One of the most fertile fields of soul winning is in the tropics. It is a real joy to see men and women embrace God's last warning message of mercy. I have visited four mission fields of the nine that we have here in the islands witnessing for God in virgin territories. There is a real famine for God's Word. As a result I have been having glorious experiences calling God's children from other churches into our beloved remnant church.
Since my return from the United States I have been studying and observing ways and means of reaching the neglected educated class and also the neglected rich. We must have a real burden for these people, for they too are precious to God. Not very much has yet been done in this area to bring the saving truth to them except what Fordyce Detamore has initiated. I rejoice greatly for what is transpiring in the minds of our leaders about more aggressive steps to take in strengthening the work of evangelism in the islands. May God help us to awake to the greatest challenge of the hour forward with evangelism until we finish the tremendous work yet to be done.
Semiportable Auditorium Necessitates Triple Session
The workers here are now discovering what definitely will contribute to an all-weather evangelism. For about forty years we have been excusing ourselves for not carrying on evangelistic work during the rainy season. I firmly believe that the rain is no excuse for not carrying out God's greatest commission evangelize. Of course a tent is not ideal for rainy weather evangelism; therefore we need to have a portable auditorium attractive enough so that the highest official of the land would not feel insulted at the sight of it rather, the auditorium should make men and women want to enter.
The accompanying picture shows a semiportable auditorium, the size of which would depend upon the state of the treasury and the faith of the evangelist. This auditorium has a false front made of plywood, a roof of corrugated iron, low sides of woven bamboo for a healthy meeting place, and individual chairs. If every worker could be provided this type of auditorium, costing about two thousand pesos (|1,000 U.S.), I believe we would win a greater number of converts, including many from the higher classes.
Catalino Ocampo Bautista, who is a graduate of Emmanuel Missionary College, and I are working together. Our opening-night audience brought a new thrill to our hearts. For the first time here in the tropics a triple session was needed on the opening night. A fourth session was requested, but strength and voice could not longer endure. We are now preaching the testing subjects, and still we cannot accommodate our audience there is a standing crowd every night. Both the English and the Ilocano language are being used only on Sunday nights, and it is surprising that our English lectures have a larger attendance than the native language. We follow our two-hour-long lectures with doctrinal slides, the best-attended meeting of the three. Why do we enclose our meeting place? Be cause no devoted followers of other churches would like to be seen from the outside tongues will always talk, and people here in the tropics are weak when talked about. The enclosure is built so as not to allow the tallest man to look inside or the shortest man to pass under. We use one entrance only, and that is the door in the front.
What has the auditorium done so far? It advertises itself. Its front commands respect from everyone. All recognize the dignity and beauty of. such a godly place conducive, they say, to spiritual enlightenment. The appearance of the auditorium alone silences the critics in a country like this.
Positive Approach
How do we handle the molesters? We do not attack any other church. No attacks, no retaliation. "Present the truth with all clarity," is our slogan. We find that people now have no excuse for disturbing. Even the enemy cannot come near, because we claim God's promise. Of course people are eager for opportunity to ask questions, but I tell them that questions are welcome only as they are written, and that they must be signed by bonafide names. There is absolutely no chance for anyone except the lecturer to be heard. This way of conducting our meetings should be studied, for it seems to be the very answer to our problem of devoting much time to preparing for the imaginary enemies who love only to argue and debate. Already we have gained the friendship and respect of the two most notorious molesters in the islands.
Brother Bautista and I are initiating this method here. We are trying to reach every class of people, and are even beginning child evangelism preceding the lecture. It is encouraging to see children bring their parents with them; thus child and parent are both blessed. We are planning to have a Youth for Christ rally after the close of our regular series.
Young men and women form the majority of our attendance more than half the audience and we have great hope for future students of our academies and colleges. The social aspect oi a Christian's life is introduced early, because we must draw the young people. So far what we have done is succeeding, although still in its infancy.
Practical godliness is stressed even on the very first nights, and we are doing this because if I understand the longing of the man on the farm, the woman in the home, the student in the school, and the businessman in his office, they are growing tired of formalism that brings no power, no change of heart. A heart religion brings about a heart convert, and so we are discovering now that practical godliness and practical illustrations draw men and women who are growing tired of formalism.
A great famine for the Word of God is every where. This famine is in itself a demonstration of the outpouring of the latter rain in these islands. Our preparations are sealed with unceasing prayers. The initial success, small as it is, is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit's power to bless the frail children of dust who are braving the wilderness experiences. "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest" (John 4:35). "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (verse 34).
Recognizing the tremendous work yet to be finished, and believing that human strength and wisdom will come short of God's expectation of us, we rededicate our lives to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit for this great est work of all soul winning.
