Back and Forth

04 Oct, 2026

RANDAL & VICKI MATHENY | SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS (SP) BRAZIL | YEAR 42

Dateline: 4 Oct. 2026 ─ Vicki and I have been in the USA for almost a month. We’ll return to Brazil this week. A lot of good things have been happening ─ and still are. We’re thankful for each one.

Two books of mine were released from two different printers in the first week of our time in the USA. One is a book of prayers, Give Us Your Peace, in smaller 10 x 16 cm format, with over 100 pages. Since the printer for it was not located in SJCampos, I set up to have it sent to Fernando Novais in the city of Ubatuba. He is part of the new Project Reach Association. He’ll be in charge of mailing it out to people ─ when it arrives.

The other book is a 24-page evangelistic study, God Gives All! I Will Receive It!. (The Portugese title has more of a ring to it.) The book features these topics:

The love of God
The justice of God
The word of God
The glory of God
The Son of God
The salvation of God
The family of God

Pedro Augusto picked it up from a local printer last week, the one I have used for 30 years. He said he really liked the format.

deus-da-tudo-livro-capa 2026-10-01 Pedro showed me the book after he picked it up.

¶ One sister in Christ thanked Vicki for the “Reading Together” group on WhatsApp, because her reading has calmed her as elections approached. The group membership holds steady at about 90. It serves to publish a reading schedule and encourage daily Bible reading. Members check in each day to note they have read.

The group began June, 2024. They finished reading through the Bible for the first time in February of this year. The schedule includes 50-60 verses each day.

¶ My writing project during this trip was to develop 52 words that define our work. Many of them are posted in cristaos.org with the tag: A-Z. That’s because the working title is, Do amor ao zelo, or, “From love to zeal.”

I’m behind on my writing schedule, but I think I can finish it up this month, after getting home. As of now 35 words have been finished.

¶ Among other tasks here in the USA, we babysat and catsat. Guess which was less trouble. :)

In other news

Our house started undergoing renovation during our trip.
Elections for federal and state offices are being held today in Brazil.
I’ll teach Oct. 17 in Taubaté and Oct. 31 in Guarulhos (Presidente Dutra congregation) on the theme “More About Jesus.”

Please pray

We’ll have to be back in the USA in November. Pray for us as we go back and forth, that we hold up well.
The house renovation will take several months. Pray it may progress smoothly, and that rains may not hinder it.
Pray for the Northside congregation in SJCampos, for our growth in every way.
Pray the new books will contribute to a stronger church.

vicki-kids-2026-09 Vicki with our three children.