Furlough time is coming … again! January the first of 2004 we arrived back in Brazil for another term. After some months of getting settled in we took this picture.

The Lord has been merciful to use us in His vineyard. He used us to not just organize churches but to also begin other ministries with the children’s help. Daniel set up a better website – www.PalavraPrudente.com.br – with not only 1,000 Bible Studies in texts, but in mp3 and video as well. David edits many of the recorded sermons in the churches and uses them in the Thursday night two-hour radio program – Radio Globo 1380AM. By God’s grace we developed a four-year Seminary-level series of Bible Doctrine classes for the brethren in the churches which David is now supervising in an Online Seminary. Joy supervises the Book Room of the Imprensa Palavra Pruudente which is the distribution arm of the CDs, DVDs and books we produce. Joy, David and I review the material that translators do for us, which then supplies the printing and website ministries. Charity takes care of the bookkeeping for all that this work.

The six years of the 2004-2010 term have been busy and we look forward to reporting to many of the churches whom the Lord has used to provide the prayerful and financial backbone for all that was done.

I forgot to post this earlier!

After getting everything set up we wanted to have a service in our home. I had many workers in and out oft house preparing it for the family. I wanted to preach the Gospel more completely than I could just through tracts I had given most everyone during their work on the house. There were painters, metal workers, carpenters, plumbers, window installers, brick layers and others.

The garage was set up to receive the invited guests. I expected 50 guests. There were some problems with some but as you see, we had a good number come. Some came early and browsed the books shelves in my office.

After a hymn I recognized the former owner, the realtor, the painters and all the others who came.

A view of the forty or so who came.

We then sang some more hymns and then Marcelo preach a wonderful Christ-centered message.

We were greatly blessed with so many friends in our home to hear the Gospel in the hymns and from the Word of God preached.

It is hard to get a picture that shows the outside of the house. The walls are so high the house itself would be hidden except for the roof. However, here is a shot or two from outside the house that may give you an idea of how things are outside.

There is Charity coming out to the garage. The garage door is automatic and the garage is big enough for two cars. My office is right inside the door that Charity just came out of.

This shot is from the downstairs looking up the driveway ramp. The first metal grating is a kennel, and up from it is a small area that houses the liquid gas, or propane, tanks. A copper tube connects to the kitchen directly above it.

To get a better view of the house the Lord has blessed us with, you’ll have to come give us a visit!

The Lord’s blessings are upon us and we desire to let you know of it by way of pictures.

After five year of paying rent, the Lord blessed us with churches helping us to get a down payment and the bank to finance the rest. The cost of the house payment is only about $100 over what we were paying in rent. Only now, if the Lord blesses whenever we sell, we will see our investment return to us.

The land on which this house was built has a very steep decline from the street-side level to the back of the property. This was why the builder built a basement. Basements are very unusual in this part of Brazil. The builder, who was the previous owner as well, has a business selling teas made from all kinds of herbs, plants and roots. That which he used as a drying room became a sound and filming room:

That which was the weighing and packaging area for herbs and teas became our print room:

That which was a stock room for dried plants and roots became our book room and computer stations for editing video and audio:

There was a room that which was full of portable metal shelving. This was adapted into a family room:

There is even an area for two bedrooms plus this open area for a game room which is suitable for hosting meetings. As you can see this open area was used as an exercising area for the former owner/builder. The space for bedrooms became Daniel and David’s space for reposing (not shown):

Upstairs was to be just for our residence. However, the family thought best to use the front living room for my office. It worked out very well. I was able to set up shelves to display our books and CD/DVD production. Pastors Ciro and Josué visited and were blessed with books and Bibles.

There is of course a garage and there are bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and a dining room:

There is a Winter Garden too. This is an area planned for ventilation and illumination inside the house. We adapted it to include a staircase to the basement.

To get a better view of the house the Lord has blessed us with, come visit us!

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The first time I came to Brazil I came to work with the deaf. Since then my ministry expanded to all, deaf and hearing. We are in church-planting work mainly but also do related ministries, such as Seminary-level classes for eight men; preaching in the four new churches to strengthen them in the faith; making visits in the homes here in Presidente Prudente and having home Bible Studies; counseling the brethren; handling the correspondence from the Website Ministry; managing the Printing and Book Ministries already mentioned as well as the CD/DVD Ministry. I do not do these alone as David supervises our on-line Seminary classes and Daniel films and edits our preaching and Seminary classes putting them on DVDs and the Website.

My hobbies include Stamp Collecting and Gardening. My favorite pastime is spending time with the family. My personal goals are to fulfill my calling faithfully to the end. An important verse to me is hard to pick out of the many that mean so much to me, but this one is very special: 2Co 8:12, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” Since my diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, this verse continues to encourage me.

Among my favorite memories of the USA is the dear moment in September of 1978  when Peggy and I left for Brazil our first time together. My mother, grandmother, Mrs. Temple, Clara B Taylor and several young ladies from the church in Irving sent us off at the DFW Airport with their love and prayers. My favorite memories in Brazil center on either the births of each child or the organizational services of the churches the Lord has blessed us to be a part of.

As for advice to anyone desiring to come to Brazil for a visit, I would advise all to come with an open heart with a readiness to do whatever the Lord brings before you.

On this last Lord’s Day, 22 June 2008, after morning services, we all went out to a hillside with the city of PP in the background to make a very special picture. The day was overcast which, I am told, makes for very good photo opportunities. As we gathered under a tree, I had a spontaneous idea to take the picture with the tree helping to form the margin on one side and its overhanging branches to form the top margin. As usual, the family obliged respectably, and this nice picture resulted. As this was impromptu, and as I am incurably spontaneous, we did not notice until later that the closer to the tree we stood, the more the little rise on which the tree was, affected our picture. I therefore seem very much like a tall Texan and the rest of the family, proportionately the further they stood from the trunk of the tree the less tall they seem to be. But, none of this takes away from the beauty of the tree does it? Perhaps the beauty of the family in addition to the stalwart tree keeps anyone’s height from even being noticed. But in any case, here we are. Benjamin, who is studying in Kansas City, MO, is present too, in our hearts.

After at least one year, Peggy, Charity and Joy can now live normal lives. The buckets and mops have been put away in their proper places, the beds positioned in their rightful places, and the dining room table does not need to be pushed up against the buffet and they can watch the storm clouds gather without adding extra work. to their already full agenda.

What can make so many changes? Why, its the answer to many prayers, both here and there!

What is that answer? A new roof. All new rafters and a few new major beams plus 2,300 brand new tiles was part of the answer to so many prayers. The other part of the answer was the heart of the landlord being open and made willing to spend almost $2000, for all the material and labor. Now what are we waiting for? For the rains to come tumbling down! Enjoy the pictures.

The weather report said we had a seven-day window of no rain. The builder said he could do it in that time. So we were all programmed for them to start on Wednesday and finish the next Wednesday at the latest.

First they order the materials. No one can do anything till the materials are delivered. Not even preparatory work. The real estate office was supposed to order things a few days ahead. To their credit, the rafters and beams were ordered and delivered before the start date. But what about the roof tiles? Cement? Sand? I almost ordered that myself, but one more call to the Real Estate office got these ordered and finally delivered. One no-rain day wasted.

By the end of Friday, the back half of the house was uncovered, old rafters pulled off, two new crossbeams added and new rafters nailed into place. Nice going. The whole back-half was finished by Saturday afternoon. Could the front-half be done in three days were up and the rains began?

The old tiles were removed, old rafters pulled up, two new beams added. Monday came and went when the work ended with only the front half uncovered.

Tuesday came and went with the work undone, so did Wednesday. The sky was gathering clouds but there was no rain. By Thursday noon, the work was done! Now you can pray that the rains come again.

It takes about three cups of flour, a cup of sugar, some baking powder and at least one egg, some milk and flavoring to make a birthday cake. Then, for the frosting and filling, …. well, you may know that already.

Thousands of miles away, and not long ago in the town of Euless, Texas lives a brother of mine. The thing that sets him out from my other siblings, besides he being the one behind whom I could hide when the bully neighbor came to gobble me up (or so I thought), besides being the one whose ear was open to my ideas, and besides being the one who accepted me, a little brother, to accompany him while he did his Christmas shopping, in his own car no less, besides these things setting him apart from the others, today is his 59^th birthday.

His name is David Kenneth Gardner and his e-mail is … well, he did not authorize that info, but if you will write me office@calvingardner.com I will give it to you.

Happy Birthday Dave!

David and Elia