June 3, 2005

Friends and Family,

Well it seems as though we only turned around and another month has passed. I can remember the longest year of my life -- when I was 15 years old and wanting to be 16 so I could get my drivers license. Oh how time is changing. I'm saying all this to arrive at my thought: time is changing, methods are changing, BUT the message is still the same.

This month has been challenging in the work. We have started our first mission point outside of our city. It is about 1 and 1/2 hours distance from our city. For us this is like starting a foreign mission. This work is totally on faith. We have asked some friends and some Churches to help with this mission point for one year so that it can get on its feet and be able to begin to support itself. The name of the town is Salesoplis. This town had no Baptist works and because of this we chose to go there. We had looked at that town called Ubatuba but God did not open any doors so we moved on and found Salesoplis. We have been very busy for the last two weeks, finding the building, renting the building and cleaning. We moved the missionaries in on Wednesday of last week and they are settled in and beginning to visit in the neighborhoods. Pray for them as they start from scratch this new work. This couple have been in the pastorate for 4 years so they know how to get out and get the people into Church. Their excitement is infectious and the field is white unto harvest. The place we rented is perfect for the work. It is a home with a party hall on the top floor. That is where we will have the Church. It is big enough to hold 70-80 people. The Pastor and his wife will live in the home so we killed two birds with one stone. Our next challenge is to get the necessary things for the Church: chairs or benches, tables for the Sunday Schools, pulpit and etc. Pray for this new work and the Pastor and his wife as they work there. 

Our other mission points are doing well. Pereque is averaging around 45-50 kids on Saturday for Bible study and soccer, our Bible study on Saturday in Tinga is beginning again as the teacher and her family have moved and are starting again in another house, Morro do Algodao is continuing to have two night services per week and Bible study for the children on Saturday, and Olareira is outgrowing the home where it is being held so we are buying a lot to try to build a building there, and the other service we are having in the home of another member is growing. As you can see God is working here in Caraguatatuba. And you know also that makes Satan very unhappy, so he is also working to try to destroy our efforts, but we have the upper hand because the God we serve is AWESOME!!!

We are working daily on the lot where our first phase for the Vocational School will be constructed. Great news -- we cut the tree this week, so we are able to go forward with construction. We set the two outside walls and are working on getting the floor leveled to pour concrete in the next two weeks or so. Each step in this construction depends on the offerings we receive for the month. We still owe $5,000 on the land, so if anyone wants to help us pay this off, please send your offerings marked for the land.

I have missed about 1 1/2 weeks of work this month because I have had a bout with a virus or flu bug. Basically I've been in the bed for a week and meds seem to have no effect. I am feeling much better now but am recovering my strength and moving somewhat slow.

We are looking forward to having a visiting group from Atlantic Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach come down this month. They will be doing evangelism in our schools with our youth. They will enter into the different schools here and present the Gospel in various manners. Pray for this group and for our youth as they go forward and tell others about their Savior.

This past month I have preached in a Church in another town but the strange thing is that I preached in English. This Church is in a town where there are a lot of American factories and the Church is trying to minister to the Americans so they opened an English service. The service is going well and I was well received preaching there. I will go back for two more services in the following months. I am given this opportunity because the pastor that is in charge of this ministry is on vacation. So pray that I will remember enough English to be effective for the Lord.

Well it has come that time again when we must go to the Federal Police to renew our visas. We went this week and the branch that is in charge of our part of the State has never done a visa like ours. So PLEASE be in prayer for this process. We must get all of our papers notarized and send them to the Capitol for the minister to approve them. It is a long and drawn out process and we are praying that the lady has given us the right list of things to do. We are in the process of getting everything done at this moment and then we will submit it all. Hopefully it will not take to long to get notice of our approval.

As always, pray for Barbara and I to be faithful servants here in Caraguatatuba, Brazil.

In His service,

Aj and Barbara Hensley

A.J. making sure the foundation is put in right.