Categoria: News

Yesterday we as the Patos church concluded
an amazing week of silent evangelism, silent prayer and fundraising for our
projects at a big central supermarket and shopping complex at their invitation! 

Yesterday we as the Patos church concluded
an amazing week of silent evangelism, silent prayer and fundraising for our
projects at a big central supermarket and shopping complex at their invitation! 

Yesterday we as the Patos church concluded
an amazing week of silent evangelism, silent prayer and fundraising for our
projects at a big central supermarket and shopping complex at their invitation! 

This week all the regular activities of our entire church have been re-directed to a large supermarket in the centre of Patos. Through our daughter Lynn they invited us to collect the loose change from people as they check out of the supermarket so as to help support our social projects! They told us we could bring in folk from the church to encourage people to donate and this we are doing! It is a week of silent evangelism – praying in silence for each one in the supermarket – and our army of workers/church members are all dressed in the same green EAB/ACEV tea shirts! A sea of Evangelical Action green T-shirts greets people as they arrive at the supermarket! What an impact! The supermarket will never be the same again!


Banners are on display around the place and people yesterday (day 1 of 7) were asking us questions. Every shopper is spoken to and given a leaflet at check out. They are prayed for in silence too.


Today the income for the children’s play area is also dedicated to our projects as is the income from one session of a film in the group’s cinema too. The film “Overcomer” is a Christian film which fitted in perfectly to our week under the providence of God.


On Friday night the supermarket complex has an event area and there we will sing the Gospel! It is a fantastic opportunity for the Gospel this week. Please pray.

On Friday (15th) Liz and I had a lovely day celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. It was lovely as each of us tried to surprise the other with little things and by the end of the weekend it was a draw! Let me explain:


I managed to get red roses (very difficult to get here) for Liz to be delivered to our house for her at 6:30 am as that’s about the time we always have breakfast and 12 red roses has much significance in our marriage. Well they arrived (only 9 in fact when I counted) but they arrived! Liz loved them… and then came her surprise for me with Liz having managed to get photos of our honeymoon from slides and put them in a little album for me!


We had chicken curry for lunch and then went out for a walk at Green Pastures late afternoon and on the way back I jokingly offered to get something for us to eat as I can manage boiled eggs! However Liz had prepared a surprise meal for us to she was 2 x 1 ahead in surprises!


Then came the big thanksgiving service in church on the Sunday and that was beautiful too and when I equalized! For during the service I surprised Liz with my old wedding ring which I had no longer used as I put on weight and it was impossible. However I managed to get it fixed and expanded with a bit of extra gold and so we ended up a lovely weekend at 2 x 2!


The service was greatly bless of God. We showed the church the video of our wedding in Southampton. Now this Sunday the theme of married couple carries on and I will be preaching especially to them.


God has been and is being good to us. Praise His holy name!

On Friday (15th) Liz and I had a lovely day celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. It was lovely as each of us tried to surprise the other with little things and by the end of the weekend it was a draw! Let me explain:


I managed to get red roses (very difficult to get here) for Liz to be delivered to our house for her at 6:30 am as that’s about the time we always have breakfast and 12 red roses has much significance in our marriage. Well they arrived (only 9 in fact when I counted) but they arrived! Liz loved them… and then came her surprise for me with Liz having managed to get photos of our honeymoon from slides and put them in a little album for me!


We had chicken curry for lunch and then went out for a walk at Green Pastures late afternoon and on the way back I jokingly offered to get something for us to eat as I can manage boiled eggs! However Liz had prepared a surprise meal for us to she was 2 x 1 ahead in surprises!


Then came the big thanksgiving service in church on the Sunday and that was beautiful too and when I equalized! For during the service I surprised Liz with my old wedding ring which I had no longer used as I put on weight and it was impossible. However I managed to get it fixed and expanded with a bit of extra gold and so we ended up a lovely weekend at 2 x 2!


The service was greatly bless of God. We showed the church the video of our wedding in Southampton. Now this Sunday the theme of married couple carries on and I will be preaching especially to them.


God has been and is being good to us. Praise His holy name!

On Friday (15th) Liz and I had a lovely day celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. It was lovely as each of us tried to surprise the other with little things and by the end of the weekend it was a draw! Let me explain:


I managed to get red roses (very difficult to get here) for Liz to be delivered to our house for her at 6:30 am as that’s about the time we always have breakfast and 12 red roses has much significance in our marriage. Well they arrived (only 9 in fact when I counted) but they arrived! Liz loved them… and then came her surprise for me with Liz having managed to get photos of our honeymoon from slides and put them in a little album for me!


We had chicken curry for lunch and then went out for a walk at Green Pastures late afternoon and on the way back I jokingly offered to get something for us to eat as I can manage boiled eggs! However Liz had prepared a surprise meal for us to she was 2 x 1 ahead in surprises!


Then came the big thanksgiving service in church on the Sunday and that was beautiful too and when I equalized! For during the service I surprised Liz with my old wedding ring which I had no longer used as I put on weight and it was impossible. However I managed to get it fixed and expanded with a bit of extra gold and so we ended up a lovely weekend at 2 x 2!


The service was greatly bless of God. We showed the church the video of our wedding in Southampton. Now this Sunday the theme of married couple carries on and I will be preaching especially to them.


God has been and is being good to us. Praise His holy name!

This week we’ve had the joy of Lyndsey Rollo’s company visiting the work of EAB. We took her to see a wide range of projects and we will be continuing this tomorrow and Tuesday, as she returns to Scotland on Wednesday. She spoke really well tonight on Worship, in Patos. She is the worship leader at Found Church, Scotland and trained prior to this at Hillsong, Australia. She also is a physiotherapist. It is being a real blessing to have her here with us and I believe she has been blessed around the churches and projects.

This week we’ve had the joy of Lyndsey Rollo’s company visiting the work of EAB. We took her to see a wide range of projects and we will be continuing this tomorrow and Tuesday, as she returns to Scotland on Wednesday. She spoke really well tonight on Worship, in Patos. She is the worship leader at Found Church, Scotland and trained prior to this at Hillsong, Australia. She also is a physiotherapist. It is being a real blessing to have her here with us and I believe she has been blessed around the churches and projects.

I was studying and praying in my office yesterday when I clearly felt, out of the blue, I should contact somebody who is away from God and hasn’t been in church for a long time. So I stopped what I was doing and sent him a message, not knowing that half an hour earlier one of our leaders had bumped into this person and spoken to him too! The result was a series of conversations with the person, confession of sin, and a promise to return to church immediately. Praise God that he does speak today! Please pray for this situation.


Lyndsey Rollo arrived from Found Church, Scotland yesterday and will be playing keyboard with our band on Sunday and preaching on worship too. Lyndsey is a physiotherapist and a graduate from Hillsong, Australia. Today Liz and I are taking her with us on some journies further into the interior to visit churches and projects. I will be preaching tomorrow night at Caroá. We value your prayers.

I was studying and praying in my office yesterday when I clearly felt, out of the blue, I should contact somebody who is away from God and hasn’t been in church for a long time. So I stopped what I was doing and sent him a message, not knowing that half an hour earlier one of our leaders had bumped into this person and spoken to him too! The result was a series of conversations with the person, confession of sin, and a promise to return to church immediately. Praise God that he does speak today! Please pray for this situation.


Lyndsey Rollo arrived from Found Church, Scotland yesterday and will be playing keyboard with our band on Sunday and preaching on worship too. Lyndsey is a physiotherapist and a graduate from Hillsong, Australia. Today Liz and I are taking her with us on some journies further into the interior to visit churches and projects. I will be preaching tomorrow night at Caroá. We value your prayers.

This Sunday I will be preaching on 1 Kings 19:11-18 and talking about how it’s not always through the wind and fire that God speaks to us but sometimes it’s through His still small voice! I pray that many lives will be blessed in today’s communion service.


Thursday’s Bible study on the Nazarite Vow went particularly well. The cultural/religious trappings no longer apply to us but the underlying principle of the need for separation from what is not pleasing to God, and the need for consecration to Him, is eternal. 


Very encouraging this week too was the the outreach service on Tuesday night in one of the most notoriously violent and dangerous streets in Patos where murders are common. We had a team of 25 there which is not bad for a Tuesday night! Praise God! The Gospel was preached and the seed was sown as many heard the Gospel.


Our Seniors Project continues to bless many lives. It is lovely to see the joy on the young at heart’s faces doing occupational therapy, tucking in to good food and praying together and meeting around God’s word. Just the project in itself says so much about Christian care and concern.


On Tuesday we are happy to be receiving Lyndsey Rollo from Scotland for a week’s visit. We pray that she will be blessed amongst us and also herself be a blessing. 

This Sunday I will be preaching on 1 Kings 19:11-18 and talking about how it’s not always through the wind and fire that God speaks to us but sometimes it’s through His still small voice! I pray that many lives will be blessed in today’s communion service.


Thursday’s Bible study on the Nazarite Vow went particularly well. The cultural/religious trappings no longer apply to us but the underlying principle of the need for separation from what is not pleasing to God, and the need for consecration to Him, is eternal. 


Very encouraging this week too was the the outreach service on Tuesday night in one of the most notoriously violent and dangerous streets in Patos where murders are common. We had a team of 25 there which is not bad for a Tuesday night! Praise God! The Gospel was preached and the seed was sown as many heard the Gospel.


Our Seniors Project continues to bless many lives. It is lovely to see the joy on the young at heart’s faces doing occupational therapy, tucking in to good food and praying together and meeting around God’s word. Just the project in itself says so much about Christian care and concern.


On Tuesday we are happy to be receiving Lyndsey Rollo from Scotland for a week’s visit. We pray that she will be blessed amongst us and also herself be a blessing. 

EAB’s report magazine – edition 92 – for November 2019 is on the way to you by regular mail if you are on the mailing list. If you would like a copy and are not on the list please do let us know.


You can read it now online at:
http://eabrazil.org/2019/10/30/intouch-92/

EAB’s report magazine – edition 92 – for November 2019 is on the way to you by regular mail if you are on the mailing list. If you would like a copy and are not on the list please do let us know.


You can read it now online at:
http://eabrazil.org/2019/10/30/intouch-92/

EAB’s report magazine – edition 92 – for November 2019 is on the way to you by regular mail if you are on the mailing list. If you would like a copy and are not on the list please do let us know.


You can read it now online at:
http://eabrazil.org/2019/10/30/intouch-92/

I will shortly be off to the Bible study, moving into Numbers tonight, with the 2nd year in the desert census of Israel to start with, and then the Nazarite vow. If you are interested in following our journey through the Bible Key Stories then the schedule we are following is https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/chronological 


Sunday night’s service was quite hard going with numbers down owing to public holidays and people away, but with the sermon came the breakthrough for which we praise God.


On Monday I received a series of phone calls from the state-wide TV Paraíba station wanting to do a report on Green Pastures. This I agreed to so the following day I spent the entire morning on this with filming, interviews etc. It should be broadcast in the following days and I will post a link to it here if possible.


The church youth are having a fellowship and fun day at Green Pastures today as it is yet another public holiday here!


This Saturday we will be preaching at the Princesa Isabel church’s 79th anniversary service and for Sunday we will be back in Patos. 

Yesterday I preached the Gospel up in the mountains at the 54th anniversary service of the EAB/ACEV church there, which was founded by Albert Mundy and Frank Dyer in 1965. What a privilege to carry on this work for God!


The service was good with the local pastor a bit in awe of the occasion at first but he then relaxed and the band from our nearby church at Matureia was a real blessing, with much praise with regional rythms which I love. The church seems to be going well there under their new pastor Maesio.


Tonight I will be preaching in Patos at our main weekly service on Psalm 91:1-2. The Lord gave me this word under a tree at Green Pastures a few days ago. If you read the text you might see the connection. 


During this week we ministered to various people on a personal basis. This work in unending. One brother had had a hernia fixed so we visited him and his family. We visited many others too. Deaconess Josinete is well recovered from her motorbike accident.


The Bible study went well as we concluded Leviticus with the Year of Jubilee. What a statement that is of God’s concern for social justice, care for the poor and opposition to the accumulation of wealth. In the “Key stories of the Bible” series we have now covered Genesis, Exodus, Job, and Leviticus. Numbers here we come and counting!

Yesterday I preached the Gospel up in the mountains at the 54th anniversary service of the EAB/ACEV church there, which was founded by Albert Mundy and Frank Dyer in 1965. What a privilege to carry on this work for God!


The service was good with the local pastor a bit in awe of the occasion at first but he then relaxed and the band from our nearby church at Matureia was a real blessing, with much praise with regional rythms which I love. The church seems to be going well there under their new pastor Maesio.


Tonight I will be preaching in Patos at our main weekly service on Psalm 91:1-2. The Lord gave me this word under a tree at Green Pastures a few days ago. If you read the text you might see the connection. 


During this week we ministered to various people on a personal basis. This work in unending. One brother had had a hernia fixed so we visited him and his family. We visited many others too. Deaconess Josinete is well recovered from her motorbike accident.


The Bible study went well as we concluded Leviticus with the Year of Jubilee. What a statement that is of God’s concern for social justice, care for the poor and opposition to the accumulation of wealth. In the “Key stories of the Bible” series we have now covered Genesis, Exodus, Job, and Leviticus. Numbers here we come and counting!

This Sunday we turned our entire main Sunday service into a Children’s special service and packed the church out in the bargain! It was wonderful. The thing is that October 12th is Children’s Day in Brazil (it is the national patron saint day too but we don’t believe in that) so as we have 51 Sundays for adults why not at least one for adults? All our church kids came of course, plus kids from a very poor borough we work in and a coach load of kids from the part of Patos south of the river where we have our school. The kids had the front seats (rows galore) and the adults had to fend for themselves at the back. What was extra good was the fact that many mums came to church for the first time and loved it!


There were lots of children’s songs, puppets, Liz spoke and at the end there were snacks for all the kids. Praise God for much good seed sewn in many lives.

This Sunday we turned our entire main Sunday service into a Children’s special service and packed the church out in the bargain! It was wonderful. The thing is that October 12th is Children’s Day in Brazil (it is the national patron saint day too but we don’t believe in that) so as we have 51 Sundays for adults why not at least one for adults? All our church kids came of course, plus kids from a very poor borough we work in and a coach load of kids from the part of Patos south of the river where we have our school. The kids had the front seats (rows galore) and the adults had to fend for themselves at the back. What was extra good was the fact that many mums came to church for the first time and loved it!


There were lots of children’s songs, puppets, Liz spoke and at the end there were snacks for all the kids. Praise God for much good seed sewn in many lives.

This Sunday we turned our entire main Sunday service into a Children’s special service and packed the church out in the bargain! It was wonderful. The thing is that October 12th is Children’s Day in Brazil (it is the national patron saint day too but we don’t believe in that) so as we have 51 Sundays for adults why not at least one for adults? All our church kids came of course, plus kids from a very poor borough we work in and a coach load of kids from the part of Patos south of the river where we have our school. The kids had the front seats (rows galore) and the adults had to fend for themselves at the back. What was extra good was the fact that many mums came to church for the first time and loved it!


There were lots of children’s songs, puppets, Liz spoke and at the end there were snacks for all the kids. Praise God for much good seed sewn in many lives.

I spent all morning preparing for the Bible study tonight in Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement, but before going into this I picked up from last week’s Leviticus 11 (with all the rules and regulations about what you can and cannot eat) and prepared a few rounding off thoughts about this as related to all the polemics this generated in the early church. I have Gordon Wenham’s commentary on this which is excellent and very helpful.


This afternoon I have spent more time in God’s Word – mainly in 1 Corinthians – aided by Gordon Fee’s brilliant and long commentary which I also have. I am totally convinced, together with Fee, that the key word “head” in 1 Corinthians 11 means “source” and does not have an hierarchical sense. Thus, verse 3, for example, means “The source of every (Christian) man is Christ, and the source of the woman is man (remember Genesis 2), and the source of Christ is God (the incarnate Jesus)”. I also understand the “head covering” references to be culturally relevant matters two millenniums ago which are not relevant today. This is an extremely complex text so I refer you to Fee if you have difficulties with it. 


I must just say that it is so refreshing to spend a whole day in God’s Word and recommend to all young people going into Christian ministry and work that they build up a personal library of at least one good scholarly evangelical commentary for each book of the Bible, as well as having the single volume New Bible Commentary for briefer, but good, quick checks and reference for the entire Bible. If you’re going to end up, like us, in the middle of nowhere working for God you will need such reference books. 


Now it’s time for prayer, a shower, something to eat, and then off to the Bible study.

I spent all morning preparing for the Bible study tonight in Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement, but before going into this I picked up from last week’s Leviticus 11 (with all the rules and regulations about what you can and cannot eat) and prepared a few rounding off thoughts about this as related to all the polemics this generated in the early church. I have Gordon Wenham’s commentary on this which is excellent and very helpful.


This afternoon I have spent more time in God’s Word – mainly in 1 Corinthians – aided by Gordon Fee’s brilliant and long commentary which I also have. I am totally convinced, together with Fee, that the key word “head” in 1 Corinthians 11 means “source” and does not have an hierarchical sense. Thus, verse 3, for example, means “The source of every (Christian) man is Christ, and the source of the woman is man (remember Genesis 2), and the source of Christ is God (the incarnate Jesus)”. I also understand the “head covering” references to be culturally relevant matters two millenniums ago which are not relevant today. This is an extremely complex text so I refer you to Fee if you have difficulties with it. 


I must just say that it is so refreshing to spend a whole day in God’s Word and recommend to all young people going into Christian ministry and work that they build up a personal library of at least one good scholarly evangelical commentary for each book of the Bible, as well as having the single volume New Bible Commentary for briefer, but good, quick checks and reference for the entire Bible. If you’re going to end up, like us, in the middle of nowhere working for God you will need such reference books. 


Now it’s time for prayer, a shower, something to eat, and then off to the Bible study.

Thanks to the 59 people that went to EAB’s 81st Annual Celebration despite the “British weather”! I have been told by different people how moving Marian Rashleigh’s message was. It was especially appropriate that she was the speaker as a Board member and having just got back to the UK 2 days before the service having spent 2 weeks with us in the work here. So thanks to all who went and who support the work of God here in the interior of north-east Brazil.


Liz and I sent a video message with Marian to the service as we were preaching at a village called São Vicente do Seridó that night. The service was a terrific blessing. 


We ask your prayers for a serious problem we are facing again but which I can’t mention here. Those of you that have known us for some time might be able to imagine what it is as we often asked prayer for this dangerous issue in churches in the UK before. Please pray for us. 


We have been busy counselling different ones and preaching the Gospel. Last night’s sermon entitled: “Love is a matter of life or death” (based on 1 John 3) was clearly a blessing to many. In the midweek Bible studies we are plowing on through Leviticus which is not the easiest of books and certainly not everyone’s cup of tea!


Last week I felt led of God to go and minister to some people in jail so this I did. It was moving to be hugged by one guy after I had shared from God’s Word and prayed for him. I ministered to another person as well but I can’t give details, but it would make your hair stand on end if I could! Thank you for your prayers and support.


This Saturday is Children’s Day in Brazil so on the Sunday the main service will be entirely for children. Watch it online if you can. I reckon the church will be at bursting point!

Thanks to the 59 people that went to EAB’s 81st Annual Celebration despite the “British weather”! I have been told by different people how moving Marian Rashleigh’s message was. It was especially appropriate that she was the speaker as a Board member and having just got back to the UK 2 days before the service having spent 2 weeks with us in the work here. So thanks to all who went and who support the work of God here in the interior of north-east Brazil.


Liz and I sent a video message with Marian to the service as we were preaching at a village called São Vicente do Seridó that night. The service was a terrific blessing. 


We ask your prayers for a serious problem we are facing again but which I can’t mention here. Those of you that have known us for some time might be able to imagine what it is as we often asked prayer for this dangerous issue in churches in the UK before. Please pray for us. 


We have been busy counselling different ones and preaching the Gospel. Last night’s sermon entitled: “Love is a matter of life or death” (based on 1 John 3) was clearly a blessing to many. In the midweek Bible studies we are plowing on through Leviticus which is not the easiest of books and certainly not everyone’s cup of tea!


Last week I felt led of God to go and minister to some people in jail so this I did. It was moving to be hugged by one guy after I had shared from God’s Word and prayed for him. I ministered to another person as well but I can’t give details, but it would make your hair stand on end if I could! Thank you for your prayers and support.


This Saturday is Children’s Day in Brazil so on the Sunday the main service will be entirely for children. Watch it online if you can. I reckon the church will be at bursting point!

Taking our UK Board Member Marian Rashleigh to the Fonseca ex-slave community was certainly different last Thursday and had her barking up the wrong tree! We went to the top of the community at 846 metres where an EAB water tank receives the water from our well from down in the valley below and then we showed Marian different projects and the church. It was when we got to a very poor house where EAB is helping folk to improve their pig rearing (so as to help the poor help themselves) – that Marian was bitten by a dog quite nastily and left her hand bleeding profusely. Dog bites demand anti-rabies treatment straight away so we had to take Marian for treatment at the nearest hospital at Princesa Isabel. She had to have a further injection 3 days later in Patos. 


In the afternoon we laid the foundation stone of the new little village church at Travessia where EAB has just bought some land for this purpose. At night we spoke at the Manaira church and then went to sleep at Caroá.


On the Friday we visited 5 communities during the day and then spoke at the Caroá church at night. On the Saturday we visited the Gloria church in Imaculada County and then the Pastor Frank Dyer School in Patos on the way home. At night we went to a wedding.


On Sunday we travelled to João Pessoa where we spoke at the Boa Esperança church which is EAB/ACEV’s 3rd church in the city and we stayed in João Pessoa till yesterday when we took Marian to the airport in Recife. 


Now it’s an EAB UK Board meeting for us tomorrow via Skype and ministry in the village of São Vicente do Seridó on Saturday and back in Patos on Sunday.


In the UK the 81st EAB annual celebration will be this Saturday for which we sent a video message with Marian.

Taking our UK Board Member Marian Rashleigh to the Fonseca ex-slave community was certainly different last Thursday and had her barking up the wrong tree! We went to the top of the community at 846 metres where an EAB water tank receives the water from our well from down in the valley below and then we showed Marian different projects and the church. It was when we got to a very poor house where EAB is helping folk to improve their pig rearing (so as to help the poor help themselves) – that Marian was bitten by a dog quite nastily and left her hand bleeding profusely. Dog bites demand anti-rabies treatment straight away so we had to take Marian for treatment at the nearest hospital at Princesa Isabel. She had to have a further injection 3 days later in Patos. 


In the afternoon we laid the foundation stone of the new little village church at Travessia where EAB has just bought some land for this purpose. At night we spoke at the Manaira church and then went to sleep at Caroá.


On the Friday we visited 5 communities during the day and then spoke at the Caroá church at night. On the Saturday we visited the Gloria church in Imaculada County and then the Pastor Frank Dyer School in Patos on the way home. At night we went to a wedding.


On Sunday we travelled to João Pessoa where we spoke at the Boa Esperança church which is EAB/ACEV’s 3rd church in the city and we stayed in João Pessoa till yesterday when we took Marian to the airport in Recife. 


Now it’s an EAB UK Board meeting for us tomorrow via Skype and ministry in the village of São Vicente do Seridó on Saturday and back in Patos on Sunday.


In the UK the 81st EAB annual celebration will be this Saturday for which we sent a video message with Marian.

Sorry for the delay in writing this blog but life has been so hectic that it got left on the low burner till now! So here I go with a flying catch up:


I last wrote on Liz’s birthday (September 8th) and the evening communion service was beautiful with a lovely slot of special congratulations to Liz for her birthday.


We travelled to Recife on the Tuesday (10th) and arrived at the airport at 9.06 pm with Marian Rashleigh’s flight landing at 9.07 pm! She was through customs quickly and we had something to eat at the airport before going to sleep at a hotel. We drove to Patos the next day and arrived around 5 pm. 


On the Thursday morning I took Marian for a long walk round parts of Green Pastures to blow any cobwebs away she still had from the flight. I gave the Bible study in the Patos church at night and finished the 10 commandments and even got through the first chapter of Leviticus as we press on though ‘Key Stories of the Bible’, from A to Z, in chronological order. We have now done Genesis, Job and Exodus and we press on now through Leviticus which is probably not everyone’s cup of tea and nobody’s favourite book of the Bible – but it is Bible and we will study it!


The following morning was the start of the Leaders Conference and our leadership team kicked off at 10 am, grabbed a quick half hour lunch at 1 pm, and finished that day’s session at 6 pm. What a dedicated team we have with nobody complaining about the non-stop work load! In the evening we had the first main opening service with a workshop combating ‘violence against women’. It was superb and riled some of our male chauvinist pastors a bit, but praise the Lord for that!


Saturday morning was free time for most, but for the leadership team it was more slog for another 4 hours. In the afternoon we had 2 general assemblies – one concerning our projects and another concerning our churches. By the end of all this we had cracked a lot of hard nuts, had taken some important decisions and all with unanimity! Praise be to God!


The evening session was an incredible service with our granddaughter Louisa and her university colleague Rayla leading a Bible packed tirade of teaching against pornography showing statistically that evangelical pastors were NOT immune. They spoke for 90 minutes. It was WOW!


The following morning (Sunday) was the final session of Leaders Conference and it was then that God’s Spirit moved mightily in our midst. It was probably one of the most beautiful services we have ever had at such a Conference, as I ministered from Psalm 51. There was a real spiritual breakthrough in many lives as we lived out Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:3-4. 


We got back to Patos for the evening service and again God blessed us (despite our tiredness) with Marian speaking …

Sorry for the delay in writing this blog but life has been so hectic that it got left on the low burner till now! So here I go with a flying catch up:


I last wrote on Liz’s birthday (September 8th) and the evening communion service was beautiful with a lovely slot of special congratulations to Liz for her birthday.


We travelled to Recife on the Tuesday (10th) and arrived at the airport at 9.06 pm with Marian Rashleigh’s flight landing at 9.07 pm! She was through customs quickly and we had something to eat at the airport before going to sleep at a hotel. We drove to Patos the next day and arrived around 5 pm. 


On the Thursday morning I took Marian for a long walk round parts of Green Pastures to blow any cobwebs away she still had from the flight. I gave the Bible study in the Patos church at night and finished the 10 commandments and even got through the first chapter of Leviticus as we press on though ‘Key Stories of the Bible’, from A to Z, in chronological order. We have now done Genesis, Job and Exodus and we press on now through Leviticus which is probably not everyone’s cup of tea and nobody’s favourite book of the Bible – but it is Bible and we will study it!


The following morning was the start of the Leaders Conference and our leadership team kicked off at 10 am, grabbed a quick half hour lunch at 1 pm, and finished that day’s session at 6 pm. What a dedicated team we have with nobody complaining about the non-stop work load! In the evening we had the first main opening service with a workshop combating ‘violence against women’. It was superb and riled some of our male chauvinist pastors a bit, but praise the Lord for that!


Saturday morning was free time for most, but for the leadership team it was more slog for another 4 hours. In the afternoon we had 2 general assemblies – one concerning our projects and another concerning our churches. By the end of all this we had cracked a lot of hard nuts, had taken some important decisions and all with unanimity! Praise be to God!


The evening session was an incredible service with our granddaughter Louisa and her university colleague Rayla leading a Bible packed tirade of teaching against pornography showing statistically that evangelical pastors were NOT immune. They spoke for 90 minutes. It was WOW!


The following morning (Sunday) was the final session of Leaders Conference and it was then that God’s Spirit moved mightily in our midst. It was probably one of the most beautiful services we have ever had at such a Conference, as I ministered from Psalm 51. There was a real spiritual breakthrough in many lives as we lived out Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:3-4. 


We got back to Patos for the evening service and again God blessed us (despite our tiredness) with Marian speaking …

It’s Liz’s birthday today and we have lots to praise God for. The celebrations started on Friday because Philip had to go to Europe on business yesterday (Holland, Belgium and Poland) and will be away for a fortnight. So we went out for a pizza on Friday night with a 100% turn out of 4 kids + 9 grandkids + 2 son-in-laws + 1 daughter-in-law + 1 daughter-of-the-heart (as we call Nenem who is sort of adopted by Sacha). It was a lovely evening.


I have posted loads of photos of Liz on Facebook from birth to the present. Today she has received a breakfast sent by someone from the church and in church tonight there will be cake and soft drinks for all after the service. I will be preaching at the communion service tonight. 


Marian Rashleigh will be with us for 2 weeks as from Tuesday so that will be nice. We will meet her at Recife airport. She will be with us for the annual Leadership Conference at Green Pastures and we are working flat out preparing for this. Marian will return just in time for the annual EAB Celebration on September 28th, so will be able to speak at that almost hopping off the plane and into the church near Southampton! Please be there! Marian will have bang up to date news, photos, reports and videos!

I preached on Saturday at the rural church of Cedro in Princesa Isabel County which was celebrating its 50th anniversary. It went great. Sunday back in Patos was good too as we always celebrate ‘Missions Day’ here on the nearest Sunday to September 2nd which was the date in 1938 when EAB’s founders arrived in Brazil. It was a lovely service. This was celebrated around all our churches.


Yesterday I had a relax day with lots of prayer and good reading now in volume 2 of Roger Forster’s ‘God’s Strategy in Human History’ – ‘reconsidering key Biblical ideas’. Both volumes I find spiritually invigorating! 


This coming Sunday is Liz’s 70th birthday so we will be celebrating this eating a pizza as a family on the Friday night because Philip has to travel to Europe on Saturday on business. On Sunday we will celebrate all together with the church family. It will also be communion service and I will be preaching on Matthew 5:4. Please pray.

I preached on Saturday at the rural church of Cedro in Princesa Isabel County which was celebrating its 50th anniversary. It went great. Sunday back in Patos was good too as we always celebrate ‘Missions Day’ here on the nearest Sunday to September 2nd which was the date in 1938 when EAB’s founders arrived in Brazil. It was a lovely service. This was celebrated around all our churches.


Yesterday I had a relax day with lots of prayer and good reading now in volume 2 of Roger Forster’s ‘God’s Strategy in Human History’ – ‘reconsidering key Biblical ideas’. Both volumes I find spiritually invigorating! 


This coming Sunday is Liz’s 70th birthday so we will be celebrating this eating a pizza as a family on the Friday night because Philip has to travel to Europe on Saturday on business. On Sunday we will celebrate all together with the church family. It will also be communion service and I will be preaching on Matthew 5:4. Please pray.

Today is the final day for the team, from Lighthouse Community Church near Southampton, doing the 3 Peaks Challenge to raise funds for the work of EAB. On Sunday they climbed Snowdon in Wales (1,085 metres), on Monday they climbed Scafell in England (978 metres) and today takes them to the highest point in the UK – Ben Nevis in Scotland (1,344 metres). This is a fantastic effort by this group and we eagerly await news from the top of the tops! Please support NOW this climb and the work of EAB at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/eab-3peaks?fbclid=IwAR1gpbrGCjjrTB0yHd3Q0uKZe2PNCooN77I9W7KTIT5H_9uJqVqjE4ExBgo

Today is the final day for the team, from Lighthouse Community Church near Southampton, doing the 3 Peaks Challenge to raise funds for the work of EAB. On Sunday they climbed Snowdon in Wales (1,085 metres), on Monday they climbed Scafell in England (978 metres) and today takes them to the highest point in the UK – Ben Nevis in Scotland (1,344 metres). This is a fantastic effort by this group and we eagerly await news from the top of the tops! Please support NOW this climb and the work of EAB at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/eab-3peaks?fbclid=IwAR1gpbrGCjjrTB0yHd3Q0uKZe2PNCooN77I9W7KTIT5H_9uJqVqjE4ExBgo

Today is the final day for the team, from Lighthouse Community Church near Southampton, doing the 3 Peaks Challenge to raise funds for the work of EAB. On Sunday they climbed Snowdon in Wales (1,085 metres), on Monday they climbed Scafell in England (978 metres) and today takes them to the highest point in the UK – Ben Nevis in Scotland (1,344 metres). This is a fantastic effort by this group and we eagerly await news from the top of the tops! Please support NOW this climb and the work of EAB at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/eab-3peaks?fbclid=IwAR1gpbrGCjjrTB0yHd3Q0uKZe2PNCooN77I9W7KTIT5H_9uJqVqjE4ExBgo

This is birthday season in our family and they come thick and fast at this time of year! Today is our grandson, fine Christian and student of law at university (top of the class) – Arthur’s 18th birthday – so as he’s a vegetarian we will all be eating macaroni cheese this evening in celebration! May the Lord continue to bless this lovely lad – son of our eldest daughter Deborah.


Since I last had time to write this blog we have held umpteen counselling session with different folk and the Lord had helped us in it all. I too have had some precious prayer times with God both in my office and out in the bush at Green Pastures. People who already thought I was crazy are now convinced, as they see and hear me on the way to Green Pastures at 6 am with Matt Redman blasting out from my jeep, and me with one hand on the steering wheel and one raised to God!


In the Bible study we progressed well as we travel through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation but we’re still in Egypt (nearly out though!) having reached Exodus 12:30. On Saturday we travelled to preach at Conceição and that went well. This Saturday I’m preaching at the rural church of Cedro in Princesa Isabel County. The Sunday service went well in Patos and I sang a song which I had translated during the week. It was Dottie Rambo’s “In the valley he restoreth my soul”. All was blessed by the Lord.

Our youngest daughter in 33 today. We will be having a simple meal together this evening as a family in celebration.


Sunday’s service was wonderful. PTL! I preached on Matthew 5:3 which went well. The P&W was terrific.


Patos has today had yet another Mayor resign! Unbelievable! The town is in political meltdown basically because of corruption. 


Brazil in general is in environmental meltdown. What the current government is doing is hard to believe. They are attacking their own environmental agencies, authorizing more and more pesticides thus wiping out bees, destroying the amazon forest to the extent that the smoke from fires there turned São Paulo dark in the daytime yesterday despite it being over 1,500 miles away!!! May God please help us!

Our youngest daughter in 33 today. We will be having a simple meal together this evening as a family in celebration.


Sunday’s service was wonderful. PTL! I preached on Matthew 5:3 which went well. The P&W was terrific.


Patos has today had yet another Mayor resign! Unbelievable! The town is in political meltdown basically because of corruption. 


Brazil in general is in environmental meltdown. What the current government is doing is hard to believe. They are attacking their own environmental agencies, authorizing more and more pesticides thus wiping out bees, destroying the amazon forest to the extent that the smoke from fires there turned São Paulo dark in the daytime yesterday despite it being over 1,500 miles away!!! May God please help us!

Our youngest daughter in 33 today. We will be having a simple meal together this evening as a family in celebration.


Sunday’s service was wonderful. PTL! I preached on Matthew 5:3 which went well. The P&W was terrific.


Patos has today had yet another Mayor resign! Unbelievable! The town is in political meltdown basically because of corruption. 


Brazil in general is in environmental meltdown. What the current government is doing is hard to believe. They are attacking their own environmental agencies, authorizing more and more pesticides thus wiping out bees, destroying the amazon forest to the extent that the smoke from fires there turned São Paulo dark in the daytime yesterday despite it being over 1,500 miles away!!! May God please help us!

This week Liz and I travelled to Serra Talhada in the State of Pernambuco where I had been invited to speak at an interdenominational Conference for leaders. I spoke on the training and teaching of pastors and leaders. My slot was in the afternoon and later on I also was asked lots of questions by those present. It all went very well.


Liz and I arrived early in the morning to get the feel of the event prior to my afternoon speaking. We had only just arrived when Sister Dunalva, who was one of the organisers of the event, came up to warmly welcome us and thank us for going. I knew her already and she told me that she had got married since we last met to a brother from Luxembourg! I immediately reacted: “From WHERE?” She confirmed Luxembourg and told me her husband had been converted at the Portuguese speaking church there! By this time tears had filled my eyes and I told her that 50 years last month I preached my first sermon ever in Portuguese in a tent evangelistic campaign with IBTI which led to the planting of the church where her husband was converted! She then told me her husband was there and whisked me out to chat to him. It was quite an encounter! “God’s Word never returns to Him void” and how encouraging it was to see this indirect fruit of the day I had to first find Portuguese immigrants to go to the service and then lead it, sing and preach as the only Portuguese speaker in the team. My Portuguese was awful right at the beginning of my learning the language – but when we are weak the Lord is strong and does miracles!


But that wasn’t the end of the eventful morning! Back in the service after the morning speaker had finished, everyone was asked to go to the front for the official photograph. There a brother came up to me and asked me if I had been in Aracaju State, about 500 km from Patos, leading an inter-varsity camp for Christian students about 40 years ago? I answered yes, and he said that he had seen me walk in and he thought it was me who had led the camp that changed his life! He is a Baptist pastor today. “God’s Word never returns to Him void”. It had been quite a morning. Thank you Lord! What encouragement!

This week Liz and I travelled to Serra Talhada in the State of Pernambuco where I had been invited to speak at an interdenominational Conference for leaders. I spoke on the training and teaching of pastors and leaders. My slot was in the afternoon and later on I also was asked lots of questions by those present. It all went very well.


Liz and I arrived early in the morning to get the feel of the event prior to my afternoon speaking. We had only just arrived when Sister Dunalva, who was one of the organisers of the event, came up to warmly welcome us and thank us for going. I knew her already and she told me that she had got married since we last met to a brother from Luxembourg! I immediately reacted: “From WHERE?” She confirmed Luxembourg and told me her husband had been converted at the Portuguese speaking church there! By this time tears had filled my eyes and I told her that 50 years last month I preached my first sermon ever in Portuguese in a tent evangelistic campaign with IBTI which led to the planting of the church where her husband was converted! She then told me her husband was there and whisked me out to chat to him. It was quite an encounter! “God’s Word never returns to Him void” and how encouraging it was to see this indirect fruit of the day I had to first find Portuguese immigrants to go to the service and then lead it, sing and preach as the only Portuguese speaker in the team. My Portuguese was awful right at the beginning of my learning the language – but when we are weak the Lord is strong and does miracles!


But that wasn’t the end of the eventful morning! Back in the service after the morning speaker had finished, everyone was asked to go to the front for the official photograph. There a brother came up to me and asked me if I had been in Aracaju State, about 500 km from Patos, leading an inter-varsity camp for Christian students about 40 years ago? I answered yes, and he said that he had seen me walk in and he thought it was me who had led the camp that changed his life! He is a Baptist pastor today. “God’s Word never returns to Him void”. It had been quite a morning. Thank you Lord! What encouragement!

We’re still very much in Egypt in the midweek Bible Studies but we have now progressed through to Exodus 4:17 as we journey through the principal Bible stories. Also midweek fellowship group meetings work with one for men, another for women, another 2 for youth, one for the deaf, and another for a mixed group. There is also the weekly seniors gathering which is always blessed of the Lord too. Thanks for your prayers for all these activities. 

We’re still very much in Egypt in the midweek Bible Studies but we have now progressed through to Exodus 4:17 as we journey through the principal Bible stories. Also midweek fellowship group meetings work with one for men, another for women, another 2 for youth, one for the deaf, and another for a mixed group. There is also the weekly seniors gathering which is always blessed of the Lord too. Thanks for your prayers for all these activities. 

Brazil’s Father’s Day is on the second Sunday in August but we celebrated it on the Saturday as Sundays are too hectic. We slept at Green Pastures on the Friday night and spent Saturday there with a lovely family day. I walked 16 km including a night trek encountering a killer Coral snake which was fantastic, as I managed to photograph it and film it.


The Sunday Father’s Day service was out of this world. God spoke to me in the week for the service to be less festive, than these occasions tend to be, and more spiritual. Thus the Lord blessed abundantly. I preached on “The Greatest Commandment” from Mark 12 and it was well… wow! Praise God!