Update

On March 18, the Portuguese president declared a state of emergency and people were told to stay at home.  The Parliament confirmed this and the quarantine became official at midnight March 22. Everyone except essential workers should stay at home, except to go out to buy food, medicine, fuel, etc.

Because of the government's guidelines, we began having online services on March 22.  Mark is recording sermons in Portuguese and in English for Sundays and Wednesdays.  If you would like to watch them, here are the links:

This is the link to our church's Vimeo channel in English:

https://vimeo.com/channels/1552987

This is the link to our church's Vimeo channel in Portuguese:

https://vimeo.com/channels/1552985

Thursday, April 2, the Portuguese government extended the state of emergency an additional 15 days. Our church folks are watching the sermons Mark is recording and staying in touch. A new convert and her mother are in a discipleship class via video calls twice a week. We have had more opportunities to witness to people. God is blessing during this quarantine!

The streets in Lagos are empty.

Michele displayed pictures of our church folks 

to "help" Mark preach to an empty room!

A member of Michele's parents' church in Brazil 

sent a photo of himself watching a sermon.

A member of our church in Lagos also sent a photo.

February Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,

It was the music that drew him.  He had moved to Portugal just a few weeks before, lived in a renovated garage his boss rented to him and was working crazy hours to save up enough to have his family move from Brazil to join him. Our son, Joshua was home last summer and was preparing to return for his third year at Heartland Baptist Bible College. He was working with us at the church building and was playing some godly music from the college on his phone. That was what F. heard and what drew him to our church building.

Although he didn’t understand the English words, he understood that the music he heard was of the Lord and not the world.  He came with a look of amazement at finding a Baptist church in the neighborhood where he lived.  He talked with Joshua, found out the service times, took some literature and began attending services when his work schedule permitted.

Ever since that encounter last summer, F. has been attending when he isn’t working and now his wife and children are here in Portugal and attending as well. He has many questions which we answer from the Bible and he is growing closer and closer to truth. Why is this family here?  All because he heard godly music!  Music is a gift from God and should glorify our Lord and Savior.  Even when the words are in a different language, the music itself is a testimony of the Creator of music.  Please pray for F. and his family that they would continue to come, that they would understand and soon be saved.

Praising God for His music,

Mark Hale