August 7, 2008

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

Greetings once again from sunny Brazil. We have had a busy month as usual. We are trying to build a bedroom on at the Jardim Fortaleza house. With the weak dollar and our small amount of funds we are having to be extremely careful to get it done, but it looks like we will make it. The Lord always provides. This family has two teenagers, a boy and a girl. They only have one bedroom. We have been planning this project for some time.

Pray for Pastor Wagner. He is trying to get his drivers license. Here it is an expensive and difficult task. Both he and Sister Eurides have found temporary school teaching jobs in that neighborhood. This has been our goal. God is blessing. Your help in this has been and still is important.

We went to the Primavera do Leste work this past month. This city has 65,000 souls. We have a mission there. We are getting some church pews ready to send up there this month. This work is coming along under the sponsorship of the Good Hope Baptist Church here in town. This Saturday we will ordain Brother Bubson Rodrigues, who was saved under our ministry here. It is such a blessing to see the Lord save and use these dear people to carry on the work. We ask that you continue to pray for Sister Teresa Santos, who has lung cancer. She has two tumors in her left lung. One doctor sent her home to die but another one in Sao Paulo has taken up her case and is trying to help her with more chemo treatments. She is a wonderful servant of the Lord and is the wife of Pastor Miqueas Santos at the Chacara dos Pinheiros Church. She has lived long enough to see her only daughter get married.

This Sunday, Ursula and I will make the long dangerous trip up the mountain to the Novo Diamantino work. It has been some time since we were there. The church is growing, with souls being saved and baptized. Brother Edvan and his wife work hard there. She had a bout with leprosy but seems to be cured. This Sunday is Father's Day in Brazil. I am already a great grandfather. The Lord has blessed us with a good life. First by saving our wretched lost souls, then giving us the opportunity to serve him in Brazil for these thirty-one years. We thank the Lord for our family and friends. They are the most precious earthly possessions we have.

We will be coming to the States the end of September for about a four-month furlough. We hope to visit some churches in the West Virginia and Kentucky area in October. We would like to visit some churches in Michigan and Ohio in November, if possible. If you would like us to come, please send us an e-mail or call us at the numbers listed. We should be in the States by the 20th of September, if you want to call the stateside number. Our mailing address in the U.S.A. is: P.O. Box 395, Bardwell, Kentucky 42023. We appreciate your support. God bless you all.

Harold and Ursula Draper