Last week was as hectic as ever with a lot of EAB correspondence to deal with on top of everything else. During the week we distributed Christmas Hampers in various places, but the main distribution was on the Friday in the Patos Project Centre, next to the church, with toys as well for the kids. It went great with a total of 244 full hampers + 36 smaller hampers from food we managed to get together at the last minute to help yet further people + 150 toys.
Saturday night was the typical Brazilian Christmas Eve supper at Philip & Gylmara's house, with all the family gathered for the occasion. On Christmas Day Sunday Liz cooked the typical British lunch and again got all the family together for this, followed by some gifts round the tree.
At night we had a fantastic Christmas service in the Patos church which was so utterly packed out that we had to use every extra chair we had! The play was very impactive and blessed being a modern mixture of the old Christmas story from the angle of the "Heaven's Angels" (as opposed to Hell's Angels) Canteen getting the news that they had to get on their motorbikes and take the news of Jesus's birth to a group of "landless" shepherds. The half hour play ended with a switch to Jesus' second coming and a challenge to the church. I brought a short message after this followed by the church children receiving sweets and presents round the tree. It was all lovely and really blessed.
Saturday saw us up in the mountains at Imaculada to inaugurate a playground for poor kids in Glória Community, Imaculada. It was a beautiful time of celebration!
Then Sunday was the children's nativity play in the Patos church which was packed out beyond belief. A beautiful evening of the proclamation of the old Gospel story that Jesus came. PTL!
On Monday was the church couple's Christmas party which was also a lovely and blessed evening of fun and fellowship.
During this week we are distributing Christmas Hampers too and our big Christmas service will be on Christmas Day broadcast live worldwide with a full Christmas play. Happy Christmas!
Life is as hectic as ever as we work towards Christmas day. Christmas has got to be about thinking about others and not just oneself and the family. Christians can't solve all the problems in the world, but they can solve some. People say to us in the UK that it's different for us as we live and work in such a poor area. Whilst it's true that it's different it doesn't mean there aren't needs all around you where you are in the more afluent places of the world. It's a question of attitude, commitment and understanding what Christianity and Christmas really involves.
Thursday saw our Pastor Frank Dyer School here in Patos present the Christmas story for civil servants in the centre of Patos for the 6th year in succession. Just the trip from the outskirts of town to the centre is a major adventure for these poor kids! They did very well and one of the boys who has been very ill asked if he could give his testimony at the end of the play! We said sure, and off he went telling the adults there straight that he was there thanks to the prayers of God's people and that God had healed him. All off his own back from the heart! Beautiful and powerful! PTL!
Yesterday Sacha took her daughters' pediatrician to a poor borough of Patos to give all the children medical check-ups, medication, personal hygiene kits, shoes and toys. Boy what emotion there was there!
I have prepared my sermon for this Sunday in Patos and now we're off up the mountains to inaugurate a playground for very poor rural kids in the Glória community in Imaculada County. Happy Christmas!
We had a good weekend - starting with Bia's "graduation" from ABC School - she now goes into year 1. There was a lovely party for the kids held by the school which of course all the family went to.
On Saturday it was Luis's 1st birthday so it was over to Philip's house for a little party. On Sunday was his sister Louisa's 17th birthday. The service at night went very well with a packed church as always these days. It was "Bible Day" so I preached about the Bible and its importance.
On Monday Liz and I travelled to the coast to João Pessoa to be there bright and early for 2 routine doctor's check-up appointments. Infuriatingly both doctors made no-shows so we drove all the way back to Patos yesterday afternoon/evening having driven for hours each way for nothing!
Today I went to Green Pastures in the morning and this afternoon with had a little party for Lynn's 40th birthday (see photo below). Philip will give the Bible Study tomorrow and I am preparing for Sunday. I will be going to inaugurate a new playground facility at our rural "Glória" church in Imaculada County. On top of all these activities I have a list a mile long of issues I have to deal with linked to EAB/ACEV churches and projects as well as EAB itself. It is a busy life.
We had senior leadership meetings all day this Tuesday starting at 10am and going non-stop till 9.30pm! Talk about exhausting! We had lunch and evening food brought in and eaten on the job! The day started with a meeting with 2 pastors who used to be part of ACEV/EAB discussing a dispute over mission property in Mauá - São Paulo going back to the year 2000! At least they ended up asking forgiveness which was nice. There will be further meetings to resolve the problem.
We then discussed Ribeirão Pires - São Paulo where it looks like the church is going to close. Not all things work out as we hoped!
We then went on to discuss project issues and a new plantation/horticulture project to be started for the landless community not far from Green Pastures. This promises! We also had a good meeting with a leader of an online distance theological College regognized and fully legal with the Ministry of Education. This is also promising! And so it went on... a long but united and fruitful day.
We travelled to the rural church of Portelo this Saturday night and the Patos Band went too. Their ministry was great. I preached the Gospel. We got to bed at 1am driving back home after the service.
Now we're off to the Communion Service in Patos where I will again be preaching.
This week is going to be very hectic with a massive day this Tuesday with major leadership meetings morning, afternoon and night - followed by a graduation thanksgiving service on the Wednesday. We sure do value your prayers.
It is always so lovely to see the very poor children in EAB's Action Schools being taught with God's love and respect. It is wonderful to see their lives being helped and changed. Please support EAB Action Schools and make a difference to very needy kids in the northeastern Brazilian hinterland. For further information please contact out UK Action Child School coordinator Marian Rashleigh at: missionmr@ntlworld.com
Our church Soup Run Team was out late last night again distributing 110 litres of soup + 160 loaves of bread to the hungry around the slum areas of Patos. The dear old Kombi was the transporter as usual. We praise God for this excellent team which cooks the soup which is thick and full of vegetables and meat. They also distribute the Word with the soup!
