December, 2006

Dear friends,

November has been an extremely busy month here in Caraguatatuba. Mary (our daughter) and Walmir got married and we were blessed with twenty-two friends from Gardenside Baptist Church coming for the wedding and to do some mission work. Our Brazilian daughter, Silvia, and her husband, Terry, also came from the States for the wedding. We were sorry that we had a limited time to visit with this group, but they were able to see lots of the work here.

The wedding went wonderfully and the new couple are settling into their first home. They will be living on the property of the Second Chance Vocational School. They will be working with us there in the School and in the ministry. We are planning Walmir's ordination on the 17th of February. He has completed a four year seminary degree in Sao Paulo and expresses his call to be a full time pastor. Pray for their new life together and their ministry for the Lord.

We didn't write last month so I will try to get you caught up. It has rained a lot for the past few months. This has caused construction to come to a halt except for the things that you can do inside. We are praising the Lord because the electric post has been set on the property in Olaria. So now we will be able to get the wiring done inside the building and get the building finished and ready for use. Everything in God's timing. The lack of a place to have meetings has not stopped the five young people that started a children's program on Saturdays there in Olaria.They are having up to about fifty-four in attendance. This is reflecting in our growth on Sunday mornings as the children are also coming to the main Church on Sundays. We have had some problems with getting these children to Church on Sundays because of the needed repairs on the buses. We had to buy tires as we had a blowout and this blowout tore out the battery box. So when we went to put the spare tire on the bus we found that it was not usable. So we had to buy not one but two tires and the cost was $R1800 Reais. We also had to work on the transmission to the tune of $R5000 Reais and the battery support is still in progress. So you can see that we have had a hard two months with our buses, but they are both back in working order and are on the road Sundays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. They are essential for our Sunday School program, so we gladly continue to do the repair work. We have to baby them a little as they are in their senior years (1975 &1978). But we are looking for many more good years out of them.

Our mission points and home Churches are going very well. Salisopolis is doing well. We have been in this town for slightly more than one year. Our regular attendance there is 30+ . Remember that this is a very tough Catholic town but there is no other Baptist Church in town. But we have been told that the S.B.C. is getting ready to build here. We need desperately to find a building to buy or land to buy so we can build. Our missionaries tell us that the hold back in their work is that it is in their house and the people of this town are country people and do not like to go through a home to get to the Church. So pray that we can find something and can get the help needed to buy or build. Luis and Danni are trying to adopt a little boy and they covet your prayers in this matter. They are able to have him in their home for the past two months and are working on the paperwork. So pray that God move in this matter.

Natividade de Serra is going and growing wonderfully. George, the pastor there, came and gave a report to the Church and in the past two months they have averaged between 15 and 25 in regular attendance. Also - this is what is really exciting - seven people have accepted Christ as their personal Savior. AWESOME. This is a rural town, approximately 10,000 people and has thus far been very open to the gospel.

Our preaching points (home Churches) are going OK. Of the seven, only two are going slow and this is mainly because the buildings where we are holding the services are being repaired. We are always wanting to have more and more people hear the Gospel so we are constantly concerned about attendance.

With the mission works expanding and our school in its infancy, we are in need of more means of transportation. We have been looking at an mini bus. We have a pastor friend in Sao Paulo that has one and would sell it to us on payments. With a down payment of $R10,000 Reais he would parcel out the remaining $R18,000 Reais. I have outgrown my truck for transportation in about all areas of the ministry. Entering into neighborhoods that is some distance from the Church to evangelize, this mini bus would be a real asset for our ministry. Getting people to Church for choir practice, going on visitation, getting the students to school, and Barbara also could use it in her ladies ministry ...these are just some of the uses for this bus. Pray with us about this need and if God leads you to help, make your payments to bus fund.

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement that we have received this year. As this year is coming to a conclusion we wish to thank everyone and wish all a Merry Christmas and an AWESOME New Year.

In His service,

Aj and Barbara