Categoria: News

I have had a very intense day which started with the first meeting starting at 7:45 am at the project centre. The meeting was to discuss a possible public health project which if it works out could be fantastic. I will not say more about it yet as it is by no means sure. That’s how things are here in the work. People ask to talk to us and sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. If is comes to fruition the project will probably be established on land donated to ACEV by the Patos Council in 2006 which has never  been used for lack of funds. Please pray for this possibility which would be a massive long-term help for the health of thousands of extremely poor people.


After this I initiated the training course for those who are going to work in the new anti-drug project. I introduced the speaker/trainer and generally introduced the entire project idea. 22 came from 8 EAB/ACEVchurches. I stayed for the first part of the course before moving into another meeting. This Friday I will hold a meeting with those from Patos who were trained today to define where we go from here. Watch this space!


I then went into a two hour meeting with our projects coordinator Flávia discussing a very wide rage of projects and issues. It was well worthwhile.


Tomorrow I will be leading the main service of the week in Patos and Philip will be preaching. Your prayers are valued.

My EAB Nutshell Update was dispatched late on Wednesday night, just before midnight, so everyone around the world should have awoken to it in their inbox at breakfast today! If you want to receive a copy please let me know.


Yesterday we had the sad news that Jéssica, our deaf pastor Luiz Carlos’s wife, who is also deaf, lost her unborn baby at 36 weeks weeks of pregancy. When she went to the hospital there was no heartbeat and they estimate there had been no growth of the baby for the past 6 weeks. This is the second baby they have lost. The first was much earlier in pregnancy. So they will now try to discover the cause. Our church support team has been fantastic in all this and the Married Couples Ministry has been amazingly helpful. Thank God for Christians! Please pray for the couple.


On Tuesday I had an excellent meeting with the ‘Native non-stinging Bee’ professor from the university and next Thursday she will be going to our Green Pastures Reserve with me to commence her research. She told me that she found 2 nests of ‘Melipona interrupta’ bees there in tree hollows on her first brief visit which is a good sign of preservation. 


Liz will be giving the Bible study again this evening. 

My EAB Nutshell Update was dispatched late on Wednesday night, just before midnight, so everyone around the world should have awoken to it in their inbox at breakfast today! If you want to receive a copy please let me know.


Yesterday we had the sad news that Jéssica, our deaf pastor Luiz Carlos’s wife, who is also deaf, lost her unborn baby at 36 weeks weeks of pregancy. When she went to the hospital there was no heartbeat and they estimate there had been no growth of the baby for the past 6 weeks. This is the second baby they have lost. The first was much earlier in pregnancy. So they will now try to discover the cause. Our church support team has been fantastic in all this and the Married Couples Ministry has been amazingly helpful. Thank God for Christians! Please pray for the couple.


On Tuesday I had an excellent meeting with the ‘Native non-stinging Bee’ professor from the university and next Thursday she will be going to our Green Pastures Reserve with me to commence her research. She told me that she found 2 nests of ‘Melipona interrupta’ bees there in tree hollows on her first brief visit which is a good sign of preservation. 


Liz will be giving the Bible study again this evening. 

I am very happy to have recently managed to film the Red-nosed Field Mouse (Wiedomys pyrrhorhinos) twice, with the infra-red camera at night, at Green Pastures. This might not seem important to many, but for me it’s fantastic. An environmental expert helped me identify the species. If you’re interested you can see both little 30 second films on my Flickr site https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmedcraft/ . One film was posted today (21st) and the other on the 15th of August. 

I am very happy to have recently managed to film the Red-nosed Field Mouse (Wiedomys pyrrhorhinos) twice, with the infra-red camera at night, at Green Pastures. This might not seem important to many, but for me it’s fantastic. An environmental expert helped me identify the species. If you’re interested you can see both little 30 second films on my Flickr site https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmedcraft/ . One film was posted today (21st) and the other on the 15th of August. 

Please pray for Pastor José Vieira and family in João Pessoa. His brother was a taxi driver and took a young woman to the Cristo borough of João Pessoa not knowing that she was an ex-convict and involved with drugs. Upon reaching the requested destination an ambush awaited her with various men opening fire to kill her, and in the process killed the taxi driver as well!


Pastor José Vieira is the pastor of the second of three EAB/ACEV main churches in João Pessoa in a borough called Cidade Verde. The wake is being conducted right now. Violence in Brazil is at unbelievable levels everywhere. 

Please pray for Pastor José Vieira and family in João Pessoa. His brother was a taxi driver and took a young woman to the Cristo borough of João Pessoa not knowing that she was an ex-convict and involved with drugs. Upon reaching the requested destination an ambush awaited her with various men opening fire to kill her, and in the process killed the taxi driver as well!


Pastor José Vieira is the pastor of the second of three EAB/ACEV main churches in João Pessoa in a borough called Cidade Verde. The wake is being conducted right now. Violence in Brazil is at unbelievable levels everywhere. 

Please pray for Pastor José Vieira and family in João Pessoa. His brother was a taxi driver and took a young woman to the Cristo borough of João Pessoa not knowing that she was an ex-convict and involved with drugs. Upon reaching the requested destination an ambush awaited her with various men opening fire to kill her, and in the process killed the taxi driver as well!


Pastor José Vieira is the pastor of the second of three EAB/ACEV main churches in João Pessoa in a borough called Cidade Verde. The wake is being conducted right now. Violence in Brazil is at unbelievable levels everywhere. 

On Monday evening our meeting with Dedé, who is the leader of the Christians in Action group at the Patos church, was long but very good. It was basically a review of all the different little works the group ministers at, as well as the fellowship group in Patos. Dedé is a quietly spoken unassuming father of two who is incredibly sincere and committed to the Lord and his work. Please remember him and the ministry of this group in your prayers.


On Tuesday morning Liz drove me out to Green Pastures where I had a nice walk of 1.2 km. I was pleased to see how beautifully in flower the Licania Rigida tree is along the banks of the now dry stream. I have not seen it flower so well for years so we hope for many seeds to transform into seedlings to plant along the banks where many have died during the droughts of the last 10 years.


On Tuesday afternoon we had a meeting with 2 single Mums who are to take on the leadership of the church’s singles fellowship. It was nice talking, praying & and planning with them for the future. Then in the evening we chatted to a young Mum who is a Vet and who, together with her husband, will join the other couple already leading the married couples Fellowship to try and shake it up a bit.


Today I’m working on my sermon for Sunday amongst many other administrative matters. 

On Monday evening our meeting with Dedé, who is the leader of the Christians in Action group at the Patos church, was long but very good. It was basically a review of all the different little works the group ministers at, as well as the fellowship group in Patos. Dedé is a quietly spoken unassuming father of two who is incredibly sincere and committed to the Lord and his work. Please remember him and the ministry of this group in your prayers.


On Tuesday morning Liz drove me out to Green Pastures where I had a nice walk of 1.2 km. I was pleased to see how beautifully in flower the Licania Rigida tree is along the banks of the now dry stream. I have not seen it flower so well for years so we hope for many seeds to transform into seedlings to plant along the banks where many have died during the droughts of the last 10 years.


On Tuesday afternoon we had a meeting with 2 single Mums who are to take on the leadership of the church’s singles fellowship. It was nice talking, praying & and planning with them for the future. Then in the evening we chatted to a young Mum who is a Vet and who, together with her husband, will join the other couple already leading the married couples Fellowship to try and shake it up a bit.


Today I’m working on my sermon for Sunday amongst many other administrative matters. 

Yesterday was Father’s Day in Brazil, the 2nd Sunday in August. The second in May is for Mums. I managed to lead and preach and all went well. A packed church, lovely P&W, a good slot for the Dads and then I preached the Word. 


Please pray for Tarcísio at Green Pastures whose elderly parents are ill. His Dad (87) had his leg amputated last week and now his Mum (77) has been taken ill. We took more food for the hungry to folk from the Green Pastures area as things are tough for everyone, especially for the poor.


We’ve a lot of meetings this week. Tonight is with the leader of the Christians in Action group. Tomorrow we have meetings with the married couple’s potential new leaders and later with the singles potential new leaders. I have a meeting with a Baptist pastor friend on Thursday and on Friday with our deaf pastor. Sunday is the Patos church members meeting.


Today, 15 years ago, my dear Dad died whilst on a visit to us. We have many happy memories of dear Dad and praise God for his blessed life.

Yesterday was Father’s Day in Brazil, the 2nd Sunday in August. The second in May is for Mums. I managed to lead and preach and all went well. A packed church, lovely P&W, a good slot for the Dads and then I preached the Word. 


Please pray for Tarcísio at Green Pastures whose elderly parents are ill. His Dad (87) had his leg amputated last week and now his Mum (77) has been taken ill. We took more food for the hungry to folk from the Green Pastures area as things are tough for everyone, especially for the poor.


We’ve a lot of meetings this week. Tonight is with the leader of the Christians in Action group. Tomorrow we have meetings with the married couple’s potential new leaders and later with the singles potential new leaders. I have a meeting with a Baptist pastor friend on Thursday and on Friday with our deaf pastor. Sunday is the Patos church members meeting.


Today, 15 years ago, my dear Dad died whilst on a visit to us. We have many happy memories of dear Dad and praise God for his blessed life.

Yesterday was Father’s Day in Brazil, the 2nd Sunday in August. The second in May is for Mums. I managed to lead and preach and all went well. A packed church, lovely P&W, a good slot for the Dads and then I preached the Word. 


Please pray for Tarcísio at Green Pastures whose elderly parents are ill. His Dad (87) had his leg amputated last week and now his Mum (77) has been taken ill. We took more food for the hungry to folk from the Green Pastures area as things are tough for everyone, especially for the poor.


We’ve a lot of meetings this week. Tonight is with the leader of the Christians in Action group. Tomorrow we have meetings with the married couple’s potential new leaders and later with the singles potential new leaders. I have a meeting with a Baptist pastor friend on Thursday and on Friday with our deaf pastor. Sunday is the Patos church members meeting.


Today, 15 years ago, my dear Dad died whilst on a visit to us. We have many happy memories of dear Dad and praise God for his blessed life.

The funeral service of a very faithful EAB supporter, Peter House, will be held on Monday, August 21, at 1pm at Emmanuel Church, Shirley Road, Southampton. We praise God for Peter’s 90 years lived for God and for his faithful encouragement and support for the work of EAB. Our prayers are with Margaret and the family.

The funeral service of a very faithful EAB supporter, Peter House, will be held on Monday, August 21, at 1pm at Emmanuel Church, Shirley Road, Southampton. We praise God for Peter’s 90 years lived for God and for his faithful encouragement and support for the work of EAB. Our prayers are with Margaret and the family.

We had a great communion service in Patos last night. The praise and worship was really blessed. The church was full as usual. There was a nice moment of thanksgiving in the service for the promotion of our previously Captain in the Military Police Esaú who has just been promoted to Major. Philip led the service very well.


It was so nice when my time came to preach and the Lord really blessed and strengthened me and I preached without any feeling of weakness or the likes. PTL! The sermon flowed really well and by the feedback I had from many people afterwards I feel many were blessed. God is good.


After the service I had some meetings with different leaders and I got home tired but not half as tired as a week earlier when I had done nothing and felt exhausted. 


My surgical wound is now completely healed. PTL! No more dressings and stuff. So good! Steadily stronger. 


Tomorrow we have a meeting of the Patos church senior leadership in preparation for a general church business meeting on August 20th in the morning.

Last night I returned to church having last been there on the last Sunday in June. So I missed 4 Sundays in July and was back for the last Sunday of the month of July. It was good to be back. PTL! I just opened the service with a few words and prayer. Philip led the service and Elaine from the Patos Bible College spoke. It all went well. I found it quite tiring, but first time back is always like this after health problems. I hope to be strong enough to preach next Sunday.


I was asked to write an article for the principal nationwide evangelical magazine in Brazil called ‘Ultimato’ and I managed to do this over the last few days. My deadline was today. I have already received good feedback from the magazine so that is nice. 


I have a meeting tonight in my office with leaders of the Action Child programme. I’m slowly getting back to normal! Most of the surgical wound is now healed – just one section still open. Patience! We’re getting there! PTL!

Last night I returned to church having last been there on the last Sunday in June. So I missed 4 Sundays in July and was back for the last Sunday of the month of July. It was good to be back. PTL! I just opened the service with a few words and prayer. Philip led the service and Elaine from the Patos Bible College spoke. It all went well. I found it quite tiring, but first time back is always like this after health problems. I hope to be strong enough to preach next Sunday.


I was asked to write an article for the principal nationwide evangelical magazine in Brazil called ‘Ultimato’ and I managed to do this over the last few days. My deadline was today. I have already received good feedback from the magazine so that is nice. 


I have a meeting tonight in my office with leaders of the Action Child programme. I’m slowly getting back to normal! Most of the surgical wound is now healed – just one section still open. Patience! We’re getting there! PTL!

Thanks for your prayers. I went back to see the surgeon in João Pessoa and he was very pleased with my progress to recovery. PTL! I ended the antibiotics on Tuesday thankfully and now it’s a matter of continually changing the dressings of the wound which he says will still take some time to totally heal. He removed the last 6 stitches. I can’t drive for another month. The surgery was 4 weeks ago this Friday.


Please pray for a serious problem we have just learnt of at Soledade. I can’t say anything about it at this stage. Just please pray. We are lining up another pastor to go there and support and counsel. 


This Saturday the Patos church children will be spending the day at Green Pastures as the final event in their holiday activities which have been excellent this year. The following two days after this a team of researchers will move in to Green Pastures for 2 days of further research into lizards.


This Sunday’s main service will be evangelistic. Please pray.

Thanks for your prayers. I went back to see the surgeon in João Pessoa and he was very pleased with my progress to recovery. PTL! I ended the antibiotics on Tuesday thankfully and now it’s a matter of continually changing the dressings of the wound which he says will still take some time to totally heal. He removed the last 6 stitches. I can’t drive for another month. The surgery was 4 weeks ago this Friday.


Please pray for a serious problem we have just learnt of at Soledade. I can’t say anything about it at this stage. Just please pray. We are lining up another pastor to go there and support and counsel. 


This Saturday the Patos church children will be spending the day at Green Pastures as the final event in their holiday activities which have been excellent this year. The following two days after this a team of researchers will move in to Green Pastures for 2 days of further research into lizards.


This Sunday’s main service will be evangelistic. Please pray.

The weekend services in Patos went off great. Philip did a great job and preached very well last night.

The weekend services in Patos went off great. Philip did a great job and preached very well last night.

I have been feeling somewhat brighter today. Thanks for your prayers.


Philip will be leading church this Sunday in Patos so please pray for him too.

I have been feeling somewhat brighter today. Thanks for your prayers.


Philip will be leading church this Sunday in Patos so please pray for him too.

All was going well after my surgery, but then I developed a post-op infection which complicated everything. I have taken and am taking loads of expensive antibiotics and was quite rough. I now feel a bit better but it’s going to be a slower recovery now. I value your prayers.

All was going well after my surgery, but then I developed a post-op infection which complicated everything. I have taken and am taking loads of expensive antibiotics and was quite rough. I now feel a bit better but it’s going to be a slower recovery now. I value your prayers.

I have this week completed the writing of a new drama for church. I have done this before writing Christmas plays but this is the first play about mission. I wrote it in conjunction with Liz and church drama leader Dilma. It is an entirely true story from our history and I believe will be most impactive and moving. I will say no more about it now so as to maintain the surprise. You can see it’s first performance live in the special mission service on September 3rd, marking the 79th anniversary of our founders arrival in Brazil in 1938.


Liz will be driving me now to João Pessoa to get my surgery checked over with the surgeon.

I have this week completed the writing of a new drama for church. I have done this before writing Christmas plays but this is the first play about mission. I wrote it in conjunction with Liz and church drama leader Dilma. It is an entirely true story from our history and I believe will be most impactive and moving. I will say no more about it now so as to maintain the surprise. You can see it’s first performance live in the special mission service on September 3rd, marking the 79th anniversary of our founders arrival in Brazil in 1938.


Liz will be driving me now to João Pessoa to get my surgery checked over with the surgeon.

I left the hospital on Sunday morning and we stayed till the Monday in João Pessoa before heading back to Patos. It was a very tiring journey straight after surgery but Liz did very well driving very fast to get me home as quickly as possible. On the Sunday night we watched the entire service in Patos via the Internet and that went very well. PTL!


We got back to Patos at 3.35 pm yesterday (Monday) and I was particularly exhausted. Today I feel a bit brighter. It’s a matter of taking things steady now and resting plenty so that everything heals nicely.

I left the hospital on Sunday morning and we stayed till the Monday in João Pessoa before heading back to Patos. It was a very tiring journey straight after surgery but Liz did very well driving very fast to get me home as quickly as possible. On the Sunday night we watched the entire service in Patos via the Internet and that went very well. PTL!


We got back to Patos at 3.35 pm yesterday (Monday) and I was particularly exhausted. Today I feel a bit brighter. It’s a matter of taking things steady now and resting plenty so that everything heals nicely.

Late in the afternoon this Friday I went down to sugery in a João Pessoa hospital to finally get my inguinal hérnia fixed. The operation took longer than had been expected because the hernia turned out be larger than originally thought. Nevertheless all went well and I hope to be discharged on Sunday morning. We plan to go to Patos on Monday. I had a shower this morning and had the dressing changed . I am back to normal food today which is helpful. Thanks for your prayers. Philip will be leading the service in Patos.