Bethany Presbyterian Church, Seattle, Washington

 

Jordan & Debbie Kleber

The Klebers reside in Lisbon, Portugal. Though mostly Portuguese, their neighborhood is also home to substantial African and Indian communities, as well as a sprinkling of other internationals. They operate Visiting Portugal, renting two small apartments and two small row houses to tourists, living out our Christian witness by being in proximity with others.

Their small Portuguese evangelical church, Acção Bíblica, reaches neighborhoods through growing home groups into churches. The Klebers are praying that God will raise up other believers within Lisbon with whom they can start a home group that will multiply.

Jordan and Debbie have also helped organize and mobilize volunteers to serve the city of Pena as part of an outreach called Serve the City, taking place July 24-28. Serve the City has already taken place in a number of other European cities and it gives the Klebers something to talk about with everyone they meet. Their hope is that Serve the City will take root so that the July event will be the beginning of an ongoing work, facilitating service and mission in the greater Lisbon area.

In addition to these things, the Klebers both volunteer at various locations in the city. Jordan volunteers with a Catholic ministry to homeless people called Comunidade Vida e Paz, helping coordinate a team of volunteers that drives around the city at night distributing food as a means of building relationships that the organization hopes will enable the homeless improve their lives.

Debbie is helping out with a ministry to people suffering from Behçet's Disease, a rare condition with which their daughter, Austin, has been diagnosed.

They are also still involved with Habitat for Humanity - the organization that brought them to Portugal six years ago - organizing international teams of volunteers to build houses in Portuguese-speaking countries and hoping to help develop building projects here in Lisbon.

The Klebers have two children, Drex and Austin. Drex is in 6th grade at a private Portuguese Christian school and learning to surf. Austin is married to Vitor, a Portuguese preacher and teacher. In July, they look forward to being grandparents to their first grandchild.

 

Visiting Portugal rents self-catering homes to holiday and business travelers in Lisbon and Eastern Algarve's Armona Island.