Quite a Weekend!

I prepared my sermon (most of it) for the Sunday night in Patos on Saturday and at night Liz and I headed for a farm not far beyond Green Pastures where Liz spoke and I preached. It was a good meeting with between 50 and 60 present.

Following the service we called in at Green Pastures to pick up stacks of plates for the 'Bean Feast' (traditional Brazilian Feijoada dish) which the youth were doing for Sunday lunch in order to raise funds for their members to go to the Youth Conference next month in Campina Grande. Liz had insisted previously with the cook (Linda) to bring in more giant cooking pots for the event but was told it wasn't necessary. However as we were entering Patos about 10pm Liz's mobile rang... and yes it was the cook saying she needed the pots! So we dropped the plates off at the church and then had to turn round and drive back out to Green Pastures to get the cooking pots and drop them at the Patos church too! We got to bed at well gone midnight as a consequence.

Early on Sunday morning we had a phone call to say that one of our church members' father had died aged 97 - and could I conduct the funeral at 4pm to which of course I agreed. So here I was tired out, had to finish off the preparation of my sermon for the evening service, needed to at least show my face and eat at the 'Bean Feast', then conduct a funeral prior to getting to church for the evening celebration at 6.30pm.

The funeral went off fine with a good crowd suporting. I led it from inside a tiny front room in the house alongside the open coffin, with a microfone linked to a vehicle with loudspeakers outside the house. It was extremely hot - especially for me in my full funeral suit and tie.

We just had time to get home after this for a quick cuppa and then charge to church where the service with live broadcast was held and was really blessed. I preached on 'The Bible and Children' as this coming Wednesday is Children's Day in Brazil and in the service last night some of the kids did a lovely dance in which grandddaughters Alice and Bia took part. This Wednesday we will have a special event for children at the church in the afternoon.

Liz and I got home exhausted, but still managed to watch the USA presidential debate as we usually do.

This morning we awoke to church problems to solve and have zapped them (I hope) so we press on. Thanks for all your prayers and support - especially with the Brexit sterling crisis going from bad to worth. Difficult days for missions. Anyway here are the girls dancing before the Lord last night in church.