At the age of 18, in a very poor and very small fishing village in Sao Jacinto Portugal, Armenio came to know Christ. His enthusiasm for Christ quickly spread to a number of his friends.This small group of friends grew and became a Bible Club and Armenio began to attend a Bible School in Lisbon, but he didn’t have the funds to continue. An opportunity arose to work in the States and study in the U.S. but there was problem….he didn’t speak English! But God had other plans...
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, in Connecticut, Elizabeth, at the age of 17, decided to work for the summer before deciding her future. At a Christian summer camp in the U.S., Armenio was a boat boy and Elizabeth worked in the office when met... and soon this young couple knew they wanted to marry, but there was another problem... Elizabeth’s Mother forbid the very mention of Amernio's name! But God had other plans...
As soon as her parents met him, they loved him, and for the next several years Armenio and Elizabeth attended Word of Life Bible Institute, but not always at the same time. Armenio returned to Portugal for work and returned to the U.S. just ten days before their wedding, marrying on May 27, 1983 and a few months later with little more than four suitcases Elizabeth arrived in Portugal, at the age of 19...knowing about 3 words in Portuguese! But God had other plans...
Armenio led several Bible clubs most weeknights in separate cities and the weekends were even busier, with teens from the local church to travel with him. A generous man from New York gave the young couple funds for their first car. One problem…Armenio didn’t know how to drive! BUT…somehow he knew how to shift, so Armenio would tell her when to step on the clutch and he would shift while she steered. But God had other plans...
As a teen, Armenio was a very dedicated long distance runner who had a dream of one day participating in the Olympics, but full time ministry slowed his training and had to give up on his dream. In 1985 Andre was born in Coimbra in a simple clinic with nurses who were nuns. Josiah followed in1988 and was the exact opposite of Andre, with his thick black hair which stood straight up and olive complexion. Growing up with Portuguese friends and in Portuguese schools, they learned the Portuguese language very naturally, even though we always spoke English in our home. While his own dreams of running seemed at an end, God had other plans...
As a teen, Armenio was a very dedicated long distance runner who had a dream of one day participating in the Olympics, but full time ministry slowed his training and had to give up on his dream. In 1985 Andre was born in Coimbra in a simple clinic with nurses who were nuns. Josiah followed in1988 and was the exact opposite of Andre, with his thick black hair which stood straight up and olive complexion. Growing up with Portuguese friends and in Portuguese schools, they learned the Portuguese language very naturally, even though we always spoke English in our home. While his own dreams of running seemed at an end, God had other plans...
In 1988, he received an invitation to participate in the World Congress on Sports just prior to the Seoul Korea Olympics and in 1994, God called us to focus our work on athletes and we joined International Sports Ministries based in Wheaton, IL. Armenio has had the privilege of participating in the Olympics, not as an athlete, but as an official chaplain. He has also been able to serve as chaplain for the World Championships in Athletics, as well as help out as an assistant coach for professional runners. Clearly, God had other plans...Almost thirty years later, we live in Porto and Armenio remains active in ministry and Elizabeth is an artisan handcrafting tile inspired jewelry called 'Atrio' (Courtyard in Portuguese), for sale to customers throughout the world. Years ago, someone walked up to Elizabeth and asked "why are you going to waste your life in Portugal?" Has it been a waste? Absolutely NOT! It's been a privilege! God had other plans!
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