Dear Friends and Family,
It’s the first day of Spring, and Father’s Day in Portugal. We are waking up to the sounds of birds chirping in the forest behind our house. Beautiful weather in our peaceful, paradise village we are living in. We are so thankful. At the beginning of the year, I felt to go a little slower in filling up my calendar. Not knowing why we just sensed we needed to stay home and wait on the Lord for guidance in our planning for the year. Right after the New Year, Helen began to have some health problems with cramping in her stomach and diarrhea. At first we thought it to be a gastric infection that seemed to be going around, or some parasite she had picked up on our recent trip to Madagascar. We went to the doctor and she was given antibiotics, but to no avail. We decided to go to a specialist in a private clinic and this doctor was able to identify an inverted colon that was causing the problem and sent her to be operated on that very day. The operation went well, and they found that the reason was a large tumor that had put pressure on the colon, causing it to fold into itself. There was much infection around the tumor, but they were able to remove the tumor, part of the colon, and clean up the infected area. This was the first of February when she was operated on and was in the hospital for a week. Her recovery has been really fast and the report back from the biopsy done on the tumor showed that it was benign.
This was such a relief, and the doctor was really pleased with her recovery in all areas. So, we are back to hydro-gymnastics and walking. So many of you all were praying for Helen and we thank you so much. God is so Good!
It became so obvious why the Lord has us stay home for this time, but now we have a green light to resume our calling to the nations. A couple of weeks ago, Ted Sandquist and I, went to Morocco to deliver help for the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the earthquake that happened last Fall. We coordinated with local pastors and were able to go into the affected areas. These are Berbers that live in the Atlas Mountains and because they are so isolated, aid from the government is expected only in six years. I wish you could see the gratefulness of the people and their hospitality in the midst of such poverty. We have a number of projects we are helping them with and we hope to go back again in October with more aid. It is very difficult for me to ask for money, especially for my own needs, but seeing the suffering of these people, I am bolder. We need to be a light, not just in speaking about our faith, but in doing good. Without our asking, we had a Muslim man come up to us and ask us to pray for him. The people know we are Christians and are not put off by that because we come in love and ready to help. Help us help them. We are needing thousands of dollars to finish the job. For over 35 years we have been going to Morocco each year to pray for the country and help in whatever way we can and now the doors are wide open. It reminds me of the time Paul was in jail in Phillipi. An earthquake opened the doors of opportunity for the Gospel to be shared.
We next go to America in April to visit family and our annual board meeting for S.I.M., then in May we are back in Germany for three weeks of ministry. In June, Helen and I will visit our missionaries in São Tomé and Principe for a week and then I will go to Angola to minister in the graduation of a Bible school and help several other schools that we have established in the interior of the country. Pray for an effectual time of ministry while in Africa. We are praying for the right time to go to Eswatini and Mozambique. (most likely it will be in September). We are putting together a team to go to Morocco to help in the building of homes in October. If you would like to join us on this trip, please let us know in time to organize well. We are looking at the first week or the last week of the month. In November, we are in Sweden, Germany, and Belgium, before returning to America for Christmas and a more extended time of ministry there.
Another blessing is that Helen has had more exposure for her art. There is a Christian organization here that is promoting Christians in art and will have an exposition at our facility with local artists and Seth and Helen will participate in this. She is also teaching art once a week at our house, which she really enjoys. In this time at being at home, I have completed one more book. The theme is about the Fatherhood of God and entitled: Abba. It is now being formatted, edited, and hopefully will be printed in April or May. I need more time+++ to get more of my books in Portuguese as well as other languages. When we were in Madagascar, the church presented me with one more of my books in the series of Ekklesia, in Malagasy. These we are distributing freely to help train the people in the basics of church life.
Our hearts are full of praise for the health, strength, and privilege to continue in the calling and mission the Lord has given us do. Years ago, Helen and I said “YES” to the Lord. We had no idea what that would mean for our lives, but we were willing to do whatever and go wherever He wanted us to go. Just as the Scriptures have promised, we have been blessed a hundred-fold for leaving our country and family to serve the Lord. (Mark 10:29-30) People talk of sacrifice, but really we have received so much more than we have ever dreamed. All we can say is “More Lord”…we definitely don’t want retirement, but refirement.
Love you all and hope to see you soon,
Jim and Helen