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:
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