Christmas 2008 - New Year's 2009

Three weeks into the New Year, how are you doing on your resolutions? You may have realized that “Email more regularly” was not one of our goals for 2009. Looking though our files, I realize it has been two months since our last update! Here is a recap of the close of 2008 and beginning of 2009.

Visitors: We have enjoyed lots of company over the holidays. Jeff’s sister Joy and husband visited for a week over Thanksgiving. We were able to show them Porto and Lisbon and they were able to see Jeff’s first football scrimmage. My sister Tessa arrived just in time to celebrate the New Year. In exchange for internet, she watched Izaak for us. While she was here we rented a car and drove to San Tiago de Compostela in Spain. We also spent a day touring Sintra (near Lisbon) and the palaces there with her. In only one week we will have more visitors. My parents will arrive the beginning of February and stay for two weeks.

Celebrating the Savior: Our Christmas season was very different this year than in the past. Missionary wives together with the members here help organize and plan the congregation’s first Christmas for Kids. Bill and Jeff were invited to take part in a Christmas service in Lisbon and the following Sunday in Porto. We held our English services on the 24^th and 25^th with the Meiers and the Hahns (Cathy Meier’s parents), followed by a huge feast with the Meiers after the Christmas Day service. We enjoyed Skype-ing with both sides of our family as part of our Christmas Day celebration.

Cards: I have to admit, when it was the week before Christmas and we had only gotten one card, I started feeling sorry for myself. Then the flood gates opened and cards filled our mailbox. Thank you to everyone who sent us a kind messages or package! We know our Savior never forgets us, but it i

s nice to know many family and friends are thinking of us as well.

Mozambique:

We are happy to report the paper work for our church’s registration is nearing completion. We are very thankful for

the efforts by our brothers in Malawi on our behalf in this endeavor. We are optimistic that we will soon have the remaining documents and will be able to submit the mission’s registration with the Mozambique government shortly. After that, the next step is in the government’s (and God’s) hands. Our goal originally had been to arrive in Mozambique by January.

Our new goal is July.

Now what? While we wait to move, we will continue studying Portuguese. Jeff and Bill have just completed leading the entire service in Portuguese

for the first time. We continue to attend Portuguese classes and fill lots of free time meeting with tutors individually. Jeff continues to play for the football team. (After their first game last week, he has a few bruises to show but is still walking.) I started an online course, my first towards a master’s degree in reading. Izaak keeps us both busy, every day he seems to have a new trick or expression. He isn’t crawling yet (thank goodness)

but it won’t be long!

Prayers: Continue to keep the registration of our church in your prayers. Also ask that God continue to help us witness to the new friends we have made here in Portugal.