May 4, 2007

Dear Fellow-saints,

I am so thankful that I can greet you as fellow-saints. We are saints due to His great grace, love and mercy and not due to our own merit. That is for sure! As we get older and see His hand at work in our own lives and in the life of others we become more and more appreciative and amazed at His great grace.

After some nineteen years now in Central Brazil, for the first time we have now got all of the works at the same time under Brazilian leadership. I can relate to the joy that the Apostle Paul must have had in being able to see the churches on their own, yet at the same time he had great concern and love for them after they were on their own also. That is our case right now. We hope to have them totally on their own by the fall of next year so we can come home for our scheduled furlough.

As you know Ursula has some serious health problems that make it necessary for us to come to the States occasionally between furloughs. This has been the case for some time. The very hot weather here makes it ever more difficult for her. Even I am starting to feel the fatigue from the extreme heat. Pray for us as we try to continue on. We are presently on our way through the States to Germany. We should get there next week. We will be there for two and half weeks then come back through here for a couple of weeks to rest and for me to get signed up for Medicare and then on back to Brazil. We will travel many miles. We are thankful to all of you who made possible this trip. It may be the last one due to Ursula's health. We place that in the Lord's hands.

We thank you for your faithful support. May the Lord bless you is our prayer.

Yours in Him,

Harold & Ursula Draper