December 31, 2002

Faithful readers,

How AWESOME is the God we serve!! It is really great to be home and to be able to enjoy family and friends during this holiday season. Barbara and I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for your faithful support of B.F.M. and us this year with your prayers and your finances. It is really awesome to have friends and Churches that love our Lord and Savior in such a way and that express that love so wonderfully. We have been really busy visiting Churches and reporting on the work in Brazil. We still have some open dates between now and March 4th if you would like us to visit your Church. Our contact number in Lexington is 859-252-2859.

We would also like to thank everyone for responding to our losses which occurred during the robbery before we came home. We have been able to replace our cameras and we have been given a new keyboard for services and a laptop computer. We are hoping to be able to replace more of the lost items before we return home to Brazil in March.

Barb and I have been looking forward to seeing snow while we are here. However, we are finding that we have gotten used to the climate in Brazil. We are suffering from the cold weather, but we have the warm clothes that we left here so we are keeping warm while waiting for the snow.

This is the most time we have taken off from the work since we first went to Brazil. But, as you know, we are between works, so we were able to stay longer without worrying about the kids and what is happening with them. We have, therefore, been enjoying our time with our children here in the States. We have had all our family together this year for the first time in 10 years and it has been a blessing from God. Though enjoying every minute of this time, Barbara and I both are itching to get back to our home (Brazil) and to be about our Father's business.

Pray for us as we begin the search for the new location where God would have us serve. And know that when we get to that location we will have much work to do and you know that many hands makes fast work. That is just our Kentucky way of saying, please come down and visit us and see what God will do through you.

In His Service,

A.J. and Barbara