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[Above: Construction of the New Valparaíso Church, Chile, 1908—Public domain, Beautiful Feet]

That night, February 20, 1909, an all-night meeting was held in a small room of the church. About 30 people waited for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And what happened? Perhaps the most that happened was to discover how empty and needy we were. By daybreak we had moved to the altar of the church, and having ended the meeting, we just sat there, in no hurry to leave.

The pastor began to pace in front of the altar, wondering whether anything had been gained. He began to sing a hymn in a low tone. His voice soon broke and, unable to continue, he began weeping and shaking. At the same time, he felt himself filling up to the tip of his toes with an indescribable sweetness. In the midst of his weeping these words came out: “My Savior! My Savior!” The weeping lasted a long while, and when it ceased the pastor continued walking. . . . Another interruption was not long in coming. This time, a laughter so strong and uncontrollable that he had to sit and give free rein to it, unable to suppress it. After some minutes the laughter subsided and we separated.

“To lose myself in God”

These all-night meetings continued every Saturday for about seven weeks, until Easter, when, instead of an all-night meeting, we had an all-Sunday service beginning at 7:30 a.m. In the all-night services, one or another drew nearer to God, and He uncovered things in their hearts that had impeded their progress in their Christian life. One brother left one of the meetings to return some garments to the owner, who had placed them in his care during the 1906 earthquake. His dormant conscience had been awakened that night! The following week that brother found the sweetness that accompanied obedience. During prayer he was taken with a sweet laughter, like that of easy communion with a friend. It lasted a long time. . . . 

One participant wrote later, “In all my life, I have never heard prayers like so many pray now. Neither have I prayed as I do now. I want to lose myself in God, hide myself in Him, consumed by Him, so that all my breath can glorify Him.”

We don’t have a choir anymore. The frivolous girls who were in it before are now a marvel of prayer. I break down weeping just to hear them talk. What would others think of a revival without a great choir and music director? Yet, we have the greatest director of all—the Lord God Omnipotent, who has sent the Holy Spirit to direct everything. The world looks on and says, “Scandalous! What disorder!” But we have such joy in our director and such confidence that He knows more than the world, that we have stopped asking the world what pleases it. 

Humble pie

We have no structure, no committee for advertisement. Nothing but prayer. We have had to eat humble pie, each one of us. There is no affectation. The pastor is nothing but the most humble. We seek humility, submission, obedience, completely from the Lord, asking that whatever is hidden be revealed to us so that we can give it up too. No opinions, no criticism, no opposition to what the Spirit is doing. . . . 

I believe that the real secret of all this is that now we really and truly believe in the Holy Spirit—we truly trust Him—we truly recognize Him—we truly obey Him—we truly give Him liberty. We believe truly that the promise in Acts 1:4–5 and Joel 2:28–29 is for us. We have ceased merely to believe and speak of the doctrine while continuing on without hope, in our usual routine. Thus, now we believe, wait, and pray, and he has done these things before our eyes. Blessed be his name.

By Willis Collins Hoover

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