(Please forgive us for this lag in communicating with you. We tried unsuccessfully for the first few days to get "on line", only to find out that I needed to get the AOL service from AOL Brasil. In the mean time, I was told of a free Brasilian server (similar to Juno.com). I downloaded it, and have had limited success in sending messages connecting to it and going to either the North American AOL.com or MSN.com websites. In any event, please bear with us as we are working this out.)

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! It is with great joy and mixed emotions that I write you from rainy (at least today) Brazil. I cannot describe the feelings that I have now that we are finally on the field after nearly two and a half years of iteneration. But suffice it to say that I am elated, exhausted, and exasperated all at the same time (is that possible?)...I'm elated to finally be here, exhausted from the trip and the difference in time zones, and exasperated at not being able to communicate.

The events of our voyage here is a testimony to your faithful prayers on our behalf and to my tendency toward having an "orphan" heart. Yet we stand amazed at how the Lord brought everything in place down to the smallest detail. When we arrived at the airport in TriCities TN to depart...with 26 boxes all weighing in at near 70 lb., four large suitcases, ten carry-on pieces and our Australian Blue Heeler puppy tucked away in her pet porter, I thought everything was "A-OK". I had carefully taped each box securely, I had planned ahead and contacted Delta for box sizes and weight limits...I even had the travel agent warn the airline that I was bringing extra baggage and a dog!

The sovereign Lord, though, sometimes has to take us out of our comfort zones to let us know that He is God and we are not. This is a lesson He continually must teach me, and our travel day was no exception.

When I got up to the ticket counter, they looked at me, then looked at my boxes, then looked back at me with this bewildered stare and said, "Can I help you?" But really they were thinking, "You must be crazy if you think we're going to let you fly with all this junk." Then the ticket agent told me that for all of our boxes to get to our final destination in Brazil, I must fly on the next flight that takes off in less than twenty minutes and the rest of the luggage would accompany Lynn and the kids on their flight. That meant that I would have to leave my sobbing wife and children there and meet them four hours later in Atlanta. In my heart of hearts, I began to sink and doubt. What if their flight is delayed? What if all of the boxes don't make it?

You know something, though? It's the most wonderful thing. He uses these things to bring me to see my rebelliousness and hardheadedness, then He lovingly forgives me even as I repent, and finally bestows inexhaustible blessings on me. What a privilege it is to serve the living God!

As you can tell, everything worked out fine. Lynn and the children arrived with no problems in Atlanta. Our overnight flight to Sao Paulo was uneventful. Every single bag we sent was waiting on us at the baggage claim with four young porters eagerly awaiting to help me get them all to customs (and eagerly awaiting a tip...). We got everything over to customs, I took out my baggage list to give to the agent as the porters loaded each piece onto the x-ray conveyor belt, and I began to worry. However, the Lord Almighty had other plans. The customs agent asked me (in English), "Why are you moving here?" I replied, "We're missionaries." The agent smiled, then glanced quickly over the list, then said, "You're free to go." He didn't ask any questions about the contents of the boxes (or even questioned the fact I had three more boxes than my list covered), nor did he open one box! The tears welled up in my eyes, and I just stood and praised the Lord Jesus.

We went out into the lobby area to find our friends Valdeci, Meire, Danillo, and Jader Santos (who now live in Sao Paulo), and the driver of the bus from Hope Unlimited who would take us to Campinas. The bus driver went to retrieve the bus, and we all moved the boxes outside. I began to doubt again...what if the bus is too small to accomodate all the luggage and us as well? Again, my feeble fears were dashed to pieces by the my Redeemer, the Rock of Ages. The bus that pulled up was like the size of a Greyhound, with the doors underneath big enough to hold everything! On top of that, Valdeci decided to drive along behind us and go to Campinas to see our new home. We had a great time "catching up" and just reminicing old times.

The apartment is great...roomy (3 bedrooms-2 bathrooms) and we are beginning to get things settled in. There is a grocery store less than a block away, and there is a park nearby to walk the dog and a place for the kids to skate.

What a blessing it is to have the Lord on our side, despite our fears and moments of doubt and despair. It is also a great blessing to have so many of you as prayer warriors who often hold us up to the throne of grace...please know that we love and appreciate each one of you.

Soli Deo Gloria,
David for all