Who is this guy?

By Dean Pinney

Guatemala Update
May 11, 1997

This past week has been full of adventure. First of all, the Judge has been arrested and charged as a result of the illegal methods used to entrap Eugenio. In addition, the Prosecuting Attorney has also been arrested and charged.

The people of Guatemala are crying out for justice. They have been promised a new way, and yet they are seeing old tricks. This past week a meeting took place that I can only refer to as "the turning point". We (all of us) have written our congressmen and encouraged them to get involved, last week we were told that they weren�t going to intervene yet.

However, a prominent official was talking with President Arzu, (whose office had informed us that she was not interested) began to ask questions about Queno. As she asked, he looked at her and said, "Who is this guy, anyway, that he should have such influential friends?" She told him that she wasn�t even going to bring it up, but it has been eating at her since she received such wide-spread pleas for her intervention.

He told her that there was a new Judge on the case and that they would review the evidence (?) and make a decision. She left there wanting to know herself who this guy was.

The pressure is on, and it�s coming from the people of God. Continue to be faithful and pray, would you?

Pray for the prominent officials who are involved as they�re witnessed to. Pray for the Government of Guatemala as they are witnessing their world changing right before their eyes. And pray for Queno, as he fights this battle with the forces of darkness. Pray that his hedge of protection be thickened, pray that his lifebreath would continue to outlast the opposition. And pray today, for a young man named Armando.

Armando had decided to quit Bible College. He was tired of the hypocrites. He was tired of the "words" that people said, as they lived their lives contrary to God�s will. He was so tired of forcing himself to believe that there was, in spite of these kind of people, a God. He was tired of the pain of feeling that he was the only one who didn�t feel God. God was so far away. He knew the right answers, but in his heart he didn�t believe them. He was through. While he was packing to leave, he found a copy of the story of Eugenio on his roomates� bed. He began to read.

As he read, tears flowed down his eyes, "This was the God he was searching for!" He continued to read. When he finished, he ran down the stairs to find his roomate. When he found him he asked if he had any of the other letters. They went back to the room together and began to read the letters. Armando wept as he read of the storekeeper who gave out of her need, he cried as he read about the death-row inmate, and he fell to his knees as he read of how the churches were coming together--this was what had driven him away, that the churches who said that they believed in the same God couldn�t even get along! And here before his eyes, it worked.

Christianity worked! And there was God right in the middle of it all!

He had been looking for God his entire life, and here He was! By now he was standing on his bed reading out loud the story of Queno�s conversions, and how they were flocking to the "preacher". He began to unpack his things. If he were going to be able to do these kinds of things he would need to finish his education. Where would he go? What stories would he have to share? He was so excited, finally some direction. He had never considered a mission field. That was for people who couldn�t make it in real life. . . or so he had thought. But now, he saw them as soldiers for the Cross.

Just like a new recruit in basic training, he can�t wait to get out to where the action is.

Queno is tired. He has been going all night and all day for 45 days now. He has told the story over and over and over again. "For God so loved the world. . . . ."

The churches are overflowing, everyone wants to meet this God who gives peace and forgiveness so freely. Everyone wants to meet a God worth dying for. They need help. There are only a few workers there who are trying to preach day and night to the ones who are starving for the Love of God. They need Armando. And Armando needs them.

Do you need to see God? Then go out your front door and go to the place no one else will go. Go to the inner city and be a family for someone, go to the Hospital for Aids victims and hug them - no one will touch them, and their dying for love. Go to the orphanages and explain to them what mother�s day means. Go to the mental institutions and tell them about Christ. Go to the streets and love those children who don�t know what love is. Go to the prisons and explain how they can be truly free. If you are looking for Christ, that�s where you�ll find Him. As much as we decorate our fancy churches for Him, we rarely find Him living there. Go. Do something.

Your life depends on it, stop crying quietly in the dark. Christ is only a breath away. Find him.

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