by J. Randal Matheny

In the northeastern Brazilian city of Salvador, I shared the seminar "This We Believe" with the church on March 18-21, 2004. On returning home, I jotted down these good results from the trip.

1. Some 250 individuals had opportunity to hear the sound doctrine of the New Testament during the four days of the seminar. On Sunday morning, the attendance was about 200, according to Nilton Barretto, the local evangelist.

2. At least five congregations of the seven churches in the state participated in the seminar. The Bonocô church, near downtown Salvador, sponsored it.

3. One woman who had received only a denominational baptism told me she was motivated to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

4. About 25 men involved in evangelism and church planting were encouraged and taught in a special session Sunday afternoon.

5. My absence prompted my son Joel to volunteer to preach his first sermon in the new Taubaté church. Joel and several other brethren led the singing, also.

6. My hosts, Nilton and Rosimere Barretto, provided gracious hospitality. I hope that the several hours we spent in conversations and prayers encouraged them in the faith.

7. The seminar will help the Salvador churches confront imminent future challenges to sound doctrine by providing them with solid materials on subjects such as the nature of truth, salvation, the church, worship, and restoration.

8. The seminar raised the participants' awareness for the need for vigilance in the presence of real threats to the truth of the gospel.

9. This seminar provided me opportunity to augment and hone the material, which was presented for the second time. (The first was in Fortaleza, in June, 2003.)

10. Dozens of visitors were also present who heard, some for the first time, the true gospel of Christ. Others were students in the School of the Bible, an evangelistic outreach of the Bonocô congregation.

I'm grateful for many who prayed for the success of this trip and especially to the Lord who gives us his truth by which we may obey and be saved.

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