The following is a report I wrote on our return last year following our city-wide crusade in Puerto Ayacucho. On our layover in Caracas following the crusade week, we had dinner with Jacobo and Sarah Garcia. Jacobo is head of the Evangelism division of the Venezuela Baptist Convention. He asked us at that time if we would consider doing the same type of crusade in the capital city of Caracas in 2008...hence the birth of another dream...the dream of 'La Cruzada para Valores Familiares' (The Crusade for Family Values) to be held January 31-February 3, 2008
Thirteen of us arrived in Puerto Ayacucho on the 7th of April, ready to begin the experience of a lifetime. God’s power was demonstrated through each and every one who went…some preached, some sang, some translated, all shared their faith and saw people come to receive Christ in their hearts. The first part of the week our team divided into five teams to work with the five local churches. Revival services were held at night and visitation during the day. By Wednesday night close to 200 new believers were brought into the Kingdom.
On Wednesday, two more arrived to add to the team…Dr. Richard Jackson and his friend, Mickey Eddins. On Thursday, Larry Shotwell left to return home to San Angelo.
Larry Shotwell led a seminar on the basics of Sunday School on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings at the Bible Institute there in Puerto Ayacucho. He had about 70 church leaders attend his classes. Many of the churches have Sunday School for children, but only a few have Bible study classes for adults.
Larry Rice, a retired music missionary to Venezuela who now resides in South Carolina, taught classes in Baptist Doctrine. He had about 25-30 in his classes which also met in the Bible Institute.
Kerry and I were assigned to the Puinave church which actually serves not only the Puinave tribe, but three or four other tribes as well. Kerry preached, Esperanza (a friend of my mom’s from Odessa) translated, and I sang. I even sang in Spanish! There were at least 200 there every night…one night there were more people outside than inside! The little church building will hold about 200 packed in, one side is crude benches and the other side is set up with plastic patio-style chairs. We saw many come to know Christ…one lady for whom they had been praying for three years! Her sons were already believers and leaders in the church. What rejoicing there was that night! Two different pastors came and wanted to align their churches with the Baptist association there in Puerto Ayacucho…one from the Jecuana tribe and the other from a Puinave group across the river in Colombia! This little church is very mission-minded and has 22 missionaries who go deep in the jungle on both sides of the river to the villages to spread the gospel. Tribal leaders who become believers then come back to the city to be discipled and taught how to share Christ with the rest of their village.
The crusade started Thursday night. It was so exciting to see our vision being fulfilled. The Holy Spirit was definitely in our midst. There were about 5000-6000 in attendance every night. Each night there were about 30-35 buses which went out to the villages to bring in people. Ten additional buses were added the last night of the crusade. It was exciting to see the buses pull up to the gates of the Concha Acustica, bringing hundreds of villagers to the crusade. Many people traveled hours by road and by river to come.
Dr. Jackson preached simple, to-the-point, evangelistic sermons. The gentleman translating for him, Ladimiro Urdaneta, is head of the Linguistics Department at the university in Caracas. The two men worked wonderfully together in their preaching. Hundreds came to the front each night…many of them making professions of faith, some rededications, some just wanting a Bible. Almost 1000 were registered as having prayed to receive Christ. We know there were hundreds more that did not get registered because there was a shortage of counselors. We just pray that whoever brought them to the crusade follows through with them and/or they begin attending one of the churches so the church can follow through. We know that some came forward only to receive a Bible, but at least God´s Word is going out. It is our prayer that there be at least one person saved for every New Testament that was given out.
In addition to being able to share the Good News to 5000-6000 every night at the crusade, thousands more were hearing it on the radio! A radio announcer drove 7 hours to come and broadcast for 3 hours every night of the crusade! A wonderful Christian man, the announcer interviewed people before and after in addition to broadcasting the service.
Thousands of New Testaments were given out throughout the city and surrounding villages and deep into the jungles. There were five teams of local people who were working in the jungle during the week while we were working in the city. They shared the Gospel with almost 700 people, distributed almost 500 New Testaments and 400 tracts, had 134 professions of faith and 69 rededications.
Almost 200 believers from all over Venezuela came to Puerto Ayacucho to help the churches in their revivals and with the crusade. Some led music in the churches, some worked with the children, and almost all helped in the daily visitation and witnessing.
God answered all our prayers, and then some! The radio broadcast was a complete surprise to us…but not to God! The team stayed healthy…no one got sick or hurt, travel was uneventful (aside from the usual Venezuelan delays), new friends were made, a unified effort was accomplished. The weather was not a problem…the first night of the crusade (in an outdoor setting), storm clouds gathered, but parted around us in that part of the city. The second day, it rained in the early afternoon, but cleared by evening. The third day was overcast but no rain. The last night, it rained heavily just before the crusade began (causing a late start) and then lessened to a light sprinkle, but the people still came. We had as many, maybe more, as on the other nights! Friday night all the power went out during the middle of the service (right after I sang!)…the entire area was out, the people remained calm, the worship leader led the group in songs while we prayed and waited for a generator to be hooked up…God answered our prayers and the power came back on before they could get the generator out! It was so exciting to see God working in so many ways…so often we pray, only halfway expecting an answer, and then are surprised when He answers! It was different this time…we prayed, expecting God to do as He promised…use us to share His word with His people in the Venezuelan Amazon. And He did! Hallelujah!
There are still prayers to be prayed…some of the most important work of the crusade is yet to be done…the follow-up and discipleship. Pray for the local pastors and churches to draw in all of those who made professions of faith and show them how to grow in their new life in Christ. Also, many New Testaments will be finding their way into hands of unbelievers both in the city and deep in the jungle. It is our prayer that at least one person will come to know Christ for every New Testament that has been given out. The Bibles are marked with scriptures leading the way to salvation. Dr. Jackson designed and marked them as if he (or anyone else) were sitting down with the person, leading them through the scriptures, leading them to know Christ.
Our 10 days in Venezuela were definitely a time to be remembered…one of those rare times when you find out what God is doing and jump on board. He blessed each one of us by allowing us to be a part of His work. And we thank all of you for your prayers and concern. You may not have made the trip with us, but we could not have done it without you, our family and friends, supporting us.
We love you….and it’s great to be back home!
Kerry & Diane
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