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: The Hensleys in Brazil [January 2014]
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,
December was an excellent (AWESOME) month to be working for the Lord here in Brasil. We had the pleasure of shopping for the children in our Church to be able to give a present to each one of them for Christmas. These children are from homes with low income. So when they received their gifts it was AWESOME to see their expressions and to just see the anticipation while they were waiting to hear their name called to receive a gift. We had one child who wanted to wait till Christmas to open his gift because he had never had a gift on Christmas Day, and he wanted to experience the Christmas Day experience. This plus the message of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ just made Christmas for me.
We had the privilege of taking our Sunday School to Mt. Zion Recovery center (on a small farm near our city) and presenting our children’s Christmas Cantata and the Christmas Story. This is the center for persons with alcohol and drug abuse, ages ranging from 18 to 55. Several of them were and are suffering from lack of visits (not any from family or from friends). And for the first 6 weeks they are not allowed any visits at all. We have been working with the men there and trying to help in any way we can. We will be teaching this group some vocational skills such as masonry, electrical, and carpentry. God is opening many doors. We preach once a week there and they are allowed to frequent our church on Wednesday nights. On Wednesday nights, they sing for our people. The men at our Church had a pizza supper for them and they could not believe that Church leaders would cook and wash dishes for them. There were about 30 plus people for this supper. We all had an AWESOME time, and the pizza that Pastor Rosevaldo made was very good also.
Along with about 60 other Pastors here in the region, we have been attending classes for Chaplains. This has been sponsored by several Churches in Sao Paulo city and was approved by the State. This will allow us (our Church Pastors) to visit inside prisons and hospitals that are State regulated. Also this makes it so that we do not have to do all those months of paperwork to visit in these areas. The graduation of the Chaplains will be held at our Church, IBC. AWESOME!!!
As a mission Church we will be celebrating our first year in January. God is so good to us. For our New Years Eve service at Church, we had a delicious meal and at 12 minutes before midnight we began to pray, and prayed the old year out and the new year in. It seems like the time is going by faster and faster.
We pastors (I, Jason, and our Brasilian pastor Rosevaldo) are working on our seminary that is planned to start on March 17, 2014. This will be led by Dr. Derick Coleman of Gardenside Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky. This will be to help our Brasilian Brother Pastors. The courses will be taught on a Master’s level. Pray as we are trying to increase training and education to further the kingdom of God.
Our Church are experiencing several medical problems; Mrs. Gloria is receiving chemo, and soon will add radiation to her treatment for her cancer, Kiser is suffering with heart problems, and we will take him to a heart hospital in Sao Paulo this month, Leo has stomach problems and has undergone surgery, Jandira is still on total bed rest with circulation and infection problems, Dameon is going for hearing surgery this month, Ma Evete has problems with her knees and is doing physical therapy, and Rosevaldo with joint problems and Cesar with back problems. Barbara is on the road about 2 to 3 days per week with Gloria running after blood tests and treatments and Dr. appointments. These problems are keeping us busy and on our knees. Pray for us as we minister to these in our Church. As in many Churches, there are always needs physical and spiritual.
We are planning another baptism in January. AWESOME! It is just great to see the Church growth and watch people begin to get involved in the ministry..
It looks like January will be a very busy month! Our grandchildren will be here after the 1st and they will bring their parents with them for a visit. Edson is here on break from college, and we have a couple from Cornerstone Baptist Church that are going to spend 3 months experiencing the mission field. PJ and Jenny Thompson will be ministering alongside of us here in Caragua.
Pray for the ministry of Igreja Batista Caragua, our church, as we begin a new year of reaching Brasil for Christ. In Feb we are planning a revival and evangelism outreach with Pastor Mike Dorough from 2nd Baptist Church in Warner Robbins, Ga. And the Seminary will start in March. So as you can see there is no lack of prayer requests for us here in Brasil.
Thanks to all who have helped and are helping and will begin to help in this ministry. It is all happening because you care enough to give of your finances and your prayer support. Again, THANKS SO MUCH!!!!
The year is just starting, and if you have not scheduled your visit to a mission field, the red carpet is out for you and your Church. Come on down and see your mission dollars at work. We will turn the bed down and put a mint on the pillow in expectation of your visit.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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