Categoria: News

I phoned the head of the electricty board yesterday morning who assured me that all was on target for the desperately needed link up and asked me to go and sign some relevante papers in the afternoon -which I did. However that was Wednesday afternoon and still on Thursday evening there is no sign of power! Today we contracted a mobile generator to be able to carry out tests we have been waiting to do.


I went to Green Pastures this morning with Philip, who is on holiday, and had a good walk and both of us did some photography. The environmental people came a bit after 9am and their visit went very well. I brought in to Patos some vegetables from our little plantation, but that is being run down now for lack of water. This will only improve when the rains come or if we had a dessalinization unit for one of our deep bore wells.


There are so many bits and pieces to finalize in time for the re-opening of the Patos church on Sunday. Liz is stretched to the limit.


Thanks for Christmas cards received today from Don & Pearl Skivington, Rose Callaghan, Steve & Jose Valentine, Mark, Angela & Emma Chafe, Beth Meachen, Vivien Warne and Gill Parsons. 


My prediction for QPR’s match at home to WBA on Saturday is a 2 x 1 win for us, with 1 x 0 lead at half-time and goals from Austin and Vargas. I will be attempting to stay at the top of the QPR prediction league!

I phoned the head of the electricty board yesterday morning who assured me that all was on target for the desperately needed link up and asked me to go and sign some relevante papers in the afternoon -which I did. However that was Wednesday afternoon and still on Thursday evening there is no sign of power! Today we contracted a mobile generator to be able to carry out tests we have been waiting to do.


I went to Green Pastures this morning with Philip, who is on holiday, and had a good walk and both of us did some photography. The environmental people came a bit after 9am and their visit went very well. I brought in to Patos some vegetables from our little plantation, but that is being run down now for lack of water. This will only improve when the rains come or if we had a dessalinization unit for one of our deep bore wells.


There are so many bits and pieces to finalize in time for the re-opening of the Patos church on Sunday. Liz is stretched to the limit.


Thanks for Christmas cards received today from Don & Pearl Skivington, Rose Callaghan, Steve & Jose Valentine, Mark, Angela & Emma Chafe, Beth Meachen, Vivien Warne and Gill Parsons. 


My prediction for QPR’s match at home to WBA on Saturday is a 2 x 1 win for us, with 1 x 0 lead at half-time and goals from Austin and Vargas. I will be attempting to stay at the top of the QPR prediction league!

This is a hectic week with the Patos church to be re-opened this Sunday evening at 6.30pm (9.30pm UK time). Hence all the final touches are being given to the building and its new instalations. A new Bible has been made to go on the front of the church and the support for this is in place and can receive the heavy new scultured Bible on Friday. The electricity is still not linked up. I will phone the head of the electricity board this morning. We value your prayers for all the preparations and for the service itself.


I went to Green Pastures yesterday and learnt that my sermon I recorded for them has been listened to three times by the congregation! I also sent them a recorded message about baptism and this has resulted in the number to be baptized this Sunday going up from 9 to 12. PTL!


I had a good walk at Green Pastures reviewing the fencing for the increased nature reserve and counting trees and finding 92 of one variety and 150 of another – both fairly rare.


Tomorrow we will receive another visit from government environmental people very enthused by the Green Pastures project and developments, and at the Federal University 3,000 seedlings of native trees are being prepared for when the rains come to Green Pastures.

Last night’s service went well despite the hangover from the awful morning business meeting. Many non-Christians came to church and a good number turned up in general. The P&W was nice and I  preached fairly well. The sermon was good, I felt, but I don’t think I managed to fully get through to everyone somehow. Deborah did a good resumé and that is online for all to read – so we leave it with the Lord.


This morning we received firm assurances that the Patos church will finally be linked up to the electricity network this week so we have gone ahead announcing the opening as confirmed for this coming Sunday evening. I initially was more explicit as to the assurance received on this matter, but later adjusted announcements and adjusted things for “technical” reasons which I can’t explain here. I will only be relaxed when the electricity company actually does the job but we are doing our part and getting everything else ready down to the finest detail.


In the light of the church’s re-opening I decided to go for it today and create, launch and publicize a new Patos church facebook page, as it is a great way of communicating with everyone and build’s excellent bridges with the community and results in non-Christians coming to church. So it has been a very full hectic day with 250 likes already on the page as opposed to 403 on EAB’s page after yonks! We’ll soon pass that!


I see QPR lost tonight. Oh dear! I will probably actually pull further ahead in the prediction league though, as Zamora scored for us as I predicted.

Last night’s service went well despite the hangover from the awful morning business meeting. Many non-Christians came to church and a good number turned up in general. The P&W was nice and I  preached fairly well. The sermon was good, I felt, but I don’t think I managed to fully get through to everyone somehow. Deborah did a good resumé and that is online for all to read – so we leave it with the Lord.


This morning we received firm assurances that the Patos church will finally be linked up to the electricity network this week so we have gone ahead announcing the opening as confirmed for this coming Sunday evening. I initially was more explicit as to the assurance received on this matter, but later adjusted announcements and adjusted things for “technical” reasons which I can’t explain here. I will only be relaxed when the electricity company actually does the job but we are doing our part and getting everything else ready down to the finest detail.


In the light of the church’s re-opening I decided to go for it today and create, launch and publicize a new Patos church facebook page, as it is a great way of communicating with everyone and build’s excellent bridges with the community and results in non-Christians coming to church. So it has been a very full hectic day with 250 likes already on the page as opposed to 403 on EAB’s page after yonks! We’ll soon pass that!


I see QPR lost tonight. Oh dear! I will probably actually pull further ahead in the prediction league though, as Zamora scored for us as I predicted.

We had a two and a half hour church business meeting this morning which was far from easy. Very stressfull. Sometimes as pastors we do all we can to be merciful, protect people’s reputations and help them in the process to survive spiritually – only to get our “secrecy” thrown in our faces. May God have mercy. Please pray for us and all who were dragged downwards by an incredible lack of wisdom and grace.


Now to dust myself off and get ready to preach tonight and lead the service too.

We had a two and a half hour church business meeting this morning which was far from easy. Very stressfull. Sometimes as pastors we do all we can to be merciful, protect people’s reputations and help them in the process to survive spiritually – only to get our “secrecy” thrown in our faces. May God have mercy. Please pray for us and all who were dragged downwards by an incredible lack of wisdom and grace.


Now to dust myself off and get ready to preach tonight and lead the service too.

We had a two and a half hour church business meeting this morning which was far from easy. Very stressfull. Sometimes as pastors we do all we can to be merciful, protect people’s reputations and help them in the process to survive spiritually – only to get our “secrecy” thrown in our faces. May God have mercy. Please pray for us and all who were dragged downwards by an incredible lack of wisdom and grace.


Now to dust myself off and get ready to preach tonight and lead the service too.

Oh my word! I’ve now learnt that this TV interview I did on November 19th at Green Pastures will not only be broadcast nationwide in Brazil tomorrow but will also go worldwide via the Brazilian Globo TV channel which Sky carries! 

All that’s left is from them to broadcast it on that comet via that thingamibog they put there recently as well as the moon I suppose!

Oh my word! I’ve now learnt that this TV interview I did on November 19th at Green Pastures will not only be broadcast nationwide in Brazil tomorrow but will also go worldwide via the Brazilian Globo TV channel which Sky carries! 

All that’s left is from them to broadcast it on that comet via that thingamibog they put there recently as well as the moon I suppose!

My interview on Globo TV (produced by EPTV) and filmed at Green Pastures was broadcast today in the south of Brazil and various people have contacted me telling me they watched it and enjoyed it. Now I have just learnt that it will be broadcast nationwide tomorrow! Wow!


It is online anyway – but it’s nice that it’s going nationwide on TV tomorrow as well. 


I have just completed my sermon for tomorrow based on Matthew 12. In the morning we have a church business meeting.

My interview on Globo TV (produced by EPTV) and filmed at Green Pastures was broadcast today in the south of Brazil and various people have contacted me telling me they watched it and enjoyed it. Now I have just learnt that it will be broadcast nationwide tomorrow! Wow!


It is online anyway – but it’s nice that it’s going nationwide on TV tomorrow as well. 


I have just completed my sermon for tomorrow based on Matthew 12. In the morning we have a church business meeting.

My interview on Globo TV (produced by EPTV) and filmed at Green Pastures was broadcast today in the south of Brazil and various people have contacted me telling me they watched it and enjoyed it. Now I have just learnt that it will be broadcast nationwide tomorrow! Wow!


It is online anyway – but it’s nice that it’s going nationwide on TV tomorrow as well. 


I have just completed my sermon for tomorrow based on Matthew 12. In the morning we have a church business meeting.

Sorry it’s in Portuguese (of course) but you see a bit of Green Pastures in the present drought and me being interviewed on Brazilian TV. My part starts after 7 minutes. http://redeglobo.globo.com/sp/eptv/terradagenteeptv/videos/t/edicoes/v/terra-da-gente-pico-do-jabre-bloco-02/3828055/

The actually use two clips of my film with my permission of a wild cat and a raccoons! It’s very good all in all. PTL!

Today is the day we’ve been waiting for when the interview I did a while back with a TV crew at Green Pastures will be broadcast. It will be broadcast on EPTV which is part of the biggest Brazilian TV network “Globo”. They have already put a trailer online. It’s in Portuguese of course, but you can see a bit of my interview and Green Pastures. http://redeglobo.globo.com/sp/eptv/terradagenteeptv/videos/t/edicoes/v/chamada-terra-da-gente-13122014/3827763/


I will post the link to the full programme when it is put online later.

Today is the day we’ve been waiting for when the interview I did a while back with a TV crew at Green Pastures will be broadcast. It will be broadcast on EPTV which is part of the biggest Brazilian TV network “Globo”. They have already put a trailer online. It’s in Portuguese of course, but you can see a bit of my interview and Green Pastures. http://redeglobo.globo.com/sp/eptv/terradagenteeptv/videos/t/edicoes/v/chamada-terra-da-gente-13122014/3827763/


I will post the link to the full programme when it is put online later.

I have just got home from a lovely Bible study which covered Jesus refusing to “perform” for the pharisees and masters of the law as portrayed in Matthew 12:38-45. Jesus knows that putting on a “miracles show” is know way to change hardened cynics. Rather He points them to God’s Word as the source of true spiritual life – specifically the Prophet Jonah and the wisdom of Solomon. The study really flowed and was nice and participative too. It was great to have Philip back in church after his India trip.

I have just got home from a lovely Bible study which covered Jesus refusing to “perform” for the pharisees and masters of the law as portrayed in Matthew 12:38-45. Jesus knows that putting on a “miracles show” is know way to change hardened cynics. Rather He points them to God’s Word as the source of true spiritual life – specifically the Prophet Jonah and the wisdom of Solomon. The study really flowed and was nice and participative too. It was great to have Philip back in church after his India trip.

This morning we received the long awaited news that the electricity board has finally approved our project for a new underground link to the mains at the Patos church. This doesn’t mean we are linked up yet, but it does mean that we have overcome the bureaucracy and now have the green light for them to come and do the job. Please pray that they will do this quickly!


Our target now is to reinaugurate the EAB Patos church a week on Sunday (21st). We are all in gear for this and hoping and praying that this will all now work out.

This morning we received the long awaited news that the electricity board has finally approved our project for a new underground link to the mains at the Patos church. This doesn’t mean we are linked up yet, but it does mean that we have overcome the bureaucracy and now have the green light for them to come and do the job. Please pray that they will do this quickly!


Our target now is to reinaugurate the EAB Patos church a week on Sunday (21st). We are all in gear for this and hoping and praying that this will all now work out.

Today is our granddaughter Louisa’s 15th birthday – the big birthday for girls in Brazil. Louisa is a lovely intelligent Christian girl who loves (and we love) staying at house. Last night her Dad (Philip) stayed up late putting this video together for Louisa. It is beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmrzwYFKmRY&feature=share

Last night Liz and I spent a lot of time at the Patos church checking on final details needed to be done in the restoration. It is looking really lovely. We also did some more work preparing for the Patos church administrative meeting to be held this Sunday morning. I also recorded another message for the Green Pastures church.

Today is our granddaughter Louisa’s 15th birthday – the big birthday for girls in Brazil. Louisa is a lovely intelligent Christian girl who loves (and we love) staying at house. Last night her Dad (Philip) stayed up late putting this video together for Louisa. It is beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmrzwYFKmRY&feature=share

Last night Liz and I spent a lot of time at the Patos church checking on final details needed to be done in the restoration. It is looking really lovely. We also did some more work preparing for the Patos church administrative meeting to be held this Sunday morning. I also recorded another message for the Green Pastures church.

I spent much of yesterday preparing for our end of year administrative church members meeting in the Patos church, to be held this Sunday morning. There’s a lot to think through and organize for discussion and prayer.


The Patos church revamp still awaits the electricity board’s link up to the mains. They really are being an awful pain. We hope for an answer on the matter this afternoon. Watch this space!


I went to Green Pastures this morning so got a good walk in. I checked the work on the increased Reserve area.


I dispatched the latest EAB Diary Update yesterday too.

I spent much of yesterday preparing for our end of year administrative church members meeting in the Patos church, to be held this Sunday morning. There’s a lot to think through and organize for discussion and prayer.


The Patos church revamp still awaits the electricity board’s link up to the mains. They really are being an awful pain. We hope for an answer on the matter this afternoon. Watch this space!


I went to Green Pastures this morning so got a good walk in. I checked the work on the increased Reserve area.


I dispatched the latest EAB Diary Update yesterday too.

I went out to Green Pastures this afternoon as I hadn’t been there for a week and it was good to see all is well there. The water fountain is now functioning better to the joy of the birds! I walked round with Tarcísio (trying out my new walking boots as my old ones are worn out and have a hole in them – and these give me better protection from snakes). I have now defined where to make a new fence so as to increase the Reserve area where no domestic animals are allowed in. Such a reserve increases vegetation and tree growth, wild flowers etc.


Whilst there I picked up the memory card from the infra-red camera and now back in Patos have just checked it. One has to wade through loads of clips of birds, but you never know what might have been caught on camera! Lo and behold suddenly there appeared on my screen a lovely 30 second clip of another Puma Yagouarandi Wild Cat at a different watering hole from where I filmed the last group. This is wonderful! I have seen that Racoons are drinking at this hole as well. Please take a look at the lovely wild rusty coloured cat. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmedcraft/15953203086/in/photostream/


“The earth is the Lord and everything that is in it”!

I went out to Green Pastures this afternoon as I hadn’t been there for a week and it was good to see all is well there. The water fountain is now functioning better to the joy of the birds! I walked round with Tarcísio (trying out my new walking boots as my old ones are worn out and have a hole in them – and these give me better protection from snakes). I have now defined where to make a new fence so as to increase the Reserve area where no domestic animals are allowed in. Such a reserve increases vegetation and tree growth, wild flowers etc.


Whilst there I picked up the memory card from the infra-red camera and now back in Patos have just checked it. One has to wade through loads of clips of birds, but you never know what might have been caught on camera! Lo and behold suddenly there appeared on my screen a lovely 30 second clip of another Puma Yagouarandi Wild Cat at a different watering hole from where I filmed the last group. This is wonderful! I have seen that Racoons are drinking at this hole as well. Please take a look at the lovely wild rusty coloured cat. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmedcraft/15953203086/in/photostream/


“The earth is the Lord and everything that is in it”!

Flickr stupidly stopped the statistics records for some months, but their system is now back up and running. Hence my total number of visitors has passed the 138,000 mark to see my nature photos. The latest posting is a snake from last week. https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmedcraft/

News just in from Pastor Lindon Carlos visiting EAB/ACEV churches in the State of Ceará is that 5 more new converts were baptized at our Felipe Church in the county of Saboeiro yesterday. PTL!


Add this to more baptized at Juru (I think it was about 10) and you have a real festival of end of year baptisms around the EAB/ACEV churches. PTL!

News just in from Pastor Lindon Carlos visiting EAB/ACEV churches in the State of Ceará is that 5 more new converts were baptized at our Felipe Church in the county of Saboeiro yesterday. PTL!


Add this to more baptized at Juru (I think it was about 10) and you have a real festival of end of year baptisms around the EAB/ACEV churches. PTL!

News just in from Pastor Lindon Carlos visiting EAB/ACEV churches in the State of Ceará is that 5 more new converts were baptized at our Felipe Church in the county of Saboeiro yesterday. PTL!


Add this to more baptized at Juru (I think it was about 10) and you have a real festival of end of year baptisms around the EAB/ACEV churches. PTL!

I gave Liz a cup of tea in bed at 5.45 am this morning! Now how about that? I fed the birds whilst the tea was massing (or brewing – but my Mum always says massing so like mother like son!). The bird food goes on a bird table in our front garden. I can hear a Roadside Hawk calling in the vicinity!

I gave Liz a cup of tea in bed at 5.45 am this morning! Now how about that? I fed the birds whilst the tea was massing (or brewing – but my Mum always says massing so like mother like son!). The bird food goes on a bird table in our front garden. I can hear a Roadside Hawk calling in the vicinity!

I gave Liz a cup of tea in bed at 5.45 am this morning! Now how about that? I fed the birds whilst the tea was massing (or brewing – but my Mum always says massing so like mother like son!). The bird food goes on a bird table in our front garden. I can hear a Roadside Hawk calling in the vicinity!

I produced and dispatched the latest EAB Nutshell Update this afternoon so if you don’t receive them, and would like to, just email eabrazil@gmail.com


The communion service went well tonight in Patos. We had a full house which was surprising as so many are away, with tomorrow being a public holiday.

I produced and dispatched the latest EAB Nutshell Update this afternoon so if you don’t receive them, and would like to, just email eabrazil@gmail.com


The communion service went well tonight in Patos. We had a full house which was surprising as so many are away, with tomorrow being a public holiday.

Liz and I travelled yesterday afternoon to the EAB/ACEV church at Portelo in the County of Puxinanã which is a two hour drive east of Patos. It was the church’s 24th anniversary and the day on which it was given full church status as opposed to being a daughter congregation of the large 1st Campina Grande church.

Despite this church being in an off-the-beaten-track rural community the Lord has really blessed in recent years and the work is going forward with great enthusiasm. The church was full last night and I preached the Word with great freedom. PTL!


It was quite a tiring trip back – but we were in bed by 1am. On the way there and back our vehicle becomes an office and Liz and I have noted discussions on all sorts of church issues that need our attention. Not a moment is lost and it makes the journey go quicker. God spared us from one very near accident on the way there when a motorbike in the right lane suddenly decided to take a left straight in front of me without looking in his mirror to see me in the fast lane. My screeching brakes made him swerve back to where he had been and his possible death was avoided gratefully. However these things do shake you a bit.


Philip got back in the early hours from India and is in João Pessoa resting up. Also in João Pessoa are Sacha and family + Deborah and Arthur, The senior grandchildren Felipe (now enrolled as a university student for 2015!) and Louisa (15 this Thursday!) are with us, which we love.


Now I must prepare for tonight’s communion service in Patos.


QPR beat Burnley 2 x 0 yesterday so that was good and it takes them just out of the relegation places. However despite me having predicted a draw I in fact increased my lead in first place in the QPR prediction lead as I got the half-time score right and predicted correctly one of the QPR scorers. We have hope. Not a lot – but we have hope!

Areia is a county about 50 km north-east of Campina Grande. It is at a fairly high altitude, has quite a bit of good forest and a cool climate. I travelled here today with my Baptist pastor friend Fred to have a bit of a break observing nature. One new bird I photographed was the large East Brazilian Chachalaca (see below). It is as large as a turkey and there was a group of them which really took us by surprise. I photographed an inoffensive cockroach-eating snake too and a sadly dead Skunk.

I’m back from São Mamede where a lovely thanksgiving service was held for the latest EAB/ACEV well to be drilled and completely set up and functioning.

70 gathered on a lovely Tuesday evening. The Secretary of Agriculture came as well as the President of the Rotary Club. I preached with great freedom.

The P&W was lovely from the local folk. You can hear the singing with some comments from me at: http://www.4shared.com/mp3/Yd4jsxIMce/141202_006.html