March 31, 2005 

Dear friends,

This month I have been given two of the best gifts that I have ever received. First, AJ used all of his frequent flier miles and sent me to the States to visit our children and my parents, and then he let me write the news letter for the month. So here goes:

This year, to date, has been a full one with our home full of visitors from the States. Not only full of visitors but full of love, the kind that only your friends and family can bring. And it is through these visitors that our work here continues. So let me begin this letter by inviting you to be a part of this happiness that you can bring to the mission field. Take your vacation and come down and see us and what God is doing in Brazil!!! 

The wall is finally built around the property to the height that AJ wants and we are waiting for the next month's offering to put up the large gate to have the property secured. We have the containers on the property but we are still waiting for permission to cut the tree that is smack dab in the middle of the place where AJ plans to put one of the containers. 

The wait on the 3 phase electricity is now over as it has been connected to the pole. The next step is to get it run to the block maker and the rest of the needed places on the property. So as you can see the progress on the Vocational School is slow but it is progressing. We feel that we are going to school before the school is completed. Our classes consist of lessons in "Waiting on the Lord". Pray for us that we learn these lessons so that we may teach others.

While we are waiting in that area we are not idle. The pastor and his family have gone on a much deserved vacation and AJ is filling in the gaps. Plus, this is his semester to teach in the seminary and he is so excited. I feel sorry for those students because when he gets this excited about something it means that he has much to impart and I hope they are ready for all the information he has to give. There are 19 students this semester and they are enthusiastic about the new semester.

Barbara with some of her co-workers.

The Church is growing and we are busy directing this growth. The Sunday School has just about doubled and this is due to the purchase of the second bus. The program of recycling to help pay for the bus is truly involving the membership. But if you have dealt with recycling you know that it takes a lot to make a little so if you would like to help with the purchase of this bus just designate your donations to the AJ bus fund. I know that in past newsletters AJ has told you about the steps of faith our Church has been taking and now we are watching as God strengthens the members in that faith.

The mission at Morro do Algodao has gotten to demonstrate Christian love to the neighborhood in the past week. We had a bad flood in this area and the Mission opened its doors for those who had lost their homes to have a place to live during this time. Also those who were not affected by the flood helped provide food for those less fortunate. We are praying that through these acts of Christian love we can reach some that would never enter a Church building to hear the Word. The mission point at Pereque is beginning to burst its seams also. We are constantly looking for new ways to reach the children there. As we have told you many times we reach the parents through the children here in Brazil. Our rented building will hold about 30 to 40 people and we are having on the average on Saturday 68 children. We are struggling with providing the materials and the helpers for this many children. Pray that God will continue to provide. The mission point in Olareira is anxiously awaiting the land to be paid off so that they start with a new structure for their new meeting place. But first things first, we must get the land paid off and then the building. 

I don't know if you noticed how many times I have used the word WAIT in this letter. If you look back you will see that our great need here is to learn to wait upon the Lord. Each area in which we are working depends upon this WAITING. Pray with us and for us that we wait and not be restless, that we are always aware of where God wants us to be working and that we never more run ahead of Him.

Following His lead,

Barbara Hensley