"This is the day that the Lord has made. We will be glad and rejoice in it".

Today all the EAB/ACEV churches come together in Patos to celebrate our 70th anniversary in the Town Hall. The event is the talk of the town and we look to the Lord for great blessing tonight, as with the continuing services of celebration tomorrow in the church. The special visiting preacher from São Paulo, Fernando Bochio, arrived yesterday evening and we had a nice time of fellowship with him discussing all sorts of aspects of the work. Now preparations press ahead for the 7.30pm start (11.30pm UK time). The small books with the brief history of EAB/ACEV are safely here from the printers and ready for distribution tonight. The PowerPoint presentation is ready and has been tested on the Town Hall's big screen. Please pray that all will go off smoothly and that the Lord will be glorified by a great weekend of praise and preaching.

Sadly, one of the Patos church founder members, Cesário, who is 80, will not be able to be with us. He was so excited to come from João Pessoa for the event and even had his case packed. However he has been taken ill with gall bladder complications and will have to be operated on.

Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 09h26 AM
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Town Hall

I've spent the entire afternoon at the Town Hall sorting things out with the team setting things up for tomorrow night's big celebration. The preacher has landed at Campina Grande airport from São Paulo so should be here shortly in Patos.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 06h45 PM
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Foot "surgery"

Our house is coming apart with parasites steadily destroying our wooden floor so when we can we will have to replace the lot with ceramic tiles. In the meantime we have holes in the floor, in increasing numbers, which makes it very dangerous for 85 year old Ivy to move around without falling. Yesterday I got a big splinter in my right foot with all this and at night had to be "operated on" by Liz with a large needle (which bent in the process) to remove the plank from my sole. Hence we had a family gathering for the surgery at 11.30pm, with Philip sitting on me (anaesthestist), Sacha fanning me, Gylmara holding the operation spot light (a torch) and Liz nearly killing me! The tree was removed in 3 pieces and I am now in convalescence!

The books arrived last night at 10pm from the printers in João Pessoa so that is good and means one thing is ready to roll for tomorrow's celebration.

I have just spoken to Socorro, Sandra's sister, who tells me Sandra is fine and goes back to Campina Grande for the next check up this coming Thursday (24/7). Socorro told me how amazed Sandra is that she can see again. She is very happy.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 08h55 AM
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Wild Honey

I have just eaten delicious wild honey sent to me by Pastor Valdemy (Caroá) in a 600 ml guaraná bottle.  Missionary work in the tropics has its compensations!

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 08h14 PM
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In the driving seat

My youngest grandson, Lucas, loves getting hold of the wheel of a car, as can be seen on my photo blog at: http://medcraft.fotoblog.uol.com.br

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 06h40 PM
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Pastor Lindon Carlos given all clear

We are very happy to have just received the news that Pastor Lindon Carlos does not have Chagas Disease. PTL! I believe the end of this saga is going to be overwork and stress is the diagnosis.

The radio interview lasted 40 minutes. It was a very thorough interview with 3 journalists firing questions at me like a machine gun. It was very good and a great opportunity for the Gospel.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 04h07 PM
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Mayor & Radio

I have just had the visit of the Mayor of Patos in my office assuring me he will be present at the ACEV celebration this Saturday. This is excellent and means we will have the Mayor of Patos for the celebration here and the Mayor of Southampton at the celebration in September in the UK!

I am now off to an FM radio interview about the 70th anniversary.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 11h44 AM
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"I can see"!

We have just had a phone call from Campina Grande where Sandra has been examined by the surgeon and can see again! We are all crying with joy here!  Sandra said to her sister when the bandages were removed: "Are you sure I can see"?  "I can't believe it... I can see again"!

Sandra is now coming home to Patos. What a great victory this is. Those of you that have followed this story will know that this saga of Sandra's failing sight, and then total blindness, has been going on for an awful long time and there was nothing we could do as she point blank refused surgery. However all is now changed. Thank you all for praying. And to that Marathon runner let me just say: it was worth every mile! You're a gold medal winner!  PTL!

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 10h09 AM
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2 days to Celebration

The temperature is rising and there is great enthusiasm around the EAB/ACEV churches about the big national celebration of our 70th anniversary on Saturday. The preacher flies up from São Paulo tomorrow and I finished the PowerPoint presentation at 11pm last night.  The short book of ACEV history should be with us from the printers tomorrow so it's all stations go!

There is concern on our part about the Town Hall being able to fit every in but it's better to have that problem than the opposite. We deliberately didn't go for a larger open-air or gymnasium type venue as you get people talking and walking around too much in these places, but we want a true service of praise and worship to God with a good sermon from God's Word! Aren't we old fashioned!  We plan to stay this way anyway!

The church problems in Patos appear to be easing. I think we can see a way out of the smoke. Please keep praying.

We have had no further news on Sandra and are awaiting a call from Campina Grande.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 09h23 AM
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Sandra's surgery went well

Sandra's sister, Socorro, has just phoned from Campina Grande to say that Sandra's operation went off well and Sandra has come round from the anesthestic and is talking away and quite relaxed. She will be released from hospital at 4pm (8pm UK time) and we have just arranged for someone from the EAB church there to put her up for the night, together with her 2 sisters, who are with her to take care of her. Sandra has to go to the hospital for a check up in the morning.

Thus... so far so good.  Thanks for your prayers and please keep praying.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 01h54 PM
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Surgery

We saw Sandra (Down's syndrome) this morning at 6.30am on her way in an ambulance to a Campina Grande hospital to have cataracts removed from both eyes. The operation is scheduled for just over 2 hours time. 2 of her sisters were with her and she seemed quite calm. They called by at that hour to pick up the cheque to pay the hospital/surgeon as the nearer it was to the payment time the less likely they would be to lose it or have it stolen. We would have preferred to do electronic transfer but the doctor didn't want that.

State-wide press (Jornal da Paraíba) carries a report on the EAB/ACEV Celebration in Patos in 3 days time and a photo of Liz and I to go with it. I press on with the PowerPoint presentation and hope to finish it today ready for Saturday.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 08h31 AM
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PowerPoint

I have been working very hard on the PowerPoint digital presentation of the Mission's history here for Saturday's celebration. I guess I am two-thirds done. We press on.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 07h45 PM
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Sandra to be operated on tomorrow

Sandra (Downs Syndrome) is to have surgery tomorrow morning in a Campina Grande hospital to remove cataracts from both eyes which have left her totally blind. The operation is set for 10.30am our time (2.30pm UK time). Please pray. For those that don't know the story let me tell you that the Care Centre tried to get Sandra to have this surgery a long time ago when she could still see, but she was too scared and always refused. However once she completely lost her sight she changed her mind. Then somebody ran the London marathon to raise the cash for the surgery, so tomorrow is the big day.

We battle on with church problems in Patos. It is energy sapping and stressful and just what we did not need when we have so much more to do.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 09h00 AM
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Chipping away

We are patiently prayerfully chipping away at the EAB Patos church problem and ask for your intensive prayer this week. We feel we can see a small ray of light at the end of the tunnel. God is able.

We are starting on the second semester ActionChild report/letter/photo packages for all EAB child sponsors this week, as County schools are back at lessons after the mid-year break. Sacha is in gear and has given our school till August 15th to get their reports in. Itaporanga has already sent theirs and the reports and letters are good but not the photos so she is sorting them out. There is a lot of translating and compiling to do so we have set an early date here so as to avoid last minute bottle necks. It would be nice for Liz and I to take a lot of the reports personally to Sally Irish (EAB ActionChild UK Coordinator) when we go to the UK early September so as to save on postage.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 12h41 PM
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Why?

My sermon "Why"? (why I believe in God / why I believe in Jesus / why I am an evangelical Christian / Why I belong to Evangelical Action) went better that I expected last night in an evangelistic service at the Patos church. Pastor Wostenes and his family made us a surprise visit so that was nice.

Today Pr. Lindon Carlos and family move into Green Pastures joining Wostenes and family.

With 5 days to go to the big 70 year celebration here I ask special prayer for us as we prepare. There is a lot to be done. A lot of pressure.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 10h00 AM
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Ready for service

My sermon tonight is entitled "Why". I am ready to roll and just off to church.

Liz has been out visiting and now has gone to the farm to sort out the possible new arrangements as we do need to consult Wostenes before we can allow others to go there.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 06h32 PM
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Pastor Lindon Carlos ill

EAB/ACEV Pastor, Lindon Carlos, up in the mountains at Imaculada, is far from well. He is a member of the national leadership team and coordinator of the wells project so is a very important pastor in the work. We understand that he has an enlarged heart with the suspicion that this is caused by Chagas Disease. He has had tests done on this and the result will be received this Thursday. Once this result has been received we will send him to Campina Grande for a second opinion. Chagas disease, if confirmed, is very serious, and although there is a cure today, it is very unpleasant treatment and does not repair what has been damaged. i.e. heart disease. Please pray for him.

He wants to go with his family to Green Pastures Farm to rest up but we need to check with Pastor Wostenes and family if that is alright with them first, as they are already there on holiday. I am pretty sure it will be OK so they will be moving out there tomorrow. It makes us feel very happy to see how our vision for the farm is being fulfilled and it is being used more and more for courses, camps, leaders' holidays etc. PTL!

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 09h46 AM
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Members' Meeting

The Patos Church members' meeting went off very well last night. I gently and lovingly layed out the leadership's position on the present tension existent in the fellowship as such an approach can help to "turn away wrath". We leave the problems in the Lord's hands now and ask Him to sort them out. We then went on to discuss and organize who will do what next weekend which is to be an ACEV 70 year celebration over the whole weekend with Saturday night in the Town Hall and Sunday morning and evening in church.

To my surprise, at the end of what was a lovely meeting in a lovely spirit, a deacon and two deaconesses proposed that Philip be made an elder of the Patos church. We had no idea that this proposal was in the offing so it was very nice. We will discuss the proposal at the next leadership meeting.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 09h35 AM
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