September 30, 2003

Dear friends,

Today I was feeling somewhat melancholy-yes missionaries sometimes do get homesick. I was just sitting and listening to some country gospel music and it brought back memories of home, family and Church there in the States. Then I took a look around here and saw all the work that is to be done, and I am consumed physically and spiritually, and I feel overwhelmed. At this time I know that it is time for me to PRAY. Sometimes here and in the States too, we get too busy to talk to our Heavenly Father. When we get in this condition we have to get things back into prospective and this is how we can do it--get our prayer life right!!!

We have been very busy doing visits, training for evangelism and training new Sunday school teachers. Our Sunday school has more that doubled in the past months and not only do we have problems with having enough teachers but we also have SPACE problems. And yes I am going to have to use the dressing rooms for the baptistery to have adequate class rooms. Here maybe a good suggestion for all who are going into a building program--make your changing rooms for the baptistery a little bit bigger.

I know that I told you about the group from Virginia Beach that came down and the decisions that were made for the Lord. We are doing the follow-up on all of these decisions that were made. Here is what happened last week on one of these follow-up visits. We visited a teenage girl and she confirmed her commitment to Christ, her response was a very positive one. She said "Yes! I really accepted Him as my personal Savior." How AWESOME is the God we serve. While we were in her home her mother offered us coffee and in the course of the visit we were able to present the gospel to the mother. Yes, to your question, the mother accepted Christ also. So what am I saying here? Here is a country that is more than 80% Catholic and have many other religions that are Satanic, but they are totally open to the gospel and we--the States are more than 80% evangelic and are almost totally closed to the Gospel. We have a vice-principal who is trying to get us to do a regular Bible study in his school every month. We could sing hymns, read the Bible, present the Gospel. This principal sees the need of Christ in his students lives and how it can change them completely. By the way - until now this vice-principal is not a Christian. We will be working on this and who knows, maybe we can change his life also with Christ.

At this time our school project of training the young men is progressing. We are praying now for a particular piece of property and the ability to purchase this property It is actually two lots together which would serve for a wonderful place to start the vocational school. We could purchase this property for $50,000.00 US dollars. Join together with us and pray that the Lord will supply the needed funds.

In the past month and this month the boys have been making folding wood chairs. We have been donating these to one of our mission points. To date they have given 27 chairs. One of the boys, Marcelo, nicked the tip of his finger with a shaper saw and Eder has two black thumb nails. Sometimes learning is painful. We talk about safety in the workplace every day but as all carpenters know accidents happen, thank God that they are just little ones. The boys have also been helping get the bus ready to paint and also getting one of our mission points ready for the preacher to move in and start the work. As you can see even though we don't have the building yet there is no lack of work and training for them. Please remember to pray for these young men while they are training that they will learn more than they need to be good servants for God. Pray also for us that we will be able to give them the help and training that they need to go forward in their life.

The boys are also showing signs of spiritual growth. Both are singing in the choir and one is training in the sound booth. Yes we have a sound system thanks to the "as needed" offerings and the help of the Atlantic Shores Baptist Church.

Talking about money, I think all of us have a reluctance to discuss financial matters but in reality money is a necessity in our work--to carry the work forward. Here is where B.F.M. is an indispensable part of this mission work. Through B.F.M. we are able to live and work for the Lord here on this foreign field. And through B.F.M. we can make our needs known to each and every one of you. Yes you are the integral and indispensable part of this work also. So thank you for your giving and thank you for your concern and thank you for your prayers.

Our last paperwork for our visas were denied, so what does that mean? We are back at square one, we will have to begin at the beginning with all of the paperwork again. And to do this we have been advised to go to Paraguai to the Brazilian Consulate, so I guess we will have to take a little trip this month. So be in prayer for our new paperwork and for our trip. Our God is in control and He has a plan for our lives we just have to be ready to do His will. We are ready and willing to follow His bidding.

In His service,

Aj and Barbara