tHe bOrDen's...

This is going to be long, but they deserve it … If you don’t know them, maybe it’s not even interesting, but I assure you they are really worth to get to know :-) …
I’ve been trying to write this for quite a while, but I’m finding it hard…I feel I don’t have enough words, and it also brings a lot of emotions out…So let me share my idea… I just want to honour this family, THE BORDEN’S, because I love them and they mean a lot to me… and I also believe they are worthy to be honoured for who they are…
They have been my real family for the past 3 or 4 years in Lisbon, and they will leave Portugal in September to get ready to go back to Africa next year…
I already said good-bye when I left for my trip coz I’ll only be back in October, but I just wanna dedicate this post to them…
IT WOULD BE A NICE IDEA IF ALL OF YOU WHO KNOW THE BORDEN’S WOULD ADD YOUR OWN COMMENTS HERE ...
for me this family has a lot to be honoured for...
and as a portuguese I would also like to thank them for the time they spent in Portugal and how they blessed so many portuguese (like me :-) )

Well, if you don't know me or the Borden's, here's a little back up story... I met them 3 or 4 years ago through Jasmin who told me "You have to meet the Borden's "... And soon I realized why :-)... They are just an amazing family... they were having this home-group at their house that I started to attend and I started to know them more... I was in Love already :-)... They were in Africa, in Kenya, for more then 10 years, among the Massai people group, and that made me admire them even more... I felt the Africa connection there :-) ... And I always wander what were they doing in Europe, coz they don't really fit here... I always picture them going back to Africa, just by the way they speak about it, the way they are used to it and their many African friends there...so now the time came...I'm really happy for them in that way, but a bit sad to see them going so far from me :-/ (a bit of selfishness here)...
Yah, It's been hard to imagine since they told us they would leave... hard to think about it without feeling I want to cry...
But one thing is good about all this...I realized I truly love them, as I never did before... and these are not just words...
I 'm really thankful to God for this feeling...

O.K., I don't wanna make this too corny :-), but I do wanna present you each one of them now... I'll just share a few things that will come to my mind at this moment...


I was going to start with Jesse but Byron just came here to interrupt me so I'll start with him (I started to write this the last day I was at their house)…he's cleaning up the rest of the mess from the barbecue last night...What a good man...Lisa, you're the luckiest woman :-)...
Do you know Macgiver, it was a Tv show long time ago...Byron is that kind of guy, he always finds a solution to every problem...he likes to fix things... and he's very much used on "fixing" people as well...he’s very humble too…he has no problems to ask others to help him, coz he does recognize and encourage other people’s gifts and talents…
He's such a gentle man...he's a kinda guy who cries and doesn't care about what others might think... I remember one day when he was so exhausted from his trips that he couldn't hold his tears saying that he was missing having time for his kids...yes, he loves his kids and his wife... he really loves Africa and the African way of living, maybe more then Lisa and the kids, because he grew up there ... one time I heard him saying to someone why wouldn't they go back to Africa, and Byron said that one thing that was making him stay was because he knows that in Africa Lisa could never have the same opportunities to use her gifts as she was using here...like teaching or speaking... in many countries in Africa women are not really heard, even among Christians...
Wow, is that love or what?!!
Byron loves God so much as well...in a way that he really feels frustrated for not knowing Him more, or experiencing Him more... I could imagine him fighting with God like Jacob till He gets blessed :-)...
He wants to see more of God around Him as well…more of God in other people’s lives…more power and glory…He questions that a lot !!!
I loved many of our conversations around the Bible and about how God wanted us to be church…
I learned a lot with him…in many ways…
He’s a man with a great vision and a soft broken heart…




O.K, lets move to Jesse now, he's the oldest son...he’s in University now, in California, and he’s happy that he can go around driving already …he has an amazing intimacy with God…he’s a man of prayer and full of compassion…a servant heart…he wants to see this generation standing up to be who God wants us to be…he wants to see God doing great things…
he has many gifts and talents as well…plays bass in a punk rock band, “Front Door” (barefoot of course)…plays djembe, didgeridoo and other percussions, which he makes himself…amazing!!! He’s a wild guy, grew up playing in Africa with his Massai friends, but at the same time so sensitive and sweet ☺… He loves birds and photography, that’s his late passion… among other things he also surfs, skates and he’s into rock climbing now…what else…hum…I love his hugs !!!


Trevor comes next (guy on the right with his beautiful smile...he's here with Dane, his best friend)…what an amazing guy!!! Loves music, specially his acoustic guitar…I love when he plays it…he composes great music as well …I loved the last music he was recording…beautiful lyrics and what a beautiful voice he has…he needs to be more confident though, coz he never recognizes how good he is…he also plays in the same band with Jesse…electric guitar of course… he’s more careful with his outfit as well…he likes cool stuff…but not fashionable things…
He makes his own things as well, he’s a great handicraft guy… he’s too hard on himself though and is always trying to get better and better… a perfectionist I guess… he doesn’t give up till he reaches his goals…he has nice dreams, like crossing Africa on a motor bike with Byron…or touring around Europe on a Vespa (Italian scooters)… I would join him !!!
He has a really beautiful heart as well, and I just love when he expresses his desire to see his friends getting to know Jesus for real…he often came with good insights some of the times we would discuss about being church…
And he’s always open to learn… he often goes to Byron to ask a lot of stuff… he ‘s that son that has his dad has the super hero and role model…( I would say all the 3 boys have that☺ ) and what a great model they have to follow …
Oh, I love Trevor’s humour as well…he’s a goofy !!! I love it…


Colin is great !!! he always has a different way to see things… he often shows perspectives no one would ever think of…I love that in him… he thinks a lot I guess, coz some times he just gets distracted when we’re speaking…definitely a smart guy…a good learner as well…he likes to understand things…he’s not the kind of guy that accepts everything he’s told…he thinks about it till he gets it…well, that’s my impression at least… his passion is soccer, without any doubt…he just loves it…soccer players, different teams, he knows all about it and he’s a good player as well…he’s an amazing skater as well…I never saw him surfing though, but he might be good as well...
Oh, and he plays so well djembe or other drums…he’s amazing…I never forget one time that we were praying and worshiping and he picked the djembe to play… he never played much before and we were all admired how he was playing so well…then he shared how he had asked God to help him play the djembe and He actually did…he’s a guy of faith, that is sure…I love the way he prays as well…simple and straight…
He’s an honest guy…he says what he has to say…he’s not worried about what others may think… I like that sincerity in him…


Heather is lovely, and really goofy too:-)!!! And she’s so loved by all her brothers… for me, she’s my little sister as well…what can I say about her?!!
She loves pink and purple…loves horses too!!! Loves swimming and goofing around…she makes me laugh a lot !!! she loves singing and dancing as well…and lately she just wanted to play games…oh, and she surprised everyone when she went rock climbing for the first time…growing among her brothers, who play with weird things, like snakes and fire bombs, I guess she will not be “normal” as well ☺…
wow, I’m amazed with how much she has grown this past year…she’s a beautiful little girl… a sweet heart…gentle and tender…she’s shy when she doesn’t know someone so well, but she has a strong personality as well…she fights for her things…
I love her smile and how she would run to hug me when I was coming…
She often reminded me of how to be a child…and simply be… and she showed me a lot of love…
Oh, I loved painting with her too…so many times we did that…sometimes I would draw and she would colour…she loves colours…yes, she loves a lot…things have to be intense with her ☺…



And finally Lisa…I knew this bad feeling in my throat would come as I mentioned her… it’s hard for me to speak about her without crying…she’s a wonderful mom of her 4 kids and she was a mom to me too…even though I’m only 10 years younger and she could never be my mom…but that’s how I feel she is to me…it was like these years she has been carrying me…well, all the family did, but there’s something special about mom’s for me… she’s an amazing woman…and a wonderful friend…a great teacher ,speaker and writer…quiet, gentle, full of love to give…wide arms full of grace… very intelligent and wise… strong, but also not afraid to show her weaknesses…literally, a sweet heart… and very “cheeky” as well, a “silly goose” with great sense of humour…I loved when she would just crack herself laughing…(I feel I’m making a lot of spelling mistakes here…but anyway, Lisa finds it sweet and often doesn’t correct me ☺ )…
I love her hugs too…so tender and full of love…
she likes good atmosphere…loves candles !!!
I love her intimacy with God as well and the way she just loves to get in His presence…she loves dancing and singing to Him… she likes being wild sometimes…and she loves when God touches others ☺ …she’s a nurturer…here I go to the mom again…
She loves Bono (U2) and Brian Houston…these are the 2 rivals of Byron… ☺ Always a joke in the house !!!
Oh, how she loves Byron…
When all the others are active and wild, Lisa is taking care of everyone’s needs in the back…
I loved when she would leave written instructions when she was away…she knows what the family needs…
I loved when she would prepare my bed for me to come…she made me feel so at home… and she was always making sure I would feel part of the Borden family…


And I do… I love them all very very much…and I was so honoured by them so many times… they make me feel special…and I want them to feel special too…
because they are !!!
I spoke of each one of them separately, but they are wonderful as a family…I cannot really separate them…They bless anyone around by simply being the family they are !!!
They are not perfect, they are humans :-)…but they are amazingly balanced !!!
I lived with them day after day for 10 months when I had no where to go, so I could see their lives…on the good and bad days…
I learned a lot about what it means to be a family!

Thank you Byron, Lisa, Jesse, Trevor, Colin and Heather…
I love you more !!!
God loves you the most, and He's really proud of calling you His children :-)

GOD BLESS YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO !!!