Categoria: News

There is always plenty of counselling ministry for Liz and I. We spent a nice time with one young Christian man in the last few days and we also visited Sandra who is a Down’s Syndrome lady. She loves it when we are with her and she loves to sing hymns with me. She beams smiling and she remembers the words of old hymns quite well. Bless her!


I celebrated my birthday eating a pizza with all the family and that was nice. The church gave me a shirt and a new wallet as my old one had been noticed to be falling apart! Honestly!


Communion service was lovely yesterday. I preached on Matthew 5:6 – “Hungering and thirsting for righteousness”. A young Bible School student of ours gave a short meditation prior to Communion in preparation for it which was nice. 


I had a long walk very early yesterday morning at Green Pastures and managed to photograph for the first time a gorgeous Striped Owl (Asio clamator) which is a fairly large and beautiful owl about 42 cm tall. This species had been registered at Green Pastures at night by our automatic cameras, but I had never seen one personally. However recently I have seen this large owl perching in one specific place near the lake, but every time I tried to get near enough to photograph it, it flew off and I couldn’t even see which species it was. I thought it might be a Barn Owl. So yesterday I very slowly approached the location from a different angle and it worked!


Tomorrow I will be speaking at the Men’s Fellowship (Book of Daniel) and the Bible Study (Deuteronomy) will be on Thursday. In between I have a meeting on Skype with Tearfund as things are complicated with them these days helping with any projects. It’s quite a headache. On Friday I have a meeting with our deaf pastor.


Please pray for us and for the soon coming Carnival Camp at Green Pastures starting on the 22nd of this month.

There is always plenty of counselling ministry for Liz and I. We spent a nice time with one young Christian man in the last few days and we also visited Sandra who is a Down’s Syndrome lady. She loves it when we are with her and she loves to sing hymns with me. She beams smiling and she remembers the words of old hymns quite well. Bless her!


I celebrated my birthday eating a pizza with all the family and that was nice. The church gave me a shirt and a new wallet as my old one had been noticed to be falling apart! Honestly!


Communion service was lovely yesterday. I preached on Matthew 5:6 – “Hungering and thirsting for righteousness”. A young Bible School student of ours gave a short meditation prior to Communion in preparation for it which was nice. 


I had a long walk very early yesterday morning at Green Pastures and managed to photograph for the first time a gorgeous Striped Owl (Asio clamator) which is a fairly large and beautiful owl about 42 cm tall. This species had been registered at Green Pastures at night by our automatic cameras, but I had never seen one personally. However recently I have seen this large owl perching in one specific place near the lake, but every time I tried to get near enough to photograph it, it flew off and I couldn’t even see which species it was. I thought it might be a Barn Owl. So yesterday I very slowly approached the location from a different angle and it worked!


Tomorrow I will be speaking at the Men’s Fellowship (Book of Daniel) and the Bible Study (Deuteronomy) will be on Thursday. In between I have a meeting on Skype with Tearfund as things are complicated with them these days helping with any projects. It’s quite a headache. On Friday I have a meeting with our deaf pastor.


Please pray for us and for the soon coming Carnival Camp at Green Pastures starting on the 22nd of this month.

The 10-day Evangelistic Outreach ended up well. I preached as always at the last main street service in front of the church and it was lovely. 8 raised their hands indicating desire to follow Jesus at the end, one man gave me a note asking to be contacted afterwards and another came to me asking for prayer. There were a total of 25 people who made decisions for Christ, and now ensues the follow-up work to see how many really are converted and committed to the Lord. Please pray.


We had a good EAB UK Board of Trustees meeting on Saturday in which I participated via video link on Messenger. One of the things I told them about was the excellent Action Child leadership meeting held in my office the previous day. We are always pressing on towards excellence and seeking to improve all we do for God, and it was wonderful to see the total dedication and commitment of the team. We will have a further meeting with all the Action Child/Schools teachers, local pastors and coordination team on February 15th. 


Green Pastures Nature Reserve and Christian Conference Centre prepares for our Carnival Camp starting on February 22nd. There is always much to do preparing for these big events. But Green Pastures always functions as a get-away place for our leaders and their families. 2 families have been there recently to relax and have a break in quietness in the middle of nature.


We value your prayers as we face different difficulties and challenges from day to day, that the Lord will give us wisdom and peace in all situations. How blessed Liz and I are by our wonderful relationship as we can support each other always. Difficulties have arisen in the work on a variety of fronts, at the same time as support income for the Mission has fallen low. Please pray for all this. One of our pastors has gone into depression for the second time now so I had to organize emergency cover for him at his church and help with his treatment. Other battles arise, but the Lord is with us. Sometimes disappointments arise, but God never disappoints us. 


Last night’s service in Patos was really blessed. I preached on “Changing Clothes” (Ephesians 4:17-24) and was encouraged by a lot of appreciation expressed after the service. 

The 10-day Evangelistic Outreach ended up well. I preached as always at the last main street service in front of the church and it was lovely. 8 raised their hands indicating desire to follow Jesus at the end, one man gave me a note asking to be contacted afterwards and another came to me asking for prayer. There were a total of 25 people who made decisions for Christ, and now ensues the follow-up work to see how many really are converted and committed to the Lord. Please pray.


We had a good EAB UK Board of Trustees meeting on Saturday in which I participated via video link on Messenger. One of the things I told them about was the excellent Action Child leadership meeting held in my office the previous day. We are always pressing on towards excellence and seeking to improve all we do for God, and it was wonderful to see the total dedication and commitment of the team. We will have a further meeting with all the Action Child/Schools teachers, local pastors and coordination team on February 15th. 


Green Pastures Nature Reserve and Christian Conference Centre prepares for our Carnival Camp starting on February 22nd. There is always much to do preparing for these big events. But Green Pastures always functions as a get-away place for our leaders and their families. 2 families have been there recently to relax and have a break in quietness in the middle of nature.


We value your prayers as we face different difficulties and challenges from day to day, that the Lord will give us wisdom and peace in all situations. How blessed Liz and I are by our wonderful relationship as we can support each other always. Difficulties have arisen in the work on a variety of fronts, at the same time as support income for the Mission has fallen low. Please pray for all this. One of our pastors has gone into depression for the second time now so I had to organize emergency cover for him at his church and help with his treatment. Other battles arise, but the Lord is with us. Sometimes disappointments arise, but God never disappoints us. 


Last night’s service in Patos was really blessed. I preached on “Changing Clothes” (Ephesians 4:17-24) and was encouraged by a lot of appreciation expressed after the service. 

We have now seen the number of people who have made commitments to Jesus Christ, as a result of the annual 10-day Evangelistic outreach at Ibiara, rise to 20. This is really encouraging. Of course only time will tell, in the follow-up, as to how many people will stand firm and truly be converted, but the signs are promising. Please pray. We carefully monitor all decisions between now and May when we have our annual General Conference. People are of course visited etc. as appropriate. 


I have just finished reading “The Kingdom of Jesus” written by Forster. It’s alright, but not a book I would recommend. Other books I’ve read by him have been much better, but they were written in partnership with others. This reads like a copy of his preaching, without a partner, and you sort of have to stick at it to get through it. He has some good insights into the whole concept of the Kingdom of God/Heaven and the Son of Man.

We have now seen the number of people who have made commitments to Jesus Christ, as a result of the annual 10-day Evangelistic outreach at Ibiara, rise to 20. This is really encouraging. Of course only time will tell, in the follow-up, as to how many people will stand firm and truly be converted, but the signs are promising. Please pray. We carefully monitor all decisions between now and May when we have our annual General Conference. People are of course visited etc. as appropriate. 


I have just finished reading “The Kingdom of Jesus” written by Forster. It’s alright, but not a book I would recommend. Other books I’ve read by him have been much better, but they were written in partnership with others. This reads like a copy of his preaching, without a partner, and you sort of have to stick at it to get through it. He has some good insights into the whole concept of the Kingdom of God/Heaven and the Son of Man.

Our annual 10-day evangelistic outreach, this year with a team of 80, is now on day 6 at Ibiara (155 km west of Patos) and there have been 6 decisions of commitment to Christ thus far. We praise God for the good spirit and progress. 


It is not easy for the teams at these events as all take their own thin roll-up mattresses and sleep on the floor of a loaned school because January is holiday time for the schools here. The toilet and shower facilities are very poor too at these government schools. Quite disgraceful to be honest! So please pray for them!


Most mornings the routine is prayer and Bible meditation, with the exception of Monday as it was market day so the team hit the market with the Gospel early. In the afternoons door-to-door personal evangelism is done 2 by 2 so that the entire town will be reached during the outreach. 


In the evenings street services are held with praise, drama and preaching of the Gospel. My night to preach is always on the final Saturday. The street services are dynamic so as to attract and keep a crowd. 

Our annual 10-day evangelistic outreach, this year with a team of 80, is now on day 6 at Ibiara (155 km west of Patos) and there have been 6 decisions of commitment to Christ thus far. We praise God for the good spirit and progress. 


It is not easy for the teams at these events as all take their own thin roll-up mattresses and sleep on the floor of a loaned school because January is holiday time for the schools here. The toilet and shower facilities are very poor too at these government schools. Quite disgraceful to be honest! So please pray for them!


Most mornings the routine is prayer and Bible meditation, with the exception of Monday as it was market day so the team hit the market with the Gospel early. In the afternoons door-to-door personal evangelism is done 2 by 2 so that the entire town will be reached during the outreach. 


In the evenings street services are held with praise, drama and preaching of the Gospel. My night to preach is always on the final Saturday. The street services are dynamic so as to attract and keep a crowd. 

Our annual 10-day evangelistic outreach, this year with a team of 80, is now on day 6 at Ibiara (155 km west of Patos) and there have been 6 decisions of commitment to Christ thus far. We praise God for the good spirit and progress. 


It is not easy for the teams at these events as all take their own thin roll-up mattresses and sleep on the floor of a loaned school because January is holiday time for the schools here. The toilet and shower facilities are very poor too at these government schools. Quite disgraceful to be honest! So please pray for them!


Most mornings the routine is prayer and Bible meditation, with the exception of Monday as it was market day so the team hit the market with the Gospel early. In the afternoons door-to-door personal evangelism is done 2 by 2 so that the entire town will be reached during the outreach. 


In the evenings street services are held with praise, drama and preaching of the Gospel. My night to preach is always on the final Saturday. The street services are dynamic so as to attract and keep a crowd. 

Liz and I praise God for the 48 years we have had, to date, serving the Lord in the interior of northeast Brazil, and for the health and strength, both physical and spiritual, that we have to continue this work with great joy and pleasure for His glory.


We are the longest serving missionaries EAB has had and it is a privilege to be at the hub of Mission activities, in churches and projects, to this day. Whilst we have health and strength our pleasure is to serve the Lord as we are doing. As we compare ourselves with three of the Democratic candidates vying to be the president of the USA this year, which is a pretty demanding job, we feel youngsters!


Thus we ask you to especially pray for us and support us in this exciting period of ministry that we are involved in for God. We are leaders and coordinators of 88 churches, (small, medium and large) & multiple community projects to express God’s love including rural community projects building underground dams, drilling wells, setting up market gardens, bee keeping for honey and goat rearing. All such projects always aim to help the poor help themselves and not be simply paternalistic hand-out people. We teach, behind all this, how such community development must be done in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way, backed up by our Green Pastures Nature Reserve and Christian Conference Centre which is a living example of what we preach. (Carnival Camp there from February 22-26 would welcome help to get poor families there @ £30 per person for the 5 days)


In other fields of the work we run many small Action schools for those in extreme poverty, empower women to defend their rights, combat domestic violence and generate income by training them to make handicraft (Desert Flower Project), run a Christian Care Centre where a dentist treats the poor (principally children), the deaf are blessed and our seniors too. Our food bank is run here as well, for those in emergency need. 


We manage to do so much because we are “team people“. That is, we enjoy working in and with teams. Our work needs to be understood as a series of multiple interlinked circles (teams) which all work together for God and our neighbour. We are leaders of a central team, and each church has a pastor and team of leaders, and all projects are church based and have teams of leaders. Liz and I have the joy of being involved with all these teams and are ultimately leaders of this, working together with this army of Christian workers built up over the years, and above all else, working together with God, and with His people who pray for us and support us, which is you.


So as we have plunged into 2020 we ask you to reinforce your prayers and support for us. The support of us your missionaries is key to these widening circles of Christian outreach …

Liz and I praise God for the 48 years we have had, to date, serving the Lord in the interior of northeast Brazil, and for the health and strength, both physical and spiritual, that we have to continue this work with great joy and pleasure for His glory.


We are the longest serving missionaries EAB has had and it is a privilege to be at the hub of Mission activities, in churches and projects, to this day. Whilst we have health and strength our pleasure is to serve the Lord as we are doing. As we compare ourselves with three of the Democratic candidates vying to be the president of the USA this year, which is a pretty demanding job, we feel youngsters!


Thus we ask you to especially pray for us and support us in this exciting period of ministry that we are involved in for God. We are leaders and coordinators of 88 churches, (small, medium and large) & multiple community projects to express God’s love including rural community projects building underground dams, drilling wells, setting up market gardens, bee keeping for honey and goat rearing. All such projects always aim to help the poor help themselves and not be simply paternalistic hand-out people. We teach, behind all this, how such community development must be done in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way, backed up by our Green Pastures Nature Reserve and Christian Conference Centre which is a living example of what we preach. (Carnival Camp there from February 22-26 would welcome help to get poor families there @ £30 per person for the 5 days)


In other fields of the work we run many small Action schools for those in extreme poverty, empower women to defend their rights, combat domestic violence and generate income by training them to make handicraft (Desert Flower Project), run a Christian Care Centre where a dentist treats the poor (principally children), the deaf are blessed and our seniors too. Our food bank is run here as well, for those in emergency need. 


We manage to do so much because we are “team people“. That is, we enjoy working in and with teams. Our work needs to be understood as a series of multiple interlinked circles (teams) which all work together for God and our neighbour. We are leaders of a central team, and each church has a pastor and team of leaders, and all projects are church based and have teams of leaders. Liz and I have the joy of being involved with all these teams and are ultimately leaders of this, working together with this army of Christian workers built up over the years, and above all else, working together with God, and with His people who pray for us and support us, which is you.


So as we have plunged into 2020 we ask you to reinforce your prayers and support for us. The support of us your missionaries is key to these widening circles of Christian outreach …

10-day Evangelistic Outreach – Day 3 (Sunday) started with morning prayer & Bible meditations, as we do every day.

10-day Evangelistic Outreach – Day 3 (Sunday) started with morning prayer & Bible meditations, as we do every day.

I will be off to the Patos church is an hour’s time to preach my third sermon in my series on the Beatitudes. This time it is verse 5: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”. Many are away as January is holiday month (like August is in the UK) but we pray God will bless. Sacha will be leading the praise as Philip is one of those away!

I will be off to the Patos church is an hour’s time to preach my third sermon in my series on the Beatitudes. This time it is verse 5: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”. Many are away as January is holiday month (like August is in the UK) but we pray God will bless. Sacha will be leading the praise as Philip is one of those away!

Day 2 of the 10-day Evangelistic Outreach at Ibiara was dedicated to the training in evangelism of the team, by young Pastor Rafael who is an excellent evangelist, prior to the opening street service at night. Please pray

Day 2 of the 10-day Evangelistic Outreach at Ibiara was dedicated to the training in evangelism of the team, by young Pastor Rafael who is an excellent evangelist, prior to the opening street service at night. Please pray

Friday (10th) was day 1 of our annual 10-day evangelistic outreach, this year at Ibiara. Team members travelled to Ibiara during the day and had their inaugural start-up meeting under the stars in the school where the team is based, and where they all sleep on the floor, eat, and have pretty basic toilet/shower facilities. Please pray! 🙏

We had over two and a half inches of rain at Green Pastures in the night which was our first rain of the year. This makes everyone more cheerful! Our target, as always, is to reach about 40 inches in the first 5 months of the year. 

We had over two and a half inches of rain at Green Pastures in the night which was our first rain of the year. This makes everyone more cheerful! Our target, as always, is to reach about 40 inches in the first 5 months of the year. 

We had over two and a half inches of rain at Green Pastures in the night which was our first rain of the year. This makes everyone more cheerful! Our target, as always, is to reach about 40 inches in the first 5 months of the year. 

Just got home from our first Sunday in 2020 when we baptized 3 men: Leudo (deaf) and Murilo & Orlando (hearers). Murilo came to Christ through a teenager run Bible study group at his school run by youngsters from our church. Leudo came to the Lord through our Deaf Fellowship and Orlando is fruit of the job creation project having been helped to set up a thriving business as a gardener. His son was converted first and now Dad!

Just got home from our first Sunday in 2020 when we baptized 3 men: Leudo (deaf) and Murilo & Orlando (hearers). Murilo came to Christ through a teenager run Bible study group at his school run by youngsters from our church. Leudo came to the Lord through our Deaf Fellowship and Orlando is fruit of the job creation project having been helped to set up a thriving business as a gardener. His son was converted first and now Dad!

Just got home from our first Sunday in 2020 when we baptized 3 men: Leudo (deaf) and Murilo & Orlando (hearers). Murilo came to Christ through a teenager run Bible study group at his school run by youngsters from our church. Leudo came to the Lord through our Deaf Fellowship and Orlando is fruit of the job creation project having been helped to set up a thriving business as a gardener. His son was converted first and now Dad!

We have just had a simple lunch together for all the family on this first day of 2020. It was just lovely all to be together and chat.

We have just had a simple lunch together for all the family on this first day of 2020. It was just lovely all to be together and chat.

We praise God for a really blessed Watch Night service last night which started at 10 pm and finished at 12.30 am. Numbers were down (owing to blessed rain! Two inches in Patos! and many away) but blessing was up! The watch night services can be too bubbly and euphoric but last night’s was really spiritual. 


The service had the old church band back together from 25/30 years ago which was excellent. As I said last night – if the Rolling Stones can still perform why can’t we! I preached and sang, and granddaughter Alice danced ballet to worship God, together with Milena and Rayla, to the music of What a Beautiful Name / Agnus Dei (Travis & Lily Cottrell). It was a tear jerker and greatly blessed! We ended up the service with communion just after midnight. In fact the communion service was especially nice because we held it, not by candlelight, but by mobile phone light after a power cut. ( utterly refuse to use the americanism ‘power outage’!


For the rest of the week we will hopefully rest up a bit – just will need to prepare to preach next Sunday of course when there will be a baptism too. 

We praise God for a really blessed Watch Night service last night which started at 10 pm and finished at 12.30 am. Numbers were down (owing to blessed rain! Two inches in Patos! and many away) but blessing was up! The watch night services can be too bubbly and euphoric but last night’s was really spiritual. 


The service had the old church band back together from 25/30 years ago which was excellent. As I said last night – if the Rolling Stones can still perform why can’t we! I preached and sang, and granddaughter Alice danced ballet to worship God, together with Milena and Rayla, to the music of What a Beautiful Name / Agnus Dei (Travis & Lily Cottrell). It was a tear jerker and greatly blessed! We ended up the service with communion just after midnight. In fact the communion service was especially nice because we held it, not by candlelight, but by mobile phone light after a power cut. ( utterly refuse to use the americanism ‘power outage’!


For the rest of the week we will hopefully rest up a bit – just will need to prepare to preach next Sunday of course when there will be a baptism too. 

We praise God for a really blessed Watch Night service last night which started at 10 pm and finished at 12.30 am. Numbers were down (owing to blessed rain! Two inches in Patos! and many away) but blessing was up! The watch night services can be too bubbly and euphoric but last night’s was really spiritual. 


The service had the old church band back together from 25/30 years ago which was excellent. As I said last night – if the Rolling Stones can still perform why can’t we! I preached and sang, and granddaughter Alice danced ballet to worship God, together with Milena and Rayla, to the music of What a Beautiful Name / Agnus Dei (Travis & Lily Cottrell). It was a tear jerker and greatly blessed! We ended up the service with communion just after midnight. In fact the communion service was especially nice because we held it, not by candlelight, but by mobile phone light after a power cut. ( utterly refuse to use the americanism ‘power outage’!


For the rest of the week we will hopefully rest up a bit – just will need to prepare to preach next Sunday of course when there will be a baptism too. 

I preached again last night in our final Sunday service of the year with my sermon asking: God is in control of what? It all went well. Now we have our final watch night service starting at at 10 pm tomorrow and going to around half an hour into the New Year with communion. 


Yesterday morning we held our annual members general assembly in the Patos church which also went well.


Christmas/New Year is pretty hectic but all has been blessed of God. Thanks for all your support and prayers throughout another year. 

I preached again last night in our final Sunday service of the year with my sermon asking: God is in control of what? It all went well. Now we have our final watch night service starting at at 10 pm tomorrow and going to around half an hour into the New Year with communion. 


Yesterday morning we held our annual members general assembly in the Patos church which also went well.


Christmas/New Year is pretty hectic but all has been blessed of God. Thanks for all your support and prayers throughout another year. 

I preached again last night in our final Sunday service of the year with my sermon asking: God is in control of what? It all went well. Now we have our final watch night service starting at at 10 pm tomorrow and going to around half an hour into the New Year with communion. 


Yesterday morning we held our annual members general assembly in the Patos church which also went well.


Christmas/New Year is pretty hectic but all has been blessed of God. Thanks for all your support and prayers throughout another year. 

The past week was very full with the Men’s Fellowship meeting for a pizza on the Tuesday night to start with. What a blessing this fellowship is! Such a joy to see two men won for Christ during 2019 there to eat pizza and testify about their joy in Jesus!


On the Wednesday was the Women’s Fellowship’s end of year get-together too and on the Thursday was the last Bible Study of 2019. How we have enjoyed following the https://www.biblegateway.com/readingplans/chronological  key Bible stories schedule and studied Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Job in 2019 with a start in Deuteronomy on the final day! Well worth doing this with your church IF they really want to study the whole Bible, because some parts of the Pentateuch are pretty heavy and stodgy! 


Then on Saturday we did the annual Christmas Hamper/Toys distribution with 462 hampers and over 200 toys. It was another moving emotional Christmas party with the poor for the glory of God!


Then yesterday on Sunday (22nd) we had the final Sunday School fellowship time together in the morning and our first Christmas Service in the evening. I preached and the Deaf Fellowship led a moving worship time to God, followed by the fantastic Children’s Cantata – Jesus: the Joy of Christmas!


Tomorrow night – Christmas Eve we will have our main Christmas play – “A Christmas Carrot” and the giving of presents and sweets to the children round the church Christmas tree. Then it will be all the family back at our house for the traditional Brazilian Christmas Eve Supper. Happy Christmas!

The past week was very full with the Men’s Fellowship meeting for a pizza on the Tuesday night to start with. What a blessing this fellowship is! Such a joy to see two men won for Christ during 2019 there to eat pizza and testify about their joy in Jesus!


On the Wednesday was the Women’s Fellowship’s end of year get-together too and on the Thursday was the last Bible Study of 2019. How we have enjoyed following the https://www.biblegateway.com/readingplans/chronological  key Bible stories schedule and studied Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Job in 2019 with a start in Deuteronomy on the final day! Well worth doing this with your church IF they really want to study the whole Bible, because some parts of the Pentateuch are pretty heavy and stodgy! 


Then on Saturday we did the annual Christmas Hamper/Toys distribution with 462 hampers and over 200 toys. It was another moving emotional Christmas party with the poor for the glory of God!


Then yesterday on Sunday (22nd) we had the final Sunday School fellowship time together in the morning and our first Christmas Service in the evening. I preached and the Deaf Fellowship led a moving worship time to God, followed by the fantastic Children’s Cantata – Jesus: the Joy of Christmas!


Tomorrow night – Christmas Eve we will have our main Christmas play – “A Christmas Carrot” and the giving of presents and sweets to the children round the church Christmas tree. Then it will be all the family back at our house for the traditional Brazilian Christmas Eve Supper. Happy Christmas!

The past week was very full with the Men’s Fellowship meeting for a pizza on the Tuesday night to start with. What a blessing this fellowship is! Such a joy to see two men won for Christ during 2019 there to eat pizza and testify about their joy in Jesus!


On the Wednesday was the Women’s Fellowship’s end of year get-together too and on the Thursday was the last Bible Study of 2019. How we have enjoyed following the https://www.biblegateway.com/readingplans/chronological  key Bible stories schedule and studied Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Job in 2019 with a start in Deuteronomy on the final day! Well worth doing this with your church IF they really want to study the whole Bible, because some parts of the Pentateuch are pretty heavy and stodgy! 


Then on Saturday we did the annual Christmas Hamper/Toys distribution with 462 hampers and over 200 toys. It was another moving emotional Christmas party with the poor for the glory of God!


Then yesterday on Sunday (22nd) we had the final Sunday School fellowship time together in the morning and our first Christmas Service in the evening. I preached and the Deaf Fellowship led a moving worship time to God, followed by the fantastic Children’s Cantata – Jesus: the Joy of Christmas!


Tomorrow night – Christmas Eve we will have our main Christmas play – “A Christmas Carrot” and the giving of presents and sweets to the children round the church Christmas tree. Then it will be all the family back at our house for the traditional Brazilian Christmas Eve Supper. Happy Christmas!

Since I wrote on this blog a few days ago so much has happened that I have no time to write my blog. One morning we already had a church member in dire straights asking for help at 5.30 am and so the day went on. Monday is a relax day after a hectic weekend so here I am still in my pyjamas at 10 am but I will have a shower in a minute I promise.


On Saturday night I preached at the Patos EAB School Christmas service on ‘thankfulness for Christmas’ as requested by the head teacher. The service was fantastic with over 200 present in the street in front of the school. Last night’s service in Patos was blessed of God too and I preached on Paul’s beautiful prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 with only 20 minutes notice! The scheduled preacher went down ill and literally told me at the last minute.


Now we are preparing for the big annual Christmas Hampers distribution for the poor this Saturday, and then we have our first Christmas service in the Patos church on the Sunday night (22nd) with a second on Christmas eve. In the 1st the children’s cantata will be featured plus the Deaf Fellowship’s presentation, and I will bring a short message. In the 2nd we will have the main drama production: “A Christmas Carrot”.


May the Lord richly bless us all this Christmas!

Since I wrote on this blog a few days ago so much has happened that I have no time to write my blog. One morning we already had a church member in dire straights asking for help at 5.30 am and so the day went on. Monday is a relax day after a hectic weekend so here I am still in my pyjamas at 10 am but I will have a shower in a minute I promise.


On Saturday night I preached at the Patos EAB School Christmas service on ‘thankfulness for Christmas’ as requested by the head teacher. The service was fantastic with over 200 present in the street in front of the school. Last night’s service in Patos was blessed of God too and I preached on Paul’s beautiful prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 with only 20 minutes notice! The scheduled preacher went down ill and literally told me at the last minute.


Now we are preparing for the big annual Christmas Hampers distribution for the poor this Saturday, and then we have our first Christmas service in the Patos church on the Sunday night (22nd) with a second on Christmas eve. In the 1st the children’s cantata will be featured plus the Deaf Fellowship’s presentation, and I will bring a short message. In the 2nd we will have the main drama production: “A Christmas Carrot”.


May the Lord richly bless us all this Christmas!

I think this title of a study into marital equality and domestic violence brilliant. The study is written by Heidi M Levitt from the University of Massachusettes, Boston, USA. How sadly indeed attitudes can be so polarized on such issues and even sadder when, in my view, they are based on a total misunderstanding of original Biblical contexts and meanings. I could hardly believe it last week when someone asked to be my friend on Facebook and when I checked who he was I saw he has just posted a video in which a wife was affirming “how wonderful it is to be ordered around by my husband”! I turned down his request. How sad that people think that is Biblical spirituality! People adjust their discourses and behaviour according to bananas interpretations of Scripture! 


I believe marriages form teams! Teams need a leader but they certainly don’t need a dictator! If Liz had been a yes woman Lord only knows where I would have ended up!

I think this title of a study into marital equality and domestic violence brilliant. The study is written by Heidi M Levitt from the University of Massachusettes, Boston, USA. How sadly indeed attitudes can be so polarized on such issues and even sadder when, in my view, they are based on a total misunderstanding of original Biblical contexts and meanings. I could hardly believe it last week when someone asked to be my friend on Facebook and when I checked who he was I saw he has just posted a video in which a wife was affirming “how wonderful it is to be ordered around by my husband”! I turned down his request. How sad that people think that is Biblical spirituality! People adjust their discourses and behaviour according to bananas interpretations of Scripture! 


I believe marriages form teams! Teams need a leader but they certainly don’t need a dictator! If Liz had been a yes woman Lord only knows where I would have ended up!

I think this title of a study into marital equality and domestic violence brilliant. The study is written by Heidi M Levitt from the University of Massachusettes, Boston, USA. How sadly indeed attitudes can be so polarized on such issues and even sadder when, in my view, they are based on a total misunderstanding of original Biblical contexts and meanings. I could hardly believe it last week when someone asked to be my friend on Facebook and when I checked who he was I saw he has just posted a video in which a wife was affirming “how wonderful it is to be ordered around by my husband”! I turned down his request. How sad that people think that is Biblical spirituality! People adjust their discourses and behaviour according to bananas interpretations of Scripture! 


I believe marriages form teams! Teams need a leader but they certainly don’t need a dictator! If Liz had been a yes woman Lord only knows where I would have ended up!

We have recently inaugurated two new wells for extremely poor communities with one in Tavares County and the other in Princesa Isabel County. In the former inauguration thanksgiving service it was sweet because a 17 month old little girl insisted on sitting on my lap whilst I spoke to the crowd! The community loved it and so did I.  On the trip to the latter service I travelled with 2 project workers so we made good use of the long journies there and back to discuss a wide range of plans for 2020.


The result of the week of silent evangelism in the Patos supermarket raised 2,054 pounds for well and toilets projects so praise the Lord for that!


I have done 2 recent radio interviews and travelled to preach at the 36th Caroá anniversary service. I went to see grandddaughter Alice in her school choreography concert and she is a star. Amazing! I also watched grandson Lucas get a judo blue belt. He did very well. The Juazeirinho church baptized 3 at Green Pastures on Sunday and had a fellowship day there in the process.


This week is birthday week with grandson Luiz 4 yesterday, his sister Louisa 20 today and daughter Lynn will have her birthday on Saturday. I cut my hair yesterday as I hate it long and tomorrow I will be doing a filmed interview with a university professor Dr Amy Erica Smith (Iowa State University – USA) who somehow found me in the middle of nowhere. She is researching Christians and the environment and the interview will be at Green Pastures.


This Saturday will be our Patos School’s Christmas service where I will be speaking. Then we will have 2 Christmas services on the 22nd and 24th in the Patos church. The Christmas Hampers will be distributed on the 21st. 


A very Happy Christmas to you! Thanks for all your prayers and support.

We have recently inaugurated two new wells for extremely poor communities with one in Tavares County and the other in Princesa Isabel County. In the former inauguration thanksgiving service it was sweet because a 17 month old little girl insisted on sitting on my lap whilst I spoke to the crowd! The community loved it and so did I.  On the trip to the latter service I travelled with 2 project workers so we made good use of the long journies there and back to discuss a wide range of plans for 2020.


The result of the week of silent evangelism in the Patos supermarket raised 2,054 pounds for well and toilets projects so praise the Lord for that!


I have done 2 recent radio interviews and travelled to preach at the 36th Caroá anniversary service. I went to see grandddaughter Alice in her school choreography concert and she is a star. Amazing! I also watched grandson Lucas get a judo blue belt. He did very well. The Juazeirinho church baptized 3 at Green Pastures on Sunday and had a fellowship day there in the process.


This week is birthday week with grandson Luiz 4 yesterday, his sister Louisa 20 today and daughter Lynn will have her birthday on Saturday. I cut my hair yesterday as I hate it long and tomorrow I will be doing a filmed interview with a university professor Dr Amy Erica Smith (Iowa State University – USA) who somehow found me in the middle of nowhere. She is researching Christians and the environment and the interview will be at Green Pastures.


This Saturday will be our Patos School’s Christmas service where I will be speaking. Then we will have 2 Christmas services on the 22nd and 24th in the Patos church. The Christmas Hampers will be distributed on the 21st. 


A very Happy Christmas to you! Thanks for all your prayers and support.