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A letter from Bob Butterfield serving in Portugal

February 2015 - A Positive Difference

Dear Friends in Mission,

A lecture for senior citizens in Montijo; I'm explaining some key Hebrew terms that link the creation, the great flood, and the birth of Moses

The Philharmonic Society's anniversary party; the retired conductor is telling me about his long and brilliant tenure at the Philharmonic

Sunday school kids in worship in Alhadas; these kids are leading the congregation in singing to begin the worship service

Dom Virgilio Antunes visiting in Alhadas; this is the bishop's annual visit to the RC parish in Alhadas

Tai-Chi class at PC of Figueira da Foz; Keiko teaches a weekly tai-chi class

During the worship service we break up into discussion groups to give people a chance to express themselves

This is a commercial fishing boat coming in after a night at sea in Figueira da Foz

Long-time IEPP Pastor José Salvador amd Mrs. Salvador in their kitchen in Palmela; they were nice enough to host us for a two-day meeting

This is our weekly afternoon with Fernanda, who's struggling to resume a normal life after a near-fatal auto accident

The sky is blue today in Figueira da Foz, the winter rains have stopped for now, and the breeze off the Atlantic has lost some of its chill.  Keiko and I send you  our most spring-like greetings as we thank you again for your strong support for this mission and ask you to look for ways to continue in partnership with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal after Keiko and I have had to depart.  But first let’s get caught up with what’s been happening lately.

In December the Presbyterian and Methodist churches in this the Central Region got together as usual to do a series of Christmas cantatas, accompanied by seven horns, two clarinets, two guitars, and a keyboard.  This is a wonderful fellowship-building experience, not just for the performers but also for the audiences.  But this year I saw something I hadn’t noticed before: Even though the music we do is rather good, the audience doesn’t look happy.  In fact, at one of our concerts a large number of people arrived early to get seats and listen to us rehearse.  And as I looked out over the audience during the rehearsal, I saw nothing but the saddest expressions.  I asked a colleague about that, and she said that for many Portuguese Christmas is just not a happy time.  It’s when people most miss loved ones who have died or emigrated—every year virtually the entire class of university graduates emigrates to find jobs—and those feelings of loss are so strong as to be downright debilitating.  So we do these cantatas to show the power of life over death, to give people hope, and to rescue them from their melancholy.  And we pray that it works.

In January we celebrated the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and this year was by far the best experience we’ve had with it.  Keiko and I serve on the ecumenical team that plans this event, in which there is a late-night ecumenical service every night for a week in either Presbyterian or Roman Catholic churches, culminating in a national celebration.  Attendance is always good for this annual event, but this year the various sanctuaries were filled to overflowing.  The spirit of Christian sisterhood and brotherhood was positively palpable.  People were so fired up they wouldn’t stop singing and wouldn’t leave.  Much of this fervor can be attributed to the humility, affability, and ecumenical spirit of Dom Virgílio Antunes, Bishop of Coimbra, who not only encouraged our ecumenical team but also actively participated in several of our celebrations.  Once this special week was over, I sent Dom Virgílio an e-mail suggesting that he pick a social project and invite us Protestants to collaborate, and he agreed, saying that it’s time we put flesh and bones on the amazing spirit that emerges in these celebrations.

On the last Sunday in January Keiko and I helped celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Philharmonic Society in Alhadas.  For 160 years this thoroughly ecumenical organization has been giving free instruction in music, drama, and sports; doing concerts, plays, and sporting events; and providing a level of culture and civilization you would never expect to find in such a small, unprosperous town.  It was my pleasure to give one of the celebratory speeches.

During the 4+ years that Keiko and I have been here, the IEPP (Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal) has had to face all the toughest organizational problems that any church body can face, including being constantly on the brink of financial extinction.  For these and other reasons, this has not been a time in which Presbyterians had the peace of mind to study or in which I was asked to teach as much as I would have liked.  That is why I was so pleased when Pastor João Pereira asked me recently to lecture on the Old Testament at one of those universities for senior citizens.  There were only about 10 people in the class, but they were mainly RC sisters and had a serious interest in the subject.  The first lecture was about biblical narrative, and the second about biblical law.  Using the Hebrew text,  we learned some pretty amazing things, and it was a thrill for all of us.  This was exactly what I wish I had been able to do in the IEPP.

The plans for the youth event, scheduled for late July this year, are in the capable hands of the aforementioned Pastor Pereira, who is a good organizer and motivator.  I urge PC(USA) congregations planning to send delegates to remain calm and patient and to trust that this will all work out.

Keiko and I will be leaving Portugal on April 21, 2015, and between then and the end of June we will, if invited, make an effort to visit some of our supporters.  We will not be returning to Portugal, but the needs of the IEPP continue.  They need pastors but can’t afford to pay for them.  They also need training in evangelization/church-building, which has not been done in the IEPP for many years.  And probably more than anything else, Portuguese Presbyterians need to be in touch with you, need to know you care and are praying for them.  If there is one thing I’ve learned in my time here, it’s that it is not easy building or maintaining a Protestant church in Portugal.  It’s a real uphill battle, and the IEPP needs all the moral, material, and human support it can get.

Keiko and I thank you again for walking with us these last 4+ years, and we want you to know how valuable your contribution has been.  Our presence has made a real and positive difference in the IEPP.  It’s in much better shape than we found it in, and none of this would have been possible without your support.

Yours in Christ’s service,
Bob Butterfield

The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 325
Read more about Bob and Keiko Butterfield's ministry

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Individuals: Give online to E200450 for Bob and Keiko Butterfield's sending and support
Congregations: Give to D506098 for Bob and Keiko Butterfield's sending and support
Churches are asked to send donations through your congregation’s normal receiving site (this is usually your presbytery).

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