Spotlight on Portugal

We are the Andrzejewski Family
Church Planting Missionaries in
Northern Portugal

Michael, Nina, Brooklyn, Faith Liberty, Trinity & Justice

Portugal is in western Europe, bordered solely by Spain and the Atlantic ocean. It's home to approximately 11 million people. Most of these people live along the western coast line and know nothing of our Savior's love.


fishermen

We serve in Barcelos where approx 124,000 souls reside.

Barcelos is a small town known for its pottery and the most widely-recognized symbol of Portugal -- the Barcelos Cockerel.

A 13th-century legend says a pilgrim on his way to Santiago de Compostela stopped in Barcelos and was wrongly accused of theft and sentenced to death by hanging. He was spared when he stated that to prove his innocence, the roasted rooster that the judge was about to eat would get up and crow. It did, and since then, brightly painted ceramic cockerels are sold throughout Portugal as symbols of good luck.

Barcelos Rooster


canal

We've had the privilege of serving in this beautiful country full of culture and history for the last 20 months.


baptism at the river

We share the story of Jesus with any who will listen.

stone pic nic table


Viana




Barcelos


Guimaraes

In Barcelos is a large weekly market held every Thursday for the last several hundred years. It's a tourist attraction for folks from all walks of life. It was at this market where I purchased the items I will be giving away as part of the Candle in the Corner Giveaway.

market

Of course I had to buy a Portuguese Rooster!!


Ceramics and textiles are two of Portugal's largest exports. However, this rooster isn't ceramic. It's metal which will help insure it reaches your home safely. The tag explains the legend..in about 6 different languages, in case your interested! ;)

click to enlarge

All of the roosters are hand painted. No two are alike.


The second item is one of the textiles that are exported, a set of three table runners.










And for this special occasion......

Drum Roll Please......


Here is my first ever vlog!

Disclaimers:
1. That's my dog panting in the background!
2. Yes, I am as country sounding as you thought I'd be.
3. I can't stand this video, but because I LOVE missions, I'm posting it.
4. I even added some of the "bloopers" at the end, so you'd know how difficult doing a vlog really is!











Thank you for your interest in missions and the Candle in the Corner Giveaway!

Candle In The Corner Kick Off

IT IS TIME!!!!!

Kick Off Is Today
&
Early Bird Double Entry Day!

Go on over to Heidi's blog and read all the details. It's a wonderful giveaway/fundraiser for missionaries around the world.

Candle in the Corner giveaway is a chance for you to help support missionaries in other "corners of the world" that could be facing financial hardships due to the dollars struggle to keep up with some of the other world currencies.

It's easy to donate and the rules are simple. Each day over the next two weeks she will be highlighting missionaries from these different countries:

Spain
Portugal
Indonesia
Taiwan
South Africa
Russia
Paraguay
Uganda
Brazil
Argentina
Botswana

On these days, each represented missionary will reveal their items to be given away. Your donation will automatically enter you for all of the drawings.

However, Today you can earn double entries by donating!

So go on over....she even did a VLOG!! Who can resit a video!?
Heidi is an angel for doing this to help missionaries around the globe....even going as far as to video herself in an effort to help encourage you to participate!

Heidi, You're awesome....Thank you!

Faith's 9th Birthday & Flashback

Today we celebrated Faith's 9th birthday with her classmates at school. It's amazing how laid back the teachers are to allow Mom's and Dad's to come at the end of the school day and have a party. It's a lot of fun, especially when we take red velvet cupcakes! Her friends at school have never seen such a thing!





Candles are SO cool in Portugal!


Notice my husbands bald head. That's Faith's teacher on the right. Maybe you grandparents can find Brooklyn, Lib and Trin in this photo too? Click to enlarge it.


Faith receiving her birthday kisses from her teacher.


Chocolate milk boxes, cupcakes and a basket of bubbles!


The bubbles were a hit! All the kids loved them.


Faith is always around the boys...or maybe the boys are always around her? With that blond air, blue eyes and her contagious laughter, it's hard to stay away I guess.



And for my Friday Photo Flashback......



Faith when she was two, sneaking to eat the icing on top of the cake.



Tomorrow we'll have another party here at the house and again on Sunday at church. We're all about celebrating around these parts! Wish some of you could come celebrate with us.....sniff.

Have a great weekend ya'll!

Precious Souls

.....I was having a particularly bad day...one where nothing seemed to go right. Where my husband seemed to do everything wrong and my kids were forgetting how to do the basic things I taught them years ago, like matching clothes, brushing their teeth and putting their cereal bowl in the sink.

Then the buzzer rang from the font gate. It was the beloved delivery truck for the post office but it wasn't a box full of goodies like we usually get from time to time, it was a roll of something I could see in my husbands hands from across the den. I continued on with my normal morning routine that seemed to be getting the best of me....when he called out after me, "I hope this puts you in a better mood!"

"It's for me?" I asked.

I took the roll and saw the return label....My first though was that I hadn't ordered anything....maybe someone had sent me a gift!? Nawhhh...couldn't be.

After spending entirely too much time opening the roll, careful not to smudge, or tear or wrinkle any of the contents, I unrolled the most adorable "Portuguese Galo"!



It wasn't just beautifully drawn, but drawn entirely in MY name!! How could anything be so beautiful when it was drawn out of my name, when I had been so ugly all morning to my family. I was instantly humbled, and a tear filled my eye as I read closely and saw underneath the rooster the words, "To a dear blogger friend".



I was in disbelief.

God is so very good to have put such sweet, precious people in my life that I've never personally met. Yet these same people have ministered to my soul, time and time again.



Thank you Maria, I love it!



........................................................................................................................

Click here to see other beautiful drawings by Maria and to place your order for Christmas! You won't be disappointed!

My Inner Martha

Check me out!!

You never knew I had it in me, did you?

Am I cool or what?! I actually made this ridiculous looking thing! I'm not sure if I like it, but I'm making more to see if I get better over time.



Scarves are necessary winter wear in northern Portugal, not just accessories. I only had one last winter, and that just doesn't get it. Thus began my search on how to make a cheap, cool scarf.



This one was certainly cheap.....but I'm not sure about the cool part. Here is a video if you're interested in learning how to weave a scarf from left over scraps of fabric, an old piece of wood and screws.

The lady on the video said she liked to 'freestyle' when she made her scarves. In other words...anything goes! Fringegirl has made one too. I like hers better, but I'm tired of comparing myself to her. We've already battled it out in the kitchen with the help of Zeus and Feona.

Here is the beginning of my second one. I've made two looms, a smaller kids sized one and an adult sized one.



I'll begin taking orders next week.




Yeah, right.

Friday Photo Flashback

I have wanted to participate in Friday Photo Flashback for quite a while now, but couldn't because all of my "pre-digital" photos were in the States. However, in a few days, my Uncle and Aunt will be visiting and bringing a few of my old pictures with them!! Yipee....now you get to see some pictures that will really make you laugh!

So for now, here is one from a few years ago. Not pre-digital, but a flashback none the less.

This is me with my African Grey parrot, Livingstone. He was named after the great missionary/explorer David Livingstone. I adored him so very much, but he was one of the precious belongings we had to leave when we moved to Portugal. He now has a home with a preacher friend of ours and is happy enjoying his life in Virginia.

(That's Justice in the pumpkin seat)

Fall Give a Way!

Becka over at Because of Him is having her first ever give a way!

Go on over and check it out!!

Nina

Lemon Pound Cake

And it's as yummy as it looks!

Reminds me of Sunday dinners In Collinsville with my Stepdads family....of fried chicken, rolls and all the Dr. Pepper us kids could drink.

Reminds me of fireworks and egg hunts and the excitement I felt when I won the HUGE prize egg filled with all the grown-up's money.

Reminds me of 6 hour card games around the kitchen table, target practice and of loud belly laughs that could be heard all over the house.

Reminds me of having to scream so Mawmaw could hear me, and moving out of her chair very quickly so she wouldn't sit on me.



Some recipes aren't just recipes...they're memories....and they're priceless.

Lemon Pound Cake

1 1/2 Cups softened butter
3 Cups sugar
8 eggs (yes...I said 8)
3 Cups all-purpose flour (No Mom, self-rising won't work!)
1 T plus 1.5 t lemon extract
1 T plus 1.5 t lemon juice (throw in a little zest too)

Cream butter, gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs; one at a time, beating well after each one. Add flour, mixing well. Stir in lemon juice and extract. Pour batter into greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake at 350 for about and hour and 15 minutes. Or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. (Only took an hour in my extremely strange oven)




It's easy, it's good and it's fattening. What more could you ask for!

Nina

Blog Party Details...Finally!

Heidi over at Moms, Ministry and More has invited me to participate in an event to help raise funds to support overseas missions. It's a type of giveaway.

However..... it's not your usual giveaway. It's so super cool I can hardly stand it! It doesn't begin until Oct 27, but go on over and read about it....then come back and tell me if it's not the coolest idea around!

I get to participate by donating cultural items from my field of service (Portugal, for you slow folks) to be given away. I had the best time shopping for my giveaway items, but I can't show you what they are yet.....I know...secrets...suspense.....this is SO fun!! I LOVE surprises!

You will have opportunities to get extra entries by helping promote the event on your blog or social networking site.

Stay tuned for more details!


Nina

( P.S. Have ya'll missed me?)