"My every Prayer and Praise Report Letter has been..."

My every Prayer and praise Report Letter has been thanking the Lord for the revival spirit in Guatemala including increase in evangelization, and increase in evangelical membership. One facet that has been an especially pleasant surprise is in the growth of the number of converts among the well to do, the educated and upper class. My own work through the years has been mostly with the poorer peoples.

We started off years ago trying to do something for the poor in a material way as well as spiritual. But over and again it was impressed on all, that if the material charitable program is accented without the balancing spiritual, it is dumping your money into a bottomless pit. But where there was spiritual change, then the vices of drink and sin were broken and such families began a steady climb into a better life materially, as well as spiritually.

One time visiting door to door in a Finca-- this is a local word for a large hacienda or estate. The workers live there in their own little places the year round, also with a small assortment of stores, all on private property-- I asked my companion, why some cabins were no nice and some looked worse than many good farmers would use for their pigs.

He said, "It is not partiality on the bosses part. It is up to the individual worker. In fact I used to be in one just like that awful hole over there. Liquor, vice, sin if the cause. You get your wages, but it is all wasted. You get sloppy and careless too, the kids don't have shoes and are ashamed to go to school. Lived that way for years, always promising myself to reform, but always failing the next pay day. Until I got saved"

"You don't get rich overnight, but things start to change. You clean up. You have a few cents to buy some chickens. And they bring in a little more. The kids change too, are trusted with better jobs, soon have shoes, school supplies and can read and write and can get a real job. So-- your place looks like that--" and he indicated his own house and a yard with both flowers and-- "When the Lord cleans up a man He does it inside and out."

Evangelicals was renowned as starting poor but soon getting prosperous. A Catholic priest complained to me that we got converts by promising them things. I said, thinking he meant we gave them money if they would convert, "It is not so. You'll have to look for some other excuse as to why so many are leaving the Catholic church."

He went on, "I don't mean you promise so much cash, but you people promise general prosperity, new job and life."

I replied, "Oh. Yes, I guess we do do that because it is so. They have not had the power to overcome their vices, nor dishonesties, until they get a touch from the Lord, rebirth, then, yes, employers look for evangelicals that are honest and don't drink."

But though I and our mission don't get much credit the Lord has raised up those who have felt the call to work among the other class, the bosses and owners themselves, and the college students who soon become well to do, upper middle class. There are half a dozen groups that specialize in that work. I don't know much about them, but them come around occasionally to ask my cooperation on some project. They are generally rather new comparatively to Guatemala, while I, sadly, am old , both in years and in service and experience here.

As I have participated I have been just overwhelmed and blessed at how the groups are growing and then some of them come with our workers out to the humble villages to testify of the love and power of the Lord. They had had crises and suffering of every kind too and found no solution or medicine except in Christ.

Isn't the Lord wonderful!? is arms of love and mercy reach everyone that will confess his need. Some groups are basically Baptist, and others Pentecostal, but actually they are all mixed up interdenominational agreeing and unified in not accenting any denominational saw, but in lifting up the Lord Jesus, Who Himself said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." So if you are out to win souls, there is the sure key, stay away from the denominational creeds and saws and accents, and, just lift up Christ. HE will then send His Spirit to follow up every new convert Who Alone can guide them into all truth.

So let us rejoice. I trust the Lord is working so gloriously in your area also. I feel well physically and as to the near blindness, the Lord has sent folks along who can do my reading and taking care of the correspondence in English. So I am praising His name too.

May the Lord make His face to shine upon thee.

Sincerely,

Orland Wolfram