Celebrating 8 Years of Caragua Baptist Church
March 16, 2022
Dear friends and family,
Time seems to be so short and seems that I am always running behind (this is maybe because of my maturity—age).
We have just finished two seminary classes in São Paulo taught by Pastor Raymond Edge of First Baptist Church of Bastrop, Texas. The classes were Old Testament Survey and an elective from the Old Testament, the book of Jonah. Our plans were to have these classes in person and to do zoom classes also; however, circumstances (COVID and finances) only allowed us to do the zoom classes.
Barbara and I are planning to be in Brazil for March and April. We will be visiting family in Caraguatatuba, São Paulo. While there, I will be preaching in a meeting at Caragua Baptist Church for the 8-year anniversary of the church. This will be the 26th and the 27th of March. It is AWESOME to participate in celebrating these 8 years of this church spreading God’s Word in Brazil.
While preaching and visiting in Caragua, I will also be visiting São Paulo and meeting with several pastors and two churches. São Paulo has just lowered its COVID 19 level, and this will allow me to travel more freely.
Please be praying for these pastors as their churches have lots of fear about COVID-19 and their financial ability to properly fight the pandemic. Not so different as from here, but there somewhat more severe.
The Bibles for the Guarani Indians have not arrived as of yet. I am hoping to be able to deliver them while there. How AWESOME will it be to be able to read God’s word in their own language. Pastor Valdival, the missionary working with these Indians, is now out of the hospital and doing well. We have been friends and have worked with him for 10 years. We were happy for him to get out of the hospital and hope to be able to see him when we are there.
Dr. Derek and I along with our wives will be going to a Pastors Conference in Recife representing Bluegrass Baptist Seminary and the work being done, talking to the pastors and those in attendance on July 18–22. Pray for this upcoming trip as we work to continue to teach God’s Word in Brazil. Thanks to all of you for the continuing prayers and contributions for the work God has called us to do here in Brazil. Without both of those we would have a greater problem doing our work. Thanks to Baptist Faith Missions and all the churches who support our missionaries. Keep up the good work.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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Special Prayer Request: Pastor Valdival
February 18, 2022
Friends and family,
As I write this letter, I am extremely happy to say we are in the process of buying the Bibles for the Guarani Indians. Thanks to all who have helped with this purchase with money and prayers. If you wanted to help in this purchase and have not yet, there is still time. Send your check and designate it to Bibles. Continuing in the thought of Bibles—we sometimes forget the past where many people did not have a Bible and not in their own language. How AWESOME is the God we serve. We now can have a full copy of the Bible and it is in our language. So now we can make that possible for the Guarani Indians.
You have heard this before, but I need to tell you all what we are doing or are not doing. The COVID again disrupted our schedule, but we are going back to Zoom. So, we have two classes scheduled in later February and March. The level of COVID raised to a level 4 so it was better for the professors to go Zoom. These classes are The Old Testament Survey and another elective from the Old Testament. Pray for our professors and the students from these classes.
Barb and I were planning to go to Brazil for these classes but since the level was so high we changed those plans. We are scheduled to go on the 22nd of March, so pray that we do not have to change our plans again. You know that those grandkids are anxious to see us and we, too, are wanting to see them.
I have a special prayer request for my Brazilian missionary brother, Pastor Valdival. He is now in a hospital in a very compromised health situation, and they have diagnosed him with Guillain Barre Syndrome. This is a hospital, very large, with socialized medicine. His daughter has contacted us to keep us updated. He is being held in the hall because of the situation in the hospital and the space needed for the treatment he needs. He is taking his second treatment of plasma to clean the infection out of the blood.
As we continue the Lord’s work that we are do, please pray for us as we are having to make adaptions in the way we are ministering. But thank the Lord the mission and the Word never changes.
Please pray for BFM as they continue to support missionaries and ministry all over the world. We are missionaries who, without the help of BFM, would not be able to carry out the Great Commission. Also continue to pray for the seminary and the students as they study God’s word.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
P.S. – We have moved. Our new address is below.
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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A Move Further South & Seminary Plans
January 17, 2022
Dear friends and family,
Well January is turning into a really busy month. Starting with health issues, our son’s wife Jill was in the hospital for a health issue and contracted COVID-19 and was there for 3 or 4 days. She is home now, better with COVID, but still under the doctor’s care. Continuing with family health problems, Mary Katherine and her family in Brazil are also ill with COVID-19. Mary and her husband Walmir and their youngest Ashley are ill with COVID-19, but their oldest Chelsea is not. Keep both families in your prayers please. Mary’s family had the milder symptoms and are doing well.
Barbara and I are down with the flu, running eyes and nose, and have gone through 3 boxes of tissues. We are now in Florida, and we may have some allergies thrown in the mix.
Barb and I have decided to make Florida our permanent residence. Seems quite a challenge with the move and these health issues. This move will help us with our mission of reaching Brazil with the Seminary. This will make all our back and forth to Brazil less costly. Please pray for us in this transition.
Our plans for the Seminary these next few months are to begin in the last of February and the first of March with in-person classes. Dr. Edge pastor of First Baptist Church of Bastrop, Texas, will be the professor for these two classes (Survey of the Old Testament and Old Testament Elective). How AWESOME is the God we serve.
With the health issues here and in Brazil, please pray for these classes. We together with all of you praying, these classes will be under the blanket of prayer. And with this, everything will be protected by God.
About the Guarani Bible project, there are two Churches in Brazil, and those of you who have sent money, so we are in contact with the publisher to help get the Bibles in the Guarani language. Thanks for your giving and praying for this project.
Please continue praying for us and the ministry as it becomes somewhat more challenging to “keep on keeping on”. Through it all, God is AWESOME!!! Also remember to pray for BFM and all the Churches and Pastors supporting our ministry and others throughout the world.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
P.S. – A special prayer for Barbara as we fall in and over boxes and things in this transition.
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Mission-Minded Churches & the Guarani Indians
December 22, 2021
Friends and family,
It is Barb and my wish is for all of you to have had a wonderful Christmas and to have an AWESOME 2022.
Continuing with our trip to Brazil in October, we were able to visit the missionaries to the Guarani Indians, Pastor Valdival and his wife Rose. On this visit we saw some needs in their ministry and for their personal lives. They have bought some property for them to get out from under the expenditure of rent so they could have more money to put into their ministry. Now this purchase is not a recent one, but they have had it for some years. As a matter of fact, some of you here in the States have been a part of the renovation of this property. When we showed our friends the house, some said they thought it should be torn down and started all over. But they started and little by little they renovated the house and are now living in it and are very thankful for their home. One of the reasons for the location of the home is to be closer to the tribe that they work with. As with many of the Pastors in Brazil, they can use some help. The home is needing some work on the front of the house because the lean to over their outdoor cooking area and laundry room is just about like it has no cover over it, even though it does have a covering. I got to examining it closer and it had been covered with clay roof tiles, but they were of various sizes, so when it rained, it rained inside as well as outside. When we got back to Caragua, I was able to talk to the Pastors of two of the Churches that we worked with, and they agreed to help with this project. The labor and workers to do the work were ready, now the money for the material was needed. In our estimate we would need around 2,000.00 and so Barbara and I gave some seed money and in the last month, these two Churches have raised the rest. I am elated to say that this month the work has been completed because these two Churches are mission-minded and saw a need and sacrificed to help a missionary. It is AWESOME when you can look back and see the Churches you have worked with living the truths you taught them.
Guarani Indians 
The two churches working on the missionary’s home 
Guarani Indians
Pastor Valdival’s ministry with the Indians is in need of Bibles in the native language of the Guarani. The cost for these Bibles will be around $1,500.00 for 40 because they have to be ordered and shipped. But when we went to visit them (the Indians), the wife of one of the leaders told of having three Bibles, but she now only has one because everyone who visits her asks for her Bible to keep. So, if we can get more printed, we can get more of God’s Word out to more people. Please be praying for this need and if God puts it on your mind to help, send donations to BFM designated for Bibles.
We want to take this time to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one who so faithfully supports Baptist Faith Missions and to Baptist Faith Missions for supporting us. Continue praying for our health and opportunities to serve the Lord in Brazil.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Ministering to the Guarani Indians
November 20, 2021
Dear friends and family,
Since our trip to Brazil last month was a very long one, I thought I would just continue my relating about that trip. As I told you before, we met with many pastors and encouraged them and the other students, but I did not tell you how they were an encouragement to us as we traveled around. The stories that I heard this trip was one of how so many were thankful for the seminary and the training that they have received, and also how they are anticipating the next classes. You can only imagine how this has blessed our hearts to know that we are following God’s will in the continuation of this Seminary.
When we had finished the meetings with the Pastors about the new schedules, we had some extra time, so we went to visit our Pastor friend Valdival and his wife Rosa. They are the Missionaries to the Guarani Indians located near the city or Paraty, just over the state line of São Paulo into Rio de Janairo about 3 hours from Caraguatatuba (the city of our last church plant). We helped minister to this tribe with our Church in Caraguatatuba.
They are a group of Indians who have been placed on a reservation and are very much in need of all the basics: food, clothing, and other life necessities. They live in mud huts or other pieced-together houses (houses that they have gathered bits and pieces from everywhere). The mud houses are made of bamboo and mud and the process takes many different layers with time between the applications. The floors are just dirt, and many are just one room. Electric is furnished by the Government but there is no heat nor air nor running water. Many of the older Indians speak only their native language, but the younger ones also speak Portuguese.
While in our last church there in Caraguatatuba we visited this tribe with our church people and groups from the States, taking them some of those basic needs that I was talking about, and bringing the gospel to them also. We were encouraged to know that 7 of the tribe accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Here is where Barbara and I need some extra help. We want to purchase Bibles in their native language. We were able to do this a few years back, but there are none of these Bibles left. The wife of one of the women of the tribe said that she was the proud owner of three of these Bibles, but when someone from the tribe sees them, they have begged her to give them one. Needless to say, she has not refused to give two of her stash, but she says that she hides her last one now so she does not feel guilty for not giving it to those who ask. Because these Bibles have to be translated into their language and be special ordered they are expensive. Pray with us to be able to get these Bibles into the Caragua Baptist Church and then into the hands of the Guarani Indians.
After the holidays, we would like to start a fund to purchase Bibles for this tribe. If you or your church would like to help with this purchase, please donate to the Indian Bible fund. We thank you in advance for your help.
As always, we covet your prayers for us in general and for our health and safety as we minister and travel. Miracles happen because of prayers. Also pray for BFM and all who are involved everyone who contributes and all our missionaries. Remembering Philippians 4:6 says pray about everything.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [August 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.
Dear friends and family,
These last 6 weeks have been totally AWESOME. We have had Americans visiting with us from July 28th til August 2nd. They were a great help in the work. We have lots to tell you about. First we got three young men from different Baptist Churches and they came to spend 6 weeks to experience the mission field. With them, we began to prepare for the month of July. The second group arrived and we began the work that we had been planning. Our first Bible School of the month was in a very poor neighborhood.These children had never had contact with a group of Americans (North Americans) before so this created a stir in the neighborhood. I am sure that helped with the attendance. The children loved to hear English spoken. While one group was doing the Bible School another group was helping construct dividers for the office in the Social Center. Also they built an area where medicine could be stored waiting to be distributed at a later date. Lots of doors were opened for future ministry.This work lasted two days.
We then took the group to the state of Rio de Janeiro where we had heard of an Indian tribe that we could take the gospel to. This tribe is the Guarani Indians. We arrived at their village by driving about 10 miles on a dirt road (that day it was mud). We did not have trouble getting there because being from Owsley County, Kentucky, we had experience on these kinds of roads. This tribe has been placed on this mountainside by the Federal Government and told to survive the best way they can. Needless to say, they have many, many needs. So knowing some of these needs beforehand we asked the Americans to bring warm clothes to distribute to the children as we are in our cold season. We united in the community Church and made bags of these clothes and hygiene supplies (soap, toothpaste, brushes, etc.). We then went to the village where we met with the Chief of the tribe, we gave him blankets for the cold and a special gift for him. We gave him a leather man knife with all the bells and whistles. This sealed our friendship. He then gave his permission for us to enter the village and work with the children. But now to add another twist–lots of the children did not read nor write in their language (Guarani) nor in Portuguese. And just some of the adults speak Portuguese. Their language is Guarani. This was a challenge to say the least.
Well we were able to get past all these problems and the Bible School was AWESOME with the help of the group from Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, and the help of the three young men that had been with us since June. One of the young men is from First Baptist Church in Centerville, Georgia, another is from Second Baptist Church in Warner Robbins, Georgia, and the other is from Garça, Brazil. God put an AWESOME group together to do this special project. While part of the group was doing a Bible School, the others were able to help in the construction of a widow’s home. They were able to build two major walls on the home and left some materials for another group to continue the work. We have heard that another Baptist Church from Rio has come this weekend to finish the house. While there, we discovered that there are at least 2 believing Christians. What an opportunity to tell people that do not know about our Lord and Savior about what He has done for them. I also found out that there is a Bible printed in their native language. One of the young men that was here called his Sunday School class and they received an offering on the spot for about 10 Bibles for this Indian tribe. I think we need to start a “drive” for Bibles for this tribe. What about 100 Bibles? That would cost about $1,000.00 dollars. Are you in for this? These Indians need lots of prayer–for personal health and housing just to start with–and all of but 2 of them for their personal salvation.
When the Porter group left, the parents of Ross, the young man from Centerville, came to spend a week before taking their son back home. They were able to finish some drywall in the office/school room at the School. While here, they purchased food baskets and were honored to deliver these baskets with them to the needy families in our Church.
Well, we have said “Good bye” to our three young men . They have made an AWESOME impact on our youth here in Caraguatatuba at Igreja Batista Novo Tempo. They are already missing them.
So we have an empty nest again. So if you want to come see us, the beds have been changed and everything is clean with a mint on the pillow. “So come on down!”
In His service,
Aj and Barb
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
Give to Baptist Faith Missions.
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