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The Little Girl Who Walked
Ralph and Frances Hiatt are missionaries in Argentina. For 25 years, they have been using a ventriloquist dummy called Felipe and always with exceptional results. Adults and children love to come hear Felipe talk. Ralph would use Felipe to tell Bible stories, and the children would listen to every word. Everywhere Felipe went, big crowds would come to see him.
Upon seeing the reaction of the people to Felipe, Ralph and Frances have been encouraging talented Argentinean children’s workers to step out in the use of ventriloquist dummies. They even taught special classes on this subject. The children’s workers were thrilled to learn this new talent and to use it to help spread the gospel. Since ventriloquist dummies are not available in Argentina, Ralph and Frances have been purchasing them in the United States and shipping in a few every time they are able.
You who give to BGMC will especially be happy to know that recently BGMC gave the Hiatt’s $1,000 so they could purchase six ventriloquist dummies for the Argentine children’s workers! The workers were thrilled! They could never have purchased these dummies themselves. They are just too expensive.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Hiatt’s gave one of these ventriloquist dummies to an Argentine children's evangelist named Basilio Androniciuk. Basilio named his new dummy “Cristianito” (meaning “Little Christian”) and immediately began ministry with him.
Two weeks ago, he was using “Cristianito” to teach the gospel message in a church service. A ten-year-old girl named Soledad was sitting in a wheelchair at the back of the church.
Soledad had been in a serious car accident at five years of age. The accident had left her paralyzed from the hips down. For five years Soledad had had no use of her legs. They hung limp from her body.
The little dummy “Cristianito” was quoting John 3:16 when suddenly Soledad rose from her wheelchair, walked all the way down the aisle, and stood looking up at “Cristianito.”
The entire congregation broke into praise at this obvious and unexpected miracle. The church service could not go on. There could be no preaching. Spontaneous praise continued to drown out any possible words from the pulpit as this little girl continued to walk and then almost run around the room!
At times, Soledad still uses the wheelchair because her legs are gaining strength. Several of her school friends have come to know the Lord Jesus through her testimony of His miraculous touch.
If it weren’t for the boys and girls giving to BGMC in America, then those ventriloquist dummies would never have been purchased. Without those ventriloquist dummies, that service may not have taken place, and Soledad may not have been healed. Thank you, boys and girls, for providing the money for our missionaries to buy the supplies they need to present the gospel so people will hear about Jesus!
Information for this story was provided by Missionaries Ralph and Frances Hiatt.This story is being used with permission from Assemblies of God World Missions.
© 2002 The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the local church. Any other use requires written permission.
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