Bringing Together Worlds Apart

By any measure our week in the Algarve, Portugal’s Mediterranean sandbox, was a success. Everyone, including Debbie and Vitor, had a nice time. Drex snorkeled and bonded with Austin over Pokemon cards and shell collection. I swam in the sea each day. We got a dog, or, more precisely, got on the waiting list for a puppy from the next litter of a Portuguese Water Dog (motto: “The dog and the sea are one.” This is said to be the only breed of dog with webbed feet.) We bought a house.

The Portuguese Water Dog.
Drex was looking for a pet with whom he shares things in common.
Hairstyle, for example.
For more trip photos click http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitor-austin

Some people read books when they go on vacation. Some people play cards. Some people sleep. Debbie does all those things, but she also looks at real estate ads. Its her way of getting oriented. That’s nothing new. What was different on this trip was that she had Vitor to make her telephone calls. It is presumed that a Portuguese voice, as opposed to a foreign one, lowers the price of real estate here 5 - 10%. So along with family outings to the nature preserve and water park, there were family outings, led capably by Vitor, to look at houses. We hadn’t looked long before the wedding money in Vitor and Austin’s pocket began burning a hole. VisitingPortugal had been thinking about adding another property for some time in hopes of coming closer to providing a living for its proprietors. Offering our clients an alternative outside Lisbon was one strategy that had been discussed. Ilha da Armona, or Armona Island, where Casa Armona is situated, is three hours from Lisbon, a bit further than we might have expected, but the Algarve is arguably the most logical place for people to stay who are also spending time in Lisbon. Partnership with Austin and Vitor was also a huge part of the appeal. I don’t know what it is about my family and remote islands accessible only by ferry where motorized vehicles are not permitted—my parents live on Mackinac Island, Michigan—but apparently it’s contagious. Please pray that God would glorify Himself through VisitingPortugal and everything it touches.

For the August 2006 Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip I hope to lead to Mozambique we have tentatively chosen the theme, “Bringing Together Worlds Apart.” One of our goals is to raise money for at least four trip scholarships, two for young people from America and two for young people from Portugal. It is hoped that, from each of those pairs, one scholarship would go to a writer and the other to a visual artist. Their writing and art in response to the trip would be one benefit we offer our supporters. What usually happens with Global Village is that participants are older people with considerable disposable income. Nothing wrong with that. Homes get built for families in need and people are touched by the gospel of Jesus Christ. But a Global Village trip can be an especially powerful, formative experience for a young person, and if that young person happens to be an artist or a writer, skilled at conveying something of an experience to others, all of us might be richly blessed. Of course, for anything of value to come from all this God must bring it to fruition. Will you pray with me that He does so?

Thank you for your prayers. The Lord bless you this week.