NEws
NEws
Dear Friends and Family,
It’s time for a much-needed update from the Portela family. So much has happened in the past seven months. Of course, the biggest change came early on January 3rd, 6:45 am, to be precise, when Lucas was born. He is such a blessing to us and is growing into a little boy already. Some would say not so little!
Wrapping Up in Dhaka
As most of you know we made the move from Dhaka, Bangladesh to São Paulo, Brazil in June of this year. The weeks prior to the move were filled with finishing up our youth programs, putting together a manual for the youth work, recording a worship CD with a church worship team, and of course sorting, packing and selling. Taara also finished up with her piano students and held a piano recital in May. We had a great send off from the church and already dearly miss all our friends there!
We spent about 10 days in India, primarily to get Lucas’ birth registered with the Brazilian Embassy as well as getting passports for David and Lucas. The Lord really went ahead of us and granted us favor with the people there – all the documents were ready in one day! We also met up with some old boarding school friends of Taara’s and were able to take a trip down to the school in South India. Although it was quite rainy, we enjoyed walking around the school, attending the graduation ceremony and connecting with many old teachers, parents and friends. We also savored the cool weather of the Nilgiri hills after the sweltering heat of Delhi!
Getting Started in São Paulo
We arrived in Sao Paulo on June 17th and by the 27th, David was in the hospital. Unfortunately he had quite a bad spell of colds, food poisoning and general stress and fatigue during the preparations for the trip and the trip itself. This lowered his immune system and he contracted shingles. David had to stay in the hospital for a week under observation–it affected one side of his face and could potentially produce both optical and/or brain damage–as well as to prevent Lucas from getting chicken pox from him. (It is the same virus that causes both diseases). It was a tough week, since David’s parents were away in the States and Taara couldn’t visit him for most of the week. Through it all, we were again reminded of God’s presence in our lives; as David was diagnosed through a doctor friend at church, the hospital costs were footed until our insurance can come through, and we experienced tremendous encouragement and help from family and friends.
Please pray for us as we hit the ground running with the ministries we are involved in here. Here are a few specific requests:
Pray for the church plant we are helping to get off the ground. They have embraced us and have provided us with a small amount of support to keep us afloat over the next few months.
Pray for the Refúgio ministry, the biblical counseling and leadership training center which will be the main focus of our work here in Brazil. We are enjoying this time of planning and dreaming about what the Lord may accomplish there in the next few years.
Pray for David’s health as he recovers from shingles. The doctor says he will be suffering from nerve pain over the next few months, as his body heals. He is taking medication that affects his nervous system and this can be tough on his energy levels and emotional state.
Pray for Taara as she cares for Lucas and climbs the steep hill of learning Portuguese. We have gotten a computer-based course that has been helping her quite a bit, but eventually she will need to have lessons with a real teacher. Pray that God will provide both the person and the necessary funds.
Pray for our financial support situation. Leaving Dhaka for São Paulo meant not just a 400% increase in cost of living but also a nearly 90% drop in income, since Taara will not be able to teach piano here for some time (as she is engaged in language learning and mothering) and David’s time is fully taken up by the church plant, the Refúgio ministry, and the STM (Master’s Degree in Sacred Theology) he has started this month.
Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!
Love and blessings,
- David and Taara
Portela Post: Brazil Edition
Wednesday, August 12, 2009