Nothing “Just Happens”
December 30, 2023
Dear friends and family,
With God nothing “just happens”—and so it is with our seminary. I thought I could give you some insight on how the seminary began.
I was with some Brazilian pastors at a morning meeting (breakfast). The topic of sermon preparation was being discussed and I asked them about their preparation time. I was not expecting the answer I got. The three pastors that I was talking to replied like this, “When we get to church on Sunday morning, we sit, and each of us open the Bible and read the passage where we open. Then we decide which of us has the best reading and that one is the one who will give the sermon.” Well, after I picked up my jaw from the floor and tried not to show my shock, I started to seek God and the Holy Spirit’s guidance on how to help in this situation. The pastor who I was working with and I began to hold classes in our church. We invited pastors and others who were interested in studying the Bible to better present the gospel.
Then we got a visit from a church in the States and their new pastor asked me, “What do you need here in Caraguatatuba?” My immediate response, “A seminary.”
This was the beginning of Caragua Seminary. We got pastors to come down and teach the classes, and there were four planned classes per year: Old and New Testament, Theology and Pastoral Ministries. We gave certificates of completion for each class.
After many growing pains, trial and errors, searching for pastors who could pay for their own way to Brazil, and doubts of how we could accomplish this mission, the Caragua Baptist Seminary came into existence. This provided excellent training to pastors and church leaders empowering them to boldly and effectively spread the truth of the gospel.
Then, in trying to get the Seminary certified in Brazil, we had to change the name to an American name, and thus Caragua Baptist Seminary became Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. The certificate evolved into diplomas with accreditation and all professors have Doctorates and PhD’s from the States. AWESOME!!!! Just another in the many miracles. With God all things are possible!!!
This is and has been an evolving ministry and continues to be due to the Lord. This year our plans are to go into the next phase—our PhD program! God is AWESOME!!! None of this is possible without you and your continued prayers for each of the Pastors and their continued work in the seminaries and our continued health as we go to Brazil to carry on the work for the seminary there. And we want to thank BFM for their continued faith in our work there in Brazil.
If you would like to contribute to Bluegrass Baptist Seminary just designate your offering to Bluegrass Baptist Seminary through Alex and Barbara Hensley to Baptist Faith Missions.
In His service,
AJ and Barbara Hensley
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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Bluegrass Baptist Seminary Adding PhD Program
November 20, 2023
Dear friends and family,
This month we made a trip to Brazil to attend a missions conference. We were granted the privilege of telling about the Bluegrass Baptist Seminary to over 200 Pastors and Missionaries from various countries. We had a wonderful time and the Lord we serve was AWESOME with His presence there. It was even better than we had prayed for in that we got to talk to everyone there and many were interested in participating in Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. For example, there was a missionary from Argentina and they have a Seminary there in Argentina, and want all 15 of their teachers/Pastors to enroll in Bluegrass Baptist Seminary’s Master’ s program. Many of their Pastors/ teachers have completed a four-year Seminary but their schools are not accredited; but for a window of time they can take a State course to get that training accredited, and that is important because we require an accredited diploma to enroll in our Master’s program.
Also present was one of the lead pastors from Temple Baptist Church in São Paulo City and we got to sit down with him and plan another graduation for the pastors there in São Paulo. Nine of them have finished their thesis and are now ready to receive their diplomas. It will be a grand ceremony for the Master’s of Pastoral Ministries, which is only given to pastors. AWESOME!
Also in January 2024 we will be initiating into Bluegrass Baptist Seminary an accredited Ph. D program. AWESOME IS THE GOD WE SERVE!!!! NOTE: we already have two students ready to enroll, one of which is a missionary to the Jews in São Paulo City.
We were able to set up a table with all our information about the Seminary and the classes for the coming year. The classes begin in January. Our family there in Caraguatatuba were a big help in manning the tables and talking to those interested in the Seminary.
As you know, it has been an uphill battle to get this Seminary running. Many prayers, tears and much sweat and dedication of our professors (all of whom are doctors and PHDs and are from the USA). These Professors donate their time as a gift to the Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. THANKS!!!
All this being said, it would have not been possible without Baptist Faith Missions and all of the AWESOME people who give regularly and pray for the missionaries and the works of Baptist Faith Missions.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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God at Work in Garça
July 18, 2023
Dear friends and family,
As Barbara and I are traveling here in Brazil the climate is very different. In São Paulo City it is somewhat warm, in Caraguatatuba it is a little bit cooler but comfortable; however, in Garça…woah! — it is very cold! So, we had to find jackets, 2or 3 shirts, and other clothes that helped with the cold, and we are not yet done with our traveling. I was just not ready for this cold weather. We are planning to go to Rio de Janiero where we will present our Seminary. We will encounter a different part of Brazil, so we do not know how the climate will be.
While in Garça we were able to renew some old friendships and acquaintances. Boy how some of them have changed. (ha ha). However, the biggest surprise was when I preached Sunday night. This was the first “almost full” church I have been in since COVID. God is still at work and on His throne. Pastor Surgeno is the Pastor of the Church on the site of the Orphanage where the Alpha and Omega Home was located. Now for another blessing in this meeting: I encountered 7 of the young men who were in our charge while we worked in the Orphanage. Talk about changes! These young men were…beautiful (for lack of a better word)—and I am talking about inside and out. In their midst were some who were married with families, some were professionals, but the most gratifying was that all of them were active in the church, leading the music, playing instruments, and bringing their family to church. These young men all had jobs and were going about the business of raising a family and serving God. Just how AWESOME can things get! These were “our boys” at the orphanage and they still called me “Pa”. You can’t imagine the pleasure that this brought to my heart.
And then I get to preach and I am on a cloud. This was probably one of the most pleasurable messages I have had the pleasure of preaching and one of the pleasures was that my granddaughter Chelsea translated for me. You talk about the Holy Spirit working—what a night. Forget the cold, God is at work!!!
Not all is wonderful—I got the “grippe”. For those of us who don’t live in Brazil, that is a cold. So I got cold medicine and cough syrup, and got back on the road. It is an all-day drive back it Caraguatatuba.
Planning several meetings and another message or two after Garça. I am still on a cloud—between preaching and telling about the Seminary, I feel 48 years old again. God is AWESOME, WONDERFUL, AMAZING; there are just not enough adjectives to describe our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God is good all the time and all the time God is good!!
Pray for us as we travel, for our health and safety.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Celebrating 8 Years of Caragua Baptist Church
March 16, 2022
Dear friends and family,
Time seems to be so short and seems that I am always running behind (this is maybe because of my maturity—age).
We have just finished two seminary classes in São Paulo taught by Pastor Raymond Edge of First Baptist Church of Bastrop, Texas. The classes were Old Testament Survey and an elective from the Old Testament, the book of Jonah. Our plans were to have these classes in person and to do zoom classes also; however, circumstances (COVID and finances) only allowed us to do the zoom classes.
Barbara and I are planning to be in Brazil for March and April. We will be visiting family in Caraguatatuba, São Paulo. While there, I will be preaching in a meeting at Caragua Baptist Church for the 8-year anniversary of the church. This will be the 26th and the 27th of March. It is AWESOME to participate in celebrating these 8 years of this church spreading God’s Word in Brazil.
While preaching and visiting in Caragua, I will also be visiting São Paulo and meeting with several pastors and two churches. São Paulo has just lowered its COVID 19 level, and this will allow me to travel more freely.
Please be praying for these pastors as their churches have lots of fear about COVID-19 and their financial ability to properly fight the pandemic. Not so different as from here, but there somewhat more severe.
The Bibles for the Guarani Indians have not arrived as of yet. I am hoping to be able to deliver them while there. How AWESOME will it be to be able to read God’s word in their own language. Pastor Valdival, the missionary working with these Indians, is now out of the hospital and doing well. We have been friends and have worked with him for 10 years. We were happy for him to get out of the hospital and hope to be able to see him when we are there.
Dr. Derek and I along with our wives will be going to a Pastors Conference in Recife representing Bluegrass Baptist Seminary and the work being done, talking to the pastors and those in attendance on July 18–22. Pray for this upcoming trip as we work to continue to teach God’s Word in Brazil. Thanks to all of you for the continuing prayers and contributions for the work God has called us to do here in Brazil. Without both of those we would have a greater problem doing our work. Thanks to Baptist Faith Missions and all the churches who support our missionaries. Keep up the good work.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Ministering to the Guarani Indians
November 20, 2021
Dear friends and family,
Since our trip to Brazil last month was a very long one, I thought I would just continue my relating about that trip. As I told you before, we met with many pastors and encouraged them and the other students, but I did not tell you how they were an encouragement to us as we traveled around. The stories that I heard this trip was one of how so many were thankful for the seminary and the training that they have received, and also how they are anticipating the next classes. You can only imagine how this has blessed our hearts to know that we are following God’s will in the continuation of this Seminary.
When we had finished the meetings with the Pastors about the new schedules, we had some extra time, so we went to visit our Pastor friend Valdival and his wife Rosa. They are the Missionaries to the Guarani Indians located near the city or Paraty, just over the state line of São Paulo into Rio de Janairo about 3 hours from Caraguatatuba (the city of our last church plant). We helped minister to this tribe with our Church in Caraguatatuba.
They are a group of Indians who have been placed on a reservation and are very much in need of all the basics: food, clothing, and other life necessities. They live in mud huts or other pieced-together houses (houses that they have gathered bits and pieces from everywhere). The mud houses are made of bamboo and mud and the process takes many different layers with time between the applications. The floors are just dirt, and many are just one room. Electric is furnished by the Government but there is no heat nor air nor running water. Many of the older Indians speak only their native language, but the younger ones also speak Portuguese.
While in our last church there in Caraguatatuba we visited this tribe with our church people and groups from the States, taking them some of those basic needs that I was talking about, and bringing the gospel to them also. We were encouraged to know that 7 of the tribe accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Here is where Barbara and I need some extra help. We want to purchase Bibles in their native language. We were able to do this a few years back, but there are none of these Bibles left. The wife of one of the women of the tribe said that she was the proud owner of three of these Bibles, but when someone from the tribe sees them, they have begged her to give them one. Needless to say, she has not refused to give two of her stash, but she says that she hides her last one now so she does not feel guilty for not giving it to those who ask. Because these Bibles have to be translated into their language and be special ordered they are expensive. Pray with us to be able to get these Bibles into the Caragua Baptist Church and then into the hands of the Guarani Indians.
After the holidays, we would like to start a fund to purchase Bibles for this tribe. If you or your church would like to help with this purchase, please donate to the Indian Bible fund. We thank you in advance for your help.
As always, we covet your prayers for us in general and for our health and safety as we minister and travel. Miracles happen because of prayers. Also pray for BFM and all who are involved everyone who contributes and all our missionaries. Remembering Philippians 4:6 says pray about everything.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
A Visit to Caraguatatuba
July 22, 2021
Dear friends and family,
It has been totally AWESOME to have been in Brazil and then good to have come back to the States. Brazil is about where the United States was about 9 months ago with the COVID virus. Our travel was restricted, but while there, we found the enforcement was loosely applied.
The Church services were observing social distancing and using masks. It was a pleasure to get to preach in all services and to also visit other Churches to tell about the Seminary. Also was able to preach in those other Churches (while using no mask).
The COVID in Brasil is limiting the in-person classes and it is also limiting the classes financially as the Pastors are unable to work their second job and that limits their income.
While we were in Caraguatatuba, we were able to visit the widow that helped us as we began the last Church plant. It was on the very porch that this picture was taken that we had the first services. We remained there until we were able to rent a building. We were also able to talk with some more people that are interested in the Seminary classes. We are looking at holding these classes in the Hotel where we have held Pastors conferences in years past. The owner of the Hotel has always worked with us when we have asked for his help. He has also attended our classes in years past.
We have not let this COVID stop us from teaching the classes. We have used the same methods that many pastors here in the States have used: the internet. We have had 4 zoom classes but the pastors are chomping at the bit to get back to the face-to-face classes. Pray for the upcoming classes and the people who will be impacted by these classes. In everything we do, we see the AWESOME hand of God.
Thank you in advance for your continued prayers for the Pastors and others that will be continuing their learning about our Savior and how to spread the GOOD news about our returning Savior.
Continue praying for our granddaughters Chelsea and Ashley as they are going through some serious health problems. Also pray for their parents as they search for the right doctors to treat them.
Thank you for your continued support for us in prayer and financially. Thank you to Baptist Faith Missions for believing in us and for always giving us the added backing to continue the good fight.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
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A Look Back
Dear friends and family,
Well, this month, we wives have been asked to write the letters. So, I have been thinking of my time as a missionary wife and all the different things I have done. But my mind returns to now and how everything has been put on hold because of the pandemic. I have been struggling with what to write in this letter so I think I will do a quick look back.
When we first came to Brasil our goal was to be helpers to Odali and Kathy Barros. We went to Vera Cruz, São Paulo, Brasil. There I walked to their house every day to help Kathy with the boys they had in their home. This was the start of the Orphanage.
Now I want to tell you that we went to Brasil without knowing the language, which is Portuguese. This is not something that I would recommend for a new missionary. So, we encountered many things that were language barriers in our day-to-day lives. For example, we learned how to say “bread”, but went to get some and did not know the word for how many we wanted, but we could hold up how many fingers. One day I wanted to make some bread and went to the store to get flour, but did not know the word for “flour”, so I looked for something that might indicate that it was flour but did not find anything. And this time, I could not figure out how to motion anything for that word. These are just two of the many challenges I faced.
I spent the majority of my days alongside Kathy, so she was my translator. But when I went home, we only had each other to communicate with. It was so funny. When a Brasilian tried to talk to us and we did not respond because we did not understand, they would just repeat it…only louder because they thought we did not hear them.
We moved later to the next city as Odali and Kathy moved to be closer to the Church and to have more space for the children. In these two places, my job remained the same: helper in the daily routine. We stayed in the house that we were able to rent for some time. Then in this town, we were to be able to get the use of an old abandoned hospital because the house that Odali and Kathy had was quickly getting too small.
In this place my duties became more intense as AJ and I became house parents to various boys. So then 24/7 we were in charge of the care of these boys. Their clothes, the managing of their chores, their studies, their bedtimes—well, you understand—all in. There were times I would sit up all night with a sick one, bake cookies at the last minute for a school party, etc.
After several years in Garça, we were invited to help another missionary couple start another orphanage. But after some time in this place it became clear that the Mayor of the town did not want Americans opening an orphanage in his town, so God moved us again.
This time we visited Odali’s brother and were invited to help him in his church. We have spent over 14 years in this town: Caraguatatuba. My work changed from a mother to boys at an orphanage to wife of a pastor. But in each phase of our lives, my main focus has been on the children. Whether it be in an orphanage or in a church, children naturally gravitated to me. It did not seem to matter that I am very strict with them; they seem to want this in their lives.
We have been just like all of you for some time, quarantined in a home in Florida, because it was from there that we were going to fly to Brasil. So, when this pandemic is over, our trips to Brasil for the Seminary will begin again.
I will close this letter with a story a Pastor here in Florida told me recently. He said when he heard at a Baptist Faith Missions Conference that AJ had been accepted as a missionary with BFM, he just shook his head. He thought AJ would make a good missionary, but he was sure that I would not last over a month. This pastor telling me this asked for my forgiveness at the Conference this year. Well I have, through God’s grace been on the field with AJ for 23 years. And with God’s grace, I think that I have a few more in me.
Thank each and every one of you for your faithful prayers and financial support—because missionaries do not do this on our own, it takes ALL of us working together.
In His service,
Barbara Hensley
Contact Info:
AJ & Barbara Hensley
Cell #s — AJ: 859-539-2302 / Barb: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Prepared in Advance for What God Would Have Her Do
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
This month we missionary wives have been asked to write the letters for the mission sheets, so here I go with the many memories.
This year we will be completing 22 years in Brasil. It seems as though it was just yesterday that AJ started his campaign to convince me to go with him to be missionaries to Brasil. As many of you all have heard, in the beginning I was hard to convince, but God is faithful, and He worked on my heart. So, when AJ told me that he was going before the Church on Sunday night to tell the Church he was surrendering to be a missionary, God put these words in my mouth, “I am ready”.
I have not regretted—not once—that response. Our first place of service was in Garça, Brasil, with Odali and Kathy Barros. I helped Kathy with the children and AJ worked with Odali. There I used all the various skills that I had learned in Owsley County, Kentucky, as the daughter of Pastor H. W. Baker, who was a mission pastor. We stayed in Garça for 6 years being parents to up to 21 boys. There are many stories that could be told of those years. Needless to say, we have many children who call us Mom and Dad there in Brasil. We share that honor with their biological parents and with Odali and Kathy. Of all the boys that went through our care, some have their own businesses, some are lawyers, others are in the business world, and another is finishing his studies to become a veterinarian.
Me and some of the girls with the pillowcase dresses that the American ladies made.
Have you ever washed clothes on a wash board? I did as a teenager and again in Garça. Have you ever had to heat your water on a stove or in a big tub outside? I did as a teenager and again in Garça. Have you ever had to walk to Church? I did as a child and again in Garça. As I said before, God prepared me early for what He would be having me do later. In the words of AJ, “God is AWESOME!”
This is me with children at Jacareí.
After Garça, we moved to Jacarei, Sao Paulo, where we had plans to open another orphanage. As we worked through the paperwork, we started a mission church and there I continued to work with children. We had several families in the neighborhood who did not have transportation to get to a Church. They also had children, so I worked with them on Saturday and Sunday in Bible schools and Sunday schools. But after two years we realized that we were not going to be able to get the approval from the mayor for the orphanage, so AJ began to pray for a sign to stay or move on.
Maybe you have heard this story, but God answered these prayers with a sequester. You see, we were living on a farm way out in the country and were a target for theft. This gave AJ his answer, so we moved to Caraguatatuba. There we worked with Pastors in two churches and then we opened a new work there.
This is Matheus the young man who influenced our location for Caragua Baptist Church.
My service for the Lord continued to be with children. With the help of one of the boys from the orphanage in Garça who came to help us in Caraguatuba, we had Saturday Bible school in the homes of various members.
As we began to look for a place to open a new work, one of the children from these Saturday Bible schools, who started as a babe in arms in these Bible schools, stopped us on the streets. He stopped us on the street and said, “Mrs. Barb, when are you coming back to our neighborhood to teach us?” So, guess what that sealed our decision as to where to start our new church.
Caragua Baptist Church came to life in this young man’s neighborhood. There again my job was with children. God sent many, many children to our location and we love them all.
So my time in Brasil has been an adventure where I have sat up all night rocking a sick boy, planned a wedding for one of the boys in our care, taken in people who are down on their luck, women who have been abandoned by their husbands and grandmothers whose homes are being flooded, and counseled women in their day-to-day problems…to name a few of the things that God has let me do.
I just want to say, “Thank You, God,” for working in my heart to make me willing to go on this adventure with AJ Hensley. We serve an AWESOME God. Thank you for all these memories and we look forward to many more.
In His Service,
Barbara Hensley
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online
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