After 38 years as appointed Missionaries in Brazil, we will be returning to assume a new assignment as U.S. Home Missionaries to the many different Ethnic groups settling in America.

Above:  Pastor Paulo Freitas da Costa, son of Brazil's General Supt. of the Assemblies of God honored us in a special service last Sunday evening.  The church was full, and Pastor Paulo had their full orchestra and choir at the service to minister in song.  The choir had nearly 200 voices, and the orchestra was made up of nearly 100 musicians.   It was a memorable service, and moved us to tears many times during the evening.

During the service we were called up to the platform, and Pastor Paulo thanked us for our years of service to Brazil, and presented Dave with a beautiful plaque. 

The pastor's wife Leia, presented Sherry with a bouquet of silver colored "roses," which were actually Sherry's favorite chocolates wrapped in silver foil, and mounted on long "stems," inside a beautiful crystal vase.

We were asked to sing, one last time during the service, and were accompanied by youth from the church.   How blessed we have been to have served the Lord Jesus Christ in a nation where we have been loved!  We leave here with many fond memories and precious friends!

Sorry we have been neglecting our blog lately, but we have just been too busy to post anything. 

We did go to the dedication of the new chapel at the prison (see previous entry), but I was not allowed to bring my camera into the prison.  They had a professional photographer there, and they have promised to send me some pictures as soon as they are ready.  The new chapel was packed to capacity for the dedication service, and we got to hear some exciting testimonies from various prisoners.  It was interesting to note that the prison was mostly built by the prisoners themselves, and many of their offerings were for a dollar or less.

After the dedication service the Director of the prison, invited us to start an ICI - Global learning center at the prison!  More than 30 prisoners there have already been baptized, and some of them have a call to ministry, and want to study the word!  With the opening of this new learning center, this marks the second prison in Brazil that is allowing us this privelege.

This is our most famous student.

Florisvaldo Oliveira (ex-cabo Bruno) is now recognized as a chaplain in the prison where he is serving out his sentence.

Since coming to know Christ as his personal Savior, he studied virtually all of the courses we offered and sensed a call to ministry.  He began preaching while he was in solitary confinement, laying on the floor of his cell, and preaching under the gap where he food tray was passed.  Since he began preaching the gospel some 8 years ago, he has led many prisoners to Christ, as well as prison guards.  This week we will be going to the dedication of a new chapel that he and other prisoners have been allowed to  build within the prison compound.  About 60 %  of all our active students are people who are serving time in prisons.  Please pray for Florisvaldo and others who are faithful in spreading the Gospel in difficult places!

Nineteen years ago, we commissioned the second of 36 boats that are being used in the Amazon region to help with church planting.  After we bought the boat for the Acre state convention of the Assemblies of God the boat was sent to a small town called Manso Lima.  Two pastors are on the boat in this picture, and what looks like a little house on the roof of the boat, is the chicken coop.  Yes, since there is no refrigerator on the boat they take live chickens to kill and eat on trips to other towns to evangelize.

We never knew what they named the boat until this picture was sent to us recently.  The name is written in blue letters on the side of the boat, "Missionary David Harrison."

If you have the time to download a free copy of "Google earth", you could have some fun trying to find the town of Manso Lima.  Hint:  it is near Cruzeiro do Sul.  The boat has been instrumental in planting many churches along the Jurua river and it's tributaries.

Do you ever feel useless to God?  Well, what about these folks?

1.  Noah was a drunk!

2. Abraham was too old!

3. Jacob was a liar!

4. Leah was ugly!

5. Joseph was abused!

6. Moses stuttered!

7.Gideon was chicken hearted!

8. Samson was a long-haired womanizer!

9. Rahab was a prostitute!

10.  Jeremiah and Timothy were too young!

11. David was a murderer!

12. Elijah got depressed, and was suicidal!

13. Isaiah preached naked!

14. Jonah ran away from God, and must have smelled terrible!

15. Naomi was a widow!

16. Job went bankrupt, lost all his children, and then had to live with a nagging wife!

17. Peter denied Christ, and cursed!

18. The disciples fell asleep praying, and then abandoned the Lord!

19. Martha worried about everything!

20. Mary Magdalene was ...well, you know!

21. The Samaritan woman had lived with six different men, without marriage!

22. Zaccheus was too short!

23. Paul was a religious zealot!

24. Timothy probably had an ulcer!

25. Lazarus was Dead!

Now, do you have any other excuses?  God wants to use you to your full potential!  It's all about HIM!  You aren't the message, just the messenger!