BBC Radio Solent interview

This morning started with a 5 minute interview on BBC Radio Solent at about 08:30 and it went off very well. Thanks to Marian Rashleigh for lining up this excellent opportunity. You just never know who will listen to such an opportunity to reach a wide audience as radio affords. Here is the interview https://soundcloud.com/user221710608/bbc-radio-solent-01092015-5-mins-interview


Following this we visited Mum who wasn’t so bright today and we also did a bit of shopping.

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Good Trip & First Day in UK

The flights over to the UK from Brazil were fine. The longer one from Brazil to Portugal was as smooth as sailing on a pond. The latter was rougher with a routine boring delay at Heathrow going round in circles in heavy bumpy clouds waiting for a landing slot. Anyway we finally made it and were met by Liz’s sister Eunice and her husband Jon + Neil and Naomi Parsons who took us to Basingstoke via a mammoth traffic jam.


At Basingstoke we were received by my sister Jean + my nephew David plus Marian Rashleigh. We had a lovely time of fellowship talking about the work in Brazil and eating!


Today we went to visit my 90 year old Mum which was a lovely and emotional moment. PTL all went well. Mum was all nicely dressed and with her nails and hair done for the occasion. Liz took the photo.

 

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This is the day!

We leave Patos in four and half hours time. Now getting all the last minute bits and pieces together prior to having lunch and heading for the airport. Somebody will be taking us there.

Last night I got to bed at 12.40am and Liz about 2am. So much to do.

I managed to finish the evangelistic presentation for Larbert, Scotland yesterday so this means the main presentation is ready + the AGM presentation and now this evangelistic one. I just need to work on the break down for one church which wants 10 minutes + 15 minutes + 15 minutes presentations – so a matter of just figuring out how best to divide what we already have and then make the divisions.

The final parts of the EAB website have been brought up to date (Projects + How can I help?) so this means amidst everything else I’ve managed to update the entire EAB website which had been long over due. http://www.eabrazil.com/


Praise the Lord we are now looking forward to the flights and seeing everyone in Europe.

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Put the kettle on Jean!

Tomorrow we leave for Blighty and look forward to our first cup of tea in the UK in 4 years!


The service last night was lovely and the dedication of Amanda Ivy went off beautifully. It was nice to see Lynn’s husband Hutan’s family there. The sermon went well too. The church was packed out.



Now it’s more preparations for services in the UK. At the moment I’m about half way through Larbert’s Sunday morning evangelistic presentation. We leave Patos this Tuesday at 1pm (5pm UK time).

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Off to church in Patos for the last time till November!

It’s been a stressful day sorting out church problems for hours. It’s a pity some things had to blow up right now, but such is the life of a pastor.


I feel relaxed now anyway and am looking forward very much to dedicating our 8th grandchild Amanda Ivy shortly as well as laying hands on Philip and his other co-leaders who will lead the church for the next 10 weeks in our absence. I also look forward to preaching the Gospel tonight too. I love preaching the Word!


Liz and I had an excellent meeting this afternoon with Tarcísio and his wife Maria who came in to discuss church matters at Green Pastures with us. It was a lovely positive meeting.

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Oh Boy!

I can’t even get through the farewell service and problems with church people already have cropped up today! Oh Lord! People will wreck all else, it seems, to have power! And that is not spiritual power! Oh well… we press on. Emergency meeting with the involved tomorrow morning! I value your prayers, but sorry I can’t go into details.


Thursday night’s Bible Study was fine. Two young women shared from the Word in such an encouraging way. PTL! Then yesterday morning I checked over things at Green Pastures and left instructions for the weeks ahead. My son-in-law Hutan (Lynn’s husband) will be doing weekly checks for me whilst we’re away. There will be the Youth Conference there in October so we’ve already left all the cleaning materials ready for the team to clean up before and after.


Today I’ve completed my sermon preparation for this Sunday and prepared for the dedication of our granddaughter Amanda Ivy which I will also be conducting tomorrow. We will also be especially laying hands on Philip as he takes on the great responsibility of leading the Patos headquarters church over the next 10 weeks and praying for the leadership team who will support him.

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Public Prosecutor, Bible Study & Nutshell

The meeting with the Public Prosecutor in Teixeira yesterday lasted 2 hours and was superb. Wow! Things seem to be moving! The State Governor has mentioned me twice on State-wide radio this week on the issue of Jabre Peak. What a battle! The earth is the Lord’s!


I sent out the EAB Nutshell Update today so that is good and the Bible study went great tonight. Final meeting in Patos on Sunday and then we’re off to Blighty. Marian kindly sorted our train tickets today which were worked out by Roy – so that is good. I have bought a joint railcard for Liz and I online tonight! Feeling quite British! I need to prepare my sermon for Sunday and will dedicate Amanda Ivy too at the service.


I’m going for my last visit to Green Pastures in the morning prior to the trip. So much still to do with more presentations to prepare etc.

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One week to Lift-off!

We are scheduled to leave Patos a week today at 5pm (UK time) – travelling to Lisbon overnight and then on to London Heathrow, with scheduled arrival time of 12.45 pm (Terminal 2). EAB Board member Dave Shearing has kindly said he will meet us and take us to Basingstoke.


Our Europe itinerary schedule has been again added to and now is as follows:


Aug. 29: Ipley – New Forest – Welcome Cream Tea – everyone welcome! pm (contact: dyers.ipley@gmail.com)
Aug. 30: Hardley Lighthouse Community Church am


Sep. 06: Thamesmead Baptist am
Sep. 08: Liz’s birthday!
Sep. 12: Ledbury (personal visit to Mrs. Yoakley age 96 – ex Peniel Chapel member)
Sep. 13: Bristol Ivy Church am / Bristol PHC pm
Sep. 14 – 19: Switzerland
Sep. 20: Cadnam Methodist
Sep. 23: Shirley Warren Baptist
Sep. 26: Train London > Durham
Sep. 27: Great Lumley am / Bishop Auckland pm
Sep. 29: Horden


Oct. 01: Hylton Castle
Oct. 02: Train Durham > Larbert
Oct. 3-4: Larbert AOG
Oct. 5: Train Larbert > London
Oct. 11: Millbrook CC am / West Wellow Chapel pm
Oct. 12: My Mum’s 91st birthday!
Oct. 14: Dibden Purlieu Methodist pm
Oct. 17: EAB AGM pm
Oct. 18: Verwood Chapel am
Oct. 19-23: Rutland Water region 
Oct. 25: Danbury Mission am + pm. Oct. 28: Basingstoke Christ Church Anglican
pm

Nov. 01: Cefn Cribwr am / Bristol Lawrence Weston Community Church pm
Nov. 03: Return to Brazil 

Church in Patos on Sunday went very well. PTL! I am now working on the EAB AGM presentation which of course has to be totally different from the general one. I have to go and see the Public Prosecutor in Teixeira tomorrow leaving home about 6.30 am. It’s the last thing I needed with all I’ve got on but I have no choice as he has taken on board our fight to save Jabre Peak Nature Reserve and is about to set in motion legal action to force the State Government to do what we are rightly fighting for! May the Lord help us!

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I’m back from Glory!

There can’t be many preachers that can say that they preached in Glory and returned! However this was my experience yesterday as I travelled up the mountains to open the new little EAB/ACEV church at Glória (Glory) Community in the rural area of Imaculada County. 3rd year (of 4) Bible College student Ricardo went with me from the Patos church together with his wife and social worker Marah Danielle.

The service was held outside the church in the shade from the sun afforded by the new building. I preached and it went well. The local ladies sang a few songs and the P&W group from the Imaculada main church led the general praise. At the end of the thanksgiving service we untied the ribbon and all went in rejoicing to the little church where I conducted a dedicatory pray. It was a lovely event. It was just very tiring for me with all I have on, but it had to be done.

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I am going to Glory!

I will be leaving shortly to preach at the Opening of the new little Glória (Glory) Community church in Imaculada County. I should never have accepted this engagement with all I have on, but it’s too late now. It’s a fair old drive up the mountains being the far side of Imaculada. At least I’ll be able to say that I preached in Glory!


I have just finished preparing the basic general presentation with PowperPoint for the UK. That is a relief! This is a full general overlook of the work here especially focusing on the past 4 years since we were in the UK last in 2011. However now I need to start on the AGM presentation (any suggestions?) now which has to be different. For Scotland I need to work on an evangelistic version of my presentation as well as prepare a talk for couples. Also for Danbury I need to split the presentation into 3 sections of 10 + 15 + 15 minutes which shouldn’t be too difficult to do. Your prayers are valued for all this. There’s a lot of preparation work needed for a tour of the UK churches!


I have asked Pastor Oseias to come in tomorrow to preach in Patos for me so that I could get on with all I have to do. I will lead the service. Philip took the Bible study for me on Thursday so that I could get on with things.

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2 Weeks today we land in the UK

To say I am rushed off my feet would be the understatement of the century. Here is the tour schedule with some small alterations:

Aug. 29: Ipley – New Forest – Welcome Cream Tea – everyone welcome! pm (contact: dyers.ipley@gmail.com)
Aug. 30: Hardley Lighthouse Community Church am


Sep. 06: Thamesmead Baptist am
Sep. 08: Liz’s birthday!
Sep. 12: Ledbury (personal visit to Mrs. Yoakley age 96 – ex Peniel Chapel member)
Sep. 13: Bristol Ivy Church am / Bristol PHC pm
Sep. 14 – 19: Switzerland
Sep. 20: Cadnam Methodist
Sep. 23: Shirley Warren Baptist
Sep. 26: Train London > Durham
Sep. 27: Great Lumley am / Bishop Auckland pm
Sep. 29: Horden


Oct. 01: Hylton Castle
Oct. 02: Train Durham > Larbert
Oct. 3-4: Larbert AOG
Oct. 5: Train Larbert > London
Oct. 11: Millbrook CC am / West Wellow Chapel pm
Oct. 12: My Mum’s 91st birthday!
Oct. 14: Dibden Purlieu Methodist pm
Oct. 17: EAB AGM pm
Oct. 18: Verwood Chapel am
Oct. 19-23: Rutland Water region 
Oct. 25: Danbury Mission am + pm


Nov. 01: Cefn Cribwr am / Bristol Lawrence Weston Community Church pm
Nov. 03: Return to Brazil

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Patos Bible College

I had a good and longish meeting this morning with the vice-principal of the Patos Bible College. Pastor Lucena is from  the Congregation Church and we’ve always got on so well together over the years. We discussed a few problems and it was good to feel in general that the College is going well.


I have also done some work on project coordinators issues and have sent out a consultation email to the leadership team.


I am trying to prepare my presentations for UK churches! At this rate I’ll be doing this on the plane!

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EAB Site updated

The EAB site has been updated on the opening page, Action Child page and the Personnel and Contacts sections have also been brought up to date. http://www.eabrazil.com/

We arrive in the UK two weeks today (DV) – 26/08. Our first engagements will be a Cream Tea Welcome in the New Forest at Ipley on Saturday 29th in the afternoon and a service on the Sunday morning (30th) at Hardley Lighthouse Community Church. Both events are open to one and all and we hope to see you there!

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They’ve done it again!

The main TV network (Globo) State-wide re-presented the report on our Jabre Peak Campaign to save the environment there in their midday edition – so that’s twice in one day. It was basically the same thing, slightly altered, and at least they spelt my name right this time. The petition has received quite a lot more signatures today as a result of the TV exposure. You can see the second edition of the report if you like at http://g1.globo.com/pb/paraiba/jpb-1edicao/videos/t/edicoes/v/campanha-quer-preservacao-do-pico-do-jabre-na-paraiba/4385126/


The EAB Information Leaflet was finalized today by the graphics person so now it’s at the printers and promised for Friday. PTL! Following this I have started on the PowerPoint material for Europe. The EAB website is being updated too.

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State-wide TV reports on our campaign to save Jabre Peak!

You might like to watch the 4 minute report on our environmental campaign to save Jabre Peak here in Paraíba State. I speak a bit in the report towards the end. Since this report was broadcast this morning I am being bombarded by politicians wanting to “help”! The report is in Portuguese of course, but you should get the feel and gist by watching http://g1.globo.com/pb/paraiba/bom-dia-pb/videos/t/edicoes/v/pico-do-jabre-e-alvo-de-vandalismo-no-sertao-da-paraiba/4384217/

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The more I get done the more there is to do!

Great service last night. Dedicated another baby and my last 2 Sundays prior to our Eurotrip each have further baby dedications lined up.


Sent out EAB Diary Update this morning and then worked on a big updating of the EAB website well over due. I’ve sent everything to the technical man/webmaster so now await his implementation.


I finished our leaflet for distribution to one and all in Europe in the churches etc. and that has all gone to the graphics man to put it together. That is, the outer pages are all ready – now I have sent the inner pages of the 4 page leaflet. Hence we will be taking with us 2,000 leaflets and 150 calendars. The calendars are already printed and with me in the office.


I did yet another radio interview this morning in the midst of everything else. Help!


I have had to check and change my personal email address with different sites and organizations as my medcraft@uol.com.br will cease to exist as from August 28th so I am trying to remember everyone I need to tell or else they will have no way of contacting me. At the moment the old address is still forwarding to my new personal address john.medcraft@gmail.com but not sending any more.

The EAB Brazil office address still remains eabrazil@gmail.com – so either address comes to me whether here or whilst in Europe.

Jon and Eunice have kindly kitted us out with mobile phones, like last time, for whilst we are in the UK. So Liz’s number will be 07470 171954 and mine will be 07470 157698. Many thanks for this. 

My start this season in the QPR Prediction League got off to a bad start on Saturday with zero points! I predicted a 3 x 3 draw and we lost 2 x 0. Oh well… at least there are more matches left to be played in the Championship!

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A good full week

Thursday’s Bible study was excellent with the visit of the EAB/ACEV Pastor Davi from São Paulo + lots of good prayer, praise and fellowship.


Friday I nipped out to Green Pastures quickly to sort a few things and then got back to working on materials for presentation in Europe as from later this month. We have produced a 2016 EAB calendar to give to churches and that is printed and ready. It is simple and low cost – but I trust it will be a nice reminder of us during 2016 at least! I am now producing a new presentation pamphlet along the lines of the 2011 model to leave with people everywhere we go. The 2011 model was most useful and went down well and EAB’s UK Office is just running out of the final copies now – so good timing. This 2015 version is of course right up to date and will contain the main ponts we will be presenting with PowerPoint around the churches. I hope to finish the production of this pamphlet tomorrow, or the latest Tuesday, so that I can get it printed here and take it ready with us. Then I need to put my PowerPoint presentations together… so you can see how my time is streched to the limit.


Today is Brazilian Father’s Day and there was a fun and fellowship time last night for the Dads at the church. Tonight I will be preaching on “Love, Determined Effort and Spiritual Responsibility – essencial aspects in the life of a Christian Father’. This I completed preparing last night. I will also be dedicating a baby tonight.

Next Saturday I will be preaching at the opening of a new EAB/ACEV church in the County of Imaculada up in the mountains at Glória Community. Your prayers are very much appreciated with all we have on. 

This blog has now passed the 140,000 visits mark. Many thanks. My photos have now reached the 197,000 viewings mark at https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmedcraft/

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Arriving in Blighty 3 weeks today!

What a lot of pressure to get everything ready for our 10 weeks in the UK & Switzerland. So much to do! The problem is I just can’t stop everything else I have on here so have to juggle it all. I have a meeting of the church leadership tonight to prepare things for our absence. I have a meeting with a journalist any minute now. I have another meeting with the Jabre Peak Campaign committee tomorrow morning. I have a Father’s Day sermon to prepare for Sunday. I had to answer questions from different church ministries yesterday… and so it goes on. Please pray.


The teenagers’ prayer meeting, now held on a Tuesday night, was great again last night. PTL! Louisa, John David and Arthur were there from our clan, plus so many other kids – all praying and some even giving a word! Bless their hearts. Leadership is not about doing everything yourself but getting the right leaders to head up different church ministries and coordinate them.


We are back into São Mamede town as from Saturday, August 15th. PTL! The Lord has moved there.

I had my routine check with the doctor and had all my blood tests done and received top marks yesterday. PTL! Liz is fine too. PTL!

Just had news that thieves got into the Project rented building in Placas borough last night and stole 2 fans and a water cooler. Oh Lord! 


I must get on with things here…

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Exhausted!

We had an excellent Communion Service last night. A real blessing.


Yesterday my dear friend David Barlow (MBE – ex- honorary British Consul in Recife – and founder of the NE Brazilian Cultura Inglesa English Language School network of which our girls’ school is part) died in João Pessoa aged 87. He was a lovely Christian man (Presbyterian). So Liz and I went to his funeral today driving there and back, with the funeral in the middle, in 12 hours! I am utterly exhausted.


I’ll talk more tomorrow   zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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Old Cow Pen

Liz and I are off to Curral Velho (Old Cow Pen) shortly to preach the Gospel but back in Patos for more ministry tomorrow. We value your prayers. It will be the first time I have been to this place on a tarmacked road as it was until recently a very very bad earth road with one steep dusty climb when the vehicle slid all over the place struggling to get up without grip. All the rest of the road was bumpy with pit holes and rocks.


I dispatched the EAB Diary Update this morning.


Yesterday I went to Green Pastures and checked over things there. All is well despite the drought, which bites harder and harder.


The Christians in Action group are off to the church plant in the neighbouring State of Rio Grande do Norte at Ipueira today, supported by others from the Patos church. The Green Pastures church will be holding a service at a rich land owner’s farm. The man has wonderfully come to the Lord.

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Sermon ready for Saturday

Amidst so much else today I managed to complete my preparation of my sermon for Saturday and prepared for the Bible study tonight. There was also a session of dental hygiene done with the kids at our school in Patos today carried out by the Care Centre team. I also answered a long survey from the London School of Theology as best as I could remember going back over 30 years! I’ve also been contacted by the State-wide Paraíba TV network today wanting to film an interview with me. Oh boy… it’s non-stop!

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Project vehicle attacked!

I have just received news that our project team vehicle, A small Fiat pick-up, was attacked tonight by a large rock which was thrown damaging the right hand side of the vehicle and the windscreen. None of our team was hurt. The police were called and they discovered it had been done but a mentally ill man who has got it into his head that the well we are aiming to drill for the Angola Community, about 5 miles from Green Pastures, should not be drilled. Please pray for the team and for the project.

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Just for you to have an idea!

Just for you to have an idea about the pressure I am under, with less than 4 weeks to go to lift off to the UK, let me tell you this briefly:


1. I have completed the 10 pastors list to preach on the Sundays I’m away and written a longish email to them all with some basic instructions about not preaching too long etc.!


2. I am also in the middle of preparing a sermon for this Saturday at the Curral Velho (Old Cow Pen) church when a deaconess from the Patos church contacts me via a facebook message to ask for help with interpreting the extermination of the Cannanites in Joshua 6:21 as she has to teach this in the Sunday School and doesn’t know hope to cope – especially in the light of present day Islamic State’s similar practices! Now look – that I just could not answer with ‘let me get back from the UK’! I had to plunge deep into a massively  complex and difficult issue and help her! Oh Lord!


I do value your prayers!

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Action School Fire

Early in July the Manaira Action School was given a second hand fridge, to help with the food side of the school, by a visitor from our Campina Grande church. During the School holidays it was not switched on but yesterday they switched it on preparing for the return to lessons. Unfortunately the fridge later caught fire, burnt completely out and bought down part of the ceiling, and the black smoke means the whole place is going to have to be cleaned up and repainted. Gratefully nobody was in the building at the time. An investigation is now going on about where this fridge exactly had come from and what had been done to it prior to it being given to the school. Please pray for EAB/ACEV’s Manaíra School.

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Birthdays galore!

Yesterday was my sister Jean’s birthday, today is Philip’s wife Gylmara’s birthday and on Friday granddaughter Alice will be 8! Never a dull moment.


I popped out to Green Pastures this morning to check on different aspects of the work there. I discussed things with Tarcísio bearing in mind that a month today we leave for a bit over 2 months in Europe. I also met up with our Pastor Wostenes and his family (below), from our Campina Grande church, spending a few days there. Pastor Davi and his wife were also there from our São Paulo church.

I have been doing a lot of work on the Action Child programme and on preparation for our Europe trip. This includes lining up preachers for the Sundays I’m away. Philip will lead the services and conduct the Bible studies on the Thursdays. We value your prayers.

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‘John Wesley’ visits Patos!

Well… sort of! What I mean is we had Pastor Luciano Vergara (below) who is a Methodist pastor from Rio de Janeiro preaching in our church last night and his wife singing. It was a great service. They stayed the weekend at Green Pastures as part of a visit to north-east Brazil. We’ve known them since he came to preach at the EAB/ACEV special 60th anniversary celebration in 1998 and we have never lost contact. They stayed the weekend at Green Pastures.


Happy birthday to my sister Jean who is one year older than she was last year!

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5 Weeks to go!

This was Liz and I being met at Recife Airport 43 years
ago by Frank & Ivy Dyer. We will be arriving back in the
UK for a 10 Sundays visit 5 weeks today (DV). We hope to see you at
one of the churches if you live in that part of the world! 

EAB will be holding a ‘Welcome Back’ Cream Tea in lovely surroundings in the New Forest at Ipley on Saturday, August 29th in the afternoon. It will be lovely to see you and chat informally at this event if you can make it. For more information and directions please email dyers.ipley@gmail.com 

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In a Nutshell

I wrote and dispatched the latest EAB Nutshell Update to everyone on my mailing list today. I also went up to Jabre Peak invited by the State Environmental authorities.

Last night’s service was great. Packed house, excellent worship and the sermon went well.  PTL!


Tonight the teenagers of the church had their own prayer meeting! How wonderful! PTL!

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Sermon ready to roll

I have just completed my sermon for tomorrow – the 8th in the series in the Gospel of Mark – covering the last block of chapter 2 and the first block of chapter 3, which essentially deals with the issue of the Sabbath. It’s a good section to warn of the dangers of pharasaic legalism and the error of focusing on judaistic law as opposed to Christ and His complete work.

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Very busy week

I’ve worked on such a variety of things this week. Unbelievable! Radio people just turn up at the office as they know I’ll always give all sorts of subjects a go. We had a great Bible, Prayer and Praise meeting last night with over 50 present midweek. PTL! Great participation in a lovely spirit. It’s so good to see people developing in the Lord.


I’m now in the process of preparing to preach on Sunday continuing my Mark’s Gospel series which brings me to the last section of chapter 2 on the Sabbath. Once again not an ideal Sunday night topic but that’s Mark’s fault and not mine! My job is to preach the Word!


We have another meeting in the needy Jatobá area of Patos tomorrow as we persist in church plant efforts there. As well as the new core team the P&W and Youth ministries will be in support. Christians in Action Ministry will be off to Ipueira to continue work planting the church there.


I have done a lot of work on Action Child matters this week. This has taken up a lot of my time in this transition year for the program. We are moving forward. I am encouraged. PTL!

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Our Trip to the UK & Switzerland is 6 weeks away

We leave Brazil 6 weeks this Tuesday (DV) and arrive at Heathrow on Wednesday, August 26th. We value your prayers as we have a lot to get done before then and there are the normal on-going demands of the work here as well. 


EAB is organizing a cream-tea welcome for us (much appreciated) at Ipley in the New Forest on Saturday, August 29th in the afternoon. Information can be obtained from Keith & Mary Dyer at dyers.ipley@gmail.com The tea is open to family and friends from Tunbridge Wells to Timbuktu! Our ministry engagements are now confirmed as follows:


Aug. 30: Hardley am

Sep. 06: Thamesmead Baptist am
Sep. 08: Liz’s birthday!
Sep. 12: Ledbury (personal visit)
Sep. 13: Bristol Ivy Church am / Bristol PHC pm
Sep. 14 – 19: Switzerland
Sep. 20: Cadnam Methodist
Sep. 23: Shirley Warren Baptist
Sep. 26: Train London > Durham
Sep. 27: Great Lumley am / Bishop Auckland pm
Sep. 29: Horden


Oct. 01: Hylton Castle
Oct. 02: Train Durham > Larbert
Oct. 3-4: Larbert AOG
Oct. 5: Train Larbert > London
Oct. 11: Millbrook am / West Wellow pm
Oct. 12: My Mum’s 91st birthday!
Oct. 14: Dibden Purlieu Methodist
Oct. 17: EAB AGM pm
Oct. 18: Verwood am
Oct. 19-23: Rutland Water region 
Oct. 25: Danbury

Nov. 01: Cefn Cribwr
Nov. 03: Return to Brazil

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Great service with dedications, baptism and packed church

Last night’s service was really good in Patos with 3 children dedicated and I was helped by my 2 elders Pedro Guedes & Philip. As dear old Paul Newbury used to say: “The important thing is to make sure the elders ‘eld’ and the deacons ‘deac”!


I also baptized a new convert whom God has really changed, having come from a spiritist past. We received her and and her husband into fellowship at the church later in the service. He is a captain in the military police and was a backslidden Christian who has returned to the Lord.

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More details on the João Pessoa incident

I now have more news on what as happened at the João Pessoa Boa Esperança (Good Hope) church. In fact it was not the pastor who was tied up and beaten, but it was his 14 year old daughter. The thief came as the pastor had gone out to buy the milk and he tied up and beat the daughter so as to extract from her the whereabouts of the church’s money and the money from the pastor’s wife’s little shop. The thing was that the poor girl didn’t know where the money was so couldn’t tell the thief to save her life.


Fortunately the pastor and his older daughter’s husband arrived at the house in time to cause the thief to run away out of a back door – thus avoiding blood shed or the likes. When they got inside they untied and ungagged their daughter. They called the police who were of no help. The family is naturally absolutely traumatized and need prayer big time.


I have finished preparing my sermon amongst all this for tomorrow. I will also be dedicating 3 children and baptizing one lady. Some children and teenagers will be doing a choreography in the service too tomorrow night so it should be quite a service.


The P&W group have gone to minister at the Princesa Isabel church tonight and over 30 others from the Patos church have gone to Passagem to support the little EAB church there. Praise God for an active church alive for God!

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Great service and very busy indeed!

Last night’s Bible study was fantastic! We call it the ‘Praise, Prayer and Bible’ night and we sure get just that with growing mid-week numbers (always between 45 and 50 now) and lots of participation from the members with short words (Philip, Leron, Espedita and Pastor Silvio visiting from our Portelo church) + praise from different ones, including a dear older brother whose song “Please help me Lord” sounded like he was strangling a cat and that he needed help!) But in church we don’t just strive for perfection but for people to do their best to praise the Lord and learn to develop ministries. Fortunately I managed to control myself when the dear brother was singing so as not to get hysterical!

I did a photo shoot with Amanda Ivy, now 2 months old, doing well, getting a little bit plumper and certainly more and more beautiful!


I am utterly rushed off my feet with all the on-going ministries (dedicate 3 on Sunday + baptise 1) plus all the community protests I am leading plus all the preparations for UK next month + Action Child work + people who need to speak to me etc. etc. Please pray and those who are waiting for replies from me please hold your horses!

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Communion

The Communion service last night turned out to be quite extraordinary with the sermon having wonderful response with different ones putting things right with others as a result straight after the meeting. PTL!


On the Saturday we had the deaf fellowship reaching out to the deaf, the Christians in Action group continuing their ministry with the church plant in Rio Grande do Norte State, a lot of the youth making a new start to an effort to plant a church where we have our school in Patos, and the teenagers visiting a senior citizens’ home. 45 from one of our Campina Grande churches spent the day at Green Pastures.


On the Friday the new little church at the ex-slave community of Fonseca was opened and it was also Philip’s 37th birthday!

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Well – Drought – Bible Study

Yesterday was a long tiring but good day travelling to Sousa to inaugurate another well – this time for the largest Gypsy community in Brazil. It was quite an experience! Intestesting. I took 2 workers from the Care Centre with me. I collapsed into bed at night and slept really well. You can see in the photo two of our pastors at the event yesterday with one of the gypsy leaders in the centre.

This morning I went to Green Pastures where we are doing yet more work to cope with water supplies with the unbelievable drought we are now facing. What a challenge! Please pray. Tomorrow night 40 from the Campina Grande church will be sleeping there at Green Pastures and spending Saturday there.


I have prepared the Bible study for tonight and am looking forward to the service. I have also had my haircut.

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Petition in Orbit!

My petition to save the beautiful natural habitat and wildlife at Jabre Peak – the highest point in the State of Paraíba – has today passed the 9,000 signatures mark! PTL! It would appear that things are starting to have the possibly desired effect as I received information today that the top environmental council set up to defend nature discussed the question and it was made clear at the meeting that the State Governor is organizing action. Please keep praying.


I had a good discussion with Philip this morning on this year’s EAB/ACEV Youth Conference to be held at Green Pastures in October whilst we will be in the UK. It was a very good chat with some clear plans drawn up to aim at for the conference. Please pray.


I have done some more work today on preparations for what to say and present around the churches in the UK in the autumn.


Tomorrow I am going to inaugurate the well at Sousa for the gypsies. It is the largest gypsy community in Brazil.

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Petition takes off!

Last night’s service in Patos was great. A real blessing. The sermon on “To Fast or not to Fast? – that is the question”! was from Mark 2:18-22 and the answer some are asking me for can only be given in a longish sermon really. But certainly not like a show-biz act like the Pharisees but sometimes yes as a private discreet devotional exercise.


This morning I was out to Green Pastures early for exercise and discussions. It was good.


The petition in defense of the natural environment at the highest point in the State of Paraíba has really taken off today so as to double signatues in a day to over 3,000 thus far! PTL!


Please pray for the EAB finances, as I have been told today that our contingency back-up fund is down to nought!

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EAB/ACEV’s Got Talent!

Last night’s special service, uniting almost all of our church ministries, was very good. The church was packed out on a Saturday night with people dressed in regional dress and taking part with songs, dances, poems, testimonies and a short play. It was wonderful! Afterwards there were the typical regional foods made from maize for all. You can see the kid’s choreography group below with our granddaughters Bia and Alice 2nd and 3rd from left.


I finally got my sermon preparation done yesterday afternoon ready for tonight. The title is “To Fast or not to Fast? That is the question”! based on Mark 2:18-22 in my 7th sermon in the series in this Gospel. We value your prayers.

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Word + Radios

The Bible study went so well last night. I am giving an increasing amount of opportunity to different ones to take part with short words early in the service and last night we had 4 young people bring words! PTL! Rayla, Brenda, Lucas Silva and Jonatas. Wonderful! The whole meeting was a real blessing. 

Today I did three radio interviews. Two in the morning and one this evening. There’s never a dull moment!


Tomorrow night we have a special big Saturday night meeting with all the ministries coming together for praise, fellowship and food! Everyone seems very upbeat about it. PTL!


Philip got back from India late afternoon. He must be exhausted. He brought me some pencils back from India made of Neem tree wood. The Neem trees’ origins are in India.

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Preparation for Euro Trip

I worked a lot on preparing for our trip to Europe in 2 months time yesterday. It’s always a challenge to try and figure out what to speak about and show in our presentations as there is so much to chose from. I remember in my youth producing a super-8 film which lasted over an hour! That was crazy! We learn by our mistakes! So I am now in the process of getting my mind round all we have going here in terms of churches and projects and then chosing just a little bit of this to present. All suggestions are welcome – not that we are in a position to guarantee anything at this stage, but I always consider suggestions and put them in the mix to see what comes out at the end. We value your prayers.


Tonight is Bible study night so I am preparing for this too.


Philip, I am glad to say, is flying back from India today and should be back in Patos tomorrow afternoon.

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The battle is hot!

We would appreciate your prayers and support for our campaign in defence of the most beautiful area in our region: Jabre Peak – the highest point in the State of Paraíba. Owing to its height the vegetation is different with a more humid atmosphere and thus the fauna is richer too. However the promised protection for this very special area (promised in the State Government decree of 2002!) has not been forthcoming. Hence we have lots of illegal and enormous antenas on top of the peak, ruining its beauty. We also have hunting and trapping for later selling of wildlife totally out of control, logging is also occurring as is the proliferation of rubbish by the visitors, hunters etc.


The battle is hot on the matter as I have had discussions with the State Governor and County authorities. There are vested interests in the status quo from some quarters. So to increase pressure on the Government to ACT I started an online petition last night which already has 250 signatures. Please help us by signing the online petition no matter where you live if you love God’s creation and believe it is right to defend it. All you need is to give your name and email to sign the online form. 

https://www.change.org/p/governo-do-estado-da-para%C3%ADba-vamos-salvar-o-pico-do-jabre-8d836171-1540-4eda-9a88-368b190a9ea2?recruiter=32259807&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default

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