Desert Flower Project

 Last week we held a 2-day training course for the women of the Desert Flower Project at Fonseca slave descendants community. They learnt how to plan, how to sell, how to control their money and how to unite so as to improve. The course went very well indeed. The ladies have learnt to make bread, cakes, savories and handicraft and now need to sell what they make so as to improve their income. 

4 Legs Project

 Our 4-Legs Project attends extremely poor rural dwellers with good quality goats and this week 11 families were benefitted by the project in Custódia and Manaíra Counties and they were very grateful. We thank all who support EAB and make such projects possible.

I have been talking to Jair and Silvânia who lead EAB/ACEV's second church in Princesa Isabel. They told me about the high levels of anxiety in the church owing to the pandemic. The church is meeting twice a week following all the distancing/mask rules. Please pray for this couple and for their church in the borough of Maia on the south side of Princesa Isabel. Please pray specially for their son who has severe depression problems. He is at university in João Pessoa on the coast. 

Action Child School

 I have been talking to Pastor João George who is doing a great job with the Action Child School at Imaculada despite all the restrictions and limitations of the pandemic. Schools continue closed so our team produces work and exercise sheets and delivers them to the children's homes every two weeks. They have given all the children masks as well. The children receive food hampers periodically which helps all the family. 

I also am talking to Betinho and Maciene who lead both the Ibiara and Conceição churches. Ibiara, where they live, is doing well. Conceição is a 15 minute drive away and is not doing so well for two reasons. First of all because they had a number of cases of Covid so they suspended the church in-person services for a time whilst everyone recovered. Secondly because the church wants and needs a pastor who lives there and can focus attention specifically on Conceição. That person we don't have at the moment, so please pray with us on this.

Another person I've been talking to is Maria José who leads the rural church of Cedro in Princesa Isabel County. Please pray for Maria José as she seems to be discouraged by the difficult days in which we live. The little EAB/ACEV church there can only fit 15 people owing to the necessary distancing, but they often don't even get 10 there. Maria José was used to 30 or 40 in the services and one can understand her feelings.

More pastors

 Pastor Hamilton leads the 2nd EAB/ACEV church in Campina Grande and we have been discussing the work there. They are doing hybrid in-person and online services on Sundays and Wednesdays and all is being blessed. Their house groups are mainly online.

Another young pastor I've been working with is Iremar. He is responsible for two small churches at Juá, where he goes every fortnight. The other is a church plant in the João Pessoa borough of 'Funcionários 2' where he lives with his family. This church plant has been on hold owing to the pandemic but we hope and pray for improvement in the situation there so as to get things moving again. 

I have also been discussing things with Pastor Robério too at Tavares. They are doing things just the same as Campina Grande above. 

I've also had meetings with Sister Nenem Guimarães who leads the São Vicente do Seridó church. They are just holding the Sunday service there for the time being but all is well.

Covid 19 deaths cause concern

I have been discussing the situation at Flores in Pernambuco State with our leader there called Nemias (Nehemiah). They certainly seem to be facing a second wave of the Coronavirus and a number of people have recently died there. Nemias thinks they may soon not be able to hold church services. Please pray for Flores.

Pastor Gersé at Princesa Isabel tells me that all is well in the church and that their services on Sundays and Wednesdays are attended by about half the normal number. He asked us all to pray for them. This is the church where an elder Otávio has already died with the virus. So please pray for Gersé who seems a bit discouraged. 

I have also been talking to Pastor Oseias at our Itaporanga church where they are conducting hybrid services in-person and online on Sundays. He says that they plan to hold other weeknight services in church as from January, but we shall have to see how things go.

Pastor Nezinho Abílio pastors both the Vazante and Barra de Oitis churches and he has asked my to see what can be done to help Brother Damião who has fractured a leg and has been waiting for surgery in Patos for 10 days. I have contacted our Nurse Gisane asking her to see what can be done to speed things up. 

Pastor Esequias has gone down with a heavy cold so he tells me that he got others to lead the service yesterday so as to be on the safe side. Please pray for him. 

A different wedding present

Edson and Aparecida are a young couple who came to Christ at our church at Barra de Oitis in Diamante County. This community of slave descendents is extremely poor. The couple fell in love and wanted to do things properly and get married, but the big question was where could they live? So it was that some family and friends got together with them to make them a tiny house using mud and sticks for the walls and clay tiles for the roof, but like most houses in the village it had no toilet or shower.

EAB therefore decided to put them on its list for its toilet/shower project and when funds became available we have just built them behind their house a lovely toilet/shower unit and the newlyweds are over the moon! The circular construction is 2.5 meters wide, has a water tank above and dual cess pits beneath. Inside it has a flush toilet, shower and hand basin and outside has a large sink for washing clothes.

Edson and Aparecida join us in thanking EAB supporters for this wonderful wedding present. May God richly bless you. 

Caroá leader Valdemy

 The election for Mayors and town councilors occurred last Sunday (15th) and our pastor Valdemy just missed being elected as a councilor. He is naturally disappointed as he feels it is an open door to serve his community, but on the other hand too much politics could be detrimental to his pastoral work.

The church at Caroá carries on in blessing anyway as do the other churches in the region at Mandacaru, Água Grande, Pinheiro and Umburana. I had a good chat with both Valdemy and his brother Valdemar to discuss all this.

I have also been talking to Pastor Lindon Carlos at Imaculada where the church is going well despite low numbers owing to all the Coronavirus issues. Pastor Maésio at Teixeira reports all well as does Pastor Renilson at Matureia. The Action Schools are going on too at Matureia and Imaculada and being real blessings.

Last night Liz and I had a very good meeting with Pastor Rafael to discuss a few issues that have cropped up in Patos. 

Covid recoveries in João Pessoa

I have been talking to Pastor Umbirajara from our 1st Church (of 3) in João Pessoa. He tells me that they have had cases of Covid 19 in the church, but all have recovered. PTL! The Sunday service there is hybrid in-person and online.

Pastor Francinaldo at Manaira reports no cases of the virus in the church. Their in-person Sunday services are going well. Numbers are down as older folk can't go but God is blessing anyway. They recently held an open-air service at Travessia which saw a big group of people come to and hear the Gospel. We have plans to build a little church at this place when possible. We have bought the land for the building. Services are being held at Fonseca as well. All necessary safety precaution are taken by our churches.

There's a time for everything

 Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for everything and certainly in this time of pandemic it is being a time for me to keep in contact with all our leaders online so as to support them and encourage them. Our prayer always is that many years of experience may be helpful to all, especially to the younger pastors. 

I've been having good discussions with Gleydice and Wostenes who lead our first Campina Grande church. They hold hybrid in-person and online services on Sundays and Wednesdays and these are going well despite the masks and all the other rules and regulations. 

I've had chats with pastor Ângelo at Soledade and with Tica and Ramos who lead the Curral Velho church. Everyone is doing all they can under the circumstances. We all seek to make the most of these difficult days. The Lord is faithful and is blessing. We greatly value your prayers for us and for all our church leaders.

Barra de Oitis

 Our Projects Team continue to do a great job. The team is now setting up some new types of work in the Barra de Oitis slave descendants community as follows, similar to what we already do at the Fonseca community.

Training 10 women in cookery and handicraft making.

Training 8 young men in the basics of caring for and fixing motorbikes.

Training 12 people as basic community health workers and also training them to care for the environment. 

Everyone involved in these projects receives hygiene kits to combat and protect from the Covid 19 virus.

Please pray for these projects that they might make real life changing differences in many lives and that they might make commitments to Jesus Christ too. 

Wedding Anniversary

 Today is our 51st wedding anniversary by the grace and goodness of God.

Today is also election day here for Mayors and Town Councilors. We pray for honest competent leadership to be chosen as we sure need it.

Please pray for a sister from our Patos church who had gone down with Covid 19. Her name is Linda. She is the church cleaner.

The service held at Green Pastures last night was excellent. Sacha led the praise and worship. The new format of services at Green Pastures is working out very well. 

In Patos there will not be a service owing to the election. There is always lots of noise at the time of the service so we always cancell.