Dr. Harold & Myrna
Carpenter

Victory in the Village of the Alligators

By Dr. Harold R. Carpenter

The jungle echoed with the laughter of the young people as our Speed-the-Light pickup bobbed and weaved down the narrow road. My efforts to guide it were almost useless as the front wheels seemed to be making contact with the ground only spasmodically. You see, packed on the back were 39 teenagers.

We were on our way to Caimanes, the village of the alligators, to bring the gospel to yet another group of Guarani Indians. The man by my side, Rosendo Apurani, had contacted me at the Bible school a few days earlier and asked me to make this trip with him and a group of Christ's Ambassadors [youth group] from his church to reach this new village for Christ.

Since the day of his own encounter with Christ, Rosendo had felt a compelling desire to let others of his tribe know what a wonderful change Christ could bring into their lives. Memories of his former life gave him a vivid understanding of the needs of his people.

Orphaned at eight years of age, Rosendo had wandered from village to village trying to forget his sadness in long drunken stupors. All this changed when he found Christ as his Savior through a personal friend and counselor, Missionary Everett Hale.

Now for the past several years he had been reaching village after village with the gospel, helping to establish new churches in such places as El Carmen, Barreras, Marina, Pueblo Nuevo, La Belgica, and now Caimanes.

When at last we arrived in Caimanes, we were surprised to be met by a local police official who informed us we would not be allowed to preach there. After some consultation we decided to go ahead with the service as planned, even at the risk of being arrested.

The young people began to sing in the village clearing and a group of 140 people soon gathered. At the end of our service more than a dozen men stepped forward to accept Christ as their Savior. Among this group was Manuel Lisaraga, the village captain.

The following day I returned to Santa Cruz to continue my work in the Bible school. Rosendo and the young people remained in Caimanes for several days preaching and singing of the love of Christ. During the following week 45 more conversions were registered.

At the next session of Bible school the village captain and another young man from Caimanes enrolled to prepare for ministry to their own village.

Within two years the entire village of Caimanes had turned to Christ!

Today, working with missionaries Everett Hale and Howard Nutt, Rosendo is still reaching out to others of his tribe.

The success of the work of Brother Rosendo, 150 other national workers and 14 missionaries in Bolivia depends upon your faithful prayers. Will you pray for Bolivia today?

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