Landing HOME

Olives, bread, cork trees, port wine and a lot of sun! Portugal is a country known for these things, as well as the country that discovered the world. Portugal is a small country with borders on Spain and the Atlantic. With rolling foothills and a lot of spiky vegetation it gives evidence of a dessert that is no longer there, but planted with trees, including eucalyptus.
Our team arrived in Portugal on July 15th, and we were thrown into ministry right away. The first two weeks held a lot of paint, which thank goodness was washable. Being with a team that was a little inexperienced in this area, the colour got on more than just the wall, but was easily fixed with a little sponge, water, and some elbow grease. In the end both churches were very pleased with how they turned out.
Our next task was organizing a youth camp. This was a highlight for my team and me. We were able to interact with some local people, build relationships, and learn some of the language. I had the opportunity of being able to pray over some of the youth girls whose families were splitting apart. I used a few symbols, a large white piece of fabric to represent unity and purity, and oil to represent healing. I had the girls sit in a circle and covered them with the fabric as I prayed over them and read Psalm 51 and then anointed them with oil and read parts of Psalm 147 and 68. It was a special time together for the girls as well as for myself. God has been faithful in my life, healing me from my brokenness and is now giving me opportunities to walk along side the broken and encourage them with my story.
Lastly our team did not go to North Africa. Two hours before we were to leave we felt like God had shut the door. I was disappointed because God has put a special place in my heart for these people, and I was going to be able to meet some people I had met in Egypt. But I was also relieved. I was ready to obey and step back into another Muslim country despite the challenges I knew we would encounter, but God provided another way. The story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son came to mind the next day. God didn’t provide another way for Abraham until the knife was in the air ready to strike. Abraham was obedient until the final moment, and that’s where I felt God brought me too, to the final moment, testing my obedience before providing another way.

Thank-you for all your prayers and support over the last two years that I have been in ministry!! It has been a blessing to serve and learn so much about who God is. He took me into His hands broke me so he could make me new, all the while pouring himself through the cracks healing me and spilling into the lives of others.

SonJa Willems

Canada

Just a quick note, I`m back in Canada!! The flights were long but went smoothly for the most part. I`ll write again in a few days.

Olives, Grapes, and Cork

The Algarve!! Last week we had our 3 day mid term retreat to relax and re focus. As I mentioned in my last blog we felt like God was closing the doors to go down to North Africa a few hours before we were to leave. I went through a wurl wind of emotions. I was disappointed, frustrated, relieved, and confused. Going back to a m-sl-m country was something I felt I needed to do, even though I new it would be hard, and exhausting, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I know God called me to be the leader of this team, and so I wanted to be obedient, and I had come to a place where I was ready to face the challenge of going into North Africa again. And then it was taken away. To some extent I felt like I had failed. Maybe I wasn’t ready! But over the past few days God has given me a lot of affirmation, and peace about not going. He’s also reminded me of the story of Abraham when he asks him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham comes to the point where he is about to kill his son, when God closes the door, and provides another way.

Now my team and I are back in Lisbon. We spent an extra day in the Algarve to see the fish market and experience some good Portuguese food, and coffee. We are continuing to work with the churches we painted a few weeks ago, continuing to re organize and decorate.

Saturday we had the chance to go to an African wedding. We jumped at the opportunity. Weddings and funerals are some of the best events to go to, to experience tradition and culture. As we arrived we became the honored guests and received front row seats. The wedding started with the entrance of the groom and then the bride. There was lively music, and the groom and then the bride were both lead up the isle with a procession of people in front of them dancing. The wedding continued and took the format of a church service, with singing, dancing, and cheering. It was very celebratory.

Pray for our team as we finish our time in Portugal. Pray that we would finish strong. Giving our best, and taking every opportunity to be lead by the Spirit, and bless others.

Change in Plans

This will be a short post, but the door has been closed for us to go to North Africa. As a team we are disappointed but content with this decision. Please pray for us as we move on from here, change our focus and continue our ministry here in Portugal.

Romans 8: 28 is the verse we are clinging too.

We just returned from our mid term retreat of evaluation and rest. It was a refreshing time and God really brought further unity to our team.

I´ll post some pictures as soon as I am able!!

Anointed!!

For two weeks we’ve been working along side a team of 15 from Germany. Most of them spoke English so the language barrier was small. During our time together we painted another church, did some renovations and experienced some Portuguese culture together. It was fun to get to know people from a different part of the world that have a similar background. Quite a few of them came from Russia to Germany in there family history, just like one side of my family originated in Russia. I had chance to speak some Low German with a few of them and reminisce about similar foods that we eat.

The second week with them we helped plan and organize a youth camp. There are very few youth in the churches here in Portugal. In total there were only 12 youth that came to the retreat from number of churches. But the goal of this retreat was to unit the youth from different churches so they can all start meeting together regularly. Over the three days we saw them start to draw together, and interacted with them despite the language barrier.

I had a neat opportunity on the last day to pray for all the Portuguese girls at the youth camp. They had just had a bible study together and had done a lot of sharing. Many of them are going through hard times with there families splitting apart. They had finished there meeting with tear stained cheeks, and as they joined the rest of the group God put on my heart a few verses from 3 different Psalms that God had spoken to me, after I came back from N Africa last year feeling very broken. I was able to pray over them using a few objects as symbolism. The first was a huge white sheet to cover them symbolizing unity, and purity as sisters in Christ. The second was anointing with oil, to symbolize healing. It was a precious time together. I had the Psalm 51: 7-12, Psalm 147: 1-6, and Psalm 68: 5 + 19 read and prayed over them. Assuring them that each day God wants to carry them in his arms, through the brokenness, with understanding that cannot be comprehended.

Kitchen Water, & Sea Water

We have started serving in Portugal. The last week has consisted of alot of paint and water. The day after we got here the apartment we were staying flooded, and the majority of our things got soaked. A pipe broke in our kitchen and there was three inches of water everywhere. It was an interesting start, but God is good, and nothing was destroyed. We are now in the process of painting two churches, and getting ready for the first youth camp held by the churches here in Lisbon. A team of 15 people from Germany also joined us today and will be working with us for the next two weeks.

My team and I are learning how to function together. We are slowly learning what each person needs and how to serve each other. Being the leader has it's difficult times, but for the most part is going well. I'm learning alot about how to pray, and God has already answered prayers for unity in our team.

One thing we are doing as a team is memorizing scripture. The passage that I'm memorizing is James 1, and the part I have been holding on to is "If you need wisdom or you want to know what God wants you to do. Ask and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent you for asking. But when you ask make sure you really expect him to answer. For a doubtful mind is like an unsettled wave in the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." Being a leader for the first time can be a little nerve racking, but God is teaching me to how to rely on him, and how to lead in love, with gentleness, and boldness.

Here are a few pictures of Lisbon, and are last few days here.

TEAM TIME

My TEAM!!
(left to right) Sean, Corbin, SonJa, (mime) Andra, BJ, Anita


Wednesday evening, with my bags packed I got on a plain headed for Montreal! The next morning I tried to resist the grogginess that was taking hold of me after a long night in airports and planes. Soon after I arrived I was picked up from the airport, and whisked off into the morning Montreal traffic to College Notre Dome.

A few days later my teammates arrived and for the first time we were all together. There are two other girls, three guys and myself on the team. We were all encouraged to be together, and the ease of comfort we feel around each other.

My team is gifted in very creative areas. We have a combination of photographers, artists, people into drama, and musicians. I am excited for the plans God has for us as a team.


God is also continually meeting me. He's been teaching me how to pray. I'm learning that prayer is a huge part of being a leader and is also incredibly powerful. This week I've seen answers to prayer with in our team. The unity that God has brought into our team this last week is incredible. People have come out of there shell, and we are learning to be a team in all aspects of life, supporting each other, and coming along side each other in prayer.

Please pray for us as we continue to get to know each other.

Pray for a continual openness and transparency as team members

Pray that we would discover how to have fun as a team

Pray for me as I continue to discover how to be a team leader in this setting.