We have a very awesome testimony of faith regarding the celebration event last weekend at the Catholic church in Chiligatoro. You will remember that the statue of the virgin Mary was to arrive at the church and the Lenca were going to hold a celebration in honor of her on Saturday and Sunday. They invited Gerardo, Billy and Betty to come and show the Jesus film on one night and a second film which included people's testimonies of what the Lord had done for them to be shown on the following night The people had also planned to do a rosary following the celebration.
We were asked to please pray that the people would understand and accept the fact that Gerardo, Billy and Betty would only be there to bring Honor and Glory to God, NOT Mary. Gerardo was able to make this perfectly clear all throughout both evenings. One other thing that happened unexpectedly was that one of the Leaders on Sunday night asked for Billy to show a couple of videos that a member of the congregation would be bringing on Sunday night? It was one of those predicaments that you find yourself wondering how in the world did this happen? Billy consented to show the videos in good faith. Remember that we had been asked to join them in prayer for God to receive all the Honor and Glory.
God answered everyone's prayer according to His perfect will. He personally saw to it that He would receive all of the Honor and the Glory!
Beginning on Saturday night at the showing of the Jesus Film, there were at least 500 Lenca present. More than half of them raised their hands to be saved! God knows those who truly heard, understood, and responded to the Gospel message that night! On Sunday night there was also a great crowd, but only 4 out of over 450 raised their hands to be save. It could have been an indication that the 250 plus really did get saved the night before! Incidentally, no rosary was said following the close of the celebration. Gerardo, Billy and Betty said that no one seemed to notice.
This is lengthy, but if you want to see more of God, please continue to read. On Sunday night, the Lenca member never showed up with the two videos that were to be shown following the testimony film of Betty and Billy's. The Catholic leaders asked if they would just come back on Wednesday night to show their tapes. Since Billy had already told them that he would show their tapes, he agreed that they would come back. Again, they were continuing to pray for God to receive all the Honor and Glory.
Billy and Betty have used the film projector many times. It is very accurate to say that they understand all the logistics of operating it. The projector worked "perfectly" both Saturday night and Sunday night with Betty and Billy's videos. On Wednesday night, they set up the projector exactly the same way they always have. When they put the first tape in, there was sound but no picture. Billy did everything that he knew to do to correct the problem. He troubleshot for a very long time. He even put in one of their own tapes, and still the same thing happened, sound but no picture. All the while, Gerardo who spoke to Billy in English so the other's would not understand what he was saying, kept telling Billy that it was God not wanting them to show the tapes. Over and over he said, "it is God, Billy." Betty sensed the same thing. Billy's mind wanted to agree with them, but he felt he wanted to be sure that it wasn't something wrong that he may have done to cause the problem with the projector. They apologized to the Lenca over and over, and hoped that those people would not misinterpret the situation and think it was a deliberate act. The people seemed to accept that something was wrong with the projector. But all the way home both Gerardo and Betty were proclaiming that it was God not wanting those films to be shown.
During Billy's quiet time the next morning, he finally realized that Gerardo and Betty were absolutely right! Yes, it was God. Gerardo had also said during the ride home, that the 30 minute tape was about Mary and that it would have been giving honor and glory to her and not Jesus. Several days afterward, at his leisure, Billy connected the projector exactly as he has always done many times before, just to see what would happen. He inserted a tape and it worked "PERFECTLY" with both sound and picture!
For three weeks Billy, Betty and Gerardo had been praying that the tapes would bring Honor and Glory to God. At some point, the Lenca prayer team had joined them in this prayer also. God was on a mission that night. All of the Honor and Glory belongs to HIM and HIM alone!
God bless you all!
In Christ,
Patty Miles
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Patty Miles
Prayer Coordinator
Billy and Betty Capps
IMB Missionaries to Honduras
Southern Baptist Convention