Greetings from Portugal!
Has it really been a year since our last newsletter? I can’t believe how time has just flown by. The truth is, we haven’t been at home much and when here, there as been so much to do. There have been some major victories and highlights over this last year that we do want to share.
One major project we have taken on is to begin a leadership training center in Maputo, Mozambique for the training of indigenous missionaries and church planters. I have been there three times already this year and will go one more time in November. We are doing the school in a modular format, so the students can have some flexibility to take the classes as it fits into to their schedules. One of the projects of the school is to actually begin a church. This has happened with great success. We have also gone to various areas of the country to train the leaders who cannot come to the capitol. In some of the Northern regions, we found such a need for Bibles and basic teaching materials. Islam and traditional animistic religions dominate the majority of the population in the North of Mozambique, which makes it even more important to prepare and send out workers into this harvest.
In Europe, our ministry has been primarily in Belgium, Germany and Sweden. Of course, there is Portugal, but that is home. Europe has been deemed the least evangelized continent in the world. Let’s keep this in the past tense. Revival is one its way! We have been so encouraged by the large gatherings of hungry people, especially the youth, all over Europe. There have been so many initiatives and events sponsored by various ministries for evangelism and prayer, and we are seeing the fruit. Here is Portugal a new generation is rising up and a great expectation is growing for a major revival all across this land. We are grateful to be living here at this time. Keep praying for Europe.
Another highlight for this year is that we moved houses. We had been praying to be able to be debt free, but we still had 7 years to pay on our apartment by the sea. We felt a tug from the Lord to sell our apartment in Ericeira. Thinking that it would not sell too soon, we placed a high selling price on it. To our surprise we had a buyer in two weeks and he was anxious to close the deal. To make a long story short, we sold our apartment, bought another one and moved all within three weeks. This new place is even bigger, which gives me an office in the home, Helen has a studio place to do her art work, and we have a beautiful view, all around, of a national, forest reserve. And we still have a guest room for you all to come and visit. The big victory is that we were able to pay with cash. NO DEBT!! God is so good.
Here is our new address:
Praceta Acácio Guerra, 9 – 1 Dt.
2580-243 Ota, Portugal
This summer we were in the States and we were able to spend two months visiting family and ministering in various churches. I was able to go to my home town of Fairbanks, Alaska to celebrate my 50th year high school, class reunion and to see family and friends. (We have all changed so much) It had been 24 years since I was last there and it was a nostalgic experience, for sure. It was also so good to see my uncle Bob Franz and to be with our dear friends, Claudio and Theresa Gomes, Dave and Florie Wilcoxson and Floyd Conger. People make a place and without seeing these dear friends, the trip would not have been the same. Back to the “Lower 48”, as Alaskans call the rest of America, we were blessed to be with the Discovery Church, in Boise and to be with our S.I.M. board in Louisville.
We are back in Portugal now and settling into our new home, writing devotionals, books and material for the training institute. We have also been ministering in various churches from the North to the South of Portugal and, of course, supporting, as we can, our beloved Logos church, here in Lisbon. Our next trip is to Sweden and Germany, the 27th of September to the 15th of October; then on the 25th of October we will be in five different countries in Africa, until the 4th of December. Pray for our strength and health as we adapt to all the changes of climate, both spiritual and natural. Also, pray with us for the provision for our time in Africa. We need partners to hold up our hands and to share in this harvest time.
You can follow our ministry agenda here on our website.
Also, on our site are copies of the devotionals I am writing and information as to our charity projects and how to give toward them and to us personally. Also, check out Helen’s art work on her site: www.fineartbyhelenreimer.com She is painting a new series on the theme Ethnic Beauty. You will be blessed by them.
Do communicate with us on social media or by “snail-mail”. We love hearing from you.
In Christ
Jim and Helen