I went for a walk at Green Pastures and saw and heard a variety of birds: Many Picui Ground Doves, Caatinga Cacholotes, Burrowing Owl, Red-cowled Cardinals, Striped Cuckoos, Chalk-browed Mockingbirds, Smooth-billed Anis. I have proof read EAB's InTouch magazine #101 and it looks very good. Our thanks to Dave Flowers and Marian Rashleigh for all their good work. In this edition topics include: 60+ Movement, Pink & Blue, Tavares Outreach, Baptismal, Carnival Camp, Bathroom project, Ministry to the Deaf, Donkeys and Sheep. You should receive this magazine in early May. Please read it and then ..read more

Liz has been involved in some counselling of a young person with relationship issues. I can't mention the name or go into details. I have been doing sermon preparation for the annual general pastors' conference next month. Your prayers are valued. Liz and I had our bi-annual blood tests today so I've been walking round all day with an empty arm! We get our results online and everything that has come through to date is fine. ? I went to the Men's Fellowship meeting last night which was led by school teacher Claudivan with Rafael coordinating the reflection in God's Word. Only 7 went but it was ..read more

The difficult selection process for three more toilet/shower units to be built at Barra de Oitis has been completed and the building materials have been delivered this week. 81-year-old Maria de Lourdes is finally going to get her very first bathroom and she is thrilled! There are no less than 21 people living in her 4-room house, including children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, so the loo will be well used! The second toilet/shower unit will be shared by the 3 families of Maria Jose, Camila and Francisco benefitting a total of 17 people. The third will go to Maria Luciene and family ..read more

Jose Joel and Rafael with their 2 little sons were thrilled to receive a sheep last week as part of EAB's 4-Legs project. They live in the Sitio Genipapo in Santana de Mangueira County. As well as being a farm labourer Jose is a marathon runner like EAB chairman Roy Dyer. Perhaps we could set up a race between ACEV's Jose and EAB's Roy?! ? The time is fast approaching for the annual Cadnam Methodist Church Concert in the New Forest in aid of EAB. It will be held on the last Saturday of the month (April 27th) at 7 pm. Tickets cost 10 pounds. Phone 01794 323279 for reservations and details. The ..read more

I am very busy preparing the agenda and details for our annual general conference which is always held at one of our churches in the month of May. This year it will be held on the coast in Joao Pessoa on the 24th and 25th of May and will gather together all our pastors and leaders for 4 general assemblies of sharing, planning, debating, praying and envisioning together. The Conference will end on the Saturday night with the Conference' Commissioning service at which one sister will be given probationary missionary status and 2 pastors and one woman missionary will be ordained. We greatly value ..read more

Pastor Maesio up in the mountains at Teixeira baptized 3 at the weekend in a joyful and blessed service. The church there is ticking over nicely. Liz and I didn't go to church yesterday owing to the flu but we are feeling steadily brighter. The main service of the week on Sunday night was led by our co-pastor Rafael and he preached too. We watched the whole service live on YouTube. It was a lovely service. Our granddaughter Alice is staying with us at the moment for a few days which is very nice. I had paw-paw and a banana for breakfast as usual. Occasionally I eat custard apple with banana ..read more

On Friday our grandson Arthur and his girlfriend Bianca were both called to the bar and are now fully fledged barristers. They have done very well. The president of the Brazilian Lawyers Association (OAB) invited me to say a prayer of blessing upon the 15 new lawyers at the ceremony. One of our pastors and his wife have left ACEV/EAB this week. They were in a temporary co-pastors role. I understand that the couple have serious personal problems which triggered their decision.  I went to Green Pastures and saw 2 wild cavies scuffling off into the bush. Both Liz and I have the flu. Liz had ..read more

Up in the mountains in the town of Matureia (highest point in our state of Paraiba) EAB/ACEV has a church which is going well under the leadership of Pastor Renilson. It also has an excellent school there under the leadership of Renilson's wife Getiane which has 260 children in it. This week a young teenage boy made a lovely commitment to the Lord and he is the 8th pupil from our school there to do so. PTL! I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study last night. Sister Espedita sang a solo and Marina and Rogerio led the praise. Rafael brought the study from Amos 2:6-7. Last night it rain ..read more

It is always encouraging when one receives positive feedback on a sermon and this I'm getting from my sermon on Easter Sunday which was an exposition of 1 Corinthians 15 about the ressurection of Jesus, the ressurection of Christians and the ressurection body and what it will be like. One young father who came back to the Lord at the Carnival Camp is bubbling about it and has contacted me various times on WhatsApp. How good it is to see people being touched by the Word of God! QPR won away to Swansea 1 x 0 on Easter Monday which puts us 6 points and 6 places above the relegation zone. Things a ..read more

Yesterday (Easter Sunday) was a wonderful day in church. Everything started with our annual church fellowship breakfast together at 8 am. This was followed by a half-hour time of resurrection worship with hymns like "Up from the grave he arose" with us sat down for the verses and stood up for the choruses. We also had a reflection on the resurrection text from John 20. At night I preached on 1 Corinthians 15 and it went very well. We also had a special resurrection short drama from our drama group and deaf fellowship which was very good. I have read a book called 'Can women be pastors?' writte ..read more