EAB Updates

There are 2 types of EAB Updates. The first, which most people receive, is a brief monthly resumé of EAB's work with photos which we call the EAB Nutshell Update. Get it? Brazil - where all the nuts come from! We put the news in a nutshell! The second usually doesn't have photos and is a transcript of this blog. This now is also monthly and we call it the EAB Diary Update.

Now we are obliged by EU law to get permission from people, who have been receiving the updates for years, and praying for and supporting EAB for yonks, to get their permission to continue informing them about the work!

So PLEASE reply to the e-mails I have sent to everyone asking for consent! I mean how could you live without EAB? If you don't reply we can't send!

Send emails to eabrazil@gmail.com

Anyone wanting to join the happy EAB updates list that isn't yet on it - just send us an email too please. 

EAB supporters! Please spread the word about EAB monthly Updates and God bless you all real good!

EAB GDPR emails all sent out

I have nearly gone crazy (no rude comments please!) sending out emails one by one to all on our mailing list. I sent each one individually and noted down the names so that I can tick those who reply positively. It took me one and a half days! I am glad it is done. People are replying. I will wait a few days and then write a new EAB Nutshell Update which I will send to all who reply as I cannot send to those who don't reply.

I will also need help getting permission from the remnant of snailmail update folk who receive a monthly postal update. These are folk advanced in years and the list steadily is shrinking as some do join the internet brigade and others join the celestial brigade! Some of these faithful prayer warriors and supporters are approaching three figures in age!

I'd love to organize a small group of young folk to visit the work here next year to see if we could start an EAB teens and twenties group to shake UK interest up a bit. Contact me if you are interested at eabrazil@gmail.com 

Brazil is in one big mess!

The tankers strike goes on and on and on - but of course it is not a tankers strike at all anymore but is a manipulated attempt to bring about a Coup D'état. We are now encircled by lawless gangs in Patos that block the roads and cut off the population from food supplies etc. The BBC is waking up more to the matter and is a bit more energetic in today's report talking about the death of 70 million chickens, for example, which died of hunger as their feed was not allowed to them! The country has gone mad! The situation is very dangerous. Please pray. 

See http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44285238

Brazil in massive crisis!

The country is in uproar! The government gives in to the strikers in everything but the strike doesn't end! Supplies of everything you can imagine are running out including food, medication etc. Travel is virtually impossible as you can't get petrol. The strike is now in its second week. Please pray. 

See what the BBC says today which is a very timid report but better than nothing. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44275782

For me a Coup D'état is clearly the aim of mainy involved in this uprising. Please pray!

Government gives in to strikers

After church last night I heard President Temer announce on TV that he had agreed to all the demands of the petrol tanker drivers who have been on strike for a week and paralysed the country. Even funerals were being stopped! Absolute chaos and anarchy. Now it remains to be seen if in practice the strike is over as announced.

Latest edition of EAB's magazine available

You can read edition 89 of EAB's magazine "In Touch" on our website at http://eabrazil.org/2018/05/26/intouch-89/

That was the week that was!

Wow! What a week! The EAB Field Conference was great but it only happened by the skin of its teeth! This is because of the Petrol tankers' drivers' strike now a week old and continuing! Some how our folk managed to get to the Conference at Green Pastures and it was greatly blessed. PTL! The whole event was wonderful!

However the strike carries on and it is holding the country to ranson. Food starts to run out in shops, doctors and nurses can't get to hospitals, schools will be shut down this week and so it goes on. It is an horrific situation. Please pray.

The service tonight in Patos was very good.

Liz continues to be a lot better in health. PTL!

Road blockades continue but so will the Conference!

The ridiculous outrageous road blockades, caused by the petrol tanker strikers and associates, continue despite temporary agreement  reached with the government last night. It is what's known as anarchy! Nevertheless a lot of our leaders have already got through the blockades and are already at Green Pastures for the Conference start. Your prayers are valued. We look to God for a great conference.

Conference saved by the bell?

Petrol tankers' drivers' strike latest: The press is right now announcing that the national government and strikers have reached an agreement to resume petrol supplies and unblock roads for a fortnight whilst a longer term agreement is reached. If this is confirmed in practice at morning light this Friday it will mean EAB/ACEV's annual conference has been saved by the bell! Thank you for praying.

EAB Data Protection

I sent out emails last night to all on our EAB Diary Update address list asking for consent to be able to continue sending updates. So far 25% have already replied positively.

As soon as I can I will send out emails with a similar request to all on the EAB Nutshell Update list.

Major Crisis for Field Conference

The 80th annual EAB/ACEV Field Conference should be starting this Friday but is in severe doubt owing to a strike of petrol tanker drivers nationwide which is bringing the country to a standstill. We are very worried about the whole situation. It will be awful if the event doesn't go ahead after all the organization and logistics. How does everyone get to Green Pastures without petrol? There are no rail transport options in our region so food, health care etc. is all in danger of supply chain collapse. It is chaos!

Our Pentecost Sunday was good. The sermon went very well. On this Monday we had the special event in honour of EAB/ACEV's 80th anniversary in the Patos Town Council chambers. It was a fantastic event. Our praise group sang and I told the story, with the help of PowerPoint, of the 80 years of the work. The impact was great! PTL!

Yesterday I took another school round Green Pastures teaching them to care for creation. I got back to Patos in time for a meeting with the State vice-Governoress who had requested a meeting with me. God opens up doors we could never have imagined.

Whit Sunday - The Day of Pentecost

The title of my sermon tonight is exactly this: "The Day of Pentecost" - in which I will be speaking on Acts 2:1-21.

Yesterday was grandson Lucas's 11th birthday (Philip & Gylmara's son) so we had a nice time with family and friends.

On Wednesday I spoke to 150 university students and teachers, by invitation, for two hours! I offered to speak for an hour and a half but they insisted they wanted more so can't have been bad! What an opportunity!

I had a great meeting with our social worker Marah Danielle this week. We discussed a variety of projects. She's a great lass!

Liz continues in better health. PTL! It really is good to see her relatively pain free and fully mobile again. We had even wondered if our UK trip would be possible with Liz so ill, but now the tide has turned and we are getting into gear for Blighty!

I spent a lot of time sorting out different problems this week. Anyone involved in Church leadership knows what it's like. You plan your day and then bang! This or the other happens and you have to drop everything and help. One person made a stupid mistake in the financial field and it took me a lot of time to get a lawyer onto her case and calm her down. Then there was a couple of young Christians disgruntled with some simple things and talking a lot of rubbish and causing trouble. May the Lord help us!

Excellent Leadership Team Meeting

Saturday's leadership team meeting lasted 9 hours but it was very good. Exhausting but in a great spirit amongst the 10 leaders and very productive. All was in preparation for the annual Field Conference to be held at Green Pastures and Patos from the 25th-27th May.

Key points decided were that 2 new ministers will be given probationary ministerial status at the Conference and 2 others will be ordained. Two smaller churches are to be given full church status rather than remaining church plants of other churches. Many other planning issues were discussed and the financial difficulties the churches face with the economic crisis in Brazil affecting things was discussed and prayed about.

On Sunday we had a good day in Church on what was mother's Day here. Today I gave a two hour lecture at a university by invitation which went extremely well to well over a hundred students. 

Next Monday the Patos Town Council will be holding a special session of the Council in honour of EAB/ACEV's 80 years! It should be quite something and certainly an historic mark for God's glory!

Tearfund visit

This week we have had the visit of Tearfund's Brazil representative Serguem Silva, together with their new worker Alberto Lins. They visited lots of EAB/ACEV projects and I had a good meeting with them and our projects director Lindon Carlos this afternoon.

I am working flat out preparing for Saturday's big ACEV leadership team's meeting in preparation for the Field Conference in 2 weeks time. So much to remember and put together on the agenda for discussion. Boy this meeting is going to last into the night as usual!

Liz has started the new phase of her treatment today. She is a lot better than she was and we pray that the treatment started today will fix things completely. 

EAB's Oldest Church being rebuilt

In our 80th year EAB's first church at Princesa Isabel, which itself is 75 years old, has been demolished and is in the process of being rebuilt. This weekend more work was carried out. EAB has contributed substantial funds to this project. The church is being expanded to cope with growth which is always a good problem to have.

In Patos the monthly communion service was really blessed this Sunday. I preached on 'Communion' based on 1 John 1:1-7.

Twin kids have been born to an EAB 4 Legs Project Mother Goat at the landless community a few miles from Green Pastures. This also happened on Sunday in time for the service! Mother and twins are doing great.

We are flat out preparing for our annual Field Conference later this month and have a leadership meeting in preparation for this on Saturday. Leaders will come to the Patos headquarters from João Pessoa, Campina Grande, Itaporanga, Imaculada and Manaíra. Please pray.

The Deaf Fellowship had great meetings over the weekend. It was also good to see a new Soup Run Team set up and running at Juru up in the mountains. 

Counselling

I have had a long counselling session this morning with someone delivered from drugs for nearly two years but who is under all sorts of pressure. I talked to him for ages, heard all his difficulties, counselled him and prayed with him. Please pray for this man I will call MAV so as to maintain anonimity. He is seeking to follow the Lord.

Please aso pray for the woman from the Desert Flower Project on drugs who has made a commitment  to Christ but who is struggling. Code name SAR.

I did a night Green Pastures two hour treck with Tarcísio yesterday alongside the lake and river looking for frogs, toads, snakes and spiders. It is quite complicated in the dark but interesting. I could hear different species of frogs but often not easy to locate. 

Liz continues to be in considerably better health, though not out of the woods yet.

May Day

The Married Couples Fellowship had a good day at Green Pastures today. Tonight I had a meeting of the 'Drug Free' Group evaluating our work to date and planning for the coming months. It was very good. 

Liz has been counselling all evening too so she is certainly a lot better in her health than she was. PTL!