Special Prayer Request: Pastor Valdival
February 18, 2022
Friends and family,
As I write this letter, I am extremely happy to say we are in the process of buying the Bibles for the Guarani Indians. Thanks to all who have helped with this purchase with money and prayers. If you wanted to help in this purchase and have not yet, there is still time. Send your check and designate it to Bibles. Continuing in the thought of Bibles—we sometimes forget the past where many people did not have a Bible and not in their own language. How AWESOME is the God we serve. We now can have a full copy of the Bible and it is in our language. So now we can make that possible for the Guarani Indians.
You have heard this before, but I need to tell you all what we are doing or are not doing. The COVID again disrupted our schedule, but we are going back to Zoom. So, we have two classes scheduled in later February and March. The level of COVID raised to a level 4 so it was better for the professors to go Zoom. These classes are The Old Testament Survey and another elective from the Old Testament. Pray for our professors and the students from these classes.
Barb and I were planning to go to Brazil for these classes but since the level was so high we changed those plans. We are scheduled to go on the 22nd of March, so pray that we do not have to change our plans again. You know that those grandkids are anxious to see us and we, too, are wanting to see them.
I have a special prayer request for my Brazilian missionary brother, Pastor Valdival. He is now in a hospital in a very compromised health situation, and they have diagnosed him with Guillain Barre Syndrome. This is a hospital, very large, with socialized medicine. His daughter has contacted us to keep us updated. He is being held in the hall because of the situation in the hospital and the space needed for the treatment he needs. He is taking his second treatment of plasma to clean the infection out of the blood.
As we continue the Lord’s work that we are do, please pray for us as we are having to make adaptions in the way we are ministering. But thank the Lord the mission and the Word never changes.
Please pray for BFM as they continue to support missionaries and ministry all over the world. We are missionaries who, without the help of BFM, would not be able to carry out the Great Commission. Also continue to pray for the seminary and the students as they study God’s word.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
P.S. – We have moved. Our new address is below.
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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A Move Further South & Seminary Plans
January 17, 2022
Dear friends and family,
Well January is turning into a really busy month. Starting with health issues, our son’s wife Jill was in the hospital for a health issue and contracted COVID-19 and was there for 3 or 4 days. She is home now, better with COVID, but still under the doctor’s care. Continuing with family health problems, Mary Katherine and her family in Brazil are also ill with COVID-19. Mary and her husband Walmir and their youngest Ashley are ill with COVID-19, but their oldest Chelsea is not. Keep both families in your prayers please. Mary’s family had the milder symptoms and are doing well.
Barbara and I are down with the flu, running eyes and nose, and have gone through 3 boxes of tissues. We are now in Florida, and we may have some allergies thrown in the mix.
Barb and I have decided to make Florida our permanent residence. Seems quite a challenge with the move and these health issues. This move will help us with our mission of reaching Brazil with the Seminary. This will make all our back and forth to Brazil less costly. Please pray for us in this transition.
Our plans for the Seminary these next few months are to begin in the last of February and the first of March with in-person classes. Dr. Edge pastor of First Baptist Church of Bastrop, Texas, will be the professor for these two classes (Survey of the Old Testament and Old Testament Elective). How AWESOME is the God we serve.
With the health issues here and in Brazil, please pray for these classes. We together with all of you praying, these classes will be under the blanket of prayer. And with this, everything will be protected by God.
About the Guarani Bible project, there are two Churches in Brazil, and those of you who have sent money, so we are in contact with the publisher to help get the Bibles in the Guarani language. Thanks for your giving and praying for this project.
Please continue praying for us and the ministry as it becomes somewhat more challenging to “keep on keeping on”. Through it all, God is AWESOME!!! Also remember to pray for BFM and all the Churches and Pastors supporting our ministry and others throughout the world.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
P.S. – A special prayer for Barbara as we fall in and over boxes and things in this transition.
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
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
Encouraging Trip to Brazil!
October 26, 2021
Dear friends and family,
This has been an AWESOME month traveling in Brazil. We arrived and went to Caraguatatuba to see the grands and family. My first message preached here was at Caragua Baptist Church where our son-in-law Walmir Quaresma is the Pastor. Always great to be back in the home church. There we have so many sweet memories of establishing this church and all the children that we ministered to, and also all the groups that came there to help in the construction and evangelism around the community. What an AWESOME time we have had there in Caraguatatuba.
The churches of Brasil have had the same challenges as ours here have had. One of those challenges is dealing with COVID. The challenge is getting the word out and now to get the people to come back to in-person services and classes. Here, as in the States, it is predicted many will not return to Church nor Seminary.
However, our Lord is in control and with Him all things are possible.
This trip has been to encourage our students who are attending Seminary. Before COVID our enrollment was nearing 400 students counting all the locations. During the pandemic we have gone down to around 200.
I have been encouraged with the enthusiasm from the different locations where we have visited on this trip. They have demonstrated that they are ready to return to classes.
We have re-organized the classes and with the problems of COVID we have learned how to reach the students with Zoom. And now we will have some classes that are in-person four times per year, and four by Zoom. Through the Zoom classes we will able to reach many more Pastors and Church leaders with classes and instruction. What an AWESOME God we serve!!!
Even though we have had some problems in the pandemic like losing four of our pastors to COVID we know that God is in control. Good things have come out of this also. Because of the pandemic we have been given permission to have more Zoom classes than in-person classes. Because of this we are able to still maintain our quality of instruction and training, reaching more students, and expanding the Seminary.
Our first graduation for our Master’s program will be this coming year. In this Master’s program we are offering two different degrees: a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and a Master in Pastoral Ministries. The Master in Pastoral Ministries will only be offered to Pastors. The schedule for the upcoming year has been discussed with the students and is now on the calendar.
This trip has been wonderfully blessed with renewed contacts, classes scheduled, and many miles traveled. Pastor Derek and I were invited to be speakers in a Bible conference in one of the towns where we have had classes for the Seminary in Nativity da Serra with Pastor Israel. We spent Saturday and Sunday there and went back to Caraguatatuba because it was overly cold where we were. Then to end the trip, I was asked to preach back in Caragua on the Sunday before we left. Barbara and I have had a wonderful time with the grandbabies (they are no longer babies) who are 10 and 13 years of age.
Thanks to all who are our prayer warriors because without all of you we would not be able to do what we are doing. A special thanks to Durbin Memorial Baptist Church and Heritage Baptist Church for helping with this trip financially and to all the Baptist Faith Missions supporters who make each month easier by your financial support and prayers that hold us up when we are too weak to hold ourselves up.
Continue to pray for the missionaries and the work that is being done to take the word to the needy.
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
Two Seminary Classes Planned for October
August 24, 2021
Dear friends and family,
With all the things going on in the world, we all need to stay focused on the main thing: Jesus Christ our Savior, and how we can help others by teaching them about Him.
So, let’s talk about the Seminary and the progress we have been making in Brazil. We had plans made to go in October to have our first face-to-face classes in almost two years but AGAIN the COVID has interrupted our plans. But thanks to the internet and ZOOM, even though the trip has been called off, the classes are going to go on. We will be having the two classes as planned, just in a different venue. We have used the motto of the Marines: Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. Dr. Derek from Lexington and Dr. Edge from Texas will be giving their lectures online. God is so AWESOME in every circumstance. He provides a way if you are faithful to wait on Him.
Pray for these professors, the translator, and the Brazilian pastors that are participating. These Brazilian Pastors are challenged spiritually, financially, and physically. The registering will begin on the 4th of October and will last for two weeks. Pray for the class to be full of open minds and willing spirits.
I am going to include two pictures of one of our biggest classes to graduate with certificates of completion. This was the first four classes that was offered by Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. Just to show that despite all the drawbacks, God has been and still is working within the Seminary.
There is a song that has spoken to me during this time. It is called “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.” It makes me even more determined in my mission to “train Pastors and reach Brazil for Christ”. Pray for us to not lose our vision of reaching Brazil through the Bluegrass Baptist Seminary.
Thanks to Baptist Faith Missions for the support that keeps us going during these difficult times. And thanks to the prayer warriors who constantly pray for us. It is because of all of you that keeps us doing our job of reaching Brazilians for Christ.
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
Dedicated Students in Seminary Classes
Dear friends and family,
What an AWESOME God we serve! I have so much to tell about the problems and blessings and answered prayers it is almost impossible to tell it all in a short letter. But here goes—in April we have completed two virtual Seminary classes. There were two different locations participating: São Paulo and Campins. These cities joined together to take these classes. Normally in São Paulo we have 32 students and in Campins we have 14 students. The virtual classes for April we had 29 students combined. This is an AWESOME blessing considering the problems with COVID—lack of work and lockdowns going on there in Brasil.
We all know that when God is at work the devil will pop up his ugly head when and where he can. To begin with, one of our primary Brasilian leaders and supporters, Pastor Marco de Silva and his wife both contracted COVID. His symptoms were milder than hers, so she has been hospitalized and has been intubated. So please pray for them (more on their conditions after the classes). He, however, took the classes. How AWESOME is that type of dedication.
Another student was still in the hospital yet he took the classes from his hospital bed. Many others have similar stories showing their determination to improve their Pastoral leadership. They are simply amazing, not only overcoming COVID problems, but many others, one of those major problems being financial with job losses and many places being shut down temporarily and others being completely closed.
Through it all God answered prayers. We reached out to various churches and individuals and many donations for these classes came in. We were able, with your help, to grant scholarships to every student in these classes. It is always AWESOME to see God work in these matters.
So let me now give you the testimony of a new student to Bluegrass Baptist Seminary: Matheus Godoy, a new student to BBS who attended the virtual courses offered April 19-23 and 26-30. Previously Matheus attended a Bible College in the town where he lived. He had only taken one course when the COVID pandemic occurred and, due to the pandemic, he lost his job and could no longer pay for any more courses at the Bible College. After several months of waiting and struggling, he was forced to move back home to live with his parents. Discouragement overtook him as he lost faith of fulfilling God’s calling until one of our students and translators, Maycon Ribeiro, shared with him about BBS. Maycon invited Matheus to attend the virtual class being offered in April. Matheus’ discouragement turned into joy, especially when he found out that he had been given a scholarship for not just one course but for BOTH courses due to the donations to support the students in the Seminary. Just when Matheus thought his calling would go unanswered, God provided a way through YOU for that calling to continue.
So let us all give thanks for the contributions given by Churches, Pastors, BFM conference and many others to sponsor these seminary students during their very trying times. AWESOME is the God we serve. Two classes completed, all passed, all received scholarships—that makes for an AWESOME month.
Pastor Marcos is recovering very well and his wife who was 6 weeks hospitalized, intubated, and later tracked, is now home recovering—PRAYER WORKS!!!
We have scheduled 2 more virtual classes in June and will need help for some more scholarships for these students. Barbara and I will be leaving for Brasil on the 3rd of June to prepare for the next in country fall classes. Please pray for us and our protection from COVID as we travel internationally.
Once again THANKS for your financial support as we continue to follow God’s calling in our lives.
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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Praying for Brazilian Pastors & Brothers
Friends and family,
I cannot say it has been a very busy month but I have had the privilege of getting to pray more for our Brazilian Pastors and brothers. There is one in particular and his name is Daniel. I made his acquaintance in Campinas, São Paulo in our Seminary class. He is a very active pastor and is working in three missions—quite an active pastor. He has been in the hospital with COVID for the past four weeks. He is now off the ventilator and is showing marked improvement. We have been able to follow his recovery through family and other Pastors. God is AWESOME.
Sometimes I feel a little guilty in that here in America we are getting the vaccine for COVID and other countries are so slow in gaining access to the same medicine.
We have been able to visit Virginia Beach where we have supporters. In the past we have had many visitors from the churches there. They have helped with the missions there and the ministry to the people. It still amazes the people in Brasil that people from America would use their vacation to come to work with them. What an AWESOME God we serve.
We have our tickets for our trip to Brasil for seminary classes in São Paulo. However, we are hearing that there is no improvement in the pandemic. But we all know who is in control and He will let us return at the appropriate time.
Please keep us in your prayers as we are on hold with our plans for Seminary and ministry to Brasil.
Many thanks to all who keep us in your prayers. Please continue to pray for the Seminary, the teachers, the students, and for Brasil.
Thanks to all of you who contribute to BFM and all the missionaries that are supported by those contributions.
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
Read more
A Challenging Month Prepping for Classes
Dear friends and family,
Some months are what we consider more productive than others. This is one that has been a challenge. Limited mobility (broken ankle) and the China virus, of which our country and all the world is being challenged. So, we are working to establish another virtual class for our seminary group in São Paulo. This is the group that is closer to completing the 12 classes for a degree or a certification in Pastoral Ministries. These students, Pastors, missionaries, and church workers are also challenged as we are challenged. We, trying to get the class set up, and they, trying to be able to have the funds and the time to participate.
We are now permitted to have a certain number of virtual classes because of the China virus. So our proposal is to have five classes set up by the end of the 2021 summer. We have completed one class: Systematic Theology, book by Wayne Grudem. The professor was Dr. Coleman and the class was given in São Paulo and in Africa. The virtual classes are going to increase our outreach immensely. How AWESOME is our Lord, taking bad things and converting them into something good. We cannot brag on Him enough! Even though we have a few problems to overcome, all things are possible. Here is a good time to interject a particular prayer request: pray for the setting up, organization, and preparation by our pastors and other technologies we will encounter for these classes.
We are somewhat hesitant to purchase our tickets for Brasil as of yet since we are in doubt as to when we can travel in-country. We were hoping for the end of the year; however, that has been delayed until April 2021 now. Our plans now are to purchase our tickets for the spring of 2021 and praying that we do not have to cancel and reschedule again. We are still waiting to get reimbursed for the tickets in March. Please make this one of your prayer requests.
As I am traveling in Brasil it gives me opportunities to reacquaint myself with the Pastors and to know the problems that they are encountering and the struggles they have to overcome. Before and after classes and during our break time I am discussing all these things and getting their ideas as to how we can overcome these problems. I also use this time to encourage them and to pray with them. I don’t have all the answers but I can work with them in these areas. So I am asking you for your prayers for the Brasilian pastors and church workers to keep on keeping on in the vocation they have been called to accomplish: His mission —Go—Teach—Reach. This is going to be and is accomplished because of you. Your prayerful support and financial help is more than AWESOME!!!!
Continue to pray for us as we were chomping at the bits to get back to Brasil to carry on with God’s work there.
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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