September 7, 2007

Friends,

It has been a normal month for us in many aspects. However, that depends on what is normal. We have been able to accomplish many things and have had to let many go until later and that is normal.

We have been hoping to buy a small mini bus for almost a year now, and this month we have put money down and will pick up the vehicle next week. We have gone through many disappointments in this attempt to purchase. For example, we had a mini bus in sight and the bus broke down. So, we helped to put it right and then when we were waiting for the money to be put in our account, the bus broke down again. We decided that this was a good sign that this mini bus was not for us. So when we went back to looking for a mini bus, we found that our price range had great limits. We found a vehicle with a sixteen person capacity, year 2000, in good shape and that was in our price range, so we finalized the deal yesterday. This vehicle will greatly enhance our ministry here with the churches and also our Vocational School projects. Our next hurdle to jump is the insurance cost and the transfer charges, but God has provided in all, so we wait on Him. Barbara and I want to thank everyone for their contributions that have allowed us to purchase this evangelism tool. HOW AWESOME IS OUR LORD?!?

Work (physically) is never ending. We have been involved in cleaning and painting at a potential new preaching point. The owner of the building has given the building to us for cleaning, painting, and paying the tax for the first year. This will help get the work established and be able to see if this is an area where we need to bring the Gospel. Pray for this new location and the workers to carry on the work. As always, we have plenty of work but the workers are few. One thing that has been so AWESOME for us is our Seminary. We have several workers getting ready to graduate this year. We have also been able to train many Sunday School workers there.

This month we, the three pastors, had the opportunity to go to a pastor's conference and it was an excellent encounter. We had a pastor from North Carolina as the principal speaker and there were several workshops to aid pastors in their ministries. The cost was a little difficult for us, but it was worth every penny. I had the opportunity to make some new acquaintances. Pastor Ed Sears and his associate, Don Merchant, along with Linda, Barbara, and I, are now praying that Linda will be able to come next year and speak to the ladies here in their retreat. Because of this conference, we three pastors have started a program just for us. We have chosen Wednesday and are coveting to meet early to pray and discuss the problems and blessings of the week and ask God for His help. Then we go out on the field and visit the people. This is opening up our relationship one with the other, and our relationship with our people. We have been asked to conduct a discipleship study in the mission point Olaira with the new converts, as they are hungry for knowledge.

Barbara and the ladies of the church have just had their fourth annual ladies retreat. They always seem to return with a new zeal for the work and ready to be more of a servant. There were twenty-nine ladies present and the study was on God's Grace. There were several ladies that made new commitments to the Lord and all returned refreshed and ready for what the Lord has for them. Pray for these ladies, as many of them serve the Lord alone. What I mean is that their husbands are not Christians and they must do battle to even come to church.

Here in Brazil, when you rent you are responsible for the property, so we have spent the biggest part of this month doing maintenance. We are incorporating this into the curriculum of the school so that the young men will also know how to do maintenance on their property. We have painted the entire house outside and the young men have done this also. I don't know if Barbara told you about the office on the school grounds or not, but we are continuing to do a little every week on the office. Hopefully before you get down we will have this project done and you can help on another. Do you have your tickets purchased? Let us know, and we will be at the airport!

Again, we can only say THANKS to everyone who participates in our ministry here in Caraguatatuba, both financially and in prayer.

In His service,

A.J. and Barbara