Monkeypox

As soon as Liz saw a photo of monkeypox on the BBC she said: "That's smallpox"! Liz nearly died with smallpox here when she was 11-years-old. As it happens monkeypox and smallpox are closely related viruses. As far as I know we have not had an outbreak of it here in Brazil yet, but many countries have them.

Sadly 46-year-old Isaque Macena died in his sleep last week. He was a young man who had problems with drink and drugs and we had helped him go to the drug rehab centre a few months ago but he soon left.

The EAB magazine "InTouch" edition number 97 will soon be with everyone by post. It is already available on the EAB website at www.eabrazil.org. 

By faith we are to launch another new little EAB Action school at the very needy village of Água Grande in Santana de Mangueira County. The leader there is Sandra Nogueira. Please pray for this new venture. 

The folk at our Conference laid on a surprise tribute for me for my 50 years as an EAB/ACEV pastor. Even Philip took part by internet from England. It was lovely. 

My book on the first 80 years of EAB/ACEV history in Portuguese will soon be published as a result of our Conference. For there was a brother there who works at a suitable printers in Campina Grande who is to help me with this. 

Sadly flash flooding and landslides have caused 91 deaths in Recife owing to the extraordinary high rainfall there all in one go.  

I preached on Sunday night in Patos. I preached on "Being like Jesus" from Philippians 2. On the Saturday night I led the closing conference service and conducted the ordination ceremony.

Excellent Conference

I have just got home from our general conference held at Green Pastures and it was very good. We did and discussed the following matters:

We ordained three new young pastors - Fabrício Junior, Leandro and Roberto. We discussed the possible probationary status as pastors of Cleyton and Naldinho. We removed two people (Renildo and Tania) from our ministers list. It was decided that Mateus and Hortência will take on the leadership of our Soledade church as from July. Much praise went up for news of the Vazante and Barra de Oitis churches which are growing very well in their respective villages. It was decided that all EAB/ACEV ministers will be issued with identity cards to give them access for hospital chaplaincy work.

It was decided that the Soledade, São Vicente do Seridó and Juazeirinho churches will now be part of the Campina Grande administrative region. Excellent news was shared about EAB's Action Child schools with well over 700 pupils now being blessed by this project being given extra help with their education.

Our national missions' Sunday this year will be on the 4th September which is the nearest Sunday to September 2nd when our founders first set foot in Brazil. It was decided that our Youth Conference will be from 28 to 30 October in Campina Grande. It was decided that our leaders' conference this year will be as usual at Green Pastures from the 25th to 27th of November after we have returned from Europe. It was decided that next year's general conference will be held at Campina Grande - Catolé, in 2024 it will be held in João Pessoa and in 2025 it will be held in Itaporanga. 

The coordination team for our 10-day evangelism project was elected (Robério, Gersé, Ray and Rafael) and it was decided that in 2023 it will be held at Juazeirinho, in 2024 at Tavares and in 2025 at Teixeira.

The report from our Campina Grande Bible College showed that it has 29 students this year. We have about 20 students studying also at the online colleges of FTSA and ISBL. We received reports from the radio programmes at Imaculada and Flores.

An addition to our statutes was approved unanimously which prohibits same sex marriages in our churches or to be conducted by our ministers.

Our projects team gave a general report on projects in the pandemic and on those in hand this year.

It was reaffirmed that in this year's Brazilian general election it is totally prohibited to bring party politics into our churches or discuss party politics in our social media groups. 

Maternity hospital

Jaciara had a premature baby on Sunday weighing 1.9 kg at Princesa Isabel. Her and her husband are members of our second church there. Jaciara was immediately transferred to the more advanced Patos maternity hospital and the church leaders asked us to support them. Our daughter Sacha is taking care of the family beautifully and has just been out to buy nappies! Please pray for Jaciara who has a post-natal infection and for the tiny baby boy called Quezede.

Liz is at Green Pastures at the moment setting everything up for our EAB/ACEV general conference. Deaconess Josinete is with Liz. Earlier they went to the supermarket to buy the food so the Kombi was loaded up with food and drinking water. The conference will run from Friday to Sunday but the leaders will start a day early on the Thursday. At the conference we will be ordaining 3 young new pastors: Fabrício Júnior, Leandro and Roberto. Please pray for them.

Please pray about the Dengue Fever epidemic which is the worst outbreak for 10 years here. Many people are down with it in Patos and many are in hospital. It is spread by mosquitoes. 

EAB's bi-annual magazine "In Touch" edition 97 has now been produced and has gone to the printers. Everyone will receive it in early June. 

Difficult journey

Liz and Lynn returned from João Pessoa on Friday night in driving torrential rain around Juazeirinho. To drive in such conditions was dangerous and meant they could only do about 20 kph. At Green Pastures it rained 27 mm (just over an inch) which helped water our plants and trees.

Saturday night saw the Patos church divided in four directions. The deaf had their main weekly meeting at the church; the Christians in Action group went to Ipueira in Rio Grande do Norte State; another group held the monthly celebration service at the Pastor Frank Dyer School; and I went to Green Pastures to take the weekly service with Segundo leading the singing and Murilo (Bible College student) preaching the Gospel on Acts 4:1-12. Both did very well. I lead the service which also enjoyed Nega singing a solo and Leca doing a Bible reading. I am glad to report that all services went off well.

I have started reading a new book called - "A Better Story - God, sex and human flourishing" by Christian psychiatrist Glynn Harrison. I have read the first three chapters and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is most enlightening.  

Green Pastures is busy

Green Pastures is being used a lot by our churches and church groups which is lovely to see. Green Pastures is the only place of its kind in the whole region. Our Teixeira church had a fellowship day there on the 14th May. Then there will be the EAB/ACEV general conference there from the 26th to 29th May. This will be followed by the Campina Grande men's conference from the 3rd to 5th June and then a youth camp involving the churches from Patos, Itaporanga, Juazeirinho and Teixeira from the 24th to 26th June. We value your prayers for all these events.

I am very busy organizing everything for our general conference at the moment. There are adjustments to the agenda which have to be agreed with the leadership and I am now preparing for the final service when 2 young pastors, Fabrício and Leandro, will be ordained. Pastor Wostenes will preach and I will lead the service and the ordination ceremony.

Liz went to João Pessoa yesterday for a doctor's appointment. In Patos the seniors had their weekly meeting which went well. Deaf pastor Luis Carlos also conducted another sign language lesson. 

Market Gardens

Our Market Gardens project presses ahead helping poor people to help themselves giving them income with dignity. We are at the moment looking into 2 communities at Ibiara and Santana de Mangueira counties with the possibility of establishing market gardens there. We are also working on the 4-Legs goat rearing project in a variety of communities and on another toilet/shower unit at Barra de Oitis.

This week's youth and adult prayer meetings joined together with 12 there. It went well. The Men's Fellowship (Tuesday) and the Women's Fellowship (Wednesday) also were blessed times of fellowship.

I have been preparing a sermon on being like Jesus based on Philippians 2:1-11. 

The rains have apparently ended. We usually get some rain in May but we only had an 8 mm shower on the 2nd and that's it. We can't complain as it's been a very good rainy season. Thanks for praying.

John Stott Birding Day

I took part in the John Stott Birding Day yesterday morning which is organized by the A Rocha Christian environmental agency to which we are linked. I went to Green Pastures and noted down all the species of birds that I saw and heard. I observed 37 species between hawks, water birds, owls, parakeets etc. I am now supposed to enter my list onto eBird.com but I don't understand how to do this and I haven't got time to find out how. Anyway it was a nice relaxing time.

The Sunday services went off well. I led the main service in the evening and assistant pastor Rafael preached from Lamentations 3:39-45. It could have been better.

Our projects team is in action to define the locations for the 3 wells we will be digging/drilling this year. It is an arduous and challenging process including meetings with local communities as well as technical work etc. We value your prayers for this. Recently visited were Santo Agostinho community up in the mountains in Teixeira County and Trincheiras community in Princesa Isabel County.

I have spent many hours in discussions with the senior leadership as our general conference fast approaches, starting on the 27th. The senior leadership will need to arrive a day early to complete in-person preparations for the conference.