Mission City Portugal Team- Day 5

Meet the Gerecke’s

Yesterday was a great day because we got to serve our missionaries in Portugal- The Gereckes. Allow me to introduce them to you because they are an awesome family.

Michael- Husband, Dad, Veteran Missionary. Michael is a super strong guy with a quiet spirit and the heart of a teddy bear. Meaning…while he could break you in half with one hand- he probably wouldn’t, even if you offended him because he’s just a humble godly guy. He’s the wisdom guy on Team Gerecke.

Then there’s Cristi. What to say about Cristi. She is the emotional hub and dynamo for the Gerecke clan. She’s wife, mom to four awesome kids ranging in age from 3 to 14. She also must run on atomic power because I’ve never seen her tired despite the long, long days and long nights it takes to put on a camp of the magnitude and excellence of English Camp Coimbra.

Then comes Henry. He’s the tall good-looking kid who has such charisma that he’s literally a kid magnet. The teenage guys tend to gravitate toward him and for a guy who’s 15 years old, he’s extremely mature. For example, he was coleader this past week for Team Red and of course they were the overall winners! 

Lily comes next in the lineup. She’s 14 and she’s the absolute sweetest personality in Portugal. Or at least the sweetest in Coimbra, for sure in the Gerecke family. Anyway, you get the idea. She has a disarming smile that’s hard to say no to (just ask Michael.) At the same time, she is a rule follower and very organized. (several times this week she nailed people who were skipping out on their group time!)

Calvin! Calvin is 11 going on 21. Seriously, he’s a little man. He helped with Red team also this week and had some really thoughtful questions and responses that made our discussions really rock. He loves people and is always thinking of ways to help those who are in need. And- he throws a mean Frisbee! Junior champion of the camp in my humble but most accurate opinion. (only Junior because he’s my student and so I gotta keep him humble somehow)

And finally, the Golden Child, MAX. (literally requires all caps) Max is 3 years old and come to think of it he does have golden hair. His dad describes him as half racoon and half monkey. At age 3 he actually put a stool up by the kitchen counter and then used that stool to carry another stool up so he could stand on that stool and get to the supposedly secret stash of candy. My Hero!  He’s not only the smartest tiny person around but he’s so cute that the family can hardly walk through the grocery store without admirers wanting to mess with him. He’s opened a lot of doors for ministry himself in Coimbra.

The Dream. The Living Room.

Michael and Cristi have lived in Portugal for over 10 years with some time off which they spent at Mission City Church Northwest. They were commissioned as missionaries by the International Mission Board with whom they served for years before transitioning to their own mission organization. They knew Portugal was home so they set out to raise support to return. Last year they returned to Coimbra with the dream of owning their own Café/Community Center.

Through miraculous circumstances God has allowed them to acquire a 3-story building in a prime location in Coimbra. The building is currently in a state of disrepair requiring a total renovation to accommodate their ministry dream of creating a safe space for families to spend time together while experiencing the love of Christ first hand and close up.

Mission City Church has partnered with them to make this dream a reality. Our current short term mission trip was able to connect them with many new families in the area and solidify the friendships they have been cultivating in the past.

Please pray for their ministry and visit their website at: 

Mission City Portugal Team- Days 3 and 4

English Camp is Over

And it flew by. When you are spending 9 hours a day with kids you bond quickly and the week goes so fast.  Our team has been so much a picture of our church; the right people placed by God in the right places to accomplish God’s purposes.  We have athletes, students, logistics people, teachers and an MD and everyone of them has served a crucial role.

Here are some highlights of our time with 42 future leaders of Portugal:

·     We were divided into 5 color groups that competed in all sorts of strange competitions and games

·     We played Frisbee golf every day with most of them having never heard of it before

·     We featured American food each day for lunch…imagine never having a hot dog or a smore!

·     Water Balloon Wars! (Colin and Donnie were the targets of the launchers)

·     Most Importantly- we had lots of team talks where the kids sharpened their English and shared their perspectives on Life.

  

Kid Stories

On to the World Championships

We have a girl here at the camp that is a world class athlete. In fact, in a couple of weeks she will be competing at the World Championships in Tokyo in her sport and has a chance at the next Olympics. One of the ways we led team talks was to spread out 50 pictures on the ground in front of our teams and have them choose ones that represented their lives. This young lady chose a close up shot of a person on an escalator. She said that she wanted to make her way up to God. A great discussion followed about which way the escalator was currently going. Later her team leader caught up with her and explained the difference between works and grace and she very simply stated: “ I trust Jesus.”

Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

The thing that is so amazing is that the very same picture was chosen in another group the day before with the same explanation;  “I am trying to take steps to God.”  This young man proudly stated that he believed in God and even went on to say that he believed that Jesus rose from the dead. And all this was shared immediately after his best friend chose a picture of a dark hallway because he did not believe in God or the afterlife. The next day our team leader talked with this young man and he is well aware now of how to trust Jesus for eternal life.

What is a Salvation Story?

Each of our team members wrote their salvation stories before coming on the trip and each of them have found times when they shared their stories this week in gospel conversations. This is a hallmark of Mission City Church Short Term Trips. No matter where we go will tell of the night-and-day difference Jesus has made in our lives. This is how we engage people where they are with the gospel of Jesus Christ and lead them into lives of transformation. Please join us in praying for the students who heard the gospel and heard our stories.

The very first time.

I remember the first time our team met and we shared how we came to Christ. It was a way to get started in writing our salvation story. One of our team members had never written His story but worked on it the months before the trip. It was a real struggle to find the right situation but he really wanted to share. One of his teammates sat down with him and encouraged him and prayed with him and the next day he had the opportunity for the very first time to sit with someone and share his complete story with a young lady that desperately needed this hope.

Block Party Tonight!

Please pray for our block party tonight. We will spend today getting ready for the very first block party ever held at The Living Room. The Living Room is an amazing 3 story apartment and retail space that is being renovated by the Gereckes, our missionaries here in Coimbra. The Gereckes will move into the second and third floor apartment when reno is complete and they will open a Café on the first floor that will also be available for people in the community for events and family gatherings. This same space will also be the site of a church plant here in Coimbra.

Prayer Requests:

·     Pray for Block Party tonight- good attendance and divine appointments

·     Pray for our Street Evangelism today in the city of Coimbra

·     Pray for Stamina for our team as we help Gereckes out some with The Living Room move today

·     Pray for safety in all forms of travel. More planes, trains and automobiles to come

·     Pray for Annalyn Flores- had a head-on collision yesterday on the dodge ball court that resulted in a migraine last night. Took her to the ER (under the supervision of our own Dr. Kelly Smith) and all is well now but she will be very soar today.

·     Jennifer Holmquist- experienced heat exhaustion/leg cramps- doing much better and back to normal activities

Portugal Mission Extra Edition- Meet Mary- A Portuguese Teenager!

I thought I would tell you Mary's story (not her real name). I saw her during English camp several times and each time I noticed her she was sitting alone. People around her were playing yard games and soccer and frisbee golf and she was sitting with her journal.

I said hello and asked how she was doing. Her English was somewhat limited but spoken carefully and with careful thought for each word. I asked if she was reading and she said no but that she was drawing and that drawing was her passion.

I asked if I could see some of her drawing and she began to thumb through the pages of her book to find a drawing that she wanted me to see. She landed on the drawing below which was amazing.

She went on to explain that she had a series of drawings that all featured a world of people and angels. She explained that in the drawings the doors of the apartments that had crosses on them were the ones that served as portals for the angels to enter our world and interact with us.

I asked her if she believed angels were real and she shrugged her shoulders. I explained that according to the bible that angels were real and that they do indeed enter our world, sometimes as spirits to fight spiritual battles as directed by God and even at times appearing in human form as they did to Lot in the Old Testament. She seemed excited to learn that the word "angellos" from which we get the word "angel" means "one sent with a message." She loved the fact also that the bible says at times we "entertain angels unaware."  (Hebrews 13:2)

This just serves to remind us that even in a land and culture that is 90+% unchurched- there is spiritual thirst. The bible says that God has put eternity in the hearts of men (Eccl 3:11) and this means that as we ponder our existence, we all realize at some point that life must be bigger than me and my corner of this planet.

Pray for us as we find these opportunities to tell of the night and day difference Jesus has made in our lives. 

Here in Portugal we are careful to share the gospel in a way and measure that can be received. We are the light of the world but we don't want to shine the light in their eyes. We want to shine it on the path that leads to Jesus.

Thank you for your faithful prayers.

"THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN IS POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE" James 5:16

Mission City Portugal Team- Days 2 and 3

Mission City Portugal Team- Day 2 & Day 3 Update

First Two Days of English Camp are in the Can!

For the past two days we have had the privilege of spending 9 hours a day with 42 kids ranging in age from 11 to 18. These kids are almost all from families who have no spiritual background but I was amazed at how much they seemed to respect us as leaders and how kind they were to each other.

Right now our main job is to build rapport so we will have an opportunity to tell them of the night-and-day difference Jesus has made in our lives. However, by only the second day we have been able to share Jesus with many of them through each team member telling their salvation story in bits and pieces as questions arise.

The parents of the kids have been so grateful when they have dropped them off and when they pick them up. Already this has given the Gerecke’s contact with over 20 new families they have had no contact with before.

We have 2 more full days of English Camp and a huge block party on Friday. Can’t wait to see what God does. Please join us in prayer.

Prayer Requests- Pray that:

·     We will have openings in conversation to share the gospel

·     Pray that we will be able to connect with the kids that have been so shy

·     That we will take advantage of the opportunities we have to tell how much Jesus changed our lives

·     Our team and the kids will have continued health and safety

·     That the families of the English Camp kids will attend the block party on Friday with open hearts

·     The we walk in the Spirit and not the flesh

Mission City Portugal Team- Day One

Day One

Just wanted everyone to know that we arrived in Coimbra today after traveling over 4,900 miles via planes, trains and automobiles!

We spent the day traveling and then got to explore the city we will be serving. Unpacked everything we brought in the way of supplies and got organized for our first day of English Camp tomorrow morning. 

One of the most amazing sites we saw was this amazing Cathedral that was built in Coimbra over 800 years ago. Sadly, most of these churches in Portugal now are more like Museums than true places of worship. Less than 1% of the population attends a bible teaching evangelical church. Pray that God will use us to show them the love of Christ and usher in a day of awakening here.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for the 40 families we have the opportunity to reach through teaching their kids English. Something that is very sought after here in Portugal
• Pray for stamina for long active days and evening events
• Pray for health for the Gereckess and our team as we partner together
• Pray now for families to attend the block party Friday evening as a result of our outreach efforts

Thank you for holding the rope at the top of the cliff as we have ventured down the side of the mountain!

We could not do it without you all.

Blessings to You and Your Family,

Donnie

Team Zambia 2019 - Day of Rest

Much Deserved Day Of Rest!

After rising early and working hard all week, it was so good to have a day of rest before tomorrow’s long ministry day. 

It was a beautiful day for our trek to the Baby Elephant Orphanage and Lilayi Lodge/Wild Game Drive.

Also- after eating Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches for lunch all week, it was nice to have things like: Zambian Crayfish, Chicken Espetada, Rump Steak, Ribs and Pork Tenderloin.

Enjoy these pictures and please keep praying for the first service at the new church tomorrow morning.

 Even the macho men among us melt when these elephant orphan babies parade in to the viewing area

The baby bush bucks blend in perfectly with the trees

The bush is so beautiful! 

This is the largest antelope in Africa, an Eland is usually elusive on our visits! We got to see 3!

This HUGE giraffe was laying in the bush, soaking in the sun WAITING for us to take 

pictures of him. 

so we did.

This impala runs, unlike some Chevys 

What an amazing meal we get to enjoy on our day of rest. 

When I was a young warthog...

Team Zambia 2019- Day 6

 Catherine is a 67 year old Woman of God that knows her Bible

 Blanca and Karen pray with their interpreter, Euniverse to prepare for evangelism.  Euniverse is Pastor Tembo's amazing wife!

The two Chiefs pose with their Two Kingdom drawing sticks

"But Jesus called them unto him, saying, suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God" - Luke 18:16

The children of Geneva School love singing!

We were able to present the teachers of each school with a soccer ball

 During the Bridge to Life presentation, Maria played Satan, Pastor Tembo played God.  

A Land of Sharp Contrasts-

When you are in the capital city of any country on the continent of Africa, you see sharp contrasts. There are still examples of the opulence of the rich and the extreme poverty of those who “have not.” There are beautiful homes with walls around them and security guards in close proximity to cinder block homes with dirt floors. While most people walk wherever they go, they are often passed by Mercedes, BMW’s and Land Rovers. But the most amazing contrast for me is to be out in the compound, far away from city life, with sparse electricity and plumbing and yet most of them have a working cell phone.

We Don’t Just Love ‘em and Leave ‘em-

While there are examples of mission teams that come into an area and lead people to Christ without any discipleship follow-up, we are not one of them! On yesterday’s blog we introduced you to Pastor Phiri, the new pastor of the church we are planting this week. His job, once we are leave Zambia is to contact every person that trusted Jesus to get them plugged into their discipleship process. The fact that most people have working cell phones makes this possible. Each time a person trusted Jesus this week, we wrote down their names and cell phone numbers and these have been turned over to Pastor Phiri. Pray for him and his small leadership team as they contact the 94 people who prayed to trust Jesus for eternal life this week.

News By the Numbers-

6- that’s the number of evangelism teams that presented the gospel each day

9- that’s the number of time zones we crossed on our way to Zambia

11,625- that’s the number of miles our team travelled to get to Lusaka, Zambia

16- that’s the number of Zambian nationals who served as interpreters for our team

150- that’s the number of PB&J sandwiches our team made and consumed at lunch this week

350- that’s the number the high attendance for the week at our mission vbs

334- that’s the number of people we shared the gospel with this week

94- that’s the number of people that trusted Jesus for eternal life this week

Prayer Requests-

Pray for the birth day of the new church this Sunday- for a great response from the community

Team Health and Safety- It’s a long way home!

For continued Spiritual Transformation in the compound- that the fire would not go out

Re-Entry for our Team- it can be difficult to come home after a trip like this and not just fall back into the flow of life in America

For Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit- for our team to understand God’s calling on their lives