Dear friends,
It is amazing how time flies when you are having fun. Thank the Lord our Saviour that we can enjoy working for his kingdom here in Brazil. We have had homecomings, workings and lots of visitation going on this month. The blessing have been showering down as God has been keeping us busy.
As I mentioned in the last newsletter, Barb was visiting the States to spend some time with her mother and our ever growing and lovely granddaughter. Barb got back home here on the 20th and I have to say, I missed her and am relieved to have her home back with me. She was thrilled to have spent the time with family and friends back in the States and I am glad God granted her traveling mercies to be back here with me.
We have continued working on the school property this month as well. The foundation and plumbing are in place and we have concreted in the side corridors and area behind where the dormitory will be. As in all things in Brazil, there are unexpected things that com up and you have to step back and punt. What we thought would take 2 trucks loads of dirt to fill in the foundation and level the ground around the foundation turned into 7 loads of dirt. In all things give thanks to God and we give thanks that the foundation got filled so we could pour the sub-floor and the dirt got leveled so we could pour concrete over it as well. We have continued to do some cleaning up and preparing as well as we will be receiving a group from Lexington at the beginning of July and we hope to have them help out with several things at the school property. We have also made some great progress on the office/classroom area on the school property as well. One of the shipping containers we have is being converted into an office/classroom area and we have the drywall walls up and even have the beginning of a ceiling in place. In the states we use drywall for all kinds of construction and it is readily available, here in Brazil it is just now coming into a time of being used so I am glad to see some materials that I am very used to using.
Our big events this month have been the visitation/evangelism that has taken place both outside and inside our town. First, on a Sunday, we traveled to our mission point in Natividade da Serra where Pastor Jorge and Sister Alda are in charge. Our van left Caraguatatuba at about 6 in the morning with the capacity of 16 in it. We left so early so we could spend the entire day in Natividade. We got to the church in time to participate in the morning service where Pastor Walmir preached that service. In the afternoon, we prepared evangelism materials and split the group up with some of the members of the church in order to go around town inviting the townspeople to the evening's service. As we visited, we shared the good news as the Holy Spirit opened the doors. One thing you have to know is that Natividade da Serra is a very, very Catholic town so we were worried about the resistance we may encounter, thanks be to our Lord and Saviour we were well received. We had a full church for the evening service around 53 including our 16 folks. I preached the service that night, some of our young folks played a special on the clarinet, saxophone and recorder, the group also shared special music and we were blessed to see three more souls enter the kingdom of heaven. AWESOME!! Three gentlemen accepted the Lord as their personal Saviour. After the service, one of these gentlemen made a commitment that he was going to purchase a piece of land for the church so that a building of our own could be built and we could stop having to pay rent. The land he is interested in donating to the church is on the same street just closer to town. We went and prayed in front of the property to ask God's blessing over everything. We also started our visitation/evangelism in town as well. We started in the community of Olaria where we have a building for the congregation. This visitation was on a Saturday and went along with the fact that we have service at that church on a Saturday night. We had about 20 church members going around inviting the community to the church service and sharing the gospel where the opportunity arose. That evening we had a special service in Olaria as the youth of our home church decided to come help with the service. It was standing room only that evening and as our Lord was praised in worship and the preaching of His word, we saw another soul come to be saved. AWESOME!!! As these first two visitation/evangelism visits have gone so well, we are in prayer that our visits in July to Salesópolis and the community of Barranco Alto and Morro de Algodão prove to be as fruitful. Please keep these 4 men in your prayers as well as our efforts in reaching those who don't have Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
As you are in prayer over these men and these works, we continue to covet your prayers over the situation of the weak dollar not only here in Brazil, but in the world. As in all things, we know that we serve a living God and He is capable of all things if we just ask. God continues to provide strength and workers for the harvest here in Brazil and we are hoping that you along with us will ask Him to supply our need.
We would love to have you come down and be a part of these works. Just give some notice and we will turn your bed down and put some more water in the pinto beans.
In his service
Aj and Barb
It is amazing how time flies when you are having fun. Thank the Lord our Saviour that we can enjoy working for his kingdom here in Brazil. We have had homecomings, workings and lots of visitation going on this month. The blessing have been showering down as God has been keeping us busy.
As I mentioned in the last newsletter, Barb was visiting the States to spend some time with her mother and our ever growing and lovely granddaughter. Barb got back home here on the 20th and I have to say, I missed her and am relieved to have her home back with me. She was thrilled to have spent the time with family and friends back in the States and I am glad God granted her traveling mercies to be back here with me.
We have continued working on the school property this month as well. The foundation and plumbing are in place and we have concreted in the side corridors and area behind where the dormitory will be. As in all things in Brazil, there are unexpected things that com up and you have to step back and punt. What we thought would take 2 trucks loads of dirt to fill in the foundation and level the ground around the foundation turned into 7 loads of dirt. In all things give thanks to God and we give thanks that the foundation got filled so we could pour the sub-floor and the dirt got leveled so we could pour concrete over it as well. We have continued to do some cleaning up and preparing as well as we will be receiving a group from Lexington at the beginning of July and we hope to have them help out with several things at the school property. We have also made some great progress on the office/classroom area on the school property as well. One of the shipping containers we have is being converted into an office/classroom area and we have the drywall walls up and even have the beginning of a ceiling in place. In the states we use drywall for all kinds of construction and it is readily available, here in Brazil it is just now coming into a time of being used so I am glad to see some materials that I am very used to using.
Our big events this month have been the visitation/evangelism that has taken place both outside and inside our town. First, on a Sunday, we traveled to our mission point in Natividade da Serra where Pastor Jorge and Sister Alda are in charge. Our van left Caraguatatuba at about 6 in the morning with the capacity of 16 in it. We left so early so we could spend the entire day in Natividade. We got to the church in time to participate in the morning service where Pastor Walmir preached that service. In the afternoon, we prepared evangelism materials and split the group up with some of the members of the church in order to go around town inviting the townspeople to the evening's service. As we visited, we shared the good news as the Holy Spirit opened the doors. One thing you have to know is that Natividade da Serra is a very, very Catholic town so we were worried about the resistance we may encounter, thanks be to our Lord and Saviour we were well received. We had a full church for the evening service around 53 including our 16 folks. I preached the service that night, some of our young folks played a special on the clarinet, saxophone and recorder, the group also shared special music and we were blessed to see three more souls enter the kingdom of heaven. AWESOME!! Three gentlemen accepted the Lord as their personal Saviour. After the service, one of these gentlemen made a commitment that he was going to purchase a piece of land for the church so that a building of our own could be built and we could stop having to pay rent. The land he is interested in donating to the church is on the same street just closer to town. We went and prayed in front of the property to ask God's blessing over everything. We also started our visitation/evangelism in town as well. We started in the community of Olaria where we have a building for the congregation. This visitation was on a Saturday and went along with the fact that we have service at that church on a Saturday night. We had about 20 church members going around inviting the community to the church service and sharing the gospel where the opportunity arose. That evening we had a special service in Olaria as the youth of our home church decided to come help with the service. It was standing room only that evening and as our Lord was praised in worship and the preaching of His word, we saw another soul come to be saved. AWESOME!!! As these first two visitation/evangelism visits have gone so well, we are in prayer that our visits in July to Salesópolis and the community of Barranco Alto and Morro de Algodão prove to be as fruitful. Please keep these 4 men in your prayers as well as our efforts in reaching those who don't have Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
As you are in prayer over these men and these works, we continue to covet your prayers over the situation of the weak dollar not only here in Brazil, but in the world. As in all things, we know that we serve a living God and He is capable of all things if we just ask. God continues to provide strength and workers for the harvest here in Brazil and we are hoping that you along with us will ask Him to supply our need.
We would love to have you come down and be a part of these works. Just give some notice and we will turn your bed down and put some more water in the pinto beans.
In his service
Aj and Barb
