"You have been praying for the Work of God..."

You have been praying for the work of the Lord in Guatemala all along, but you didn't know it would produce such powerful results. The people of Guatemala are generally quite religious, Catholic, not atheistic. Since the earthquake they talk of God, come to meetings, listen to open air meetings, and come forward in repentance and acceptance as never before. There is a tidal wave of Revival. God's people got shook up too, and they are more on fire and see the unreliability of the things of this life. Even though they are houseless, sleeping in makeshift tents, they are praising the Lord and uncomplaining.

Your donations have been the basis of a movement that may be a principle element in helping the critical situation here. The government and principal agencies, after their first two weeks of good emergency work, have stalled for several reasons. First they could not agree on how to solve the tremendous housing problem, and second, lots of them were not in a hurry to do so, keeping most of the money sent from other countries. Engineers generally put forward their standards of concrete and steel specifications, but it soon became apparent to all, the need was so colossal, widespread, it would take years and years to fill the needs in that guideline. Also it would take hundreds of millions of dollars extra, and here was the rainy season approaching!!

Your humble missionary, guided of the Lord, with no recognition from the government or college of engineers, could see that the only material in sufficient quantities to be practical was Adobe, but reinforced adobe! So after some research we drew up simple plans and specs on how to construct humble adobe houses with reinforcement that will be earthquake resistant. We are giving out the plans along with our donation of the reinforcement materials, and the people are raising again their own houses out of the dust of the old. The builders and carpenters among them, study the plans and are convinced and amazed at its logic, strength, AND economy, for it will add to the cost of their humble homes but 10 or 20%, above the old unreinforced. So we have been giving out those special materials to the poor and to the believers in the villages, and the people are working to get something up before the rains.

The Engineering Department of the University has asked for the copies of our plans, and as article in the newspaper said the original plans of concrete and steel the Engineers held for, was completely impractical and would have to be changed for those showing how to reinforce adobe. So there is great interest in out plans and work. The sheet of plans also has reference to Christ's words that out spiritual lives must be founded on the Rock. So God is using your material donation and spiritual powers (prayer) to be the nucleus of the principal reconstruction movement throughout the country, there being also a tidal wave of spiritual reconstruction and revival.

As a proof that this was the Lord's work and not MY engineering acumen... our mission bought as adobe place some time ago, began putting in some reinforcements, finishing them JUST IN TIME BEFORE THE EARTHQUAKE. The old house stood undamaged amid a welter of other ruined places. Just in time. The good LORD.

Humbly yours,

Orland Wolfram