2025 Mission Trip to THE AZORES, Portugal
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ENJOY PICTURES AND Updates from our Mission Team serving IN the AZORES, PORTUGAL FROM JULY 31-AUGUST 11, 2025
DAY 1 - Travel and Arrival
And we’re off! Our Work & Witness team is headed to the beautiful Azores, Portugal, to serve the Church of the Nazarene and the community of Ponta Delgada. We go with expectant hearts—praying that God will transform lives, deepen bonds within our team, and use us as a blessing to everyone we meet. May we draw close to one another, grow stronger in faith, and return home on fire for the mission He’s called us to. Please keep our team of 14 in your prayers as we go where He sends!
It's been a very long 24+ hours with little to no sleep but we finally made it to Ponta Delgada. After arriving a couple of us had to go pick up rental cars. They had to drive us so long to go pick up the car and we had an exciting experience due to the crazy driver! The whole team met back up at the place we are staying. Some rested and went to take a dip in the ocean...others had to go grocery shop for the week. Shopping for 14 people for 10 days is quite a task!
After shopping, a couple of us finally got a 5 min shower before being whisked away to a dinner reservation with our hosts! We thoroughly enjoyed each other's company and Kara and Grayden FINALLY met up with us after an adventure they had (ask them about it). It has been so tiring but we are ready for the rest of our time here! [Photo creds and post by Melanie Smith]
It's been a very long 24+ hours with little to no sleep but we finally made it to Ponta Delgada. After arriving a couple of us had to go pick up rental cars. They had to drive us so long to go pick up the car and we had an exciting experience due to the crazy driver! The whole team met back up at the place we are staying. Some rested and went to take a dip in the ocean...others had to go grocery shop for the week. Shopping for 14 people for 10 days is quite a task!
After shopping, a couple of us finally got a 5 min shower before being whisked away to a dinner reservation with our hosts! We thoroughly enjoyed each other's company and Kara and Grayden FINALLY met up with us after an adventure they had (ask them about it). It has been so tiring but we are ready for the rest of our time here! [Photo creds and post by Melanie Smith]
DAY 2
We started off with a sightseeing day. Laura made delicious breakfast for our team and our 2 new pastor friends. We had a devotional and then we headed out the door.
1st-Whale and dolphin tour. We saw a Sei whale and the spotted and common dolphins. A couple people were feeling a little woozy after the rough waters but we made it. We stopped at an overlook to eat our packed lunches.
2nd- Parque Terra Nostro-beautiful gardens with natural geothermal pools with magnesium benefits. The water was not refreshing, it was yellow, but hopefully our skin is glowing tomorrow.
3rd-Furnas Lake - volcanic crater lake and hot geysers(stunk up the city with sulfur smell)in the city. We were able to try corn that was cooked in the geyser...it was delicious!
4th- Dinner at Tony's. Everyone was a little adventurous with food. Someone had octopus others had mussels, risotto, salmon... and a few tried the tradition dish Cozida which is buried underground to be cooked by geothermal heat. Blood sausage was tried by a few and did not receive a single thumbs up!
We enjoyed learning more about the area and the people today. It was a great way yo bond as we start our long work week on Monday. Tomorrow we observe the Sabbath, attend church, fellowship with the pastors here and come up with a plan for our work days. It was a beautiful day! [Photo creds and post by Amy DeGraaf and Melanie Smith]
1st-Whale and dolphin tour. We saw a Sei whale and the spotted and common dolphins. A couple people were feeling a little woozy after the rough waters but we made it. We stopped at an overlook to eat our packed lunches.
2nd- Parque Terra Nostro-beautiful gardens with natural geothermal pools with magnesium benefits. The water was not refreshing, it was yellow, but hopefully our skin is glowing tomorrow.
3rd-Furnas Lake - volcanic crater lake and hot geysers(stunk up the city with sulfur smell)in the city. We were able to try corn that was cooked in the geyser...it was delicious!
4th- Dinner at Tony's. Everyone was a little adventurous with food. Someone had octopus others had mussels, risotto, salmon... and a few tried the tradition dish Cozida which is buried underground to be cooked by geothermal heat. Blood sausage was tried by a few and did not receive a single thumbs up!
We enjoyed learning more about the area and the people today. It was a great way yo bond as we start our long work week on Monday. Tomorrow we observe the Sabbath, attend church, fellowship with the pastors here and come up with a plan for our work days. It was a beautiful day! [Photo creds and post by Amy DeGraaf and Melanie Smith]
DAY 3
We started the day with delicious breakfast and then made our way to Ponta Delgada Church of the Nazarene. The church entrance is down a narrow street and as we approached the building we could already hear the band practicing as worship music filled the streets. It was beautiful.
Although the songs were in Portuguese we could hear the familiar tunes. Pastora had a wonderful message and afterwards we were able to mingle with the church family. We met some wonderful people and were even invited to celebrate our new friends 23rd birthday. It was such a rewarding money and we loved meeting our brothers and sisters in Christ here in the Azores.
After church we took it easy to observe the Sabbath by eating, going swimming and playing cards. We enjoyed dinner together and a newly met friend from church brought us a wonderful dessert called Pave'.
It was a fulfilling day of fellowship, bonding and joy.
Although the songs were in Portuguese we could hear the familiar tunes. Pastora had a wonderful message and afterwards we were able to mingle with the church family. We met some wonderful people and were even invited to celebrate our new friends 23rd birthday. It was such a rewarding money and we loved meeting our brothers and sisters in Christ here in the Azores.
After church we took it easy to observe the Sabbath by eating, going swimming and playing cards. We enjoyed dinner together and a newly met friend from church brought us a wonderful dessert called Pave'.
It was a fulfilling day of fellowship, bonding and joy.
DAY 4
Today was our first scheduled work day. We woke up bright and early to have breakfast and devotionals at 7 a.m.
Our devotion today was John 13:1-17. We emphasized that there is pure joy in serving others and it is a form of worship that matters deeply to God. We were encouraged to remember that we serve with all our heart and through it we are saying "God you are worth my best effort. This is for you."
After devotions we got straight to work. The boys are working on putting on a new Terra cotta tiling roof on a lodging space. They had to take down all the old tiles and secure a more trustworthy foundation.
The girls had to use a bleach solution to scrub all the walls on the outside of the buildings to prep for paint. It was messy and hot but the first 2 buildings got finished. They then started working on landscaping in the backyard.
Delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner was prepared by our personal chef...Laura. She serves with a smile to make sure we are fueled up and ready to go!
We have been learning to get better at using Google translate to understand the pastors here. Sometimes things get lost in translation but we eventually figure it out.
Prayers needed:
Keep the rest of the days without cuts, bruises, or pain.
Prayers that the bleach that got into Melanie's eye will be fine by tomorrow (lots of water irrigation took place)
That all of our bodies feel rested in the morning to do it again (lots of sore muscles..)
It was a perfect day of serving others with pure joy and we are ready for more!
Our devotion today was John 13:1-17. We emphasized that there is pure joy in serving others and it is a form of worship that matters deeply to God. We were encouraged to remember that we serve with all our heart and through it we are saying "God you are worth my best effort. This is for you."
After devotions we got straight to work. The boys are working on putting on a new Terra cotta tiling roof on a lodging space. They had to take down all the old tiles and secure a more trustworthy foundation.
The girls had to use a bleach solution to scrub all the walls on the outside of the buildings to prep for paint. It was messy and hot but the first 2 buildings got finished. They then started working on landscaping in the backyard.
Delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner was prepared by our personal chef...Laura. She serves with a smile to make sure we are fueled up and ready to go!
We have been learning to get better at using Google translate to understand the pastors here. Sometimes things get lost in translation but we eventually figure it out.
Prayers needed:
Keep the rest of the days without cuts, bruises, or pain.
Prayers that the bleach that got into Melanie's eye will be fine by tomorrow (lots of water irrigation took place)
That all of our bodies feel rested in the morning to do it again (lots of sore muscles..)
It was a perfect day of serving others with pure joy and we are ready for more!
DAY 5
Today was a HOT one! Started with a great breakfast, and then it was straight to work. Some worked on the roof by putting down wood for the foundation and building a concrete thing that was needed (i have no idea what it was for, but it was broken and needed to be remade, haha). A few others got a LOT of painting done. We had to prime everything on 2 buildings, let it dry, and then start with painting. We will hopefully finish all of the painting of the first 2 buildings tomorrow. A small group went and helped clean the upstairs of the church. They just had a new roof put on, and it had lots of dust and disarray.
After a 10 hour workday, we cleaned up and ate, and had about 90 minutes to spare before going to church for a prayer meeting. We decided to go to the city center. It was beautiful! We didn't have a lot of time, so we hope to be able to go back at some point.
We ended our night with a church service and prayer night with the Nazarene church in Ponta Delgada. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit can move in a space even if you don't understand the language. It is the worshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ across the world that is so powerful.
Before the post is done, I have to brag about the teens who are with us! They have not complained, have worked the entire day, and even smiled while doing so. When we are waiting for supplies for a job, they ask, "What can we do to help while we wait?". Their hearts are shining throug,h and I love watching them so selflessly give!
Today was another amazing day of serving and loving like Christ.
After a 10 hour workday, we cleaned up and ate, and had about 90 minutes to spare before going to church for a prayer meeting. We decided to go to the city center. It was beautiful! We didn't have a lot of time, so we hope to be able to go back at some point.
We ended our night with a church service and prayer night with the Nazarene church in Ponta Delgada. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit can move in a space even if you don't understand the language. It is the worshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ across the world that is so powerful.
Before the post is done, I have to brag about the teens who are with us! They have not complained, have worked the entire day, and even smiled while doing so. When we are waiting for supplies for a job, they ask, "What can we do to help while we wait?". Their hearts are shining throug,h and I love watching them so selflessly give!
Today was another amazing day of serving and loving like Christ.
DAY 6
We need prayers. The forecast doesn't look promising for our outdoor work we have to finish before Sunday. And more prayers...the roofing job being done has hit many issues along the way. We need some "aha" moments to complete something that is sound.
A basket of goodies from the ladies of the church..cheese from other Azores islands, and a variety of bread and other goodies. Pastora brought a dessert she had made. It was delicious!
Today was a day to find things to do since painting was on hold due to the rain. Some did some landscaping, others scrubbed roof tiles and others worked on the roof.
After the work day a few people ventured to the beach, where fun was had by all. The day felt different....but that's OK. God is still moving.
A basket of goodies from the ladies of the church..cheese from other Azores islands, and a variety of bread and other goodies. Pastora brought a dessert she had made. It was delicious!
Today was a day to find things to do since painting was on hold due to the rain. Some did some landscaping, others scrubbed roof tiles and others worked on the roof.
After the work day a few people ventured to the beach, where fun was had by all. The day felt different....but that's OK. God is still moving.
DAY 7
Started the day with a meal and devotionals. We talked about what a family in Christ looks like and how we share each other's burdens and joys. The team working on the roof met together to really discuss concerns and brainstorm solutions. Pastor assured the team that he knows it won't be perfect but it is more than they have now and we will figure it out as we go. The men prayed for wisdom and peace of mind.
Prayer answered...the rain was minimal.
Prayer answered...tile roofing started and was going well.
Today was supposed to be a sightseeing day for us, but completing our projects are a priority and the roof isn't finished...yet. So it was another long work day.
We worked on the roof.
We did lots of landscaping.
We organized storage.
Around 7 PM we were finally able to clean up and head into town for dinner. Everyone was able to split up and choose where they wanted to eat and then we met back up for gelato!! (It was worth staying up until 11 PM to eat it!)
Please pray that we finish the roof tomorrow and everyone feels happy with the job. It looks like we might not be able to finish painting due to the sporadic rain...but we will continue with cleanup and landscaping. It will be another beautiful day of serving.
Please pray for our translators Fernando and Lilyana as they head back to Lisbon tomorrow evening. We love them so much and we will miss them dearly!
Prayer answered...the rain was minimal.
Prayer answered...tile roofing started and was going well.
Today was supposed to be a sightseeing day for us, but completing our projects are a priority and the roof isn't finished...yet. So it was another long work day.
We worked on the roof.
We did lots of landscaping.
We organized storage.
Around 7 PM we were finally able to clean up and head into town for dinner. Everyone was able to split up and choose where they wanted to eat and then we met back up for gelato!! (It was worth staying up until 11 PM to eat it!)
Please pray that we finish the roof tomorrow and everyone feels happy with the job. It looks like we might not be able to finish painting due to the sporadic rain...but we will continue with cleanup and landscaping. It will be another beautiful day of serving.
Please pray for our translators Fernando and Lilyana as they head back to Lisbon tomorrow evening. We love them so much and we will miss them dearly!
DAY 8
Today we accomplished a major project that we really thought was impossible due to the extensive damage. The roof was finished! We have been in heavy prayer for several days to ask God's favor and wisdom on how to complete this roof and He sure did answer our prayers. The pastor here is beyond thrilled with the roof and what has been accomplished this trip.
After our work day yesterday the pastor wanted to take us for a swim and show us a couple places. It was a bit rainy when we visited the crater lake but it was still gorgeous. We then saw a cute little town and watched the sunset which was stunning...and if course ended with gelato!
We were able to talk with the pastor through Google translate for a bit while watching the sunset. It was his favorite place to watch. He said that even in such a beautiful place, the island is full of depression and suicide. His work is heavy as him and Pastora work to love on the people of the community and bring them hope. We have fallen in love with this place...not just for its beauty but for our Nazarene brothers and sisters who love the Lord intensely and love their island and people in it.
Please keep Ponta Delgada and its pastors in your prayers. Give them strength and encouragement to continue their impact.
After our work day yesterday the pastor wanted to take us for a swim and show us a couple places. It was a bit rainy when we visited the crater lake but it was still gorgeous. We then saw a cute little town and watched the sunset which was stunning...and if course ended with gelato!
We were able to talk with the pastor through Google translate for a bit while watching the sunset. It was his favorite place to watch. He said that even in such a beautiful place, the island is full of depression and suicide. His work is heavy as him and Pastora work to love on the people of the community and bring them hope. We have fallen in love with this place...not just for its beauty but for our Nazarene brothers and sisters who love the Lord intensely and love their island and people in it.
Please keep Ponta Delgada and its pastors in your prayers. Give them strength and encouragement to continue their impact.
DAY 9
Pastor took us on an excursion day and the sights were breathtaking. Lots of road stop views, tea plantations, Sete Cidades, and an adventure at dinner. The teens attended youth group at church. We are exhausted today after 20,000+ steps, but it was completely worth it. We will tell our adventures through photos. Enjoy!
DAY 10
The end of our journey! Today was bittersweet. We miss home but the people in the Azores are part of our hearts now and it is sad to leave.
Today we went to church. The pastor presented us with a gift and a thank you during the church service. He was very emotional thinking about the teens. He said that they were such hard workers and he loves seeing the young people so dedicated. After church they had a delicious potluck for us...amazing traditional food.
As we leave this place and these people we are reminded how big this world is.. .and that God's people are everywhere around the world, making an impact and loving and serving their communities. I pray that the Nazarene church in the Azores continues to receive strength and support as they do what God calls them to do.
My prayer has always been for this mission to be one that changes lives and shows people the pure joy that comes from serving others. I love our team and what we were able to accomplish for the church and the growth we had individually.
Good bye Sao Miguel... you now have a piece of our hearts here with you. May you be blessed today and all the years to come. We love you.
Today we went to church. The pastor presented us with a gift and a thank you during the church service. He was very emotional thinking about the teens. He said that they were such hard workers and he loves seeing the young people so dedicated. After church they had a delicious potluck for us...amazing traditional food.
As we leave this place and these people we are reminded how big this world is.. .and that God's people are everywhere around the world, making an impact and loving and serving their communities. I pray that the Nazarene church in the Azores continues to receive strength and support as they do what God calls them to do.
My prayer has always been for this mission to be one that changes lives and shows people the pure joy that comes from serving others. I love our team and what we were able to accomplish for the church and the growth we had individually.
Good bye Sao Miguel... you now have a piece of our hearts here with you. May you be blessed today and all the years to come. We love you.
PRAYER WALL FOR THE AZORES, PORTUGAL MISSION TEAM FROM CROSS COMMUNITY
KayLynn, Chris and Melanie, Evan, Kara and Grayden, Laura and Ian, Keith, Sue, Stephen and Amy, and Emma. (Not pictured: Kaylee Shaw, from Coldwater Church of the Nazarene)
GIVING TO MISSIONS @ Cross Community
Thank you again for giving through the C3Naz Generosity Journey, Work & Witness, and World Evangelism Fund for this team’s project funds, and supporting international missions! You are making a difference in the Azores, Portugal by sending a team to be the hands, feet, and voices of Jesus!