Hendry Update July 2015

Blemished Blessings ...if we weren't so blessed Satan would have noting to attack.  Our desire to send a short email update has overcome the paper mailing which will soon follow.  Our first two months have been full of running back and forth between our home and Fortaleza (9 one way trips 5hrs each) completing Levi’s documents, finding a car, reuniting with people, and getting settled.  I (Todd) am sending this while I am in Fortaleza because our internet and telephone service is now completely down in Croatá.  Our clothes washer and our new car aren’t in any better shape.  Welcome back to the land where everything seems to be “maintenance challenged.”  While the joy of finding a 7 seater car in our price range is still fresh in our hearts, the sentiments somewhat started fading when our new car’s engine started cutting out on us as we started up the mountain to Croatá.  It stopped 11 Times.  Since we purchased the car from a dealer with a 3 month motor/transmission guarantee, I made trip to Fortaleza to get it looked at by the dealer’s mechanic.  It seems that the fuel injector pump is going out at mid to high RPMs and needs to be replaced.  This could take over a week to replace so Julie and the kids have agreed to work together while daddy is in Fortaleza.  The Lord is doing a good job of taking care of us while we are apart.  Everyone is in good spirits and good health and the kids are enjoying some summer vacation.  There is a good chance that I might head back to Croatá early this week to deliver our co-worker Neuma and our friend Laura Knott who is coming in for a visit.  It has been helpful that dealer has let me borrow one of his little cars to scoot around town and go back interior if needed.  This also gives me a chance to run around the big city and search for some important parts & items that will help us be better prepared.  Since July is vacation season here too, we are planning various activities to revive our relationships with many of the kids that we have lost contact with.  August plans have us starting our regular activities back up in full force.  Hopefully by then most of the big things will be repaired and we will be able to stay and work in Croatá for a good long time.  Here is a Psalm that Julie read yesterday that has been a blessing to us both: “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.  Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,  for as many years as we have seen trouble.  May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.  May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.” Pslam 90:14-17   Levi sleeps fine in his new car seat, in our new car, with is mouth wide open. Our new car can hold us all much better than our old truck "Bucket."

Countdown to May 12

Dear Friends and Family,

We are in KC on our last trip before we return to Brazil.  May 12, 6:30 p.m., is our date to fly back to Brazil.  This has been an eventful, difficult and amazing year.  God has and is providing for us.  He has kept us safe. We see His hand in all that has happened and know He is good and kind and loving in all He does.

As of our March Statement, we have 91.6% of our needed support.  There are a few people who have promised support but we didn't see it on that statement, so the true total may be a little higher.  So many have truly surprised us with their support, whether starting to support us for the first time or increasing their support.  Wow!  Thank you!  We are truly blessed and humbled to serve the Lord with you.  Every one of you are our partners in ministry in Croatá and you are welcome anytime you want to come down to visit on your own or bring a group down!  We would love to have you!

So the countdown is on.  This is our last trip to KC and we are putting on our own little Send-Off at the Avant Guesthouse on Monday, April 13, from 5-9.  If you are able to come, even for just a few minutes, please don't hesitate to come.  We would love to see you.  We want pictures of all our beloved friends here and will be praying for you diligently while overseas.

God has provided a dear friend, Jennie Kimmel, who will be accompanying us on our trip to Brazil in order to help us with the kids while we deal with customs and baggage, etc.  An extra hand and support.  We are truly thankful for her.

Once we return to St. Louis on the 18th, we will be busy finishing the last minute packing.  We are almost done moving out of the trailer.  As much as we enjoyed our time there, we knew we needed to get all our belongings in one place, Todd's mother's home, in order to pack.  Plus, with the severe weather situation, we were pretty nervous.  Yesterday, Michaela, Samuel, Levi and I were at the trailer when the tornado sirens went off.  We ran to the church and sat in there for awhile until the siren went off.  Thankfully, nothing happened, but poor Samuel was trembling with fright.  We are more than half way done with the packing and our goal is to be done soon, so that we can spend more time with you.  We would love to see as many as possible before we leave.  If you would like to see us before we leave let us know, we'd love to fit in a time of prayer and fellowship with you.  Just reply to this e-mail, or call us at 636-697-0348.

Praise:

• The Lord continues to provide and protect
• Our dear faithful prayer and financial supporters.  Where would we be without your ministry to us!?
• For Jennie's offer to come to Brazil to help out and for those who have given to cover her expenses for the trip.
• The Clarks and Neuma have been able to share the Gospel using the Wordless Book in two schools in the municipality of Croatá, totaling over 380 kids.  We are excited to be involved in this when we go back!

Prayer Requests:

• Travels and farewells--very difficult for everyone.  Thankfully, heaven is our true home.
• The balance of our support to be raised before we leave
• Todd's mom is having eye surgery on May 1st, please pray for her recovery.  She will have to be face down for 4 days post-surgery.  Thankfully, we will be here to help her.
• Sale of our van here
• Transitions--for us, for the kids, for those we leave behind.
• All the logistics in Brazil--transportation to and from Croatá before we sell the truck, sale of our truck, transferring money for the purchase of our new truck, finding a new truck that will be dependable and a good price, rearranging our house for the addition of a new family member we didn't expect when we left, etc.
• We would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance to share the Gospel with many in Croatá.  We are excited and looking forward to reconnecting with the children, with their parents, with our friends and acquaintances, and meeting new people. 
• We would have wisdom in follow-up with sharing the Gospel in the schools.  How do we proceed with those who have heard?  
• We would have wisdom in time management.
• Most importantly, that during this time of busyness, we would not neglect our time in the Word of God and would not allow stress to dictate our relationships with God and each other.  

Thank you for your prayers, dear ones.  Your love and kindness overwhelm us.  Thank you.

Serving together with you,

Todd and Julie Hendry

2015 Plans Underway New ideas, goals and blessings One of the great things about swapping calendars each year is that you get to start with a clean slate.  It is like Paul said, "...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:13-14).  Even this new style update has been something that I have been working on for quite some time.  By using MailChimp I should be able to track and manage our emails better and by cleaning up my email list some of you are getting this for the first time in a long while.  It is to our great encouragement and blessing that we currently have less than 20% support remaining to raise to get us back on the field.  (If you have a church that might like to join us in this ministry please let me know and I can make the contact.)  We have already started our travels and soon we will be headed back north for a visit to Maine which will include a stop by the Brazilian Consulate of Chicago.  We have to complete Levi's permanent visa process by applying in person.  All of these things will be covered more in depth in our next Newsletter Update.  (Please respond if you want to receive our Newsletter and have not received one in the past 6 months as we still have many bad address.)  Our prayer is that the Lord's encouragement to us is also shared by many others so that we can all reach this dark world with the light of Christ.  He is the one who constantly gives us a new start to "press on" and the growing hope to "win the prize."

Levi Needs some help but he already takes a pretty good selfie. How sweet (and easy) it is to build a gingerbread house.  All you need is kids and a kit.

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