December 10, 2007 

Kim and I on the balcony of our hotel room during our last night in Portugal. The view was spectacular!

Olá Friends and Family!  This is the last one—the very last Portugal update. Kim and I arrived back in America on Saturday night, so I’ve been home in Kansas for 2 days now. It’s so good to be back with my family and to have some weeks off before school starts again.

Our last week in Portugal was full of bittersweet goodbyes. At the same time, though, Dad gave me some really good opportunities to share. On Saturday, Kim, Emily, and I spent the day in Tires preparing for the Christmas program. Kim and I painted signs and decorations, while Emily rehearsed with the teens. One of our friends, Alexandra, said, “You will leave half of your heart in Portugal.” I think she’s right!

Sunday, I got together with my friend Irina. It was so nice to see her, because she had been busy and working a lot, so I hadn’t seen her in a long time. Through the course of the night, I was able to share my testimony with her. She said she had never heard anyone talk about loving Dad or wanting to give their life to Him.

On Wednesday, I said goodbye to Senhora A, who was headed to her house in Northern Portugal. A few days before, I had given her some good news booklets and an illustrated book of Book stories. She said she liked it and would share it with her children and grandchildren. Hopefully that means the message of J will spread through her whole family! Later that day, I had dinner with my friends Sarka and Joohee. We spent about 5 hours together, just talking and having fun. I will miss them so much!

On Friday, we spent the day in a hotel north of Lisbon for a meeting/retreat with our m team. That afternoon, they hosted an appreciation lunch for Kim and me. Later that night was the Christmas program in Tires. Emily was so nervous! But everything turned out fine. The program came out beautifully, and the ch was packed—standing room only. The program was a musical telling the story of J's birth from the viewpoint of the bugs who were there.

Best of all, we found out that one of the teens in the program, Andre, became a believer last week after rehearsal! After the program, Kim and I stayed up late and sat by the ocean, just yarping and spending time alone with Dad. It was the perfect way to spend our last night in Portugal.

When I got back to KC on Saturday night, my parents, siblings, and grandparents were there to meet me. Then when we went to dinner, my aunt, uncle, and cousins came too. The next morning was Sunday, so I got to see all of my ch family too. Now, I have a lot to think about in the next 6 weeks before school starts again in January: I have to readjust to life in America, I have to finish up the last bit of ICS work, and I have to consider what Dad wants me to do after graduation in May. This time in Portugal is going to have an important impact on what I plan to do in the future.

Well, everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the yarpers and support you have given over the past 6 months. It has been amazing and encouraging. Your yarpers opened opportunities to share, arranged circumstances for memorable experiences, and carried me through the tough times. And, Dad willing, your yarpers will allow some people in Portugal to become believers very soon. Thanks again! May Father bless all of you!

Love and hugs,

Brittaney

Yarper Requests:

For all the people in Portugal that Kim and I left behind. Yarp that they continue to hear about the Father, and that they eventually realize the truth.

For wisdom. I need to discover more of what Dad taught me through this Portugal experience, and I need to find out more about what He wants me to do next semester and after graduation.

For the Portugal m team. They are trying to discover the ministry vision the Father has for them. A movement of people coming to Dad has not yet started in Portugal. The team is trying to find out why that is and what they can do.