| This week, we’re on the ground in Portugal, prayerfully exploring whether this land could be fertile soil for a new church-planting movement. We’ve been listening closely—meeting with local pastors, reconnecting with Brazilian friends who’ve made this country their new home, and talking with others the Lord has already brought here. We spent our first three days walking the streets of Lisbon, watching, praying, and learning. We’ve headed north to Porto to continue discerning what the Spirit might be stirring. It’s a survey trip—but more than that, it’s a journey of listening to God’s heart for this beautiful nation. |
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| A Tuk-Tuk and a Tender Gift Beto, a former worship leader from Brazil, now drives a tuk-tuk through old Lisbon. He surprised our team with a free city tour—a gift of love from a brother still trusting in God’s unfolding plan. |
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| Michael rented a big white van and found a way to adapt to Portuguese narrow streets. |
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| Shared streets. Shared lives. Portugal blends the old and the new. |
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| Beautiful but Cold Portugal’s ornate churches echo with history—but not with worship. We felt it in our Airbnb too: gorgeous fireplaces we couldn’t use. Beauty without warmth. We long to see these places once again ablaze with the presence of God. All across Portugal, we saw breathtakingly ornate churches—cathedrals carved in stone, filled with golden altars and centuries of history. But now they function more as museums: beautiful, silent, and empty. It struck me deeply. These sacred spaces, meant to be infused with worship, now feel more like monuments than meeting places for the living God.Oddly, our Airbnbs echoed the same theme. We traveled during a chilly season. Our homes had fireplaces—but they weren’t meant to be used. Instead, we huddled around small electric heaters, and if we dared plug in more than two at a time, the breaker would trip, plunging our whole home into darkness. It was form without function, beauty without warmth.One local shared honestly, “Some older folks still attend church out of habit—but the younger generation? They don’t see the point.” Another added, “Portugal lacks warm, relevant churches.” Portugal used to be a world power, sending ships to many nations, including Brazil. One wonders how the gospel could transform this nation once again to send the good news around the world. |
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| Milton moved quickly as he realized he was well into a hidden puddle. |
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| Paulo came to Lisbon from Brazil in 2016 with a heart to plant a church sent by another denomination. But the journey didn’t unfold as expected. After some difficult years, Paulo and his family returned to Brazil, worn out and wounded. There, they found a place of healing in Milton’s church, where they were lovingly restored over nearly two years. Paulo is back on the frontlines in Brazil, rebuilding the congregation he once pastored. His deep love for the people in his church and neighborhood is unmistakable—a reflection of the Good Shepherd who never stops pursuing His sheep, even when the path leads through pain. |
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| Whity (pictured far right) comes from Guinea-Bissau, a small West African nation with deep Portuguese roots. Today, she’s living a dream—studying to become a medical doctor in Portugal. She is the worship leader in this small church and plans to move home someday to Guinea-Bissao. |
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