by J. Randal Matheny

After 20 years of marriage with no children, Otavio and Valeria Carvalho are in the process of adoption. Last week, they received two children, ages 2 and 3, whom they plan to adopt after the state's evaluation period.

This is a big adjustment for them. Please pray they will be patient with themselves and each other.

Also, a year ago or so, the children were adopted before and returned (how could the state allow that?) when the husband lost his job, so we ask, too, that the children will feel safe and secure in their new home.

Otavio and Valeria helped begin the congregation in Sao Jose dos Campos in 1988, together with Alvaro and Linda Pestana. He is an electronics engineer and Valeria works with a multinational company in hospital equipment sales.

by J. Randal Matheny

Today is a holiday in the state of Sao Paulo. Our brother Wilson had set up for those who could to go house to house to invite people to study a Bible correspondence course and to leave a leaflet with them about the course.

The course being offered is the one we publish, Jesus Christ, The Simple Way (Jesus Cristo, o caminho simples).

The targeted area is around the building the church rents close to downtown, where one distribution has been made on some streets. Today we were to continue that effort.

Last night, a cold front from the south set in and brought rain. The rain continues today, so the leaflet distribution was cancelled.

I have left these leaflets at the counter in the bread store on the other side of the plaza from my office. At least two people have called requesting the course.

At different times, I've also left English-language copies of The Voice of Truth International. Those are picked up quickly by the customers. The magazine has plenty of good articles to teach the truth.

So even with the rain, the effort doesn't stop.

by J. Randal Matheny

This quarter is my time to preach at the congregation here in Sao Jose dos Campos. I chose for my theme "Why I Am Still Just a Christian."

During October, my sermons focused on these topics:

• Because God is Love
• Because God is the Source of Truth
• Because God Saves Only in Jesus
• Because God Revealed Himself in Scripture

Eventually, the idea is to write a book from these lessons, though the time crunch makes me despair.

Last quarter, Otavio Carvalho preached on the family. I stood in for him on three Sundays when he travelled on business to Canada.

Please pray that these sermons will strengthen the church in its task to be nothing more and nothing less than the people of God declaring the power of salvation in a lost and hopeless world.

Yesterday the church in Sao Jose dos Campos had its first meeting in the new building, after a year of searching for appropriate facilities. This year we had been in three different hotel conference rooms, moves that certainly didn't help our outreach.

Below are shots taken after our Sunday meeting. (I don't much like taking pictures during the worship.)

Wife Vicki greets Ana Paula (foreground).

Group poses for picture. In foreground, Clayton's wife Valeria, breast cancer survivor; Jorge, substitute Bible class teacher. Ana Paula, Anibal, and Amanda pose with Vicki; they have become good friends as we study God's plan for their lives. Friendly chit-chat. Picture taken from stairs. Picture taken from back of auditorium. Upstairs, we installed dividers to create eight classrooms.

by J. Randal Matheny

Saturday, the 16th, I baptized Ilma, a young wife and mother, into Christ. Ilma's husband Anderson is an unfaithful Christian. She studied the gospel with Bete, who used our "Know God" series of studies developed in 1985.

Bete, Randal, Ilma

Yesterday the SJCampos church had, as far as I know, a record Sunday attendance. Seventy people crowded into the Hotel Astor conference room, without any special Friends' Day or campaign. A good sign of growth.

Eight of those attending were adult non-members, three of whom are in personal Bible studies.

Several people are conducting personal studies with non-Christians.

• Randal & Vicki with Anibal and Ana Paula
• Vicki with Daniella
• Paulo with Rafael
• Wilson and Bete with Carlinhos and Solange
• Wilson with Luiz

If all goes well, we will move to our new rented quarters the first Sunday of September. Wilson is working hard to get everything prepared for the move. Chairs have been delivered, and classroom dividers will be installed by then. A few details may remain, but we'll take care of those as we go.

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by J. Randal Matheny

As the church of God, we are pilgrims on the earth. Here in Sao Jose dos Campos, the congregation has been a literal pilgrim in its meeting places.

When two families began the work here in 1988, Alvaro and Linda Pestana and Otavio and Valeria Carvalho met in a conference room of the Urupema Hotel. After that period proved unfruitful, they rented a third-floor office space downtown. When our family moved here at the beginning of 1995, the church was still located here.

As the full-time evangelist, Alvaro worked in a store-front evangelism effort popular in Brazil, called the School of the Bible. I joined him later. Several conversions were made as a result of this outreach.

At the same time, we began a small-group ministry in homes. With several combined efforts, the church outgrew the downtown space and returned to the Urupema Hotel in the late 90s.

In mid-2002, the disiples in SJCampos decided to leave the Sunday-only location in the hotel and rent a building. The search lasted nearly a year. During that time, the owners of Urupema terminated our contract, so we met in two other hotels during the period of our search.

After a false start on another building, a five-year rent contract was signed in July for a building about 100 yards from the main city bus station downtown.

We hope to begin meeting in the new location in September. There are chairs to buy, dividers to put up for classroom space, doors to be installed, and a myriad of details. But the church decided to make the move soon and work on the needed changes as we go.

Five pictures are online showing interior and exterior views of the building.

The following pictures were taken several months ago when we looked at this building for rent. It had been empty for several months.

The building is at the end of the street where it merges into a main avenue. This avenue comes from downtown right by the central city bus station. The station is about 100 yards above to the right. Excellent location for people getting to us. First floor, from front to back. My wonderful Vicki is taking a look. First floor, from back to front. Second floor, for Bible school classrooms. From back to front. Second floor, from front to back.

Before immersion, time to consider the meaning of conversion to Christ and the significance of repentance and immersion. Erisvaldo prepares for his salvation. Washing away his sins. Now it's Ana Paula's turn. A new creature being born.

by Randal Matheny

[NOTE: This is on my weblog also, but since it has to do with our work as well, I thought it bore repeating here.]

Four teary friends this morning at our weekly first-day meeting must be a record.

First, Valeria tells me after my message that I must have been inspired; the lesson made her cry. She promised to tell me later why she found my words so fitting. So my curiosity hangs in suspense.

Then her husband Otavio makes a few announcements at the end and, when he mentions that Marcel and Marlucia will be returning to Fortaleza next Sunday, gets choked up. Otavio and Marcel go a long way back.

During the always-animated chat afterwards, Marlucia can't hold it back and weeps as various ones kiss and hug her as they file out.

Tomorrow Robson enters a clinic for two months to help him overcome an addiction problem. His wife Luciana is content to see him finally making the effort. His mother Margarida, on one of her rare visits to our midst, had asked for prayers for her family and sons. As the group encourages them, her face contorts in fear and concern and her eyes, ever searching for comfort, pour out streams of tears.

Intelligent, observant, and inquisitive, four-year-old Rafael isn't crying, though. (When Vicki and I would go to their house, he was always tell on his parents when they had been fighting.) I call him over, sit down to talk man-to-man, and tell him that if he ever needs anything while his dad is away, to call me.

"Here, let me give you my card," I offer, as I zip open my fanny pack.

"Is this your home phone number?" he asks.

"It's got both numbers there," I point out. "If you need me you call, all right?"

"Okay, I will." He hops down and off he goes. He's already missed out on a lot of play with the other kids.

After questionnaires and discussions, the SJC church decided to move its Sunday meeting from 6 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. Some people come from neighboring cities, and for them the move will avoid night-time travel. Others felt the time change would improve possibilities for evangelism.

The SJC church decided last Sunday to leave the hotel where we are meeting and rent a building. We have looked at several, but one stands out, because of space and location.

The building has two floors, and is close to the interstate highway, to most bus stops on the main street of town one block up, and to a major thoroughfare running across town. It is close to the city's largest mall.

Taken up the street and to the left. Taken down the street and to the right. Ground floor. The building is bigger than it appears in the mirror, I mean, photo. Ground floor. Top floor. Top floor.

After months of study, Wagner was baptized January 7 in São José dos Campos. Otávio Carvalho and Adauri Silva studied with him and his father Manoel in the neighboring city of Jacareí. Wagner's mother Eliana has been a Christian for several years. Wagner turns 14 during January.

The baptism was done in the pool of José Roberto and Lea, a Christian couple in SJC.

We hope and pray that Wagner's father will also make the decision soon to obey Christ.

Wagner (l.) listens as Otávio asks him to confess the name of Christ. Otávio prepares Wagner for baptism. Wagner comes up from his baptism a new creature. Wagner between his father Manoel and mother Eliana, with little sister Emily. Wagner with Adauri, who assisted Otávio in the studies.

The two conference rooms of the Hotel Urupema hold the Sunday meetings of the SJC church, along with a couple of rooms for Bible classes. The church here began in this hotel. Later, it went downtown for a time when it rented a second-floor area and opened a School of the Bible, where Alvaro had his office. We outgrew that facility, so after a period of research, decided to come back to the hotel. It has served us well, though we're in the middle of discussions about other possibilities.

Micah baptized Bruno Sunday night in the pool at Jose Roberto and Lea's home. They are also Christians who live near our house.

Micah, Bruno, Joel. The latter two are about the same age, and are good friends. Micah and Joel studied with Bruno, and Joel especially encouraged him along the way.

Speaking of pictures, I found the site of the Hotel Urupema, where the SJC church has been meeting on Sundays for the last several years. Gives you an exterior shot, though nothing of the conference rooms where we actually meet. And a map, in case you want to visit us some Sunday.

We're getting pictures posted of individual Christians here in São José dos Campos. If you'd like to take a peek, click on the "igreja" file at our photo album site.

We're just getting started this week, so check back soon to see who else appears.

During the first three weeks of May our preacher will be Wagner Miranda, from here in Sao Jose dos Campos. Otavio and I have been alternating the pulpit and adult Bible class. This quarter he preaches, but with his trip to Europe, Wagner will be filling in for him.

Vicki and I taught the gospel to Wagner and his wife Katia a few years back (four, five?). So it is gratifying to see this new Christian preaching this next month.

Wagner led singing yesterday, in spite of a voice that nearly left him during the worship hour. He has also been teaching an evangelistic group study in his home on Thursday evenings, with Otavio giving him encouragement.

As Otavio mentioned in his sermon yesterday, the church will grow as it should only when every person sees it is his job to work in the field, rather than concentrating in one person or small group of people.

That's a difficult vision for many people to see, surrounded as we are by religious groups that put the power, decision, and work in a pastor or priest, as they call them. Such groups often have the language of the "priesthood of believers," but out there you can be sure it isn't practiced. So the church of God swims against the cultural tide, as well as natural, carnal tendency, to hand over responsibility to some one else.

So, Wagner, study hard for your sermons this month, and God bless your efforts.