Wild Cats

This week the researchers from the University of the State of Maranhão, which is the northernmost state of northeast Brazil, came back to Green Pastures to change the batteries and memory cards in their 12 automatic camera traps which they have spread out all round our nature reserve. They come every 3 months and are very pleased with how many wild cats there are at Green Pastures which is the objective of their research. 

Last night I led the weekly service at Green Pastures and on the way there I saw a fox and a burrowing owl. Fábio led the worship and young lawyer and Bible College graduate Murilo brought a good word from Ephesians 5:14-17. Josué, Paulo Silas, Fred, Dodora, Nega and the group of 9 sisters, and Júlio also took part. It was a nice service. 

A native wild flower at Green Pastures

Joshua 2 (résumé): Rahab and the Spies

Prior to entering Canaan Joshua sent in 2 spies to do reconnaissance on the land, especially focusing on Jericho. The men fulfilled their mission and stayed at the house of a prostitute named Rahab, but the spies were seen entering her house so the King of Jericho sought them there. Rahab however hid the spies on the roof and told the King's search party that the spies had left Jericho at dusk, just before the gates closed, but that if they were quick they could still catch them!  

Then Rahab went up to the roof before the spies went to sleep for the night and told them of her faith in the Lord and that she knew that God would give the land to the Israelites. She told of how impressed everyone was by their deliverance via the Red Sea and how too they had defeated the kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan. She then interceded for herself and her family to receive protection when the invasion came and this the spies agreed to telling her to hang a red cord in her window as a means of identification when the Israelites took the city and the land. As her house was part of the city wall she was able to help the spies escape after their stay at her house using a rope from her window. The spies were able to safely return to Joshua with an encouraging report of how the Canaanites were in fear and trembling at the thought of the Israelite's imminent attack. 

Rahab became a very important person in the history of God's people. She was the mother of Boaz who married Ruth. She was the great-great grandmother of King David, and she was listed as one of the ancestors of Jesus in Matthew 1:5!

Mid-week Service

I led last night's mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study and co-pastor Rafael brought the study on Micah 3:1-7. We had a nice time of prayer together with various brothers and sister leading in prayer. João Filho and Davi led the worship and Espedita and Vasti sang solos. It was a blessed service.

We've been serving the Lord together in north-east Brazil for 53 years. Thank you for your prayers and support.

I went for a nice walk at Green Pastures where we saw 3 six-banded Armadillos and lots of Red-cowled Cardinals. I also saw Striped Cuckoos, Guira Cuckoos, Rufous-browed Peppershrikes, Southern Wrens and Picui Ground Doves. The rain situation has improved with rain every day over the past week producing a total of 137 mm of rain.

Football Pitch

This week we are working on cleaning up the Green Pastures' football pitch. Lots of weeds have grown up there with the rains and we need to get it up to scratch for the Men's Retreat there, with 120 men from Campina Grande, at the beginning of May. Then it will be used again in June at the Youth Conference with 250 young people expected. Please pray for the retreat and conference.

I have just eaten a nice slice of watermelon for my morning snack together with a mug of tea. 😋

Liz and I went to the dentist and each had a filling done, so I have survived the dentist for another year! 😁

I think this pair of Cavies fell out over something!

On Monday it rained another 25 mm at Green Pastures and yesterday it rained 16 mm. The rains are improving!

Last night the Patos Men's Fellowship had our weekly meeting and it was very good. Especially good was the time of sharing near the end. The meeting was led by Chief of Police Esau. Please pray for him with his great responsibility.

Joshua 1 (résumé): The Lord commands Joshua

We have completed the 5 books of the Pentateuch and we now move into the historical books starting with the book of Joshua. The main figure to date in the Biblical narrative, Moses, has just died and now God commissions Joshua to take his place as the leader of Israel. God tells Joshua to get ready to cross the River Jordan and possess the land of Canaan saying that the Israelite territory will spread from the River Euphrates in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and from the Negev Desert in the south up to the Lebanon mountains in the north. God promises to always be with Joshua as he had been with Moses, saying that he will make him invincible. God tells Joshua to always be courageous and strong. 

So Joshua called the officers and told them to prepare for action because 3 days hence they will all cross the Jordan to possess the Promised Land. He also reminded the Reubenites, the Gadites and half the tribe Manasseh that although they had opted for land east of the Jordan in the agreement made with Moses in Numbers 32, they had promised to fight alongside the rest of Israel to conquer Canaan. This the two and a half tribes promised to do.

Anteater

Francisco who looks after Green Pastures tells me that he recently saw another Anteater. I have seen, photographed and filmed one. They are beautiful animals, though one attacked and injured my late father-in-law Pastor Frank Dyer many years ago. I went walking with Francisco on Saturday morning and saw a wild Cavy, a Rock Cavy and a Fox. I also saw a variety of birds like a Striped-Cuckoo, White-tipped Dove, Scaled Dove, White-naped Jay, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Campo Troupial, Guira Cuckoo, Greater Ani and Chalk-browed Mockingbird. It rained 21 mm on Friday night but the lake is bone dry. Please pray for rain.

The colours of nature in our rainy season

QPR drew at home against the league leaders Leeds 2 x 2 on Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon Liz took Linda and Josinete to Jozilene's Baby Shower held at Green Pastures. Jozilene is expecting twin girls in June and we are very happy for her and her husband Toinho. Jozilene used to live at Green Pastures where I conducted their wedding 10 years ago.

Our granddaughter Beatriz (Bia) won another bronze medal in the Paraíba State Table Tennis championship under-19 category held in Patos this time round. 

Last night I led the main service of the week in Patos and I preached too a sermon entitled: 'On the Banks of the Jordon - Praise, Love God, Teach your children, and never forget God'! This was from Deuteronomy 6:1-9. It was a lovely service with a full church.

Yesterday we had our best rain of the rainy season with 59 mm falling at Green Pastures, after 8 mm the night before. Praise the Lord, but please keep praying!

Acrocorinth

Our grandson Lucas continued his history studies in Greece visiting the Acrocorinth which is a hill with the ruins of a castle which overlooks the ancient city of Corinth, to which the Apostle Paul sent his 2 epistles to the Corinthians in the years 51 and 57. How wonderful that Lucas has had this opportunity to walk in Paul's footsteps this week. He has now flown home to England. 

Our 23-year-old grandson John David will graduate in João Pessoa as a medical doctor in June. At the moment he is doing 3 months practical training at a clinic in Patos prior to returning for training next month in surgical work, taking him to his graduation. Please pray for John David. 

I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study with my assistant pastor Rafael giving the study on the last 2 verses of Micah 2. Marina and Davi led the worship, Vasti sang a solo and Bible verses were read by Deborah Maria, Samana and Maria. 

Yesterday morning I gave a Biblical reflection to the 'Young at Heart' group from Romans 12:9-13 and it was a lovely time of fellowship together. They served up delicious savoury and sweet snacks cooked in the Care Centre's 'Mum's Kitchen' by the sisters Marcia and Josinete who run these mornings. 'Mum's Kitchen' is the new kitchen we have at the Care Centre donated by Liz's brother Sam, in Switzerland, in memory of their mother and missionary Ivy Dyer. Prior to my participation in the meeting a sister from the church called Thayse gave the ladies a lesson about skin care with the application of creams in everyone which they really enjoyed.

Last night I spent a lovely evening discussing theology with Murilo. He is a 22-year-old recently qualified lawyer and Bible College graduate who regularly preaches in Patos. The idea is for us to discuss matters that we don't normally get to discuss.