By Baptist Message staff
PATAIAS, Portugal (LBM) – An Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association Disaster Relief team recently wrapped up a week of work at a Portuguese ministry camp that sustained heavy damage.
The team of five worked Feb. 13-21 at Agua de Madei Ros Acampamento Baptista in Patais, Portugal, which is two hours north of the country’s capital city of Lisbon. While there, the team repaired roofs on three buildings and place tarp on three other structures on the campgrounds.
According to DR team member Howard Turner, the camp serves as a focal point for the work of the two missionaries use the camp for ministerial efforts including 10 weeks of summer camp, weddings, retreats and other training sessions.
Turner said highlights of the trip included conversations with the two missionaries and the more than 100 students who assisted in the clean-up efforts.
“It was a wonderful trip all the way around,” Turner told the Baptist Message. “The two missionaries told us once, if not a hundred times, how much impact we had. One of them sent me a text message while we were there and said this was the first time he had seen some of the staff laugh and smile since the storm hit. He said we will never understand the impact we made to encourage them because it was a reminder that they weren’t forgotten and that people were there to help.”
According to Southern Baptist DR officials, multiple storms this year in the country have caused 13 deaths, injured hundreds, left as many as 1 million without electricity and caused the evacuation of more than 10,000 people. Additionally, hundreds of homes suffered roof and tree damage.
“This is a great example of Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief ministry bringing help, hope and healing through serving in Christ’s name to the ends of the earth,” said LBDR State Director Stan Statham.
