I get paid to drink coffee

I just love my job. This week I've been able to set up several meetings with people and on most occasions it's to meet and have coffee....or really, a cafe (espresso). Monday I got to spend some time with a former language teacher who I'm going to meet with 2x week for conversation. We met in our town of Lumiar and then we walked together to pick up the kids from school. As soon as Sahara saw him she yelled, "Yeeeeeeeeaaaah!" (She thinks he's awesome!)

Yesterday I got to have a cafe with our pastor. He's an amazing guy who loves the Lord and is pastoring a small, but healthy, biblically-minded church. He helped me understand more of the Portuguese mindset as we discussed the ups and downs of church planting in this area. I was amazed as he told me story after story about people in our congregation that have come to Christ and suffered as a result. In Western Europe we don't often talk about the effects of becoming a Jesus follower, but believe me, people here are paying a price. One young man decided to follow Jesus and be baptized. His mom told him the day he got baptized was the second worst day of her life....the first was when his father died and the second was when her son left her family to follow Jesus.....this coming from a staunch Catholic woman.

Tonight we get to go have dinner with a former language teacher who lives in Cascais. We'll meet him down there at 7:30pm (which is early for dinner) along with our good friends B&D who are trying to procure a language partner for conversation. Hopefully it'll work out to have him work with them a couple hours per week.

Then, this weekend both Sahara and Bria have play-dates with friends from school. It's a great opportunity for them, but also for us as we usually can sit down, sip a cafe, and talk with the parents before or after! So, all in all, a good and extremely busy week! And to think they actually pay me to do this.....truth be told I'd do it for free!