Surely our plan of action has remarkably changed over the years. This revision is due to the huge and meaningful social changes which took place in these last two decades. Not only society has shifted position, it has done it radically and in an unprecedented speed. Not long ago the Bible had the respect of a large percentage of the unconverted population. Today this is past history and we must start our approach on a very different footing if we want to communicate anything to a nation influenced by atheism and bombarded by heathenism.
It has been said we are living in a post-Christian era. I can only agree with the epithet, for surely we are no longer interacting generally with nominal Christians or anything close to it. The accepted ethical code has drifted far from any source of light and continues to do so. Consequently the gospel must cross a colossal distance to reach the heart and mind of the common people.
So what does it mean in practice? It means more effort and time is needed to make any sort of impact on the general public. To say that the Spirit of God can cut through these social changes in a twinkling of an eye, and that prayers can reach heaven faster than a thunderbolt offer little help; the trees still need to be cut down, the soil ploughed and the seed sown. All in all, little can be done in a few weeks’ time when the forest is mixed with an undergrowth of brambles and thorns. And I guarantee you, spiritually speaking, there is plenty of wild land in Spain where no ax has ever entered, much less a plough. If evangelization was an uphill struggle thirty years ago, it has become an up-cliff challenge that calls for patience and endurance.
The regions beyond
Another factor that has obliged us to change our strategy is the fact that in the past our evangelistic campaigns were held in towns and cities where there was at least one evangelical church. But as far back as 1981 we began to hold campaigns in communities with no evangelical witness. At the time this was done exceptionally, but with the passing of the years the Lord began to direct our steps into virgin territories on a more regular basis.
These new and frequent occurrences confronted us with a new reality: “Who will take care of the new believers?” After much consideration it was decided to remain in the same province for a longer period of time, that is, in the vicinity of the new converts. This new method also has enabled us to return to the same cities time and again. This has not been only beneficial for the new believers, but also necessary to deepen our relationship with the new contacts and to continue the work we had begun during our previous campaign(s). For as I mentioned above, more effort and time is now needed to make any sort of impact on the general public.
With these new actualities in mind we began to return to the localities we had already visited holding up to five campaigns in the same community over a period of ten years. This new plan of action proved to be very successful from the very outset. In these communities we have passed from being a mere group of weird strangers to a company of trustworthy people. We are now invited in homes, approached in the streets, contacted for counsel and so on.
In the province of Huelva, for instance, nearly all the mayors know us personally and well. Several of them have told us the door of their city is wide open for us to return anytime we want. In some cases they don’t only receive us but also assist us. For example in La Palma del Condado the mayor offered a work to a new convert, paid the light and water bill of his family, and went to visit him in his home. In another town, named Puebla de Guzman, the mayor told us he knew about the good works we had done in his community and that it was a pity we were leaving so soon. One thing is certain, the effort we have invested in these territories is paying off and the tender grass is growing in the fields.
This new way of working doesn’t mean we avoid the cities where an evangelical church is found. Campaigns are held in these cities also and we are well known to the brotherhood. They often invite us to preach in their communities and the practice is reciprocal.
In this sort of pioneering work one must gird up his mind for a long-term investment and maintain the pace no matter what the appearances might be. The first phase is particularly difficult, but it must be done well and sustained by steady subsequent efforts. This is what we attempt to do, counting on His marvelous grace and the prayers and support of the brethren.
