August 9, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Blessed Savior:

Once again we (Marie and I) greet you from the land of eternal summer and the land of many leaves falling every day from the trees in our yard.  We have put out poison to be rid of the rats and mice, and we have killed more than one roach, and to discourage the robbers, we have not left the house by itself since we arrived on June 25th.

During this Mission Sheets month, July 3rd to August 2nd, I heard nine sermons preached and preached twelve sermons.  Marie heard all of my one dozen sermons; nine of the twelve were preached at the 24th of March Baptist Church where I am the pastor.  Permit me now to describe in details some of the events on some of the days.

Just day before yesterday we received the June 2004 Mission Sheets.  I wrote in our letter that Stephen "will return to his home and family in Ocala after about two weeks with us here."  At 4:00 am on the 12th of July he left us.  During that time he preached six sermons.  We heard him Sunday morning the 11th, at the 24th of March Baptist Church and that night we heard him at the Communion Baptist Church where Asa Mark Bratcher is the pastor.  We were royally honored by the pastor and almost 200 people welcoming us back to Brazil.

On the 15th of July, we completed 45 years as missionaries to Brazil, our adopted homeland.  On Friday night the 16th, I preached at the 2nd Mission of the Celestial Baptist Church.  The evangelist of this mission is 22 year Ricardo Henrique Gomes Lima.  We are invited to attend his wedding on the 28th of August.  Sunday morning I preached at 14th of December Baptist Church where Wanderley Rodrigues is the pastor.  The church was celebrating its 44th anniversary.  Also they dedicated their recently constructed Fellowship Hall, which is named after me.  Many in the Lord greeted us.  On Thursday night the 29th of July, I preached to eleven of our brothers and sisters on the general subject of purity, because most of the eleven need to be legally married.

Thus we shared with you the news of these events here in Brazil.  We were made sad to read Dave Parks' Urgent Reminder that "for all practical purposes the General Fund is dry."  Our prayer is that it will soon be "wet" again.  May many of us help "water" it.  We thank all of you who have been in contact with us here.  May the Lord bless all of us is our prayer.

Yours in the Service of the Savior,

Harold and Marie Bratcher