Adam & Melissa Gibson
ABWE
December 2020
This is our prayer for this new year, that we would show people in
Portugal Christs love through us- our actions, words, with parts
of our lives. It has been a year of getting creative with how we
can do ministry in a land of vague, ever changing rules and
regulations, but God has been gracious as we have still seen new
people coming to church. We have been able to keep up with our
English teaching ministry through this time and have been able
to deepen the bond with our students, this has been exciting! We
have had several express interest if we were to open a new class
and so we are going to do that next month, praying that new
contacts will follow thru with coming.
When we were first told that the girls weren’t able to go to the
school here in Portugal on an honest level it was really hard to
swallow. I didn’t feel equipped to teach them and since professionals were telling me they couldn’t do it, I
felt even more inadequate… but God has used this disappointment as a true blessing. Sometimes when
we pray for opportunities in ministry we think it should be a certain way, but then God uses something
unexpected like a Pandemic and having to homeschool your kids to reach out to others. Since we have
started homeschooling God has opened the door for us to be in several groups with parents saved and
unsaved that want their kids to have a good education. We have been able to help out and be blessed, our
kids have been able to have lots of time in Portuguese and make friends. We have been encouraged so far
at all that God is doing and we can’t wait to see what it will look like this new year.
Adam is doing good health wise right now, since his diagnosis we have been just in research mode. It is
hard to get appointments here in the system for things non-covid related, so we also are having patience
as doing what we can right now to get appointments and treatment. The dr did say it was best to get him
started as soon as possible to avoid another “attack”. We have a friend who has MS as well here and so
that has been so encouraging and helpful to have someone to guide us through a lot that we need to know
and how to do it. Melissa is healthy and the pregnancy is going well. “Baby Shark” as we call new baby
boy right now is also healthy and growing as he should, the girls can’t wait until he comes! We are praying
borders will open up so that Melissa’s parents will be able to come to help when he is born… please pray
with us for that!!
Thank you so much for your prayers and support! We know that we are prayed for in such a mighty way
and we owe it to you all for that. God has granted us so much peace in these times and we have felt so
loved! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our hearts to yours!!!