500 LEs “Keep the Vision Alive!”

Brazilian Central Union LE Congress held at Engenheiro Coelho

The Brazilian Central Union invited their literature evangelists to attend a Congress January 29 to February 2, 2008 on the campus of Brazil Adventist University, Engenheiro Coelho. Our theme, Keeping the Vision Alive, was especially apropos as we had more than 500 literature evangelists (LE) in attendance. For five days the speakers and the LEs focused on the missionary vision that each LE must to keep in mind in order to be successful in this work.

The congress began on Tuesday evening with a wonderful address by Union President Pastor Domingos Jose de Sousa: Get out of the Boat! That evening several people, who were converted through literature evangelism, were baptized.
 

Among our influential guest speakers we were honored to have the General Conference Publishing Ministries Director, Howard Faigao, and Pastor Almir Marroni, South American Division Publishing Director. Both Pastor Faigao and Pastor Marroni’s presentations emphasized the importance of the mission and elaborated on how the work of the LE can better be accomplished. Also, we were honored to have Pastor Mario Martinelli, Vice President from the Review & Herald, and from the Brazilian Publishing House Pastor Jose Carlos Lima, the General Manager, the new treasurer E.E. Medeiros, Pastor Joao Vicente Pereyra, the sales department director, and the secretary, Pastor David Deana visit the congress.
Each morning and evening during our five day congress, Pastor Helio Carnassale, Director of Brazil Adventist University, fed us with a wonderful spiritual message. On Friday evening we celebrated the Lord’s Supper. It was a special time for the LEs to consecrate anew their lives to God. On Sabbath afternoon an Awards Ceremony was held to honor all the licensed and credentialed LEs. And in a special ceremony, Pastor Manuel Alexander and Pastor Osvaldino Bonfin, both formers Unions leaders, were also honored.

At the closing program, all the LEs were invited once more to give themselves unto God and to dedicate themselves again to accomplishing our God-given mission, the same vision God gave to the pioneers: to use literature which would light the earth.

Tania Paschalis
BCU Publishing Department Secretary

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