The Difference 30 Years Can Make

Looking back, our 30 years in Madeira is not something that we can truly say "went by in the blink of an eye." Too much has happened, too many processes were involved. But it is also true that time has marched steadily onward, and seems to have picked up the cadence of its march. Four weeks have gone by since I last blogged. It wasn't any one thing that kept me away from the task...it was the combination of all the things we get involved in: the work of the church, the duties at the consulate, the deadlines of translations, and the need to finish up projects on the house. The bathroom project is finished (almost, since there is a cabinet I have yet to make, but it is not an essential feature of the bathroom), and with the help of Gabriel and Stephen, I did get some rain gutters up that have needed installing for many years.

Translation-wise, I'm heading into a period of steady work, as I've been assigned the task of translating the text for a couple of websites for local museums, plus a 400-p. history of the city of Funchal. There are a lot of pictures, of course, but it's still 40,000 words long. But the issue with any job is not how long it is, but how long I have to complete it!

News update on Jackie and Jaime: They are still on the mainland visiting Jackie's sister, but plan to visit their son, Sergio, who has just moved with his wife and daughter to England. Their plans beyond that are still indefinite. This is a recent picture of them with their granddaughter, Lara, on the beach in northern Portugal. There seems to be no further news regarding the state of Jackie's health, or any treatment undertaken for her problems. We continue to pray.

The new coat of paint on the house gave us an excuse to go back and find pictures of the house the way it was when we bought it. Most people can find the 7 differences between the pictures very quickly. (Click on any image to enlarge it.)




As seen from above.










































As seen from below.
























































There are more before and after shots on the inside, but I'll get those together in another posting. In the meantime, I couldn't resist sharing these two shots, one of them taken when we organised the church in 1981. (I'm on the left, in the shiny suit...how's that for class? The other preacher is Bro. Raleigh Campbell, who came from the Canary Islands for the organization of the church.) The other photo was taken a couple of months ago at Jackie and Jaime's 35th wedding anniversary commemoration service just before they left for the mainland.


















Apparently, it isn't only the house that has turned white in the last 30 years.