Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [September 2013]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
Friends and family,
What an exciting time we are having here in Caragua with the new Church start. This past Sunday we had 72 for our morning Sunday School program and 52 for our Sunday night services. God is really working in our Church. How AWESOME it is to serve our Lord and Savior.
Along with being an AWESOME month it has also been a lonesome month. Barbara visited her mother in the States and I had to serve alone for three weeks. Barb had a real good visit with family and was greatly missed here.
Our Church work continues to expand. We have started one small group meeting on Friday nights with 2 more being planned. This first group has already produced fruits in that 2 young people have confirmed their faith in Christ and have requested baptism. How AWESOME!!!
Sunday School!
Now for some more AWESOME news: We now have a Brazilian coming alongside to help in our ministry. His name is Rosevaldo Cavalcante and he is from Manaus. He is a product of Bro. Paul Hatcher’s work there in Manaus, Brasil. He his wife and two daughters will be a great asset for our Church. He will be serving in a 2nd Pastor position and his ordination will be Oct 27th . This date will be the Sunday before our Pastors Conference. This will be significant because two years ago at our first Pastors Conference Rosevaldo surrendered to be a pastor. God has been planning this for quite some time. His plans are AWESOME.
Speaking of the Pastors Conference our Church is sponsoring here in Caragua, we are expecting around 200 pastors from all over Brasil. This conference is to encourage Pastors!! The last conference we had almost 100 in attendance and was a very exciting conference. We had lots of positive comments and many questions about when we would do another. We are having this conference in conjunction with Second Baptist Church in Warner Robbins, Georgia and their pastor Jim Perdue and Pastor Mike Dorough. Also First Baptist Centerville, Georgia with Pastor Allen and Pastor David Grantham. And lest we forget the ladies, the ex-first-lady of the State of Georgia, Mary Purdue, will be speaking to our ladies in attendance. We are really excited about our Conference—pray with us for an AWESOME turnout and all of us to be refreshed our ministries. The conference will be held in one of our local Hotels here and the owner is a great Christian and has helped with this conference. Our theme is “TIMOTHY AND BARNABAS: Instructions and Encouragement.”
When Barb got home here in Brasil we began preparations for the group that was coming from Bastrop, Texas. They have been a tremendous help in the preparations of the house that the new pastor and his family will be living in. We are fixing the dormitory house on the lot for them to live. There has been painting, cabinet building, scrubbing of walls and floors and every other dirty and grungy job you can think of. But these servants of God did not cull any one of these jobs but did them with a joyful heart. I am commending them because when we invite some of you to come down and help us you say that you are too old to be of any help. So let me tell you that you are never too old. The youngest member of this group is 54 and the oldest is 82. So suck it up and come serve the Lord here in Brasil. You will love it!!!
As our Church continues its growth Igreja Batista Caragua [Caragua Baptist Church ] keep us in your prayers. The work continues because of AWESOME prayer warriors and supporters like you.!!
Thanks to all for your help financially and prayerfully. Sometimes just saying “THANKS” does not seem like enough— however, for now THANKS.
Come on down and see your mission dollars at work. The temperature is getting warmer and the water is getting just the right temperature so come see us and we will treat you so many ways you will have to like one of them.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [August 2013]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
Friends and family,
As June wound down and July started we still had the two men from Atlantic Shores Baptist Church, Lonnie and George, and our Brazilian son Edson with us. We continued using this free labor to catch up on the work at the new Church plant (ie: completed laying the tile and grouting it, replaced old fixtures in the bathrooms and the kitchen, installed the kitchen sink, and put the donated appliances in the kitchen with the new cabinets and roll-around islands). We have also put up new fencing around the Church front and painted it. We painted the balcony and separated it to make two Sunday School classes. The children were extremely excited with their room where Pastor Jason and Ryan painted animals all around the walls.
Putting the sign out in front of the church!
Another job that got done this month was getting the sound installed in the Church. We were fortunate to be able to buy an old sound system and a sound board from another Church. But as with all things used, as soon as we got it into the Church, things began to go wrong. But from our experience here in Brasil, it is not what you know but who you know. So we thought of Edi. He was a young man in Garca that was always taking things apart, especially things to do with sound. So remembering this young man, we called him and asked if he could come and help us. It was such a rewarding feeling to see a young man that we had in our care in the Alpha and Omega Children’s Home years ago using what he had learned to help us here in Caragua in God’s work. As Edson was here in Caragua he also helped in the work. It was a double blessing to see the two of them working together here in Caraguatatuba remembering them 17 years ago. Edi is married and making a living installing alarms and Edson is in his 3rd year of vet school. Both of them involved in the Lord’s work in their prospective cities. Thank you Lord for these two young men who You set on the right path. Our Lord is so Awesome!
We have not only done physical labor this month but we have been busy with the Church work also. The ladies had a yard sale and made around 600 Reais which is around 300 dollars. Their plans are to buy the needed supplies for the kitchen. Our youth have also been busy–they did visitation in the neighborhood around the Church and distributed around 800 flyers inviting people to come to Church. We are having on average 50 kids on Sunday mornings and about the same number on Sunday nights (this being more adults). We are so excited about our ministry with the kids. We are seeing lives changed. Here is what one of the ladies here at our Church had to say about the children that come to Church from her neighborhood. She said that she has been noticing that the kids have been getting along better when they are playing. Another thing that she has noticed is that there is less and less use of bad language as they play. The other thing that she told us is that as she has been bed-ridden for two months, during that time the children, from 6 years to 11 years of age, came to pray with her every day. This is what Church and Sunday School is all about, changing lives one at a time. God is so AWESOME.
Street evangelism with some of the youth!
This month we have concentrated mostly on the Church construction but we have accomplished some things at the school property. We have taken an old rusty saw that was given by a friend in Ohio and given it new life. With lots of help from Ernesto, we now have a saw that will enable us to do many things with wood that we were not able to do before. Hopefully next month we will be able to get back to working on the dorm house, but the main thing is spreading the work of the Lord and all these other things will get done in God’s time.
We have had the blessing of Mary, Walmire and the girls being here to visit this month also. We were able to take some time to enjoy the grandkids and their parents. You know we discovered that grandkids are a lot of fun. We have made a decision–if we had known how much fun the grandkids were, we would have had them first.(lol)
I hope you can see through our letters how God is working through us here in Brasil. But if we are not painting a good enough word picture, please come on down and see for yourself. Beware—those who venture into Caraguatatuba, Brasil are never the same. Be prepared for what God will do in your life here in Brasil!!!!! So come on down, your bed is turned down and we have turned on the light on the porch.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [July 2013]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
Dear friends and family,
How AWESOME is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we start talking about plans (ie: for our Church construction), I’m thinking I see a year’s worth of work to make this building presentable…then miracles start taking place. After 4 groups come and go (over a month and a half), our church building is absolutely beautiful. What should have taken a year got finished in a little over a month and a half. AWESOME!! And I am thinking Jeremiah 29:11—For I know the plans I have for you—–it just reminds me that my God is watching out for me and my small Church here in Brasil. He knows what He has planned for us and we just have to let Him work His miracles. Just one more display of how AWESOME magnificent, all powerful, all knowing our God is.
So thank you to our groups: Pastor Foy and group from Mount Eden Baptist Church, Pastor Allen and Pastor David from Centerville Baptist Church, Pastor Dan Russell from Immanuel Baptist with the group from Central Baptist in Paris, Ky, and two firemen from Atlantic Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach. Our Church wants to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
So you ask, what got done in these short weeks: well, the Church was painted inside and out, one bathroom remodeled, one bathroom constructed, two mobile cabinets constructed, cabinet for the kitchen made, kitchen sink area remodeled and a new countertop added, dorm room at school painted, windows at our home painted, the floor in the Church tiled (200 sq meters), waterproofed the roof of the bathroom, water fountain installed, sound system installed, and electrical work done in several areas.
And now what is yet to be done: repair our overhead doors, install screens on the windows, install metal fence in the front of the Church building for security, remodel the balcony area for Sunday School rooms, and make cabinets for storage. In comparison, this list is very small.
But these groups did not just do manual labor, they also did Back Yard Bible Schools. We were able to do four. Two of these were in public schools. While the team for the Bible School was busy in the classrooms teaching God’s Word, another team was busy outside painting the concrete fence all around the school. We like to do some work project at the schools where we go because they do not expect us to. This shows them the love of God through the actions of Americans that not only come to their country to spread the gospel, but to help in anything that they can. One of our Bible Schools was at our Church and the children loved it. We also used this to gather more children into our new Church. Then we took the gospel to the Guarani Indians in Rio. There we also took food baskets to each family. You would have to see this tribe to know how much a food basket means to them. And while we were ministering to the Indians, we also ministered to the missionary that works with them. We took an offering on the spot to buy new tires for his car. The road he has to travel to get to the tribe is very bad and his tires were showing the fiber from the inside.
Some of their Sunday School children with a banner made for their church by some children in the states from Pellville Baptist Church.
During this time we have had two people move their membership so we are growing a little at a time. We are having on average 32-37 children on Sunday morning and we are fluctuating on Sunday night between 40 to 80. We are having Bible Study in the home of one of the newest members, English classes on Saturday evenings, and then Youth meetings after that. When the balcony is ready, we will divide the children into two classes and they will go into these classrooms. Then we will be able to have two adult classes in the auditorium. We continue to serve breakfast to the children on Sunday morning and we have several adults that join in. As we have said before, you need to feed their physical hunger before you can feed their spiritual hunger.
Needless to say, all of this activity has left us tired so I ask that you pray for our health to continue to be good and that God continues to give us strength to complete everything that He wants to do.
Our Sunday School children would like to give a shout out to the children in the States who made this banner for our Church. Thanks Kim Mitchell and Pellville Baptist Church. The children love their banner!!! And thanks to the other Churches who made banners as well. They are beautiful in the Church.
As you can see by this letter we have the room to host many groups. So if you and your Church would like to experience mission work up close and personal just give us a call and we can start planning your mission trip. We will treat you so many ways that you will have to like one. Come on down!!!
In His service,
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley [June 2013]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
Friday, June 21
Friends and family,
It has been an AWESOME 3 and 1/2 weeks here. We have had 2 groups back to back, what a blessing for us and the new Church start. When you put together a group of people on a mission trip (ie: firemen, policemen, students,teens, moms, electricians, office workers, teachers, pastors), miracles happen. Our Church building is just about remodeled and it is beautiful!!
Members from FBC Centerville begin painting the church.
They have completely painted the exterior of the Church building, put in an extra bathroom, constructed the sound booth area, built 3 cabinets for the kitchen, tiled the floor, worked at the vocational school, did 3 vacation Bible Schools (one at the Indian Village), repaired a trailer (electrical and fenders), and started putting up speakers in the Church. How AWESOME is that? Two of these Bible Schools were in Public Schools. It don’t get much better than that!!! Also at these Schools, we were able to do a work project. We painted the exterior walls around the schools. These groups have been an AWESOME testimony around the schools where they did the Bible Schools. And due to people passing the Church while we were working, joking, talking differently, and playing, we have had an amazing increase in attendance these past 3 weeks. We have been in the high 80s. How AWESOME God is!!! The Lord is moving in this neighborhood. Thanks Hallsville Baptist Church of Hallsville, Ky., Centerville Baptist Church of Centerville, Ga., and Central Baptist Church of Paris, Ky. Thank you is such a little thing to say after so much work, but THANK YOU ALL for helping expand the kingdom of God here in Brasil these past weeks.
Bible School in a public school!
So if you are a church thinking about a mission trip, I highly recommend a mission experience here in Caraguatatuba, Brasil. You can make new friends, create amazing relationships, accomplish impossible tasks, and also help build the Kingdom of God. (Sounds a little bit like a job for Superman), but with God the impossible becomes possible.
Well what more can I say —COME ON DOWN.
Barb and I are so blessed to have friends and Churches that pray for us, and help financially in this ministry here in Caraguatatuba, Brasil. So continue to pray for us as you know Satan is never happy when you are expanding Gods kingdom and he is very angry with us right now. So I ask you to pray a hedge of protection about us as we work for the Lord here in Brasil. Without you and your prayers and financial help, we would not be experiencing the joy of seeing God at work here. Thank you all so very much.
Again, come and see what your help is doing here and put your hand to the plow with us, even if it is only for a week. God can do many miracles in just a week.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: The Hensleys in Brazil [May 2013]
Hi to our friends and family,
This month the wives of the missionaries were asked if they wanted to write a letter because it was Mother’s Day. I agreed to do so and here is my letter.
As we look forward to the day that we celebrate our mothers, I want to start with a word about my mother. I have been on the mission field with AJ for 17 years, but if it were not for my mother, I would not have been such a good helpmate nor wife of a missionary. You see, I learned at the feet of my mother how to do this. She taught me by example. She to was the wife of a missionary there in Owsley County, Kentucky. I am now putting into practice all those things that Reba Katherine Baker taught me. Thank you, mom!!
We started our missionary journey in an orphanage where I could be a mother to many. Then we moved on to use that experience to try to help start another orphanage. Then I went on to be the wife of the associate pastor of two Baptist Churches. But now we are working for the Lord in a new mission work that we have started. AJ is the principle pastor and I am working alongside of him. Our new work started on January 2, 2013. As you know, we started in the home of one of the members and we have steadily grown. Our principle work is with children. We have found that if you train the children, the parents will see a difference and eventually come to see what is going on. This is one of the ways that you get the adults to come to Church. The mothers are the first to come and the fathers eventually come.
We are having services in the normal hours: Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. But our services are a little different. Our Sunday mornings are just Sunday School and for now, just for the kids. Also on Sunday mornings, we feed the children. This is just bread and butter and chocolate milk, but this may be the only food that some of them get for that day. We have found that you have to feed them physically before you can feed them spiritually. On Sunday night we have our big service with singing and preaching. Our Wednesday night service is dedicated to prayer. We are teaching the children how to pray and the importance of prayer (the adults too).
The Hensleys have spent 17 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
As the pastor’s wife, I am singing in the praise worship team, leading the practice of this team, teaching Sunday School for the children, heading up the kitchen committee (which consists of 3 ladies) to help feed the children, leading the clean-up crew to make sure that the Church is always clean and arranged properly for each service, leading the Ladies’ Ministry, and being the counselor for those who need it. I love to host mission groups from the States also. This year we will host 7 groups and 1 apprentice. My job in this is to prepare where they will sleep, plan their meals, help in planning the projects that they will do, and make sure that they experience the mission field and Brasil. And in my spare time, I do anything that needs to be done as the secretary for the pastor.
Many people ask how I do all this and my answer is always, “It is not me, but God who is in me.” I am very happy in the Lord’s work here in Brasil. But as you know, I was not the first one to jump on the wagon when AJ first started to talk about coming to Brasil to be a missionary. I have stated many times that I was happy in my comfort zone there in the States. But now if AJ were to say that we were going back to the States to live, I would be crying all the way back. I love the work that God has given us to do here. As you can see, the work here is very demanding and so I ask for your prayers. They are the help that we need on the days that we think we can not take another step.
You have heard now the side of the wife of a missionary. If you would like to see both sides, come on down and see what God is doing here in Caraguatatuba. All this is because all of you keep us lifted up in prayer and because of the financial support that you give us. Thank you because without both of these things we would not be able to do the work that God has for us to do. When you come, we will feed you rice and beans and if you get tired of that, we will switch it around and feed you beans and rice. Our doors are always open for visitors who want to participate in mission work. I am sure that when you come you will go home tired out but with a feel of what goes on here on the mission field. If you want to experience this, it is yours for the asking. Just plan your vacation and come and see.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [April 2013]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
Dear friends and family,
The starting of this year has been just AWESOME. The past month we spent in the United States having our yearly check up. We have been given a clean bill of health except that I need to lose 10 pounds and do a diet adjustment.
Our new Church start is progressing by leaps and bounds. Our average for Sunday school is between 33 and 35 and for our Sunday night service, it is about the same average, it is just the reverse in adults to children with the greater number of children in the morning service. We were greatly blessed with 50 on Easter morning and 52 in the night service. These results are due to the blessing of being able to use our “New Bus” to pick up the children and adults. We have worked out the bus route schedule and plan on doing additional visitation in these neighborhoods to continue to build our attendance. How AWESOME is the God we serve!! These numbers are great but we only have 39 plastic chairs. I have made friends with a man who has a club next door to our Church (a private city soccer club where they meet to have their parties and come in the evenings to drink). He has loaned us chairs from his business. What is remarkable is that he went through his chairs and picked out chairs that did not have any beer names on the back of the chairs(advertising). We are being a light in the community.
While we were in the States we were blessed to have men from various Churches to take care of the work here. They were blessed by our people just as we are. We have a great little Church and the people are fantastic. Come down and meet them for yourself and you be the judge.
Building ping-pong tables for the prison.
The first three days back, while Barbara and Jenny are getting our house back in order, P.J. and I have been making ping pong tables for the prison. (P.J. and Jenny are visiting from Cornerstone Baptist Church). Just a reminder of what kind of prison we are working in–it is a prison for children. These inmates are from 14 to 24 years of age. This prison has no amenities, just four cement walls and a lot of steel bars.
It is an amazing story how God started this ministry in this prison: Myself and a couple of friends went to this prison to just visit and see the conditions in the prisons here in Brazil. While there, we got to go into the population and visit with the young men. Of course while I conversed with them, the warden saw that I was creating a friendship with the young men and that I talked different (you can take the man out of Kentucky but you cannot take the hillbilly out of the man)…the accent carries over into Portuguese. At the end of our tour of the prison we were asked where we were from and they were trying to relate the accent to the State, but were having some difficulty. We told them that we were from the United States. Then to my surprise the warden asked if I would be interested in giving English lessons for the young men and also to the administration. Of course was my resounding answer.
As you would guess, pastors and churches are not normally welcomed in this prison but God is still in the miracle business. So the next week I started a class with the young men. I prepared a lot of terms and phrases for them, but at the end of the class the monitor (guard) took up all the papers, pencils, etc. They were not allowed to keep the class materials in their cells. That would present a problem for learning English. We were told that there was nothing in their budget for books or material for this class and I asked if I could supply the books and the administration was glad to let us do that. So the next week when we showed up for the English class we had the study material and the English books in hand—-67 Bibles. These they were permitted to take into their cells. Where there is a will there is a way. For a prison that before this would not even let a Church or a pastor into their prison, God has made a way for a pastor and Bibles to enter into the prison.
While talking with the warden (a lady and an ex-principal), I told her of our Vocational School that we have here in town. She was immediately interested and asked if she could visit the School. The next day she and two of her top advisers visited the School and asked if we would be interested in training some of the most well behaved inmates at our School. The proposal was drawn up but with all of the tools and equipment that we have at the School the State will not give permission for the young men to come there. So we resolved to take the school to the prison. We now teach a refrigeration class on site at the prison on Saturday afternoon and two English classes during the day. How AWESOME is our God!!!
So now I pray before all classes, use the Bible for the English Class to teach morals, character, and skills useful in their return to society in these Vocational Classes. Simply AWESOME.
As a final touch to the prison ministry, they have asked if I would sit on their advisory board. Guess what the position is—not Chaplain , not Pastor —but Religious Adviser for the prison. Of course my answer was yes. God is so AWESOME.
We have stepped out on faith and purchased 60 chairs for the Church. They will be arriving in about 3 weeks.Our remodeling is still in progress and painting is the next step to getting everything in order. I am still having to talk very loud at this time because of not having any equipment right now. We have some microphones coming and some of the other needed equipment but until this gets here we will continue to holler. So what I am asking is that you continue to pray for this new work and our people and us as we move forward for the Kingdom’s Glory.
To see what God is doing here in Brasil come down and experience it personally. The bed is turned down and we will put a little more water in the beans. Come on down.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [March 2013]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
March 7, 2013
Dear friends and family,
Needless to say this has been a very busy month! The building we have rented is in need of a general makeover and we have started the work of repair. We have a concrete roof and it has about 3-4 areas where, when it rains, you can take a shower. We have re-done the roof and now will need to put a sealer down in a few weeks (giving a little time for the concrete to cure). We have also started installing additional electrical outlets and repairing the existing electricity. We also have installed 3 fans (need 2 more). It has been very hot and this additional circulation is very needed. I have been preaching and carrying a towel to keep the sweat wiped away. There is lots more work to be done.
The Sunday School group in the new church building. God is good!
Our attendance is steadily increasing. Sunday School is just an AWESOME blessing. The young children are just totally a blessing and are so open. We already have 2 mothers now coming with their children. We have increased so much now we are going to need to separate our classes. So already we are starting to need space. God is AWESOME!! Our Sunday night services have grown also and are on an average we have 30–plus or minus–adults in attendance.
When we get back to Brasil, we have at least 2 weddings to perform and several baptisms. We are looking forward to many more souls to be added to Gods kingdom through this new work.
We are working in the prison with our vocational training. We have a member who is teaching the young men a heating and air class. And I have been enjoying giving “English Classes” using the Bible as the manual. God sometimes uses unusual ways to get His work where it is needed, because here, our Church was not invited to come in, but our English classes were. Just another way we see our Lord getting things accomplished.
The road in front of our home has been worked on and is now a wonderful street. However the last 2-1/2 months in preparation has been terrible. They tore up the road in preparation and the rain started. We almost needed a four wheel drive to get in and out. We are planning 2 conferences this year. The first is to the Jewish community in Sao Paulo and the second is for the Pastors here in Brasil (September and October-November). These are two big prayer requests. The Pastors will be coming from different areas of Brasil and this will be a financial challenge for them.
We told you of the need for chairs for the new work last month–THANKS to the people who sent money to purchase 4 of our needed 50. As you can see, there is still an opportunity for you to be a part of this blessing to the new work.
We are in the States until March 25 for medical exams and to visit with Barbara’s mother. Pray for us as we return to Brasil. There is still much work to be done for God’s Kingdom and our desire is to be used in this work.
Well I know from personal experience that it is cold here in the States so if you want to get some sunshine just come on down to Caraguatatuba and enjoy the heat. We can offer you a great time in the Lord and some great fellowship with some great Brazilians. Your bed is ready and the beans and rice is on the stove.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [November 2012]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
Friends and family,
The Lord is sooooo good!!! The work here in Caraguatatuba is going just AWESOME! Two weeks ago we had yet another baptism and God added three more souls to the kingdom.There were two more that were scheduled to be baptised but could not be on that date. Now we have those two plus three more. God is being honored here in Caraguatatuba. Sometimes we don’t know why things don’t go the way we think they should but we fail to remember that God sees the big picture and He sees and knows what is good for us and the hour that is right.
For some more AWESOME news, We now have a micro-bus (25 passengers and 1 driver) We took the van to the dealership and drove home with the micro-bus. That is with the van and the money that has been given for this purchase we are now the proud owners of a bus. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. The trip from the dealership was about 4-1/2 hours and we made it without any problems. The bus is a 2000 model so there are some things that will need immediate attention and then some things that can wait to be fixed a little at a time. My mechanic says that we need springs and shocks and we will need 4 or 6 new tires to begin with and about 1/2 of the lights work. But having this bus is such a blessing that I would not dare to complain. If you were not able to help with the purchase of the bus, maybe you are now able to give to help on these needed repairs. We are hoping to have the bus back in top notch shape before May of next year as we are planning on hosting 6 mission groups in 2013. Two of these groups will be work groups and others are planning Bible schools and other mission-related activities. It’s going to be an absolutely AWESOME year. Pray for the success of these groups and projects.
The vocational school is in progress. The last group this year put up the doors and now the glass is needed in the windows. We need the bathrooms done and the kitchen done, then we will be ready to open the dorm. But without the dorm being finished, we are planning to begin with a new group of boys on the first of the year. We have been in contact with a boys’ correctional facility and they are very interested in our vocational school. What they are asking us to do is take the boys that are incarcerated and teach them a trade so that when they go back into the real world, they will be prepared to be a functioning part of society. These young men are between 14 and 18 years old. They also are interested in us teaching English to these young men. God is opening many doors for us here. We have talked to the wardens and told them that we were greatly concerned in training these young men to have a vocation but our main concern is their spiritual lives. So we are going to have devotional with them each time we are together before we start our classes. After several meetings we have been asked to be on the board of the prison as a religious advisor. So we will begin with these young men no later than next week.
The ladies of Novo Tempo had a Ladies retreat this month with around 80 ladies in attendance. There were ladies from 4 different Churches. They had 3 days of fellowship and Bible studies. Many lives were changed and many were given new hope through Bible study. We have these retreats each year and the ladies always come home renewed in spirit and ready to tackle all problems for another year. Our men are now wanting to have a retreat for themselves since the ladies came home so pumped up.
This month, our old brick layer had a tragedy in his family. One of his sons died with cancer. He had fought this disease for over 2 years but he lost the battle. The praise about this is that when a group of Americans were here we were able to talk to him about his salvation and he told us that he had Jesus in his heart. And then later in the month our son-in-law visited and reaffirmed with him his salvation. This helped in this time of grief to give console to the family. Also one of our Church members passed away and it was unexpected. He was just 58 years old and he is definitely missed.
Our granddaughter had her 4th birthday on the 30th so we made the 8 hour trip to celebrate with her. My son-in-law asked me to preach in the Church there in Sales. So we were able to bring Mary and the 2 girls back to Caragua for a short vacation.
We got back to Caragua last night and today myself and three other preachers will be traveling to Garca for a conference with various other pastors for three days. So as you can see our life is full of doing and going. Please pray for our stamina to hold out so that we can reach more souls for the Kingdom.
As I said we are having 6 groups this coming year but there is still room for you to come and see what God is doing with your mission dollars. Let me know when you want to come and we will turn down the bed and put some more water in the beans. We will be waiting for your call.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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