxious I felt or how much I secretly hoped that God would close the door. And now I'm so very glad that He didn't. I am happier, more content, and more confident here in Portugal than I have been in a long time. Are there slight discomforts? Sure. Do I miss home? Definitely. But not enough to remove the certainty I have that God has led me to this place and is blessing my time here.
So when the door started opening for me to stay a little while longer, it was with considerably less hesitation that I walked toward it. It didn't take long before God swung the door wide open and things fell into place so that there was no doubt in my mind that it was His plan for me to stay until the end of May.
"What's next? What will you do after May?" is what most people have asked. At this point I don't feel like God is pointing me towards becoming a career missionary; admittedly, the idea scares me some, but hopefully if He does direct that way I'll be more open to that option after having had this wonderful experience. Until such a time that He makes His will clear though, I'll return to life and work in Illinois having grown in more ways than one.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Dia do Pai
Thursday, March 19 was Dia do Pai here (Father's Day). So on Sunday the children did a special presentation for their parents. They've been working on their verse and song since the beginning of February - Genesis 1:1, and a song about God creating the fish, the birds, you and me, etc (it's in Portugese...I don't know any more than that, lol). And of course, like all children, they got shy when it came time to actually perform. Poor Daniel was half asleep, but eventually Maria started saying a word or two and Marcio started "growling" the words. :-)
Then they all had a gift for their dads: a photo of them in a popsicle stick frame. Marcio was so excited that he wanted to keep his, lol. But we finally convinced him to give it to his dad, which he did in a flash and was on to the next thing! They're all very active children....
Please pray for the church in Samora. Currently, there are three families that attend. But in April, Pedro is moving his family to Angola, so we'll lose the four of them. It's hard to get a new church going anyway; losing one of your regular families doesn't make it any easier. We'll definitely miss them!
Here's the whole church as we are right now. :-)
Then they all had a gift for their dads: a photo of them in a popsicle stick frame. Marcio was so excited that he wanted to keep his, lol. But we finally convinced him to give it to his dad, which he did in a flash and was on to the next thing! They're all very active children....
Please pray for the church in Samora. Currently, there are three families that attend. But in April, Pedro is moving his family to Angola, so we'll lose the four of them. It's hard to get a new church going anyway; losing one of your regular families doesn't make it any easier. We'll definitely miss them!
Here's the whole church as we are right now. :-)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
There is a Chili's in Portugal! A taste of home from thousands of miles away. In the past 5 Fridays, we've been there 3 times. :-) It doesn't really excite me as much as it does others, but I'm quite happy to tag along and enjoy the good old American food.
Last week we got even more of a taste of home. While our group of 8 was eating and chatting and having a great time, ANOTHER group of 8 or 9 North Americans came up the stairs, said hello to us (yes, it's easy to tell who's North American), and were seated just a few tables away. That was it! Our curiosity was piqued. As soon as we finished and stood up to leave, there was no stopping Cal. Over to their table he went and introduced himself, and upon doing so discovered that it was another group of new missionaries. This made the introductions even more fun because now everyone could compare notes about culture shock, learning the language, school for the children, etc. It's always fun to meet other missionaries regardless of what country, mission board, or denomination they're from; it's a reminder that we aren't alone in our endeavors.
Last week we got even more of a taste of home. While our group of 8 was eating and chatting and having a great time, ANOTHER group of 8 or 9 North Americans came up the stairs, said hello to us (yes, it's easy to tell who's North American), and were seated just a few tables away. That was it! Our curiosity was piqued. As soon as we finished and stood up to leave, there was no stopping Cal. Over to their table he went and introduced himself, and upon doing so discovered that it was another group of new missionaries. This made the introductions even more fun because now everyone could compare notes about culture shock, learning the language, school for the children, etc. It's always fun to meet other missionaries regardless of what country, mission board, or denomination they're from; it's a reminder that we aren't alone in our endeavors.
Monday, March 16, 2009
English Club
When I first arrived here in Portugal, Miriam asked if I could help with her English club and I gladly agreed. I've come here with the purpose to be a blessing and help in any area where I am needed. Due to this, that, and the other thing, we didn't get started with the club until the first Wednesday in March. Part of Miriam's ministry for some time has been giving free English lessons in her home or at local schools. So all of the children who have come to the club so far can speak a little English; some better than others.
On the first week we had Ana Carolina who is 13 and her brother Marcus who is 10 I think, and Melissa who is also 12 or 13 and her sister Marta who is 8 or so. Miriam previously knew all of them, which was nice because then the only awkwardness was the children and I getting to know each other. Ana Carolina and I talked for some time at the end of the "class" and I discovered that she speaks English very well already, which made the second week a lot easier for both of us.
We only had Ana Carolina and Marcus on the second week, and they had a great time teaching me Portugese while we taught them English! :-) Right now, Miriam is reviewing with them basic words: father and mother, colors, fruits, etc. Last week we only did the English words, but THIS week they taught me the English words as well. So while Marcus learned "top, middle, bottom, left, right, line, column" I learned "cima, meio, baixo, esquerda, direita, linha, coluna". We played tic-tac-toe on the board and I had to play in Portugese while Marcus played in English. It was fun! They are really sweet kids; I'm looking forward to getting to know them better. The whole idea of this is to build relationships with people and ultimately (hopefully) lead them to Christ.
On the first week we had Ana Carolina who is 13 and her brother Marcus who is 10 I think, and Melissa who is also 12 or 13 and her sister Marta who is 8 or so. Miriam previously knew all of them, which was nice because then the only awkwardness was the children and I getting to know each other. Ana Carolina and I talked for some time at the end of the "class" and I discovered that she speaks English very well already, which made the second week a lot easier for both of us.
We only had Ana Carolina and Marcus on the second week, and they had a great time teaching me Portugese while we taught them English! :-) Right now, Miriam is reviewing with them basic words: father and mother, colors, fruits, etc. Last week we only did the English words, but THIS week they taught me the English words as well. So while Marcus learned "top, middle, bottom, left, right, line, column" I learned "cima, meio, baixo, esquerda, direita, linha, coluna". We played tic-tac-toe on the board and I had to play in Portugese while Marcus played in English. It was fun! They are really sweet kids; I'm looking forward to getting to know them better. The whole idea of this is to build relationships with people and ultimately (hopefully) lead them to Christ.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
It's time
It's the second week of March already! Where has time gone?! I'm afraid I've been quite negligent in updating lately. The thing is, it seems that every time I want to post something specific, our internet isn't working. Then when it starts to work again, either I'm too busy or I can't remember what it is I wanted to say! Figures, doesn't it? :-)
Anyway..... Joyce and I were talking about language yesterday and she told me "A person who speaks 3 languages is considered a tri-linguist, a person who speaks 2 languages is a bi-linguist. And someone who speaks 1 language? is an American." A witticism that I had never heard before but, as we all know, is so true! For over two months I've been unable to communicate freely in public without help. Sure I know a few words, but I think it's high time I knew more. I certainly won't become fluent in the next few months, but taking lessons every week can only help. So at the first opportunity I'll ask Matilde if we can schedule a time. I might as well learn as much as I can while I'm here, right? (Oh I suppose I should explain who Matilde is. She's a sweet and patient Portugese Christian lady who has taught English to many a missionary in the past years.)
Anyway..... Joyce and I were talking about language yesterday and she told me "A person who speaks 3 languages is considered a tri-linguist, a person who speaks 2 languages is a bi-linguist. And someone who speaks 1 language? is an American." A witticism that I had never heard before but, as we all know, is so true! For over two months I've been unable to communicate freely in public without help. Sure I know a few words, but I think it's high time I knew more. I certainly won't become fluent in the next few months, but taking lessons every week can only help. So at the first opportunity I'll ask Matilde if we can schedule a time. I might as well learn as much as I can while I'm here, right? (Oh I suppose I should explain who Matilde is. She's a sweet and patient Portugese Christian lady who has taught English to many a missionary in the past years.)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
What do I do?
A very dear friend mentioned to me recently that they would like to read more about what my ministry is here. This reminder actually came at a very good time, as I've been pondering this topic lately myself. What exactly IS my ministry here? I find myself with quite a bit of free time, and I've done quite a bit of sight-seeing. If that was all I did, then I should refund all of my support money and return home because this is not supposed to be just a vacation for me, and I certainly don't want it to be.
So. My ministry. Well, it's pretty much exactly that: ministering wherever I can and to whomever I can. From what I'm told, my most important ministry here is watching Noah in the afternoons. It doesn't sound like much and it's only about 2.5 hours every day, but it's a huge blessing to Nick and Krista. It gives them peace of mind so that they can concentrate on language class. I wrote a post specifically about Noah some time ago; it's past time to write another one. So a post about Noah will be shortly forthcoming, I promise.
In the mornings, I go with my roommates to the school. Last week, I helped Tammy get caught up on her grading, but that was the first time I've done that. About three weeks ago, I subbed for Laurie in her 1st-2nd grade class, but that was the only time I've done that. :-) For the most part, I'm working on organizing the school libraries. Looking at it, one would never think that there was a need for that. However, upon closer inspection I discovered this to be the case. Don't get me wrong; it was very well organized. Several books were just categorized too generally. For example, the elementary library had 50-75 books categorized under Biology. Perhaps 40% of these were mammals, 20% were fish, 20% were birds, 20% were insects. These all have their own category under the Dewey Decimal System. In fact, the system gets even more specific than that. Therefore, it has taken me A LOT longer to organize the elementary library than I thought it would.
Weekends are spent with Jon and Marilyn Rust (my cousins) at their home in Samora. On Sunday, I play the piano for their church. On Saturday, I help out with whatever I can. One week, Marilyn needed some help with a wallpaper border. Often, we just spend quality time together. This too, though, is ministering. Jon and Marilyn are empty-nesters and miss their children. I'm in a foreign country away from my parents. So spending family time together, simply doing the dishes or bowling on the Wii, is a way for me to be a blessing to them and vica versa.
Lastly, there is a single lady missionary here named Miriam. She has many, many ministries and has had her hand in helping start many churches. One of the things she does is teach English from her home in the form of an English Club. It's free unlike so many other English classes, which makes it appealing to parents. And it's a way for her to make contacts and build relationships and introduce Christ. When I first arrived, Miriam asked if I would be willing to help her with this and I said yes. Due to one reason after another, the first day of this particular club will be next Wednesday night. I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen, though I'm not sure how much help I'll be since I don't know nearly enough Portugese.
So there you have it: my ministry here. Nothing very exciting. But it's enough to keep me busy for the most part. Like I said, I do sometimes have quite a bit of free time, but sometimes I have no free time at all!
So. My ministry. Well, it's pretty much exactly that: ministering wherever I can and to whomever I can. From what I'm told, my most important ministry here is watching Noah in the afternoons. It doesn't sound like much and it's only about 2.5 hours every day, but it's a huge blessing to Nick and Krista. It gives them peace of mind so that they can concentrate on language class. I wrote a post specifically about Noah some time ago; it's past time to write another one. So a post about Noah will be shortly forthcoming, I promise.
In the mornings, I go with my roommates to the school. Last week, I helped Tammy get caught up on her grading, but that was the first time I've done that. About three weeks ago, I subbed for Laurie in her 1st-2nd grade class, but that was the only time I've done that. :-) For the most part, I'm working on organizing the school libraries. Looking at it, one would never think that there was a need for that. However, upon closer inspection I discovered this to be the case. Don't get me wrong; it was very well organized. Several books were just categorized too generally. For example, the elementary library had 50-75 books categorized under Biology. Perhaps 40% of these were mammals, 20% were fish, 20% were birds, 20% were insects. These all have their own category under the Dewey Decimal System. In fact, the system gets even more specific than that. Therefore, it has taken me A LOT longer to organize the elementary library than I thought it would.
Weekends are spent with Jon and Marilyn Rust (my cousins) at their home in Samora. On Sunday, I play the piano for their church. On Saturday, I help out with whatever I can. One week, Marilyn needed some help with a wallpaper border. Often, we just spend quality time together. This too, though, is ministering. Jon and Marilyn are empty-nesters and miss their children. I'm in a foreign country away from my parents. So spending family time together, simply doing the dishes or bowling on the Wii, is a way for me to be a blessing to them and vica versa.
Lastly, there is a single lady missionary here named Miriam. She has many, many ministries and has had her hand in helping start many churches. One of the things she does is teach English from her home in the form of an English Club. It's free unlike so many other English classes, which makes it appealing to parents. And it's a way for her to make contacts and build relationships and introduce Christ. When I first arrived, Miriam asked if I would be willing to help her with this and I said yes. Due to one reason after another, the first day of this particular club will be next Wednesday night. I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen, though I'm not sure how much help I'll be since I don't know nearly enough Portugese.
So there you have it: my ministry here. Nothing very exciting. But it's enough to keep me busy for the most part. Like I said, I do sometimes have quite a bit of free time, but sometimes I have no free time at all!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Of a spider
I am not a morning person. Many of you probably just chuckled and nodded your head knowingly. It isn't that I wake up crabby, I just wake up slowly so please don't expect too much of me at the ungodly hour of 6:30. Let me go about my business in peace and quiet, and then when I'm fully awake I'll happily hold a conversation with you. Now that you know this about me, you'll understand the following tale a lot better. :-)
Yesterday morning, after hitting the snooze a couple of times I finally submitted to the inevitable and forced myself out of bed. The weather has gotten warm enough now that I can handle the temperature of the floors with socks instead of slippers, so wearing my socks I lazily stepped out of my room into the hallway. Upon entering said hallway I felt a small pebble or button or some such thing under my toes, so I stepped lightly. Then I turned around and saw him: large, motionless, and ominous. Some spiders look threatening no matter what they're doing, as though at a moments notice they'll charge or pounce. This was one of those. *shiver* Believe me, now I was awake!
Stepping gingerly around him, I re-entered my room, noiselessly and deliberately picked up a shoe, and then creeped back. *Bang* went the shoe and he curled up into a ball, mortally wounded! Now that my enemy was debilitated I could gather several tissues. A thick wad of tissues and a soft crunching sound finished the battle. Phew! Victory! Into the trash he went!
My philosophy is: bugs don't belong inside. Outside, I won't bother them because that's their domain. They enter my domain at their own risk. Now I know, we have spiders in the States too. In fact, I've probably killed this guy's distant relations at home in Illinois before. But the story was too good to not tell it! :-)
Yesterday morning, after hitting the snooze a couple of times I finally submitted to the inevitable and forced myself out of bed. The weather has gotten warm enough now that I can handle the temperature of the floors with socks instead of slippers, so wearing my socks I lazily stepped out of my room into the hallway. Upon entering said hallway I felt a small pebble or button or some such thing under my toes, so I stepped lightly. Then I turned around and saw him: large, motionless, and ominous. Some spiders look threatening no matter what they're doing, as though at a moments notice they'll charge or pounce. This was one of those. *shiver* Believe me, now I was awake!
Stepping gingerly around him, I re-entered my room, noiselessly and deliberately picked up a shoe, and then creeped back. *Bang* went the shoe and he curled up into a ball, mortally wounded! Now that my enemy was debilitated I could gather several tissues. A thick wad of tissues and a soft crunching sound finished the battle. Phew! Victory! Into the trash he went!
My philosophy is: bugs don't belong inside. Outside, I won't bother them because that's their domain. They enter my domain at their own risk. Now I know, we have spiders in the States too. In fact, I've probably killed this guy's distant relations at home in Illinois before. But the story was too good to not tell it! :-)
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