Our First Week in Portugal
Travel
Our flights were amazing!
Back in June, when we first visited, the experience was quite the opposite—we faced multiple delays and ended up spending an entire day stuck at the DC airport. This time, everything went flawlessly. Even our six suitcases, containing our entire lives, made it here without a hitch—which, from what we’ve been told, isn’t always the norm!
We were warmly welcomed at the airport by a veteran missionary who has served here for over 40 years. For now, we’re staying at the home of our missionary partner, David Booth, who is currently in the U.S. on furlough. The kindness and support from our fellow missionaries have been humbling. They truly embody what it means to love and help one another.
The house was stocked with groceries for us.
Apartment Hunting
After settling into David’s house, we jumped on the commuter ferry to Lisbon to begin our apartment hunt. God has truly been guiding us in connecting with the right people. A fun fact about our realtor: she was featured on an episode of House Hunters International!
We are quickly learning the Portuguese way of doing things, which, as you can imagine, is a bit different from what we’re used to. So far, we’ve toured a handful of apartments and feel God is leading us to one in Algés. Algés is a charming community just outside Lisbon, with convenient train connections to the city. It’s also close to our Portuguese language teacher, which is a huge plus.
Many of you have been praying for God’s guidance in this process, and we truly feel He has been opening doors for us.
Susana
In the photo below, you’ll see us with Susana. She has an incredible testimony of how God led her to the church here, where she came to know Christ. She speaks English and was so gracious to serve as our interpreter for church on Sunday. The sermon, delivered by a local Portuguese pastor, was exactly what we needed to hear and brought so much encouragement.
Chillaxing
It’s funny—most of our lives have been crazy busy as were leading trips, organizing big events, and diving headfirst into ministry work. I expected the same hectic pace here, but to my surprise, things have been different.
Until we have our own place and a Portuguese address, there’s only so much we can do. While I’m sure there will be busy seasons ahead, this slower pace has been a blessing. It’s given us time to adjust to our new world, process all that God has done, and appreciate how He has brought us to these precious people who so deeply need the love of Jesus.
Christmas is in full throttle with many Christmas Markets throughout the city
What’s Next We’ve been told that the paperwork for securing our apartment could take about a week. Please pray that the landlord accepts our offer and that the contract process goes smoothly. Once everything is finalized, we can start shopping for furniture, getting our Portuguese phone numbers, and handling other logistics that require a permanent address.
As soon as we have our Portuguese numbers, we’ll send out details on how to connect with us. For now, our current numbers still work.
Thank you for your love and prayers as we navigate this transition. Last week was overwhelming as we said goodbye to so many friends and family. Many of you have continued to encourage us through messages and emails, and that means so much to us.
God has been so good to us, and we are excited to see what He has in store!
Our First Amazon Package