The EAB Primary School which bears the late EAB missionary's name, Frank Dyer, should see its building project completed this week with a dining area for the children and a new first floor classroom above that. We thank the Scottish Charity, Positive Steps, for their partnership in the project. The Patos Council is especially pleased with the school's academic results and the supportive committment it sees from EAB. In the light of all this, with the school looking wonderful (I'll publish photographs once its all finished next week) the Council has surprised us with a full set of new desks for the whole school and EAB has funded the tables and chairs for the dining area.

I have also been discussing the Uruguay Project today. Please remember Betânia in your prayers (our missionary there) who has had a couple of minor accidents and is feeling the cold. Nevertheless she is seeing some real progress on some fronts. PTL!

I also had a very long meeting today concerning our evaluation of the united church outreach last month. It got quite heated at times but all ended in peace. The next (and I hope final) stage of the evaluation will be on the last day of July.

Philip will have his 31st birthday tomorrow! Crumbs!

There are occurring a whole spate of fatal accidents in and around Patos on the roads. The latest involved a lady we know well whose high heel shoe got hooked up as she drove, the car accelerated, she panicked and hit a man on a motorbike and killed him as well as crashing into other vehicles. This all happened quite close to where we live.

Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 05h46 PM
[] [envie esta mensagem] [link]




AMAZON KINGFISHER

I left home at 6.45am for my bi-weekly walk at Green Pastures and got this lovely shot of a male Amazon Kingfisher. I walked for 4 hours. Well worth the walk!

Liz and Lynn went for medical routine check-ups at Campina Grande today.

I also have been working sorting out issues left over from the united churches outreach in June as well as working on the 4 Legs Project. I wrote a newspaper article and sent out the latest EAB Nutshell Update.

The Brazilian National Christian Press has got hold of the story of me having been given the State Green Award so these little things help spread the word in unexpected ways. PTL!

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 10h20 PM
[] [envie esta mensagem] [link]




NEEM TREE IN THE UK LATEST

Just received from Marian Rashleigh:

"I planted all of them (seeds) - didn't bother to count as they were too smelly!!!!

They've been planted for 2 hours now and not come up so I'll give them a good talking too"!!

Watch this space!

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 11h13 AM
[] [envie esta mensagem] [link]




NEEM TREE SEEDS IN UK

We have sent Marian Rashleigh in Southampton a package of Neem tree seeds for her to experiment with at some gardens she helps out at (sorry I can't remember the name of the place). I sent them express mail late last week but I was surprised how quickly they arrived as she has just emailed to say they are already in her house having arrived "stinking and running in fluid". That is exactly how we received our first Neem tree seeds from the USA and you only have a very short period of time to get them planted as their fertility period is very short. However a few of the seeds did germinate for us and today we have lots of trees at Green Pastures and have spread them to lots of different communities although they are not so easy to send around and propogate (like we do with Moringa tree seeds) because of the details described above. So watch this space and follow the life of Neem trees in the UK.

The Neem tree is very drought resistant and copes with a variety of soils. It grows up to about 60 feet tall. It is a beautiful rich green leaved tree which has a very good mahogany type dark reddish wood. It produces medicinal products (like leaf paste for Acne) and an organic insecticide.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 10h55 AM
[] [envie esta mensagem] [link]




TRAGIC ACCIDENT

A terrible accident happened today on the Teixeira mountain road we use so often. A coach descending the mountain, carrying a Pop Music Band, lost control and smashed into a car going up the mountain. A mother and father of a 4 month old baby were killed in the car but the baby is still alive. Many other people were injured (some say 8) and Dr. Paula went on radio to appeal for blood donors and called in off-duty staff. I have never known such an energetic director at the Patos hospital.

I have caught up with loads of correspondence today and have written, produced and dispatched the ACEV Brazilian Update. I have had my hair cut too!  

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 09h59 PM
[] [envie esta mensagem] [link]




FANTASTIC SERVICE!

We had a great service in Patos last night. It was great to have Philip back leading the P&W which makes such a difference. Then the sermon went absolutely whooooosh on Revelation 5:6. I am listening to Handel's "Worthy is the Lamb" (Messiah) as I write this. What a fantastic chapter of Scripture to preach on! At the end there were so many hands raised asking for prayer and re-dedicating their lives to God that I lost count. One Roman Catholic lady was sobbing and so many people came to me to speak about the message. So praise the Lord for a great night in God's presence. Thank you for praying.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 09h21 AM
[] [envie esta mensagem] [link]




BRAZIL 4 x USA 2

Brazil have just won the Confederations Cup yet again. It was decided to give the USA a two goal start to make a game of it and in the second half Brazil scored 4 goals although the referee stupidly disallowed a perfectly good 4th goal. FIFA keep on insisting on resisting technology which is unbelievably daft. Superbly played Brazil! Beyond doubt the best football team in the world!  

Prior to this I had prepared my sermon for tonight on Revelation 5:6. "The Lamb that was slain". I will be off to church shortly.

 Escrito por John Philip Medcraft às 05h36 PM
[] [envie esta mensagem] [link]


[ página principal ] [ ver mensagens anteriores ]