We're Back!

We arrived in Miami last night around 7pm.  We are staying with some friends today to catch up on sleep.  Al is a bit sick with a cold, but mostly lack of sleep.  So, we'll catch up with you soon.  Thanks for your prayers.

For whatever reason, I couldn´t get any more than these pictures to load here, but here is a bit of what is going on....
These are the 3 family members most heavily dedicated to the cult Seicho-no-Ie. This is a Seicho-no-Ie speaker praying towards their altar - "The Perfect Image"
Members praying to "god" and to ancestors.
These are 2 of Al´s nephews who attend - the older, Arlan (left) is heavily involved, the youngest, André (right) goes to be obedient and has been a bit brainwashed. The good news is, he knows that it doesn´t makes sense and last night (friday), he sat and talked with me (Rachel) for over 3 hours about salvation, the bible and G-d´s calling on his heart...he heard and understood the message and is currently trying to decide if he needs to make a decision to follow Jesus. He said he thinks he should accept it, but he has to decide if that is really what he desires. The family, of course, does not know.
Hava´s most recent mosqito attack.

We leave tonight to visit the last family members we have not yet seen and will be back in town tomorrow night. We fly out on Monday night and should arrive in Miami Tuesday night. Please pray for our last couple of days here.

First of all, THANK YOU!!!! to all of you who have shown so much love and concern for us and especially to those who pray for us. Sunday ended up not being what we had planned....but the LORD knew better....yesterday was a climactic point for us...it was the right time, right place kind of situation. Our family is slowly, but surely listening to what we have to say. This is our last week...we fly out next monday, so our time is short....PLEASE CONTINUE to pray for salvation to come to our family. They are most definitely in DIRE need.

Hava is doing fine, but was once again EATEN UP with mosquito bites during a single night. She truly looked like a bad case of chicken pox. She is getting over them, but has not been sleeping well because of all the itching. Keep her in your prayers.

These pictures are completely out of order, but here you go:Al and his dad, Francisco, on Brazil´s Father´s Day.
To start quenching your "Hava Fix"



Hava and her 2 aunts, Graciete and Goretty

Hava kissing her only girl cousin on the Leite side, Raiza
Taking it easy
The family swimming hole
Al´s mom, Odete
Al teaching American Football to the boys - they LOVED it and call it "Americano"
More Hava
Al teaching his sister and niece about the validity of scripture
In the hammock
Hava and her grandma
Hava and Rachel in the root of a tree
Hava, our friend Betania, and a sloth at the zoo
Al and his college buddies
Hava and her grandpa
Books on the front table about the Japanese cult - Seicho-no-ie
More Hava
One of Hava´s cousins saying a prayer to deceased ancestors
Hava making friends
Hava eating farinha right out of the bag at the market
"Protection" on the front door of the house - another cultic tradition of Seicho-no-ie

Medals and rosaries
Bible and picture of Al´s deceased brother, Augusto
More rosaries
Hava jumped into her aunt´s arms as soon as we arrived at the airport
At the swimming hole
Al and childhood friends
Hava´s face full of mosquito bites
Just part of the family

Our plan is to have 2 family "reunions" with family members of two different cities....the point being to present the gospel in a clear and deliberate way. The first is this sunday and the second is next sunday, so please be in prayer for us on those days. We definitely need and feel your prayers. The enemy is all around us attacking pretty much everyone we know. We have been more than protected, but it is a continuous struggle. Pray for us to have strength for the battle and the right words for the proper times.

A Quick Update:

We are doing well, just not able to upload pictures and videos yet. We would like to ask for your prayers specifically for us spiritually. It has been spiritually exhausting for us over the past couple of weeks. We have only been in the presence of other believers a couple of times - the rest of the time we have been with family and friends, many of whom do not believe in the Bible, in sin or in one true G-d. We have spent most of our days trying to uplift the name of our G-d, the divinity of His Son, and the validity of scripture. On more than one occasion we have literally felt the presence of evil. Please pray with us that we would be protected and that those around us would be overcome with the power of the One True G-d, the love He gives and the necessity of obedience.

Thank you for praying for Hava - she seems to have once and for all gotten over the mosquito bites and reactions. We found a repellent that plugs into the wall and has kept us all a bit safer.

All three of us got some kind of food poisoning on Sunday and were sick through yesterday, but we are all on the mend.