"I thank you once again, for myself and the work..."

I thank you once again, for myself and for the work here. I am grateful for the priceless support of friendship, its encouragement, the faithful support in prayer both for the work here and for me and my situation with limited sight, and also for the love offering donations. One of the Bible laws repeated in many forms, is: Give and it shall be given unto thee many times... multiplied." I believe the Lord is looking for people He can trust with prosperity, those who will be happier to give out for others and His Work, than to spend on self.

Americans come through all the time visiting various missions and participating in campaigns. Frequently one will say, "I am surprised at the extent and influence of your work, and you deserve a better residence." I merely say, "It is comfortable. The hardship is more apparent than real." They see the furniture is mostly made of packing cases. It looks like a part of the shanty town where our people work, but the boxes have been into comfortable serviceability. New furniture and equipment would look better but not actually mean much. They were put into use years ago when I was limited in funds or faith or something, and every centavo ought to be used in really important matters like Gospel tracts, helping native preachers who were preaching in the streets, and feeding the poor kids.

Visitors ask how I got started with a daily milk and breakfast for the children. We used to have children's meetings about once a week. At times to be friendly I would stand in the doorway and speak to the children and others. Just to show interest I asked a shoe shine boy one morning what he had had for breakfast. He replied with a bit of a laugh of surprise that he- - and most of the others-- got no breakfast at home, were shoved out by their mother with their kit to fine clients and when they had shined some shoes they could take the centavos and buy something" (Often junk food, I figured). So I said to him, "Just come by here and we'll see you get something to start out on." He came bringing others, et al, etc.

Then too a mother who often came to the services came one day saying she had been in the hospital for a few days having a baby, then they let her come home but kept the baby who needed a decent formula and the hospital knew a family as poor as hers would not afford that." We got the formula regularly then, and she got the baby.

Those beginnings were possible because we used most every available consecrated dollar thus, and let the trimmings or mission or appearances or personals, make do. When a box seems hard to sit on, a bit of sponge rubber can be of essence. Etc.

Some seasons back I was in the sole and soul business. Many of the poor kids who normally go barefoot needed shoes to go to school. The cold season down here is beginning in the middle of December, Christmas comes too, and the school opens in January her, not in September. So we got in the sole business.

This year folks are bringing socks to my attention. We should ease the socks problem for the kids who are already in the school of hard knocks. It started with the nurse who cares fir the 50 children out at the Children's Home, coming to ask if I could help get new socks for them. All fifty had, she said, socks with 2 big holes which she didn't know in which one to put the child's foot... or was that Guatemala style? If so, she would prefer American style with only one opening. So it turned out we were already friendly with someone at the factory and once started it turns out that children by the scores in our various churches in the shanty towns, all need socks.

With all that we still are aware that the evangelistic and spiritual activities are of still more importance, so both are to be kept in balance. Faith and Works.

We can report that the Stadium Campaign was just tremendous. Not only the great crowds, but also the good cooperation of different churches. The main evangelist was or used to be Pentecostal, but has come to see that God blesses just exalting Christ rather than sectarian accents. Before him was a united campaign with a non denominational Baptist as evangelist. When any effort is made to exalt Christ and the fundamentals of the Bible, rather than striving for the enlarging of a denomination, God really works in power! I hear that such campaigns are growing in size and numbers in the U.S. God is answering your prayers.

You have heard that Esther in many ways portrays the Bride of Christ, the Church. Vasshti, also, fits then a church or religion which was the wife at one time, but has left off the consecration and obedience to her Lord. Firstly this was true of the Old Testament Jewish religion. Then after the Apostolic times Christianity grew, got wealth and power, became Roman Catholic, and followed the same pattern. The Protestant church which originally also started so Biblically became in some denominations as popular and worldly as the Catholic. But always new groups of individuals moved by the Spirit band together, pray together, study the Bible together forming a good living group of believers led of the Spirit. But as time passes more and more followers accent their denomination or pet doctrines as though salvation depended on that, even as the Jews did, as Catholics often do, as many groups do. God's power and special blessing moves on.

Vashti, the Bible notes, not only lost being queen, but was prohibited from SEEING OR COMING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING. But although these systems as passè, we must be careful to realize there are many individuals still in them who are sincere believers, followers of the Lord.

May the Lord make His face to shine upon thee and give thee peace.

Sincerely,

Orland Wolfram

Brother Orland