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YEAR 40 · 2024-05-07 · SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS (SP) BRAZIL

Vicki and I traveled the five-plus hours to the city of Ribeirão Preto May 19 for me to teach “The Words of the Faith” on the following Saturday and Sunday. It was held in the building of the congregation. Some 35-40 people participated. We returned home May 21. A story and photos were published on our Brazilian website.

On May 1st, I taught the same material just down the road, an hour from here, in Taubaté. The congregation hosted us in the Army Aviation Officers’ Club. Over 30 people were present. Aside from saints and visitors from Taubaté, participants also came from the cities of São José dos Campos, Santo André, Ubatuba, and Atibaia. During the afternoon break, they brought out a cake and sang happy birthday to Vicki. A number of photos can be seen here.

This material seeks to fill needs of the congregations. In the format I'm presenting it, it's an outline of 22 pages. Later, I'll share with you the main topics in the material, but you can see the banner of them that the Ribeirão Preto congregation had printed up here.

I stated five challenging objectives for the material:

1. Center all doctrine in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything has to be related to the center of our faith, which is Jesus.
2. Provide an overview of what the Word of God says and suggest teaching points and lines of investigation that we consider important and that perhaps have been neglected for the needs of God's church today.
3. Draw attention to the simplicity and unity of the Scriptures. We can read, understand and practice what is written.
4. “Offend”, or bother, you with the truth, to provoke reflection, correction and change.
5. Provide you with resources to teach others.

(If you'd like to see a PDF copy of the material, just let me know.)

More going on!

• The southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has been hard hit by floods. Over 80 people have died. So far, we know of four families from two congregations who have lost their household goods. Brethren here are responding.
• We’re grateful to the Eureka IL, Somers Avenue (N. Little Rock AR), and Massillon OH congregations for one-time gifts recently that blessed our life and work here. As well as to the Marlow OK congregation, who sent funds specifically for the purchase of a new refrigerator. We’re checking prices and models now.
• Another training camp is planned for May 30 at the Oikos Center just across the city limit in Jacareí. It’s a holiday here. We’ll have six sessions by five speakers. (I’ll teach twice, on what to teach and how to teach the five steps to salvation.) Some of the special funds received will subsidize the event. You can read more about the training camp here.
• Another book is in the printer, on the second coming of Christ. It's the collection of messages from our Festival in April. It has 75 pages. See the cover here.
• A brother in the state of Rio requested permission to print up and distribute in his city a recent article I wrote and published on our website. The title of the article: “Are You the One God is Looking for?” Here it is in Portuguese.
• In June I’ll go to a congregation in São Paulo to teach “The Words of the Faith.” Vicki will be speaking to women in other cities in July and August.
• In May we met twice on Sunday afternoons in our home so that a young brother studying for university entry exams might not miss the Lord's Supper. He had tests that morning, and asked us about options. These moments reminded us of having hosted a congregation in our home for eight years (2014-2022).

Please include these items in your prayers:

• The people, both our brethren and others, who are suffering because of the rains down south.
• The success of our training camp May 30.
• The growth of the gospel in Brazil.
• Freedom to exercise faith and proclaim the truth.
• Our continued good health.

We're grateful to everyone who shares in our work, in whatever way. God bless you, each one.