On Sunday, a group of seven people from a church in Tennessee will arrive. Throughout the week, they will help us pass out tracts, hold a Bible club, teach a Bible study, and meet the people we love and are ministering to here in Portugal. We are excited and just a little bit nervous.
Like any missionary, we want to show our friends and partners from America what we are doing here. We want them to experience some of our life and ministry. We want them to leave Portugal sharing an even strong burden and passion to reach people here.
At the same time, we wonder if people who visit will think, “Is this it? What else do you have going on? Where is your church? When are you starting an orphanage? When will you translate the Bible into the native language?” Okay, the last two questions are not real, but sometimes we do look at what we are doing and think, “Is this it?” Giving out tracts, talking with people, having one-on-one Bible studies, doing Bible clubs with a dozen kids, and eating meals with people is slow work, and sometimes the results are long in coming. And yet, it is worth it. We may not have evangelistic crusades with thousands of people; we may not have a Bible college training dozens of pastors each year; we may not have an orphanage filled with children eager to learn the Bible; but what we do have is the assurance that God has placed us here for a reason. Because of that, we will gladly spend our lives here doing what He has called us to do.
Having said that, we believe that this upcoming week can be a real catalyst for the work here. Having this group from one of our supporting church is a great blessing and opportunity. Join us in praying for the week ahead:
1. Pray for the tracts we will be distributing. We hope to pass out 6,000 tracts in the week to come.
2. Pray for the kids activities we will be doing. I have been volunteering at a community center over the past year. Now, I believe the time is right to begin a Bible club with the kids of that neighborhood.
3. Pray that the team will be able to encourage the people who come to our Bible study.
4. Pray that God would work in a powerful way and that He would be glorified.
Thanks for caring!