Greetings, fellow servants and supporters of the work in Praia Grande, Brazil! There is a lot on my heart as I write this report, so I think I will begin with prayer requests this month.
Our shipment has not arrived yet from Buenos Aires. We expected it by the 12th of October, yet now it may be here on the 22nd or later. Please pray that it will arrive soon so we can officially end the “moving-in” part of our transition to Brazil!
We have set the date for the inauguration of the building in Praia Grande for the 1st (Saturday) and 2nd (Sunday) of December. These dates are fast approaching, and we are still working on the building to have it ready. Please pray that it will be fully functional as we begin a more public and visual outreach here in Praia Grande. And please join me in thanking God for these people’s generosity: the Wiedners for their $500 donation, the Kelleys for their $600 donation, the Dossetts for their $820 donation, and a family that wishes to remain anonymous for their $2000 donation to the work here for the church’s remodeling and rental costs. You all 
have made me feel incredibly blessed and care
d for. Thanks to your generosity, the church remodel is almost complete (just one more day of work!) and there is no comparison to the way it was before. You have catapulted us a year ahead compared to what we would have been able to do without your help. We praise God for your willingness to serve Him and give!We give thanks to God that the work here has begun so well. Not just the part you can see like the building, but the spiritual growth of the congregation here is well under way also. We have between 20 and 25 people regularly on Sundays, with an average of 6 visitors per week. Please pray for them by name. Taynara, Naiara, Maciele, Rafael, Felipe, Samuel, Heide, and many others have all been with us since we began worship here. Most of them are children under 15. Taynara is currently studying with Liduina and has expressed interest in Baptism.
On a much different note, we have had continual challenges as we have moved into our house. One was a mysterious water leak which took two weeks to find. Before we had it fixed, 150,000
liters of water had sprayed out under our house. We were very thankful that there was no other damage than a busted elbow joint. Another challenge was learning the water-tank system they use here, which gives pressure to the house. Our tanks were very dirty, and after cleaning them, we discovered they were made of asbestos! So we made quick plans to have them replaced with new, plastic, tanks. Whew! During all these adventures, we were proud to host (sleeping over) a stream of about twenty people (coming and going) in our home, including family and even some new members of the congregation here! 
Ally and I, for many reasons, decided to get a dog. So two weeks ago we did. Her name is Lucy and she is fun. We hope she will be a great playmate and protector for the family. After getting to know her, the kids love to play with her and even wake up in the morning asking to go out and see her.
Stephanie is speaking about as much as Jonathan now, who understands everything we tell him in Portuguese and English both. Apparently, they have decided to go through the terrible two’s together. Stephanie’s sweetness is pretty evenly balanced by her stubborn streak, and dealing with them together in this transition has proven to be quite a challenge. But we are hopeful that very soon our things will arrive, be organized, and life will take on a rhythm again.
Since we arrived here in Praia Grande, I have been working toward getting my class A driver’s license (motorcycle). Believe it or not, it was quite a challenge just to begin the process, which itself took about two months. I had to take two medical exams, take 7 4-hour theoretical classes, pass the written exam, take 15 hours of motorcycle training, pass the practical exam, and then wait two weeks for the license to be issued. Wednesday I successfully passed my final driving test, and now I should have my license in hand by the beginning of November. This should free me up even more to work toward the inauguration,
opening the School of the Bible, and Bible studies and youth activities.On the language front, I have been learning rapidly, so they say. Preaching on average more than once per week and leading the study in the Friday small group has allowed me to try on new words and phrases, and I am glad to say that as I stretch my Portuguese legs I don’t stumble so much that people can’t understand. I am thankful for that, as the most important thing to me is that people come to understand the Gospel message and learn to rely on Jesus, in faith, for their salvation. Praise God for using us to reveal His plan to the people here. It is an honor to be entrusted with the message of life, and to see that in spite of whatever weaknesses we have, God makes that message fruitful!
Chris, Ally, Jonathan, Stephanie, and Lucy
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