BZeal -- Zeal for God's house http://randalmatheny.com/doku.php?id=brazil [You received this email as a subscriber of the Brazil list at associate.com. See unsub information at end.] This email contains only the main story. For the entire August report plus photos, please click here: http://randalmatheny.com/doku.php?id=brazil:reports:report06august 15 Sept. 2006 • São José dos Campos (SP) Brazil • Monthly report • J. Randal Matheny AUGUST REPORT: Claudete is baptized in Taubaté We were pleased and a bit surprised that on August 28, at the ladies' monthly meeting, Claudete from Taubaté told Vicki she wanted to be baptized. Vicki, Leila, and I have studied with her and her husband Odílio for some months now. Recently, she seemed resistant to baptism, since she had received an unscriptural baptism some years before. In Taubaté, we have no facilities, so the decision was finally made to do the baptism in the city of Guaratinguetá, rather than SJCampos. So Sunday night, August 29, just before the meeting of the church, we heard her moving confession, and I baptized Claudete into Christ. Claudete was baptized in a child’s pool in Wilson and Fátima’s front yard. The Guaratinguetá church meets in their home. Jorge (in foreground above) assisted me in the baptism. I offered for him to do the baptism, but he preferred that I baptize her. Claudete is Paula Santana’s sister. They are originally from Guaratinguetá. Paula and her husband Jorge were converted in São José dos Campos. Jorge’s job later transferred them to São Paulo, but they continue to participate at SJCampos and Taubaté, and were responsible for beginning the work in Guaratinguetá. Paula and Claudete’s father, sr. Benedito was one of the firstfruits there, as well as their brother Wilson, his wife Fátima, and their daughter Bianca. Odílio is Jorge’s uncle, so there is a double relation to Jorge and Paula in that family. We hope and pray that Odílio will also make a decision soon to enter into Christ. Taubaté is located about 30 minutes from SJCampos, on the Via Dutra highway towards Rio de Janeiro. We take about 40 minutes from our house to Odílio and Claudete’s home. The work in Taubaté has been slow, since only one of the three families that began there live in the city. And that family, Clayton and Valéria, suffered job changes and her cancer, which has hindered them greatly. So we are grateful for Claudete’s decision, which we trust will be only the first of many. There is a possibility we may receive a lot in a residential area of Taubaté, just a few blocks from Odílio and Claudete’s home. It was left over from a previous effort back in the 80s. Some documentation problems must be overcome, and the lot is in the name of a congregation in São Paulo. The elders there seem open to passing the lot on to us. We did not begin the work in Taubaté with this lot in mind, so we pray that if it will contribute to the work here, that the Lord will provide it for us. Some back taxes have to be paid, and we’re not sure we have enough to cover it, much less to build any time soon, but we trust the Lord will guide his people in what is best. We began meeting in Clayton and Valeria’s home, and now meet in a hotel conference room. <BZ> The entire report is available in pdf (263k, recommended) and odt (71k) formats: http://www.randal.fastmail.fm/sjc/report06august.pdf http://www.randal.fastmail.fm/sjc/report06august.odt ----- BZeal focuses on the progress of the gospel in Brazil and around the world. Please share this email with friends. You can read these and other stories online at http://randalmatheny.com/doku.php?id=brazil Add your comments, prayers, and suggestions, too!