Categoria: News

I have some good news today. Our Fireman Romildo, his wife and 3 children, who all have Covid, are all getting much better. PTL! Our Veterinary Surgeon Marcelo Sá is off oxygen and slowly improving from Covid. My journalist friend Marcelo Negreiros has left hospital and is slowly getting over Covid. The latter two Marcelos have had particularly strong versions of Covid. Thank you for praying. 

I finished reading “The Blitz Detective” by Mike Hollow last night. It is a thoroughly enjoyable well researched and well written novel set in east London in 1940.

I have had a Google Meet online meeting with Pastor Renilson and his wife Getiane, from Matureia up in the mountains, this morning to discuss different aspects of our Action School there. It was a very good meeting. They are a lovely couple doing a great work for God.    

I have some good news today. Our Fireman Romildo, his wife and 3 children, who all have Covid, are all getting much better. PTL! Our Veterinary Surgeon Marcelo Sá is off oxygen and slowly improving from Covid. My journalist friend Marcelo Negreiros has left hospital and is slowly getting over Covid. The latter two Marcelos have had particularly strong versions of Covid. Thank you for praying. 

I finished reading “The Blitz Detective” by Mike Hollow last night. It is a thoroughly enjoyable well researched and well written novel set in east London in 1940.

I have had a Google Meet online meeting with Pastor Renilson and his wife Getiane, from Matureia up in the mountains, this morning to discuss different aspects of our Action School there. It was a very good meeting. They are a lovely couple doing a great work for God.    

EAB’s chairman of the Board of Trustees Roy Dyer is now a grandfather! Congratulations to Roy and family! Welcome to baby Lucy Joy and congratulations to her parents Josh and Kira! The fact that Kira run a half marathon to raise funds for EAB is certainly significant to this happening. If you want to have a beautiful baby girl then run a half marathon for EAB! 😂

Today is our grandson Lucas’s 14th birthday. Happy birthday Lucas! Since Lucas went to England last September he has switched from being a boy to a man with a deep voice! He is doing very well at school which he is enjoying I am glad to say.

We ask you to pray for EAB/ACEV’s Action Schools in this time of extreme Covid pandemic here in Brazil. The schools have long adapted to the new reality and teach online for who has access to internet and teach via written lessons, which are dropped of to the children’s houses, for those who don’t have access to internet. The children’s families receive food parcels from our schools. Our Action Schools give poor children extra help and teaching so as to help them shine at their regular government schools. EAB Action Schools seek to give very poor children a good start in life with special help in primary education.

The Covid pandemic is getting worse again here. The intensive care beds at the Patos General Hospital are 100% full today. Please pray.

EAB’s chairman of the Board of Trustees Roy Dyer is now a grandfather! Congratulations to Roy and family! Welcome to baby Lucy Joy and congratulations to her parents Josh and Kira! The fact that Kira run a half marathon to raise funds for EAB is certainly significant to this happening. If you want to have a beautiful baby girl then run a half marathon for EAB! 😂

Today is our grandson Lucas’s 14th birthday. Happy birthday Lucas! Since Lucas went to England last September he has switched from being a boy to a man with a deep voice! He is doing very well at school which he is enjoying I am glad to say.

We ask you to pray for EAB/ACEV’s Action Schools in this time of extreme Covid pandemic here in Brazil. The schools have long adapted to the new reality and teach online for who has access to internet and teach via written lessons, which are dropped of to the children’s houses, for those who don’t have access to internet. The children’s families receive food parcels from our schools. Our Action Schools give poor children extra help and teaching so as to help them shine at their regular government schools. EAB Action Schools seek to give very poor children a good start in life with special help in primary education.

The Covid pandemic is getting worse again here. The intensive care beds at the Patos General Hospital are 100% full today. Please pray.

EAB’s chairman of the Board of Trustees Roy Dyer is now a grandfather! Congratulations to Roy and family! Welcome to baby Lucy Joy and congratulations to her parents Josh and Kira! The fact that Kira run a half marathon to raise funds for EAB is certainly significant to this happening. If you want to have a beautiful baby girl then run a half marathon for EAB! 😂

Today is our grandson Lucas’s 14th birthday. Happy birthday Lucas! Since Lucas went to England last September he has switched from being a boy to a man with a deep voice! He is doing very well at school which he is enjoying I am glad to say.

We ask you to pray for EAB/ACEV’s Action Schools in this time of extreme Covid pandemic here in Brazil. The schools have long adapted to the new reality and teach online for who has access to internet and teach via written lessons, which are dropped of to the children’s houses, for those who don’t have access to internet. The children’s families receive food parcels from our schools. Our Action Schools give poor children extra help and teaching so as to help them shine at their regular government schools. EAB Action Schools seek to give very poor children a good start in life with special help in primary education.

The Covid pandemic is getting worse again here. The intensive care beds at the Patos General Hospital are 100% full today. Please pray.

The President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro publicly called everyone who self-isolates yesterday “idiots”! This sadly is the aggressive level of insanity which leads, or misleads, this country. It is no wonder that Brazil is in the mess with the Covid pandemic that it is. Whereas most presidents and prime ministers demand self-isolation where possible, wearing of masks and social distancing, our president does and says exactly the opposite!

Yesterday our brother Neneto from our Curral Velho (Old Cow Pen) church was released from hospital in the town of Piancó where he had been for 3 weeks, of which 16 days were in intensive care. He was picked up in a car to take him home and was escorted home to Curral Velho by a cavalcade of motorbikes sounding their horns! There was great jubilation at Neneto’s recovery. I saw the video of the cavalcade and it was quite something. Thank you for praying.

Yesterday Liz and I did a long session of telephone counselling with a person who leads one of the EAB/ACEV churches whose marriage is in serious difficulties. I can’t give names or place, but please pray for this couple. It’s a very complex matter.

A bird researcher from the town of Mossoró in Rio Grande do Norte State has contacted me asking for permission to use some photos of mine of a fascinating bird called a Nyctibius griseus. My photos are going to be used to illustrate a scientific paper about this bird which stays stationary all day on the top of high tree stumps and only flies off to hunt and eat at night.

The President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro publicly called everyone who self-isolates yesterday “idiots”! This sadly is the aggressive level of insanity which leads, or misleads, this country. It is no wonder that Brazil is in the mess with the Covid pandemic that it is. Whereas most presidents and prime ministers demand self-isolation where possible, wearing of masks and social distancing, our president does and says exactly the opposite!

Yesterday our brother Neneto from our Curral Velho (Old Cow Pen) church was released from hospital in the town of Piancó where he had been for 3 weeks, of which 16 days were in intensive care. He was picked up in a car to take him home and was escorted home to Curral Velho by a cavalcade of motorbikes sounding their horns! There was great jubilation at Neneto’s recovery. I saw the video of the cavalcade and it was quite something. Thank you for praying.

Yesterday Liz and I did a long session of telephone counselling with a person who leads one of the EAB/ACEV churches whose marriage is in serious difficulties. I can’t give names or place, but please pray for this couple. It’s a very complex matter.

A bird researcher from the town of Mossoró in Rio Grande do Norte State has contacted me asking for permission to use some photos of mine of a fascinating bird called a Nyctibius griseus. My photos are going to be used to illustrate a scientific paper about this bird which stays stationary all day on the top of high tree stumps and only flies off to hunt and eat at night.

We have just received the sad news that our dear friend, in England, Jo Dalton passed away yesterday. She was the wife of the ex-chairman of the EAB Board of Trustees Bob Dalton. It was their son Ian Dalton who kindly phoned to let us know, at Bob’s request, and for which we are very grateful. Jo was a lovely Christian woman and medical doctor. She visited the work of EAB here in Brazil with Bob and was very influential with her tremendous faith in the purchase of the EAB/ACEV church building and land in João Pessoa on the coast of Paraiba. We send our deepest sympathy to Bob and family as they come to terms with their sad loss. May God’s Spirit comfort them and may they be blessed as they think back over Jo’s fruitful life.  

We have just received the sad news that our dear friend, in England, Jo Dalton passed away yesterday. She was the wife of the ex-chairman of the EAB Board of Trustees Bob Dalton. It was their son Ian Dalton who kindly phoned to let us know, at Bob’s request, and for which we are very grateful. Jo was a lovely Christian woman and medical doctor. She visited the work of EAB here in Brazil with Bob and was very influential with her tremendous faith in the purchase of the EAB/ACEV church building and land in João Pessoa on the coast of Paraiba. We send our deepest sympathy to Bob and family as they come to terms with their sad loss. May God’s Spirit comfort them and may they be blessed as they think back over Jo’s fruitful life.  

Having had our two doses of Coronavac Chinese vaccine our doctor gave us the green light to return, with caution, to in person services in church. The Chinese vaccine is not the best, as even the Chinese manufacturers admit, but it was what was offered to Liz and I so we took it as better than nothing. It was absolutely great to be back in church! I led the service and Rafael preached. It was a lovely service. The folk at church were very happy to have us back so all in all it was a special day yesterday.

Talking about special days, today is the twenty-first twenty-first birthday of our great friend and co-worker in mission Marian Rashleigh. Happy birthday Marian! Hope you are having a great day there in Blighty 4 hours ahead of us.

I had a good talk after church last night with Nurse Liliane, who is a member of our church, married to Claudivan. Liliane works 100% of the time with Covid patients over the past 14 months and has never caught Covid. It is amazing how this virus works. Some don’t get it despite enormous exposure, others get it mildly, others get it severely and others die. It is an amazingly challenging time in which we live! Here in Brazil we are still seeing around 2,000 deaths a day, which is certainly better than the 4,000 mark we had reached, but it still is a very high number. And the President keeps attacking the state governors who combat the pandemic. The man is unhinged and never fit to be president of a nation of over 200 million people.

Please pray for Pastor Francinaldo’s wife, at our Manaíra church, who has just gone down with Covid. Her name is Carla Lécia. 

What a relief it was yesterday to have my haircut after months! It’s what you might call a weight off my shoulders! 👨 I detest my hair long. Our hairdresser Rose came to our house and cut our grandson Arthur’s hair, then did Liz’s before me. That leaves us all nice and ready to lead the service in person tonight in the Patos church. I feel quite excited about it!

EAB’s magazine InTouch edition 95 has now been sent to everyone on our email list digitally, to add to the snailmail version already sent to those on that address list. If you know of anyone who would like to receive a free copy please do let us have their address. This magazine can also be read online on the EAB website at www.eabrazil.org .

An entire family from our Patos church has Covid. The Dad is our Fireman Romildo and his wife Claudia also has it as do their 3 children. Please pray for this family. Please also continue to pray for José and Chiquinha in João Pessoa who both continue in hospital in intensive care. I spoke to Chiquinha’s brother yesterday who is EAB/ACEV’s pastor José Vieira who thanked everyone for their prayers and said they are very gravely ill.

I have been talking to our projects team about all the excellent work done this week teaching women more about profitable cooking and icing cakes. They also got some new market gardens started and set up the start of more chicken runs too. They also distributed more goats in the 4-Legs Project. So praise God – the work presses on!

What a relief it was yesterday to have my haircut after months! It’s what you might call a weight off my shoulders! 👨 I detest my hair long. Our hairdresser Rose came to our house and cut our grandson Arthur’s hair, then did Liz’s before me. That leaves us all nice and ready to lead the service in person tonight in the Patos church. I feel quite excited about it!

EAB’s magazine InTouch edition 95 has now been sent to everyone on our email list digitally, to add to the snailmail version already sent to those on that address list. If you know of anyone who would like to receive a free copy please do let us have their address. This magazine can also be read online on the EAB website at www.eabrazil.org .

An entire family from our Patos church has Covid. The Dad is our Fireman Romildo and his wife Claudia also has it as do their 3 children. Please pray for this family. Please also continue to pray for José and Chiquinha in João Pessoa who both continue in hospital in intensive care. I spoke to Chiquinha’s brother yesterday who is EAB/ACEV’s pastor José Vieira who thanked everyone for their prayers and said they are very gravely ill.

I have been talking to our projects team about all the excellent work done this week teaching women more about profitable cooking and icing cakes. They also got some new market gardens started and set up the start of more chicken runs too. They also distributed more goats in the 4-Legs Project. So praise God – the work presses on!

What a relief it was yesterday to have my haircut after months! It’s what you might call a weight off my shoulders! 👨 I detest my hair long. Our hairdresser Rose came to our house and cut our grandson Arthur’s hair, then did Liz’s before me. That leaves us all nice and ready to lead the service in person tonight in the Patos church. I feel quite excited about it!

EAB’s magazine InTouch edition 95 has now been sent to everyone on our email list digitally, to add to the snailmail version already sent to those on that address list. If you know of anyone who would like to receive a free copy please do let us have their address. This magazine can also be read online on the EAB website at www.eabrazil.org .

An entire family from our Patos church has Covid. The Dad is our Fireman Romildo and his wife Claudia also has it as do their 3 children. Please pray for this family. Please also continue to pray for José and Chiquinha in João Pessoa who both continue in hospital in intensive care. I spoke to Chiquinha’s brother yesterday who is EAB/ACEV’s pastor José Vieira who thanked everyone for their prayers and said they are very gravely ill.

I have been talking to our projects team about all the excellent work done this week teaching women more about profitable cooking and icing cakes. They also got some new market gardens started and set up the start of more chicken runs too. They also distributed more goats in the 4-Legs Project. So praise God – the work presses on!

Louisa is our second eldest grandchild at the ripe old age of twenty one. She is in the final year of studying law at university and doing very well there too. Louisa went to England last September with her parents Philip and Gylmara and with her brothers Lucas and Luis. However she returned to Brazil this January to complete her degree and has been staying up till yesterday between our daughters Lynn and Sacha’s houses. However everyone felt it was the right time now, with our second dose of Covid vaccine taken over 3 weeks ago, for Louisa to move into our house which was always the plan. So we are very happy to have our lovely Louisa with us and her pug dog Apollo who had been staying with our daughter Deborah. Please pray for Louisa. She is part of the 3-person youth leadership team in the Patos church and is also an excellent vocalist in the praise and worship band.

I would like you to keep praying for our veterinary doctor Marcelo who is ill with Covid. He has now been allowed home from hospital because he can afford his own oxygen cylinder which he still needs a lot. He told me yesterday that he still feels absolutely awful and desperately weak. He says he can hardly stand on his own feet. He thanks everyone for praying for him. Thank you for praying for Neneto from Curral Velho also who is now breathing without help from as intubater. 

I have been talking to Sister Nenem who leads our São Vicente do Seridó church. We discussed the situation at this small town where there are shoot-outs of late at night. We decided to switch the Sunday night service to the afternoon for the safety of our church folk. Please pray for this situation.

EAB’s magazine ‘InTouch’ – edition 95 should have reached you by now. If you would like a free copy please do let me know giving me your address. 

Louisa is our second eldest grandchild at the ripe old age of twenty one. She is in the final year of studying law at university and doing very well there too. Louisa went to England last September with her parents Philip and Gylmara and with her brothers Lucas and Luis. However she returned to Brazil this January to complete her degree and has been staying up till yesterday between our daughters Lynn and Sacha’s houses. However everyone felt it was the right time now, with our second dose of Covid vaccine taken over 3 weeks ago, for Louisa to move into our house which was always the plan. So we are very happy to have our lovely Louisa with us and her pug dog Apollo who had been staying with our daughter Deborah. Please pray for Louisa. She is part of the 3-person youth leadership team in the Patos church and is also an excellent vocalist in the praise and worship band.

I would like you to keep praying for our veterinary doctor Marcelo who is ill with Covid. He has now been allowed home from hospital because he can afford his own oxygen cylinder which he still needs a lot. He told me yesterday that he still feels absolutely awful and desperately weak. He says he can hardly stand on his own feet. He thanks everyone for praying for him. Thank you for praying for Neneto from Curral Velho also who is now breathing without help from as intubater. 

I have been talking to Sister Nenem who leads our São Vicente do Seridó church. We discussed the situation at this small town where there are shoot-outs of late at night. We decided to switch the Sunday night service to the afternoon for the safety of our church folk. Please pray for this situation.

EAB’s magazine ‘InTouch’ – edition 95 should have reached you by now. If you would like a free copy please do let me know giving me your address. 

Liz and I went to our doctor’s yesterday for a routine checkup for the first time in an awful long time. Our doctor’s name is Felícia. Liz and I are both well thank the Lord. I just need to increase by protein intake and Liz is going to have some vitamin B12 injections but apart from these minor adjustments we are fine. Dr. Felícia also said that now we are over three weeks after our second dose of vaccine we can return to in person services at church as long as we take all take the necessary precautions of social distancing and wearing masks of course. Liz and I are therefore very happy and grateful to God to be able to be going back to church in person as from this Sunday. I will be getting my hair cut tomorrow in preparation for this which will be quite a relief! 😀 I will lead the service on Sunday and my assistant pastor will preach.

Yesterday we had a good rain of 40 mm which is not far short of 2 inches. This takes us up to a total this year of 487 mm. This leaves us far short of what we need for it to be a good year but we hope and pray for some more good rains in May. In João Pessoa on the coast yesterday they had flash flooding with abundant torrential rain there!

Our projects team has been out distributing sheep to poor families in Diamante County. The people benefitted by our 4-Legs Project opted for hair sheep rather that goats in this case. Some prefer sheep as they are somewhat easier to control than goats.

Liz and I went to our doctor’s yesterday for a routine checkup for the first time in an awful long time. Our doctor’s name is Felícia. Liz and I are both well thank the Lord. I just need to increase by protein intake and Liz is going to have some vitamin B12 injections but apart from these minor adjustments we are fine. Dr. Felícia also said that now we are over three weeks after our second dose of vaccine we can return to in person services at church as long as we take all take the necessary precautions of social distancing and wearing masks of course. Liz and I are therefore very happy and grateful to God to be able to be going back to church in person as from this Sunday. I will be getting my hair cut tomorrow in preparation for this which will be quite a relief! 😀 I will lead the service on Sunday and my assistant pastor will preach.

Yesterday we had a good rain of 40 mm which is not far short of 2 inches. This takes us up to a total this year of 487 mm. This leaves us far short of what we need for it to be a good year but we hope and pray for some more good rains in May. In João Pessoa on the coast yesterday they had flash flooding with abundant torrential rain there!

Our projects team has been out distributing sheep to poor families in Diamante County. The people benefitted by our 4-Legs Project opted for hair sheep rather that goats in this case. Some prefer sheep as they are somewhat easier to control than goats.

Edition number 95 of EABs bi-annual magazine ‘InTouch’ is in the post and on it’s way to everyone. Our thanks go to Marian Rashleigh for all the work she has put into this edition as she always does. If you are not on our mailing list and would like one or more copies then please do let us know. The 8-page magazine gives a resumé of the work of EAB over the past months.

Yesterday Philip and I conducted the wedding online of Brenda and Victor and all went off beautifully. The couple asked to use the church’s side hall for the occasion so they were there from 9 am for the legal part with the judge, together with Brenda’s sister and mother and our worker Lila. The judge married a whole host of couples online one after another. As our couple was well down the list it meant that our Christian part of the wedding started about half and hour later than the 10 am that was planned. That was no problem. In fact if things are on time in Brazil we think something is wrong! I prayed with them and then Philip read part of 1 Corinthians 13. I then shared a few thoughts from God’s Word with them and then they said their vows and exchanged rings. Following this I declared them husband and wife and they timidly kissed. Then Philip said a few words to them before he said the final prayer and blessing. May the Lord bless Brenda and Victor!

Our Patos church Fireman Romildo has been confirmed with Covid and his symptoms are mild so far. This is day 9. Please continue to pray for Romildo. Please also continue to pray for our Veterinary Doctor Marcelo with Covid in hospital in Campina Grande. We understand that he is out of danger now but still needs oxygen. 

Edition number 95 of EABs bi-annual magazine ‘InTouch’ is in the post and on it’s way to everyone. Our thanks go to Marian Rashleigh for all the work she has put into this edition as she always does. If you are not on our mailing list and would like one or more copies then please do let us know. The 8-page magazine gives a resumé of the work of EAB over the past months.

Yesterday Philip and I conducted the wedding online of Brenda and Victor and all went off beautifully. The couple asked to use the church’s side hall for the occasion so they were there from 9 am for the legal part with the judge, together with Brenda’s sister and mother and our worker Lila. The judge married a whole host of couples online one after another. As our couple was well down the list it meant that our Christian part of the wedding started about half and hour later than the 10 am that was planned. That was no problem. In fact if things are on time in Brazil we think something is wrong! I prayed with them and then Philip read part of 1 Corinthians 13. I then shared a few thoughts from God’s Word with them and then they said their vows and exchanged rings. Following this I declared them husband and wife and they timidly kissed. Then Philip said a few words to them before he said the final prayer and blessing. May the Lord bless Brenda and Victor!

Our Patos church Fireman Romildo has been confirmed with Covid and his symptoms are mild so far. This is day 9. Please continue to pray for Romildo. Please also continue to pray for our Veterinary Doctor Marcelo with Covid in hospital in Campina Grande. We understand that he is out of danger now but still needs oxygen. 

I have long lost count of how many weddings I have conducted over the years but I have never done one online. However a young woman from our Patos church called Brenda is marrying Victor from one of our Campina Grande churches tomorrow on line. At 9 am they go before a judge online and do the legal part and then at 10 am they come to me online to conduct the Christian ceremony. I prepared everything for this yesterday. Philip will also be taking part from the UK as Brenda wants him to take part as Philip was the youth pastor here so there is a nice affinity. Please pray for this online wedding and that God might bless this couple, Victor and Brenda, who will be starting out life together in such turbulent times.

Sunday’s service went off beautifully. Sacha led it so well. Much better than the assistant pastor to be honest. I preached focusing on the Mums on Mother’s Day and it went very well. I had a lot of positive feedback which is always encouraging. A young woman called Dilma also brought a beautiful poem for the mothers.

Last night Liz and I spent hours revising the entire Patos church register which has details of all members, non-members who regularly attend who are Christians and non-members who regularly attend who are not committed Christians yet. The register is divided into families and has everyone’s address, phone number and date of birth. The latter being so that we can congratulate those who had birthdays each week in church. People like this.

Please continue to pray for Neneto from our Curral Velho (Old Cow pen) church. He is the brother of Tica who leads the church there, with her husband Ramos, and he has a serious version of Covid and continues in intensive care at Piancó. He is very ill.  

Today is Mother’s Day in Brazil as it always is on the second Sunday in May. I see that Portugal has switched theirs from December to the first Sunday in May, as countries who are majority Roman Catholic tend to do as they have May as the month of Mary. Anyway I will be preaching in the Mother’s Day service in a few hours’ time and Sacha will be leading. My assistant pastor has gone to be with his mother at Soledade, which is about and hour and a quarter from Patos by car.

We have a fireman in the Patos church called Romildo and he has all the symptoms of Covid, but awaits confirmation, or not, from the test. Please pray for Romildo.

José Renildo, who was an EAB/ACEV pastor at the beach church of Jacumã near João Pessoa, is travelling with his wife Tânia to Portugal to live today. Please pray for their journey and settling in to a different climate, culture and a different version and accent of the Portuguese language. They are going there to live with their daughter but who knows if an EAB/ACEV church might not start up there. I am not saying this is planned but it could happen. Certainly some of our pastors are already praying for it to happen!

The death toll in the police shoot out in a Rio de Janeiro slum has gone up from 25 to 28! The confusion about the number only goes to show the chaos involved. The massacre is being highly criticized here by many although the right wing supports it. Brazil’s vice-president who is an army General said all the victims were “bandits” before they were all even identified! Some Brazilians use the slogan “a good bandit is a dead bandit” and sadly many evangelical Christians say this.

Today is Mother’s Day in Brazil as it always is on the second Sunday in May. I see that Portugal has switched theirs from December to the first Sunday in May, as countries who are majority Roman Catholic tend to do as they have May as the month of Mary. Anyway I will be preaching in the Mother’s Day service in a few hours’ time and Sacha will be leading. My assistant pastor has gone to be with his mother at Soledade, which is about and hour and a quarter from Patos by car.

We have a fireman in the Patos church called Romildo and he has all the symptoms of Covid, but awaits confirmation, or not, from the test. Please pray for Romildo.

José Renildo, who was an EAB/ACEV pastor at the beach church of Jacumã near João Pessoa, is travelling with his wife Tânia to Portugal to live today. Please pray for their journey and settling in to a different climate, culture and a different version and accent of the Portuguese language. They are going there to live with their daughter but who knows if an EAB/ACEV church might not start up there. I am not saying this is planned but it could happen. Certainly some of our pastors are already praying for it to happen!

The death toll in the police shoot out in a Rio de Janeiro slum has gone up from 25 to 28! The confusion about the number only goes to show the chaos involved. The massacre is being highly criticized here by many although the right wing supports it. Brazil’s vice-president who is an army General said all the victims were “bandits” before they were all even identified! Some Brazilians use the slogan “a good bandit is a dead bandit” and sadly many evangelical Christians say this.

Today is Mother’s Day in Brazil as it always is on the second Sunday in May. I see that Portugal has switched theirs from December to the first Sunday in May, as countries who are majority Roman Catholic tend to do as they have May as the month of Mary. Anyway I will be preaching in the Mother’s Day service in a few hours’ time and Sacha will be leading. My assistant pastor has gone to be with his mother at Soledade, which is about and hour and a quarter from Patos by car.

We have a fireman in the Patos church called Romildo and he has all the symptoms of Covid, but awaits confirmation, or not, from the test. Please pray for Romildo.

José Renildo, who was an EAB/ACEV pastor at the beach church of Jacumã near João Pessoa, is travelling with his wife Tânia to Portugal to live today. Please pray for their journey and settling in to a different climate, culture and a different version and accent of the Portuguese language. They are going there to live with their daughter but who knows if an EAB/ACEV church might not start up there. I am not saying this is planned but it could happen. Certainly some of our pastors are already praying for it to happen!

The death toll in the police shoot out in a Rio de Janeiro slum has gone up from 25 to 28! The confusion about the number only goes to show the chaos involved. The massacre is being highly criticized here by many although the right wing supports it. Brazil’s vice-president who is an army General said all the victims were “bandits” before they were all even identified! Some Brazilians use the slogan “a good bandit is a dead bandit” and sadly many evangelical Christians say this.

 We seem to be surrounded by death here in Brazil! A 36 year old man is another that has just died from Covid in Patos and thousands are dying everyday here with the government continuing to back pedal on doing anything which helps combat the pandemic.

Then yesterday came the horrific massacre of 24 men in Rio de Janeiro in the Jacarezinho slum/shanty town or favela as its called in Portuguese. The massacre was carried out by 200 highly armed police who sealed off part of the slum and killed 24 men. One policeman was killed too. Many are calling this attack an “execution” raid done by a “death squad”. That this shanty town is in the grip of organized drug crime is a fact, but it doesn’t justify extrajudicial executions. My friend and pastor colleague Antonio Carlos Costa has the headquarters of his work exactly in Jacarezinho and he is horrified by what happened yesterday. The United Nations Human Rights office has strongly criticized this the deadliest raid in Rio de Janeiro’s history. Residents say police killed suspects who wanted to surrender and entered homes without a warrant. Police deny any wrong doing. One man is said to have been executed in the same room as an eight-year-old girl. I have seen a video of the room with pools of blood on the floor. Please pray for Brazil.

Francisco and Leca are the couple who look after the every day things at Green Pastures and they are a lovely couple. Francisco’s grandmother has just died at the age of 102! She was lucid and active to the end. She used to watch soaps on TV every night and she spent time in prayer every night too. She made her own breakfast the day she died. In the evening she was watching TV when she put her hand to her chest and she was gone. What a long life and what a way to go!

Thank you for praying for our Vet Dr. Marcelo Sá who is a member of the Patos church. He is improving from Covid and has come out of intensive care. Please pray for Tica who leads the work at Curral Velho church with her husband Ramos. She has gone down with Covid as has her brother Neneto. She has no symptoms as yet but Neneto is very ill and in intensive care intubated. 

I forgot to mention that our partnership with Tearfund had its 30th anniversary on March 1st. On that day in 1991 I visited Tearfund’s headquarters at Teddington, just near Bushy Park, and had a very fruitful meeting with Jennie Evans who was the coordinator for Latin America. That was the start of this long partnership which still goes on today for the glory of God.

This week I received a new book to read which was written by Mike Hollow and called the Blitz Detective. I have read 4 chapters thus far and it is very good. It is set in East London in World War II. I like Mike’s style of writing. I have known Mike since he came to Brazil back in the 90s with Tearfund to make a video about the work here. 

Talking about publications let me mention that EAB’s bi-annual magazine InTouch edition 95 is at the printers and should be falling on your doormat this month if you are on our mailing list. Please let me know if you would like to join the list.

I have been talking to our leader at Belem called Naldinho about his practical work linked to his Bible College course. He is a very dedicated brother. The work we do training young leaders is of great importance to the future of the work here.

I have been talking again to Pastor Umbirajara, who is the João Pessoa regional leader, about Cleiton who is to take on the leadership of the Jacumã church now that José Renildo is moving to Portugal. I have said goodbye to our brother on the phone.

Please pray for Dr Marcelo from our Patos church who is a Vet. He has now gone into intensive care with Covid.

I have prepared my sermon for next Sunday which is Mother’s Day in Brazil. 

This week I received a new book to read which was written by Mike Hollow and called the Blitz Detective. I have read 4 chapters thus far and it is very good. It is set in East London in World War II. I like Mike’s style of writing. I have known Mike since he came to Brazil back in the 90s with Tearfund to make a video about the work here. 

Talking about publications let me mention that EAB’s bi-annual magazine InTouch edition 95 is at the printers and should be falling on your doormat this month if you are on our mailing list. Please let me know if you would like to join the list.

I have been talking to our leader at Belem called Naldinho about his practical work linked to his Bible College course. He is a very dedicated brother. The work we do training young leaders is of great importance to the future of the work here.

I have been talking again to Pastor Umbirajara, who is the João Pessoa regional leader, about Cleiton who is to take on the leadership of the Jacumã church now that José Renildo is moving to Portugal. I have said goodbye to our brother on the phone.

Please pray for Dr Marcelo from our Patos church who is a Vet. He has now gone into intensive care with Covid.

I have prepared my sermon for next Sunday which is Mother’s Day in Brazil. 

As times goes by we have had had some children named after us around the EAB/ACEV churches. For instance, there’s a little boy at our Belém church who is the son of the leaders who is called John and now there is a baby girl called Liz who was born to a young couple called Tony and Milena in the Patos church. They have now moved to João Pessoa and 2 month old baby Liz was taken ill during last night. Liz received frantic WhatsApp messages from Milena at 2 am telling us that baby Liz is really ill and was taken into hospital so we prayed for her at 2 am. Please pray for baby Liz who has some sort of infection blood tests have shown. 

Yesterday was a very hectic day with lots of pastors on the phone to me sorting out a variety of issues. Pastor Francinaldo at Manaíra told me that 85 year old Silvino is much better from Covid and a stroke and his daughters are going to take him to São Paulo, where they live, to look after him there. I don’t think Silvino will like it in a big dirty city but he doesn’t have much choice.

Another matter that Pastor Francinaldo discussed with me is the possibility of taking on a young man called Fábio Furtado as a new worker in Manaíra County. I agreed to this and this is a particularly interesting case because Fábio was an EAB Action Child at Caroá a long time ago. When he grew up he did a degree in theology at our Princesa Isabel Bible College and he is the worship leader at Caroá. Now we will be taking him on as a worker to help with the church plants at Travessia and Fonseca. Please pray for Fábio.

Yet another matter I discussed with Francinaldo is the building of the church at Travessia in his County. We have decided to go ahead with this by faith this year. We have the land already. The church building will cost about 4,000 pounds and we have 350 pounds to date so please pray with us on this.

As times goes by we have had had some children named after us around the EAB/ACEV churches. For instance, there’s a little boy at our Belém church who is the son of the leaders who is called John and now there is a baby girl called Liz who was born to a young couple called Tony and Milena in the Patos church. They have now moved to João Pessoa and 2 month old baby Liz was taken ill during last night. Liz received frantic WhatsApp messages from Milena at 2 am telling us that baby Liz is really ill and was taken into hospital so we prayed for her at 2 am. Please pray for baby Liz who has some sort of infection blood tests have shown. 

Yesterday was a very hectic day with lots of pastors on the phone to me sorting out a variety of issues. Pastor Francinaldo at Manaíra told me that 85 year old Silvino is much better from Covid and a stroke and his daughters are going to take him to São Paulo, where they live, to look after him there. I don’t think Silvino will like it in a big dirty city but he doesn’t have much choice.

Another matter that Pastor Francinaldo discussed with me is the possibility of taking on a young man called Fábio Furtado as a new worker in Manaíra County. I agreed to this and this is a particularly interesting case because Fábio was an EAB Action Child at Caroá a long time ago. When he grew up he did a degree in theology at our Princesa Isabel Bible College and he is the worship leader at Caroá. Now we will be taking him on as a worker to help with the church plants at Travessia and Fonseca. Please pray for Fábio.

Yet another matter I discussed with Francinaldo is the building of the church at Travessia in his County. We have decided to go ahead with this by faith this year. We have the land already. The church building will cost about 4,000 pounds and we have 350 pounds to date so please pray with us on this.

As times goes by we have had had some children named after us around the EAB/ACEV churches. For instance, there’s a little boy at our Belém church who is the son of the leaders who is called John and now there is a baby girl called Liz who was born to a young couple called Tony and Milena in the Patos church. They have now moved to João Pessoa and 2 month old baby Liz was taken ill during last night. Liz received frantic WhatsApp messages from Milena at 2 am telling us that baby Liz is really ill and was taken into hospital so we prayed for her at 2 am. Please pray for baby Liz who has some sort of infection blood tests have shown. 

Yesterday was a very hectic day with lots of pastors on the phone to me sorting out a variety of issues. Pastor Francinaldo at Manaíra told me that 85 year old Silvino is much better from Covid and a stroke and his daughters are going to take him to São Paulo, where they live, to look after him there. I don’t think Silvino will like it in a big dirty city but he doesn’t have much choice.

Another matter that Pastor Francinaldo discussed with me is the possibility of taking on a young man called Fábio Furtado as a new worker in Manaíra County. I agreed to this and this is a particularly interesting case because Fábio was an EAB Action Child at Caroá a long time ago. When he grew up he did a degree in theology at our Princesa Isabel Bible College and he is the worship leader at Caroá. Now we will be taking him on as a worker to help with the church plants at Travessia and Fonseca. Please pray for Fábio.

Yet another matter I discussed with Francinaldo is the building of the church at Travessia in his County. We have decided to go ahead with this by faith this year. We have the land already. The church building will cost about 4,000 pounds and we have 350 pounds to date so please pray with us on this.

 I have just had a long talk to Pastor Maésio and his wife Fia who lead the EAB/ACEV church up in the mountains at Teixeira. They have problems in the church there with a deacon giving a bad testimony linked to pornography and asked me what they should do about it. I advised them to talk to the brother which they have not yet done. The first step must be to listen to the person in question and then go from there. They promised to do that and let me know what happens. Please pray for this matter.

My sermon went well in the service last night despite an initial internet hiccup caused by a mistake that our technical man made. Once that was sorted all went well. It was the communion service and young assistant pastor Rafael got in a bit of a muddle at the beginning forgetting to distribute the emblems, but our Bible College student Mailson discreetly prompted him to get things on track.

José Vieira is one of our pastors on the coast at João Pessoa where EAB/ACEV has a number of churches. He is one of our pastors who has had Covid and recovered. Now he is asking urgent prayer for his sister Chiquinha and her husband José who are both seriously ill in hospital in intensive care. Please pray. 

 I have just had a long talk to Pastor Maésio and his wife Fia who lead the EAB/ACEV church up in the mountains at Teixeira. They have problems in the church there with a deacon giving a bad testimony linked to pornography and asked me what they should do about it. I advised them to talk to the brother which they have not yet done. The first step must be to listen to the person in question and then go from there. They promised to do that and let me know what happens. Please pray for this matter.

My sermon went well in the service last night despite an initial internet hiccup caused by a mistake that our technical man made. Once that was sorted all went well. It was the communion service and young assistant pastor Rafael got in a bit of a muddle at the beginning forgetting to distribute the emblems, but our Bible College student Mailson discreetly prompted him to get things on track.

José Vieira is one of our pastors on the coast at João Pessoa where EAB/ACEV has a number of churches. He is one of our pastors who has had Covid and recovered. Now he is asking urgent prayer for his sister Chiquinha and her husband José who are both seriously ill in hospital in intensive care. Please pray. 

Today is our granddaughter Amanda’s 6th birthday. She is the daughter of Lynn Amanda and Hutan. She was born very tiny and very premature but praise God she is growing up into a lovely healthy young lady. Please remember our grandchildren in your prayers. May they all follow Jesus Christ is our prayer and may they all be kept healthy in these trying times.

Our 3 daughters are all in Patos and each has 2 children. Our son Philip is in England since last September I think it was. He is there with his wife and sons Lucas and Luis. Their elder sister Louisa, who is 21, is in Brazil.

The rainy season here continues to be weak. This year the first 4 months of 2021 only saw 433 mm at Green Pastures Nature Reserve & Christian Conference Centre whereas the average rainfall in this period over the previous 5 years was 714 mm. 2021 is going to be a tough year in more ways than one. The lake and stream remain bone dry. May is still a month in which we can receive some rain so we hope and pray that this will happen in abundance.

Today is our granddaughter Amanda’s 6th birthday. She is the daughter of Lynn Amanda and Hutan. She was born very tiny and very premature but praise God she is growing up into a lovely healthy young lady. Please remember our grandchildren in your prayers. May they all follow Jesus Christ is our prayer and may they all be kept healthy in these trying times.

Our 3 daughters are all in Patos and each has 2 children. Our son Philip is in England since last September I think it was. He is there with his wife and sons Lucas and Luis. Their elder sister Louisa, who is 21, is in Brazil.

The rainy season here continues to be weak. This year the first 4 months of 2021 only saw 433 mm at Green Pastures Nature Reserve & Christian Conference Centre whereas the average rainfall in this period over the previous 5 years was 714 mm. 2021 is going to be a tough year in more ways than one. The lake and stream remain bone dry. May is still a month in which we can receive some rain so we hope and pray that this will happen in abundance.

Today is our granddaughter Amanda’s 6th birthday. She is the daughter of Lynn Amanda and Hutan. She was born very tiny and very premature but praise God she is growing up into a lovely healthy young lady. Please remember our grandchildren in your prayers. May they all follow Jesus Christ is our prayer and may they all be kept healthy in these trying times.

Our 3 daughters are all in Patos and each has 2 children. Our son Philip is in England since last September I think it was. He is there with his wife and sons Lucas and Luis. Their elder sister Louisa, who is 21, is in Brazil.

The rainy season here continues to be weak. This year the first 4 months of 2021 only saw 433 mm at Green Pastures Nature Reserve & Christian Conference Centre whereas the average rainfall in this period over the previous 5 years was 714 mm. 2021 is going to be a tough year in more ways than one. The lake and stream remain bone dry. May is still a month in which we can receive some rain so we hope and pray that this will happen in abundance.

Liz and I have just been to Josinete’s house to wish her a happy birthday in drive through style. Josinete is a very faithful deaconess in the Patos church and is always very willing to serve God and her neighbour. Now Liz is cooking egg, chips and peas for lunch.

Last night we had a nice chat to our eldest daughter Deborah. It is odd with Liz, myself and Deborah all masked and sat far apart, but these are the times we live in. It was lovely to talk and to pray together.

I value your prayers for me tomorrow as it’s my turn to preach in Patos. I will be preaching on the fear of the Lord. 

Liz and I have just been to Josinete’s house to wish her a happy birthday in drive through style. Josinete is a very faithful deaconess in the Patos church and is always very willing to serve God and her neighbour. Now Liz is cooking egg, chips and peas for lunch.

Last night we had a nice chat to our eldest daughter Deborah. It is odd with Liz, myself and Deborah all masked and sat far apart, but these are the times we live in. It was lovely to talk and to pray together.

I value your prayers for me tomorrow as it’s my turn to preach in Patos. I will be preaching on the fear of the Lord. 

I spent the whole of yesterday afternoon in an online meeting via Google Meet (similar to Zoom) with leaders of our Action Schools Project. The meeting was to evaluate our schools in the middle of this terrible pandemic. The meeting was very good.

Yesterday Brazil passed the horrific mark of 400,000 Covid deaths and my friend and pastor colleague Antonio Carlos Costa has organized a protest with 400 sacks covered by Brazilian flags on Copacabana beach representing those who have died. The protest focuses on the inept national government response to the pandemic. More people have died from Covid in the first 4 months of this year in Brazil than died in the whole of last year.   

I spent the whole of yesterday afternoon in an online meeting via Google Meet (similar to Zoom) with leaders of our Action Schools Project. The meeting was to evaluate our schools in the middle of this terrible pandemic. The meeting was very good.

Yesterday Brazil passed the horrific mark of 400,000 Covid deaths and my friend and pastor colleague Antonio Carlos Costa has organized a protest with 400 sacks covered by Brazilian flags on Copacabana beach representing those who have died. The protest focuses on the inept national government response to the pandemic. More people have died from Covid in the first 4 months of this year in Brazil than died in the whole of last year.   

I spent the whole of yesterday afternoon in an online meeting via Google Meet (similar to Zoom) with leaders of our Action Schools Project. The meeting was to evaluate our schools in the middle of this terrible pandemic. The meeting was very good.

Yesterday Brazil passed the horrific mark of 400,000 Covid deaths and my friend and pastor colleague Antonio Carlos Costa has organized a protest with 400 sacks covered by Brazilian flags on Copacabana beach representing those who have died. The protest focuses on the inept national government response to the pandemic. More people have died from Covid in the first 4 months of this year in Brazil than died in the whole of last year.   

 Liz and I have over the last few days enjoyed eating a small home-made loaf of bread which was made by a neighbour. Bread from the bakeries in Patos is made as rolls so we don’t have loaves of bread normally. The home-made loaf was very nice.

Pastor José Renildo and his wife Tania have been leading the EAB/ACEV church near the beach at Jacumã for some years now, but yesterday he told me that they are moving to Portugal on May the 9th to live near their daughter. Pastor José Renildo has had Covid twice so I think his daughter wants to get her parents out of here whilst the going’s good.

I had a very long talk to Pastor Umbirajara yesterday. He is the regional pastor for João Pessoa and all our churches in the coastal region. One of our topics was a replacement leader for José Renildo at Jacumã. He also told me all about his recovery from Covid and how he had felt pretty rough for some time after leaving hospital, but now he is fine.

Please pray for a member of our Curral Velho church who is the brother of the leader Tica. He has Covid and has been taken to hospital at Piancó. Please also pray for Marcelo Sá who is a Vet from the Patos church who is also in hospital in Campina Grande with Covid.

 Liz and I have over the last few days enjoyed eating a small home-made loaf of bread which was made by a neighbour. Bread from the bakeries in Patos is made as rolls so we don’t have loaves of bread normally. The home-made loaf was very nice.

Pastor José Renildo and his wife Tania have been leading the EAB/ACEV church near the beach at Jacumã for some years now, but yesterday he told me that they are moving to Portugal on May the 9th to live near their daughter. Pastor José Renildo has had Covid twice so I think his daughter wants to get her parents out of here whilst the going’s good.

I had a very long talk to Pastor Umbirajara yesterday. He is the regional pastor for João Pessoa and all our churches in the coastal region. One of our topics was a replacement leader for José Renildo at Jacumã. He also told me all about his recovery from Covid and how he had felt pretty rough for some time after leaving hospital, but now he is fine.

Please pray for a member of our Curral Velho church who is the brother of the leader Tica. He has Covid and has been taken to hospital at Piancó. Please also pray for Marcelo Sá who is a Vet from the Patos church who is also in hospital in Campina Grande with Covid.

 Liz and I have over the last few days enjoyed eating a small home-made loaf of bread which was made by a neighbour. Bread from the bakeries in Patos is made as rolls so we don’t have loaves of bread normally. The home-made loaf was very nice.

Pastor José Renildo and his wife Tania have been leading the EAB/ACEV church near the beach at Jacumã for some years now, but yesterday he told me that they are moving to Portugal on May the 9th to live near their daughter. Pastor José Renildo has had Covid twice so I think his daughter wants to get her parents out of here whilst the going’s good.

I had a very long talk to Pastor Umbirajara yesterday. He is the regional pastor for João Pessoa and all our churches in the coastal region. One of our topics was a replacement leader for José Renildo at Jacumã. He also told me all about his recovery from Covid and how he had felt pretty rough for some time after leaving hospital, but now he is fine.

Please pray for a member of our Curral Velho church who is the brother of the leader Tica. He has Covid and has been taken to hospital at Piancó. Please also pray for Marcelo Sá who is a Vet from the Patos church who is also in hospital in Campina Grande with Covid.

 I have been talking to Pastor Renilson who leads the EAB/ACEV church up in the mountains at Matureia, which has the highest peak (Pico do Jabre Peak) in our State of Paraiba. He has asked special prayer for a little girl named Alícia, aged 7, who is part of the Matureia church who has been unwell for months but the doctors couldn’t discover what is wrong with her. However an MRI has shown that she has a brain tumour and so she is going to be operated on to remove the tumour. Please pray for Alícia.

I also have been talking to Pastor Nezinho Abílio who leads the Vazante and Barra de Oitis EAB/ACEV churches. He asks prayer for Sister Diana at Barra de Oitis who is most unwell having been operated on for a kidney stone and for the removal of her gall bladder. Please pray for Diana.

At 2 pm yesterday a house in our street was broken into by 2 armed men who kept a woman at gun point whilst they collected money and jewelry. 

Covid deaths in Brazil continue terribly high. Yesterday another 3,120 deaths occured which clearly means we will see the 400,000 deaths mark passed this week! Despite this sad reality President Bolsonaro continues to play Covid down and threatens state governors, who try to get things under control with restrictive measures, by “sending the army in to set the people free from any form of lockdown”!

 I have been talking to Pastor Renilson who leads the EAB/ACEV church up in the mountains at Matureia, which has the highest peak (Pico do Jabre Peak) in our State of Paraiba. He has asked special prayer for a little girl named Alícia, aged 7, who is part of the Matureia church who has been unwell for months but the doctors couldn’t discover what is wrong with her. However an MRI has shown that she has a brain tumour and so she is going to be operated on to remove the tumour. Please pray for Alícia.

I also have been talking to Pastor Nezinho Abílio who leads the Vazante and Barra de Oitis EAB/ACEV churches. He asks prayer for Sister Diana at Barra de Oitis who is most unwell having been operated on for a kidney stone and for the removal of her gall bladder. Please pray for Diana.

At 2 pm yesterday a house in our street was broken into by 2 armed men who kept a woman at gun point whilst they collected money and jewelry. 

Covid deaths in Brazil continue terribly high. Yesterday another 3,120 deaths occured which clearly means we will see the 400,000 deaths mark passed this week! Despite this sad reality President Bolsonaro continues to play Covid down and threatens state governors, who try to get things under control with restrictive measures, by “sending the army in to set the people free from any form of lockdown”!

EAB’s 4-Legs Project has been running for many years now and is in action all the time here. The project seeks to function as an incentive to poor rural folk to rear goats (or sometimes hair sheep which occasionally people prefer). Goats are very hardy creatures who do well in the tough hot and dry conditions of the interior of north-east Brazil. They produce milk which is a great help for the families’ young children. Of course the animals also multiply and produce income for people so that they will eventually have animals to sell. Recently we distributed 4 more goats to very poor people in Cajá de Baixo Community in Flores County in the State of Pernambuco. We also distributed 2 goats at Travessia Community in Manaíra County in the State of Paraíba. Each family also received a sack of mineral salt and medication for eventual wounds which the goats may get out in the thorny bush as well as from barbed wire fencing. The families that received the 6 goats also received a Bible and they were very grateful for all they received. This project is another of our ways of demonstrating in tangible ways to the poor and needy God’s love. Please pray that the recipients might be fed by the milk of the goats and the milk of the Word. 

EAB’s 4-Legs Project has been running for many years now and is in action all the time here. The project seeks to function as an incentive to poor rural folk to rear goats (or sometimes hair sheep which occasionally people prefer). Goats are very hardy creatures who do well in the tough hot and dry conditions of the interior of north-east Brazil. They produce milk which is a great help for the families’ young children. Of course the animals also multiply and produce income for people so that they will eventually have animals to sell. Recently we distributed 4 more goats to very poor people in Cajá de Baixo Community in Flores County in the State of Pernambuco. We also distributed 2 goats at Travessia Community in Manaíra County in the State of Paraíba. Each family also received a sack of mineral salt and medication for eventual wounds which the goats may get out in the thorny bush as well as from barbed wire fencing. The families that received the 6 goats also received a Bible and they were very grateful for all they received. This project is another of our ways of demonstrating in tangible ways to the poor and needy God’s love. Please pray that the recipients might be fed by the milk of the goats and the milk of the Word. 

More people have died with Covid this year in Brazil than died in the whole of last year. The Covid peak here for the second wave has been reached but the levelling off at over 3,000 deaths a day remains horrifically high. Nevertheless our President Bolsonaro continues to play down the pandemic and demands that all the shops, restaurants, bars etc. should be open. I only hope and pray that he will not be re-elected in the October 2022 elections. 

One bright piece of news amidst so much suffering is that the young lady doctor, Dr. Marcília, has finally been released from hospital after having been in intensive care for over a month. She had had Covid twice and was desperately ill, but thanks be to God that she made it out of the darkness. Thank you for praying.

Last night’s service went very well. I led part of the service and our assistant pastor led the rest and also preached. Next Sunday I will preach at what will be the monthly communion service.

This morning food hampers have been distributed to those in special need. One went to Sister Judite who had one of her eyes removed recently owing to some sort of abscess. Quite awful! She seemed a lot brighter this morning thankfully. Bless her heart. Another food parcel went today to Sister Toinha who has been put (I felt like saying dumped) into a new government wardened place for seniors. I feel sorry for her as it has cut her off from friends and fellowship despite her being quite capable of looking after herself. Her son, who is a very aggressive policeman, decided to put his mother into care and there is nothing we can say or do about it.

More people have died with Covid this year in Brazil than died in the whole of last year. The Covid peak here for the second wave has been reached but the levelling off at over 3,000 deaths a day remains horrifically high. Nevertheless our President Bolsonaro continues to play down the pandemic and demands that all the shops, restaurants, bars etc. should be open. I only hope and pray that he will not be re-elected in the October 2022 elections. 

One bright piece of news amidst so much suffering is that the young lady doctor, Dr. Marcília, has finally been released from hospital after having been in intensive care for over a month. She had had Covid twice and was desperately ill, but thanks be to God that she made it out of the darkness. Thank you for praying.

Last night’s service went very well. I led part of the service and our assistant pastor led the rest and also preached. Next Sunday I will preach at what will be the monthly communion service.

This morning food hampers have been distributed to those in special need. One went to Sister Judite who had one of her eyes removed recently owing to some sort of abscess. Quite awful! She seemed a lot brighter this morning thankfully. Bless her heart. Another food parcel went today to Sister Toinha who has been put (I felt like saying dumped) into a new government wardened place for seniors. I feel sorry for her as it has cut her off from friends and fellowship despite her being quite capable of looking after herself. Her son, who is a very aggressive policeman, decided to put his mother into care and there is nothing we can say or do about it.

Our Pastor Chef (please note the pun! i.e. not Master Chef!) João George is the assistant pastor at our Imaculada church up in the mountains. He is a very dedicated man in all he does. He is an Action School teacher and he is one of the most dedicated teachers we have in any school. It’s just how he is! He is also very good at cooking and at teaching cooking and has done excellent work teaching women to cook at Fonseca slave-descendent community in Manaira County. The aim in this project is to in this way teach women to make bread or bake and decorate cakes so that these things generate income for their families. So yesterday he was at another slave-descendent community at Barra de Oitis in Diamante County teaching a new group of women to make bread and it was a great success. It is so good to see extremely poor women treated with respect and recovering their personal dignity through such projects as this one as well as increasing their income. 

The rain situation continues the same at Green Pastures. We had 30 mm of rain the night before last and 9 mm last night so not big rains to fill our lake and stream up. With just a week left in April the situation in serious at Green Pastures. Last night in Patos it rained 88 mm of torrential rain but unfortunately this didn’t fall at Green Pastures. The rain was so hard last night that I had to turn the volume up to the maximum for Liz and I to be able to watch our serial on Netflix so as to relax before going to sleep.

I have been trouble shooting at one of our Action Schools this week. Problems crop up from time to time but the Lord helps us to solve them and our experience helps too.

Thanks to those who have been praying for 85 year old Brother Silvino at Manaira who had Covid and a stroke. Praise God he is now home from hospital and much improved.

The 2 latest toilet/shower units that we have built are now totally finished and their happy owners are using them with great satisfaction. It’s sad to think that these are the first toilets these families have had in their lives. How the other half lives! For the very poor here a toilet is a luxury and a shower as well is a super luxury! However the photo of Francisco de Assis, his wife Maria de Fátima Lucas and their two children shows a family all masked up and looking very serious. (see on Facebook) That’s just how poor folk here are! To get them to smile for a photo is extremely difficult! I understand such people and I realize that’s their normal, but it might be difficult for people overseas to figure out.