Taking back the land

I had dinner with Bill and Tina on Saturday night. Over a juicy medium-rare steak and chips and mushrooms, we talked all about visions, God's movements, my calling and the future in general. It was inspiring, encouraging, exciting and promising.

I can't remember exactly what order things came in, but I'll write down what we chatted about. So, you must remember my calling has always been to Portugal and Poverty. When I was 14, that's all I got. So, I don't know where I'm going, or what I'm exactly doing with whom, nor when. I told Bill and Tina this. I told them about my growing dream of getting a place here to welcome the homeless, lonely, prostitutes and drug addicts into to love them, share the love of Jesus with them, give them a place to rest, to stay, to escape to perhaps. It's a dream, and a hope, and I think it's one of those dreams that are either from God (which I sincerely hope it is) or is pleasing to God, though may not actually be what He wants me to do. This was one reason I was at their house that night, to see what they think. I told them about my night out with Agapé, and about perhaps leading their ministry, incorporated in this dream.

Bill gave me some great encouragement. He admitted he had nothing specific to tell me about my calling - God has not told him anything specific about me, or given Bill or Tina any words to direct me - but he said that it's not a surprise if I'm being called to Porto. He shared a vision he had had when he had first come to Porto, 4 or 5 years ago. He saw Porto, covered by a canopy or umbrella of darkness. It represented Godlessness, he guessed. But he had already met Christans, and as he thought about individual people he had already met, little points of light appeared in the canopy. Then he saw them start to clump together. And he thought about people he didn't know, and other churches, and bigger clumps of light appeared, until he looked and looked and the canopy of darkness had turned completely into a canopy of light. He was already certain this had been from God, when he told it to a pastor of a church here, who looked at him in amazement, and said that on a recent prayer walk a girl in the group on the walk had had exactly the same dream! Confirmation indeed!

So, Bill isn't surprised I'm feeling called to Porto, since he reckons I am adding to the light that is turning the darkness. That's exciting!

Bill was also told, that if you come to Porto, you have to be here for the long run. A pastor or somebody told him that too many missionaries swooped in, set something up, and packed their bags and left in a year, without leaving people properly ready to be in charge. It wasn't good. You've got to be here for the long run. That's always good to know.

We talked about how dark Porto is. The blatant prostitution, the big drug problems, the satanic culture amongst students and others, the fake faÇade put up by so many (but definitely not by all, don't get me wrong).

We're Taking Back the Land.

We're More Than Conquerors.

I told them about my encounter with a randomer at Soul Survivor 2006, when I was doing Slum Survivor. She told me that she'd been in Portugal (my ears pricked up) and that she'd seen slums all over the place! It had been three years since my calling at that point, with very little else, but I took that as nice confirmation! So, I asked Bill and Tina about this - are there slums? They said I should go down to Lisboa and meet Barbara, a friend of theirs, who used to be living amongst the Bairo in Lisboa - the 'slums', you could call them, but apparently they're more like very rough neighbourhoods. I'm planning on going down in a couple of weekends' time.

I've heard that there are some very rough neighbourhoods around. It's difficult to talk about Jesus; I was warned not to go alone, preaching, because you'll just get attacked. More than that. The chap warning me was making gun fingers at me. Certo.

This is a time of searching. A time of hearing. A time of learning. A time of seeing and praying. A time to scout the ground, like Moses and then Joshua did before getting to the promised land.

It's a time of excitement.
For the King and His Kingdom!
Aidan x
Chat with Bill and Tina

Bill's vision - dark cloud over Porto, little lights emerging.

Barbara - Lisboa, slums/rough neighbourhoods

Here for the long run

Feliz Pascoa!

So, I have now been back in Portugal for nigh on two weeks. And I haven't blogged once. Apologies.

Naomi has also been over for a splendid 10 days. Excuse me while I gush over her. She is amazingly wonderful and fun, a top girl with a top mind; interesting and beautiful; a lovely voice; a heart full of love for all the children here. And they all love her back. Everyone does. Just to see her would have been enough - we spent 10 days praying and laughing and sharing and discussing and traveling and so much else - but to see her looking after, caring, and loving these children made my love for her grow far beyond before and overflow dramatically. She has such a heart for God, and such a yearning to serve Him and look after those He loves. She really is something else.

We spent the first few days in the orphanage - it was nice and sunny so afternoons were spent under the sun on the grass, reading books, playing guitars and singing, and learning Spanish. She helped Susy and I figure out a few games and activities to keep the children - who are of course all on Easter Holidays (Pascoa) - nicely occupied. However, most of them thought it was far more fun to treat me as if I had an unbreakable neck and was, in fact, a horse. Whoopee.

At the weekend I took Naomi over to Porto to show her the city, the ups and downs, the touristy things and those things breaking God's heart and mine. We went to the Câmara Municipal (parliament building) and photos were taken, before going on to an art exhibition of films, which was very odd but very exciting, and then we walked through some lovely streets to the incredible tea shop (as in, proper tea shop, like Starbucks but for tea from all around the world) where we had Lemon tea from Russia and the richest and most delicious Mango Cake ever... In the evening, a stroll down to Casa Vila de Gaia to find a nice restaurant turned into a hunt for a veggie meal consisting of something other than simply an omelette. It was difficult, but finally we found somewhere doing a splendid vegetable tagliatelle. Taken with some beautiful Old Tawny Port, this was a delightful dinner. Since our food was finished before out Port, we decided to down the remaining half glass we both had. Interesting and enjoyable effects - happiness ensued. The next day, despite the clouds, we decided to venture down to the beach. A good choice. It wasn't too chilly, but perhaps it would have been nice for Mr Sun to appear. Nevertheless, we went undeterred to stand on the striking and dramatic rocks dotted all along the beach upon which the waves were softly splashing, until the much larger crash which encountered upon the very rock Naomi stood on. She got soaked, and it was funny. While I laughed, she changed into her bikini, hoping her clothes would dry. They didn't. But she had to put them back on anyway for the bus ride back to the centre, from where we jumped on a train to Ajuda for to go to church. Lisa and Byron Borden were there, they told me about the church. Unfortunately, we had to dive out before they'd even finished the service in order to get the bus back in time. A fantastic weekend, all in all, if a little tiring :)

The beginning of our weekend, before both our cameras died. Standard. I thought she needed to appear on here - ain't she just gorgeous?!

This past week has ben cloudy and showery. We have had a group from Andalucia who left on Wednesday morning - we went to Régua with them on Monday, which was great fun, travelling on the romantic old train and have lunch in the delightful little town. Naomi and I drove Mar to the aeroporto on Wednesday morning as well - she went to a big Christian conference in Spain where she was working on a stand for Agapé - before driving to Guimaraes. Although, we arrived before the castle and chapel were open, so we sauntered down to the town centre, saw the cute square, went into the big Catholic church and had a reverent prayer time, and then a good discussion about the Catholic Church, some history, tradition and its importance (?) and such things. Having done some more walking the sunshine with hands clasped and arms touching, we walked back up to the chapel first, and then to the castle. Once again I had a real isse with the height and the drop from the upper level, but Naomi had no fear. Watching the love of my life lean over that drop was one of the worst things ever. We had a fun time though, imagining different rooms and their purposes, and meeting a bunch of hyper school kids who thought we where French (even after we told them we were English) - Naomi got that a lot here. We decided then to leave because by now it was nearly 1pm and we were hungry. We didn't know the way home, and had no petrol, so it was very exciting. However, using a very small scale map, we managed to figure out the way, but it took a long time to find a petrol station - at first I was pretty easy going, but I got a little more nervous with each passing kilometre - and it took almost 2 hours to get home! But get home we did.

At the station for the Régua train (left to right: Marcos; Jorge; Deborah; Noemi; Joel)

More station - that's Joel in the middle

The view from the train

On the romantic old train

And now, after a couple more days with a new group from Malaga, a bunch of teenagers who remind me a lot of me and my good friends back home at that age - Naomi has left. And it's heart-wrenching. Though, if there's one thing God has pointed out to me, it is that although I am now alone in that Naomi is not here, I certainly am not lonely. And I am so thankful for that.

And so I'm back.
Dubai was ace. It was so great to be back with my Mum and Dad and little Bro again. I hope you're all having a great albeit odd Easter!

Coldstone Creamery Ice Creams - very tasty and excitingly made.
On our cruise dinner - lovely curries :)

Being back is not as I expected. Perhaps I need to just get back into the swing of things - I keep having days where I understand very little Portuguese of Spanish, and can speak even less, although those days have quickly become separated and infrequent - they were before I left, and now they are returning to that state very quickly. Dinora still doesn't seem to like me, so I must try and work on loving her. The other kids are all over me - so much so that it's so peaceful to get a break from them. And the teenagers and chilled and laid back and friendly as ever.

However, I totally forgot it was Good Friday yesterday. I knew it was Holy Week, but today I was suddenly like, 'hang on, today is Saturday... Holy Saturday...' I've been trying to catch up on the Bible readings as a consequence. No one mentioned it. Apparently they're all doing something tomorrow, all going to church. I've got a morning church service at Riverside, so I am writing this from there, since I am staying the night. Bill and Tina - top.

I will endeavour to post more frequently. I had an incredible chat with Bill and Tina over dinner tonight. Watch this space!

Let me know how you are doing. I'd love to hear how you are doing. Oh, and everybody? Happy Easter! Christ HAS Risen! It is GOOD NEWS! Boa Pascoa!

Keep in God's family!
From, His child and friend,
Aidan x