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PRAY CENTRAL FLORIDA NEWSLETTER
Greetings in the name of the Lord. Last month Pray Central Florida
celebrated it’s fourth anniversary. We have offered up fervent prayer and
intercession for Central Florida the first Tuesday of every month for the
last four years. We had a special “Redeeming the Land” communion that was
very powerful. People brought soil from all over Central Florida taken
from their homes, ministries and some government buildings. As we
worshiped the Lord we put the soil into a glass bowl set on a map of
Central Florida, right over downtown Orlando. We noticed the soil came in
many different colors and textures, even as people of different colors
and denominations were present at the meeting and more so in the whole
Body of Christ. As the soil all came together in the bowl it still
retained it’s unique color and texture creating a rainbow effect. It was
a beautiful picture of what the Body of Christ should be like and of
course prompted us to pray for that kind of unity. We had a brief
teaching about the land being cursed starting with Adam’s sin. The
shedding of innocent blood also cursed the land starting with Cain (“Your
brother’s blood cries out from the ground”) and continuing today with
different kinds of murder, including abortion. Jesus redeems us from all
curses because He became a curse for us. We took communion and prayed
for, prophesied and received Jesus’ healing for the land in Central
Florida. This of course was not the end, murder and abortion continue to
place new curses on our land, but it was a step, it was our portion to do
at this hour.
We also prayed about all the abandoned babies lately. A Word was given
about a Spirit of Abandonment attacking our area with several different
manifestations people abandoning their babies after birth, abortion
which is abandoning the baby before it is born and parents emotionally
abandoning their children. In the Church many feel abandoned, not
connected, and they easily abandon their commitments and jump from church
to church. We then stood against the Spirit of Abandonment over our city
and prayed in a Spirit of Adoption.
Our next Pray Central Florida prayer meeting (the first Tuesday of every
month) will be at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday April 4th at Freedom Fellowship
Church. We are located in the North Park Commerce Center on the Northeast
corner of the Intersection of 441 and Clarcona-Ocoee. The address is 6341
North Orange Blossom Trail. Directions from I-4 exit SR-423/Lee Road
and go West to 441/OBT (2.1 miles). Turn right on 441 and go 1.5 miles to
the intersection with Clarcona-Ocoee. Go through that intersection and
immediately take a right into North Park. The planned agenda is as
follows:
11:30 to 12:00 lunch and sharing time call our church office
(299-6311) to let us know
you are coming and we’ll provide lunch.
12:00 to 1:30 (or whenever the Lord is done) - prayer for our city. If
you can't come please
pray for:
Unity of the Body of Christ and purity in the Body and in relationships
between leaders
Pastors to pray together and lead their churches into praying with other
churches
Vision Orlando, Faith Foundation, Rise Up! Sanford, Space Coast Prayer
Network and
Deland pastors and intercessors
God's redemptive purposes to be fulfilled in Central Florida
The scourge of abortion to be removed
Jesus Video Distribution Vision Orlando plans to distribute the Jesus
film to 600,000 homes in Central Florida (Seminole, Orange and Osceola
Counties) this fall. Most of the money needed has been pledged but a
large amount is still needed. Please pray for the remaining funds and
supernatural provision so the pledges can be paid. For information or to
receive a free copy of the Jesus Video Distribution promotional video
call Chet at 407-351-8942. Also prepare yourself to share with your
neighbors when they receive JESUS by mail! The best preparation for both
you and your neighbors is to become a Lighthouse of prayer praying for
your neighbors and building relationships with them. Then when the Jesus
video is mailed you can go next door and say “Have you seen Jesus?”
Tabernacle of David/Worship Watch -
The Tabernacle is the place the Lord dwells. He inhabits the praises of
His people. A Tabernacle of David meeting is a time filled with praise,
worship and prayer. Here’s what Tracey says about the ones she is leading
“Bring your worship "weapons" (Bible, banners, flags, dancing shoes,
instruments, etc.). Be prepared to offer your sacrifices of praise to the
Lord through worship, dance, instruments, banners, intercession,
proclamation of God's word, prophetic word and song!” The next Tabernacle
is Friday night April 28th, 8:00 p.m. to midnight (come and go as you
please), 7:00pm for intercessors and musicians. Children are welcome to
come worship but no nursery is provided. Location: First Assembly of God
(Main Sanctuary) 2740 E. Michigan Ave., Orlando. 895-5683 for directions.
Call Tracey at 859-0620 for more info.
Current Prayer Events:
Aglow ladies prayer meetings Apopka, Longwood and Kissimmee-St. Cloud
meetings, for info call
Nancy Ross at 774-9197.
International Prayer Warriors prayer for our city, nation and world,
523 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs.
Call Pastors David or Elizabeth Yanez at 331-5136 for meeting times and
directions.
Mantle Ministries is putting together a city-wide 24-hour praise/prayer
chain. E-mail Tracey at
“mantleorl@aol.com” for more information or to sign up for an hour a
week.
Moms In Touch moms praying for their kid’s schools, call Denise Amat at
(407) 333-3320.
Tuesday evenings - 7:30 p.m. - Servants of the Most High.
Interdenominational prayer group meets at
Church of the Annunciation in Altamonte Springs. For more information,
call 679-2645 x 9400.
Thursday mornings - 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. - prayer for Central Florida at
Strang Communications in Lake Mary.
This is hosted by Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine.
Friday Mornings 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. - Intercessory Prayer Network
"praying over" Orlando and Orange
County from the 23rd floor of the Orange County Courthouse. For more
information or to help establish this intercession over other counties
contact the IPN at (407) 679-2645 x 9500.
First Thursday of month 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Space Coast Prayer Network
meets at First Baptist Church of
Satellite Beach, 535 Cassia Blvd. Call the church for directions - (321)
777-0057.
First Saturday of month - Prayer for Muslims - 10:00 a.m. - Noon,
Orlando. Call Peter Shadid - 240-6272.
Second Monday of month 7 p.m. Vision Orlando prayer meeting for the
transformation of our city. Meets
at the First Baptist Church of Orlando chapel, behind the main church.
Paul Scroggins 826-2605.
Third Saturday of month 9:30 a.m. - End-time Handmaidens and Servants.
Meets at Apopka Assembly of
God. Prayer for America, Israel and the nations. Call Jane Norman for
details 407-880-5923.
Weekdays Lighthouse Report (with Bill Bright and Steve Douglass)
WTLN (AM 950) 10 a.m. &
8:45 p.m. or on the web at www.lighthousereport.com.
April 4th (Tuesday) - Pray Central Florida - 11:30 a.m. at Freedom
Fellowship Church (6341 N. OBT).
April 7th - Concert of Prayer - 7 PM, call Carlos Sarmiento at RTG
Ministries (407-290-1444) for details.
April 28th Tabernacle of David/Worship Watch - 8:00 p.m. to midnight,
7:00pm for intercessors and
musicians, First Assembly of God, 2740 E. Michigan Ave., Orlando. (407)
895-5683 for directions. Contact Tracey Duffield at (407) 859-0620 for
more information.
May 2nd (Tuesday) - Pray Central Florida - 11:30 a.m. at Freedom
Fellowship Church (6341 N. OBT).
May 4th National Day of Prayer many local observances including a
prayer rally at the Orange County
Courthouse at 12 Noon, more details next month or contact Maureen,
e-mail MCB1997@aol.com.
Also see the Florida Prayer Network web site for observances by county -
www.floridaprayer.org.
May 26th Tabernacle of David/Worship Watch - 8:00 p.m. to midnight,
7:00pm for intercessors and
musicians, First Assembly of God, Orlando. Contact Tracey Duffield at
(407) 859-0620 for info.
See this newsletter on the web at the Christians On the Net site -
.
George Kern, 712 Florida Blvd., Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (W) 942
6665, E-mail praycf@juno.com
Pray Central Florida - praying for Central Florida and encouraging the
Church in Central Florida to pray.
Administrative note on E-mail list etiquette - FYI for our new members
especially.
When you get an E-mail with an address list please don't use that list or
reply to all. If you want to send something to the list, send it to the
list moderator (in the case of Pray Central Florida that would be George
Kern) for a decision about sending it to everyone. I have divided my list
into several sections for greater privacy so if you want to send
something to everyone you must send it to me anyway.
And here is the extra stuff ...
=================================
(1) Crucifixion web site
(2) National Day of Prayer May 4th
(3) NPPN* INDIA: NEW HOUSE CHURCH
(4) Joel News City church movement in USA gains momentum
(5) Joel News JN309-2. Divine backup for police officers in El Paso
(6) Prayernet - MYANMAR: Buddhist monk raised from the dead
(7) JN311-1. The miracle of Almolonga, Guatemala (long but worth it)
*NPPN - NATIONAL PASTORS' PRAYER NETWORK - US
A Ministry Network Of The Mission America Coalition
OUR VISION-
Identify And Encourage Pastors' Prayer Groups In Cities And Communities
Across America...2,000 By Year-End 2000...So That...Pastors Lead Their
People Into Praying For And Sharing Christ With Everyone In Our Nation.
Copyright 1999, NPPN - Permission granted for duplication or distribution
among facilitators and intercessors who are committed to gathering
pastors
for prayer. E-mail praychgo@flash.net to subscribe.
***********************************************
(1) Crucifixion web site
This web site has some powerful pictures of what the crucifixion was
like.
http://christianityalive.homestead.com/TheCross.html
**************************************
(2) National Day of Prayer May 4th
The following is an E-mail from Maureen, local NDP coordinator,
MCB1997@aol.com.
Also check our the Florida Prayer Network web site for the latest list
Of NDP observances - www.floridaprayer.org.
Dear friends and current or future NDP site coordinators,
Please let me know ASAP if you are planning on doing a National Day of
Prayer
event this year...(individually, or in conjunction with your church,
ministry
or prayer group.) I have been asked to send in a comprehensive list for
NDP
state and national offices by the end of this week, so they can refer
people
to various sites in the areas where events are taking place, (and also
for
the media's sake, for PR.)
The NDP is Thursday, May 4th....
and this year's theme is PRAY 2K! with the accompanying scripture verse,
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer".
Romans 12:12
Last year, we had a goal to have a praying presence at each city hall or
courthouse in Central Florida... it was wonderful, and I again thank
those of
you who took that challenge. We would like to have each "seat of
government"
(city hall, courthouse, even police departments) covered by two or more
intercessors, who will encourage others to join in with them. If several
people select the same site, I will help you get in touch with each other
to
coordinate. Let's make this a "Body work"....
Please contact me with the information about place you want to cover ....
and please, don't put it off... do it now !!!!!!!! ( Remember, I need
to
turn it in! )
I'll need to know the time of day, the exact location, the name of the
person
coordinating and a phone number . We will get the word out thru our
local
media, who will publish the list...what hapens is that people see what is
happening, they feel free to join in. Last year, several groups had
numerous
"joiners-in".
If you are doing a city hall and want the names and contact info for the
city
officials so you can invite them, great! Those are available. Ask what
time
would be good for them to be able to join yo, so you can pray for them.
Also
ask for an official proclamation for the NDP. I have an outline you can
give
to them, and they can just fill it in. (Makes a nice momento for your
work!)
Every year we are so excited by the turn out of the city officials when
they
hear that some of the people are coming to pray for them.
There will be a city wide event at the Orange County Courthouse at 12
Noon,
and you are all invited, but we need to have other prayer times all over
Orlando and adjoining cities...so that Central Florida will be soaked in
prayer.
Please pray, and then take a role in making this hapen for our area. I
look
forward to hearing back from you right away! If you have any questions,
call
or e-mail me... Thanks!
In His love,
Your sister and servant,
Maureen
(3) NPPN* INDIA: NEW HOUSE CHURCH
>From: samg
>To: Urban India Ministries
A demon possessed woman ate and walked on all fours like a cow. An
evangelist said he would fast and pray, come back and cast the evil
spirit
out. On the third day, he came and said to her, "In the name of Jesus,
out!" The woman stood up. The whole village was astonished and many
responded to Christ. Now they have a house church. Pray for several
house
churches like this. (AIM of EFI)
*****************************************
(4) Joel News City church movement in USA gains momentum
QUOTE: "Pastors across denominational lines have come together in city
and
city with nothing on their agenda except to pray. They have frequently
gone
out of the city and spent up to three days together in prayer. This has
now
become the rule in American cities, no longer the exception to the rule
as
it was ten years ago." - C. Peter Wagner
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000
The church of Katy doesn't have an address, but you will find it at
various
locations around the west Houston suburb--under signs that declare it to
be
everything from Assemblies of God to Southern Baptist. Pastors in the
community are at the forefront of the growing "city church" movement that
is seeing leaders put aside their differences to work together in new
ways
to impact their cities for God.
"We have chosen to put many of the things that are near and dear to us
personally aside so that we can come together as brothers and sisters who
have a common calling, which is the spiritual welfare of this community,"
said Charles Wisdom, senior pastor of First Baptist Church and recently
designated "elder" of the Church of Katy. Going beyond traditional
ministerial fellowships, the "city church" movement is bringing pastors
together to pray, plan and work beyond the scope of their own walls.
Around
25 leaders from local churches meet together each week in Katy. "There's
a
deep love and commitment to one another," Wisdom said. "We really want to
see the other guy flourish and his church do well." That spirit of
cooperation is replacing the previous "competition and turf protection,"
he
said.
Similar combined efforts are cropping up in cities across America
according
to Jack Dennison, president of Citireach International and a missions
strategist who is helping coach 20 such projects. Whereas previous
attempts
at building unity centered on events--after which participating churches
usually went back to doing their own thing--the new moves were being
based
in relationships. "The Scriptures tell us that there is a spiritual power
that is released in the midst of unity," Dennison said. "There's a great
spiritual effectiveness when the body of Christ is linked together and
functioning as a healthy body--in all its diversity and heritage--than
when
it functions in a dismembered way."
Congregations that are part of a "city church" can maximize their
resources
and avoid duplication of effort, instead of competing for "dollars,
territory, people," said Jon Sharpe, who heads Reach Seattle, the group
coordinating citywide efforts there. Next month they start City Discovery
Tours that will take congregational groups on visits to urban ministries
to
get a better feel for the parts of their city that they don't routinely
visit.
At Mission Houston, another significant citywide project, Jim Herrington
said: "We believe that God has a strategy for the transformation of the
city, and that He will only reveal it when there's real, substantive
unity
that is based in relationships... It's not about cooperating once on a
project. It's a whole new way of life for the church."
Dennison said that initiatives like those in Houston and Seattle were
rediscovering a Bible truth. "In our isolation we have lost our capacity
to
affect real change [in society] because each group and individual is
living
much like Israel did at the time of the judges, with each one doing what
is
right in his own eyes," he said. "But when you look at the New Testament,
you see that the church in a city was seen as one church in many
congregations."
Source: Charisma News Service
*************************************************************************
(5) Joel News JN309-2. Divine backup for police officers in El Paso
Date: Mon, 24 Jan, 2000
Law enforcement officers in El Paso, Texas, are being offered some
heavenly
protection when they report for duty. Hundreds have signed up for the
backup of a personal prayer partner through the "Shield A Badge" program
run by local churches as part of a concerted effort to impact the city
for
God. The names of officers who want to be part of the project are passed
on
to volunteers who agree to pray for them every day.
"Because of their jobs officers are in a certain amount of danger, and we
want to pray for protection for them," said Barney Field, director of El
Paso for Jesus (EPFJ), the organization that coordinates a wide-range of
collaborative projects by approximately 100 churches in the city. "They
can
face temptations in their jobs, too. Some guys are having problems with
their marriages. It's good to know that every day somebody is asking God
to
look after you. We tell them that it is non-denominational and that no
one
will go to your house and preach at you. You don't even need to know who
your partner is."
Sheriff Leo Samaniego said that he lets his officers know about the
program
and estimated that several hundred had signed up. He has enthusiastically
endorsed the simple programm. Samaniego believes it has helped play a
part
in reducing crime in the area.
Samaniego said that one deputy had an amazing escape when he stopped a
car
in the early hours one morning. As he struggled with a man armed with a
knife, another person put a gun to the side of his head, but it misfired.
"I told him somebody was watching after him, because that doesn't happen
too often. Even though no one was praying for him in particular, I think
that he got some of the blessing anyway," Samaniego said.
The sheriff also said that crime has dropped in El Paso by approximately
33
percent since 1996. "No one can tell me why. Some people say it is the
economy, but that doesn't make any difference to juveniles," Samaniego
said. "Most of the time they just commit crimes because they feel like
it.
I think [the prayer] does have an impact."
Similar prayer partner projects are in place for community leaders and
local schools. Prayer is an important part of the EPFJ movement, Field
said. A pastors prayer meeting has been held for more than 80 consecutive
months. "People are realizing that one church won't reach the city by
itself," he said.
The falling crime rate is not the only statistic to encourage EPFJ
participants. Divorce has decreased by 30 percent since 1996, when
churches
adopted the Marriage Savers program that includes premarital screening
and
counseling.
Local pastors persuaded the editor of the local newspaper to replace the
daily horoscope with a daily Bible reading in 1997. The next year the
paper
featured a pro-family story each day. Last year the publication promoted
good neighborliness.
Source: Religion Today
* Encourage others to subscribe directly to JOEL-NEWS-INTERNATIONAL. A
(free) subscription can be obtained by sending an e-mail to hub@xc.org
with
the following command in the body of the message: subscribe
joel-news-international
***************************************
(6) Prayernet - MYANMAR: Buddhist monk raised from the dead-
300 monks turn to Jesus.
"In 1998, a Buddhist monk died. A few days later, his
funeral was held, at which he was to be cremated. From the smell,
it was obvious that his body had already started to decompose - he
was very clearly dead!" according to the report from missions
agency Asian Minorities Outreach.
"We have attempted to verify this report which reached us
from a number of sources, and are now convinced that it is
accurate," they write. "Hundreds of monks and relatives of the
dead man attended the funeral. Just as the body was about to be
burned, the dead monk suddenly sat up, shouting, 'It's all a lie!
I saw our ancestors burning and being tortured in some sort of
fire. I also saw Buddha and many other Buddhist holy men. They
were all in a sea of fire!' 'We must listen to the Christians,' he
continued emphatically, 'they're the only ones who know the
truth!'
The events shocked the whole region. Over 300 monks became
Christians and started to study the Bible. The resurrected man
continued to warn everyone to believe in Jesus, because he is the
only true God. Tapes of the monk's report were distributed
throughout Myanmar. The Buddhist hierarchy and the government were
soon alarmed, and they arrested the monk. He has not been seen
since, and it is feared that he was killed to keep him silent. It
is now a serious crime to listen to the tapes, because the
government wants to dampen the sensation."
Source: Asian Minorities Outreach, BOX 17, Chang Klan P.O., Chiang
Mai 50101, Thailand, fax (+66) 53 801 487, e-mail amo@cx.org, web
site www.antioch.com.sg/mission/asianmo/ via: Friday Fax, 3/00
SUBSCRIBE to Prayernet: Send a blank email message to
************************************
(7) JN311-1. The miracle of Almolonga, Guatemala (long but worth it)
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000
Twenty-five years ago Almolonga, a city in Guatemala was ruled by
paganism
and poverty. Yet today more than 90 percent of its people are evangelical
Christians. Here is the amazing story of how prayer brought a
transformation.
By Mell Winger
Before and after: two simple words frequently used to describe Almolonga,
a
town in western Guatemala. Locals consistently refer to it in terms of
two
eras: the period before the power of God came in the mid-1970s and the
period after, when 90 percent of the 19,000 residents became born-again
Christians.
Before revival, Almolonga was gripped by fear, poverty, disease, idolatry
and alcoholism. Today the town is called "The Miracle City" because of
the
radical changes that have occurred among these Quiche Indians, who are
descendants of the ancient Mayans. Some Christian leaders say Almolonga
is
the best example they've seen of how intercession and evangelism can
transform a community.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
While driving into Almolonga from Guatemala City, one is immediately
struck
by the brilliant green hues of the fertile fields spreading throughout
the
valley. Even before the onset of the rainy season, when much of the
Guatemalan landscape is still dry, Almolonga remains lush. Hence it is
nicknamed "The Vegetable Garden of the Americas."
IDOL WORSHIP AND DRUNKENNESS
But it wasn't always so. About 25 years ago churches were small and weak,
fields were undeveloped, and the town was characterized by rampant
drunkenness. The Indians here served a 3-foot-tall clay idol called
Maximon, the patron saint and protector of many of Guatemala's cities and
mountain villages.
Maximon is often associated with alcohol, tobacco and sexual immorality.
Those who worship him regularly kiss his image or kneel before him and
place bottles of liquor at his feet in an attempt to win his favor. A
priest typically offers lit cigars to the idol, then takes a mouthful of
liquor and spews it over those who have come to seek a blessing.
After following such depraved religious customs for centuries, the people
of Almolonga were virtual captives in a demonic prison. But those prison
walls began to shake in 1974.
PRAYER AND DELIVERANCE
Following the pattern of all historical revivals, this miracle began in
the
heart of one of God's consecrated servants. Mariano Riscajche, now the
pastor of El Calvario Church, was a typical young man of Almolonga who
sought the protection and blessing of Maximon before he encountered the
living God. At his conversion to Christ, Riscajche heard the Lord say to
him, "I have elected you to serve Me."
Suddenly the promises of the Bible became real, and Riscajche began to
grow
in faith. His burning desire was to see people come to Christ and find
spiritual freedom. Then, one by one, his own family members were
converted.
But although he no longer served Maximon, Riscajche began to encounter
demon voices regularly when he ministered to those who wanted prayer.
Typically when Riscajche cast demons out of people he would ask the
spirit
to name itself. "Maximon" was usually uttered by the oppressed. The
eviction of the demon not only brought freedom to individuals; but the
heavy oppression over the city began to lift as well.
The early days of spiritual warfare in Almolonga were intense. People who
sought prayer for deliverance were sometimes hurled to the ground by an
unseen force. At times they coughed up blood when they screamed out the
name of the evil spirit. But Riscajche's congregation, recognizing that
they were engaged in a life-and-death struggle, remained steadfast in
prayer as the name of Jesus was demonstrated to be the victor in this
battle.
Riscajche now is joined by other believers in Almolonga in three days of
prayer and fasting every week--Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Their
goal
today is to plant churches in five nearby communities and to reclaim
Maximon's territory for Christ.
MAXIMON PRIEST FINDS JESUS
A former priest of Maximon's, Jose Albino Tazej, is one of those who
recently found Jesus in Almolonga. He represents the amazing change that
is
reshaping this culture.
Before his conversion Tazej would abandon his family for eight to 10 days
at a time to drink and conduct witchcraft activities. He often left his
family without any money for food.
Yet people came to Tazej to seek healing, prosperity for their businesses
or to have their fortunes told. As his dedication to Maximon grew, so did
his addiction to alcohol. One night, after a monthlong drinking binge,
Tazej cried out to God to save him.
After waking his family to share the news of his conversion, the family
burned all of their idols and witchcraft paraphernalia. The following
day,
Tazej went to the mountains to fast and seek the Lord. After witnessing
this well-known slave to witchcraft come to Christ, the local churches in
Almolonga intensified their prayer efforts.
Speaking with Charisma recently, Tazej's oldest daughter, Francisca,
grimaces and lowers her voice as she remembers how she and her siblings
used to kneel before the idol of Maximon with lit candles and liquor
offerings. But quickly she diverts the subject to "after Jesus" and
joyfully asserts that God changed everything 24 years ago.
"Before we received Christ, we didn't have any money, little food or a
decent house, and only clothes discarded by others," Francisca says. "My
father started seeking God and fasting. He began a business and started
working diligently. Now God has given us a house, a small store and a
calm,
hard-working, godly father."
PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
As Maximon's authority was challenged, some people began to persecute the
town's new Christians. Some merchants would not even sell food to the
converts. Witches disrupted church services.
The believers suffered under this backlash for years, but one particular
incident stands out in Riscajche's memory. Six men attacked him, tied his
hands behind his back and knocked his front teeth out. Then a man shoved
a
gun in his mouth.
Riscajche prayed for protection, and then he heard the gun's trigger
clicking. It was unable to fire. Bewildered by this divine intervention,
the attackers ran away. Since those days, crime has taken a definite
downturn in Almolonga, local Christians say.
PRISONS AND BARS CLOSED
Donato Santiago, Almolonga's chief of police, doesn't have much work to
do
today. He can be spotted resting in the shade while the vegetable markets
do brisk business. Armed with a whistle, this tranquil believer has
watched
the Holy Spirit change his town in the last 25 years.
"We used to average 20 to 30 people in jail each month," he recalls.
"Crowds would gather just to watch the drunks fight. It seemed like I had
no rest. I was often awakened in the middle of the night to stop family
violence. Before, we had four jails, and that was insufficient to
adequately house all of our prisoners."
Crime in Almolonga was so bad at one point, he says, that police enlisted
a
dozen citizens each night to help them patrol the streets. Yet today,
changed hearts and attitudes have resulted in a record low crime rate.
We asked Santiago what caused the change.
"The Word of God!" he replies. "The people were converted, so they
changed
their customs and left drinking behind. Day by day the rest followed and
joined one of the churches because of the changes they saw in the lives
of
Christians. Crime and drinking are now viewed by the people as a waste of
time and money."
The last jail in Almolonga closed nine years ago. Now remodeled and
called
The Hall of Honor, it's a place for hosting wedding celebrations,
receptions and community events.
There aren't many bars left open in town either. In 1974, 34 cantinas did
a
brisk business; today there are only three. Other bars were changed into
stores with names such as Little Jerusalem and Jehovah Jireh. One new bar
opened a few years ago, but it closed when the owner met Christ three
months later. He now plays in a Christian band.
MARIA
All these miracles of transformation are striking, but perhaps the most
impressive story in Almolonga involves Maria, the 86-year-old matriarch
of
the city who has resisted the gospel for decades. This woman, who
represents the stubborn traditions of those who revere the image of
Maximon, found new life in Jesus last year.
Source: Charisma News Service
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