#GivingTuesday

This Tuesday (December 1st) is ‪#‎GivingTuesday‬, which is a United Nations Foundation supported initiative to encourage donations to charities, rather than Black Friday spending and the likes. As EAB is a charity we most certainly should be part of this and make a simple appeal for help with EAB's Drought Fund. Any amount will be appreciated and well spent to help the poor in this horrific situation in NE Brazil.

You can either send a donation to the EAB Treasurer marked #GivingTuesday Drought Fund Appeal:
 

Beryl Gough - EAB (Hon. Treasurer), 6 The Glade, Langley, Southampton. SO45 1ZP - England.

Email: eabfinance@gmail.com

Or you can make a direct bank transfer to EAB's UK bank account as follows:

Lloyds Bank - Sort code 30-91-85. Account Nº 02385564.

If you use this option please inform EAB by email of what your donation is designated to.

You can also make your donation online via http://www.eabrazil.com/

Whichever way you do it your gift will be greatly appreciated. The needs of the poor are very great in this unbelievable drought!

EAB Facebook Page Landmark

EAB's English language facebook page has today passed the 1,500 'likes' mark. For the uninitiated in social media what this means is that 1,500 people from a variety of countries, most of whom had not previously even heard of EAB, have seen our page and clicked on the like button to say they like the work we do. The hope is that such people will, now that they are linked to us in this way, become more interested in the Mission and pray for us and support us.

I produced and published an advert for the Leadership Conference which starts this Friday and I will post it below, even though of course it is in Portuguese, just to give you a feel of it. Please pray for this Conference which we believe will be a real blessing for all our leaders. You can see this advert on facebook complete with background music!

Pastoral visits and another Great Service

Yesterday saw me visiting the poor in the ex-landless government farm project a few miles from Green Pastures where EAB has a church. Some situations are heartbreaking, like that of Miro who has no less than 11 kids and has been left by his wife! They live in this little government given house in the middle of total drought under baking heat. There is not one seat of any description in the house. The situation is unbelievable! We will definitely be giving the family a Christmas hamper. You can see some of them in the photo I took yesterday below. Watch this space!

Last night's service in Patos was another terrific time of blessing. Some people made decisions for Christ and the atmosphere was electric. PTL! I am exhausted today. Such days are spiritually draining. The battle is hot!

EAB Christmas Gift List

Amidst all the turmoil of this world the Christmas message is so relevant & we traditionally give gifts at Christmas to symbolize God's gift of Jesus to us. However, as so many don't know what to give because people have what they need, EAB presents this Gift List - you buy a gift for the poor & EAB sends you a card for you to give to your loved ones wishing them a Happy Christmas and telling them where their gift has gone. Join in & give more than one person a very Happy Christmas! Contact Marian to order at missionmr@ntlworld.com

Countdown to the Leadership Conference

With the EAB annual Leadership Conference starting next Friday, December 4th, we ask prayer for this, especially with the drought and heat (38.5ºC / 101.3ºF today) which will make things somewhat uncomfortable. The event will be held at our Green Pastures Farm / Nature Reserve / Christian Conference Center and run till the 6th. We have a very good speaker coming this year from the State of Ceará. There will also be times for discussions, praise and prayer together.

Difficult Days

It's funny how things go in the work of the Lord but spiritual battle always involves ups and downs. One thing that impresses me at the moment is the spiritual darkness of this region where idolotry seems to intensify, rather than the contrary. It is quite amazing how, in total desobedience to the Bible, people place their faith in idols of wood and stone. It is sickenenly sad to see. It is shocking.

Then too we seem to face days of catholic leaders lashing out in unnecessary insults and attempts to maintain their dominance amongst the population of these parts. It comes down to downright intimidation at times.

However the whole religious scene is complicated yet further by what I would call protestant sects who are run more like businesses than churches as the prosperity theologians seek to also do just what the Bible warns against by accumulating more and more of this world's riches through fake healings and all sorts of other tricks.

Thus EAB stands in need of your prayers more than ever in these dark and difficult days. We count on your prayers.

My sermon for tomorrow's service is ready to roll. I am looking forward to preaching.

EAB facebook page

We are encouraged by the increase in "likes" expressed for EAB's English language facebook page which now has 1,130 likes and counting! Please do spread the word about our regularly updated news page which has followers all around the world. https://www.facebook.com/eabrazil/

Please remember us especially in prayer at this time as we face one particularly stressful and difficult situation in the Patos church. May God overule and stretch forth His mighty arm.

Please pray too for the annual leadership Conference which starts a week today. Please also pray for me as I continue to prepare my sermon for this Sunday.

Patos Leadership Meeting

Tonight we had an exhausting Patos church leadership meeting. It went very well but whilst most things are going very well in the church there are always the problems to sort out and the challenges which arise which we have to face. I can't go into details here but just ask you to pray for God's guidance in all things.

Fantastic Service!

Wow! What a service tonight in thanksgiving to God for the graduation from Senior High School of our grandson John David (Lynn's son) and all his fellow students. The church was packed out to capacity with some standing and the service flowed in the Spirit in a wonderful way. The P&W band was mightily used of God and my sermon flowed well too. It was fantastic to see the church packed out with some 200 non-committed Christians! What an opportunity. God so moved that at the end people of the upper sections of Patos society who were there were coming and thanking, hugging us, and saying how amazed they were by the service. It really was outstanding. Thank you for praying. You can see the graduation boy in the centre of the photo.

Students at Green Pastures

I spent yesterday morning with students from a school in Patos showing them round the Green Pastures Nature Reserve and explaining things to them. It was a great opportunity. It went really well. You can see more photos on EAB's facebook page https://www.facebook.com/eabrazil/ but here is one:

All the rest of yesterday and all this morning was taken up preparing the sermon for tonight's thanksgiving service for our grandson John David graduating from senior high school together with all his class mates. I also had a long counselling session to fit in too.

Leading together

Last night's service in Patos was really good. Philip & I led it between us and I preached on Mark 9:33-37. The P&W group sang the new song for us in church "Still". This was wonderful. How good it was to see so many poor kids in church from the drug-ridden 'Rua do Meio' where people get killed like flies. I love these kids and it thrills me every time they come to church. Here's a photo of Philip leading the service last night.

Going back to Saturday night's church plant launch at Picotes, how good it was to see the wise use of the Green Pastures facilities there. For Tarcísio took stacks of the plastic chairs from Green Pastures and he took them on our 3-wheel motorbike with a big baggage area at the back. These chairs are used for the camps, events and regular church at Green Pastures, but are used for all open-air services round and about too. Great to see!

Church plant launch blessed

We had at least 70 present for the launch of the new church plant at Picotes last night and the service was really good. Please pray for this new initiative.

Radio interview success

The radio interview Liz and I did today actually lasted a full hour and really went well. The interviewer is the lady next to us and the other lady is a psychologist who is a regular part of the programme which always discusses relationship issues and things like this. 

I am just off to the church plant launch at Picotes now. Please pray!

Busy Schedule

Thursday night's Bible Study service went very well with a lovely participation from one of our young men, Mailson, who brought a lovely word.

Yesterday was a morning for visiting the sick from our Green Pastures church where a young widow, whom I baptized last year, is recovering from a motorbike accident. She admitted to me that she was going too fast on the off-road rural track and hit sand lossing control. She broke her leg and so instead of arriving in a hurry where she wanted to get to, she is now stuck in bed for 3 months recovering from surgery.

I also visited the São Mamede rubbish dump yesterday, took photos, and am increasing my campaign to have it removed from near Green Pastures. So this is another battle we have taken on in the Name of Jesus! Please pray! I am already getting a bit of flack from the authorities but God is greater!

Yesterday afternoon I did a TV interview about Christmas so that was a good opportunity to share the Gospel. I also had another a meeting with someone who hasn't been to church for a long time and then a Patos Bible College meeting to discuss some curriculum issues. 

Now this morning Liz and I are going to do a live interview on FM radio about being married 46 years! This should be fun and a good opportunity to share basic Christian family values. Please pray. It starts at 2pm UK time, if you read this in time, and should last about 45 minutes.

Action Child

I have worked all morning since 7am on EAB's Action Child programme which is such an important programme bringing hope to so many very poor kids. We are in a key transitional period to focus on very young children through to the end of primary eduction. Thanks for your prayers on this.

Tonight is the Bible study so I need to work more on that now.

Who is the most important?

This is the title of my sermon prepared for Sunday. I worked on this all day Tuesday. The text is Mark 9:33-37 and will be the 10th sermon folowing through a series in Mark's Gospel. I was very happy to get this prepared yesterday early in the week as it's now back into to the regular preaching routine in Patos as opposed to doing presentations about EAB during 10 weeks. We look to God for a great service.

I am pleased that a new church plant is to start on Saturday in São Mamede County in the tiny and very beautiful village of Picotes. We have been working on this for a long time and finally things are coming together. PTL!

I had a nice meeting with the new Presbyterian pastor in Patos this afternoon. On Saturday Liz and I will be interviewed on FM radio. Tomorrow is Bible study night.

At Green Pastures this morning we are having to put in protection for our vegetable plot because mainly the wild guinea-pigs, but also the birds, are wrecking havock as they find it to be the only green option around in the middle of the horrific drought. We have sort of become the victims of our own ecological success! However that is no problem and we will from now on have all sections of the plantation netted in for protection. You can see one of the dozens of wild guinea pigs which I photographed 'red-handed' this morning!

The work presses on

Yesterday's service in Patos was very good with a full church. We received the second person back into fellowship who had previousy left last year so we are pleased about this of course.

I have been doing lots of work linked to the Annual Leadership Conference less than 3 weeks away. I have also been working a lot on the special January outreach too.

I went for a long walk round Green Pastures today. The church there is starting a new church plant on Sunday on the other side of the County of São Mamede at Picotes. Please pray for this.

46th Wedding Anniversary

Liz and I thank the Lord for our 46th wedding anniversary today together with our 4 kids and 8 grandchildren (with another soon to arrive!). God has been good to us over the years since this date in 1969 when Pastor Winston Shearing married us assisted by pastors Albert Mundy, Reuben Gunter and Jack Dyer. Other pastors present were Liz's Dad Frank and Colin Whittaker whose wife Hazel sang at the service.

Look at the blessings of the Lord!

Here's our granddaughter Amanda Ivy at 6 months and doing absolutely great after her premature birth and bumpy ride in the first months of life. How good is this? God is very good! She has just presented her first tooth as well so we are all thanking the Lord. Amidst all the so sad news from Paris and the tragedy of burst dams in Minas Gerais in Brazil - it is lovely to have smiles like these to cheer us along life's way!

 

Christmas Gifts with love in a World in Turmoil

Amidst all the turmoil of this world the Christmas message is so relevant & we traditionally give gifts at Christmas to symbolize God's gift of Jesus to us. However, as so many don't know what to give because people have what they need, EAB presents this Gift List - you buy a gift for the poor & EAB sends you a card for you to give to your loved ones wishing them a Happy Christmas and telling them where their gift has gone. Join in & give more than one person a very Happy Christmas! (Contact Marian Rashleigh - EAB - at missionmr@ntlworld.com)

Leadership Meeting in Patos

The Patos Senior Leadership Team met for two and a half hours last night in the first meeting since our return. There was unanimity that the overall results of the ten weeks we were away in Europe were very positive and Philip was congratulated for his leadership, dedication and clear direction from the Lord. His name was given full backing for ministerial status consideration in 2016.

A number of issues needing attention were discussed and these will be dealt with over the coming weeks. We value your prayers but are unable to give details.

The drought continues here with catastrophic effect. Water rationing is increasing everywhere. We need to pray for rain in abundance in the rainy season in the New Year, against all the forecasts from the gloomy experts. Below is what's left of the lake at Green Pastures which is expected to dry up completely by the end of the month. The temperatures touch 40ºC (well into the 100sºF) which is only accelerating the evaporation from the already crippled reservoirs.

Welcome back service was lovely

Saturday night's service at Caroá was really mightily blessed as Philip preached with tremendous annointing. PTL! The P&W group went from Patos to minister too and they all slept there the night to be back in Patos for our welcome back service on the Sunday evening.

The church was full to capacity for our welcome back service and was really blessed of the Lord. Liz brought a word and I followed after the kids had done some of their dancing in praise to the Lord. It was lovely!

Tonight we're having a senior leadership meeting to hear all the details of the 10 weeks we were in Europe and take any decisions together that need taking. Your prayers are valued.

More Welcome Back Gifts!

More welcome back gifts were received yesterday! This was a basket of chocolates given by the 'Young at Heart' group in the Patos church! The 'Welcome Back' service will be this Sunday at 6.30pm.

Please pray for Philip who will be preaching at the Caroá anniversary service this Saturday evening and leading the church band there which includes Sacha and granddaughter Louisa. Philip has had a very stressful week with his work so it won't be easy for him. They will all be back for our 'Welcome Back' service tomorrow.

Total and utter Drought!

Please pray for rain in Brazil's north-eastern interior! Please donate to EAB's 'drought fund' to help us help people in this catastrophic situation. This is "Green Pastures Farm" this morning at 37ºC in the shade. Total and utter drought!

Felipe 18 and surprise welcome home food basket!

Today our eldest son Felipe reached the ripe old age of 18 so we have had the usual family get together this afternoon to eat cake, drink coke and sing happy birthday!

We have also just received a beautiful basket of sugar-free foods for our evening meal as a welcome back gift from the church's singles and divorcees fellowship. This was so nice of them!

We're back in Patos

We got back to Patos this afternoon all safe and sound. Tired but happy. Thankful to God for all His goodness. Some of the family were around to greet us!

Back in Brazil

We have just had a shower followed by breakfast on the beach after a good sleep in Natal. Now we're heading for Patos!

The flights yesterday were good with no problems with anything. Thank you for praying.

At Heathrow on way back to Brazil!

I'm drinking tea waiting for our first flight to Lisbon from where we will catch another flight to Brazil. We left Basingstoke at 4.15am and were checked in & through security by 6.20am for an 8.15 flight. Thank the Lord that the fog has gone.

Yesterday we met with Mike Hollow (ex-Tearfund), Ben & Miriam and David & Linda. We got to bed at 9pm & were up at 2.50am.

We're heading for home & will be preaching in Patos on Sunday. We covet your prayers.

Final weekend of the Euro Tour 2015

On Saturday we had a lovely time at Liz's nephew's house in Calne, Wilts together with his family (Andrew, Holly, Poppy and Jacob) and his father David and his wife Tania. It is a very beautiful area that they live in. Andrew has a fascinating hobby of keeping a massive salt water aquarium which is absolutely beautiful.

Yesterday was our final Sunday of the tour and the service at Cefn Cribwr in Wales was great. Lovely praise and worship, the presentation went great and the warm welcome was lovely. This was followed by a beautiful lunch with Gail, Esther and David from the church who visited us in Brazil a couple of years back. 

Following this we headed for the Lawrence Weston Community Church in Bristol where the Lord blessed too. However the fog came down on the way and we almost arrived late. Then after the service the fog was even worse as we headed back to Basingstoke... but we made it.

Now today is a very very busy day prior to leaving for the airport at 4.15am tomorrow. Please pray that neither the fog or the NATO exercises over Portugal will hamper our flights. I have already returned our hired car which was a great car. I am now catching up with my communications, then going to see Mum for the last time, then meeting up with Mike Hollow (ex-Tearfund) and then meeting up with Ben & Miriam and David and Linda plus a lot more prior to hitting the hay by 9pm or there will be no point in going to bed as we will have to be up at 3am.

So thanks to the Lord and to everyone who contributed to this being the best tour of churches ever as far as we're concerned. PTL!