August 29, 2007

Greetings to all our friends and supporters!

We hope that all is well with each of you. We are doing great. There are times when things get tough, but God gives us the strength to keep moving to the mark set before us. Things can get pretty crazy when you have so many people under one roof living together as a family. Well, to be more precise, it would be like forty families living under the same roof! We thank God for His presence in our lives and our ministry. It is by His mercy and grace that we have the strength to keep up the work and our spirits. We appreciate all of those that pray for us constantly. Please don't quit. We would not make it without your prayers. For those who also faithfully support the ministry, we thank you. May God bless you as you bless the ministry.

Well, we have lots of news to share with you. Some of you are probably not aware that we have two homes. The homes are in Garca, Sao Paulo, and in Manaus, Amazonas. They are both called Alpha and Omega. The one in Manaus is called "Lar de criancas Alpha e Omega do Amazonas." We have had the home in Sao Paulo for twenty years. We started in our home in Vera Cruz and then moved to Garca. We have been in these facilities for almost ten years. The home in Garca normally has around 100 to 120 kids, ages 0 to 18 years old, and 16 - 20 adults who live here at the home and during the day, another 25 to 30 workers (teachers and manual labor). In Manaus there are two couples and a young man that live at the home. There they care for fifteen kids. These kids are under 12 years old. The home in Manaus does not have its own support. We send them money for their finances. The cost of living in Manaus is double what it is here in Garca. Vegetables and fruit are many times 300% more. That's right, at least 300% more. I'll give you an example of one simple item: tomatoes, we pay about forty cents for two pounds here where we live, and in Manaus, for a lesser quality, you pay $4.00 for two pounds.

We are working on some projects which will help them make some money to cover their expenses. Fish is a big thing in the Amazon, so we are working on raising fish to sell. We have built several artificial lakes. The land there we have had for many years. Kathy and I bought it over fifteen years ago. Actually, we traded a tractor for the land. It was in the middle of nowhere when we got it. Today, there is already electricity, phone, and a pretty nice road all the way to the home. I just got back from six weeks there. We have finished an industrial kitchen, library, and a computer room. We have two houses where the kids live. A couple lives in each of the homes. Both couples used to live at the home here in Garca when they were single. It is a blessing seeing them help others now.

There have been several people and some churches in Manaus that have helped in these projects. We thank all those who have helped. May God Bless each of you.

Odali and Kathy Barros