God Sends 5 French Bikers to Help with Thanksgiving Leftovers in Brazil
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
December 14, 2016
Dear friends and family,
We got back to Brazil just before Thanksgiving and Barb got busy getting everything ready for the big meal. We had a wonderful time with family and we had much leftovers. After we had gotten the dishes washed and the food put away, there was a clapping at the door. (For those who have not been to Brazil, that is our doorbell). As we went to see who was coming to visit, we saw a bunch of bicycles at the door. As we approached the front door, we saw that there were 5 bicycles and riders. As we talked to them, we understood that they were looking for a place to camp for the night. We told them of several camp grounds in our area. In further conversation, they told us that they were trying to only spend 8 euros a day.
I decided to invite them to camp in our backyard that is not a yard, but a covered space in front of our laundry room. They were from France and were beginning their trip around the world on bicycles. They accepted our offer of a place to stay and came in and set up their tents, took showers and rested. Then we invited them in to partake with us of the leftovers from Thanksgiving. Is not our God AWESOME!!!! He planned for our visitors before they came. We were able to show God’s love and plant a seed for someone down the road to water, and for God to reap the harvest. Pray for this to happen in these 3 years that they are riding around the world. They are riding from Brazil to the States then through several other continents.
Five Bikers from France who plan to cycle the world over the next three years showed up on Thanksgiving needing a place to camp for the night.
AJ & Barbara invited them to camp in their backyard (a covered space in front of their laundry room)!
For them to do this, they had to sell everything they had. Their plan is to be gone from France for 3 years. So we have an invitation to go to France in 3 years and we have 5 homes to stay in. Pray for these young people—for their safety and their salvation.
This month we have begun the plans for our Pastors Conference for 2017. The date is October 9-12. This year we will face more financial difficulties as the crisis here in Brazil continues. Many of the pastors that attend will be hard pressed to come up with the money to pay for the hotel bill. So we will be working on raising the money to help many of them to come to the conference. This is a great prayer request as many of these pastors need this renewing of their energy spiritual to continue in God’s work. All our speakers are from the States and they pay for their passage to come and teach in the conference. What a blessing for all of us here in Brazil. The last conference we had, there were many pastors that attended and went home with their batteries charged and ready to go. Pray for these pastors and help with the finances if you can. We have started to get the word out about the conference. We went to Garça two weeks ago and spoke to 5 pastors who are anxious to come be a part of this next conference.
Well I still have some health issues to take care of but am looking forward to August 2017 to get the final results from the treatments. Keep this in your prayers.
We want to take this time to wish you and yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
In His service,
Aj and Barb
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Heading Back to Brazil; Seminary Starting New Classes
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
November 10, 2016
Friends and family,
Time has been a little slow this month as I have been in the “count down” to the last radiation treatment. I can now say “all done” with that radiation. God is so good. “AWESOME!!!!!” This word is better but still is not sufficient to describe our Lord and Savior! After it’s all over, it does not seem so bad. AWESOME is the God we serve!
I still have some more doctor stuff to do. We have to be back in February for doctor’s appointments and my last shot. Then we will return in August for my major exams and final check-up that will determine if all is well. For this I ask your continual prayers.
The work in Brazil is going well. Our reports from Pr. Walmir are very encouraging. They have been planning a missions conference there at Caragua Baptist. This will include a week end of preaching and then a promise faith offering. This will be given for the year to help national missionaries.
It is really humbling to me as I think about the members as they consider what they can contribute to the Lord’s work. And this is what it is all about. Pray…Give…Go…Send!
Lots of work still to be done on the Church—upstairs. This is where the kitchen and Sunday School rooms are located, although we also use the downstairs and a business across the street for class space. This is a good problem to have. We have just finished the sanctuary and we still need more space.
Ministry here is a pleasure, helping our members with personal needs, i.e., food, clothing, and other basics—it is a challenge!
So here is where I want to thank everyone for all the help: prayerfully, financially, materially. We cannot do this without YOU! So, a big THANKS to all.
We are looking forward to the return trip since we have been gone for a little more than 3 months. We are especially anxious to see our 2 Brazilian grandchildren.
Our Seminary will have another class in January and March. We will be having our first graduation in the fall. How AWESOME is our God. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary has come along side with us and now we are able to give a Pastoral degree (an official diploma with accreditation). In this seminary, Caragua Baptist Seminary, our goal is to provide saints in Brazil with a solid understanding of God’s truth in the scripture, equipping them to effectively evangelize, disciple, and build God’s Kingdom through the local truth.
We have had a total of 154 students enrolled: 34 pastors and 120 church leaders exposed to God’s truth. The seminary impacted 58 churches with approximately 6,104 members located in in 19 cities in 3 Brazilian locations. What is the word? AWESOME!!!!
We have some partners in Brazil that provide direct support and benefits to the Seminary and our students:
- VIDA NOVA: a Brazilian publisher that provides the seminary a 50% discount on textbooks that is passed to our students.
- CENTRO DE STUDIOS THELOGICOSDO VALE DO PARAIBA: A Brazilian Seminary that recognizes Caragua Baptist Seminary and accepts our courses for credit in their Bachelor of Theology program.
- FIEL MINISTRIES: Provides ministry resources throughout the world. Our students have access to their online educational information and their e-books.
Our plans are to open more Seminary sites this coming year, to continue our work with the rehabilitation sites, and we will be looking for other ministry starts.
Please continue to pray for our ministries, travel and health. And come on down to see what God is doing here in Caraguatatuba.
In His service,
Aj and Barb
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Treatments Finished; Children’s Day
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
October 25, 2016
Friends and family,
Well another month has come and gone and we feel like it has been an eternity. I have completed my 38 radiation treatments and am doing real well. I am scheduled to see the Oncologist on the 7th of November and the general physician also–then we can return to Brasil. I then am released ’til the 3rd of Feb. I will have to return to get another hormone shot and still will not know the results of all this until August. Continue to pray for God’s hand of healing, we know He can and that He still does today.
We have been visiting local churches during this time of treatments. This week we have ventured out a little farther. We are visiting our supporting churches in Georgia. If we did not get to see you and your church please contact us and maybe on these next two trips we can see you all and let you see what God is doing in Brasil.
Celebrating Children’s Day in Caraguatatuba
While we have been here in the States, Igreja Batista Caragua celebrated Father’s Day and Children’s Day (picture included). Children’s Day is the day that is more celebrated than Christmas there in Brasil.
We covet your prayers for the church and her new Pastor Walmire Quaresma as the church goes forward with new leadership. Also continue to pray for me as we seek God’s will for our future.
We are looking forward to the next semester of seminary. This is an AWESOME way to further reach Brasil for Christ, training Pastors to better reach their communities for Christ.
Come see what your mission dollars are doing in Caraguatatuba.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Group from Georgia Helps with Construction, Bible School, Food Baskets for Indians
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
September 9, 2016
Dear friends and family,
Our last month at home in Caraguatatuba was a month of construction. We started by painting the house. You see, there, the homes require much more maintenance than here in the States. We finished the house and the group from Georgia arrived. It was a combined group from Centerville Baptist Church and Pinehurst Baptist Church. The Church had sent money for the new tile for the sanctuary, so we were ready and waiting when they got here. Our first task was to go shopping, and yes—the ladies were in charge of that part as they do it so well.
Then the next day, with no waiting, the tile work began. While the strong and able laid tile in the sanctuary, the rest put on their painting clothes. These tackled the high ceilings upstairs. While the painting job was just to put on the sealer coat, it was nonetheless important. The work continued for several days with little let up. But the end result is AWESOME!
This was an AWESOME week where we renewed old friendships and began new ones. We were able to do this because our friend Pastor David Grantham has assumed the leadership of the new church Pinehurst Baptist. So he led the group with two churches and everyone had a wonderful time.
Inside the new building in Caragua
We were also able to conduct a Bible School there at the Church and we had around 100 children in attendance. We had planned to do another Bible school at the Indians in Parati, but the group over tourism would not let the bus that we were using enter on the road where the Indians live. It was a great disappointment as we were not only going to do the Bible school, but the group had purchased some much needed food baskets for the Indians, and some repair on the swing set that this group had constructed in past trips. The missionary that works directly with the Indians was so upset because he told us that the Indians were in desperate need—so we made plans for him to come to Caragua to get as many baskets as his car could hold. He since has told us how much the Indians appreciated the baskets. You see, that was the only food some of them had for the month.
We got an email from the missionary just some days later with a picture showing us a tragedy that had occurred in a wind storm some days earlier. You see, the wind storm had uprooted a large tree and that tree had fallen on the swing set that the Americans had made for the children there. Well, when we get back to Brasil we will have to assess the damage and see what we all can do to set that swing set to right.
Loading the car with bags of food for the Indians in Parati
Here I want to interject something: without YOU and people dedicated to missions, none of this can happen. Groups, financial support, prayer warriors, Baptist Faith Missions and other friends make this ministry here in Caragua able to do God’s will. We want to thank everyone for your contribution however it might be. Thanks sometimes does not seem enough—you all are AWESOME!!!
This does not let you off the hook, we still need lots of help. There is still work going on on the school property and so much more. See where God might use you in Brasil and let us know what He is calling you to do. We do have an apartment for those who want to stay longer than the normal 8 to 14 days.
Barb and I got to the States on the 26th of July and began the long journey of the radiation therapy to take care of the prostate cancer. We had been told that I would have 30 radiation treatments, but when we met with the oncologist, she wanted to add 7 more treatments. She also wants me to stay in the States for some follow up after the treatments are finished. So the trip that was to be over and we were to go back to Brasil on the first of November has been prolonged. But we are in God’s hands and we know that He is taking care of every aspect of my life. I have had about one third of the treatments today 9/9/16 and God has been faithful. I have had so few side effects they are not even worth mentioning. I take treatments Monday through Friday with the weekends off. So maybe I will see you in Church. Continue to pray for great results and good tolerance.
We hope to be in Brasil for Thanksgiving so if you need someplace to go to get out of the snow then come on down! We will put some more water in the beans and treat you so many different ways that you will have to like one.
Lord bless,
In His name,
Aj and Barb
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Inauguration, Construction, and Radiation
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
July 12, 2016
Dear friends and family,
We started this month with a special meeting in our church: we inaugurated our new pastor. Here in Brasil, the coming of a new pastor to a church is a big deal. There is a special service with a Pastor from another Church preaching, a laying on of hands, and an eating meeting. So we had the whole thing and accepted Walmir Quaresma as the lead Pastor of Igreja Batista Caragua. This means that I am now the second Pastor and will have less duties; this will let me come home to the States to have my radiation treatments. I can do this with one less preoccupation while doing so.
We have had a hard month of construction this month. We are still doing remodeling at the church and we are remodeling the house on the lot for our new pastor and family. Also, at our house, we have painted the outside and are waiting to do the same to the inside. Here in Brasil the homes require much more maintenance than the homes in the States, especially here in Caragua because of the closeness to the beach. This means that the water level is closer to the surface so the walls of the homes sometimes get water saturated and begin to bubble and peal. This also brings mold and that is a big problem for Barbara. Little by little, we are getting it done.
The house for the pastor and family was supposed to be done the last of June but we are still waiting for the completion, so the pastor and family are living with us—but you know how much grandparents love their grandchildren, so we are loving every minute of it. We are hoping that they will be in their home by the end of this month.
We are anxiously waiting for the group from Georgia to come in July to get the tile laid in the church. This not only will make the sanctuary look beautiful but will also make it so much easier to clean. We did get the bathrooms installed but the funds ran out so we will wait a bit more for the glass doors to cut the road noise in the sanctuary. Pray for the funds for this project.
We have our tickets purchased for our trip back to the States. We will leave here on the 25th of July. The purpose for this trip is for me to begin my radiation treatments. Pray for us on this trip. The date of the starting of the treatments will depend on the extent of my improvement since my surgery. I am scheduled for 30 treatments all done on week days. The weekends will be for rest and getting ready for the next week of treatments. I don’t know what to expect because I have never had cancer before nor have I had radiation. So pray for me and God’s grace for this next part of my life. I want to thank you all in advance for your prayers during this time. I can do all things through God who strengthens me.
Since we will be home for about 3 months I cannot invite you down but I can say “Get ready for your mission trip next year.” Caraguatatuba is a great place to serve God so come on down and visit us.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [May 2016]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
May 11, 2016
How AWESOME is the God we serve!!!
Dear friends and family,
Every day I thank Him for the many wonderful blessings He bestows on us. There have been many blessings this month: To start with, we have completed our 4th semester of Seminary in Caragua Baptist Seminary here in Caragua and in the second location here in the State of São Paulo. Dr. Derek was with us for 3 weeks here in Brasil. In addition to the seminary, he did a mini revival here in Caragua Baptist Church and in Igreja Batista Nova Vida in Natividade da Serra. While here we have revamped the way the Seminary will be conducted. Instead of taking 2 years for the 4 semesters, we will now do 3 weeks of intense classes with 3 months of distant learning via computer. While he was in Natividade da Serra, he scheduled the first of these classes, and when he went to Orlanda, he scheduled the second place for this type of classes. We are planning our graduation here in Caragua for September/October. We started with 27 students and ended with 8 students. Several of those that did not complete the 2 years had moved because of lack of work here in Caraguatatuba.
Well, I don’t know how we could make it through a month without car problems. It is Barb’s car again. I was afraid it was the motor because it was using a lot of water; however, the mechanics are saying that it is something else. I hope it is something that costs less than a motor. Also maintenance on the bus brakes took a big toll on the budget, but through it all—with these roads and chug-holes—we are totally blessed. So here is one prayer request: pray for our transportation problems, bus, car, truck.
Well, I stepped out on faith and have had our church building finished outside. It was needing it because of the horrible wind-rain storms we have had. The rain came inside through the walls. With the stucco on the walls outside, we are ready for the next rain storms (hopefully).
In our Sunday School, we are running a campaign—4 weeks attendance in a row and three Bible verses memorized, you get a t-shirt with our church logo on it. What a great way to encourage the people to come and to advertise our church. Last week we had 97 in attendance. GOD IS AWESOME!!! As you can see from the pictures, lots have won their shirts already. Many thanks to those who helped purchase these shirts.
While our construction project is going on, I must refrain from working, so I must sit on the sidelines and supervise. This is harder for me than working, but to complete my recovery and be ready for the next step this is what I must do. We are planning on coming home the last of July or the first of August to start my radiation treatments. Actually I am (I think) doing great in recuperation from surgery.
Our Church is going great. Pastor Walmir is assuming the lead pastor’s role and I am moving to 2nd “lugar” (place). The people are accepting the change wonderfully.
So please pray for us as we are here ministering in Brasil. Pray for our health, car problems, bus repairs and our new Pastor and family as they begin to lead the Church. Though we are coming home we are still open for visits to see what God is doing here in Brasil. Call and come on down—we will turn down the sheets and leave the light on the front porch.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [April 2016]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
April 7, 2016
Another month has come and gone—sometimes we look back and say, “What did we do this month?” We are tired, haven’t taken any time off, our day doesn’t end until after hours—but with all this, we still cannot think what we have done for the Lord. However, through it all we are eternally grateful that the Lord has placed us where we are.
We have gotten our new Pastor moved to the city. He has assumed the premier pastoral role at Church. Their furniture is in storage as the house where they will live is occupied til the 3rd of April. We are taking advantage of this as they are living at our house. This is giving us much time with our two Brazilian granddaughters. Also, it is giving myself and Walmir time to talk and get everything in order at the Church.
We have been busy at the church building. We have painted the front elevation of the building and are working on the ceiling down stairs (this is the sanctuary). We are still using temporary lighting because the ceiling still has some work to be done on it. We hope to have the ceiling sanded, sealed, and painted within the next week. After that permanent lighting will be installed. What a blessing that will be!!
The new pastor, Walmir, and his family.
On Sunday mornings our Church is filled—Sunday School is going AWESOME!!! Over the last 3 weeks we have averaged 90 in Sunday School. Great is the God we serve!!! These children need lots of love and nurturing. Feeding them on Sunday morning is just the first step in the process. After feeding their hunger for food, we then feed their hunger for knowledge of the Lord. Then we can enter their homes and get to tell their parents about the Christ that is making a change in their children’s lives.
We have had Barb’s car in the shop for some time now and they say that probably next week we can get it out. Just another week (ha ha).
My health status is gradually getting better and now guess what? I think Barb is washing my clothes in extra hot water, they don’t fit any more. I need to lose some weight. We are planning to be back home in Lexington in August to complete my treatment. I will be having 30 rounds of radiation. Through everything God has been AWESOME!!! Hope to see many of you during this time.
We are still praying for some financial help with the stucco on our building, the cost will be between $2,500 to $3,000. Please make this a prayer request along with these others.
- my treatment and recuperation
- transition of Pastors
- work on our building
- new ministries
- Seminary that starts April 18 (we will be traveling so pray for safe travel, Pray for Dr. Derek our Seminary Professor, for strength and endurance and voice strength)
- We will begin to shop for our tickets to travel back in August so pray for good prices
- lots of ministry problems because God is at work and Satan is not happy.
If you are looking to plan your vacation for this year, we have a great place to vacate. We have the beach, the mountains and good fellowship with Christians. I am not saying that you will get time to visit the beach or the mountains, but that we have them. We can keep you so occupied doing great things for the Lord that you will forget that it was supposed to be a vacation. Come on down and we will treat you so many different ways that you will find one that you like. Your bed is turned down.
In His service,
Aj and Barb
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [March 2016]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 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 11, 2016
Dear friends and family,
We are back in Brasil and enduring the heat. My health is showing sign of improvement each day. We will be here in Brasil until the middle of August and then return to the States for radiation for 30 days. Continue to pray for my recovery and toleration of the treatments. God is in control and He is AWESOME!!!
I have had more time than usual to think recently and it is hard to believe that this year Barbara and I will complete 20 years on the mission field. We came after my retirement from the Lexington Fire Department. It is unbelievable what you can accomplish in retirement. Actually it is AWESOME! I truly feel that I am one of the most blessed men I know, to have been able to have served on the Fire Department for 23 years, take an early retirement and then to have served the Lord in Brasil for 20 more years as a Baptist Faith Missionary. My work for the Fire Department was to rescue lives from fire and my work for the Lord, though it is similar, is many times more important. Here in Brasil we preach the Word and save lives from a burning Hell. AWESOME is not a big enough word.
What a God thing—a true calling from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is hard to express how exciting it is and has been to be here in Brasil—seeing lives transformed and works established and so much more done for the Lord.
Now I want to tell you about some hard dirty work. Sunday a week ago our Church building was flooded. We had a “chicken drowned” and one of our downspouts broke loose at the gutter connections (this is inside of the Church building upstairs)—and while the storm raged, the winds came, and the rain came down. This was at the very ending of the church service and we noticed that the ceiling was beginning to drip right where we had one of our new speakers. This was due to the fact that we have not had the funds to stucco the outside wall, so rain penetrated the wall and began to flood the downstairs. Some of the ceiling was damaged and the sanctuary got a good dousing of water. While this was happening, some thought it wise to check the upstairs because we have not put all the windows in and they thought that some water might have entered there. But to their surprise, it was not just a little water but it was past ankle height because of the gutter letting all the water from the roof enter the top story. So everyone jumped in to help and there was lots of water pushed to the stairs and down to the first floor and then out the door—all the while some of the men were taking a bath under the downspout trying to get it back into its place to take the water out of the building instead of inside of the building. Through it all God was AWESOME!!! The only damage was to the one speaker and the dropped ceiling on one side of the room. It could have been so much more. One positive thought: we did not have to clean the church that week. (lol)
I would like to explain to you the unfinished wall outside of the church. We can only build and repair as our finances permit. So this is a BIG prayer request: “money to finish the outside of our building”. We only need about $2,500.00 to 3,000.00 to finish it. We have had an unusually long and continuous rainy season. It is not so bad as long as it doesn’t rain and have strong winds at the same time. When this happens we have to live at the church. But what is life without a few challenges?
We are looking forward to the Seminary next month. We will be completing the 4th semester and looking forward to a graduation in the coming months. Continue to pray for the students and the Churches they represent.
Because of my health we thought it time to call our Brazilian pastor. The church voted and we called Walmir Quaresma. He and his family will be assuming the pastorate on the 13th of March. Barbara and Jenny Thompson went and worked 4 days packing their house and then when the move got here, PJ and Jenny were a great help in the getting it off the truck. Thanks PJ and Jenny for your help with this and many other works here in Caragua. This couple has been here helping us for 3 months. We have an apartment just for these kind of missionaries. You too could do this kind of missionary work here with us. Pray and come on down. Let us know if you would like to visit the work here in Caraguatatuba.
Your bed is made and waiting for you. Come on down!!!
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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