POFCI GOES TO VENEZUELA - AGAIN!
Dear Friends,
On March 3rd 1998, 26 Operation LEO team members began their return to the United States after spending 12 days ministering to almost 1000 police officers in Venezuela!! Our childrens ministry team also ministered to 250-300 children outside of Caracas in Guarenas where Randy and Marlene have planted a church. Approximately 35 police officers and 80 children trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!
We were also allowed into a prision that housed 100 police officers. 30% of these officers would again work the streets as some of them would be found completely innocent. When an officer is involved in a shooting here it is very probable that he or she will end up in prison awaiting the outcome of the investigation. We were amazed to find out that these officers almost never receive visitors and most of them seemed to have no hope. What a privilege it was to have several officers give their testimony followed by an invitation from Randy to accept Jesus Christ. 25 police officers immediately raised their hands and prayerd to receive Christ. We then learned that never in the history of the prison had any evangelicals been allowed to share!
Our team also was invited to train at the largest Army base in Venezuela! After our training Randy was given the opportunity to share about our teams faith in Jesus Christ. Before Randy shared with the whole group Dave Zirkle (Illinois) had the opportunity to share his faith with two Army Generals with Randy providing translation. At one point Dave shared about having faith that a nearby chair would hold up the General. Dave described that as belief. He then described sitting in the chair as real faith at which point one General in particular seemed to connect with his need to accept and believe in Jesus Christ. Please pray as Randy will soon be doing some follow up with these leaders who are very interested in our team returning to their base next year! As we left the base we learned that no evangelicals had ever been allowed on the base in the history of Venezuela!!
Today is the 6th of March and the schedule has continued non-stop for Randy and I after the team left for home. This morning we had breakfast with Edgar and Jose who are two Christians who work for the Chacao police department. We prayed and encouraged both men to remain faithful to the Lord and to continue in their goals of helping Randy throughout the year before our next team returns to Caracas. This past Tuesday night Randy and I did a live radio interview on a secular radio station to give a report on what the Lord had done among the police and children. Remember Dave Zirkle's illustration about belief and faith in a "chair"? Well, as we entered the radio sound booth Randy reminded me that the equipment at the studio was not the best (we were about one minute from going on the radio live). Randy sat down and pulled himself up to the microphone. I then sat down as the radio technician in the next room was signaling that we were about to go live. At that moment I sat down and my chair "exploded." I immediately landed on the "seat of learning" with hands and legs in a prayerful upward position. The best part was as we tried to compose ourselves on the air Randy asked, "Dave, what has had the greatest impact on you this week." It was only the Lord that allowed us to "maintain" until we made it out to the car one hour later!
Last night Randy and I attended a prayer meeting at their church in Guarenas. What a blessing it was to hear of the excitement of the men and women who had worked so hard with our childrens ministry team. They were all laughing at the prospect of so many children attending church this Sunday and where to seat them! So many children have been asking about church all this week! Pray for this church as the mayor of Guarenas is arranging to give them low cost property so they may begin to move from a home and begin construction on a church building.
Early tomorrow morning Nancy, Kristina and I are taking Randy, Marlene, and Rachael to Margarita Island. It will be a five hour drive down the coast and a four hour ferry trip to the island. We will return to Caracas early Friday morning and our flight to Miami is Sunday morning the 15th. We will have a chance to REST and plan on several times of concentrated prayer together for the future LEO teams to Caracas. We will be establishing additional cultural guidelines for future teams as the ministry expands. When we return Randy, Nancy, and I have been invited to a lunch on the Army base with several Generals to discuss the ministry! Please pray with us as we have realized that there is a nice hotel on this base which might be a possible site for future teams if the Lord opens the door.
God bless you and thank you for praying for the ministry of Peace Officers For Christ International!
Weary but still in the battle!!
Dave McDowell