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Samuel continued ministering before the Lord under Eli, although in those days “the word of the Lord was rare and there were not many visions”. But one night God called Samuel as he laid down in the tabernacle and Samuel ran to Eli thinking he had called him. After this had happened 3 times Eli realized that it was God calling him so he told Samuel that the next time it happened he should reply: ‘speak Lord, for your servant is listening’. This Samuel did so God spoke to him saying that he was about to do something that would make people’s ears tingle! God said he would fulfill his threats against Eli for having failed to restrain his sons. Eli enquired about God’s message the next morning and Samuel only told him after Eli’s insistence. 

So Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and he kept God’s word in his heart. All of Israel came to recognize his as a prophet of the Lord.  

This chapter starts with a beautiful prayer of praise and thanksgiving by Hannah. She exclaims: “My heart rejoices in the Lord… there is no Rock like our God… she who was barren has borne seven children… the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s”! Such joyful praise of God stands in stark contrast with the rest of the chapter’s description of Eli the priest’s wicked sons.

Eli’s wicked sons Hophni and Phinehas had no regard for the Lord. They used to steal portions of the sacrifices in the tabernacle and all the fat which was to be offered to God they took for themselves. The text says that they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt. To the contrary Samuel grew up in the presence and service of the Lord, and every year his parents visited him and took him clothes. Eli the priest used to bless them and Hannah gave birth to 3 sons and 2 daughters. Eli however rebuked his sons but they just carried on with their evil deeds and wouldn’t heed him, even having sex with women that worked at the tabernacle.

Then a man of God came and rebuked Eli with a prophetic message concerning the scorn of God’s sacrifices and offerings by Eli’s sons asking Eli why he honoured more his sons than he honoured God? God said that he would only honour those who honoured him. God said that he would punish the priestly lineage with shorter lives and that Eli’s sons Hophni and Phineas would both die on the same day. God said he would then raise up a faithful priest who would do according to his heart and mind.

 I went for a nice walk at Green Pastures and saw many holes dug by the Armadillos. I also saw a flock of 6 Guira-Cuckoos, a pair of Red-cowled Cardinals, a pair of White-tipped Doves and a pair of Picui Ground-Doves. Some of the youth were there organizing things for the Youth Conference which will be held there next week.

I have finished by résumés chapter by chapter of the book of Judges, and have also done the 4 chapters of Ruth with that beautiful story of commitment, faithfulness and romance. Now I have started the 31 chapters of 1 Samuel. So that’s 8 books of the Bible done in 8 and a half months. 58 books to go!

Illiteracy in Brazil has slightly improved from 5.4% of the population in 2023 to 5.3% in 2024, which means 9.1 million can still not read or write a simple note.

Last night I spoke on the Song of Songs to the married couples fellowship, together with courting couples and engaged couples, who met together to celebrate Valentine’s Day which here is St. Anthony’s Day. At the end everyone ate maize which is the thing everyone eats here at this time of year.

The book of 1 Samuel covers the period of transition in Israel between theocracy under the judges to monarchy. It relates the life of judge and prophet Samuel, the rise and fall of Saul as king, and the anointing and preparation to succeed Saul by David. 

The first chapter starts by telling that Elkanah had two wives: Hannah, who was barren, and Peninnah. The child-bearing wife humiliated and provoked Hannah which made her very sad. But Hannah cried to God to help her become a mother and promised that if he did she would give him back to God under a Nazarite vow. One day Hannah was praying so intensely in the temple that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. Upon discovering the true motive of her prayer Eli blessed her wishing that her prayer should be answered. So it was that in due course Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she called Samuel. Having weaned the child Hannah took him to Eli at Shiloh together with a thanksgiving sacrifice, and she gave him to the Lord’s service 100%.

Boaz went into town and sought out the kinsman-redeemer who was a closer relative than him. He explained to him before 10 elder witnesses that Naomi was selling land that belonged to their brother Elimelech and that he was first in line to buy it. The man said he would buy it until he found out out that the land involved taking on the widow Ruth! With this information the man didn’t want to know, so Boaz was left free to marry Ruth as her kinsman-redeemer and the deal was done and sealed by the removal of a sandal which was the cultural signal for closing a deal. So Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and they had a son called Obed who was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

One day Naomi encouraged Ruth to go to the threshing floor where Boaz would be, having bathed and put on perfume and her best clothes, and propose to him the triggering of the kinsman-redeemer clause in the law so as to bring into effect their marriage. So after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and gone to sleep at the end of the corn pile, Ruth discreetly uncovered his feet and lay there. Boaz only realized what was happening in the middle of the night as Ruth proposed him to be her kinsman-redeemer. Boaz was over the moon, but admitted there was another man that would have first choice in making Ruth his wife, so he would have to be honest and see what the other man said first. So whilst Boaz was sorting this out Ruth went and told Naomi everything, giving her the barley Boaz had sent with her. So Naomi and Ruth eagerly waited the outcome!

Ruth joined in the barley harvest gleaning grain left over by the regular harvesters as the law permitted, and she happened to find herself in a field belonging to Boaz who was from the clan of her late husband Elimelech. Boaz noted Ruth, enquired about her, encouraged her to keep gleaning in his fields and was kind to her providing her with food and water. Boaz learned about Ruth’s devotion to Naomi and asked God to richly reward her. So Ruth managed to glean 22 litres of barley that day, took it home to Naomi and told her about Boaz. Naomi remarked that Boaz was a close relative and one of their kinsman-redeemers. So Ruth continued working in Boaz’s fields till the end of the barley and wheat harvests. 

The book of Ruth contains a beautiful story set in the period of the judges. The story involves 3 women, Naomi, Ruth and Orpah who all lost their husbands, having settled outside of Canaan in Moab to escape a famine. It is a story of love and devotion, and of the providence of God.

This chapter begins with an Ephrathites family from Bethlehem going to live in Moab to escape a drought. Elimelech and his wife Naomi were with their sons Mahlon and Kilion. However Elimelech died, but the sons married Moabite girls Orpah and Ruth, but 10 years later both sons died too.

When Naomi learnt that things had improved back in Judah she decided to return there together with her 2 daughters-in-law. Then Naomi told Ruth and Orpah to go home to their families, but the girls resisted. Eventually however Orpah did leave, but Ruth stood firm, was inseparable from Naomi and said that wherever Naomi went there Ruth would go with her with total commitment and devotion including to her people and God. Their return to Bethlehem coincided with the beginning of the barley harvest.

The aftermath of the previous chapter’s civil war left the tribe of Benjamin bearing on extinction, especially after the Israelite oath to refuse their daughters in marriage to the Benjamites. The dilemma was how to therefore provide wives for the Benjamites to make possible the tribe’s survival. This problem was partially solved by killing all men and women of Jabesh Gilead who had failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah, except the virgins, and this provided 400 wives for Benjamin, though this was not enough. So a scheme was elaborated for the annual festival at Shiloh whereby the Benjamin men seized wives from the dancing girls of Shiloh without them actually being given! All this happened in the days that Israel had no king and when everyone did as they saw fit. 

Having spent 3 days in João Pessoa on the coast, we arrived back in Patos, after a 5-hour journey, on Wednesday night. I saw the sea for about 30 seconds from a great distance whilst there! It was a good trip with very happy content. I heard Southern Wrens and Parakeets whilst there and saw plenty of Vultures, Crested Caracaras and Egrets. 

I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study last night and co-pastor Rafael gave the study concluding the book of Micah. Erika and Davi led the praise and worship.

Patos is highly decorated for the annual Saint John’s Festival with streamers all over the main street and lots of decorative lighting. The main festivities in Patos will be from June 19th to 23rd as St. John’s Day is on the 24th. However in Campina Grande the festivities started on May 30th and continue to July 6th!

The result of the abominable happenings with the concubine in the previous chapter was full-scale civil war in Israel. For as the word spread about the concubine’s murder Israel united to punish the city of Gibeah and the Benjamites. Israel demanded that the men who committed the heinous crime be surrendered to face capital punishment, but the Benjamites refused. 

There therefore ensued a series of battles between Israel as a whole, versus the Benjamites, with initially the latter prevailing killing 40,000 men. However in the third battle things were inverted with Israel defeating Benjamin killing 25,100 men and taking and burning the city of Gibeah. They then went on to take and burn the surrounding towns and villages with just 600 Benjamin fighters surviving.

 A Levite from Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem, but she betrayed him, left him and returned to her father. 4 months later the Levite went after her and was well received by her father. After spending a few days there he left with his concubine, and on the journey they decided to spend the night at Gibeah, inhabited by Benjamites, where they were put up at an old man’s house.

During the night a group of men came banging on the door wanting to have sex with the Levite in Sodomite fashion! The old man resisted and offered his virgin daughter and the concubine in his place, but this the men refused. Faced by this clash of wills eventually the concubine was given to the men to rape and abuse her all night long, and at daybreak she was returned without life. The Levite cut his concubine into 12 parts and sent them to all areas of Israel. 

We are in João Pessoa again this week for the graduation ceremony of our grandson John David as a medical doctor, for an ecumenical thanksgiving service, and for the official registration of John David with the Medical Association (CRM-PB) when he will receive his registration number to be able to practice as a doctor.

So John David has graduated and is now a doctor. Congratulations!

The Patos men’s fellowship took another street service at São Mamede last night at which 2 decisions were made for Christ. Praise God!

On Saturday I took part in the EAB board meeting online via Messenger. It was an excellent meeting discussing various aspects of the work of the Lord. It was good to receive confirmation of Amy Gough’s visit here next January for the 10-day evangelistic outreach at Soledade. Recently engaged Amy is a theology and youth ministry degree student with Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London.

On Saturday night I led the weekly service at Green Pastures and preached the Gospel on John 3:1-21. Flávio went with me who is a masseuse of the Patos ‘Esporte’ football club. It was a good communion service with many participations. I saw a Burrowing Owl on the way.

A poor man with an old cart horse turned up to the charity, where our daughter Deborah treats the stray cats and dogs, and asked if she could treat his horse’s infected eye! So she has duly medicated it.

Last night I led the main service of the week on the day of Pentecost, and our daughter Sacha preached an excellent sermon on Psalm 103. The children sang a song for ‘Pastors’ Day’ as the second Sunday in June is commemorated here. It was a lovely service. 

The Danites were for some reason looking for a new home as they had already received land from Joshua. They sent out 5 men to spy out new options, and when they met Micah’s private Levite priest they consulted him as to whether God would bless their mission which he answered positively. The 5 went on to Laish which they found to be prosperous and temptingly vulnerable, so they reported this to their people.

The Danites therefore sent out 600 warriors to conquer Laish and on the way they stole Micah’s gods, ephod and carved image. They also took his private Levite priest to be their own tribal priest. Then they attacked Laish and burned down the city renaming it Dan after rebuilding it. They set up their idols, and Gershom, son of Moses and his sons were the priests for their tribe!

The last 5 chapters of Judges are very different from the first 16. No judges appear, the problem is not the philistines but rather the lack of a centralized government or king. “The reading here is unedifying” (Cundall & Morris) and reflects the precarious tendency in Israel towards pagan idolatry. The spirit of the age was a spirit of free for all when “everyone did as he saw fit”!

In chapter 17 Micah admitted to having stolen 13 kg of silver from his mother, he returned it and she forgave him. Micah’s mother then took part of this and had made an image and an idol which she solemnly consecrated to the Lord!

Micah had a shrine, had an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as priest! Then later he employed a young Levite as priest believing that this would be pleasing to the Lord! Such steps reflect an unbelievable level of syncretism! 

Brazil doesn’t celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day on February 14th owing to its proximity to Carnival. Instead it celebrates Saint Anthony’s Day (June 12th) as the celebration of courting couples, engaged couples and married couples. In the Patos church there will be a special evening on this theme on June 14th. 

On Thursday night I didn’t lead the mid-week prayer and Bible study as I usually do because I was getting over the flu. In my place deacon Dedé led the service and lawyer Murilo brought the study as assistant pastor Rafael was away caring for his sick parents. Our daughter Sacha led the praise.

My veterinary doctor daughter Deborah tells be that there are an estimated 30 million stray dogs and cats in Brazil with 2 thirds of these being dogs. In Patos, where we live, there are an estimated 15,000 stray animals. Yesterday Deborah gave a speech on animal rights at a university conference. She works regularly voluntarily for the Amparar Animal Charity.

I have had an amazing message on Instagram from Aivy Ann Roult Macedo Dias who is the granddaughter of Peniel Chapel missionary Ivy Roult. What a wonderful contact! I have been talking with her a lot and learnt that she is a pastor, her husband also is a pastor, and they have 2 daughters.

At Green Pastures I saw a White-naped Jay and a Wild Cavy.

 One day Samson went to Gaza where he spent a night with a prostitute. When the people heard he was there they waylaid him aiming to kill him at dawn at the city gate. However Samson got up in the night, took hold of the doors of the city gate plus the posts and bar and carried them to the top of a hill!

Some time later he fell in love with Delilah. Samson had a problem with women, but this time was to be his final downfall. For the Philistine rulers asked Delilah to discover what was the secret source of his extraordinary strength. Samson strung Delilah along every time she asked him for the secret of his strength. First he said the secret was by tying him up with 7 fresh thongs. Then he said the secret was new ropes. Then came another lie involving the 7 braids of his head. However every time Delilah tried these things they came to nothing.  Nevertheless Delilah kept on nagging Samson until one day he finally caved in telling her the truth that the secret of his strength was in his Nazarite vow and that he had never cut his hair. So the Philistines were able to capture him, gouge out his eyes, put him in bronze shackles and set him to grinding in the prison. But his hair started to grow again!

Then the Philistines organized a celebration in their temple to their god Dagon rejoicing at the capture and demise of Samson. There were about 3,000 people in the temple looking at Samson leaning against the temple’s 2 central pillars. So Samson asked God for strength one more time as he pushed the pillars with all his might. The temple collapsed killing everyone so that Samson “killed many more when he died than while he lived”.

Samson was infuriated that his ex-wife had been given to a friend, especially when he had second thoughts about her but was refused access to her by her father. Samson therefore came up with a plan of vengeance catching 100 foxes, tying burning torches to their tales and decimating the Philistines crops in the process. The Philistines therefore burnt Samson’s ex-wife and ex-father-in-law to death, and captured Samson tying him up. Samson however broke free and killed a thousand of them with the jaw-bone of a donkey! Then Samson found himself dying of thirst but God quenched his thirst and restored his strength through fresh water from a spring. And Samson led Israel as judge for 20 years.

Samson grew up and fell in love with a Philistine woman much to his parents’ displeasure. Whilst in the courting process Samson was attacked by a young lion, but the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he ripped the lion apart with his bare hands. Some time later, when he went back to marry, he saw a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass with honey, and him and his parents ate the honey.

In the 7-day wedding feast Samson set his 30 Philistine companions a riddle to solve within the 7 days, promising a prize of clothes for each of them if they could solve the riddle. However if they failed they would have to present him with 30 sets of clothing. The men struggled in vain to solve the riddle so they threatened his wife if she didn’t discover it for them. When she did this Samson was furious and he went and killed 30 Philistines to get their clothes for the prize! But Samson’s marriage was soon over and his wife was given to a friend.

Following the death of judge Abdon the Israelites abandoned God’s way and he punished them with 40 years of Philistine domination as a consequence. 

Then a man called Manoah, who had a sterile wife, received a visit from the angel of the Lord telling her she was to have a child who would be a Nazarite (Numbers 6) and when he was born she wasn’t allowed to cut his hair. As from that moment the woman could not drink anything fermented or eat anything unclean. When she shared the good news with Manoah, her husband, he prayed that the angel of the Lord would re-appear to them.

Then the angel of the Lord did re-appear and confirmed all he had said the first time, but Manoah didn’t realize who he was. Manoah offered him food which he refused, but he suggested he could offer a burnt offering unto the Lord. When Manoah burnt the offering the angel of the Lord went up in the flame making him finally realize who he was. So it was that the couple had a son whom they called Samson and he grew in God’s blessing with his spirit stirring in him.

In this chapter a civil war broke out between the Gileadites and the Ephraimites. It started because the Ephraimites were angry at not having been called to join the fight against the Ammonites. Probably they felt the lack of prestige and missed out on the bounty! The ensuing battle saw a great defeat of the Ephraimites with the loss of 42,000 men! The victorious Jephthah remained strong and led Israel for 6 years.

Following Jephthah the next judge of Israel, the 10th, was Ibzan of Bethlehem who had 30 sons and 30 daughters and who ruled for 7 years. Ibzan was followed by Elon the Zebulunite who was judge for 10 years. The 12th judge was Abdon who led Israel for 8 years. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons who all rode donkeys. 

With the small amount of rainfall that we received this rainy season our wells are in deep trouble. For when we have normal rains this raises the underground water levels which hasn’t happened this year. This year’s rainy season was the worst for 10 years. The Green Pastures lake is bone dry and for our youth conference later this month, from the 20th to 22nd, we will totally be dependent on our 2 wells for showers, toilets, cooking, cleaning etc. for 250 people. Our main well burnt out its submersible electric pump owing to the low water level and we had to replace it. Now our secondary pump/well has burnt out and we will need to replace it as we need both wells for the large crowd of youth. Please pray.

I have just prepared a wedding ceremony that I will be conducting on June 19th at Junco do Seridó between Kelvin and Ana Beatriz. Both are Christians and Ana Beatriz is a member of the Patos church. Kelvin is from the extreme south of Brazil and they met via the internet. One unusual thing about the wedding ceremony is that the couple have requested no music, but I pray that their marriage will be full of sweet music! 💕🎶

Jephthah was a mighty warrior – son of Gilead with a prostitute – and he was driven away by the legitimate sons of Gilead. However when the potential Ammonite conflict was imminent they went after Jephthah asking him to lead them into battle. Jephthah initially resisted the idea, but eventually agreed as they promised him he would head over all. 

Initially Jephthah attempted a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Ammonites but this was unsuccessful. Then the Spirit of God came upon Jephthah and he made a rash vow telling the Lord that he would sacrifice whatever came out of his front door if her returned from battle victorious. Thus Jephthah had victory in his battle with the Ammonites and devasted 20 of their towns. However he was gutted with he got home to be met by his only daughter and he told her of his vow! She accepted her destiny but asked for 2 months to prepare for this. Then Jephthah killed his only child and offered her as a burnt offering to God, and her biggest regret seems to have been that she died a virgin without getting married.

After the time of Abimelech a judge named Tola rose to save Israel and he led for 23 years. He was followed by Jair of Gilead who led Israel for 22 years. Jair had 30 donkey-riding sons who controlled 30 towns in Gilead. 

After 45 years of peace and blessing the Israelites again backslid into the worship of multiple pagan gods which greatly angered the Lord so that he gave them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites who shattered and crushed them for a sad period of 18 years.

Eventually the Israelites repented of their sin and cried to God for help and deliverance, but God told them to resort to their pagan gods! Hence Israel got rid of their pagan idols and God agreed to help them as he couldn’t bear to see Israel in such misery any longer. Thus the Israelites faced the Ammonites with the agreement that whichever Israelite launched the attack would be made leader of Gilead. 

A serious gas explosion has occurred in Patos gravely injuring one woman and setting alight the house. In Brazil cooking gas is supplied by cylinders and not by pipe, and this cylinder apparently exploded. Please pray for the woman called Kelly who is in intensive care in Campina Grande. Further news has just emerged saying that the fire was in fact caused as a result of a domestic dispute.

I led the Sunday night service and co-pastor Rafael preached on Joel 2. It was the communion service and it was very good. 

Just before the service started at Green Pastures on Saturday a minute snake appeared on the floor causing consternation amongst the children. It looked like a worm but it was a snake which a woman killed before I had a chance to intervene.

Liz and I went to a wake yesterday of the mother of one of our church members called Ivete. A wake in Brazil takes place before the funeral with an open coffin. 

Liz and I have the flu. 😒

Our Juazeirinho church, led by Pastor Leandro, has just started a new work in the rural area of Sussuarana where they held a blessed inaugural service. Please pray for this church plant together with another church plant which this church has at the Sítio Antonio Ferreira which is also in a farming area.

Last night I both led and preached at our Green Pastures service which went very well. I went early to be able to have a look around whilst there was still light and I encountered a Roadside Hawk, various Crested Caracara digging up and eating wild peanuts, Tropical Screech Owl and Campo Troupial.

I preached on John 2, first with Jesus doing his first miracle as his commitment to the value of marriage, and as his caring for human happiness (600 litres of wine!) with the best kept for last. Then second the clearing out of the temple opposing financial exploitation of religion.

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Statistics for 2024 show an increase in smokers in Brazil from 9.3% of the population to 11.6%. The government expressed its alarm because it is the first increase since 2007. The percentage of smokers in the UK is 11.9% and it is steadily falling.

Believe it or not it is snowing in Brazil and temperatures have dropped below zero! This is not however where we live in northeast Brazil where temperatures continue as normal in the 30s, but in the extreme south 3,200 km (2,000 miles) from us!

We have just started up a new market garden project on the small-holding of Nabor and Aparecida in the Caroá community. We kitted them out with an electric pump, piping for irrigation with drip and aspersion attachments, fruit tree seedlings and vegetable seeds, gardening tools, wheelbarrow, boxes for transporting produce to market and shading netting.

We went to our grandson John David’s graduation ball till 3 am! 😴 Everything went off very well. The music was a bit loud, but I should be able to hear again in about 3 days! 🙉😂

We are now back in Patos to take the weekend services here and at Green Pastures where I will be preaching.

I have just had a delicious morning snack of mango and kiwi. 😋

I went and had a nice look round Green Pastures and saw a Crested Caracara eating a dead fox. I also saw other birds: Great Kiskadee, Blue-black Grassquit, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Roadside Hawk, Boat-billed Flycatcher and Ruddy Ground-Dove. I also saw a flock of House Sparrows which is not to be sneezed at in this day and age of reduced numbers of sparrows. I hear that they are down by half in England.

The Patos Men’s Fellowship held another street meeting in the town of São Mamede. Over 50 attended and one decision was made for Christ at the end.

Our Action School at Imaculada has taken in an extra 11 pupils as requested by the Council schools, taking the total number of children we teach up to 846. These dear very needy 11 children are special cases needing extra care and attention as they are between 10 and 12 years of age but cannot, read, write or do the simplest of sums as they are totally illiterate. Some are from farms and others are from broken homes and some are abandoned children. Please pray.

Yesterday the life squad evangelized in the prison and reported real attention from the prisoners. Please pray.

We are on the coast in the state capital João Pessoa for our grandson John David’s graduation ball as he qualifies to be a medical doctor. He has done very well and we are very proud of him. We pray that God will bless him to be a warm, caring and competent doctor.

I led the Sunday main service of the week, together with my co-pastor Rafael, and lawyer Murilo preached on ‘the glory of God’ from Isaiah 60. The children sang a song in the service and I gave a report on the general conference.

Yesterday I had a good meeting with Gerlania and Adriana about our Pastor Frank Dyer School and another meeting with Pastor Rafael about pastoral issues.

I saw a beautiful Savanna Hawk yesterday with its beautiful golden outstretched wings of about 1.38 metres. 

 Abimelech was the son of Gideon with a concubine in Shechem, and after Gideon’s death he conspired with the Shechemites against his 70 half-brothers to become king by killing his half-siblings and seizing power to rule over Israel for 3 years. Abimelech’s only half-brother to survive the slaughter was Jotham. 

When Jotham learned of his brothers’ massacrer he climbed Mount Gerizim and shouted a parabolic curse upon the citizens of Shechem. Jotham’s parable said that the trees decided to anoint a king and first of all they approached the olive tree which turned it down saying it preferred its olive oil. Then the fig tree was approached which also refused kingship as it preferred its sweet fruit. Then the vine was offered the post but it also refused preferring to produce wine “which cheers gods and men”. Finally the trees approached the worthless thorn-bush (Abimelech) whom they made king! Jotham concluded by saying that if the people had acted honourably and in good faith then may they be happy with Abimelech. However if the opposite was the case then let fire consume them!

Abimelech, having ruled for 3 years, fell out with the Shechemites as “an evil spirit” came between them leading them to join forces with Gaal to overthrow Abimelech. However he got wind of the revolt and quelled it by attacking and destroying the city and covering it with salt! The last stronghold in the city was the Tower of Shechem which Abimelech set fire to killing a thousand people inside it. 

Finally Abimelech attacked the city of Thebez where he also attacked its tower, but before he could set fire to it a woman dropped a millstone on his head cracking his skull. As he died he ordered his armour-bearer to finish him off with his sword as he was ashamed of being killed by a woman! The curse of Jotham had come to pass.

 Liz and I have just got home in Patos after a superb general conference in Itaporanga. There was a lovely spirit of unity throughout. We had 3 general assemblies and 1 celebration service at which I preached and Pastor Wostenes led. We ordained one new minister, Vera from Ibiara. We gave one new pastor probationary ministerial status, Jair from the second church in Princesa Isabel. We received 4 back into ministerial status as missionaries: Betânia, Antonio, Joselita and Jucineide. We sadly removed one pastor, Gersé from Princesa Isabel, from ministerial status.

Our church at São Vicente do Seridó was moved from the category of medium sized church to large church. We received information about a new church plant in Campina Grande in the borough of Cuités. We also received news of another new church plant planned for the north side of João Pessoa to be led by the Campina Grande Catolé church as from January 2026. This new church plant will be led by Thyago and Letícia. We also decided that Guilherme Santos will go and live and work in Ipueira in 2026 as a missionary.

It was decided that next year’s general conference will be in João Pessoa and next years 10-day outreach will be in Soledade. It was also decided that as from August a new Action School will commence at Juazeirinho. 

One of the advantages of living in the tropics is the fruit. One delicious example is the custard apple which I have just eaten. Other examples are jack fruits, which Frank and I used to compete to see who could eat the most by counting the stones at the end, mangoes and soursop. 

Yesterday we had 3 counselling sessions with 3 different people. We also have been preparing for the general conference in Itaporanga which starts today. I will be leading the 4 general assemblies and preaching the keynote sermon in the closing celebration. Please pray for us and the conference.

I went to Green Pastures and saw a lot of birds such as the Great Kiskadee, Red-legged Seriema, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Campo Troupial, Red-cowled Cardinal, Caatinga Cacholote, Glittering-bellied Emerald and Picui Ground-Dove.

We are just about to leave for the General Conference at Itaporanga where all our church leaders will be gathered to bring reports, discuss the work of the Lord and plan together for the future.

A 4-year-old little boy has just died in a Patos hospital having been bitten by a snake which was hidden under the sofa at his home!

3 more decisions for Christ have been registered by older children at our Matureia Action School. We rejoice! Please pray for EAB’s Action School project. 

I am very glad to hear from the London School of Theology, where I did my Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, that a survey conducted by the Bible Society, in conjunction with YouGov, shows that since 2018 the number of 18 to 24-year-olds attending church regularly in England and Wales has risen four-fold from 4% to 16%, with young men’s attendance in that age bracket rising from 4% to 21%. It is, as they put it, a silent revival! 🙌 In the same period there has been an 87% increase in the sale of Bibles in the UK. 

Last night I took part in the Patos Men’s Fellowship. School teacher Claudivan led the meeting, Tiago and Dedé led the praise, and pastor Rafael led the Biblical reflection on the prodigal son’s elder brother. It was a good meeting with 13 present.

It rained 10 mm at Green Pastures last night.

Initially in this chapter Gideon defuses a tense situation with the Ephraimites who objected to having been left out of the battle against the Midianites. Gideon and his 300 men were exhausted, but kept pursuing the remnant of the Midianite army and defeated the remaining 10,000 men at Karkor out of an original army of 120,000 men. Gideon also captured the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna and he personally killed them.

Gideon took revenge on the towns of Succoth and Peniel for having refused to give them material support in the battle. They may have refused help because they were afraid of Midianite reprisals.

The Israelites were thrilled with Gideon’s defeat of Midian and wanted to make him King as a consequence, but Gideon turned this down. He however asked for the golden ear-rings from the plunder which gave him 19.5 kg of gold. With this he made a golden ephod which sadly became an object of idolatry for the people as well as for Gideon and his family.

During Gideon’s lifetime there was peace in Israel for 40 years. He had many wives, he had 70 sons, and still he had a son called Abimelech with a concubine! Gideon died at a ripe old age, and no sooner had he gone than the people returned to pagan Baal worship. 

The Midianites and Israelites were camped on opposing sides of a valley when God told Gideon that he had too many men. So God told Gideon to instruct all that were afraid to go home, and 22,000 did so leaving just 10,000 fighting men. However God still felt the Israelites were too many, so he instructed Gideon to get the men to drink water and those that cupped the water in their hands would be chosen for battle, and just 300 remained! So God had reduced Israel from 32,000 to 300 to make sure Israel realized that the victory was given by God. 

Gideon, encouraged by an overheard Midianite dream, led the 300 men to attack the Midianite camp at night, and using trumpets, torches and battle cries they sowed panic and mayhem in the camp causing them to turn on each other and flee, and producing a resounding victory for Israel. Then Gideon called in reinforcements to aid in the pursuit, and they captured and killed two of the Midianite leaders and took their heads to Gideon!

Having enjoyed 40 years of peace, after Deborah’s victory, sadly Israel fell back into its old sinful ways of pagan religion so that God gave them into the the hands of the Midianites for 7 years. They severely persecuted and impoverished Israel taking much of their crops and livestock. 

So Israel cried to the Lord for help and he sent them a prophet to tell them the obvious that their plight was of their own idolatrous doing. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to a man called Gideon saying that the Lord was with him. Gideon questioned this fact in the light of Midianite domination. God told Gideon that he was sending him to deliver Israel from Midian, but Gideon saw himself as insufficient for the task. God however guaranteed that he would be with him to give victory over the Midianites. 

So Gideon prepared a goat, broth and bread and offered it to the angel of the Lord placing it on a rock. Then the angel touched the rock with his staff and fire flared from the rock consuming everything, and there Gideon built an altar. That night God told Gideon to tear down the altar to Baal and cut down the pagan Asherah pole and erect there an altar to God where he should sacrifice a bull as a burnt offering. The following morning when the people saw what Gideon had done they wanted to kill him, but Gideon told them that if Baal was a real god he should be able to defend his own altar!

Then the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern people faced up against Israel in the Valley of Jezreel. So Gideon put out a fleece to be sure God would give them the victory as promised, and the fleece was wet whilst the ground was dry as he had asked of the Lord. Yet still Gideon was in doubt and put out another fleece asking for a dry fleece this time on wet ground, and again this happened with the Lord confirming victory by his mercy and grace.

The song of Deborah contained in this chapter is a song of victory sung by judge and prophetess Deborah, leader of Israel, and Barak, her military commander, after having defeated the Canaanite king Jabin’s army and killed its commander Sisera. The song gives praise to God for being the cause of the victory, and highlights the courage of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for killing Sisera. Deborah sang too about God raising her up as a mother in Israel when they were downtrodden by their enemies. She praised Israel’s army commanders for having followed her and Barak into their battle for freedom. She also commends the tribes that took part in the battle: Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulon, Issachar and part of Manasseh, whilst criticizing the tribes that abstained: Reuben, Dan, Asher and part of Manasseh. Towards the end the song focuses on Sisera’s mother who will never see her son again. The song closes with a curse on all the Lord’s enemies and a blessing on all who love the Lord “like the sun when it rises in its strength”. Israel then enjoyed 40 years of peace.

I saw 2 Red-legged Seriemas at Green Pastures on Saturday. They are big birds just short of a metre high. They ran away from me in the jeep as they rarely fly. I also saw Eared Doves, White-tipped Doves, Great Ani (with a nest), Burrowing Owls, Ferruginous Pigmy-Owl and Caatinga Cacholotes. I saw a number of Cavies too.

I preached on Saturday night at the Green Pastures church and there were 30 local folk present in a lovely service. I preached on John 1:43-51 when Jesus called Philip and Nathanael. Nega led the worship and over 10 people took part with songs and Bible readings.

I have done a lot of administrative work on the EAB Action Schools Project translating our 15 schools’ reports and sending them to Marian in the UK. Please pray for our Action Schools which currently ministers to 835 needy children which you can help sponsor for £25 a month. 

I have just watched a fascinating duel between 2 male Ruddy Ground-Doves disputing a female with the poor female in the middle!

Last night I led the main service of the week in Patos at night, aided by my assistant pastor Rafael. I also preached a clear Gospel message from John 1: “Behold the Lamb of God” (v29) / “We have found the Messiah” (v41) / “You are the Son of God” (v49). It was a good service with a full church.

Today is our grandson Lucas’s 18th birthday there in England. Lucas is a fine young man at Queen Mary’s College studying history,  photography and esports. Happy birthday Lucas!

This chapter is a real turn-up for the books within such a patriarchal society as Israel. For now a woman named Deborah was the judge who ruled the land! Israel had slipped back into disobedience after Ehud, and this led to them being dominated by a Canaanite king whose name was Jabin and whose army commander was Sisera. Sisera cruelly oppressed Israel for 20 years with his 900 iron chariots. Then Israel cried to the Lord for help.

It was judge and prophetess Deborah who led Israel out of their trouble. She commanded Barak to lead 10,000 men to Mount Tabor to there defeat Sisera, but Barak said he would only go if Deborah went with him, to which she agreed. They then engaged with Sisera in battle at Mount Tabor and delivered them a crushing defeat, with Sisera fleeing for his life to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. She gave Sisera milk to drink as he was thirsty and exhausted, and then he went to sleep. There Jael drove a tent peg into his head and killed him.

So it was that Israel was delivered from the Canaanite king and his mighty army. Judge Deborah led Israel into routing Sisera’s army and Jael finished off Sisera who was the Canaanite army’s commander in chief! The women, Deborah and Jael, were used by God to bring complete victory to Israel!

The text starts by saying that God left the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites in the promised land to test Israel’s faithfulness and to give battle experience to the younger generation, but this living together led to inter-marriage and inter-religious practices.

When Israel served the pagan Baals and Asherahs God punished them with 8 years of domination by the king of north-west Mesopotamia called Cushan-Rishathaim. Only when the people turned back to the Lord did God raise up the delivering judge Othniel, who was Caleb’s younger brother, to set them free for a period of 40 years until Othniel died.

Then history repeated itself with the Israelites returning to paganism and prohibited inter-marriage resulting in them being 18 years under the rule of Eglon, king of Moab. Finally Israel cried unto the Lord who raised up a left-handed judge called Ehud (it is interesting this detail of being left-handed!) who tricked King Eglon into being alone with him and he stabbed him to death. The ensuing battle saw the death of 10,000 Moabites, the subjugation Moab and peace in the land for 80 years.

After Ehud came judge Shamgar who killed 600 Philistines with an ox-goad!

As you probably know deforestation has been a serious problem in Brazil in recent years. So you will appreciate my joy this morning when I saw the headlines of my daily Brazilian newspaper online ‘Folha de São Paulo’ telling me that in 2024 deforestation declined 32.4% in comparison with the previous year. 🌳🌴🌵

Liz and I have just had another counselling session. Sometimes these sessions leave us with heavy hearts and near to tears, but we can only ask for prayer and leave things with the Lord. 🙏

I was very sad to see the news from one of our 15 little schools that 2 little boys have been abandoned by their mother and live with their father who is very poor and doesn’t enjoy good health. I can’t go into detail in such a public place as this, but I do ask you to pray for this family. 

Today is our great friend Marian Rashleigh’s birthday. Happy birthday Marian! Have a great day!

This week I am preaching 3 times. On Tuesday night I travelled to São Mamede where I preached in a street service with 50 people in attendance. I preached on Mark 3:1-12 on Jesus’ healing of a man with a shrivelled hand. On Saturday I will preach at Green Pastures and on Sunday I will be preaching in Patos. I value your prayers.

This year the EAB/ACEV Action Schools are helping and teaching a total of 835 needy children making sure they know how to read and write well and can do their sums and times tables, plus teaching them about Jesus and feeding them. Please do help us support this important work in 15 little schools which will hopefully increase to 16 in August. For £25 a month you can support this wonderful work. The current 15 little schools are as follows with the number of children in brackets: Caroá (11), Manaira (19), Juru (15), Imaculada (22), Patos (272), Soledade (10), Matureia (253), Itaporanga (15), Tavares (17), Princesa Isabel (80), Flores (18), Vazante (16), Barra de Oitis (21), Ibiara (14) and Campina Grande (52).

I have just concluded the third of 3 counselling sessions. I can’t go into details, but value your prayers.

Our market garden project at the Lage de Onça Community in the municipality of Tavares is going exceptionally well producing lettuce, coriander, spring onions, okra, marrow, cabbage, passion fruit, paw-paw, barbadian cherry, pomegranate, lemons, guava and sweet potatoes. All is grown without using chemical pesticides, using natural defensive methods as taught by the project. All is readily marketed in Tavares and Princesa Isabel to the government school meals project.

The town of Serrinha dos Pintos is not far from Patos (186 km) in the neighbouring state of Rio Grande do Norte where EAB/ACEV has a small church at Ipueira. It was my sister Jean who drew my attention to a fascinating article by the BBC about this town and its prevalent condition called Spoan syndrome which has only recently been discovered by Brazilian geneticist Silvana Santos. The high number of cousins married in the town contributed to this which means many in the town end up in wheelchairs.

On Sunday night I led the special service allusive to Mother’s Day at which our daughter Sacha preached an excellent sermon on Matthew 15:21-28 in which she focused on the Canaanite mother’s fight of faith for her daughter’s well-being. It was a very clever application of the text. The service was lovely with a full church.

It was great to see our grandson Arthur in church again back from Japan. He only arrived back in Patos 3 hours before the service, after a 3-day journey, including being stuck for 14 hours in Brasília owing to a flight cancellation, but he still came. 

Yesterday we went to the wake of our keyboard player Rogério’s uncle who died suddenly. 

The angel of the Lord rebuked Israel at Bokim for not having driven out all the Canaanites and not having destroyed all their pagan religious sites. Hence the Canaanites “will be thorns in their sides and their gods will be snares to them”, and God will withdraw his support. Israel was devastated by this and offered sacrifices to the Lord.

However with time the post-Joshua generation turned to serving the Baal and Ashtoreth pagan gods leading to God withdrawing his support for Israel. (It is impressive how fickle the Israelites’ faith was and how easily they switch to worshipping pagan gods!) 

So God raised up judges to fill the leadership vacuum in Israel. The judges had partial success in leading Israel, but very easily the people of God slipped back into apostacy. This made God very angry and he withdrew his support in driving out the Canaanites, which God said he would now use to test Israel. 

The book of Judges covers a period of about 330 years following the death of Joshua. It was a time which stands in stark contrast to the blessings and conquests of the book of Joshua. For Judges is full of disobedience and idolatry leading to defeats and a cycle of apostacy. 

Chapter 1 relates how the men of Judah and the Simeonites conquered the Canaanites and Perizzites. At Bezek they killed 10,000 men and captured King Adoni-Bezek cutting off his big toes and thumbs! It says they did this cruel act in retribution for him having done this previously to 70 kings. Then the men of Judah captured Jerusalem and attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. In the on-going warfare Caleb promised his daughter Achsar in marriage to the man who helped him conquer Debir, so it was that Caleb’s younger brother Othniel conquered the city and married Achsar. The text goes on to show that the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law were intermingled with the tribe of Judah.

Then the tribes of Judah and Simeon conquered other Canaanite cities including Gaza. However victories were partial as the Israelites were unable to defeat the iron chariots in the plains, and they could not dislodge the Jebusites. Then they conquered Bethel, but in the region as a whole the Canaanites were never completely defeated and so they ended up co-habiting with Israel being frequently reduced to sources of forced labour.

I went to Green Pastures and saw a Spotted Nothura, many Red-Cowled Cardinals, Guira Cuckoos, Picui Ground-Doves, Smooth-billed Anis and Caatinga Cacholotes. This year’s produce of 4 peacocks has been reduced to 1 by predators 🐺. There were still 3 at Easter. Our Cockatiels’ offspring have also been reduced from 2 to 1, but they have now laid more eggs. 🐤

Congratulations to our school at Matureia, where I was on Wednesday, for having received an award for excellency from the town council. They also have received a ‘best of the year’ award as chosen by the general public.🏆All glory be to God! Our school there has 253 pupils. 

The wanderer returns! Our grandson Arthur returned yesterday from his latest international adventure having visited Panama, USA, Japan, South Korea and Peru! I wonder where he’ll be going next year? His final flight from Brasília to Recife was cancelled because of a fight between a passenger and a member of the crew, so Arthur had an annoying and tiring delay to a later flight. Not to worry as Arthur is a lawyer and will sue the airline for the delay!

Yesterday afternoon the senior leadership of the mission held an excellent 2-hour online meeting in preparation for the general conference to be held in Itaporanga on the 23rd and 24th of May. First of all we discussed the conference celebration which Pastor Wostenes will lead and at which I will preach on the ‘Year of Jubilee’. We then discussed the agenda of subjects to be dealt with in the 4 business sessions of the conference. It was an excellent meeting. Please pray for our general conference.

What a wife I have! I have just eaten 7 pancakes! 😋

Today is mother’s day in Brazil and I send a happy mother’s day to all mums!

On Wednesday I drove up the Teixeira Mountain to the town of Matureia where we have a church and school. On the way up the mountain I had to negotiate getting past an enormous broken down lorry which was blocking the road on a sharp bend. At the church I enjoyed good fellowship with the local pastor Renilson and his wife Getiane. I visited the school, which has 260 pupils, as the children were enjoying lovely tropical fruit: melon, banana, water melon and paw-paw, so I joined them!😋I enjoyed hearing Getiane speaking to the school assembly tactfully explaining to the children how to avoid abusive touches and teaching them to tell their mum or their teacher if anyone is abusively bothering them. It was a very good talk, fruit of her wide experience working with children. I was impressed.

From the school I drove a further 15 km to visit a market garden project run by the church piano accordionist called Gilsandro at the Bom Conselho Community. It was so good to see how well his market garden is doing with lettuce, coriander, spring onions, bananas (hundreds of them!), passion fruit and a great number of paw-paw drawing my attention. He told me how simple things like a wheel barrow, which he received as part of the project, is so helpful because he collects manure from neighbouring small-holdings to put on his plants. He thanked a lot for the piping for irrigation, the tools, shading netting etc. which the project gave him. He told me too of the contract he has with the main Matureia ‘Souza’ supermarket to supply fruit and vegetables every day as he has produce ready for market.

Our grandson Arthur is on his way back to Brazil from Japan and has made the 12 hour flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles where he now is. ✈

Last night I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study and Pastor Rafael brought the study on Micah 6:1-8. It was a good service.

Last night too our son Philip attended his graduation ceremony online with the FTSA Bible College, and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology. He concluded the course in December but the graduation ceremony was only now. We give our warmest congratulations to Philip for having achieved this award of a degree officially recognized by the Brazilian Ministry of Education. (MEC)