Our neighbour has become so dear to us in the past two and a half years. We have had many meals, laughter and tears with him and his wife. As we have been preparing to leave Portugal, I (Linda) have had a nagging in my heart of how sad it would be if we didn’t get to see him again, if he were to pass before we revisit Portugal. He is 78 years old—a jolly man who has seen many tragedies and sadness in his life. I asked God to allow me the opportunity to invite him into a living relationship with Jesus. It came out of the blue on Tuesday. We were busy packing when Mario called by. His wife stayed in the car as he had just popped in to say “Hi.” He was his usual chatty and jovial self until I turned the conversation around into something more serious. I said, “Mario, can I ask you where you are going when you leave this earth?” His reply came after a little thought. “I don’t know!” I told him he had two options. He said he didn’t know how to get to heaven. It was such a pleasure to lead him to Jesus. He prayed and looked straight at us with tearful eyes and said, “this is serious”! I told him he had just been born again and forgiven for the mess he had made in his life. Heaven met with Mario, and he encountered the love of God right here in our kitchen. God has been so good to us in allowing us to harvest where we hadn’t planted. Please pray that Mario will really grasp the full gospel and grow in his faith with his wife.
That’s such a cheeky grin
Supernatural provision
We have had so much fun just giving our things away by giving them to our neighbours, leaving them on the street and watching people’s eyes light up as if Christmas had come. On this particular morning, we were asked if we had a sofa to give away. I told the lady that we would have just before we leave. About half an hour later, I received a WhatsApp from my friend in Georgia with some beautiful lounge furniture suite photos. A friend of hers was giving it away because her daughter was allergic to the cushion feathers. Wow! what a great provider our daddy is. He knows exactly what we need and delivers right on time. Another great provision is that we don’t need to find a home for the big things like our bedroom furniture as the house owners are moving back in and are grateful not to have to move their things from their apartment in Lisbon. This means less stress for us as we can leave the house fully kitted out for them. They are delighted.
Could we ask you to pray that we will have negative tests for Covid on Monday the 5th and that the results will be ready by the afternoon as promised? Thank you so much for being there for us, cheering us on, and believing in us.
With our love,
Linda and Chris
