September 4, 2006

Dear Fellow-Saints,

By the time you read this we will have been in Brazil about two weeks. Our return was delayed for over a month due to a minor surgery I needed to have done now according to the doctors at the V. A. Hospital in Marion, Illinois. Tomorrow the stitches will be removed here in Paducah, Kentucky. We have tickets already bought for the 19th of this month to leave from St. Louis. We are anxious to arrive back on the field. Our time here has been wonderful. We were in many churches and drove many miles. The Lord gave us journey mercies and everyone was so nice wherever we went. We thank all of you for your support to us and to Baptist Faith Missions.

This past week we lost two of our most faithful men in two of the nine churches and missions in Mato Grosso. Brother Luis Antonio lost his five year battle with cancer. Brother Jorge Masudo went on to be with the Lord due to a botched up surgery on his intestine. He was a life support machine for 23 days before his two children asked that it be removed so he could go on to his Saviour. His children are not saved but he was a great testimony to them. He was wonderful Christian. He was a Buddhist and the Lord allowed us to win him to Christ some 20 years ago. We will miss these two but we certainly would not call them back.

Last month I wrote that on December 30th we would baptize eight souls in Novo Diamantino. Actually we will baptize ten on September 30th in Novo Diamantino. We plan to finish the building we have under roof at the Altos do Coxipo Baptist Church. Next month we will know about how much it will cost to get it closed up so that it can be used. Also the four Sunday School rooms we want to build at two of the mission will be calculated as well. Some have expressed a desire to help us on these projects. Pray and give if you are led to do so. We will do our best to do the most with what the Lord supplies. May the Lord bless America and especially His people. God bless all of you. Pray for us.

Yours in Christ,

Harold & Ursula Draper