11/19/2020
CONTEMPORARY SAINTS (2)
(Ricardo Abreu) HAGGAI:
THE AMERICAN SYRIAN
"Your last COMMAND, our FIRST occupation!" ... says the sign of the International Leadership Training Seminar in Mawi, Hawaii, where I was welcomed in 2008, with affection after receiving the scholarship for the course trough indication of my leader Luis Leite. The attendant asked me to present the travel expenses notes, for refund. Having received a full scholarship, I did not have the courage to ask for a refund. "I'm very excited," I commented. "You are JUST being ACTIVATED, you will be sparkled," she replied. Indeed, after that experience, I would NEVER be the same.
There were 6 Brazilians, Sidney, Anderson, Andre, Rodrigo, Eder and me. The perfect logistics made us arrive together from different parts of Brazil. Rodrigo, the youngest, excited asked: "Will we have time to surf?" I went ahead and replied, "Are you SURE that you see the program of the course, brother?" And I was happy with Rodrigo's impetuosity. It was 31 days of intense work in the 3 shifts, impressive content, heavenly communion. Purpose of God, I was elected speaker of the class as God was grinding and brooding me to serve his CHURCH. Dr. HAGGAI with his leadership seminar awarded scholarships and trained more than 123,800 Christian leaders from 189 different nations and Christian denominations. HIs God's given VISION was to ENABLE local leaders to increase the IMPACT of the GOSPEL instead of sending missionaries disconnected from the target culture of evangelism.
During his more than 75 years of hard work John Haggai pastored 4 churches, held evangelistic crusades around the world, counseled presidents from many countries, wrote SEVERAL BOOKS and founded the Haggai Institute for Advanced Leadership, INFLUENCING HIS GENERATION on his journey on Earth . At the Institute he founded, he only bought a car AFTER all of his employees had bought it, and he only received a salary AFTER ensuring that all his employees ceased to be volunteers and received for the services provided.
John married Christine Barker whom he met at the Moody Bible Institute, where he was Student of the Year and received 4 honorary doctorates. Young man, his dream was to be a missionary in China, but Mao Tse Tung, in 1949 proclaimed the People's Republic of China closing the doors to missionaries expelling and killing those who were there. Barred in China, WHEN became a pastor his congregation recorded more baptisms than any other evangelical denomination in the United States.
In 1964, in Lebanon, John realized that changes in the world called for new strategies for evangelism and after much prayer, he founded the Haggai Institute. Talking to one of the janitors when I was there, I found out that he was the financier who had funded my group's scholarships and after writing the check for approximately $ 600,000, he went to wash the bathrooms in the complex we were lodged. Anesthetized by the great contribution I received in those days at the end of the seminar from the team, but also from my fellow alumni, I found time to take Sidney to dive with me in Molokini, an extinct volcano. I heard that Rodrigo had managed to ski with his board. On my farewell, I received a Bible in English from my roommate, Rey Mapanoo from Philippines. May God keep the same flame burning in me and in us. The same flame that still illuminates John's heart, whom passed away yesterday for THE GLORY OF GOD. SEE YOU SOON PATRIARCH!!
