On Saturday we held a married couples fellowship day at Green Pastures. It was a long hot day, but it was fruitful. It was the sort of day when you can chat lots and build on relationships with people. Of special blessing was for Liz and I to get closer to Andreia who leads the Patos women's fellowship. We also had long chats to a new couple to the Patos church called Alberto and Dany when we shared the Gospel with them. In the evening I led the local Green Pastures church service and Pastor Lucena preached. The day had started at 5.30 am and ended about 11.30 pm. It was tiring, but very productive.
Whilst at Green Pastures I both saw and heard a Common Tody-Flycatcher, which is bright yellow with a black cap and back. It makes the sound of an old fashioned watch being wound up. This is why its popular name in Portuguese is a "watch mender". It is about the size of a UK Blue Tit.
Please pray for two sick children at our Matureia Action School. Maria Isabelly (aged 4) has cancer in a kidney. She is having chemotherapy and will then have surgery. Lázaro (aged 6) is an autistic boy who is in hospital with appendicitis.
In Sunday's main service of the week our youngest daughter Sacha preached the Gospel wonderfully well. She is an excellent school teacher and she maintains her teacher-like aplomb in the pulpit. I am seeking to give women more space in church ministry. Evangelical churches, in my view, are wrong in maintaining culture bound limitations to women's ministry. Also in the service yesterday I dedicated 4 months old baby Arthur who is the first child of José Waldir and Denise. I also was asked to invoke God's blessing on their marriage which we did in word and song (Sacha).
Rayla, who is one of our youth leaders, has gone down with Covid. She has joined fellow youth leader Ray with the same illness. We have suspended all our youth activities at church for the time being. Covid in Brazil continues at a low level with average daily deaths at 262 and average daily infections at 11,320.
Our dear friend and faithful sister in Christ, Doreen Griffiths, has gone to be with the Lord aged 105. She was lucid to the end and we praise God for her long blessed life. Doreen came from the same London and Notting Hill church roots as me.
We have another grandchild living with us at the moment. We already had Louisa (21) finishing her law degree, and we now have Felipe (24) finishing his architecture degree. It is nice that our grandchildren feel they can move in with us when they need to.
Tomorrow I will be preaching the Gospel at Belém (Bethlehem) Village and value your prayers.
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