Be Kind to the less fortunate folk!

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and He will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17.

This means that showing compassion and generosity to the needy is like lending to God himself. He promises to repay those who helped the poor for their faithful actions, viewing such kindness as an active worship. Kindness to the poor equals a loan to God. When you help someone in need, you’re not just helping them; you are serving God, who values these acts of mercy.

This verse assures believers that God sees and remembers their generosity and will richly reward them for their deeds. Generosity towards the poor is presented as a significant way to honour God, reflecting Christ’s own sacrifice. The biggest question is how is this done?

The simplest answer is through our offering to the Church. Jesus though rich became poor, modelling a life of service to the destitute, a core reason for the church’s mission. Scriptures like James1:27 and Matthew 25 commend believers to care for the needy seeing neglect of the prayer as neglecting Christ. By Jerome kume isoh an Elder of International Christian Fellowship, Portimão

A Rainbow of Hope

January has been stormy in the Algarve. Unusually, it had rained many days with the sky being more steel grey than bright blue, and the chances of a walk had been slim. Sometimes the clouds part, and the Sun begins to shine through momentarily. That is the time I quickly grab my coat and off I go, determined to make the most of the brief opportunity. The fresh air and patches of sunshine lift my spirits, and I walk briskly along by the river, not knowing how long this sunny interlude will last before the next deluge.

Then, as I head home, on one occasion, something caught my eye which seemed to me a beautiful picture of life.

The sky overhead was dark and threatening; just ahead of me there was a huge muddy puddle and wet grass to navigate, but in the distance shone a beautiful rainbow.

I realised that is so much like life. Sometimes we go through hard times, and day after day the outlook can be gloomy. In our path we are confronted with all kinds of problems that we have to navigate and find our way through. Yet ahead of us, in the distance, God offers us a rainbow of hope in Him.


Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)

Life sometimes is demanding and there can be obstacles to work through, but the good news is that God has not left us alone. He is there for us if we will just come to Him. He wants to share in our challenges as well as our joys, and through the storm, He offers us a rainbow of hope in Him.

If you would like to find out more, please visit us any Sunday at the International Christian Fellowship, Portimão at 11am. We are on the corner of Avda 25 de Abril and Rua N.S Amparo in Portimãao. (Tel 91 735 8098 and webpage: www.icf-portimao.org.) A warm welcome awaits you!

Portimao Soup Kitchen

The Portimao Soup Kitchen was begun in May 2010 by the International Christian Fellowship in Portimao, who wanted to do something to help those in need in our community. It has now been running for almost sixteen years. We started by serving free soup and sandwiches once a week to about twelve people at Mariners, a restaurant on Rua Isabel that was run by a member of our church. Since June 2012, the soup kitchen has been operating from Beco Sao Jose, Rua Sao Jose, down by the river, close to the old bridge. Here, our numbers have grown even more. Before the pandemic, we were serving about 40 people on two of the days and 60 people on Sundays.

Since October 2021, our numbers have increased dramatically and we now serve about 200 take away meals three times per week (Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays). Our team of helpers has also grown to include Christian volunteers and otherwise from many different countries- local Portuguese volunteers and many others from a variety of countries, including UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Holland, Germany, Italy, Turkey, India, Brazil, South Africa, USA and Canada.

We rely on the generous donations of many people in the community - bakeries, supermarkets, fruit growers, community associations and other kind individuals who want to help.

If you wish to help, there are many different ways: collecting donated food from supermarkets and delivering to the soup kitchen, buying food items with a long shelf-life eg. tuna, sausages, milk, cereal, pasta, passata; buying disposable containers for the meals, contributing money to help pay the rent and utility bills, or coming in person to help cook, clean, make sandwiches and serve.

You could also help by donating items of warm clothing eg shirts, jumpers, trousers, shoes, jackets. At this time of year, blankets and sleeping bags are also in high demand.

If you would like to help in any way please contact Joy at 917 358 098 or borganjoy@gmail.com

by Joy Borgan, Pastor