Much of our time the last few weeks has been spent in getting this big event organized. It begins Thursday and runs through the following Sunday (20^th—23^rd). It is held in a different city of Northeast Brazil since it’s inception 25 years ago (we’re calling this one “The Silver Anniversary”). Because Recife is centrally located in Brazil’s Northeast, we have had the opportunity to host it more than any other city. This will be our fifth time. The theme this years is on “Being Like Jesus”. It is based on the eight Beatitudes of Matthew 5:2-12. There will be a lecture and workshop on each one as well as two plays performed by the youth group.

As of this moment 250 people from 20 congregations have signed up. Some come from as far away as 500 miles to this great opportunity to fellowship brethren they cannot see at any other time. Many wait to the last week to pay. Some just show up on the day it begins. We have advertised that the limit is 300. In a pinch the site can accommodate up to 340. I just hope we don’t have more than that show up without warning. At one Lectureship some years ago a small congregation from a poor area way upstate loaded up everybody (over a dozen) in the back of a cargo truck and just showed up with no warning. To make it even more memorable, since they didn’t have enough money to pay for everyone, they brought a live turkey as payment. Turkey happens to be one of my favorites.