A Diamond In The Rough

[Sister Alvear]

He appeared at the 2 o'clock service. He slipped in and sat on the back pew. He left before the service was over. This became the routine. I wondered who he was, where he was from, and why he arrived late and left early, yet returned every Sunday.
The Word of God is like the fisherman's hook; once it is hooked in the prey, it seldom escapes. He was hooked! God would do the work. In time, I found out that he walked eighteen kilometers each way to service. He was very timid, yet very persistent. Someone told me where he lived, so I went to visit him. His wife disappeared when I arrived. She made it very plain she did not want my visit. I talked to him for a while, and then left.
I found out that his wife's family was from one of the strongest trinity groups in Brazil. They are a group that fellowships no other church, and are very rude to many people. No wonder she didn't want her husband going to a false church, if he was going to be a believer.
The church that his wife's folks went to was the nicest church building in our city. The little church we pastored was at the far end of a little, but dangerous village. The building was old, we had no singers or musicians and I spoke so little Portuguese. Why would he like that little church? I can only say, it had to be the power of God drawing him. After I would do my little thing, we would pray for hours, as I didn't know anything else to say in Portuguese at the time.
The man came faithfully, and God filled him with the Holy Ghost, soon after He was baptized. During this time, I got married and Brother Raul and I continued the work together. The man continued faithful, and our church grew, but his wife would not show any interest for a long time.
We were having a healing revival. God was performing signs, wonders, and miracles in our midst. We asked Brother Antonio why he didn't bring his sick boy for prayer. To ours and his surprise, his wife decided to come and see what kind of false church her husband had been attending for years.
She sat very reserved in service, but she watched all that went on. Their son, went up for prayer and I noticed tears in her eyes. She returned for another service and another.
One day I talked to her about getting baptized. "No, Missionary," she replied. "I've decided your church is not so bad, but I will never be baptized in Jesus Name, I was baptized in my church long ago." She and I became good friends, and over the years I would mention her need to be baptized in Jesus Name, but she would always say, "Missionary, I am already baptized." And no matter how much I tried to persuade her, she never seemed to show any desire for baptism in Jesus Name. She made visits with me, went to visit the sick, helped me in the ladies society, cooked special meals for us, we prayed together, and she even defended our church to her family.
Her husband progressed spiritually and by this time, he was a worker and a good preacher at that. I'll never forget the joy I felt the first time he preached. The day came when we were moving from that city to another city, Brother Antonio could take care of service in that city. We move away from that city, and still she had not been baptized in Jesus Name. "How long will we wait, Oh Lord? I prayed, "She is my friend." But there are so many others to be reached, so I left her in the hands of God.
It is not my nature to be content when souls are dying, so in the new city, where we moved, I started going to Shanty Town, a village when there was no running water, and it was full of bandits. I walked into a little "lean to". It was so dirty.
The lady lay on the soiled bed, drunk. Her children were crying. I took one of them on my lap and began to talk to it. It was so hot. Oh, how I wished for a cool drink of water. "I'll get you a drink of water, Missionary," the oldest girl said to me. I knew better than to drink water caught in dirty barrels, but I was so thirsty. Just a drink I thought.
After telling the children a Bible story and praying for their drunk mother, I felt oozy and dizzy. I can't remember driving home, I just remember walking in the house and saying, "I drank some contaminated water," and I collapsed. I was out cold! Brother Alvear went for a doctor and by the time he got there, the doctor couldn't find a pulse beat. I don't remember being taken to the hospital, neither do I know how long I was out, but when I did come to, they had IV's hooked up to me. Well, I don't belong here, I thought, but I was too weak to move.
Brother Alvear decided to call Brother Antonio and ask them to pray for me. It so happened that Sister Oivina answered the phone. He told her how sick I was. "Pastor, go quickly to the hospital and tell the Missionary that I am going to be baptized in Jesus Name. You see, last night I dreamed the Missionary died, and as we carried her casket to the cemetery, I wept and said, "the missionary was always so kind, and the only thing she asked me to do, I refused over and over again, and now she has died and will never see me baptized in Jesus Name." "Go now Pastor!" With these words, she hung up the phone.
Brother Raul came back to the hospital and stood by my bed. He said, "Janice, Sister Divina told me to tell you that she is going to be baptized in Jesus Name." Suddenly, I felt strength coming to me, and in no time I had recovered. The following weekend was convention time in the Itobi Church close to Sao Jose where Sister Divina lived.
Sure enough she was at convention and it was my privilege to see her baptized. That was the day I had long awaited. Today, this wonderful couple pastor two churches and Brother Antonio is a Regional Director of a group of our churches. To God be all the glory and praise!