Dear friends and Family,
Things happen here just as they do in the States, Barbara has had hemorrhoid surgery and is recuperating here at home for the past 3 weeks. All is going well. She was in the hospital for one day and a half. And just to show you how God works, her surgeon was an acquaintance we made while studying Portuguese two years ago in San José dos Campos. Our teacher was a great Christian lady and her son-in-law, also a Christian, is Barb's surgeon. What a wonderful and AWESOME God we serve. Continue to pray for her recovery which at times has been painful but thanks to the Lord is now going wonderful.
Pastor Walmir, our son-in-law, and I have visited one of our out of town mission points this week. The distance is about 1 1/2 hours from our town. The town in named Salesopolis. We took several bags of clothes for the cold weather as it is beginning to be cold here and in this town even more so as it is in the mountains. The Church people have moved into a new building for the Church and are getting settled in. They will need to build some walls to divide for Sunday School classes. They also will need some appliances for their kitchen and paint for the walls and various other projects that will need to be done. They are very excited about their new building and the prospect of reaching more for Jesus Christ. There is still opposition to the Church there in the town, this week Pastor Luis was stopped on the street and told that their church was not the true Church. Pray for this pastor and Church.
This past week Walmir, Edson and I were helping a member of our Church close his business that was going under and while helping him I was able to purchase 3 computers for the Vocational School. We helped him remove his illuminated signs and made the comment that these would be good for the two mission points out of town and he offered them to us at a very low price. But we did not have the money to purchase them but before we had completed the three day moving job this man came to us and said that God had touched his heart to give the signs to the Church. Can you see the heart of a brother who is closing his business and needing every cent that he could raise but listening to the voice of God to give away the product that he needed to sell.God is always speaking, but are we always listening? In addition this man has volunteered to teach his computer classes to our Vocational school and at Church. How AWESOME is the God we serve.
Our pastor has been away this month to Manaus and I am having a wonderful time preaching Gods word every Saturday in the English Church and on Sunday in our regular services.This has been a double blessing in that we have gotten several of the people that attend the English services to come to our regular Church services also.
This month our plans were to begin the foundation for the dormitory but rain has delayed us. Sand, gravel, and cement is on the job site but we are stuck inside because of the rain.We are thinking of changing the name of our city from Caraguatatuba to Caraguata"chuva". Chuva means rain in Portuguese. Tomorrow we are planning to start digging if the Lord is willing. The "backhoe" is ready to dig,that is the Brasilian "backhoe" hoes, shovels picks and post hole diggers. Construction here is a challenge but when God is in charge all things are possible. We have been accumulating resources ($) for almost a year to get this project underway. We now feel that we can pour the footer--level the lot(perhaps 10 truckloads of dirt) and pour the floor and start the walls. This is one more item to put on your prayer list for our ministry.
Continuing with news of the Vocational School, we finally purchased the key making machine needed for this part of the School. The price wound up being R$ 1,530.00 Reais (almost $1000.00) The machine is paid for thanks to all who helped in this purchase. Isn't the Lord truly AWESOME?
We got our taxes finished there in the States and now we are working on the necessary paperwork for the same thing here in Brasil. We need proof that we have paid in the States so they wont charge us again here. Paper work is 10 times more here than there. But it looks like all is done to every body's satisfaction until another year. As I said at first, things happen here just like there.
We are looking forward to the groups that the Lord is sending this year. Are you part of any of them? If not you will be missing a blessing of seeing what God is doing with your mission dollars. Why don't you get a group together and COME ON DOWN. We will treat you so many ways that you will have to like one of them. Time is wasting, get your ticket and come see us.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
