September 2, 2006

Dear friends,

Here in Caraguatatuba we have had a very busy month with work on the school project going very well. I received a very great blessing from a friend here who is remodeling his home. He gave us all the old cabinets from the remodeling job and I and two of our students have done a little work on them and have been able to fit them to the kitchen in the director's house we are building. And if I may say so, they look absolutely GREAT.

We have spent three to six days this month just working on the block making machine. As you know, when you use equipment it sometimes breaks. Well, all is repaired and we are ready AGAIN to begin making blocks. This is good because we need around 1,000 blocks for the work on the school lot and for a new bathroom in one of our mission works.

The students and I have been oiling and repairing machinery in the school. Even without a lot of use here metal is hard to maintain because of the proximity to the ocean. Another area of training is in the area of key making. We have a member of our church that has a key making shop and he has agreed to apprentice our students in his locksmith shop. We have three of the four students in this training now and the other will start when one of those students has finished.

Our next project for the school is a dormitory for the students and we have been doing a lot of praying about this matter. We would like to start this building as soon as possible. There is only one problem: we need funds. Pray with us about this need and if God lays on your heart to be a part of this project, mark your donations "dorm". We would like to thank you in advance for your prayers and your donations.

Our second "foreign mission" point is now a reality. We moved the new pastor and wife last Saturday. The name of the town is Natividadi da Serra, and it is about two and a half hours distance from Caraguatatuba. It is in a rural area and in this town there is no Baptist church. Pray for this new work and George and Alda, the pastor and his wife. Again the mother church is stepping out in faith to send this couple to this new Mission point.

The past two weeks we have spent several days at the new building in Olaria. We have been preparing the front for concrete. We have been slow on this project because the property we purchased was actually two properties and they divided them for us. Now we are waiting for the city to give a new number for this property. Because of the lack of a number the electric company will not set an electric pole and because of the lack of electricity we cannot hold meetings there. Well, I have been promised (again) that this problem will be resolved this week.

Two weeks ago we had a wonderful baptismal service. Of the seven candidates were a mother and daughter and they were seventy and fifty years old. It is AWESOME when a family comes to know the Lord together. The pastor and I did this baptism together and it was done in the pool because the mother and daughter could not get into our baptismal pool in the church because of the high steps.

One of the seven people baptized here.

Our Sunday School attendance is still climbing. Two weeks this month we had 200 and the other weeks we had 180 and 135. Here again I need to tell you of yet another need, or a continuing need: chairs. With the new work and the Sunday School on the increase and us moving into the new building in Olaria, we are scrambling for chairs or benches for all of these places. What a blessing it is to have these problems. Again, all we can say is how AWESOME is the Lord we serve!

As I look at all of the things that are going on here I sometimes wonder if I am leading or am being chased. You too can be a part of this. Come down and be a part of this race and you too can lead or be chased.

In His Service,

A.J. and Barbara Hensley