Villahermosa, Mexico

Vernon Erickson,

 Evangelist

Dr. Vernon Erickson presented his first evangelistic series  in The Philippines in 2000 using sermons and visuals developed for Global Evangelism. Between that series and his series in Tierra Colorada church in Villahermosa in January, he presented three evagelistic series in his home town, Park Rapids, Minn.

With help of a translator who is regularly employed as an engineer for Pemex petroleum, Vernon used people from the audience to illustrate his sermons.

"I didn't realize why our meetings were so successful until I found that each morning the elders came to the church for prayer at 4 a.m. each day. Then at 5 a.m. other church members joined them for another hour of  prayer.

In addition his team members stopped what they were doing at noon to pray and then again each evening  before retiring.

Vernon visited in the homes of many visitors and found them gracious and hospitable. Attendance grew until it was necessary to hold two sessions each evening.

Surrounded by baptismal candidates on the final weekend of the meetings, Vernon rejoices at the power of the Holy Spirit's work during his meetings. "When you have to explain our doctrines to others, you have to understand what you believe. And these materials are put together in such a way that anyone can do it," he said. If God can use me, he can use anyone else."