“…Miss Ruth Esther Smith. She served 40 years as the Mission Superintendent since 1906 when she arrived to Chiquimula, Guatemala. She was born in Selma Ohio, USA on August 11 1870, and passed away in Chiquimula, Guatemala on April 19 1947 (―The Harvester, April, 1947, p. 2-3)”.
“When she arrived in Guatemala, there were eight believers in Chiquimula and one man in Santa Elena who had a Bible. From this beginning, she saw the work grow to 4,500 believers in 50 organized congregations and 14 districts”
(Article from http://www.apu.edu/articles/10504/).
APRIL 13Th 1932: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Totonicapán (West of Guatemala)
By Pastor Marcos Son, condensed and translated into English by the author for this work from http://vozdediosfiladelfia.blogspot.com/p/historia.html Church of God in Guatemala (Iglesia de Dios Evangelio Completo de Guatemala). The story also can be found in http://www.prolades.com/historiografia/2 - Guatemala/idec_historia_2007.pdf
“It was 1916. Two young men not older than 20 or 22 years came from North America, they made a stop on their way and stood upon the hills that surrounds the city of Totonicapán, from there they were able to see the small town… …they said: “this is the town that God wants to bless with his Holy Spirit”… …From the moment whenTomas Pullin y Carlos Furman, were filled with the Holy Spirit… they felt a strong calling to preach the Gospel in the Land of the Quetzal (Quetzal is Guatemala’s National Byrd) … …they started to establish the foundations of a Pentecostal faith in the hearts of the Totonicapán believers that formed that small Christian community under the Methodist denomination…
… Furman and Pullin penetrated with their Pentecostal discourse the rural communities in the area of Totonicapán and new congregations came to life… They programmed several weeks of prayer and fasting through all the different congregations that belonged to the District of Totonicapán… there was in their hearts the necessary emptiness in order to be filled by the power of God. They were not a strong army, nor a huge congregation, probably were 10 or 12 churches with no more than 60 believers each. One thing is certain: they were in one accord and one will…
…April 13th 1932 was the day for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit over a Methodist congregation in the City of Totonicapán… The whole town was resting, everything was calm and quiet. Suddenly, a great explosion pierced the silence of that night. Those who were sleeping woke up in a hurry and came out to see what happened, those who were on the streets run toward the noise. They all agreed that the explosion was in the temple of the “Halleluiahs” –a nickname they used for the Christians. In minutes the streets around the temple were filled with curious people seeking to see what happened. There was not an explanation, they only were able to see the believers like drunks, some were dancing, others were on the floor, some others were singing hymns that nobody was able to understand; the Glory of God filled the place even the material things like the walls, curtains or windows. Some tried to see through the windows and were amazed because when they touched the bars a strange power that they explained as electricity shook them and made them tremble…
The next nights were filled with the glory of the Holy Spirit movement. Many other congregations were added to the revival and every night the believers were filled with the power of God. Soon the fire reached other churches in that district and everybody was experiencing the filing with the Holy Spirit…”
The outpouring in 1932 was amazing and their result last to the present, hundreds of churches and missions have their roots on that revival. Nonetheless, was in essence a rural revival, even when the churches growth in the main cities, it was (and still is) directed to people from within the country.
1963: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Guatemala City
Recently I have learned that there was another outpouring in Guatemala City in 1963. To my knowledge, both are complementary. The outpouring in 1963 happened in Guatemala City and the effects affected the medium and upper echelons, with the result of many mega churches in urban areas and many Christians in position of national leadership (political, financial, arts, universities, etc.).
Will continue...
You can find more in my book: Let the Holy Spirit Come on You! Follow the link to read a sample or buy it.
I will really appreciate your comments and likes
“When she arrived in Guatemala, there were eight believers in Chiquimula and one man in Santa Elena who had a Bible. From this beginning, she saw the work grow to 4,500 believers in 50 organized congregations and 14 districts”
(Article from http://www.apu.edu/articles/10504/).
APRIL 13Th 1932: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Totonicapán (West of Guatemala)
By Pastor Marcos Son, condensed and translated into English by the author for this work from http://vozdediosfiladelfia.blogspot.com/p/historia.html Church of God in Guatemala (Iglesia de Dios Evangelio Completo de Guatemala). The story also can be found in http://www.prolades.com/historiografia/2 - Guatemala/idec_historia_2007.pdf
“It was 1916. Two young men not older than 20 or 22 years came from North America, they made a stop on their way and stood upon the hills that surrounds the city of Totonicapán, from there they were able to see the small town… …they said: “this is the town that God wants to bless with his Holy Spirit”… …From the moment whenTomas Pullin y Carlos Furman, were filled with the Holy Spirit… they felt a strong calling to preach the Gospel in the Land of the Quetzal (Quetzal is Guatemala’s National Byrd) … …they started to establish the foundations of a Pentecostal faith in the hearts of the Totonicapán believers that formed that small Christian community under the Methodist denomination…
… Furman and Pullin penetrated with their Pentecostal discourse the rural communities in the area of Totonicapán and new congregations came to life… They programmed several weeks of prayer and fasting through all the different congregations that belonged to the District of Totonicapán… there was in their hearts the necessary emptiness in order to be filled by the power of God. They were not a strong army, nor a huge congregation, probably were 10 or 12 churches with no more than 60 believers each. One thing is certain: they were in one accord and one will…
…April 13th 1932 was the day for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit over a Methodist congregation in the City of Totonicapán… The whole town was resting, everything was calm and quiet. Suddenly, a great explosion pierced the silence of that night. Those who were sleeping woke up in a hurry and came out to see what happened, those who were on the streets run toward the noise. They all agreed that the explosion was in the temple of the “Halleluiahs” –a nickname they used for the Christians. In minutes the streets around the temple were filled with curious people seeking to see what happened. There was not an explanation, they only were able to see the believers like drunks, some were dancing, others were on the floor, some others were singing hymns that nobody was able to understand; the Glory of God filled the place even the material things like the walls, curtains or windows. Some tried to see through the windows and were amazed because when they touched the bars a strange power that they explained as electricity shook them and made them tremble…
The next nights were filled with the glory of the Holy Spirit movement. Many other congregations were added to the revival and every night the believers were filled with the power of God. Soon the fire reached other churches in that district and everybody was experiencing the filing with the Holy Spirit…”
The outpouring in 1932 was amazing and their result last to the present, hundreds of churches and missions have their roots on that revival. Nonetheless, was in essence a rural revival, even when the churches growth in the main cities, it was (and still is) directed to people from within the country.
1963: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Guatemala City
Recently I have learned that there was another outpouring in Guatemala City in 1963. To my knowledge, both are complementary. The outpouring in 1963 happened in Guatemala City and the effects affected the medium and upper echelons, with the result of many mega churches in urban areas and many Christians in position of national leadership (political, financial, arts, universities, etc.).
Will continue...
You can find more in my book: Let the Holy Spirit Come on You! Follow the link to read a sample or buy it.
I will really appreciate your comments and likes