April Letter

Aj and Barbara Hensley
C.P. 1511
Caraguatatuba, São Paulo
e-mail: ajcaragua@gmail.com
011-55-12-3888-4189

Dear friends,

These past two months have almost been a blurr. We arrived in the States on the 6th of Feb. and started the trek that has taken us to speak in more than 12 Churches. However I'm not complaining at all, we have seen many old friends and made new ones. And for this we thank God. Allowing us to do all this and keeping us safe in the travel.In the various Churches where we have been many are planning a trip down to see us this year and do some work there on the mission field.This does not sound like too much travel but we are getting to the place that we would rather walk than to ride.(ha).

While staying with friends in Jasper Georgia we became acquainted with the man that was doing some yard work at their home. We told him about our work and invited him to come down and visit us in Brazil. This week we received a check from this man as he wants to help with missions. How AWESOME is the one that is in control!!!

In each of the Churches where we have been we have told them about the greatest need that we have there in Caraguatatuba. That is the need for a Church bus. You know that we have had 2 buses in the past but before we came we had to sell both of them for scrap metal as they had almost rusted through in various places. You can imagine how hard it became to push these buses to get them to start. We are trying to raise enough money to buy a new-used bus for our Sunday School ministry. The children have been unable to come to Sunday School because of not having a bus. WE have been using the Vocational School van to bring as many as we can pack in but this week the Federal Police stopped the Van and made an inspection. And they found that the extinguisher was out of date so they confiscated the documents. Now we are without any way to get the kids to Sunday School. We are working on getting the documents back but they tell us that we have to be there to get them. So it will be a while before transportation is available. Our prayer is to be able to purchase a bus when we return to Brasil and with your help this will happen.Make your checks to BFM designated to Aj's bus fund.

We would love to have you come down and see the work. Call us and Barb and I and our daughter Mary and her husband and our granddaughter would love to help you plan your trip.

If we were unable to see you this trip we are sorry. But holler at us and we will make plans the next time that we are in the States.

Thanks for your love and support for us on the field in Brasil.

In His service,
Aj and Barbara

December Newsletter

Aj and Barbara Hensley
C.P. 1511
Caraguatatuba, São Paulo 11672-300
e-mail: ajcaragua@gmail.com
skype:ajcaragua
Phone:011-5512-3888-4189
blog:http://ajandbarbinbrazil.blogspot.com

Dear friends,

As we are writing we are looking forward to the New Year--"It's here" weather we are ready of not. Are we going to be able to meet all the resolutions we have undertaken for the new year? Are we going to do more for the Lord, work more in the Church? All these things we can do if we are doing the will of the Lord. So the question is not will I be able, it is am I seeking the Lord's will for my life and letting Him direct my life.

The last few weeks I have been making notes for a message I would like to preach---"Who He chooses to use", and as I am looking for the references I will use --it struck me--how He had chosen me. It is just totally awesome in that He would allow me to be a part of His ministry here in Brasil. How great and AWESOME is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It just goes to emphasize a point--God's way of thinking is not the worlds way and not ours either.

Well, hopefully the Christmas Season was good to you. I don't know why it can't be Christmas all year round. During this season I have been privileged to preach two times in our home Church and enjoyed the honor. We have had no snow here in Caraguatatuba but we have had an unusual amount of rain and it is not the rainy season. So when it is raining I just sit there thinking "If it were cold this would be snow". Then I think boy how it would be so cold and laugh a little bit because I am hot. But no matter how hard I try I can't get totally into the spirit without snow. But you will have to come visit us to experience this feeling.

We are in a project in the main Church this month. We are remodeling the women and men's bathrooms and making a nursing room for the 4 new babies in our Church. We have 3 girls and 1 boy, isn't this an AWESOME way for a Church to grow!!! We are looking to finish this project this week or the next. Speaking of projects, are you and your Church looking for a project to do, well look no further, we seem to always have projects and no money or help to do them. So maybe you would like to plan a trip down and include one of our projects in your plans. When we get home on furlow maybe we can get together and talk about what skills you have and plan your trip.This season has really taxed our transportation abilities. After the bus broke(died is a better word) we are challenged in our means of transport. Our van(16 passenger) has had as many as 36 people on board. We just prayed that the police would look the other way when we passed and not stop us to count heads.But the other day they took my license plate number(so I'll be getting a little card in the mail). Pray with us to be able to buy a bus. The other day while I was making the route the van was full to bursting and there were several people waiting, when the people saw that I was full several of them just turned and went back home. So you can see the desperate need for a bus. Our Sunday School attendance is down at least 60% since we don't have a bus. We also need prayers for the maintenance of the bus when we get one. The majority of the roads that we travel are not paved roads so the vehicles take a great beating. Anything that vibrate soon becomes a maintenance problem(i.e. shocks, mufflers followed by tires and batteries and electrical problems) but that is just another day. Here it is not uncommon to have to help push a vehicle,yours or someonelses, but through it all God is AWESOME.

The construction on the dormitory has been put on hold this month as we are doing the remodeling at the Church but soon there will be block making and block laying going again. I hope to have the walls done when we leave on the 5th of Feb. And if there are funds left, then the brick layer and the student will continue the work.

We will be in the States and be visiting several Churches, if you would like us to visit your Church let us know and we will do our best to get there.If not start planning now to come visit us when we get back to Brasil.

In His service,
Aj and Barbara

Newsletter December

Dear friends,

I don't know about y'all but for me the time is absolutely flying. Now don't say it is only because of age(but in my case it may be). It's totally amazing to me how AWESOME and gracious is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He gives to us these many and abundant blessings, our health, home, happiness. and family. And on top of that He permits us to be a part of His AWESOME work, not needing us at all, but using us just the same. AWESOME!!!! Thanks Father.

Here in our city, Caraguatatuba the weather is constantly changing and in some cases at the same time. As I was driving into town this week at our home it was clear, one click down the road it was raining, the edge of town the sun was shinning and in town it was completely fogged in and I could hardly see. Needless to say our climate is really changing in relationship to past history and it has been doing so for the past 2 months. It rains almost daily and it is not the rainy season. However, life goes on and so does the ministry here.

The school is progressing or should I say the dorm at this time is under construction and progressing well considering the very wet weather. We have been working on the front of the dorm on the porch area. We are almost ready to pour the concrete floor. While we are in this slow mode we are cleaning some of the machines and doing maintenance. Our block making machine is getting a work out and requires a lot of lubrication and rust prevention, so we constantly do this so we can get the best results when making the blocks.

Our Sunday School ministry is really suffering at this time as we are without a bus to transport the children. We are using the van but with the limited space we can only transport a limited number. However the other Wednesday night as we were coming home from pray service I counted 29 adults and children ( this in a van with the capacity of 16) and I am sure that I missed a few small heads. As our ministry here involves several different neighborhoods the bus plays an essential part. As we are saving, shopping and praying for a new bus we ask for your participation in this project, whether you can be a giver or a prayer warrior because both are needed. The search for a good buss is showing us that the project will be an expensive one but our Lord solves small problems like that all the time. As I said the lack of the bus is hurting the Sunday School and I feel that the future of the Church is our children it is critical for us to have a bus. So watch and pray with us and together we will see what a great God we serve.

Our Mission Points are doing well and the Seminary here will complete this semester in two more weeks and will inter into our Summer break. This is the time for the Brasilian people to take vacations as in our summer there in the States. As a result our attendance suffers greatly but as a compensation we have many visitors in attendance.

I have had the privilege to preach in the city of São Paulo this month. One of our sister Churches had it's 42nd anniversary and I was invited to preach. The only down side to this is that driving in the heart of São Paulo is terrible. It is like being in a go-cart race with one wheel missing from your go-cart. Every car wants to be in the same spot at the same time. I took the van and 15 teenagers from our Church and we made the trip just fine.

Sometimes we forget just how effective our prayers really are. This past week Barbara and I finally got our permanent visa cards for here in Brasil. We have been in this process for 11 years and it is supposed to be a 2 year process. Now we can minister here without the cloud over our head that at any minute we could be sent back to the States. Thanks to all for the prayers and support over the years in this matter.

Well as December is beginning and the new year is near we want to wish Gods blessings on all and would like to thank everyone personally for your financial help and assistance this year. It is because of your generosity that we can remain on the field. As the following year promises to be even more challenging financially for you there we want to thank you in advance for continuing to support Baptist Faith Missions as it is through them that we do what we do here.

Again we can only say thanks and God bless you all and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

As we will be coming home in February we can talk face to face about your trip down to Caraguatatuba this year.I am sure that you will love our second home, Brasil and you need to see what God is doing here with your mission dollars.

In His service,
Aj and Barb
C.P.1151
Caraguatatuba, São Paulo
11672-300
e-mail: ajcaragua@gmail.com
phone:011-5512-3888-4189

Newsletter November

Dear friends and family,

We have finally gotten into our new home but there are lots of boxes and things spread all over the place. The worst thing is that we are without a phone and e-mail, so we at]re a little bit cut off from the outside world. We are having to do this letter at a LAN house.

But in all this we serve an AWESOME Good. Our second grand daughter has arrived even though it was a little early all is well. Mary's blood pressure went up pretty high and the Doctor decided to do a cesarean. So Chelsea Isabell Hensley Quaresma arrived on the 30th of October weighing 9 pounds and 1 ounce. Mother and dad and baby are doing fine and back at home at this writing.She is our second grand daughter as Bryan and Jill gave us Briley Alaine in January and you know what everyone says is true, being a grandpa is wonderful!!!

This month we have continued the work on the dorm at the School property. Progress is a little slow as we are making the block for the building. We had some block that the Heritage Church group made but those are all used so we are making more as we need them. This helps in the out lay for the building and also teaches another profession. The walls are up to shoulder height and now we must take a week off the construction to make the next batch or block.

With the School and the tools and equipment we have on site it has make the construction possible. Without those resources this building would have cost prohibitive.It's AWESOME how the Lord provides and sustains.

The family that is living with us waiting their visa to go to the States are in the second step of the progress. They are waiting for the interview in Rio for them to receive their approval. Pay with us and them that all goes well.

Yes we have moved into the new house but there is still lots to be done. The inside is about 85% done and the outside is about 40% done. But here in Brasil the biggest part or homes are not finished on the outside so we just blend right in. .

The rain has been a factor, but not a stopping factor, we simply work around it. And with a mention of the weather this is not really our rainy season but the the past 6 weeks we have had lots of rain.But in spite of it all we are going forward with the two projects.

We have been having workings on Saturdays for one of the widows of our Church. She was evicted from her home and is now trying to build. The house is about 1/3 complete and the members are helping with labor and some supplies. Here we are completing on of our Biblical duties, helping the widows and orphans. Yes I did not say that she has 6 children from the age of 4 years to 16 years of age.She also has some medical issues so this would be one of our great request for prayer"Gloria and her children and the construction of their home.

We made another our of town evangelical trip this month to the mission point in Natividade da Serra. The van was full of our church members and they had a hot day of door to door evangelism. It is always good to see God working in our members as well as those folks there in another town. The pastor there is George and his wife is Alda. Remember them and their work in your prayers also.

We are planning to come to the States in Feb for a couple of months to do some visiting and see our family there. So if you would like to hear about the work here face to face please contact us and we will try to get to your Church to give you a report about how God is using your faithful giving. We solicite your help and prayers as always and want to thank everyone for their support for B.F.M. and us personally. This work( our ministry) is here because of YOU.

As always our door is open and we would like to show you our beautiful Brasil. So when are you coming?!!?

In His service,

Aj and Barb

Newsletter

Dear Friends and family,

Well another month has passed and we have been busy for the Lord. Our out of town evangelism is going very good and our home church members are getting experience in other territories. We went to Salesópolis, one of our out of town mission points, this month and our door to door visitation yielded results. We got there for Sunday School and participated in the morning service then went out to eat then hit the streets. We visited several hours doing door to door visitation and then went back to Church for the evening service. We were glad to see the couple that came to Church last month after our evangelism with their 3 kids. Also there were three visitors as a result of the afternoon visitation. It is always encouraging to see the results of your labor. It is a little harder here in this town as it is so small and hard core Catholic. So to God be the glory for the harvest.

Last night in our evening service we were celebrating the act of baptism and after 4 young people were baptized Pastor Epitacio brought a salvation message. And again God gave the increase, the parents of one of the candidates for baptism accepted the Lord as their Savior. How AWESOME is the God we serve!!!

The work at the Vocational School is at a temporary standstill as we are putting all our efforts into getting our home finished for us to move into in 2 weeks. We are painting,cleaning,repairing walls and floors. Pray for us as we complete this and move our furniture and belongings to the new home. Sometimes you don't realize how much you have until you move.

Our election for the city officials was this week and it is a little different than back home there. There were 10 positions on the City Council and we had about 200 candidates running for these positions. Our prayer is that those who were elected will govern with knowledge and better the situation of the people.

The weather here is very out of the ordinary in respect to the expected. It is the time for our dry season and we are having rain every day.I think we can all say that things are not a predictable as they used to be.

The young couple and their children that came to stay with us until they can get their visas to come to the States have been a blessing for us. Paul is helping in the reform of the house and Brenda is helping in the preparing of the meals for the workers. Pray with us and them that their paperwork goes smoothly and that they get to go to the States quickly. Paul has been able to preach at the main Church a couple of times and was received well by everyone.Their three children have brought new life to the house and are helping us get ready for the new grand daughter that will be arriving shortly. Mary and Walmir will be welcoming Chelsea into the world at the last of this month or the first of November. That will be our second grand daughter as Bryan and Jill have given us Briley as our first. Oh the blessings of being a grandparent.

Well, our bus took its last trips this week, as last night it broke down for the last time for us. We are going this week to see if we can sell them for scrap metal and perhaps use this as a down payment on a different more dependable bus.Having a bus for us is very important as the people here do not have transportation and this is how we bring the children to Sunday School and the adults to Church. We use the bus as a tool to bring people to Church to teach then about Gods word and to feed their souls. I don't think that there is a price for this because we are training the future workers for the Church. I am saying all this to demonstrate a need----the bus!! Here is an opportunity for you to be a blessing is the ministry here. Your financial help would be greatly appreciated along with your prayers about this purchase. Just to show you a little more the need, last night after the bus broke down we put around 30 people in the van that seats 16 and payed for at least 10 more to catch the city bus. This was just to get those that were on the bus back home after the Church services.

Once again I want to say that without your prayers and financial help our work would not be able to go forward. So THANKS for your love for us and the ministry here in Caraguatuba. We would be honored to have you and some of your friends come down and see just what God is doing with your prayers and money. Just let us know and we will pick you up at the airport and show you all the works here. Your bed is made and ready for your visit, so come on down.

In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Rua Prudencio Baeta 280
Caraguatatuba São Paulo
11672-300
E-mail: ajcaragua@gmail.com
Phone: 011-5512-3888-4189

house pix

this is inside the addition that will be a bedroom
















this is where we took the roof off and went up with the roof to make the room addition
















here is the front of the house















here is the new front door















the dinning room and kitchen















the walls had to be cut because of humidity damage and the darker color is where we treated it and put back new concrete

newsletter

Dear friends and family,

This has been another month that come and gone and we are looking around and saying "where did the time go?". This month we have concentrated on the house we have purchased. We got started last month and the work has continued into this month, that is the way with fixer-uppers. We have been blessed with a group from Virginia Beach this month which consisted of two who had been here before and eight that had not. This trip was primarily to see if here is a place that the youth of their Church could minister. And God in His wisdom sent workers so we put them to work on the house. We were able to accomplish various chores while they were here.

We kept them busy during the day with physical work and at night ministering in the various mission points. The ladies were gracious and brought studies for our ladies here for three nights on some of the women of the Bible. The studies were very uplifting and we here appreciated each and every one of them. We were able to travel to Salesopolis for the group to participate in the service there and one of the men was asked to bring the sermon.While they were here they began to plan for their next trip with their young people.

To explain a little about our purchase of a home, we decided that it was time to get out from under the load of rent and to have something of our own. The timing was right because Petro Bras(a Brazilian petroleum company) has purchased some land here in our city and they are establishing a refinery. This will make the cost of property go up and also bring in more work for the people and bring in more people to live here. So we decided to purchase before the prices went up. We are looking forward to this expansion in the city happening so that we will have more people to evangelize and more opportunities for our people to use what they are learning in the Seminary.

Speaking of the Seminary, we started back on the 5th of the month and we have 10 students. Mary's husband Walmir is in charge of this area of ministry here. There are blessings and burdens with this Seminary, the blessings are that more people are learning more of God's word and the burdens are the cost involved. Such as the purchase of class materials, books and reference materials. We are teaching the word to those who want to be pastors and also to those who want to teach in the Sunday School program.

Our evangelism program is going great guns. We are using every other Saturday to evangelise some part of our city or go to one of our mission points outside of the city. Our last trip outside of the city we did not have space sufficient to take everyone that wanted to go.What an AWESOME problem to have!!! So there many people that want to participate and we are trying to use every one of them.

The work at the School has slowed down some this month as the house has taken front seat in the need area. But the foundation is waiting for the blocks to be laid and we will be using the blocks that last months group made in that beginning. The carpentry shop is being used to help in the various things that are needed in the house and will see much more service in the building of the dormitory.The key shop is just waiting a place to set up to begin more training and the block machine is still just for now. This month there has been a young man learning and putting to use the knowledge of painting cars there at the school. So as you can see everything is in working order just needing more workers for the labor. For this reason the month slips by and we wonder where it has gone.

One thing that has happened this month that many of you will be interested and saddened to know. You that have followed our work here are familiar with the lady called Gloria, she lost her husband last year and works supporting her 6 kids selling fish. Her home is where the Texas group added to the porch to make a space for Tuesday night services. Well, this week she was evicted from the house where she lived. It is a long story and in the end she lost the battle and was evicted. We had to go move her to a 2 room house while she tries to build something that will house her family. But in the midst of all this the other converts have offered their kitchens for the Tuesday night services until she can build and have the services once again in her home. Her faith is a testimony to all of us here.

Our daughter Mary and her husband Walmir who live and work here in Caraguatatuba are expecting their first child and needless to say, grandpa is getting anxious. Barbara and I became grandparents for the first time in January when our son Bryan and his wife Jill had their first, Briley.Pray for our family there in the States (this is the one down side to being a missionary but the Lord gives what is needed in the time of need). We are feeling the absence from our grand baby there but God is giving us one here. With this arrival we will have two beautiful baby girls to be showing pictures of everywhere.

Pray with us for our ministry here in Caraguatatuba and the needs that we have. Come down and help us when you can, we will treat you so many different ways that you will have to like one of them.

In His service,
Aj and Barbara