João was born to Christian parents, along with five other siblings. Amidst all the noise in the house, the gospel could always be heard quite clearly – his father, who was converted in his late teens, wouldn’t let his family forget about the truth that changed his life: “grace, not merit”. Aware of his sin and need for Jesus’ atoning death, João was baptized when he was 14. He went to Lisbon University to study Agricultural Engineering and, during his university years, he was encouraged to preach and teach in his local church. Later, he was trained by his pastor on how to do that better. After completing his Masters, he started a job in the University, but subsequently felt the need to deepen his studies in Theology, to better serve his local church. As his conviction of the call to become a pastor grew, he joined London Seminary in England and completed an online two-year theology course in the summer of 2023.

Ana was also born to Christian parents and grew up in Lousã. She studied to become a nurse, but, after accepting the challenge to go to Latvia, where she was a student worker, Ana embraced student ministry, and has been working with the Portuguese University Christian Unions (Grupo Bíblico Universitário ‒ GBU) since 2017. She did the online Cornhill Training Course (Proclamation Trust) during the COVID pandemic and now works with university students in the Portuguese cities of Leiria, Aveiro and Viseu.

The family recently moved to Lousã (central Portugal) to work with the church there. Lousã is a town of about 17,000 people, steeped in mystic Roman Catholicism, and also facing the challenges of a growing secularism. The gospel arrived in Lousã quite a few years ago, but the church there has never had a full-time minister and has been shrinking throughout the years, both in numbers and in morale, so the work feels almost like a church plant.

Lousã and surrounding areas are thirsting for faithful preaching of the gospel of grace, to convict and to comfort, both publicly and in private. The church thanks God for the premises he’s been providing, and pray for power.

There is much need for a strengthening of the bonds of fellowship between the members, as well as for maturity, such that each can reach their proper place and function in the body. They thank God that he has been bringing people to them, and pray for wisdom.

There is also a desperate need for a faithful gospel presence in 'civic life’, as the Roman Catholic Church holds together both traditions and institutions in the town. João and Ana thank God that there are opportunities for the church and members to be involved in this work, and pray for courage!