Written June 8

Our visas are here! Time to praise, party, and pack! Since last Sunday when we received word on our visas, we have all kind of been in shock. It is slowly sinking in, and the excitement and daunting task of moving are becoming reality. Everything I do now is preparation for the move – cooking up what we have in our pantry, estimating toothpaste, etc. And we have officially bought tickets for July 8^th.

Praise God with us! Thank Him for visas, pray for Robert’s visa that has still not arrived, pray for the move, and pray for the people of Angola. Pray that our hearts will be open to a deeper understanding of God and His kingdom during this move and beginning of our work.

Written on June 1

Well, it’s been a year and a half since our first visit to the Houston consulate, six months since our target move date went by, six weeks since our applications were accepted, and two weeks since they were resubmitted… and we are still waiting. It feels like we’ve been square dancing when what we really wanted to do was just walk forward!

These six ‘extra’ months in Portugal have been quite full of emotions. At first, there was some relief that it wasn’t quite time, as we still saw some needed work in the language. It was quite awe-inspiring as well as we’ve seen God unfold some powerful connections with two churches here in Portugal that will partner with us in our work in Angola through World Bible School and other means. It wasn’t until our language had reached functionality that we were able to communicate well enough to build these relationships.

We expected delays, but when we received word that the consulate had closed on the very day we also received our letters of invitation from Angola, it was incredibly discouraging. You can’t even expect something like that!

Even though the road to Angola so far has been the perfect place to learn to trust in God’s faithfulness, especially regarding visas, this process has still been hard. There have been tears and questioning amidst the prayers and peace. My prayers have constantly been that we will exhibit attitudes that glorify God and that we will learn more of God through this process. Right now we are still very much in the middle of this lesson, with all of the tension of seeing how it will work out.

Each day we wait, trying to wait well (which is hard as yearly events are beginning to repeat, constantly reminding us how long we’ve been here!), but we do know, with full confidence, deep down, that God is faithful, and that this journey is one worth taking.

Speaking about Escola Bíblica Mundial (World Bible School) to the Carcavelos congregation

Written on April 6, 2011

I (Katie) had my first experience teaching in Portuguese a few weeks ago. Teague and I volunteered for the 4-6 year old class. We taught a lesson about Paul and Silas and the Philippian Jailer. Although there were only three children that day (two of whom spoke English) it was very good practice for us. The kids really enjoyed acting out the story, complete with chains that they made out of paper strips with the memory verse on them. The songs were a big hit too. It was a fun and very beneficial experience.

Overall, language learning has entered a new phase. We have covered all of the major grammatical concepts and are now working on automaticity and vocabulary building. Our homework assignments are now just real-life tasks, like translating our website and writing lessons so that we will be prepared when we land in Angola. We are far from fluent and it seems like progress is less visible now, but conversations are slowly becoming less stilted. Please pray for continued motivation and encouragement.

The Angolan consulate in Houston has reopened! Our letters from Angola should be in the mail to Texas, so we are hopeful that we can apply very soon. Please continue to pray for no more unseen delays

Check out the video of a brief snippet of our class at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR8-K7F7aJE

Katie teaching

I just ran the 2011 Lisbon Half Marathon, and I’ll recount my experience here, including details that might be helpful for those wanting to run the race in 2012.

Summary: March 20, almost 40,000 people, gorgeous start across the 25 de Abril bridge, beautiful but hot day, monotonous and flat after the bridge, fun ending right in front of Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, 21.1km. I did okay, but not great (1 hr. 53 min. 44 sec.), due mainly to my lack of disciplined training and a bit to the heat.  But I still very much enjoyed the experience.  I’d love to redo it with the proper preparation.

Registration: I checked out the race site (http://www.lisbon-half-marathon.com) to register, but found two conflicting prices (35€ and 13€). I wanted the cheaper, obviously, so I avoided signing up online and caught a bus over to the closest Banif bank. That’s the advantage to living here in Lisbon   Five minutes, 13 euros, and bit of broken Portuguese, and chega! But be careful to check the correct boxes, because there’s a mini-marathon (8km) as well, which is much more popular than the half marathon

Picking up the bib: During the 4 days prior to the race, you have to go pick up your bib (dorsal in Portuguese) and t-shirt in Belém. Mini-Marathon participants got a cotton t-shirt, half marathon participants got a technical t-shirt. Both yellow with the same (decent) design. You also get a ChampionChip to lace into your shoe. When I went, my name wasn’t on the list of registered runners… good thing I had kept up with my receipt. The people were very helpful and got the problem sorted out quickly. And since I was there just a block from the famous Pastéis de Belém, I had to stop in for a few. (Don’t miss these, they’re awesome!)

Packed onto the train on the way to the Half Marathon

Transportation to the race: I hopped on the bus and metro to Entrecampos to catch the free race-day trains from there. They came every 10 minutes or so. When it arrived, it was packed, but I managed to squeeze on. At the next few stops it turned hilarious, as more and more yellow-shirted lemmings packed on (Campolide was the worst). Then again, maybe it wasn’t hilarious for the crowds left standing on the dock waiting for the next jam-packed train. But on board, there was a general air of levity and excitement. We all exited at Pragal (this is a good spot to take a bathroom break, if you need), and then joined the throngs on the 10 min. walk to the starting line. Well, it would have been 10 min., but there was a bottle neck about half a kilometer from the start. I arrived at the bottle neck just after 9:00 AM (an hour and a half before the race) and only got through almost 45 min. later. You gotta love crowds. The 30,000 mini-marathon runners/walkers (complete with kids and strollers) all start the race together with the 8,400 half-marathon runners. Makes for a bit of a mad house effect.

Stuck in the bottle neck, for 45 minutes

I wished I had taken advantage of the free red Vodafone caps they were handing out, because already the sun was starting to beat down on my head. Once I finally got through the bottle-necked mob, the location of the start-line was really cool. The towers of the 25 de Abril suspension bridge (twin of the Golden Gate bridge) loom ahead, while the Cristo Rei statue towers over on the right side.

Human police barricade holding back the mob from the start line, with the Cristo Rei statue overlooking the scene

A line of policemen, arms interlinked, held back the crowd from pushing up to the start, but I noticed that there were a few runner warming up on the other side of the human barricade, right close to the starting line. I didn’t know how to join the privileged few, so I wandered through the bushes on the side a bit and easily found myself on the other side of the police line. It was much nicer to start in front of the mob instead of in it. (Does that make me a bad person?)

Waiting for the start...

The race: You just can’t beat the start of this half marathon. Must be one of the best in the world. The view from the bridge, with Lisbon spreading out to your right and Belém to your left, is magnificent. They fired off at precisely 10:30 AM. I started a bit fast with all the excitement, but at the first km marker I slowed my pace down a bit. After 2 km you start the significant descent from the bridge, all the way to the 4 km marker. At 4.5 km was the first water station, then at 5 km the half and mini-marathon paths diverged. From there on out, it was completely flat. I put my headphones in.

The course runs along the Tejo river all the way to the Praça do Comércio (downtown Lisbon, about km 9), then turns back on itself for the longest stretch, out the other side of Belém, where it again doubles back (about km 18) to the finish in front of Jerónimos Monastery. So the entire way you are passing runner going in the opposite direction – part of the time, they are fellow half marathoners (either ahead of you or behind you); part of the time, it’s the fun-run crowd.  I kept looking for the folks I knew in the mini-marathon side, but to no avail. I guess the chances aren’t great among 40,000 people.

Crossing the 25 de Abril bridge, an exhilarating start.

The sun was unexpectedly hot. Okay, it was only 22°C (72°F) – nothing like my long runs in August in Memphis – but it felt hot. All my training was here in Lisbon, but the temperatures have been much cooler, and the skies have typically been overcast. Today would have been a great day for the beach. But we weren’t on the beach, we were on the tarmac, sweating like pigs. The water stations (also with Powerade) felt few and far between (every 4km or so), so I was glad I had decided to wear my Fuel Belt with my own water supply.  It made a big difference. I also took a couple of 20 gram carb gels along the way. Near the end (about km 19) there was a station with oranges and bananas, which I really appreciated, but it came a bit late for me.

I had started out at around 5 min/km (8 min/mile), but mid-race the heat and my own lack of consistent training started to catch up with me. I knew I could finish fine, but I just didn’t have the energy or motivation to push myself for a fast time. During the last half my splits were 5:30/km (8:51/mile), and around kms 18 and 19 I slowed down even more, past 6 min/km (9:40/mile).  As the end drew closer, I found the energy to get back up to 5:30/km.

Relaxing at the finish in front of Jerónimos Monastery

The finish: Like the start, the finish is just pretty awesome. With crowd on every side, we turned toward Jerónimos for the short dash to the finish line. The monastery is massive and beautiful, and it’s surrounded by gardens and fountains… a perfect Portuguese ending. 6,330 runners finished the half marathon, and countless more finished the mini-marathon.

I finished in 1:53:44. This was my third half marathon, but my time was only slightly better than my first attempt in 2006 (1:54:01) and nowhere close to my personal best in 2009 (1:42:33). I have yet to run a half marathon that I felt I was well prepared for. Maybe someday.

Within a few meters after crossing the line, I had to stop my aching legs to squat down and unlace the Chip from my shoe. Then I managed to stand back up and join the crowd again as we shuffled our way past the volunteers handing out medals. And then filed by more volunteers handing out goodie bags. Each bag had: 2 bottles of water, 1 bottle of Powerade, 1 granola bar, and 1 box of milk (???). Then guess what, more volunteers handing out… ice cream cones! At first I thought that so much dairy wouldn’t sit well with my stomach, but pretty soon the afternoon heat made the ice cream sound just perfect.

One of the best parts of the whole experience was the atmosphere in the gardens around the monastery. People everywhere you looked, spread out on the grass with their friends and family, stretching, eating ice cream, talking it up. Mostly Portuguese, but a good international smattering too.  The crowd seemed to linger forever, slowly spreading out as people took advantage of the Belém cafes and restaurants or set out their picnic supplies on the lawn. I would have enjoyed staying all afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my family with me. So instead, I stood in line to buy several more Pastéis de Belem, then thought about bus options home.

Transportation from the race: Overall, the race organizers did well to manage 40,000 people.  The weak spot was the return transportation. Carris buses didn’t seem to be running any more than their normal light Sunday schedule, so every bus was completely sardine-packed before it arrived. So I walked to the train station, only to find the waiting line stretching out several blocks. Looking for more creative options, I finally caught a bus going the opposite direction (toward Restelo), and once past the throng I hopped off to board one going in the right direction. That way I could get on before the rest of the crowd. Still, it was a long, densely packed bus ride back into town.

Conclusion: I’ve enjoyed every race I’ve run, and this was no exception. My personal fitness level wasn’t where I would have liked, but the day was still thoroughly enjoyable for the atmosphere, the scenery, the people.  I thank God for giving me this chance to live in Lisbon for a year, and this half marathon will go with me in the memory chest. Next up… add a third continent to my road race repertoire.

2010 was quite an eventful year for the Reeses, and 2011 also promises to be full of new experiences.

Here’s a little bit about our 2010.

• Our family: We said goodbye to family and friends and moved to a new country. We went from barely being able to construct simple sentences in Portuguese to being functional in some contexts.
• Katie set up house in a foreign country and learned how to shop; Danny figured out how to get all of our utilities running smoothly.
• Our team restructured how we work and envisioned our first year in Angola.
• Eliana: I learned how to run and go down slides! I moved out of my crib and into a big bed. I go in the potty during the day. And I began going to school in Portuguese. I know most of my numbers and colors in two languages!
• Sophia: I was born! I learned how to play with toys, smile, suck my thumb, and laugh.

And here’s our ‘goals’ for 2011.

• Our family: We will say goodbye to friends here in Portugal and move to a new country. We will begin to learn a new culture, in a new language, and develop relationships with people who are hungry for God’s word.
• Katie will set up house and learn how to shop; Danny will figure out how to get running water, electricity, and internet (some of the time).
• Our team will implement tools and strategies to learn about Angola and how best to begin mentoring Angolans and planting churches.
• Eliana: I want to wear my big girl panties all night. I will say “Olá” to everyone to make some new Angolan friends. I’ll also try to be very good on the airplane.
• Sophia: I’ve already learned to roll over and eat ‘real’ food! But I also want to sit up and crawl and walk and run! I want to do everything my big sister does. By the end of the year I will be able to eat my dinner with everyone else and maybe even say ‘please’ and ‘obrigada!’

Reeses at Christmas

Danny reminded me recently of the first time we walked into a doctor’s office here and I couldn’t understand or ask anything. But especially since Sophia was born, taking her to the doctor has been a very rewarding language experience. The nurse, Carla, is very nice and speaks slowly and clearly. Since the setting is familiar to me, having done everything with Eliana, I have a good idea of what kind of things they might be saying. These two things combined have allowed me to get by very well.

Last visit, when I had both girls, I was surprised at how able I was to answer questions and ask my own. No, I still didn’t understand everything, but I easily clarified most of it. With a little bit of miming and context I even figured out the word for “teether.” I thank God that taking my girls to the doctor has been such a positive experience in many ways.

I feel like I am approaching functional in some contexts, but it’s still hard to imagine being ready to go to Angola in a few short weeks (depending on visas).

We are gearing up for the holidays here  – decorating our Christmas tree, munching on dried fruit and nuts (Portuguese tradition), and decorating Christmas cookies. Eliana even saw Pai Natal (Santa) at the mall and got a piece of candy!

In October, Danny and I put Eliana into a Portuguese daycare for about 3 hours each day to have some good interaction in Portuguese. Ellie really enjoys her school now. She regularly greets people with “Bom dia,” “Boa tarde,” and “Boa noite” and has added “aula” (class), “escola” (school), and a few other words to her Portuguese vocabulary. Just this last week, I noticed another jump in her Portuguese. When I picked her up on Friday, she was repeating everything her teacher said to her. It’s quite funny to hear Eliana’s Portuguese – imagine trying to decipher your toddler’s words when they’re in a new language!

Language learning is slow, but we’re getting there, little bit by little bit.

Eliana at her school

A look back on all of the things I’m thankful for from the past year.

Westover Hills and our wonderful support team

Time with family before leaving (Ellie is playing Princess Crazy Eights with her cousins here)

Arriving in Portugal!

Our language teacher, Eunice

The Lisbon Church and all of our friends there

Being able to visit so many exciting places

Our wonderful team

The safe arrival of Baby Sophia

Grandparent visits!

Visiting family in Italy

My wonderful husband, and great friends for Eliana

My two sweet girls

... and pie!

Our team had our first annual team retreat this last weekend. It’s seems weird  to begin these traditions with our team, but also wonderful. It’s still hard to believe that we are actually living overseas.

We took the opportunity to enjoy some R&R at a dairy farm. We spent lots of time playing with the kiddos, strolling through the farm, riding on a tractor, drinking fresh milk and yogurt, and playing our favorite team board games. It was a good time of just enjoying each other. It was also a time to truly worship God. We looked back at our team through the years and told each other again the stories of how mightily God worked. We shared our present burdens and our future dreams. We sang, we prayed, we cried, we laughed… we were amazed at what God has done for us and in us.

Our team (and the wonderful babysitters)

Tractor ride!

And on that farm they had a cow, E-I-E-I-O, with a moo, moo...

For missionaries, celebrating American holidays is a special time to feel connected with everyone back home, but it often requires some creativity! In Portugal, our whole team joined in the hunt for some nice, orange pumpkins (which we finally found), the kids wore homemade costumes, we trick-or-treated from door-to-door inside the Campbell’s apartment, and Tosta-Mista man (Grilled cheese sandwich man) came to visit! It was a lot of fun, and it was the first time trick-or-treating for Efesson, Biruk, Eliana, and Stephen. We all enjoyed seeing them learn the ropes. Efesson was very indignant when I offered him a (gummy) hamburger,  but was quite happy when I told him it was candy. We’re looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas together.

Our little troop

My little gorilla and zebra

Tosta Mista Man