We saw 95 workers come to Connecticut from 19 states, including California, Florida and Long Island, New York, even Alaska!  We had one to come to work with us even from the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. 

 

On Victory Sunday we pressed for faithfulness, we drove home as best we could that once saved we must run the race.  We must decide to be that good ground (Luke 8)!  At the invitation one of the couples won in the campaign marched forward with their ten children, all dressed up as though they were part of a wedding party, and lining up across the front, this family, husband and wife new Christians just four days, made a statement: "We here to say we are committed to our decision for the Lord!"  And the place exploded with joy!  We couldn't keep the church quiet and in their seats.  It was a joyful catalyst, making the morning truly a Victory Sunday!

 

That couple had earlier in the week driven up in their car on the street and had pulled up beside one of our Cadre workers, Don Sterling, as he was standing at his own car.  They asked him if he knew the address of a certain Community Church.  He didn't know.  He asked them, "Why?  Are you going to a wedding or funeral?"  "No," they answered, "we just need to talk to someone."  Well, for Don, that was like lighting a fuse.  He said, "Well, the best church for the community I know of is that one you just past up the street, the one with all the RVs on the parking lot."  And they said, "Yes, we saw that."  They all came to the building and met a place full of friendly, loving, hugging people.  They sat and ate dinner with us in the building, and Don, with local preacher Jim Crisp, presented the Gospel to them.  The wife obeyed immediately, but the husband delayed, wanting to ponder it a while longer.  During the evening sermon on the Gospel, the family sat at the front.  And at the invitation he could wait no longer!  And that was another occasion when the place exploded.  Among others who came forward, whose stories are just as beautiful and memorable as this one, he too stepped forward to come to the Lord.  

 

What a church the Waterbury church is!  Full of excited, dedicated servants!  It all goes back to ATTITUDE!  They exemplify what a church can really do for the Lord when there simply are THE RIGHT ATTITUDES!  Adjectives like joy, and peace, and unity.  Verbs like work and sacrifice and talking the Gospel in the ears of lost people.  All that brings VICTORY in JESUS!  It brings success complacent and dead churches can only dream they would ever see ... there it is again ...  in their defeated ATTITUDES!

 

A preacher in the area, one who had been preaching there for nearly 40 years, had told us that our We Care approach would not work in New England.  We had never conducted a We Care Campaign before in New England, so, we wondered about it and we even felt a deal of uneasiness.  We also knew this dear brother had never even tried our approach.  Well, God gave us a wonderful dose of "Thank you's" and confidence.  For again we found DOING it speaks for itself:  In just the first two days we approached people on the street, we knocked their doors, we met them in parking lots, and we conducted about 40 studies!    And that's just the way it went.  "I cannot get off my assigned street," said Reggie Gardner, We Care Cadre member.  "That's because I am talking to so many folks.  In fact," he said at the time, "I haven't even gotten into a house.  We're stopping people on the street and conducting Gospel presentations there on the street!

 

Some teams did not go out BUT THAT they conducted a study every time!   And we were seeing tears, we were hearing local residents say, "I've never seen this!  I want to obey the Gospel!"  Speaking of those we studied with, one elder's wife said, "I heard more and more people say, 'Now I get it!'"

 

What we learned from that preacher's statement was, "You're right.  It will not work unless you work it!"  And doesn't that again simply go back to attitude?

 

"Lord, help us all to believe YOU will bless as long as we care for people, be kind, and be focused on bravely talking the Gospel of Your Son, Jesus!"

 

More studies continue yet.  Pray more will come to our Master and Wonderful Savior from this united effort!

 

For this we praise God!  Thank you workers!  Thank you who send us so faithfully into this USA, winning souls, training souls winners and leaving churches more confident and full of joy!