Spring Station

“Em Abril, águas mil”. An old Portuguese saying reminds us that April is the month of one thousand rainfalls”, and it has seemed like that this year. At least it now feels as though it’s about to change with bright sunshine today and a cool breeze

The word for season in Portuguese is “estação”, which is the same as the word for railway station. It’s an interesting concept. Every season is another station, another staging post to stop at and be refreshed. Winter gives way to Spring, and Spring turns into Summer. It’s the same in life. The seasons we pass through kind of define where we are, and they’re all part of the one awesome journey.

There’s a song that’s been buzzing in my mind in recent days as its been played quite a lot on the radio. It’s “The Story” by Brandi Carlile and seems to sum up the impact that all these seasons have on us as we walk through life

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true...I was made for you

Talking about lines,
Peter Sluimer is a man with plenty of them on his face!!
Last weekend we were down in the Algarve for a specific purpose – a farewell service for these wonderful colleagues. Peter and Marianne Sluimer. Having spent twenty five years here in Portugal and starting the International Church of the Algarve, they are now moving on, not to retirement, but a new “station” in life, working with a small church in the Pyrynees.


On the Saturday evening there were many tributes from al over, but the most poignant and meaningful for us was from a Portuguese woman who lived literally just up the road from them. She came down to the front of the room and said with real emotion in her voice “I’ve known Peter and Marianne for just four years and now I’m angry with God. I‘m angry that I didn’t get to know them sooner, and now they’re leaving!” And she went on to share how meeting the Sluimers introduced her to the wonder of a real relationship with Jesus and enriched and blessed her life in many ways. I guess, I'm left thinking and praying that as we pass on from one station to the next, we will leave people enriched and blessed, and spread the aroma of Christ wherever we go.