July 8, 2008

Dear Fellow-Laborers in Christ,

This has been an action-packed month. It started out with our arrival here in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I accidentally left Ursula's handbag in the arriving baggage area with all of her medicine in it. It had over a thousand dollars' worth in it. They would not let me go back in and get it. I was able to get them to call Delta Airlines and I described it to them, and they found it sitting right where I left it. It is a miracle somebody did not walk off with it. I bowed my head and thanked the Lord!

Since arriving we have been very much involved with the work. We are preaching in several of the works and helping out in the building projects. Next month we will give a report concerning that. We have two of our preachers' wives who are sick. Pastor Edvan's wife in Novo Diamantino has the leprosy. We have been buying her medicine and it is healing up well. They expect her to make a full recovery. Pastor Miqueas Santos's wife is still hanging on and putting up a fight against the cancer she has had to deal with for the past five years. It looks like she is beginnning to lose the battle. We are trying to get some funds together to help her in this critical phase.

Today I went to a market to buy some bananas. While there a young girl and her little brother approached me and asked for help to buy her family some rice. I asked her if she was not just asking for money to buy a popsicle. She started to cry and said that her dad had died last month and her mother was left alone to take care of six children. She explained to me that they had not eaten in two days and her baby brother only had two bottles of milk yesterday and none today. I could tell she was telling me the truth.

What would you do if this happened to you? Here is what I did. I bought a large bag of rice, beans, bananas, milk for the baby, the largest bag of washing powders they had (her mother washes clothes to make money to feed her children), a large bag of baby diapers, and took them to the bus stop and put them on the bus for home. I also drew a map for her and her family to find our church in Jardim Fortaleza. I explained to her that my Lord Jesus Christ gave me a heart of compassion since He had saved me from my sins and that's why I was helping her. I hope you are not thinking that I am praising myself for this good deed. We have helped hundreds in this same way in the past thirty years and you by your support to our work have had a part in it.

When I got married I had to learn to share my resources, time, and love. When I came to Brazil, I realized just how spoiled and selfish I was. It took a while, but I learned to really give and not expect anything in return. Today after I did that I rejoiced and shouted all the way home, thanking the Lord for giving me the opportunity to witness and show compassion. Brothers and Sisters, I know that gas is over $4.00 a gallon and the economy is not too good. Let us trust in our great God and give more to missions, not less! We will be blessed by it.

God bless you all and we appreciate all that you do.

Yours in Him,

Harold and Ursula Draper