Exhausting Days

Yesterday was great, but very tiring. I collapsed into bed at 10.15pm at the end of it. I left at 7am, climbed the Teixeira mountain in half an hour, got to Matureia after 45 minutes and Imaculada after an hour. I was at my destination of Manaira after two and half hours of driving with my camera switched on on the seat by my side all the way - but nothing to click.

At Manaíra I had an excellent meeting with local pastor Francinaldo, his wife Carla, Pastor & Town Councillor Valdemy from Caroá and a pastor from the south called Lúcio. (see below)

The story in a nutshell goes like this. This famous singing group (Diante do Trono) asked me to find them a location back in 2012/2013 for them to do a live recording of a song as part of a DVD focused on the north-eastern semi-arid region. They did the recording at the Fonseca ex-slave community and felt awkward amidst such poverty, to the extent that they promised to build ten houses, in partnership with EAB/ACEV, for the poorest of the community.

Yesterday I went to view the first house pretty well finished. The folk in the south have now agreed to build 20 houses. They are small bungalows - but lovely in comparison with what the people had. The old mud hut will be demolished and they will move into their little bungalow below.

So the meeting was to sort out all the partnership details and all worked out well. Whilst there I visited the little church EAB/ACEV is also constructing there. Then I went on to Mandacaru to visit another church we are building. (see below) Thank you for your prayers and support for all this work.

Now today I am off to preach at the 10-day Outreach at Soledade. Today is a practical day of showing love and care for the community with free hair cuts, manicures, checking blood glucose and blood pressure and the likes, but tonight there will be the usual outreach evangelistic service.

I need to teach at the Sunday School in Patos in the morning and preach at night, so value your prayers for everything. Liz is away in Recife with Alice and Bia so that they can be with their mum for a weekend in the middle of her month special teacher training course.