Odds and Ends (Updated)
This is a record for me. Three postings in one night. For one thing, I'm catching up on some back news, and secondly, I foresee busy days ahead as the translation work has started coming back in force. The next month will be pretty busy at the consulate, too. I help people fill out their tax forms (so when am I going to do mine?) and we're getting new computer hardware and software in a month. I have to make sure we have everything ready, so that when the folks come from Washington and Lisbon to set up the systems, they can make the most of the short time they'll be here. Just as well they're coming soon: my hard drive at the office crashed this week. The week I was away must have been very difficult for it, and it couldn't stand the strain of the reunion. Whatever the cause, I couldn't get it to run after I got back this week. I had heard about such things happening to people's hard drives. Now I can truthfully say I actually believe such things do happen. (Moral of the story: make backups.)
News items...in reverse chronological order:
1) A baptismal service at the Baptist Church of Amadora, in the Lisbon area. I preached at the church's 40th anniversary, and there were two people baptized. I showed this picture to some of the members here, who saw all the marble and commented, "The baptistery even looks like a sepulcher."
2) A birthday...Dawn was able to come to church for the first time in a couple of months. She has a congenital condition called "hypermobility", or in plain English, her joints don't stay together, so she can't stand up and walk (her knees come apart) or use crutches (her shoulders come apart). She's in constant pain from that, and on top of it all, she's had shingles twice since Christmas. Her husband, Roy, takes the services in English when I'm away. They moved here from England about 18 months ago and are a real blessing in the church. Dawn's joy in spite of pain and difficulty is a real blessing and witness to all of us. In the background of this picture, you can see another English lady, Yvonne, who really needs our prayers. Her husband died a year ago, and she is not well. She doesn't speak Portuguese, but she has no family or friends in England she can stay with. She has a son, but she hasn't heard from or seen him in 20 years or so; her daughter refuses to have Yvonne with her. It is a very sad case.
Added: I found this photo taken of Roy and Dawn the first Sunday I met them in January 2007. The couple on the left were visiting from Maryland, USA.
3) A visiting pastor...Bill Kimbery filled in for me 9 years ago when we were away for 6 weeks or so. He was pastoring in Birmingham, England, at the time. Jackie and Jaime had met Bill and his wife in Africa years ago when the Kimberys were missionaries there, and although we didn't get to meet them 9 years ago, everyone in the church spoke about what a blessing they were during the time we were in the US. He retired last year and his wife, Jean, passed away shortly thereafter. He had the opportunity to come spend a couple of weeks here, and now we know why everyone was blessed by his ministry back then; we were blessed by his being here this time. What a privilege to meet these faithful servants of the Lord! May we, in turn, be a blessing to those we encounter. Update: The others in the photo are Roberto and his children, Nataniel and Raquel. Pastor Bill stayed with Roberto and Militina, who went to the UK before Nataniel was born and stayed with the Kimberys.
News items...in reverse chronological order:
1) A baptismal service at the Baptist Church of Amadora, in the Lisbon area. I preached at the church's 40th anniversary, and there were two people baptized. I showed this picture to some of the members here, who saw all the marble and commented, "The baptistery even looks like a sepulcher."
2) A birthday...Dawn was able to come to church for the first time in a couple of months. She has a congenital condition called "hypermobility", or in plain English, her joints don't stay together, so she can't stand up and walk (her knees come apart) or use crutches (her shoulders come apart). She's in constant pain from that, and on top of it all, she's had shingles twice since Christmas. Her husband, Roy, takes the services in English when I'm away. They moved here from England about 18 months ago and are a real blessing in the church. Dawn's joy in spite of pain and difficulty is a real blessing and witness to all of us. In the background of this picture, you can see another English lady, Yvonne, who really needs our prayers. Her husband died a year ago, and she is not well. She doesn't speak Portuguese, but she has no family or friends in England she can stay with. She has a son, but she hasn't heard from or seen him in 20 years or so; her daughter refuses to have Yvonne with her. It is a very sad case.
Added: I found this photo taken of Roy and Dawn the first Sunday I met them in January 2007. The couple on the left were visiting from Maryland, USA.
3) A visiting pastor...Bill Kimbery filled in for me 9 years ago when we were away for 6 weeks or so. He was pastoring in Birmingham, England, at the time. Jackie and Jaime had met Bill and his wife in Africa years ago when the Kimberys were missionaries there, and although we didn't get to meet them 9 years ago, everyone in the church spoke about what a blessing they were during the time we were in the US. He retired last year and his wife, Jean, passed away shortly thereafter. He had the opportunity to come spend a couple of weeks here, and now we know why everyone was blessed by his ministry back then; we were blessed by his being here this time. What a privilege to meet these faithful servants of the Lord! May we, in turn, be a blessing to those we encounter. Update: The others in the photo are Roberto and his children, Nataniel and Raquel. Pastor Bill stayed with Roberto and Militina, who went to the UK before Nataniel was born and stayed with the Kimberys.
posted by EP | 11:51 PM | Permalink
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