After 13 hours of travel, which included 3 flights, we arrived safely in Governadore Valadares, Brazil late last night for two more conferences, both of which include many pastors and church leaders, as well as their spouses and some church members. I speak for the first time this evening, just after Mary gives an address to the women.
This morning I received a delightful letter and photo from my friend, Dr. Richard Daniels, who graduated with me 37 years ago with a PhD from Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. (A few years later I published his excellent dissertation on Christology through RHB.) For years, he has been teaching systematic theology at the African Reformation Theological Seminary in Uganda, Africa, where he is using the first three volumes of our Reformed Systematic Theology as his major text. (By the way, we just sent the fourth and last volume on the church and the last things to our editors today—and it hopes to appear in print by Crossway Books next year.) Here is what Dr. Daniels wrote:
I am writing to let you know about this past semester and the use of Reformed Systematic Theology (RST), vols. 1-3, here at Africa Reformation Theological Seminary. We used the first three volumes in 4 courses and the students, whether this was their first course in Systematics or their third and fourth, loved them. They particularly valued the way the studies applied the convincingly expounded doctrine to personal piety and to living the Christian life. We, the Principal Dr. Dave Eby and I, knew this would be a special strength of this series and were more than greatly pleased with the books and rejoice in the way the Lord used them. We have 2 more courses in our series, The Church, and Eschatology which will be offered next Spring. Also, we have at least 2 graduates who are seriously looking at participating in the PhD program at PRTS; one of them has already submitted his application.
The photo above is of Mercy, one of the ladies in our Biblical Counseling program, with RST on her head! As you know, these African women can easily carry great burdens on their heads.
