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.

October 9, 2015

Dear friends and family,

Well I have a lot to catch you up on about our ministry here in Caraguatatuba, Sao Paulo. To start with, I had to let Mrs. Barb go home to help with her mother. Mrs. Reba fell and broke her hip on the 28th of July and had to be hospitalized for surgery. We could only get tickets for her to arrive two days after the surgery. After the time of recuperating from the surgery, Mrs. Reba was moved to a rehab and for the most part was an uncooperative patient. She was sent back to the hospital because she could not keep food down. During this time she almost passed two times, but she managed to spring back enough to be dismissed from the hospital and was sent to another rehab facility.

During these two months Barb was also having various tests done. She was having numbness and loss of use in her hand and arm. After numerous tests and a stint in the hospital they think that they have determined the problem. They think that it is a deteriorating cervical disk c4—c7. The treatment is traction two times. During this time she was also scheduled for outpatient surgery and in the surgery room she became very sick and the surgeon wrestled that surgery. She will come home in December and will have the surgery then. So please put her on your prayer list.

Now just go ahead and throw me into the health issues also. My test for prostate problems came back with numbers very high. I was put on medication for one month and after that I will go to a doctor here to have the PSA numbers checked again. If they remain high I will return to the States for the next step in this process. So the three of us have health problems but we know who is in control. Just keep us on your prayer list please.

Now enough about medical problems, let’s talk about ministry issues. How AWESOME is the God we serve!!!!! With the growth, we are experiencing space problems—not enough room for Sunday School and not enough room for our regular church services not enough chairs for the people that are coming. You name it, we are experiencing it.

Do not think that we have a perfect ministry here, no our Church is full of problems. That is because our Church has sinners like you and I in it. But what an AWESOME task-blessing, to be right where you feel God wants you to be and doing what He wants you to do. Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a Missionary here in Brasil and doing that in retirement.

Here is what has been going on in these last two months: lots of remodeling and construction. You see we have purchased an AWESOME building right beside where we are renting. We looked at many areas, buildings and land and God is almost ready right beside where we are congregating. I hope you are following our remodeling progress on Facebook. The roof is now on and construction in front is progressing well. We have built two bathrooms and a new entry for the church. With help of many young people from the States and here we have removed all the columns and partitions inside the building and have made an AWESOME assembly area for the church. Upstairs will be great for Sunday school rooms and with a kitchen (all good Christians have to have a place to cook and eat).

As you can see the ministry is growing and the construction is continuing so these areas also need your prayers. We will be moving into the new building before it gets completed because money will run out before it gets completed. Don’t worry this is not uncommon here. God is in control!! Here is where faith comes in. Also what would you all do next year when you come down if we were able to complete everything?

AWESOME is the God we serve. All this in reality is a miracle which I will go into in our next month’s letter. Stay tuned for building and ministry progress. AWESOME AWESOME!!!!!

Even though we are working a lot that does not mean that we do not have time to turn your bed down if you want to come and participate in what God is doing here in Caraguatatuba.

In His service,
AJ and Barbara

Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com

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