"Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you..." are more than isolated words from the Bible. For the 115 Nicaraguan men and women who were filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost during the final Nicaraguan Regional Convention, it became a reality as they sought the Lord and found Him, as they called and found a door open that would change everything in their lives.

As is often the case, one closed door became the opportunity for another victory. Nicaragua was blessed in the year 2000 to have a large crusade, and a great number of people were saved as a result. In the midst of the excitment, guest ministers pledged financial support for another crusade for the year 2002. Due to several unforseen difficulties, the support never materialized from those ministers. A few weeks before the projected date, the crusade had to be called off. The dissappointment was very heavy, and the national board members sought for a way to salvage the situation. A sudden inspiration came to missionary supervisor Steve Nix. "Brethren, although the bulk of the funds did not come as we expected, we did receive a lesser amount from the International Evangelism Fund of the UPCI. What if I contact Bro. Howell and request permission to use these funds for a series of regional conventions? While it won't be as big as a crusade, we can impact several areas of the nation and still see a good number of people receive the Holy Ghost!" This seemed good to everyone, and in short order the Foreign Missions Division approved the request.

The first convention was held in the north, and 24 people were filled witht the Holy Ghost. A month later, in the southeastern zone of Nueva Guinea the second convention was held and 35 received the infilling of the His Spirit. A few weeks later, the third convention was held in the Carribean costal town of Bluefields. There had never been a large evangelistic event, and it was well attended. 45 received the Holy Ghost in this convention.

These three conventions finished out the year 2002, and the final thrust was scheduled for January 19, 2003 in Managua. A great number of flyers and tracts were printed and distributed throughout Managua and surrounding areas. All of the local churches began an evangelistic thrust to invite as many visitors as possible. Some 17 busses were rented to bring in the people. From the beginning there was a beautiful presence of worship in the LaSalle auditorium we rented. As some 2,500 people lifted their voices in worship, the place reverberated with the sounds of Pentecost all over again. Bro. Nix brought the message from the Word of God in the first service. This was followed by two hours of worship in a festival of song. Then the final evening service began and the worship continued to build. Various board members danced before the Lord on the platform. Our national president, Bro. Eduardo García brought the final message, and once again, the altars were filled with those seeking the power of God in their lives.

The Lord was not slack concerning His promise! The total number of people filled with the Holy Ghost that Sunday was 115. Combined with the other conventions, the grand total was 219 baptized with the Holy Ghost! Countless others were greatly encouraged and renewed in the Spirit. Out of a seeming defeat, the Lord allowed us to reach out to 4 areas of the country and He granted a great victory! Praise the Lord!