Imaculada

We took the Fiddys to Imaculada yesterday where they saw the church playground project and the action school. David Fiddy and his wife Margaret sang in the evening service with David on the keyboard, and then he preached with me interpreting. After the service Pastor Lindon Carlos's wife served us a beautiful meal. We got home at about 11:30 pm.

Yesterday I had important meetings with pastors Wostenes and Hamilton from our two Campina Grande churches.

Today our social worker Marah Danielle will be representing me in an online meeting with the A Rocha Christian Environmental Agency.

Caroa

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday we took the Fiddys to Caroa, Agua Grande, Fonseca and Manaira. We left on Saturday at 11:50 am and arrived at Caroa at nearly 4 pm. The road is asphalt as far as Manaira but then is an earth track from then on which nearly shakes the vehicle to pieces! We travelled down a hair-raising track to get to the evening service at Agua Grande in the evening. Our leader Sandra was very excited about the visit of the Fiddys and put on a lovely meal for us before the service. Sandra even specially learnt some English to say to them both at the beginning and end of the service. David Fiddy preached the word and I interpreted. Everyone was served Brazilian sweet bread, which was delicious, after the service with pop drink. 

We travelled back to Caroa after the service and we slept the night at the local pastor Valdemy's house. After breakfast (couscous and egg) we travelled with local pastors Valdemy and Francinaldo to visit the slave descendants community of Fonseca where the Fiddys saw the 4-Legs project and the Chickens' run project as well as our little church and the well we drilled there about 15 years ago. We also saw the Manaira church on the way back to Caroa. 

Late afternoon on Sunday we took the Fiddys to see the first well we ever did in 1992/3 with the help of 50 sticks of dynamite. We walked down a precarious steep and narrow track to get to the well. We then did a prayer of thanksgiving at a new well there. In the evening David Fiddy preached in the Caroa church's communion service which was lovely.

After breakfast this morning we travelled back to Patos calling in at our Tavares church and school on the way to chat with Pastor Roberio and his wife Paula. We got back to Patos at 1:30 pm.      

Ex-landless

On Wednesday we visited the ex-landless settlement in Sao Mamede county and had a lovely time of fellowship with our leader there Dodora, her husband Paulo and extended family. They shared their testimonies with the Fiddys, showed us their wood burning cooker and flock of chickens, and served us with tea from their plant, coffee, bananas from their tree, bread, cheese and cake. It was a lovely time of food and fellowship.

A young Red-legged Seriema is a bird which normally grows to between 70 and 90 cms, has been given into us for recovery at Green Pastures. We are feeding it and caring for it.

On Wednesday night the women's fellowship met with 25 present and Margaret Fiddy was the visiting speaker. It was a really blessed meeting after which a tasty snack was served to all.

I have been having discussions with our senior leadership team concerning our 10-day evangelistic outreach next January. Please pray for this important event in our annual calendar.  

Yesterday we took David and Margaret Fiddy, with their son Nathaniel, on a good journey leaving Patos at 7:15 am. First we went to the town of Diamante arriving there after 10 am. We held an important meeting with the folk from our brand new church there which was extremely encouraging. We decided together to rent a meeting hall in the main street and buy chairs, sound equipment etc. as the Lord provides. From there we drove on a very bad road to Mata de Oitis to visit our church leaders there. Then we drove on to Barra de Oitis on an equally bad road (the exhaust pipe on the Kombi broke and we had a flat tyre) where we visited 3 toilet/shower units, 2 market gardens and 1 chicken run. We had a late lunch (2:30 pm instead of a planned 12 noon) and I ate large quantities of fish (Tilapia). We then visited the church at Vazante and then went to the service at Barra de Oitis where David preached and sang. We got home, tired but happy, just before midnight.

Green Pastures

On Monday morning we took the Fiddy family to visit Green Pastures. First of all we showed them round the camp dormitories, bathrooms, changing rooms, meeting & dining hall and swimming pool, and explained to them how we run our camps and pastors conferences there. Then we took them along some of the nature trails in the nature reserve part of Green Pastures. They saw Chalk-browed Mockingbirds, yellow Great Kiskadees and Picui Ground Doves. 

On Monday afternoon we took our visitors to the village of Campo Comprido on the southern outskirts of Patos. David prayed for a lady whom we visited called Sueli and also prayed for a sister from our church, whom we also visited, called Vanessa. We distributed food hampers to the needy.

I have been having important discussions with different pastors: Naldinho (Ibiara), Maesio (Teixeira), Rafael (Patos), Nezinho Abilio (Barra de Oitis) and Francinaldo (Manaira). Please pray for Pastor Rafael's parents.

Yesterday afternoon we took the Fiddys to visit EAB's Pastor Frank Dyer Primary School with extension groups for teenagers on Saturdays. They met the head teacher Gerlania, teachers and pupils and the most frequent questions were if they had seen the Queen (no interest in the King) and if they had met Bellingham! We visited the adjacent area of land to the school and Pastor David led us in prayer for its purchase for the expansion of the school.

Sharks off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine with very high dosages reported, marine biologists say!

Last night we travelled with the Fiddys to Sao Mamede for a lovely street service where Margaret Fiddy brought a short word and David Fiddy preached from Psalm 13. The service was led by the Patos Chief of Police and Deacon Esau.

Pastor Joao George

Our thanks go to all who prayed for our assistant pastor Joao George at Imaculada who was very ill in hospital a little while back. I have been chatting to him and am glad to report that this week he was given a clean bill of health by his doctor. He is very grateful to God and to all who prayed for him. 

The Fiddy family spent Saturday resting and recovering from their flights from Heathrow to Campina Grande via Lisbon and Recife, before a 3-hour drive from the airport to our home in Patos. It was lovely to chat to the family and to learn that up till quite recently David Fiddy was both a pastor and football referee! 

Last night I led the main service of the week in Patos and interpreted the message brought in English by Pastor David Fiddy. Everything flowed well. It was a lovely service. After the service those who speak English spoke to the Fiddys and then Liz and I took the Fiddys out for a pizza.

Prayer & Bible Study

 I led the Thursday night mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study and it went well. There were 44% more there this week than last week so that was good. We had praise, then prayer, then 2 solos, 'my Bible verses', the study, and then closing prayer.

Yesterday Liz and I went to Joao Pessoa for the official photography session for our grandson John David's graduation as a medical doctor next year. The photographs are taken ahead of time so as to leave the students free for their finals. It was a long 5 hours there and 5 hours back journey, but we felt it was time very well spent and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Fiddy family from Devizes, Wiltshire, UK have just landed at Campina Grande airport and will be visiting the work here over the next 2 weeks. Thankfully the IT problems did not affect their flights. Pastor David Fiddy will be preaching in the Patos church tomorrow night. 

Sao Mamede

 On Tuesday night I travelled with the men's fellowship team (together with 2 wives and 2 children) to the town of Sao Mamede half an hour's drive north-east of Patos. We held an excellent street meeting where about 40 people gathered to hear the Gospel and which I led. Fabio led the praise and worship with the help of a playback and 2 children also sang. We had short words from Rebeca, Marcio, Dede and Claudivan and the main message was brought by Rafael. It was a lovely service.

Members of the men's fellowship are all chipping in to buy plastic chairs for the growing little work at Sao Mamede. Each chair costs 5 pounds 29 pence. 

I have just completed the preparation of a new sermon on Luke 15 building on what I have previously preached on this excellent chapter.

Please pray for ex-drug addict Marcos Valerio who has not gone back to drugs but has gone away from God. Please pray that he might come back to the Lord.

Last night Liz went to the women's fellowship meeting. She says it was a good meeting but just too long. There were 11 there.

Business Meeting

On Sunday morning we held a Patos church business meeting and elected 2 new deacons (Dede and Eduardo) and 1 new deaconess (Cleide). Dede leads the work at Ipueira in the State of Rio Grande do Norte and Eduardo and Cleide lead the work at Passagem. 

Our Flores church is doing an excellent work with youth in sport. We have just received an excellent report from their pastor Nemias.

I have had some important discussions with Pastor Oseias at our Itaporanga church.

I led Sunday night's main service of the week in Patos and Pastor Rafael preached. We had a special prayer of consecration for the new deacons and deaconess.

Please pray for a young person from our Patos church who has backslidden. 

Last night Liz went to a prayer meeting and there were 16 present, with another 6 young people in a separate youth prayer meeting. So 22 praying on a Monday night I think is pretty good. Praise God! 🙌

Wedding Bells

I have conducted many weddings over the years (just last year there were 5) but it was a first this week to conduct one on a Friday morning at 10 am! (It actually started at 10:30) It was the wedding of Thalyta and Ryury who are in their twenties but who first met some years back going to school together. Everything went off lovely with a nice reception after the service.

I went for my usual Friday afternoon walk at Green Pastures and saw 3 baby wild Guinea Pigs (the same colour as wild rabbits in the UK) scurrying off into a clump of Aloe Vera plants. (there are many of these plants at Green Pastures) I also saw the following birds: a black Shiny Cowbird, a Red-cowled Cardinal, many Picui Ground Doves, many Chalk-browed Mockingbirds and a bright yellow Great Kiskadee.

I have been having extensive discussions with our senior leadership team and have defined our social worker Marah Danielle to represent us at two events in September. First she will go to the 60+ evangelical movement's meeting in Sao Paulo and then on the way back she will go to the National evangelical Network's conference for churches involved in social action (RENAS) at Aracaju in the north-eastern state of Sergipe, which is 600 km south of Patos. 

I took the service last night at Green Pastures. There were parallel services held at Passagem and Ipueira.  

Sponsored Toddle

The 'sponsored toddle' organized by the 'Tiny Church' of Great Lumley Evangelical Church raised enough money to purchase 5 hair sheep for EAB's 4-Legs Project. This truly is wonderful and just shows what can be done! The initial aim of the toddle had been to raise enough money for one sheep so they did very well. The sponsored toddle also raised the profile of the church in their community. 5 very poor families will be very pleased with their sheep.

On Tuesday evening we held a good meeting with Pastor Rafael, his wife Rayla and youth leader Murilo. The couple will now lead the married couples fellowship and Murilo will teach the adult class in our Sunday school.

On Wednesday night Liz and I took part in a special service at the ex-landless settlement in Sao Mamede County to which about 100 people gathered. After the service the hosts, Dodora and Paulo, served hot dogs, cake and pop-drink to everyone. It was a lovely evening.

I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study last night and it was a lovely service.

Cooler

The warmest time in the year in the UK coincides with the coolest time in north-east Brazil. Today we had a low of 20 degrees in the night and a high of 32 degrees in the afternoon. Yesterday we even had a shower of 6 mm of rain which was the first shower since the 19th of May.

Our Kombi people-carrying vehicle, which carries 9 people including the driver, has gone into the garage for a service. It has a loud knocking noise underneath with something loose or warn. Also it is difficult to get into second gear when reducing from 3rd. We want to get the Kombi all ship-shape for the 20th when we will be receiving the visit of Pastor David Fiddy, his wife Margaret and their children Beth and Nathaniel from the Rock Community Church at Devizes in Wiltshire. The Fiddys will be with us for a fortnight until August 4th. Please pray for this trip.

On Monday night we held a meeting with all the leaders of the various ministries in the Patos church and had a good discussion about the progress of the work of the Lord.

I am very sorry to have just received the news that Bernard Hedgecock died on June 20th, aged 78, and will be cremated in Watford on July 16th. Bernard was a fellow member of Peniel Chapel in Notting Hill where we both spent our youth. We used to play football together on the Little Scrubs. He was a very good player doing sliding tackles and diving headers. These things remain strongly in my memory of Bernard who was a lovely person. I watched Tottenham win the European Cup Winners Cup at Bernard's house in 1963 when Jimmy Greaves scored two goals!

More baptisms

A further 8 new converts were baptized last Sunday at our Campina Grande church in the borough of Catole led by pastor Wostenes. This church is our largest church and is progressing very well. Praise God!

On Saturday night Liz and I went in different directions to cover 2 engagements. Liz stayed in Patos to speak at sister Socorro Help's 80th birthday thanksgiving service at her home. I travelled up the mountain to Matureia taking a group of the youth with me in the Kombi. It took us an hour and a quarter's drive to get there and a bit longer to get back as you have to take it very slowly coming down the mountain with many incredibly steep sharp bends. It was our Matureia's church's anniversary service and I gave a short word there. The main speaker was Pastor Hamilton from our second church in Campina Grande and he spoke very well. I had important meetings after the service with the different pastors who were present. I also talked to the Mayor of Matureia who also was present together with 7 town councillors. 

Last night I both led and preached at the main service of the week in Patos. It was the monthly communion service and the church was filled to full capacity. I preached on 'In the beginning... God!' It was an overview of the first 3 chapters of Genesis covering: 1. The creation of heaven and earth. 2. The creation of Adam and Eve. 3. The spiritual battle between good and evil. 4. The fall. 5. The prophetic pointer to Christ in Genesis 3:15. The service was really blessed. 

Prayer

I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study which went off very well despite numbers being down.

I saw the exit poll from the UK election before going to church, as 10 pm in the UK is 6 pm here, so I knew that Labour had won. I see that all the north-eastern constituencies have returned to Labour (including Bishop Auckland where my mother was born) and even Basingstoke (where our son Philip and his wife Gylmara voted) has gone from blue to red with the new MP having the Irish sounding name of Luke Murphy. I also noticed with interest that the Scottish Nationalists were nearly annihilated and that the Lib. Dems did exceptionally well. I watched the count on the BBC when I came home from church and watched it till nearly midnight. So congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer on becoming the new UK prime minister! I see he studied law at Leeds University where I studied for my Master's Degree in theology.

I go twice a week to the gym to keep up my exercises on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I enjoy this plus my walks at Green Pastures for my regular weekly exercise. On yesterday afternoon's walk I saw a Rufescent Tiger-Heron and a Red-cowled Cardinal, as well as a wild guinea pig.   

Sao Mamede

On Tuesday night I preached in the fortnightly street service (in front of Jose and Marico's house) in the town of Sao Mamede travelling the half hour journey there with the Patos men's fellowship. I preached, from Luke 15 on the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son... Lost on the farm (1% lost), Lost in the house (10% lost) and Lost in the family (50% lost). The message stressed the importance of repentance and the joy attached to it. Straight after the message Fabio sang a beautiful song about the prodigal son. It was a lovely service. Whilst I was preaching Rebeca worked with the children inside the house which was very good.

Liz and I went out to Green Pastures yesterday afternoon and nature lovers will be pleased to hear that we saw the following birds: White-naped Jay, flocks of Eared Dove, bright orange Campo Troupial (you can hardly miss these!), flock of Cactus Parakeet, Chalk-browed Mockingbird and Black Vulture.

Sunday service

I led the service in Patos on Sunday night despite being tired after the long journey back from Manaira. It was a good service with a full church. My assistant pastor Rafael preached from Luke 7. Our daughter Sacha led the worship together with Fabio and Erica. Rogerio was on keyboard, Rogaciano was on guitar and Ricardinho on bass guitar.

How great it was to see 98-year-old David Attenborough walking in to Wimbledon to a standing ovation yesterday! 👏

Last night Liz and Deaconess Deborah Maria interviewed 48-year-old nurse Ursula with a view to her becoming a church member in Patos. They had a very good chat and Ursula will be received into fellowship this coming Sunday.