Not long ago a series of meetings was held in a new section of the city of Cali, Colombia. It was what we call a lightning effort, and God richly blessed the meetings. Every night between 250 and 300 persons attended the meetings. The priest in charge of that area was greatly disturbed and warned his people by radio not to allow themselves to be deceived by the "foolish Adventists." He invited them to come to the church at six o'clock and he would hold a special mass on their behalf. However, his announcement had no effect upon the people, for our meeting place was filled to overflowing and his church was empty.
One night he sent some men who entered our hall with their hands in their pockets, and we thought they would probably throw stones, but the man at the door informed the deacons that these men were spies and the deacons took their places close beside them, keeping them under constant surveillance. They listened for a little while and then left, complaining "we lost time and did not accomplish anything." As a result of these meetings more than two hundred persons became deeply interested in the message and fifty of them are in the baptismal class. On Sabbath, December 26, 1964, twenty precious souls were baptized as the first fruits of this lightning effort. Thus the Lord has blessed His work in the city of Cali, Colombia.
Priests Beat Door
Not long ago I was having a series of meetings in the city of Pereira, Colombia. The meetings had been held for about four weeks when one night two priests came to the door of the church with a noisy band
of children and young people shouting: "We do not want the Protestants to come to Colombia and corrupt us." When they attempted to enter the church I ordered the deacons to close the doors. The priests were furious and began to pound on the door with their fists and tried to force the door open. When the people living near the church saw this attempt, they ran out into the streets and began to shout, "The Adventists are good people, good neighbors. We as Catholics are ashamed of what you have done tonight." Someone called the police and within a half hour a large truck full of policemen arrived, but the priests had already left the scene and the children who had not been able to escape by running were caught by the police and taken to the police station. There they were interrogated and they confessed that it was the priests who had stirred up the trouble. The police then called the homes of the children and their parents came to get them, very much disgusted with what had happened.
Fever Stops Enemy
The following day the authorities of the city denounced the priests by radio because of the uproar they had caused. One of the priests was chaplain at the hospital, and he became very angry because of the announcement made over radio and because of the protests that several families had made. This man then declared that he would now treat the Adventists worse than ever, but God took care of His people and did not permit any further trouble. A few weeks afterward the priest contracted a fever and died. As a result of these meet-
ings twenty-five precious souls were baptized into the church.
Evil $pirits Give Up
In Calama., Colombia, we have an organized church with about one hundred members, including the children. However, the church had no place in which to hold meetings until one day a man came to the pastor of the church and said, "I have come to ask you to come to my farm where I have a large house but no one can live in it because people say it is haunted and that the evil spirits do not allow anyone to sleep at night. Please come and pray that these evil spirits may leave my house." The pastor invited several brethren to accompany him and they went to the farm and invited the near neighbors to go with them also. There they studied God's Word from seven o'clock until ten o'clock, sang hymns, and explained the message to a number of people. Then the pastor and the brethren who had accompanied him remained alone in the house.
Not only the brethren, but the neighbors also, were wondering what would happen that night. Before lying down to sleep,
the pastor and those with him engaged in a season of prayer asking the Lord to cast out the evil spirits from that house, making their petitions in the name of Jesus. Then they lay down and slept peacefully all night and nothing whatever troubled them. Formerly, people who had slept in that house had heard footsteps, noises, and the sound of a horse walking all over the place. The brethren left that house, and others occupied it, and from that time forward no evil spirits have troubled it in any way. The news that the Adventists had cleansed the house from evil spirits was known throughout all that region.
The owner of the house was very grateful and said to the Adventists, "I am very happy for what you have done. I have a large house in the city that would be very suitable for meetings, and I am going to let you have it free of charge and you can hold your meetings there." This man is now a good friend to the people of God.
Today in Caland the work is well known and many are yielding their hearts to God and will soon become members of the church. Thus the Lord works in favor of His cause in the Pacific Colombia Mission.
