From the May-August 2010 Issue
His STRENGTH in our WEAKNESS
Joao and Emilia Narciso
Among the familyI have been looking back over the years that the Lord has given me, and I feel strongly motivated to use this opportunity to testify and give my deepest gratitude to the One who is the Saviour of life.
Early illness
Going back to the time that I was born, my parents were told that I would not survive. Within three months of my life, my mother fell desperately ill and could not look after me. She put me into the care of two friends who, to the best of their ability, looked after me. When my mother’s condition improved I was able to return to her, but I fell ill with bronchitis and the doctor did not expect me to survive.
As you can imagine, my mother was devastated, but she set herself to do all she could to bring me back to a reasonable state of health and to deliver me from death. So God, in His providence, used my mother as my own doctor. My grandparents had also suffered this particular illness. She had looked after them in the past and through her treatment they were brought back to good health. As she was looking after me, she used all the herbal medications known to her that she had used over the years, and night and day she administered them to me, but it was her faith in God that gave her the strength and kept her from being discouraged. May all the praise and glory be given to our Saviour and our God.
Faithful parents
I was very blessed in having such good parents; their dedication to their children and constant help in many difficulties through which they lived, but especially their honesty towards their neighbour and respect for the eternal God contributed to giving me the grounding in good and difficult times to recognize Him and believe by faith in our great Saviour.
When she gave me my first Bible, my mother asked me to read the Word of God to her while she was doing her domestic chores. In obedience I did read, even though at the time I had no personal interest. I was a young man in my teens in 1956. As I read to my mother the Word of God, I became very interested to understand what I was reading. Two years later the Lord saved me by faith and I was baptised. That was fifty years ago, and I am so grateful to God for His immense care and immeasurable patience with me.
A church was born
In 1960 I left my place of birth (Montargil) and went to live in Aldeia de Paio Pires, Seixal. It was then I married Emília and it was there that we brought up our four children, Fernanda, Daniel, Cláudio and João. We went through many, many difficult situations; it was a time of change in our lives. There was no Evangelical church that we could attend. It was the Lord, I believe, who encouraged us and directed us to start a meeting in our own home, not only for ourselves but for others who would be interested. As a result of these meetings in our home, a church was born called ‘Igreja Evangélic de Paio Pires’. I worked in this church for thirty years and, by the grace of God, it continues to be a living and active church.
It gives me great satisfaction to think about this whole area of Paio Pires and other places in our country where the testimony continues through the children and grandchildren of many old friends who were converted in those days, who heard the Gospel through their testimony. Therefore today there are a number of Christians scattered through Evangelical churches whose roots started in that initial work in Paio Pires, to the glory of our Saviour.
On to Coruche
We left Paio Pires with our family to go to a county called Coruche. It spreads over a large area and we fixed our residence in Santana do Mato. There we built a modest place of worship to God, where we worked for a number of years. Much later we moved to Ponte de Sor and for four years I was the pastor of the Congregational church and its mission stations in various villages. It was a very busy time for us. At the same time, I continued to assist the work in Santana do Mato, but not, of course, as regularly as before. Five years ago I retired from this work. Pastor Vanderli Lima Carreiro took over the work in Ponte de Sor and I returned to Santana do Mato. We found the few believers there were ill and very elderly. During this time many were already in senior citizens’ homes; some had died and several others, because of ill health and age, were unable to make their way to the church.
At present this place of worship in Santana do Mato is being used by different pastors from the Assembly of God, of Brazilian origin. They meet there with Brazilians who are temporarily living in that particular area of Portugal. This way, the church continues serving the Lord and this was the best possible solution for the situation. The old members of the congregation continue to have spiritual ministry from the pastor of the Assembly of God, but I continue to visit the elderly people’s homes as often as I can.
Continuing to serve
I do not know for how much longer the Lord will give me life on this earth. I continue to feel physically, psychologically and spiritually a great desire to continue to serve Him and continue to work with the pastor of the church in Ponte de Sor. I preach there three times per month, and also in the churches in Tramaga and Brunheirinho. Sometimes I relieve other pastors in their churches. My own health does not allow me to do much more, but I am so grateful to our Lord for the strength He still gives me, despite the ‘burnt-out’ physical condition I find in myself at this stage of life. I know that my life is in God’s hands; I know that He is faithful to keep me to the end with all His love and compassion.
Finally, I want to thank the EMF and all those who, in the past and present, continue to support and to help us, particularly Rev. Daniel Webber and his wife, Zurilia.
Many thanks to you all.