May 3, 2006

Dear friends and Family,

Technology is a wonderful thing but when it comes to computers we have had a terrible time with ours here. Trouble with the voltage, later a virus and then our server left Brazil. With all this going on we are struggling to save all our photos and any other things that were stored. We were able to save the pictures, well, almost all of them, but with the server discontinuing their service in Brazil, we lost our e-mail address and our address book and various other files. So if you have sent anything to our AOL address in the last four weeks please send it to the new address: ajcaragua@gmail.com and we will be glad to hear from you. Our daughter Mary was able to save some addresses and mailed them to let them know that there was trouble and there would be a new address. If you were not part of that mailing, please change our address in your address book.

In the last two months there has been several rainy weeks but thanks to God it has quit raining. We are giving thanks to God because our mission building in Morro do Algodao is suffering because of the rain. The building has sunken about 12 inches on one side. At this time we are not having our meetings in this building but in the building in the back of the property because of the danger to the people. This building has given new meaning to the phrase "half a bubble off plum". There are two major cracks in the walls and we are having difficulty opening the doors. We have spent about a week and a half with structural engineers and others and have developed a plan to try and save the building. We will be undermining our foundations and raising the building on the faulty side. If this was a wood structure we would not have a problem; however, the whole structure is masonry, laced with lots of steel. We are hoping to maintain the integrity of the foundation. We will be trying to do this in the month to come and we ask that you be in prayer for the workers as this will be a difficult process and very slow. We will need about $3,000 to $4,000 dollars for this project---if you could help with this project we would greatly appreciate it. We are needing to get this done as soon as possible as our winter months are coming and the building in back of the Church is not enclosed and it will make it difficult to have services in the cold weather.

Speaking of finances, things here are getting real tight as the dollar has been falling for the past year. For us this not good news. Up to now we have been able to do our construction because of the good exchange rate but as the dollar keeps falling we are facing a difficult situation. In our first years here we had to turn in pop bottles that groups had left to help with our purchases. We pray that it does not come to that this time. But God is in control and He will care for His own. While we are in the States we are hoping to contact some new Churches and maybe increase our support.

Pray for us as our work continues to grow. We are having over 160 children on Sunday morning and that is somewhat of a miracle as we are back to only one bus as the older of the two is broken and we are unable to find parts because of the age. We are thinking of selling it for scrap metal and beginning to look for another with a little less age. Pray that we can find one cheap and good.

While we are in the States we will be celebrating my birthday and our anniversary by taking the first vacation we have had in 12 years. After a relaxing vacation we will be renovated and able to get back to work with renewed vigor.

We are expecting several groups this year but there is always room for more. Look at your schedule and see if you don't have time to come down and help us with one of these projects. If you don't have the time maybe you could help financially. Or maybe both!! Your support of us and Baptist Faith Missions is very important "so keep it up".

In His service,

Aj and Barbara