Happy New Year!

EAB/ACEV churches are preparing for their late night service to see the New Year in. In Patos I'll be preaching and baptizing 11 + receiving another 2 new members into fellowship. God is good. It's been a good year. Thanks for all your prayers and support. Now it's marching on time into a New Year for God. A Happy New Year to everyone wherever you are!

This morning we received some old Christian friends at Green Pastures we hadn't seen for many years. It was a good hot longish walk round Green Pastures to show them round and chat over many things as we went. With the couple of inches of rain we've had in December things have greened up quite nicely - but of course no rain in the reservoirs yet.

I have worked hard preparing my sermon for tonight this week and there's another one to prepare for Sunday after what will be a very late night tonight. All the family will be round our place after church.

This morning I managed to buy petrol! Things are getting so chaotic in this country and the whole of the State of Paraíba ran out of petrol! Inflation is spiralling upwards dangerously again and on top of the economic instability there is much political turmoil too.

Traffic Police recognition surprise

I received a diploma of recognition from the hands of the Patos regional traffic police chief today for my work in combatting drinking & driving. I imported from Wales the first breathalyzer for Patos many years ago and donated it to the police. I maintain a friendly support & advisory role with the police to this today. We believe this is practical Christianity and is important. It's a way of preserving life and showing God's concern for the community through His people who care and put their heads on the line. 

Rain glorious Rain!

We had 32 mm of rain last night at Green Pastures. PTL! This takes us up to a total of 57 mm this month after months without a drop.

Last Sunday of the year

After the last Sunday service of 2015 yesterday our EAB/ACEV Patos youth went out for a pizza together to celebrate. Nothing unusual about that. 

But what was beautiful was the way they unashamedly held hands in a circle in the middle of the restaurant area to thank God for His blessing this year. That is encouraging! That is beautiful! May God bless out youth more and more in 2016!

The service was great and we are getting so many visitors in! PTL! Now to get ready for the big baptism and communion Watchnight service on Thursday. A Happy New Year to everyone!

Christmas Dinner!

We had a lovely family Christmas Dinner today and actually managed to get a photo of all 4 children and their spouses + 9 grandchildren + nephew & spouse + a few more. It was a lovely time!

Happy Christmas!

Last night's Christmas service went off beautifully. The musical presented was brilliant and wonderfully conveyed the Christmas message. I followed this with a short sermon which also went well and then Liz coordinated the giving of all the presents and sweets to our Sunday School children as we do every year.

After the service we had a family supper as we also always do. This was great as well. We took a family click of Liz and I and our 4 children with (from left) Sacha, Lynn, Philip and Deborah.

Now this Christmas day we will have a family Christmas dinner together in a while.

Just off to main Christmas service

As I always remind people, in Brazilian culture it's the eve of the day that counts more than the day itself. Wish someone a happy Christmas on Christmas day and they look at you odd!

So we're just off to church for the big Christmas service with a musical to be presented by the youth and children and I will bring a short message after the musical. I prepared my message during today.

Then we all come home for a family supper together.

It has drizzled a bit with 5mm of rain at Green Pastures today so hope for a wet Christmas tomorrow. Happy Christmas!

I'm dreaming of a WET Christmas!

Monday evening saw me involved in a two and a half hour meeting of the Patos Bible College leadership. In my advisory role these days I was called in by the leadership and it was quite a tough meeting as things aren't quite what they could be. I had a further meeting on the Tuesday morning with one of the leaders who couldn't be there the night before. Your prayers are valued. I have suggested the leadership should meet more regularly and have offered my office as the venue with me lending my experience. We shall see if they do this. I hope so.

Tuesday, at 8am, saw the start of the official giving of the Christmas Hampers to the poor at the Patos church. I say official as we have been distributing at different places during the month prior to this. It has been a major endeavor of logistics getting the hampers out to where most needed. The final big push yesterday morning went great and attracted a lot of press interest. Many many people have been helped and blessed by the food EAB has distributed this month in the middle of the catastrophic drought. Thanks to those who gave to make all this possible. Below are some photos of yesterday's hamper distribution.

Praise & Action

We are seeing a tremendous wave of Christmas praise and action all round EAB's 85 churches spread far and wide. We praise, as did the shepherds and wise men, and we carry gifts too. Christmas Hampers are coming right at a critical time to feed the hungry amidst the horrific drought and great Gospel services are being held to proclaim the Good News of Jesus!

Yesterday our church was packed out as I preached on "The Light is Jesus"! Our Christmas Eve service will have a musical production. God is really blessing.

Add to all this the action round the region distributing gifts of hampers and food to the hungry. This must be what Christmas is supposed to be all about! Here are one or two photos:

Christmas Hampers

With the terrible drought situation the Christmas Hamper season has sure come at the right time as so many people need help it's unbelievable! We are spreading out the Christmas Hampers to a number of other needy places as well as Patos. Quite a job but well worth it. Please pray and thanks to all who have donated to this.

Nutshell, Sermon, Marriage blessing and Arrivals

I have worked flat out today - first of all producing the new style EAB Nutshell Update and dispatching it. I hope everyone liked it? Certainly it is smarter as far as I am concerned.

I then prepared my sermon for tomorrow in Patos: "The Light is Jesus" - a Christmas message whose title rhymes better in Portuguese!

I now am preparing a wedding blessing for the service too. This is for a couple who this week did their civil marriage separately before the judge and now want a blessing in church. Normally I do weddings in church with the civil legal part built in as allowed by Brazilian law. I was the first pastor to fight for this right in Patos about 40 years ago!

Tonight Philip, Gylmara, Lucas and new baby Luis have arrived in Patos so that is nice. The baby is gorgeous and has lots of dark hair. Louisa, who has been staying with us, is of course particularly happy.

I have a Badge!

I am not quite sure what I do with it, but I have won a badge from Trip Advisor because my comments on the Lavender Farm near WestWellow and a Brazilian Ibis Hotel have received 350 reads!

Rain!

Finally, after 5 months without a drop of rain, we received 19 mm (nearly an inch) of rain late this Friday afternoon. We are overjoyed! It is a sign of hope! Thank you for praying! Please don't stop! The last time we had rain was on July 8th when we had 8 mm.

Empty Arm

Having had a whole batch of routine blood tests this morning I am at the moment rather unbalanced with one arm distinctly empty.

Last night's Bible study went well. Normally prior to the Bible study up to 3 people give should words and it was particularly nice to have my nephew Ben (my sister Joy's son who married a Patos girl) in one of these slots. It went very well and I interpreted for him. Ben's wife will be baptized on New Year's Eve and then both will be received into fellowship in the Patos church. 

Last night we had Brother Romildo singing again. I like to give simple folk like him a chance to sing in the mid-week meeting (about 50 there last night) but the problem is that he insists on singing with a playback which is scratched and old and often the track he wants gets muddled. It's quite an ordeal. Last week it took us 10 minutes to sort out the dear brother and when he started the same antics this week I asked him to go and sit down whilst he sorted out his track with the sound man and then I'd call him back. Eventually we sorted him and he was smiling, bless his heart.

Yesterday afternoon we had the exploited women's group (the batterred wives) Christmas party and made a cake for them with soft drinks and the present of Christmas hampers (see photo) for each one. Wow did they love it! It was really moving to see how they all turned up, like Cinderela at the Ball, with borrowed clothes from friends and relatives, made up and hair all fixed. It clearly was a very proud moment for them and we loved to see it.

We press on!

Sunday night's service went really well. The sermon was particularly blessed and appreciated I think. At Campina Grande they baptized 15 and 4 who came to watch got converted!

Yesterday I did a lot of administrative work and celebrated daughter Lynn's birthday. Today I have walked at Green Pastures and been to the doctor's for a post-UK check-up and was relieved to discover I am only 900 grams heavier than when I left! 

I also have been trouble shooting with Liz on a particularly difficult church issue and I believe the Lord really helped us.

QPR drew tonight as I predicted. I saw the first half on TV and was pleased with the way we played.

No Room in the Inn

I took an urgent Christmas hamper this morning to a family in desperate need as are so many in this tragic drought. With little water available building sites are grinding to a halt causing unemployment to soar further. This dear family depended on Dad Jucieldo's work as a bricklayer's labourer and their world collapsed when he was layed off from his work. With no money to pay the rent they were evicted. No room in the inn. Someone allowed them to erect this sort of shed from scrap wood on land a few miles from Green Pastures so as to have somewhere to live and I got to hear about them from folk in the area.

I soon discovered that they had little food to eat via Mum Francisca so headed there with an EAB Christmas hamper and found them under a tree cooking with a wood scraps fire and on the fire was just beans and nothing else at all! To say they were overjoyed just doesn't transmit what I experienced. We were leaving but forgot something and Tarcísio went back into the shack and they had already ripped open the sack and were devouring the biscuits and readily eatable things!

Another very happy moment was when I presented bags of sweets to the children. It was like they'd just received the latest IPhone or the likes!

EAB ministers to people for whom there is no room at the inn. If you feel you should and can help EAB do this more please donate now online at http://www.eabrazil.com/ or send direct to the EAB UK office. A Happy Christmas to everyone!

Bible with Baby!

Thursday night's Bible study was certainly different with Philip & Gylmara's baby son being born about half an hour before the service started! The church was joyful with the news and I kept my mobile phone on through the service for updates for everyone. The service was a real blessing and Fábio gave a great testimony one year into his new life in Christ. PTL!

Yesterday I went to Green Pastures in the morning and spent the rest of the day preparing my sermon for Sunday. In the evening there was a little party for granddaughter Louisa's 16th birthday at out house.

Luis Philip is born!

Luis Philip has just been born and all is well. We have no further details as yet. Praise the Lord and congratulations to Philip & Gylmara!

Grandchild number 9 about to land!

Our daughter-in-law Gylmara is in the maternity hospital in João Pessoa and Philip is rushing in that direction so as to be there in time (hopefully!) for the birth of Luis Philip expected in the next few hours. Please pray and don't panic! I am totally calm... just don't panic!

Walk before meal

Yesterday saw me up at 5.10am and off for a two and a half hour walk at Green Pastures where the drought is utterly horrific and the lake has now completely dried up with all fish dead. The photo shows Tarcísio looking on forlornly. 

We went to the English School's Christmas dinner when I got back. The School is run by our 3 daughters and is their means of income. It all went off very nicely. Here's a photo of Liz and I with the girls at the event.

Apart from all this I worked a lot on EAB & ACEV communications yesterday and dispatched the latest EAB Diary Update. There are not enough hours in the day for all there is to do, but it's good being busy for God!

Final Christmas Call for EAB Gift Scheme

Exhausted but Inspired!

Here are more details of our fantastic Leadership Conference which ran for three days over last weekend.

Everything started for me with the projects team at 9am on Friday morning (Dec. 4th) and the meeting ran on unexpectedly into the afternoon. We did an excellent review and evaluation of all our projects and sorted out lots of things which certainly needed sorting. The main focus was of course on the critical drought and the need for more wells and other emergency water and food supply mechanisms. We have the bit between our teeth.

Well having worked all day on this I got to the Leadership Conference in time for the opening evening fellowship meal prior to the initial meeting. There were the usual Brazilian hugs all round as everyone arrived. Wonderful! Different ones wanted to tell me this that and the other - just as well I am a walking computer!

Then came the opening service in which the visiting speaker from Fortaleza knocked everyone for six! It was greatly blessed. Fantastic! What ministry about servant leaders! Just what the doctor ordered! Brilliant! In the other two meetings which followed, on the Saturday night and Sunday morning, the messages were equally good. In fact it just got better and better. PTL!

I got to bed the first night at gone 11pm and Liz even later. We were both up before 6am on the Saturday and the marathon (a joyous one) continued. After breakfast I chaired an excellent meeting of the Projects Board of Leaders (see photo below) and this was later followed by another very good meeting of the Churches' Board of Leaders. We just managed to finish in time for lunch and after that we launched into 2 general assemblies - one of all the church leaders and the other of all the Projects people in general. We just managed to squeeze all that in prior to the evening meal!

After eating it was meeting number 2 with great praise and worship, lots more hugs and interaction between the 90 leaders (a total of 130 were there including kids and support team) and then the visiting speaker was off again and this time hit the ball out of the ground! After the service we had a long wonderful meeting with Pastor Wostenes (vice-chairman of the work here) and his wife Gleydice and I got to bed half an hour after midnight with Liz arriving, amidst my snores, two hours later as she had to counsel another leader unexpectedly.

So came Sunday morning and the final great service with more great preaching from my friend Carlos Queiroz which was like winning the World Cup! Absolutely glorious. We all ended up having our final fellowship lunch together and then everyone, after loads more hugs, headed back to their respective churches for the evening service. I managed to post some photos of the event on facebook in the afternoon and made it to the Communion service in Patos in the evening which I lead and preached at. It was a lovely service. So as I said - we ended up exhausted - but inspired! Thanks for your prayers and support.

The Best EAB Leadership Conference ever!

The annual EAB/ACEV Leadership Conference has just ended at Green Pastures after 3 days of fantastic meetings. It was definitely the best of such events ever. Thanks for praying and supporting. The blessing of God was intense throughout the event and the visiting speaker from Fortaleza, who is an old friend of mine from decades ago when I was involved with ministry to students in the Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship, was tremendously used of God being challenge and inspiration. PTL! The photo below of the leaders was taken this morning.

Projects Leadership Team

EAB's Projects Leadership Team has met all day today to discuss how to raise more funds and where to drill more wells, take food and water to the needy and extremely poor in this incredible drought in NE Brazil. Thank God for such a dedicated team which works tirelessly to take God's love in practical ways to who needs it most. Please support EAB in this vital ministry.

I am now off to the Leadership Conference proper which in fact  started for me at 9am with these extra emergency meetings. It's been a very good worthwhile day, but very tiring. Please pray.

Long on-going Projects Meeting

The meeting with our projects coordinators is taking longer than expected. It lasted all morning and we have had a lunch break before haaving a second session now this afternoon. Easy life!

Projects Coordinators Meeting

I am just off to an EAB/ACEV Projects Coordinators Meeting prior to the complete start of the Leadership Conference. Hectic days! Please pray. This meeting will last all morning and then it's off to Green Pastures for the Conference.

Last night's Bible Study service went well with lots of prayer and praise and participation as you can see below. PTL!

Bible Study

I completed my sermon preparation for Sunday last night so that was good. I have prepared today for the Bible study tonight and am looking forward to that. 

The EAB English language page on facebook has passed the 1,800 'likes' or followers so that is great. https://www.facebook.com/eabrazil/

I went to Green Pastures this morning and had a good walk and look over things in preparation for the start tomorrow of the EAB/ACEV Leadership Conference. All is prepared and under control. Your prayers are valued. Photos taken this morning below. Lovely shots despite the drought.

Please pray for my dear 91 year old Mum there in England who is ill with an intestinal infection.

Sermon preparation

I have worked all day on my sermon for this coming Sunday's Communion Service as I need this prepared prior to the Leadership Conference starts on Friday, and I have the Bible study to take tomorrow in between. My sermon is nearly ready and will be "The Attitude is more important than the Amount" concerning the poor widow's couple of coins from Mark 12:41-44.

I have also handled quite a few project issues with Pastor Wostenes and his assistant Flávia. I'm really fully back into the swing of the projects issues again now so that is fine and good.

I have also been sorting out details linked to the Leadership Conference. Liz has been shopping food all afternoon, bless her heart, and is now at Green Pastures with Josinete putting things in their places in the kitchen ready for the event.

Brazilian politics is in uproar with the beginning of an impeachment process against the President. Things are extremely divided and bitter.

I have had some discussions on EAB child sponsorship and also ask for special prayer for EAB finances, with the contingency fund nearly rock bottom being a special cause for concern.

Mobile Phone to the rescue!

I had an hour long meeting about our projects this morning with Pastor Wostenes and his assistant Flávia which was to be via Skype but which didn't function! The mobile phone came to the rescue and the meeting was very helpful and positive. This was in preparation for a meeting with all project coordinators this Friday which will also be in preparation for the general projects assembly we will have during the Leadership Conference. Easy life!

News just in of 5 baptized at Teixeira. PTL!

The #GivingTuesday is pressing ahead. I am doing what I can for EAB and the work. What impact it will have remains to be seen.

#GivingTuesday

This Tuesday (December 1st) is ‪#‎GivingTuesday‬, which is a United Nations Foundation supported initiative to encourage donations to charities, rather than Black Friday spending and the likes. As EAB is a charity we most certainly should be part of this and make a simple appeal for help with EAB's Drought Fund. Any amount will be appreciated and well spent to help the poor in this horrific situation in NE Brazil.

You can either send a donation to the EAB Treasurer marked #GivingTuesday Drought Fund Appeal:
 

Beryl Gough - EAB (Hon. Treasurer), 6 The Glade, Langley, Southampton. SO45 1ZP - England.

Email: eabfinance@gmail.com

Or you can make a direct bank transfer to EAB's UK bank account as follows:

Lloyds Bank - Sort code 30-91-85. Account Nº 02385564.

If you use this option please inform EAB by email of what your donation is designated to.

You can also make your donation online via http://www.eabrazil.com/

Whichever way you do it your gift will be greatly appreciated. The needs of the poor are very great in this unbelievable drought!

EAB Facebook Page Landmark

EAB's English language facebook page has today passed the 1,500 'likes' mark. For the uninitiated in social media what this means is that 1,500 people from a variety of countries, most of whom had not previously even heard of EAB, have seen our page and clicked on the like button to say they like the work we do. The hope is that such people will, now that they are linked to us in this way, become more interested in the Mission and pray for us and support us.

I produced and published an advert for the Leadership Conference which starts this Friday and I will post it below, even though of course it is in Portuguese, just to give you a feel of it. Please pray for this Conference which we believe will be a real blessing for all our leaders. You can see this advert on facebook complete with background music!

Pastoral visits and another Great Service

Yesterday saw me visiting the poor in the ex-landless government farm project a few miles from Green Pastures where EAB has a church. Some situations are heartbreaking, like that of Miro who has no less than 11 kids and has been left by his wife! They live in this little government given house in the middle of total drought under baking heat. There is not one seat of any description in the house. The situation is unbelievable! We will definitely be giving the family a Christmas hamper. You can see some of them in the photo I took yesterday below. Watch this space!

Last night's service in Patos was another terrific time of blessing. Some people made decisions for Christ and the atmosphere was electric. PTL! I am exhausted today. Such days are spiritually draining. The battle is hot!

EAB Christmas Gift List

Amidst all the turmoil of this world the Christmas message is so relevant & we traditionally give gifts at Christmas to symbolize God's gift of Jesus to us. However, as so many don't know what to give because people have what they need, EAB presents this Gift List - you buy a gift for the poor & EAB sends you a card for you to give to your loved ones wishing them a Happy Christmas and telling them where their gift has gone. Join in & give more than one person a very Happy Christmas! Contact Marian to order at missionmr@ntlworld.com

Countdown to the Leadership Conference

With the EAB annual Leadership Conference starting next Friday, December 4th, we ask prayer for this, especially with the drought and heat (38.5ºC / 101.3ºF today) which will make things somewhat uncomfortable. The event will be held at our Green Pastures Farm / Nature Reserve / Christian Conference Center and run till the 6th. We have a very good speaker coming this year from the State of Ceará. There will also be times for discussions, praise and prayer together.

Difficult Days

It's funny how things go in the work of the Lord but spiritual battle always involves ups and downs. One thing that impresses me at the moment is the spiritual darkness of this region where idolotry seems to intensify, rather than the contrary. It is quite amazing how, in total desobedience to the Bible, people place their faith in idols of wood and stone. It is sickenenly sad to see. It is shocking.

Then too we seem to face days of catholic leaders lashing out in unnecessary insults and attempts to maintain their dominance amongst the population of these parts. It comes down to downright intimidation at times.

However the whole religious scene is complicated yet further by what I would call protestant sects who are run more like businesses than churches as the prosperity theologians seek to also do just what the Bible warns against by accumulating more and more of this world's riches through fake healings and all sorts of other tricks.

Thus EAB stands in need of your prayers more than ever in these dark and difficult days. We count on your prayers.

My sermon for tomorrow's service is ready to roll. I am looking forward to preaching.

EAB facebook page

We are encouraged by the increase in "likes" expressed for EAB's English language facebook page which now has 1,130 likes and counting! Please do spread the word about our regularly updated news page which has followers all around the world. https://www.facebook.com/eabrazil/

Please remember us especially in prayer at this time as we face one particularly stressful and difficult situation in the Patos church. May God overule and stretch forth His mighty arm.

Please pray too for the annual leadership Conference which starts a week today. Please also pray for me as I continue to prepare my sermon for this Sunday.

Patos Leadership Meeting

Tonight we had an exhausting Patos church leadership meeting. It went very well but whilst most things are going very well in the church there are always the problems to sort out and the challenges which arise which we have to face. I can't go into details here but just ask you to pray for God's guidance in all things.

Fantastic Service!

Wow! What a service tonight in thanksgiving to God for the graduation from Senior High School of our grandson John David (Lynn's son) and all his fellow students. The church was packed out to capacity with some standing and the service flowed in the Spirit in a wonderful way. The P&W band was mightily used of God and my sermon flowed well too. It was fantastic to see the church packed out with some 200 non-committed Christians! What an opportunity. God so moved that at the end people of the upper sections of Patos society who were there were coming and thanking, hugging us, and saying how amazed they were by the service. It really was outstanding. Thank you for praying. You can see the graduation boy in the centre of the photo.

Students at Green Pastures

I spent yesterday morning with students from a school in Patos showing them round the Green Pastures Nature Reserve and explaining things to them. It was a great opportunity. It went really well. You can see more photos on EAB's facebook page https://www.facebook.com/eabrazil/ but here is one:

All the rest of yesterday and all this morning was taken up preparing the sermon for tonight's thanksgiving service for our grandson John David graduating from senior high school together with all his class mates. I also had a long counselling session to fit in too.

Leading together

Last night's service in Patos was really good. Philip & I led it between us and I preached on Mark 9:33-37. The P&W group sang the new song for us in church "Still". This was wonderful. How good it was to see so many poor kids in church from the drug-ridden 'Rua do Meio' where people get killed like flies. I love these kids and it thrills me every time they come to church. Here's a photo of Philip leading the service last night.

Going back to Saturday night's church plant launch at Picotes, how good it was to see the wise use of the Green Pastures facilities there. For Tarcísio took stacks of the plastic chairs from Green Pastures and he took them on our 3-wheel motorbike with a big baggage area at the back. These chairs are used for the camps, events and regular church at Green Pastures, but are used for all open-air services round and about too. Great to see!

Church plant launch blessed

We had at least 70 present for the launch of the new church plant at Picotes last night and the service was really good. Please pray for this new initiative.

Radio interview success

The radio interview Liz and I did today actually lasted a full hour and really went well. The interviewer is the lady next to us and the other lady is a psychologist who is a regular part of the programme which always discusses relationship issues and things like this. 

I am just off to the church plant launch at Picotes now. Please pray!

Busy Schedule

Thursday night's Bible Study service went very well with a lovely participation from one of our young men, Mailson, who brought a lovely word.

Yesterday was a morning for visiting the sick from our Green Pastures church where a young widow, whom I baptized last year, is recovering from a motorbike accident. She admitted to me that she was going too fast on the off-road rural track and hit sand lossing control. She broke her leg and so instead of arriving in a hurry where she wanted to get to, she is now stuck in bed for 3 months recovering from surgery.

I also visited the São Mamede rubbish dump yesterday, took photos, and am increasing my campaign to have it removed from near Green Pastures. So this is another battle we have taken on in the Name of Jesus! Please pray! I am already getting a bit of flack from the authorities but God is greater!

Yesterday afternoon I did a TV interview about Christmas so that was a good opportunity to share the Gospel. I also had another a meeting with someone who hasn't been to church for a long time and then a Patos Bible College meeting to discuss some curriculum issues. 

Now this morning Liz and I are going to do a live interview on FM radio about being married 46 years! This should be fun and a good opportunity to share basic Christian family values. Please pray. It starts at 2pm UK time, if you read this in time, and should last about 45 minutes.

Action Child

I have worked all morning since 7am on EAB's Action Child programme which is such an important programme bringing hope to so many very poor kids. We are in a key transitional period to focus on very young children through to the end of primary eduction. Thanks for your prayers on this.

Tonight is the Bible study so I need to work more on that now.

Who is the most important?

This is the title of my sermon prepared for Sunday. I worked on this all day Tuesday. The text is Mark 9:33-37 and will be the 10th sermon folowing through a series in Mark's Gospel. I was very happy to get this prepared yesterday early in the week as it's now back into to the regular preaching routine in Patos as opposed to doing presentations about EAB during 10 weeks. We look to God for a great service.

I am pleased that a new church plant is to start on Saturday in São Mamede County in the tiny and very beautiful village of Picotes. We have been working on this for a long time and finally things are coming together. PTL!

I had a nice meeting with the new Presbyterian pastor in Patos this afternoon. On Saturday Liz and I will be interviewed on FM radio. Tomorrow is Bible study night.

At Green Pastures this morning we are having to put in protection for our vegetable plot because mainly the wild guinea-pigs, but also the birds, are wrecking havock as they find it to be the only green option around in the middle of the horrific drought. We have sort of become the victims of our own ecological success! However that is no problem and we will from now on have all sections of the plantation netted in for protection. You can see one of the dozens of wild guinea pigs which I photographed 'red-handed' this morning!

The work presses on

Yesterday's service in Patos was very good with a full church. We received the second person back into fellowship who had previousy left last year so we are pleased about this of course.

I have been doing lots of work linked to the Annual Leadership Conference less than 3 weeks away. I have also been working a lot on the special January outreach too.

I went for a long walk round Green Pastures today. The church there is starting a new church plant on Sunday on the other side of the County of São Mamede at Picotes. Please pray for this.

46th Wedding Anniversary

Liz and I thank the Lord for our 46th wedding anniversary today together with our 4 kids and 8 grandchildren (with another soon to arrive!). God has been good to us over the years since this date in 1969 when Pastor Winston Shearing married us assisted by pastors Albert Mundy, Reuben Gunter and Jack Dyer. Other pastors present were Liz's Dad Frank and Colin Whittaker whose wife Hazel sang at the service.

Look at the blessings of the Lord!

Here's our granddaughter Amanda Ivy at 6 months and doing absolutely great after her premature birth and bumpy ride in the first months of life. How good is this? God is very good! She has just presented her first tooth as well so we are all thanking the Lord. Amidst all the so sad news from Paris and the tragedy of burst dams in Minas Gerais in Brazil - it is lovely to have smiles like these to cheer us along life's way!

 

Christmas Gifts with love in a World in Turmoil

Amidst all the turmoil of this world the Christmas message is so relevant & we traditionally give gifts at Christmas to symbolize God's gift of Jesus to us. However, as so many don't know what to give because people have what they need, EAB presents this Gift List - you buy a gift for the poor & EAB sends you a card for you to give to your loved ones wishing them a Happy Christmas and telling them where their gift has gone. Join in & give more than one person a very Happy Christmas! (Contact Marian Rashleigh - EAB - at missionmr@ntlworld.com)

Leadership Meeting in Patos

The Patos Senior Leadership Team met for two and a half hours last night in the first meeting since our return. There was unanimity that the overall results of the ten weeks we were away in Europe were very positive and Philip was congratulated for his leadership, dedication and clear direction from the Lord. His name was given full backing for ministerial status consideration in 2016.

A number of issues needing attention were discussed and these will be dealt with over the coming weeks. We value your prayers but are unable to give details.

The drought continues here with catastrophic effect. Water rationing is increasing everywhere. We need to pray for rain in abundance in the rainy season in the New Year, against all the forecasts from the gloomy experts. Below is what's left of the lake at Green Pastures which is expected to dry up completely by the end of the month. The temperatures touch 40ºC (well into the 100sºF) which is only accelerating the evaporation from the already crippled reservoirs.

Welcome back service was lovely

Saturday night's service at Caroá was really mightily blessed as Philip preached with tremendous annointing. PTL! The P&W group went from Patos to minister too and they all slept there the night to be back in Patos for our welcome back service on the Sunday evening.

The church was full to capacity for our welcome back service and was really blessed of the Lord. Liz brought a word and I followed after the kids had done some of their dancing in praise to the Lord. It was lovely!

Tonight we're having a senior leadership meeting to hear all the details of the 10 weeks we were in Europe and take any decisions together that need taking. Your prayers are valued.