As my plane descended upon the city of San Pedro Sula last Monday afternoon, I observed the lush and green countryside, the mountains, the fields and the simple homes of my beloved Honduras.  I was thinking about the past sixteen years of visiting this beautiful place with its humble people.  For sixteen years I have been making friends there, speaking in churches, teaching seminars, encouraging pastors and conducting outdoor Salvation-Healing Campaigns.

The memories of so many trips to Honduras are a blessing to my life.  Now, I was visiting again to meet with pastors and leaders.  My mission was to “sell” them on the idea of following through on their decision to participate with my team and I in conducting a campaign in San Pedro Sula.  I was not a little concerned about the upcoming meeting.  These are “city” pastors.  (The population San Pedro Sula and it’s surrounding communities is around a million people.)  These leaders are probably much more educated and sophisticated than the pastors in the outlying areas.  Plus, they’ve hosted evangelistic crusades before, some good and some not so good.  Will they “jump on board” to the degree that will make our effort a success?  Will they believe in our approach?  Will they catch the vision of a simple but powerful Salvation – Healing Crusade?

I say that I had to “sell” them on the idea because I’m asking them to make a contribution.  Not so much a financial contribution because we’re raising the budget here in the U.S.  I am asking them for a contribution though, one of time, labor and their faith and confidence in us and our program.  Their contribution is absolutely vital to success.  I must somehow convince them that our Campaign will bring healing and salvation to thousands of their people as well as get many of them into their churches.  I have to talk them into mobilizing their people, leading them to pray, to organize, to serve, to invite and to believe in our effort.  I must inspire them to follow our plan which has proven to bless scores of other cities, hundreds of churches as well as hundreds of thousands of people.  And I’ll have about 60 minutes to do that.

The next day I went to meet with these one hundred pastors, denominational leaders and fathers in the faith which influence as many as 1,500 churches in the area.  I met many new friends and saw some old friends too.  They were all smiling.  That helped a little.

The meeting opened with praise and worship.  A couple of preliminaries were taken care of and I was introduced.  I greeted these church Elders, said a couple of things and quickly introduced our Crusade Director Gladys Padilla and Pastor Luis Sorto.  Both are longtime Honduran ministry associates of ours.  I needed them to help me get my message across.  They shared from their heart about their confidence in our ministry and their experiences with us over the years.  That seemed to go well.  Gladys had their attention and inspired a couple of “amens”.  Luis had them laughing in no time, his specialty.  Then he dropped the bomb.  Luis told them that Pastor David wasn’t actually asking them for help…but that he had come to help them win their own people to God!  Their eyes opened wide in realization.

What can I say?  They made my job a cinch!  I just shared for about 25 minutes about the simple ministry of a New Testament Evangelist, offering Phillips ministry in Acts 8 as evidence.  An evangelist simply announces the good news about Jesus, brings healing and miracles to needy people, and tells them about the Name of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.  He shows them how to be born again and then turns them over to pastors and churches for follow up and discipleship.  It’s a 2000 year old method…and it works.  “We’ve done it in 58 other Honduran cities”, I said.  “Let’s do it in San Pedro Sula.  Let’s win souls, inspire miracles and grow your churches!”

During the Question and Answer time that followed a couple of pastors gave testimony to the impact of our Fiesta de Milagros Campaigns in other cities where they had previously led churches!  They told about great healings, mighty deliverances and the transformed lives that occurred as a result of our campaigns.  It was marvelous.  The Devil never had a chance.

Those pastors responded like almost every other group of pastors in every other city.  They were in!  They’re on board!

I’m so excited about this 59th Honduras city!  Get ready San Pedro Sula.  Here comes Jesus!  The leaders of the church are in unity!