Dear Co-Laborers in Christ,                                                                              January  2010

Praise the Lord, we made it back to Brazil and all our luggage also!  We only missed one flight in São Paulo due to them trying to charge us twice for our luggage (an extra $450.00), I complained until they took the extra charges off.  Thanks to Missionary John Yelle who picked us up at the airport with his VW Kombi a 65 hp van.  It made it up the mountain with us four and nine suit cases!   We got in about 9:30pm and Ivanio and Carine were waiting for us, what a happy reunion.  It is so good to be home!  I did not realize how much we missed Brazil and the people to whom God has called us to serve.  The next week we spent visiting the members of our church and friends, there were  lots of Brazilian hugs, kisses (the traditional fake kiss on each side of the face, many times just kissing the air), and chimarrão (a strong green tea passed around in a gourd)
          Not one of our church members abandoned the work while we were gone!  Just one family left to live in another city which was job related.  Ivanio and Carine did a great job in holding the fort while we were gone.  We are encouraged as another family has told us that they want to join our church and help.  Amen!  God has given us a vision and many ideas to reach the Gaucho for Christ.  Pray for Ricardo, a young man who recently accepted Christ; he attended the Bible study last night.  The kids club had fallen in attendance but Diane visited the kids and we are up to  10-15 now.  After the Bible story last week, they had ice cream and a water balloon fight. (It is summer time here)  
          Please continue to keep Diane in your prayers concerning her neck.  She has a herniated disc and has been doing conservative treatments such as therapy, injections and lately Chiropractors.  We have not ruled out surgery and are looking into possible surgery here in Brazil but may have to come back to the states because our insurance requires us to pay up front on the mission field and then they reimburse us later.  Diane visited an experienced orthopedic surgeon yesterday and he said that she was getting better and did not need surgery yet.  Amen!  We hope that is the case.  God is in control. 
          Please keep me in your prayers as well, I pulled a muscle in my lower back and have been able to do very little for about a week.  It is painful!   I went to the back cracker yesterday and she tried to straighten me out on the torture table.  Getting older is not for sissies!
          We had to leave Sarah and Lori back in the states.  They are attending a good Bible college and doing well.  They both want to be missionaries, which is not an easy path.  ..but then again is it supposed to be easy?   Luke 9:23  We love and miss them very much!  Amber is still with us and we are proud of her as she has grown so much since her sisters left.  She has to do most of the house chores now.  
          Thank you so much for your gifts, support and prayers!  We love you all and may God bless you abundantly in 2010!

By His Grace

David, Diane & Amber        Sarah & Lori (Bible College)
Web site: http://catofamily.4t.com/       e-mail:  m2brazil@yahoo.com      Phone 011-55-54-3211-5842