COLLOQUIUM
Porto - Portugal
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" but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect"
1 Peter 3:15
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Dear friends,
How are you doing? How Fall has been to you? For us, it is our favorite season. The vibrant colors draw us closer to our God, and it is with sincere hearts that we pray that this letter finds you well, and also for the multitude of colors to be a reminder to all of us of how clearly our God’s creation reflects his power and love for beauty and aesthetics. We have such wonderful news to tell you, but if you cannot stop to read the whole thing at the end of the letter, you'll find our praises and prayer requests, which give you a good overview of this update’s content.
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It is with great joy and gratitude to our Lord that we write to you. We have fantastic news! Mila has been accepted to College !!!!! We are now waiting to hear back from the school about a scholarship she has applied to. Also, as part of this overflow of joy, Colloquium is now officially open in Portugal (pics below)! We hosted two events in October. For both, we had a wonderful mix of college students and young professionals from four different nationalities (Portuguese, Brazilian, Angolan, and Romanian).
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And, as the saying goes, "three times is a charm"! On Saturday, November 15th, we had our third event, a Popcorn & DVD, the most popular Colloquium event in Brazil. I understand that DVDs do not make much sense for this young generation, but everyone likes some vintage or retro "flavor" added to modern life. So, we decided to keep the original name from 2002 (yes, Colloquium is that old), but most movies will be featured through streaming.
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Pedro had an ankle sprain that made him lose one game and two weeks of practice. He went back to full training again a couple of weeks ago and has played in two games, yet his coach did not let him play more than 5 minutes per game as he is still recovering. He is a little frustrated for not being allowed more minutes in the court, but yet it’s been a learning experience to him, especially on how to depend on God for everything, and to nurture patience.
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Luciene and I continue our mentoring and discipleship meetings with college students. Luciene will be meeting with a girl from Angola (undergrad), and I will be meeting with a young man from Mozambique (Ph.D. student) and two Brazilians (an undergrad and a master's student). One wonderful outcome of these mentoring meetings is Asafe (a Brazilian whom we met in Portugal). I've been mentoring him for about two years, and our time together was an instrument to help him discern his call to pursue theological training.
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The great news is that he's been accepted to Covenant Seminary that offered him substantial financial aid, which has made his final enrollment possible along with a new scholarship fund given by one of our supporting churches. He's soon to be engaged to Sarah (see pic), and they are planning their wedding for early February, a few months before he starts classes at Covenant in Summer/Fall 2022. I'll keep you posted and let you know how you may want to help this young couple settle in the USA.
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We may be seeing some of you this Winter!!!! We are honored, thankful, and thrilled with the Covenant Presbyterian Church's (Saint Louis) invitation to be part of their Mission's week in February (23rd -27th). We are looking forward to serving a beloved church, seeing old and making new friends, and as a bonus, celebrating Pedro's 15th birthday and taking Mila to visit her College's campus. We are working on the logistics for the trip, and the first main item to check off the list is the interview appointment at the American Consulate to apply for our Visas. Please, join us in prayer that the interview and all the details will come together for this trip.
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As we finish this letter, we deeply want to express our gratitude for your prayers and support you are a display of God's love and care for us and for His work in Portugal.
In His Love,
Luciano, for Luciene, Mila and Pedro.
November Prayer Requests.
- Praise God for our family's good health and the COVID control Portugal has achieved, allowing for meetings like Colloquium to happen.
- Rejoice with us for Mila's acceptance to Covenant College. Please pray with us for a positive answer to a substantial scholarship from Covenant College.
- Praise God for Colloquium's first two events and pray for our first Popcorn & DVD this coming Saturday 13th.
- Please pray for our ongoing Colloquium events. Luciene has put a calendar with events every other week for the first months.
- Please pray for our new mentoring and discipleship meetings with college students and young professionals.
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- Pray for Pedro's complete healing from the ankle sprain and for him to continue to learn God's will and love in challenging situations.
- Please pray for our appointment at the USA Consulate in Lisbon; for a smooth interview, and for our Visas to be granted.
Love and Blessings!!!!
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