This month, a lot of focus was shifted toward sending the Yelles off on their furlough. Obviously preparing to be away from your house and ministry for a year takes a lot of preparation. What made it even harder was the fact that Mrs. Yelle was sick for almost 4 weeks straight! Two of those weeks were practically bed-ridden! We were very happy to be available to help. There were some projects that needed to get finished, and some construction projects that needed to get started before they left! When the storms hit hard a couple of months ago, the bridge to the Yelle’s house was compromised. But if that project was started before they left, then we would be WALKING down from their house with enough suit cases for a year of traveling! That project will be starting in this next month after they leave. We spent a lot of time and work transferring things over to our name so we can take care of everything while they are gone. And now, at the end of the month… they have left. Joneia and I are now in charge of Igreja Batista Vitória in Caxias do Sul.

Sure, it’s winter down here, but June has always occurred in summer my entire life! We finally hit some negative temperatures at night. We thank the Lord for our fireplace that we were able to add to our house right on time! The fireplace is our only source of central heating…because it is in the CENTER of our house…With the drop in temperatures also comes the cold and flu. Many of our members have been sick for rather extended amounts of time. Occasionally this last month both Joneia and I have felt a little nausea in our stomachs, but we never came down with any serious sickness, but many have. Please be in prayer for the health of our members.

…in rushing rising riv’lets. For the first week of May the rain didn’t stop. We had to cancel our plans for the Mother’s Day Tea! Our airport has been shut down until at least SEPTEMBER! Our city of Caxias do Sul is at the top of the mountains. All of the water that complicated things up here all drained down the mountains and made a bigger mess down below. Our capital city, Porto Alegre, is underwater. The airport is flooded, supplies are limited, and the media is trying to play it down around the world. Media says that only 100 are dead, but locals claim that warehouses have been FILLED with the deceased that no one knows what to do with. The flood itself is horrible, but the aftermath is perhaps more dangerous. Insects, rodents, water pollution, landslides, and other issues have occurred. OUR CITY HAD ITS FIRST EARTHQUAKE! We don’t get earthquakes. Our buildings are not designed with earthquakes in mind! Fortunately, very little damage came about from it. After the first week of May, all at once, the rain stopped. Fall neutralized itself into a normal cycle. We have a day of rain, fog, cold weather, like fall is supposed to be. Things have normalized a bit more. Please be praying for our state, our city, and other missionaries we know who are serving in crisis down in Porto Alegre. This is an opportunity for revival, and for people to turn their lives to God as they search for answers in crisis.

April looked uneventful but turned out to be a nice break from the chaos we have been facing. We finally took our vacation! We travelled to the beach for a couple of days and lounged on the beach in perfect weather. It rained the day before we left, and started raining the day we returned home. We were so grateful for sunny, 85-degree weather and nearly empty beaches. We returned much better rested and focused. We got several projects done and worked on a few church renovations. Our church now has walls to separate classrooms! We also took our youth group out to a trampoline park for a couple of hours. They absolutely loved the event. And then last Sunday, it started storming…and it still hasn’t stopped. Five days of storms has caused some damage. Dams are breaking; embankments are collapsing; schools are closing. It is a mess! We are safe, and fortunately still have electricity and water. This forecast is set to continue until Monday. Please be praying that we and our members continue to stay safe. For right now, everyone we know of is doing well, but we really need these storms to stop.