Categoria: News

I have completed today the preparation of my sermon for this Sunday’s celebration service in Patos. The subject will be: “The Church’s Mission for 2015 and always”. The month of January is the big holiday month here (like August in the UK) so many go away whilst others turn up in Patos visiting family and friends – so you never know how full the church will be. 


Being holiday month it’s that time again when some give up 10 days of their holiday for the 10-day Outreach with a team usually around 60 strong. This year the Outreach will be at Soledade from January 9th to 19th so please note this down to include in your prayers.


Sacha goes off tomorrow for a month’s teacher training course in Recife linked to the English Language School – so please pray for her too as it is a very intense course linked to Cambridge. Her daughters will stay with us.


Yesterday we received just 3mm of rain at Green Pastures which is very little, but better than nothing. It’s a start to what we hope will be a good rainy season in this first half of the year.

I have completed today the preparation of my sermon for this Sunday’s celebration service in Patos. The subject will be: “The Church’s Mission for 2015 and always”. The month of January is the big holiday month here (like August in the UK) so many go away whilst others turn up in Patos visiting family and friends – so you never know how full the church will be. 


Being holiday month it’s that time again when some give up 10 days of their holiday for the 10-day Outreach with a team usually around 60 strong. This year the Outreach will be at Soledade from January 9th to 19th so please note this down to include in your prayers.


Sacha goes off tomorrow for a month’s teacher training course in Recife linked to the English Language School – so please pray for her too as it is a very intense course linked to Cambridge. Her daughters will stay with us.


Yesterday we received just 3mm of rain at Green Pastures which is very little, but better than nothing. It’s a start to what we hope will be a good rainy season in this first half of the year.

I sort of collapsed into bed last night at 9.45pm after having had just 3 hours sleep the previous night, then driven 4 hours each way to João Pessoa for the Governor’s induction to a second 4-year period in office.


This morning I went to Green Pastures and had a good walk (photos below). I found a fantastic place where a Pepper-Frog had spawned in this mound of foam with a 12 inch diameter. Wonderful sight. I observed hyper-activity on the part of all the birds clearly pointing to their expectancy of rain. And sure enough it has now started raining at Green Pastures for the first time in months! PTL!

I am now preparing my sermon for this Sunday in Patos and looking to the Lord for great things. Please pray always.

Tomorrow we will be distributing the Christmas, which have become New Year, Hampers to the poor in Patos. Things were put back from the usual around Christmas Eve distribution to the around New Year’s Eve distribution owing to all the work we had finalizing the work refurbishing the church and re-opening it. One can’t do everything, and even less so all at once! Nobody is worried here about it anyway as long as they get their hampers!


Last night’s service went very well. PTL! The deaf had a special worship slot which was lovely and Pastor Angelo from our Soledade church preached well.

Tomorrow we will be distributing the Christmas, which have become New Year, Hampers to the poor in Patos. Things were put back from the usual around Christmas Eve distribution to the around New Year’s Eve distribution owing to all the work we had finalizing the work refurbishing the church and re-opening it. One can’t do everything, and even less so all at once! Nobody is worried here about it anyway as long as they get their hampers!


Last night’s service went very well. PTL! The deaf had a special worship slot which was lovely and Pastor Angelo from our Soledade church preached well.

Two men were murdered in Patos last night – exactly in 2 of the 3 boroughs where our new project against drugs and domestic violence is starting. These are the boroughs of Placas and Rua do Meio. The police suspect teenagers as the murderers. May the Lord help us!


News on our church leader Tica at Curral Velho is that she has been released from hospital with a broken arm in plaster. She is all bashed, bruised and sore but we praise God that she is alive! Thanks for praying. Please don’t stop.

Two men were murdered in Patos last night – exactly in 2 of the 3 boroughs where our new project against drugs and domestic violence is starting. These are the boroughs of Placas and Rua do Meio. The police suspect teenagers as the murderers. May the Lord help us!


News on our church leader Tica at Curral Velho is that she has been released from hospital with a broken arm in plaster. She is all bashed, bruised and sore but we praise God that she is alive! Thanks for praying. Please don’t stop.

I hear that the youth, led by Philip & Gylmara, had a great day of fun and fellowship at Green Pastures yesterday. They got back very late to Patos so it must have been good! I await details.


Sabrina, Liz’s sister Esther’s daughter, gave birth last night to a little boy weighing 3.855 kg and named Lorenzo. Both Mum and baby are fine. Congratulations to Sabrina and Daniel!


I prepared my sermon yesterday for the watchnight service on Wednesday.


Now we have Sunday School here in Patos at 9.30am and the big weekly celebration with praise and the ministry of the Word of God at 6.30pm back in our own church of course! Thank you Lord. We no longer have any noise from the busy streets outside with the new acoustic church. Really wonderful!


‘Christians in Action’ went to Ipueira in Rio Grande do Norte State last night for another church plant service where we already have 5 Christians. PTL! This is wonderful in a very tough pioneer place. Maybe some of the folk from there will be coming to the celebration in Patos tonight which would be nice.


The deaf brothers and sisters will be taking part in the service tonight in Patos. They were supposed to a week ago, then it was put off to Christmas Eve, but they finally assure me that tonight is the night! Oh Lord! We just take it as it comes! Watch this space!

I hear that the youth, led by Philip & Gylmara, had a great day of fun and fellowship at Green Pastures yesterday. They got back very late to Patos so it must have been good! I await details.


Sabrina, Liz’s sister Esther’s daughter, gave birth last night to a little boy weighing 3.855 kg and named Lorenzo. Both Mum and baby are fine. Congratulations to Sabrina and Daniel!


I prepared my sermon yesterday for the watchnight service on Wednesday.


Now we have Sunday School here in Patos at 9.30am and the big weekly celebration with praise and the ministry of the Word of God at 6.30pm back in our own church of course! Thank you Lord. We no longer have any noise from the busy streets outside with the new acoustic church. Really wonderful!


‘Christians in Action’ went to Ipueira in Rio Grande do Norte State last night for another church plant service where we already have 5 Christians. PTL! This is wonderful in a very tough pioneer place. Maybe some of the folk from there will be coming to the celebration in Patos tonight which would be nice.


The deaf brothers and sisters will be taking part in the service tonight in Patos. They were supposed to a week ago, then it was put off to Christmas Eve, but they finally assure me that tonight is the night! Oh Lord! We just take it as it comes! Watch this space!

I hear that the youth, led by Philip & Gylmara, had a great day of fun and fellowship at Green Pastures yesterday. They got back very late to Patos so it must have been good! I await details.


Sabrina, Liz’s sister Esther’s daughter, gave birth last night to a little boy weighing 3.855 kg and named Lorenzo. Both Mum and baby are fine. Congratulations to Sabrina and Daniel!


I prepared my sermon yesterday for the watchnight service on Wednesday.


Now we have Sunday School here in Patos at 9.30am and the big weekly celebration with praise and the ministry of the Word of God at 6.30pm back in our own church of course! Thank you Lord. We no longer have any noise from the busy streets outside with the new acoustic church. Really wonderful!


‘Christians in Action’ went to Ipueira in Rio Grande do Norte State last night for another church plant service where we already have 5 Christians. PTL! This is wonderful in a very tough pioneer place. Maybe some of the folk from there will be coming to the celebration in Patos tonight which would be nice.


The deaf brothers and sisters will be taking part in the service tonight in Patos. They were supposed to a week ago, then it was put off to Christmas Eve, but they finally assure me that tonight is the night! Oh Lord! We just take it as it comes! Watch this space!

Sacha left hospital about 10pm yesterday having spent 24 hours on a drip. She is on the mend. The girls stayed with us again last night. I woke very early (3.40am) and couldn’t get back to sleep. I watched the 5am news on BBC World.


I am now preparing the service for tomorrow in Patos. Pastor Angelo from Soledade will be coming to preach. The youth will be spending the day at Green Pastures today.


I must now prepare my sermon for the watchnight service as well, when we will have communion and baptize some.

Sacha left hospital about 10pm yesterday having spent 24 hours on a drip. She is on the mend. The girls stayed with us again last night. I woke very early (3.40am) and couldn’t get back to sleep. I watched the 5am news on BBC World.


I am now preparing the service for tomorrow in Patos. Pastor Angelo from Soledade will be coming to preach. The youth will be spending the day at Green Pastures today.


I must now prepare my sermon for the watchnight service as well, when we will have communion and baptize some.

As I say every year, Boxing Day is a normal working day in Brazil. We woke up this morning after a complicated night as Sacha was taken into hospital about 9pm with some sort of gastritis which got steadily worse and infected and so she is on a drip and on the mend today. This meant that we had her daughters with us for the night.


Liz woke up this morning, not having slept much, and feeling a bit lost as she didn’t have to rush to the church to sort the workers out! I went off early to Green Pastures for a good walk.


This afternoon I watched QPR lose to Arsenal 2 x 1. I predicted a 3 x 1 loss with 1 x 0 to Arsenal at half-time (correct) and that Austin would score for us (correct) – so I reckon this should keep me in pole position in the QPR prediction league. On Sunday we play Crystal Palace at home which we must win.

As I say every year, Boxing Day is a normal working day in Brazil. We woke up this morning after a complicated night as Sacha was taken into hospital about 9pm with some sort of gastritis which got steadily worse and infected and so she is on a drip and on the mend today. This meant that we had her daughters with us for the night.


Liz woke up this morning, not having slept much, and feeling a bit lost as she didn’t have to rush to the church to sort the workers out! I went off early to Green Pastures for a good walk.


This afternoon I watched QPR lose to Arsenal 2 x 1. I predicted a 3 x 1 loss with 1 x 0 to Arsenal at half-time (correct) and that Austin would score for us (correct) – so I reckon this should keep me in pole position in the QPR prediction league. On Sunday we play Crystal Palace at home which we must win.

I was up at 5.20am today and left for Green Pastures an hour later. I had a walk, took a few photos and chatted to Tarcísio – the usual routine. However I was anxious to get back to Patos as still there had been no link up to the mains by the electricity company and I was feeling unwell with all the stress that this was generating. The infuriating thing is when you have done everything correctly according to the rules and the law – yet still the company does not link you up or guarantee when they will!


I phoned Liz as soon as I got to a place on the way back from Green Pastures where my mobile phone could get a signal at about 8am, and still there was no sign of the company Liz said. I got back to Patos and to say Liz was fuming would be to put it mildly. She asked me to ring the company boss once again and just ask do we cancel tonight’s Christmas service or not? I phoned him and his assistant, but both had their mobiles switched off!


Liz was on the look out at the church and noticed an electricty company vehicle go past and then a bit later go past again! Liz took the bull by the horns – ran after the vehicle and ended up directing the chaps to our church which they were trying to find not having been given the address or anything by the company! Liz phoned me immediately to tell me it looked like the victory was about to be won!


They started work and Liz plied them with coffee and cake and a couple of hours later the job was done and what a relief! All our dear kids and youth have been rehearsing a cantata for ages and it looked like all was lost. But the Lord undertook. It was like scoring the winner in the last minute of extra time!


So it’s all stations go for tonight’s Christmas service at 7.30pm with presents and sweets for crowds of kids – many very poor – at the end. Then we will go to Deborah’s house for the traditional Brazilian Christmas supper. Happy Christmas everyone and praise the Lord with us for the great victory today!

I was up at 5.20am today and left for Green Pastures an hour later. I had a walk, took a few photos and chatted to Tarcísio – the usual routine. However I was anxious to get back to Patos as still there had been no link up to the mains by the electricity company and I was feeling unwell with all the stress that this was generating. The infuriating thing is when you have done everything correctly according to the rules and the law – yet still the company does not link you up or guarantee when they will!


I phoned Liz as soon as I got to a place on the way back from Green Pastures where my mobile phone could get a signal at about 8am, and still there was no sign of the company Liz said. I got back to Patos and to say Liz was fuming would be to put it mildly. She asked me to ring the company boss once again and just ask do we cancel tonight’s Christmas service or not? I phoned him and his assistant, but both had their mobiles switched off!


Liz was on the look out at the church and noticed an electricty company vehicle go past and then a bit later go past again! Liz took the bull by the horns – ran after the vehicle and ended up directing the chaps to our church which they were trying to find not having been given the address or anything by the company! Liz phoned me immediately to tell me it looked like the victory was about to be won!


They started work and Liz plied them with coffee and cake and a couple of hours later the job was done and what a relief! All our dear kids and youth have been rehearsing a cantata for ages and it looked like all was lost. But the Lord undertook. It was like scoring the winner in the last minute of extra time!


So it’s all stations go for tonight’s Christmas service at 7.30pm with presents and sweets for crowds of kids – many very poor – at the end. Then we will go to Deborah’s house for the traditional Brazilian Christmas supper. Happy Christmas everyone and praise the Lord with us for the great victory today!

I was up at 5.20am today and left for Green Pastures an hour later. I had a walk, took a few photos and chatted to Tarcísio – the usual routine. However I was anxious to get back to Patos as still there had been no link up to the mains by the electricity company and I was feeling unwell with all the stress that this was generating. The infuriating thing is when you have done everything correctly according to the rules and the law – yet still the company does not link you up or guarantee when they will!


I phoned Liz as soon as I got to a place on the way back from Green Pastures where my mobile phone could get a signal at about 8am, and still there was no sign of the company Liz said. I got back to Patos and to say Liz was fuming would be to put it mildly. She asked me to ring the company boss once again and just ask do we cancel tonight’s Christmas service or not? I phoned him and his assistant, but both had their mobiles switched off!


Liz was on the look out at the church and noticed an electricty company vehicle go past and then a bit later go past again! Liz took the bull by the horns – ran after the vehicle and ended up directing the chaps to our church which they were trying to find not having been given the address or anything by the company! Liz phoned me immediately to tell me it looked like the victory was about to be won!


They started work and Liz plied them with coffee and cake and a couple of hours later the job was done and what a relief! All our dear kids and youth have been rehearsing a cantata for ages and it looked like all was lost. But the Lord undertook. It was like scoring the winner in the last minute of extra time!


So it’s all stations go for tonight’s Christmas service at 7.30pm with presents and sweets for crowds of kids – many very poor – at the end. Then we will go to Deborah’s house for the traditional Brazilian Christmas supper. Happy Christmas everyone and praise the Lord with us for the great victory today!

It would seem we are nearly there with the electricity link up for the Patos church. I phoned the director of the Board late this afternoon who said he had emitted the document authorizing the link. We believe and hope this will be done tonight or tomorrow morning. Please don’t stop praying.

It would seem we are nearly there with the electricity link up for the Patos church. I phoned the director of the Board late this afternoon who said he had emitted the document authorizing the link. We believe and hope this will be done tonight or tomorrow morning. Please don’t stop praying.

It would seem we are nearly there with the electricity link up for the Patos church. I phoned the director of the Board late this afternoon who said he had emitted the document authorizing the link. We believe and hope this will be done tonight or tomorrow morning. Please don’t stop praying.

With our big Christmas service scheduled for Christmas Eve, as it is every year, here we sit waiting and praying and hoping for the electricity company to link up our Patos church to the mains! How long will this mess go on? Yesterday morning an inspector from the company went to the church and gave the all clear. However he then turned round and said that they can only link us to the mains when authorization comes from the State capital! I phoned this morning and this OK has still not come! This is absolutely ridiculous! Things you come up against in a banana state! Outrageous!

I will be leaving in an hour or so for the re-opening service of the Patos church. What a mammoth task this has been! Today the electricity board people turned up to put the pole in place in the street on the side of our church for the eventual link up – but that will be another day!


We booked the external mobile generator for 1pm, but the driver went to sleep after lunch and only linked that at 3.30pm! There have been a series of last minute complications but… but… praise the Lord we will be back in our church tonight one way or another and we look to God for a great time of blessing! We value your prayers.


Thanks again at this moment to everyone who contributed to this project in someway or other – with little or with much. May God bless you. You have no idea what an impact this project is having in and around Patos. To say it is the talk of the town would be an understatement and we don’t quite know how we are going to cope with the large crowd expected tonight! 647 people have already “liked” the new church’s page on facebook in less than a week! We look to God for a greatly blessed Christmas period continuing into a wonderfully fruitful year for the Gospel in 2015. May God bless you in the same way.

I will be leaving in an hour or so for the re-opening service of the Patos church. What a mammoth task this has been! Today the electricity board people turned up to put the pole in place in the street on the side of our church for the eventual link up – but that will be another day!


We booked the external mobile generator for 1pm, but the driver went to sleep after lunch and only linked that at 3.30pm! There have been a series of last minute complications but… but… praise the Lord we will be back in our church tonight one way or another and we look to God for a great time of blessing! We value your prayers.


Thanks again at this moment to everyone who contributed to this project in someway or other – with little or with much. May God bless you. You have no idea what an impact this project is having in and around Patos. To say it is the talk of the town would be an understatement and we don’t quite know how we are going to cope with the large crowd expected tonight! 647 people have already “liked” the new church’s page on facebook in less than a week! We look to God for a greatly blessed Christmas period continuing into a wonderfully fruitful year for the Gospel in 2015. May God bless you in the same way.

I am just off to lead a service, preach the Gospel and baptize 12 in the pool at Green Pastures. God is good! I am really looking forward to it. Liz can’t go with me unfortunately as she is fixing final details for the Patos church re-opening tomorrow night.


The church is all washed and shining and ready for tomorrow. The team of volunteers today was great. The last 6 pews missing should arrive before nightfall as they all went for a fresh coat of varnish.


QPR did beat WBA today 3 x 2 so that was good. This takes us out of the relegation zone again. Lovely stuff.


I have a lovely nativity photo for circulation when I can get to it to send out as a Christmas card! Watch this space!

I am just off to lead a service, preach the Gospel and baptize 12 in the pool at Green Pastures. God is good! I am really looking forward to it. Liz can’t go with me unfortunately as she is fixing final details for the Patos church re-opening tomorrow night.


The church is all washed and shining and ready for tomorrow. The team of volunteers today was great. The last 6 pews missing should arrive before nightfall as they all went for a fresh coat of varnish.


QPR did beat WBA today 3 x 2 so that was good. This takes us out of the relegation zone again. Lovely stuff.


I have a lovely nativity photo for circulation when I can get to it to send out as a Christmas card! Watch this space!