Categoria: News

QPR played well again today for the third match on the trot, only today they were robbed by a bad refereeing decision. Those who read my blog regularly will know that I do not blame refs for defeats lightly, if ever. Usually I am more than ready to admit we had lost to the better team etc. However today we were defeated by a referee’s mistake when he gave a penalty that was neither a penalty in Chelsea or China. When FIFA finally allows appeals against such decisions with a 5th referee watching a replay then such unfair decisions will be eliminated from football. As it was QPR, who had played well to equalise away from home, were condemned to defeat after a perfectly normal challenge for the ball. I, and the Brazilian commentators, have no doubt that this was what happened.

I have had to be a firefighter this morning amongst our leaders still in the aftermath of the elections and the manipulation of the evangelical electorate using “false gay cards”. Let me explain.


A few years back a very intelligent and articulate gay man called Jean Wyllys won the Brazilian version of Big Brother on the largest Globo TV network which projected him to fame and election as an MP (Federal Deputy). Realising the sensitive nature of the “gay issue” in evangelical circles the hard right has set out to manipulate the evangelical electorate inventing lies involving this your man. 


First we were told that President Dilma has invited him to be the national leader of Brazilian youth in the national Congress (Parliament). At this many evangelicals exploded and voted against the incumbent president. The only problem was that this was simply a lie and the chap had never been invited to anything of the sort.


Then this week in a hard right backlash to the centre-left’s victory in the elections they invented the story that the same young man has proposed to the Congress that evangelical weddings be banned! Now I know this sounds ridiculous and was a pack of lives, but some of our pastors believed it and started openly attacking the non-existent idea on the internet.


Hence today I have published a message to all our leaders and members clarifying the lies and asking for everyone to calm down and check the sources of their criticisms prior to talking rhubarb! Oh Lord!


The fact is that the hard right funds false “Gospel News Sites” just to wind up evangelicals and manipulate them to their own ends.


I am now preparing my sermon, amidst all this flack, to preach up in the mountains at Princesa Isabel tonight. I value your prayers. We will be back in Patos tomorrow to lead the service here.

I have had to be a firefighter this morning amongst our leaders still in the aftermath of the elections and the manipulation of the evangelical electorate using “false gay cards”. Let me explain.


A few years back a very intelligent and articulate gay man called Jean Wyllys won the Brazilian version of Big Brother on the largest Globo TV network which projected him to fame and election as an MP (Federal Deputy). Realising the sensitive nature of the “gay issue” in evangelical circles the hard right has set out to manipulate the evangelical electorate inventing lies involving this your man. 


First we were told that President Dilma has invited him to be the national leader of Brazilian youth in the national Congress (Parliament). At this many evangelicals exploded and voted against the incumbent president. The only problem was that this was simply a lie and the chap had never been invited to anything of the sort.


Then this week in a hard right backlash to the centre-left’s victory in the elections they invented the story that the same young man has proposed to the Congress that evangelical weddings be banned! Now I know this sounds ridiculous and was a pack of lives, but some of our pastors believed it and started openly attacking the non-existent idea on the internet.


Hence today I have published a message to all our leaders and members clarifying the lies and asking for everyone to calm down and check the sources of their criticisms prior to talking rhubarb! Oh Lord!


The fact is that the hard right funds false “Gospel News Sites” just to wind up evangelicals and manipulate them to their own ends.


I am now preparing my sermon, amidst all this flack, to preach up in the mountains at Princesa Isabel tonight. I value your prayers. We will be back in Patos tomorrow to lead the service here.

Today being the 497th anniversary of the Reformation I should think it ought to be celebrated big time in 2017.


My day was good, long, tiring but worthwhile. A group of 20 evangelical leaders from the neighbouring State of Pernambuco asked to come for the day and learn from my experience of 42 years of Integral Mission in this region so as to see what then can learn and apply where they live and work. As things usually happen here, they turned up late, but once here all went very well. I shared with them experiences from over the years of all shapes, sizes and sorts. I pray that the Lord will bless them in the pratical application, within their context, of the Christian principles we discussed.


Early this morning I popped out quickly to Green Pastures to pay the workers and bring the week’s vegetables in. I was encouraged by the fact that at the Woman’s Rock our worker Pipa has put in some tree branches into the watering hole there. He had done this off his own back so that birds could get down to the water better. How encouraging to see that I am slowly getting through to people and changing their attitudes regarding caring for nature.

Now I must polish up my sermon for tomorrow night in Princesa Isabel.

Today being the 497th anniversary of the Reformation I should think it ought to be celebrated big time in 2017.


My day was good, long, tiring but worthwhile. A group of 20 evangelical leaders from the neighbouring State of Pernambuco asked to come for the day and learn from my experience of 42 years of Integral Mission in this region so as to see what then can learn and apply where they live and work. As things usually happen here, they turned up late, but once here all went very well. I shared with them experiences from over the years of all shapes, sizes and sorts. I pray that the Lord will bless them in the pratical application, within their context, of the Christian principles we discussed.


Early this morning I popped out quickly to Green Pastures to pay the workers and bring the week’s vegetables in. I was encouraged by the fact that at the Woman’s Rock our worker Pipa has put in some tree branches into the watering hole there. He had done this off his own back so that birds could get down to the water better. How encouraging to see that I am slowly getting through to people and changing their attitudes regarding caring for nature.

Now I must polish up my sermon for tomorrow night in Princesa Isabel.

Today being the 497th anniversary of the Reformation I should think it ought to be celebrated big time in 2017.


My day was good, long, tiring but worthwhile. A group of 20 evangelical leaders from the neighbouring State of Pernambuco asked to come for the day and learn from my experience of 42 years of Integral Mission in this region so as to see what then can learn and apply where they live and work. As things usually happen here, they turned up late, but once here all went very well. I shared with them experiences from over the years of all shapes, sizes and sorts. I pray that the Lord will bless them in the pratical application, within their context, of the Christian principles we discussed.


Early this morning I popped out quickly to Green Pastures to pay the workers and bring the week’s vegetables in. I was encouraged by the fact that at the Woman’s Rock our worker Pipa has put in some tree branches into the watering hole there. He had done this off his own back so that birds could get down to the water better. How encouraging to see that I am slowly getting through to people and changing their attitudes regarding caring for nature.

Now I must polish up my sermon for tomorrow night in Princesa Isabel.

My schedule from today through the weekend is:


Today: Try and finish the EAB Nutshell Update I have started and dispatch it / Get a bird song I recorded yesterday at Green Pastures identified by a professional ornithologist in Recife / Prepare Bible study and give it tonight in Patos.


Friday: 10am – Give a talk to about 25 pastors coming from Pernambuco State to learn about community involvement & think-tanks & continue discussions after lunch.


Saturday: Travel up the mountains to Princesa Isabel (2 hour drive) and preach in the anniversary service to be held in the open-air infront of the church there.


Sunday: Lead the service back in Patos in the evening.


I value your prayers, and so does Liz who is exhausted and rushed off her feet too as she continues to coordinate the final stages of the Patos church refurbishment project. The ceiling looks beautiful now.

My schedule from today through the weekend is:


Today: Try and finish the EAB Nutshell Update I have started and dispatch it / Get a bird song I recorded yesterday at Green Pastures identified by a professional ornithologist in Recife / Prepare Bible study and give it tonight in Patos.


Friday: 10am – Give a talk to about 25 pastors coming from Pernambuco State to learn about community involvement & think-tanks & continue discussions after lunch.


Saturday: Travel up the mountains to Princesa Isabel (2 hour drive) and preach in the anniversary service to be held in the open-air infront of the church there.


Sunday: Lead the service back in Patos in the evening.


I value your prayers, and so does Liz who is exhausted and rushed off her feet too as she continues to coordinate the final stages of the Patos church refurbishment project. The ceiling looks beautiful now.

This morning I was up at 5am and at Green Pastures by 7am. It’s funny how things go but the other day I had a Woodpecker day and photographed 3 new species on the same day. Today was a Duck day. I photographed a pair of Muscovy Ducks flying and a load of Southern Pochard Ducks swimming plus masses of Grebes and Moorhens. 


Once back from Green Pastures I went to my doctor’s with all by blood test results and was given 10 out of 10 + blood pressure spot on as well as weight. My visits to the doctor have now been reduced from every 2 months to every 3 months. PTL!


I have now just received a phone call inviting me to speak at the Inter-varsity student Conference on November 14th at Pombal so that’s yet another speaking engagement for next month which is pretty full including one trip to Princesa Isabel and two to Campina Grande.

This morning I was up at 5am and at Green Pastures by 7am. It’s funny how things go but the other day I had a Woodpecker day and photographed 3 new species on the same day. Today was a Duck day. I photographed a pair of Muscovy Ducks flying and a load of Southern Pochard Ducks swimming plus masses of Grebes and Moorhens. 


Once back from Green Pastures I went to my doctor’s with all by blood test results and was given 10 out of 10 + blood pressure spot on as well as weight. My visits to the doctor have now been reduced from every 2 months to every 3 months. PTL!


I have now just received a phone call inviting me to speak at the Inter-varsity student Conference on November 14th at Pombal so that’s yet another speaking engagement for next month which is pretty full including one trip to Princesa Isabel and two to Campina Grande.

This morning I was up at 5am and at Green Pastures by 7am. It’s funny how things go but the other day I had a Woodpecker day and photographed 3 new species on the same day. Today was a Duck day. I photographed a pair of Muscovy Ducks flying and a load of Southern Pochard Ducks swimming plus masses of Grebes and Moorhens. 


Once back from Green Pastures I went to my doctor’s with all by blood test results and was given 10 out of 10 + blood pressure spot on as well as weight. My visits to the doctor have now been reduced from every 2 months to every 3 months. PTL!


I have now just received a phone call inviting me to speak at the Inter-varsity student Conference on November 14th at Pombal so that’s yet another speaking engagement for next month which is pretty full including one trip to Princesa Isabel and two to Campina Grande.

Today is a very important day for the EAB/ACEV Action Child Project as project leaders gather at our headquarters in Patos for a day of metings to discuss the future shape and format of this project. Pastor Wostenes is coming from Campina Grande as is Social Worker Flávia. Then there will be João George and Jacilene from Imaculada and Liz, me and Gerlânia from Patos. Please pray for this important day of meetings.


All the Action Child report packages have been sent to the UK office now. Well done Sacha for doing a very difficult job. Thanks also to the UK team for their corresponding input.

Today is a very important day for the EAB/ACEV Action Child Project as project leaders gather at our headquarters in Patos for a day of metings to discuss the future shape and format of this project. Pastor Wostenes is coming from Campina Grande as is Social Worker Flávia. Then there will be João George and Jacilene from Imaculada and Liz, me and Gerlânia from Patos. Please pray for this important day of meetings.


All the Action Child report packages have been sent to the UK office now. Well done Sacha for doing a very difficult job. Thanks also to the UK team for their corresponding input.

For the second time this season QPR win… I think! The internet link has been terrible and I was getting an occasional score line on Twitter. Marian Rashleigh emailed to tell me Rangers had scored the second! Thank you Marian!


Yes –  I now have confirmation that QPR have beaten Aston Villa 2 x 0 via an email from Marian! Oh yes! Wonderful! Rangers are now off the bottom of the Premiership! Great stuff!

For the second time this season QPR win… I think! The internet link has been terrible and I was getting an occasional score line on Twitter. Marian Rashleigh emailed to tell me Rangers had scored the second! Thank you Marian!


Yes –  I now have confirmation that QPR have beaten Aston Villa 2 x 0 via an email from Marian! Oh yes! Wonderful! Rangers are now off the bottom of the Premiership! Great stuff!

For the second time this season QPR win… I think! The internet link has been terrible and I was getting an occasional score line on Twitter. Marian Rashleigh emailed to tell me Rangers had scored the second! Thank you Marian!


Yes –  I now have confirmation that QPR have beaten Aston Villa 2 x 0 via an email from Marian! Oh yes! Wonderful! Rangers are now off the bottom of the Premiership! Great stuff!

QPR are 1 x 0 up against Aston Villa at half-time which is exactly what I forecast. It’s not on TV and the internet is slower than a cart horse and I can’t get radio commentary, but I do know we just have our nose in front with a goal from Austin. If the Southampton mantle has come down upon QPR we have 7 to go in the second half.  I forecast a 3 x 1 win for Rangers. We shall see!


This blog has today reached the 131,000 visits mark. Many thanks.


I am fed up seeing all the squabbling and nastiness on the internet over the elections. It is sickening.

QPR are 1 x 0 up against Aston Villa at half-time which is exactly what I forecast. It’s not on TV and the internet is slower than a cart horse and I can’t get radio commentary, but I do know we just have our nose in front with a goal from Austin. If the Southampton mantle has come down upon QPR we have 7 to go in the second half.  I forecast a 3 x 1 win for Rangers. We shall see!


This blog has today reached the 131,000 visits mark. Many thanks.


I am fed up seeing all the squabbling and nastiness on the internet over the elections. It is sickening.

BBC online reports: “South African prosecutors say they are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend.”

BBC online reports: “South African prosecutors say they are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend.”

I have just got back from Nenem’s mum’s wake and oh dear – what poverty! The whole house is no wider than 9 feet and the first room is only just big enough to fit the coffin and to get round it. Nenem was clearly pleased I had gone to the house right on the southern outskirts of Patos. Nenem will be living between our house and Sacha’s from now on. Her father went off years ago. Please pray for this young woman that she will be comforted by the Lord and give her life to Christ. Alice preaches to her all the time!

I have just got back from Nenem’s mum’s wake and oh dear – what poverty! The whole house is no wider than 9 feet and the first room is only just big enough to fit the coffin and to get round it. Nenem was clearly pleased I had gone to the house right on the southern outskirts of Patos. Nenem will be living between our house and Sacha’s from now on. Her father went off years ago. Please pray for this young woman that she will be comforted by the Lord and give her life to Christ. Alice preaches to her all the time!

I have just got back from Nenem’s mum’s wake and oh dear – what poverty! The whole house is no wider than 9 feet and the first room is only just big enough to fit the coffin and to get round it. Nenem was clearly pleased I had gone to the house right on the southern outskirts of Patos. Nenem will be living between our house and Sacha’s from now on. Her father went off years ago. Please pray for this young woman that she will be comforted by the Lord and give her life to Christ. Alice preaches to her all the time!

I got to bed late after such a tense evening with the close calls in both the election for governor and for president… but gratefully all worked out as we had hoped. In the case of the governor it is a great result for Paraíba and in the case of the presidency it was the best option that we had.


I stayed up writing a longish reflection of the tight election results for my Portuguese language blog as many people do seem to look to me for my thoughts.


I will be going to Nenem’s mother’s wake this morning.


Tomorrow we have a meeting of the Action Child project leadership team all day. Please pray.

I got to bed late after such a tense evening with the close calls in both the election for governor and for president… but gratefully all worked out as we had hoped. In the case of the governor it is a great result for Paraíba and in the case of the presidency it was the best option that we had.


I stayed up writing a longish reflection of the tight election results for my Portuguese language blog as many people do seem to look to me for my thoughts.


I will be going to Nenem’s mother’s wake this morning.


Tomorrow we have a meeting of the Action Child project leadership team all day. Please pray.

With 98% of the votes counted for the presidency the incumbant president is re-elected with 51.45% of the votes. A majority of about 3 million votes out of an electorate of 142 million. It was a very tight victory but she made it! Both the governor and president in which we voted were elected.

With 98% of the votes counted for the presidency the incumbant president is re-elected with 51.45% of the votes. A majority of about 3 million votes out of an electorate of 142 million. It was a very tight victory but she made it! Both the governor and president in which we voted were elected.

Our Governor Ricardo Coutinho has been re-elected, as with 97% of the votes counted he is over 100,000 votes ahead and in an unassailable position!  We are very happy!

Our Governor Ricardo Coutinho has been re-elected, as with 97% of the votes counted he is over 100,000 votes ahead and in an unassailable position!  We are very happy!

Our Governor Ricardo Coutinho has been re-elected, as with 97% of the votes counted he is over 100,000 votes ahead and in an unassailable position!  We are very happy!

The incumbent governor continues in front with 52.51% of the votes

The incumbent governor continues in front with 52.51% of the votes

Current Governor continues in front with 52.45% of the votes.

Current Governor continues in front with 52.45% of the votes.

Current Governor continues in front with 52.45% of the votes.

The incumbent Governor Ricardo Coutinho has 52.9% of the votes and his opponent has 47.1%. It’s tight but looking good for our candidate so far.

The incumbent Governor Ricardo Coutinho has 52.9% of the votes and his opponent has 47.1%. It’s tight but looking good for our candidate so far.

The incumbent Governor Ricardo Coutinho has 52.9% of the votes and his opponent has 47.1%. It’s tight but looking good for our candidate so far.

8 states in the south + the Federal capital Brasília have just ended voting. Next come the north-eastern states which end in about 30 minutes and then we go across the other Brazilian time zones to wrap everything up at 7pm (10pm UK). Only then will we get the first president results but our state governor’s results will be in before then.


Last minute polls suggest our 2 chosen candidates for re-election have their noses in front, but Brazilian opinion polls are notoriusly unreliable so we will have to wait and see.


As a kid I always used to stay up with my Dad all night on election nights. Nowadays it’s a lot simpler with electronic balloting giving results within 2 or 3 hours over a vast country like Brazil!

8 states in the south + the Federal capital Brasília have just ended voting. Next come the north-eastern states which end in about 30 minutes and then we go across the other Brazilian time zones to wrap everything up at 7pm (10pm UK). Only then will we get the first president results but our state governor’s results will be in before then.


Last minute polls suggest our 2 chosen candidates for re-election have their noses in front, but Brazilian opinion polls are notoriusly unreliable so we will have to wait and see.


As a kid I always used to stay up with my Dad all night on election nights. Nowadays it’s a lot simpler with electronic balloting giving results within 2 or 3 hours over a vast country like Brazil!

Philip and Gylmara have just got back to Patos with about an hour and a half to spare before the voting stations close! Phew! They were in João Pessoa.

Philip and Gylmara have just got back to Patos with about an hour and a half to spare before the voting stations close! Phew! They were in João Pessoa.

For those of you who know Nenem please pray for her right now as she has just lost her mother who was quite young. Nenem is the young woman who looks after our grandaughters Alice and Bia when their mum Sacha is working. She has been doing this work for years and is very much part of the family and more like an adopted daughter to Liz and I. Nenem’s mum was diagnosed with cancer a few months back and finally lost the battle. Nenem is beside herself with grief. Please pray.

For those of you who know Nenem please pray for her right now as she has just lost her mother who was quite young. Nenem is the young woman who looks after our grandaughters Alice and Bia when their mum Sacha is working. She has been doing this work for years and is very much part of the family and more like an adopted daughter to Liz and I. Nenem’s mum was diagnosed with cancer a few months back and finally lost the battle. Nenem is beside herself with grief. Please pray.

I led the service this morning which had an early start, owing to the elections, at 8am. It was a really lovely service with even one visitor in to hear the Gospel. PTL! I preached on Colossions 1:1-14 and it flowed great. God is good. 


After the service Liz went with Sister Socorro Help to her Mother’s funeral to support her and I went to vote. Voting was very quick today as there were only two votes to make, as opposed to 5 last time. So now we await the results this evening which with the change in clocks in the UK means we should have the result for Governor at about 10pm (UK time) and midnight (UK time) for President. The UK is only 3 hours ahead of us now.


News from João Pessoa is of rampant vote buying by the candidate trying to defeat the incumbent governor. Sadly he never changes! In general it would seem that things are peaceful around the country. We watch and pray.

I led the service this morning which had an early start, owing to the elections, at 8am. It was a really lovely service with even one visitor in to hear the Gospel. PTL! I preached on Colossions 1:1-14 and it flowed great. God is good. 


After the service Liz went with Sister Socorro Help to her Mother’s funeral to support her and I went to vote. Voting was very quick today as there were only two votes to make, as opposed to 5 last time. So now we await the results this evening which with the change in clocks in the UK means we should have the result for Governor at about 10pm (UK time) and midnight (UK time) for President. The UK is only 3 hours ahead of us now.


News from João Pessoa is of rampant vote buying by the candidate trying to defeat the incumbent governor. Sadly he never changes! In general it would seem that things are peaceful around the country. We watch and pray.

I led the service this morning which had an early start, owing to the elections, at 8am. It was a really lovely service with even one visitor in to hear the Gospel. PTL! I preached on Colossions 1:1-14 and it flowed great. God is good. 


After the service Liz went with Sister Socorro Help to her Mother’s funeral to support her and I went to vote. Voting was very quick today as there were only two votes to make, as opposed to 5 last time. So now we await the results this evening which with the change in clocks in the UK means we should have the result for Governor at about 10pm (UK time) and midnight (UK time) for President. The UK is only 3 hours ahead of us now.


News from João Pessoa is of rampant vote buying by the candidate trying to defeat the incumbent governor. Sadly he never changes! In general it would seem that things are peaceful around the country. We watch and pray.

In less than two hours the polling stations will open in Paraíba State where we will be voting in the second round of the general election for State Governor and National President. The top two candidates from round one on October 5th now will find out who is to be the Governor and President for the next 4 years. I am voting for both incumbant candidates – Ricardo and Dilma.


In the light of the election we will be having our service today at 8am so I will have my breakfast now and then head for church. May God bless you this Sunday!