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How To Regain a Hope-Filled Perspective
September 20, 2022
by Laura Lacey Johnson, COMPEL Training Member

“But forget all that it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.” Isaiah 43:18 (NLT)

“Show me your last cool trick!”

With this phrase, my kids knew the time had come to dry off at the swimming pool. They also knew this was their moment to show off and shine. Underwater flips transformed into twirling handstands. Cannonballs became an opportunity to go for gold at the Olympics. I could always expect that the “last cool trick” from yesterday would pale in comparison to what they’d perform today.  Watching my kids made me realize that sometimes I fear God has done His last cool trick in my life. Discouragement convinces me that my best days lie behind me or that my situation is too complicated or insignificant for God to intervene and do something new.  Sure, God still does great things in other people’s lives, just not mine.  Maybe you’ve thought something similar. Perhaps God healed you several years ago, but the health crisis staring you down now makes you doubt God could ever do that miracle again. Or maybe God showed up years ago in your marriage in some wondrous way, but fear whispers: That was then, and this is now.  When doubt limits our belief about what God can do in the future, we risk developing the same mentality as the people to whom Isaiah prophesied. During the Babylonian captivity, the Jews lived in a foreign land with adversaries who dragged them more than 1,600 miles away from Jerusalem. Yet God gave them a message of hope because He wanted to lift their eyes beyond their current situation.  The Jewish captives had become stuck in the past. For centuries, they dwelled on the parting of the Red Sea and couldn’t imagine God doing anything more spectacular. (Isaiah 43:16-17; Exodus 14:21-30)  But God wanted to turn their gaze toward the future. Reflecting on this miraculous event, God declared, “forget all that it is nothing compared to what I am going to do” (Isaiah 43:18). Why would God want them to forget one of the most powerful miracles in their exodus from Egypt?

Because God had something new for them!  “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19, NLT)

Even when our situation and future look as dry as desert sand, we can remember that, for generations, God has specialized in doing a new thing in wastelands. Fear should never hold hostage our hope. Our situation will change. God will never abandon us.  This week, pay attention anytime you place a lid on a household item: the coffee can, leftovers, the crockpot. Ask yourself, Where am I putting a lid on my faith?

We can regain a hope-filled perspective by remembering that God’s response to us remains the same today as to the ancient Israelites. God is always doing something new, and we can rest in His proven track record of faithfulness.

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Taking Risks, Trusting God
July 27, 2022
by Diane Ferraro

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about the risks my biological mother took to keep me alive and then choose someone else to raise me.  Before I was born, she had decided to end her pregnancy. In fact, she was already on her way to the clinic when something inside her told her to stop. Instead of aborting me, she found a couple to adopt me. My mother chose life for me, and that’s why I’m here today.  My birth mother’s decisions required so much trust in God. It reminds me of the story of Moses.  In Exodus 2, we read about Jochebed, a Hebrew woman who gave birth to a son, Moses, during a time when Pharaoh ordered all male Hebrew babies be killed. She put her 3-month-old baby in the river in a basket; then Pharaoh's daughter saw it and, taking compassion on the baby, raised him as her own.  Imagine, though, what Moses’ biological mother felt the moment she put the basket in the river, risking it all to save her son. The fear and anxiety that were wracking her. She had no idea what might happen to her baby. He could have tipped over and drowned, easily fallen into the many dangers of the Nile or even been discovered by an Egyptian soldier.  It was the mother’s faith, her trust in God, that assured her that her child would be OK. The basket that took Moses to a place of safety and care became a vessel of divine deliverance, God’s own hand steering it toward protection. God’s own hand leading Moses into a life He would later use mightily.  Whether a mom who chooses life decides to raise her child on her own or selects other parents to raise her child, both avenues hold huge risks. Both paths require walking in faith and trusting that God is going to take care of both her and her child.  You can’t build trust without taking risks.  Many women in the Bible like Moses’ biological mother, Jochebed, or Esther, or Mary have one thing in common: They risked everything to follow God.  And God was faithful to them.  Maybe today you’re facing an unexpected or unwanted pregnancy. Or maybe you’re already a mom, but you’re fearful in raising your children. Sister, God sees and understands your fear, confusion, conflicting emotions and feelings of inadequacy. He knows the details of your circumstances and won’t leave you in the middle of them. In fact, He will meet you there in the middle of them, if you’re willing to turn to Him in faith.  When we take risks in faith, we allow God’s hand to steer us toward a life that He will eventually use mightily. He will always be faithful to us, protecting us along the way.  I have been a foster mom, an adoptive mom and now a stepmom. My children are all adults now, but every day I still choose to entrust them to God. Whether you’re a mom or have someone in your life you care about deeply, let’s rest assured that God loves them even more than we do. He is looking after us and our children.  Risk-taking helps build our trust with the Lord. Even as you face the unknown, even when you can’t see the outcome, take the risk because God is surely with you. He goes before you. And He is faithful in rewarding the risks you take to follow Him.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12374869/Mother-left-paralysed-stress-amid-Mets-incompetent-investigation-sons-murder-tells-anguish-forced-watch-CCTV-footage-phone-lighting-calls-lay-dying.html

Mother left paralysed by stress amid the Met's incompetent investigation into her son's murder tells of her anguish after being forced to watch CCTV footage of his phone lighting with her calls as he lay dying

By Jasna Badzak For The Daily Mail

Published: 22:41, 4 August 2023 | Updated: 07:17, 5 August 2023

I would have given anything to see my son’s killers jailed for life. I wanted to look into the eyes of the callous creatures who murdered my boy.  They were apparently laughing and booing as the judge sentenced them to life with a minimum of 27 years.  I wish I could have seen, as the implications of the sentence sunk in, whether they had a semblance of the pain I endure every moment of every day, existing without my child.  Instead, I was forced to watch from my bed via video link. Eighteen months after losing 22-year-old Sven my only child I had a cardiac arrest.  I was in a coma for ten weeks and have been left paralysed. My arms are completely useless. As a medical doctor, I know it was brought on by the stress of losing Sven and of fighting to bring his killers to justice.  A gang of six stabbed Sven to death in a frenzied and completely motiveless attack which lasted all of 20 seconds. The pathologist’s report shows that one of the wounds was seven centimetres long.  His chest was stabbed with such force that the knife came out of the other side of his back. Only three of them have been convicted Rashid Gedel, 22, and Shiroh Ambersley, 23, who were sentenced on Thursday and Harvey Canavan, 19, who pleaded guilty earlier to manslaughter and unlawful wounding.  The others are still brazenly walking the streets. One, who the Mail has pictured exclusively online, even managed to flee to the Ivory Coast, in West Africa, under the noses of the police.   The authorities know exactly who they are. Their names and nicknames came out in court. But I believe the police are sitting on their hands as they tell me they have other murders to solve. But they can be sure, I won’t rest until these monsters are behind bars too.  Of course, I’m pleased that three of the killers are now safely locked away and, of course, there are examples of outstanding individual police officers. But what I have learnt about our force since Sven died has been simply devastating.  In my experience, the Metropolitan Police were so incompetent that each arrest was like climbing Everest. Police have only two jobs to try to prevent crime and to solve crimes quickly and efficiently. They failed Sven on both counts.  I owe it to Sven and to all the other mothers out there who face losing their children like me to expose the truth.  Believe me, this is not a fight I want. It seems almost impossible to believe but once, not so long ago, I was a happy, normal mum, content with my lot.  In Sven, I had everything I could possibly want. He was the kindest son, my only child, my everything, who had the brightest of bright futures.  He was a natural leader, who his teachers predicted would become prime minister one day. Sven met Boris Johnson many times as chair of my local Conservative association in West London, I signed Johnson’s nomination papers for his bid to become Mayor.  Caring, too. When Sven saw smoke billowing from Grenfell Tower, up the road from us, on that awful night in 2017, he grabbed everything from his wardrobe and started emptying mine.  Then he marched me to Waitrose to buy food and supplies that we filled the car with, to help survivors. When we reached the scene, he was choked by a sense of helplessness, desperate to hand out what we’d brought.  He hit the shops again during the Covid pandemic, buying essentials for our elderly neighbours who were self-isolating.  He once asked me to teach him first aid in case someone collapsed in the street after a heart attack or a stabbing. Never for a second did we guess he would be the one needing help.  His dad, Dragomar, and I are divorced but we were united in our love for our son. After leaving our native Yugoslavia in 1992, to escape the war, I retrained as a financial analyst so we could afford to send him to Wetherby School the same pre-prep school that Princes William and Harry attended then the independent Portland Place School in Marylebone from where he won a place at Roehampton University and took a sociology degree.  He had intended to start a law conversion course, but deferred it because of the pandemic and worked instead, part time, for his dad’s construction company.  February 6, 2021, started as any normal day. In the morning, Sven had gone shopping with his dad.  He’d bought some hair dye for me and took photos of it to send me so he knew he’d got the right brand. But he forgot to buy orange juice.  Later that afternoon he declared: ‘Mum, I really fancy a bagel.’ His favourite was one with cream cheese and smoked salmon. ‘I’ll go out and get one for each of us and also buy your orange juice,’ he said.

I didn’t want him to go — it was snowing heavily. But he wasn’t taking no for an answer and walked to the Waitrose.  A friend who lived nearby whom Sven had met playing football queued with him outside.  When it got to 6pm and he wasn’t home, I started to worry. I rang him again and again. There was no answer.  I’ve seen the CCTV footage which shows his phone lying beside his dying body the screen lighting up with every one of my calls. It’s a picture I can’t get out of my head.  Sven and his friend, who was also badly wounded in the attack, were targeted by the six men in a case of mistaken identity. They thought that the two of them were encroaching into ‘their’ drugs territory.  They tracked their prey as they returned from Waitrose to the bagel shop. My son was oblivious when they pounced.  Sven managed to run as far as the outside of a burger shop where they caught him again. They kicked and punched him while he lay dying. They stabbed him four times in the chest and back before fleeing.  Paramedics couldn’t save him. He was declared dead at 6.18pm. His 16-year-old friend, who’d been stabbed in the back, survived. I will never forgive myself for not being there to save Sven’s life.  From the moment I gave birth to him in St Mary’s Hospital, London, I wasn’t Jasna the doctor, any more. I was Jasna the Mum.  I thought if Sven was ever in any danger I would be there for him. And I wasn’t. I thought I would always sense when he needed me.  But I was unaware that anything terrible had happened until two police officers knocked on the door. It was 9.30pm.  By then Sven had been dead for three hours. Police had posted online about the incident at 7.30pm.  But this was the first moment they came to see me, his mum. They told me he had been stabbed, but did not give details about how it had happened.  It was the start of a stream of incompetent behaviour.  Of course, as a local politician I knew that the Met had problems but I honestly didn’t have an inkling of just how deep the rot had set until Sven died.  When the officers broke the news, I was in such shock, I didn’t believe it. My first thought was: ‘I have to save my boy.’

Dragomar was with me because he and Sven planned to watch their beloved Liverpool FC together that night on TV.  I demanded to know where Sven’s body was. We got in the car and drove to the location the police had given us. It was wrong. We were driving around manically.  I called 999 and 101. No one could help. No one seemed to know where Sven actually was.  I was so desperate that I posted an appeal on Twitter. There were 75,000 replies and retweets.  One man replied that he had seen Sven in front of the bakery waiting with a friend for his bagels.   They’d been playing video games on their phones as kids do, to pass the time. The witness said he’d been walking down the street and saw a ‘menacing looking’ group of men on the other side of the road, that they had knives on them.  I felt sick. I began to understand how Sven had died at the hands of a drug gang. There was still nothing more from the police until an officer rang me at 1.30am. I will never forget the call.  He was yelling at the top of his lungs as though I’m stupid. ‘You must stop tweeting. You are interfering with a police investigation.’

I was a grieving mother, desperate to know what had happened to my son, desperate to know where he was.  When I finally saw Sven it was in a mortuary at Northwick Park Hospital. I could not even kiss or hug him because there was a glass screen between us.  I kept apologising to him for not being there. I wanted to hug him from head to toe. I kept telling him how much I loved him that I will never forgive myself for not being there to save him.  I told him he was the best son in the world. ‘You live inside me. To me you didn’t die.’ Worse followed. The police claimed that Sven had been involved in an altercation.  It was madness. Sven wouldn’t even argue with me his mum let alone with strangers carrying knives.  They told me he’d run from one location to the other in 60 seconds. Even Mo Farah couldn’t have done it, given the distance between the two places. Begging them to look at the CCTV footage, I felt I had to be on their backs the whole time.  The forensics team collected a wealth of information. But the police seemed reluctant to examine it.  I felt the investigation was desperately slow, and the police came up with one excuse after another for inaction.  If the killers were walking in heavy shoes, they wouldn’t leave DNA traces. Fingerprints can’t be left in the snow.  The days were ticking by. One day, I literally spent five hours arguing with them, begging them to go through the evidence.  I was tearing my hair out. At my wits’ end, I started talking to journalists.  I also appealed for help to Boris Johnson, to Priti Patel then the Home Secretary and to Sean Bailey, the former Conservative Mayoral candidate.  It enraged the police even more. They told me I could be arrested for interfering in an investigation.  This was an innocent young man stabbed to death on a busy London street at 6pm on a winter’s day.  The police should be outraged. Instead, it felt as if crimes like these have become so commonplace they can’t be bothered.  Bringing war criminals to justice was a hundred times easier than getting my son’s killers convicted. Before leaving Yugoslavia, I’d gathered information about the atrocities that took place there.  I was able to supply this to the War Tribunal in the Hague. As a protected witness, I helped convict nine criminals in two trials.  Back here, the Met finally arrested Gedel on March 10, followed by Ambersley on March 13, then Canavan. But instead of arresting Ambersley’s friend, Lior Agbayan the son of a diplomat in London at the same time, they waited 24 hours. It gave him the chance to flee via Manchester on a plane to the Ivory Coast.  I won’t stop badgering the police until all six killers are charged. I am also campaigning to bring in Sven’s Law.   I want police to carry scanners so they can stop people and search for knives. And I want anyone caught with a knife on our streets to serve a 20-year mandatory prison sentence. It is the only way to reclaim our streets so young people like Sven can go out safely.  I know I can never reclaim my old life. I know I will never stop mourning Sven. His room is untouched everything exactly as he left it the afternoon he walked out. I’ve kept his email account open too.  I know it’s foolish but I want some piece of him to still be alive. There are still occasional messages one recently from the place where he’d donated blood. I didn’t even know he’d done that.  I rely on carers and Sven’s dad. He is broken just like me. Without Sven, life has no meaning.  I talk to my son constantly and go to sleep thinking of him. In my dreams I’m trying to reach him. But every time I lose him again and again.

The world has gone mad

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Good Reasons Not To Fear
May 26, 2022
by Karen Wingate

“The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

During my husband’s consult appointment for a routine medical procedure, the nurse practitioner ordered a second, more uncommon test.  Upon reading more about the potential diagnosis the test could confirm, I felt annoyed. Why couldn’t my husband take better care of himself?

Why was the medical staff so insensitive about such a serious test?

God enacted a heart-check of His own: Why are you angry?

My quick response surprised me and annoyed me more: I’m afraid.  I knew I was not supposed to be afraid doesn’t the Bible say so 365 times?

But the heart-check continued: Why are you afraid?

My answers made me squirm. I’m afraid of losing my husband. I’m afraid of living life without him. I’m afraid of being responsible for everything if he is incapacitated.  I suspect we have all faced fear at some point in life, and what we fear varies for each of us. Fear often springs from past memories or the unknown future. We may not even realize what we fear until we get into a dangerous situation. Then fear has a name, and we scramble to figure out how to cope and shake it off.  The Bible in addition to telling us not to fear 365 times often gives reasons for God’s instructions. I love that! It’s like God knew we would ask why and how.  Psalm 27 specifically explains why we don’t need to fear even the most dangerous situation: “The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).

David, the writer of this psalm, had good reason to struggle with fear. The Philistine army stood in front of him, and jealous, murderous King Saul was at his back. Yet David gave three reasons why confidence in God’s character can strengthen us to face any fear we feel.

1.  God is our Guide. “The LORD is my light ....” (Psalm 27:1a) Light illuminates a dark path, showing us where to step and what to avoid. When we cry to God for help, He shares His wisdom with us so we will know how to avoid danger and bad decisions that could make the circumstances worse. (James 1:5-6)

2.  God is our Rescuer. “The LORD is my salvation whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1a) If we do find ourselves caught in a bad situation, God has the power and willingness to save us from harm. We may wonder why God allowed us to get so far into the mess in the first place, but when He rescues us, we can have no doubt it came from Him.

3.  God is our Protector. “The LORD is the stronghold of my life …” (Psalm 27:1b) A stronghold is a place fortified against attack. For David, it could have been a series of caves where his men could stay hidden and safe from storms, wild animals and the pursuit of King Saul. His stronghold probably held a strong defense line of well-trained soldiers, weapons and other supplies. For us, God Himself is our secure location. His power acts as a heavenly shield against any spiritual enemy that seeks to destroy us.

Whatever you might face storm, sickness or strife you can live in confidence that God stands ready to help you move past your fear through His guidance, salvation and protection. He can handle whatever fear you face.

 

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Letting Go of What I Know
May 18, 2022
by Jodi Harris

“... For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV)

With the last of our things loaded, we are closing the door on this chapter of our lives. My husband has quit his job as a pastor, and I am saying goodbye to what has been my identity for more than two decades being a pastor’s wife.  For years I have shepherded women, praying with and encouraging them, teaching the Word and leading small groups, equipping them to use their gifts and lives for God. I know God’s gifts and calling on my life are irrevocable, (Romans 11:29) and I have loved this role in the body of Christ, but due to church leadership changes and with wise counseling, it’s time to go.  This abrupt decision includes a cross-country move away from our beloved community.  My husband and I have no vision, no income or plan. We just pack up and leave, trusting God to provide. But the pastor’s wife who touted the words “Don’t worry! God will provide!” when others struggled is now the woman who tosses those words aside.  Not only am I scared for how we will feed our family, but I am scared for myself.  Who am I if not a pastor’s wife?

What do I do if I’m not serving in these ways?

Suddenly I feel 6 years old, as if God has put me in timeout. I squirm on my carpet square, picking my fingernails, shame washing over me while others look on. I can hear whispers behind pointing fingers and laughing faces. But in reality, I am a grown woman believing the enemy’s lie: You’re finished. God is done with you. You’ve failed.  In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat understood fear of the unknown. He was leading God’s people, and suddenly an enemy was coming to destroy him he was terrified. The last time he had been in this situation, he had taken things into his own hands to fight his enemy head-on, and he almost lost his life. He needed to do things differently this time.  Was he still terrified? Yep. But this time, he resolved to inquire of the Lord. So he gathered God’s people together to fast and pray, ending his prayer with our key verse, 2 Chronicles 20:12: “… For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

The enemy was coming fast and furious, and the natural response would have been to get into position quickly to fight. Instead, King Jehoshaphat slowed down, acknowledged God, asked for His help, admitted his own weakness and waited. (2 Chronicles 20:3-13)  How many times, and especially now, am I quick to figure out a fix to my failure?

To jump in full force to solve it so I don’t have to sit in the discomfort or fear of the unknown?

I don’t like pain. And I don’t have patience. I want peace. Now.  As my inner 6-year-old squirms on her timeout square, I decide to pray like King Jehoshaphat Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on You.  As I wait, He speaks. This is not a timeout because I’m in trouble. It’s because I’m wounded. This new season is a time to restore, renew and rehabilitate. It’s a time for my God to teach and train me and ultimately transform me. Because sometimes God doesn’t fix our problems; instead, He wants to fix us in them.  My heart still stirs to use my gifts in the body of Christ. This passion pushes me to show up for my time with God. Hope is being restored as my character matures.  Often God’s plan doesn’t make sense to me, but as I’m leaning into His steps instead of my own, I can trust His path is good.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12147557/Madeleine-McCann-cops-say-number-items-recovered-Algarve-reservoir-search.html

Madeleine McCann cops say 'a number of items' which may be connected to the missing girl were recovered during Algarve reservoir search

    Investigators searched Algarve reservoir and found a 'relevant clue' there
    German cops have now confirmed a 'number of items' recovered during search

By Rachael Bunyan and Rob Hyde

Published: 09:17, 1 June 2023 | Updated: 09:55, 1 June 202

German cops investigating Madeleine McCann's disappearance have said a 'number of items' which may be connected to the missing girl were recovered during their search of a reservoir in the Algarve.  Investigators last week searched the remote Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve, which prime suspect Christian Brueckner referred to as a 'little piece of paradise' and is located 30 miles from where Madeleine was taken in 2007.  Detectives cleared a large area of woodland at the reservoir and dug eight deep holes to collect samples of soil, which have been sent for forensic and DNA testing in Germany.  Now, German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters, who is leading the case, confirmed today that a 'number of items' were seized during the search.  Wolters said: 'A number of items were seized as part of the investigation. These will be in the evaluated in the coming days and weeks.  Whether individual items actually have a connection to the Madeleine McCann case cannot yet be said. The investigations conducted here in Braunschweig against the 46-year-old suspect are expected to continue for a long time.'

Police had said they found a 'relevant clue' during their search of the beauty spot after an informant was able to match photographs showing Brueckner close to the reservoir.  Several items were removed from the site, which may or may not be of relevance to the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. They include a bra strap, pieces of clothing and plastic items.  An area of around 160 square feet had been flattened and cleared of grass and shrubs with several holes dug into the ground to a depth of around two feet to collect samples of soil, which have been sent for forensic and DNA testing in Germany. But it is feared the results of the full analysis could take months to be completed.  Last week's probe was first major search for the toddler in nine years and comes after German police discovered photos of Brueckner at his self-described 'little paradise' in the Portuguese region, it is understood.  And on Tuesday it was revealed that there could be other areas surrounding Praia da Luz, where Madeleine had been staying with her family, that police can search after German detectives scoured through more than 8,000 photographs belonging to Brueckner.  A source told the Sun: 'German officers have gone through more than 8,000 pictures belonging to Christian B. That forensic work led to them to Barragem but there are other places that have come up in the pictures too.  Detectives are seeking to work out where they are and why Christian B was taking pictures of those places.'

Brueckner, 45, would camp by the reservoir at weekends and is understood to have set up a sinister base there to 'cleanse himself', it emerged last week.  A former friend of Brueckner, who has lived on Algarve for nearly 30 years and has been helping police with their investigation, claims the criminal would visit the reservoir 'often' but was 'always secretive about it'.

The German mother-of-three, whose identity has not been publicised, recalled how Brueckner would drive his campervan to the edge of the lake because he 'liked to be near the water'.

She claimed he always camped in the same location and 'there was usually no one else around'.  'This was his exact special spot that he said he liked to come to cleanse himself,' she said of his campsite, telling The Sun: 'I don't know what he did there as he was very secretive.'

Details of Brueckner's secret lair came to light as a British couple told The Mail on Sunday how they spotted a bizarre 'shrine' to Madeleine in the reservoir just seven months after she vanished.   The retired couple, who have asked to be named only as Ralf and Ann, were so disturbed by what they saw they took pictures and sent them to Portuguese detectives, thinking they were of significance but, amazingly, never heard back.  Consisting of boulders in the shape of an arrow pointing towards a picnic site which was dug over by police last week, the makeshift memorial was weighed down by a large rock and had a bouquet of flowers and a photograph of abducted Madeleine on it.  Three years ago when prime suspect Brueckner, 45, was identified by German police the couple contacted detectives after seeing an appeal for anyone who was on holiday in the Algarve when Madeleine went missing in May 2007 to get in touch.  This time, the German officers from the BKA (criminal investigation unit) responded within hours of Ralf and Ann emailing them and quizzed them on the telephone for several hours before asking them to give a formal statement.  It raises the question whether it was their information that prompted the German authorities to request a search of the remote picnic area campsite on the edge of the reservoir near Silves, which Brueckner used to call his 'little paradise'.  Meanwhile, German criminal profiler Axel Petermann said the cops were right to dig at a place Brueckner is so fond of.  He told The Mirror: 'The criminal perpetrators who I got to know over the years tend to hide their victims in places where they feel safe and can assess danger.  These are places which are secluded and secret and where they can stop and assess various risks.  They can also be places where they feel good, and where there is a certain private memory of a certain act.  So, I think the search activity may have been going in this direction.'

He added: 'My recommendation when dealing with suspects in the case of missing people is always to find the places where these suspects spent time, where they had secrets, where they could assess risks, so from this point of view I think the investigators' current search was very important.  'You must always delve into the life of the suspect so you can find out about their preferences, their tendencies, their favourite locations where they liked to spend time.  And I don't think you can really find any better possibilities than to look in secret, confidential locations.'

German prosecutors last year named convicted child abuser and drug dealer Brueckner as the prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance.  She was three in May 2007 when she vanished from her bedroom in the apartment her family were staying at in the Praia da Luz resort on the Algarve coast. The reservoir is about 31 miles inland from the resort.  Bruecker is now behind bars in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in the same area of the Algarve region from where McCann went missing.  Sources close to Brueckner's legal team said any new searches will be a 'waste of time'.   The source told the Sun: 'He didn't kill Madeleine and all of this is taking attention away from the job of finding out who really did.'

Brueckner was known to break into Algarve hotel rooms and apartments to supplement his income from drug dealing, and left the south of Portugal suddenly in 2007 - the year Madeleine vanished after more than a decade living there.  He is alleged to have admitted abducting Madeleine to a friend in a bar and German investigators are said to firmly believe he killed the three-year-old.  But more than three years after linking Brueckner to Madeleine's disappearance, he has still not been charged regarding her abduction as prosecutors do not have enough evidence.