July 2, 2005

Hello fellow saints in Christ,

We greet you once again from Brazil. This past week we had the great privilege to have a group from the Mission Adventures Group led by Brother Randall Jones and his dear wife Barbara. The members of the group besides these two were Devon Brook from Elmridge Baptist Church in East Peoria, IL; Judson Hatcher from Virginia; Brother Ed Massey, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Science Hill, KY with his wife Patricia and their three precious daughters, Amanda, Heather, and Megan. Also from their church came Shawn Dobbs, Jeffrey Wesley, Andrew Oakes, and Jason Robinson. All of these were very powerful ambassadors for Christ and showed Christian love to our Brazilian people here. The folks here loved them and felt loved by them. I might mention that Brother and Sister Jones are members of the Storms Creek Baptist Church of Ironton, OH. Every year they take time off from their jobs to take a group of young people to the mission field. I don't believe these young people who were just here will soon forget their experience here and God only knows how much their presence was a blessing to the work here in Mato Grosso. They are presently in Manaus for the next week where they will be greatly used without a doubt as they were here in Central Brazil.

The man with the hat is a Baptist and the regional Distributor of Shell Oil.  He contributed a generous sum for the group going to Brazil with the Mission Adventures team.  The three on the right are his office employees.

Many continue to ask about our recent trip to Germany. It was wonderful to be able for Ursula to see her siblings and relatives as well as some childhood friends. We spent a week in Berlin where we participated in a family reunion, which enabled us to meet almost all of the extended family. Ursula's family took good care of us and took us to see many things while we were there. We went into Poland one day. We went to both the North Sea and Baltic Sea. We went aboard a U-boat at a Military museum as well as to a secret Missile base that Hitler had at the end of the war. I went to a concentration camp also. We were able to go to one Baptist church and to some Evangelical churches where we could see that there is a very liberal and weak presentation of God's Word. I came away determined to learn German well enough to at least teach the true Gospel to Ursula's family. My goal is to learn it well enough in two years in my spare time to go back and do that.

Right now I have my hands full working with the work here in Mato Grosso. Ursula is still in the States taking physical therapy due to an injury she suffered in a car accident. She has two bulging discs and must continue her treatment at least until the end of July.

We appreciate so much once again all who gave that we might make that trip to Germany. Pray for us and our work in Central Brazil.

Yours in Christ,

Harold & Ursula Draper

Ursula Draper (on the left) with her sister Karin, brothers Gerhart, and Heinz in Germany.