SUNDAY, August 24, will be a day long remembered in the lives of the members of the Puerto Limon Seventh-day Adventist church. It was the day chosen to celebrate the victory of the eight-week evangelistic campaign that began on June 29.
The entire church agreed that the best way to reaffirm the dedication of their new church and the reconsecration of their lives to God was by launching a major evangelistic campaign. Plans were laid, contacts were made, and Evangelist H. E. Nembhard, head of the theological department of the West Indies College, a consecrated, dedicated man, was sent over to conduct the campaign.
As the curtain was drawn aside the first Sunday night, success was evident. The opening topic, "Our Shattered World," drew an estimated four hundred to five hundred persons.
Night after night hundreds of people came to hear the message. When the topic "Adam's Mother's Birthday" was presented, more than six hundred people were present and many more had to turn away for lack of space.
One of the high points of the meetings that kept the people coming was a nightly quiz. This not only gave the names of the interested ones to the Bible instructors for follow-up work but also permitted the team to distribute hundreds of pieces of truth-filled literature. Bibles were given to those who brought five or more visitors.
As the campaign drew to a close the hopes of the team were soaring as the interest grew. One and then another helper was added to take care of the list of names. Finally, when the day of the baptism arrived, hundreds of people gathered together at the lovely beach in Piuta, Puerto Limon, and ninety-five precious souls were baptized. Four others had been baptized two weeks before. This made a total of ninety-nine souls added to the remnant church.
There were many victories gained during the effort, but I shall mention two that were outstanding. The first was the baptism of an entire family of eight persons. The father, Wilfred Shann, a sales man of clandestine lotteries, was invited by his wife, a Seventh-day Adventist, to at tend the meetings. From the first night, Mr. Shann was convinced that his life should be changed. The struggle was hard. It seemed to him that it would be impossible to let go his livelihood and follow God, but when his children decided to follow their Lord in baptism their pleadings could not be put aside easily, so with a few more visits, counsel, and prayer he gave his life to God. That day he and his seven children were baptized.
Another victory was that of Lloyd Hanson. His wife was a member of the church, but he and his children only visited on special occasions. During the campaign they were invited to attend. At the end of the campaign the children accepted the Lord and decided to be baptized, but the father held back. The morning of the baptism, when Mr. Hanson saw the many persons being baptized, especially his children, he could hold back no longer. To the surprise of all present he walked out toward the circle of ministers and asked to be baptized.
Yes, Sunday, August 24, will be a day long remembered in the minds of not only the members of the Puerto Limon Seventh-day Adventist church but the entire city of Limon and the Costa Rica Mission. It was the day the largest number of persons were baptized in the history of Puerto Limon. It was victory day for the Costa Rica Mission and the evangelistic team.
The evangelistic team was comprised of: H. E. Nembhard, evangelist; R. M. Cargill, assistant evangelist; Tom Ipes, a student missionary from Columbia Union College, senior theology major; Victor Shepherd, from the Siquirres district; Mrs. Lucia Duncanson, Mrs. Derl Marie Cargill, and Mr. Victor Johnson, Bible instructors.
