Dear brothers and sisters,

It is with great joy that we write to you reporting what our gracious God has done among us. We already are in our fourth year here in the UK.  This time has been fantastic for our family and ministry. In relation to our family, it was very good after fifteen years living in Albania, and some of them through unrest time and wars, to be able to dedicate more time to the family as we serve God in the ministry he entrusted us in this country.

 

In relation to the ministry here in the UK, we have to confess that we came here, after being missionaries for so long in the poorest country in Europe, with some prejudices to be broken like: Does God need missionaries in rich countries?  During this period God has shown us that his love for the lost is unconditional.  It does not depend on how much financial mean someone has, their race or level of intellect.  It reminds us of Peter's missional confession: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34 & 35).

Ministry

Milton Keynes
We rejoice in the Lord for another city reached with the Gospel of Jesus.  In the town of Milton Keynes, about 100 miles from where we presently live, we started a new congregation. Every Saturday night at Loughton Baptist Church, we do a service for a group of about 18 people.  This group is very excited and very hungry for the Word of God.  As thing develops we will keep you posted.  Have them in your prayers.

Couples Meeting
As part of our strategy to restore families values in the community, we held our 2010 Couples meeting in the town of Dereham.  It was a success!  We had twenty participating couples and the feedback we've had from these couples was that the event served to further strengthen their marital bond and remind them about how important is to spend time together in order to preserve the foundations of the family.  We have had many cases of divorce among the immigrant community and this has worried us.  We have linked this to the fact that immigrants work long hours and often neglect spending quality time with their families; as a result the weakening of the relationship is imminent.

Men’s Meeting.
We have sought to invest more in the men of our community.  To be honest it has not proven to be an easy task.  We had a modest beginning in our first meeting but rewarding.  It was nice to hear from men who left their countries, how they feel about being in a new culture facing new challenges.  Such information will help us establish a better structure for our future meetings with the group of men.

Preparations for Christmas.
The snow came early this year.  It's late November and already we have about five inches of snow.  The scene now is typical of that of a Christmas card.  The atmosphere of Christmas is already here.  We can already hear the conversations about the preparations for Christmas.  It is common among the immigrant community to spend Christmas together with other families.  The atmosphere in our churches is a festive one.  People are already choosing the drama that the children will present this year.  What songs will be sung.  What the decoration of the church for this year is going to be.  Christmas is here.  However we must not forget that Christmas also points to hope and solidarity.  During this period many needy families do not have the resources to celebrate Christmas.  We have worked closely with Salvation Army to meet the basic needs of these families in order that they may see the God of all hope through our witness.

We want to thank you all for your kindness, love, care and prayers. prayers.  One of the reasons we see all of this happening is because of your involvement in our ministry.  Please do not give up!

Please continue to support our ministry through International Ministries.

 

In Christ,

Jorge, Hermelinda, Vinicius and Isabelle Damasceno

International Ministries Missionaries in the UK