This Week's Bulletin

Prayer Availeth Much
Maurice Hall

During the 1970s one of our truly great missionaries, brother Maurice Hall, submitted to one of the brotherhood papers a brief note about an incident which happened to him while serving in the Army in the Philippines during WWII. He entitled it, "PRAYER AVAILETH MUCH."

In 1983 I wrote and asked if he would be kind enough to relate to me the incident in more detail. Below is his heart warming story. I thought others might like to see it. Every time I read it I cannot help but have tears in my eyes.

. . .Brotherly, Jon Gary Williams

During World War II I arrived in Manila, P.I. for duty with the U.S. Army, Armed Forces Western Pacific. I looked for a group of Christian men with whom to worship. I wrote to the Gospel Advocate and made an announcement of my search. I prayed that God would help me.

One Saturday afternoon, feeling particularly depressed, I left my office to go to the PX barber shop for a hair cut. Three chairs were open. I chose the middle one. The soldier said, in a southern accent, "How do y'all want your hair cut, suh?"

I replied, "Give me a G.I." Then I said, "With an accent like that, where is your home?" He said, "Limestone County, Alabama." I told him the only other person I ever met from Limestone County was Bennie Fudge, a fellow student at Lipscomb College." He said, "Do you know brother Fudge?"

I got down out of the chair and asked him, "Are you a Christian? I've been praying to God to help me find some Christians with whom I could worship." He replied, "Yes suh, I'm a Christian and I've been praying to find other members of the church that I could worship with." I got back in the chair and he finished cutting my hair as we talked and planned. I said, "Let's meet out front of this building tomorrow at 10:00 A.M."

We met there and I called the motor pool for a jeep. After a while when the jeep did not come, I called again and said, "Sargent, that jeep for Lt. Hall has not come. Are you having a problem?" He replied, "No sir, I dispatched a Filipino driver, but since he hasn't come I'll come myself."

A few minutes later he arrived and we departed. I directed him to take a street with a grassy area near town. Then I said, "Stop there, by that tree. We'll be here about an hour. We're going to worship together. We'd be glad to have you join us, but if you don't want to, then please come back for us in an hour."

The driver asked, "What kind of worship are you having?" I said, "As far as I know it will be the first time the church of Christ has met in the Philippines since the war began." He seemed surprised and asked, "Are you men members of the church of Christ? I've been praying to God to help me find brethren to worship with. I'm a member of the church from Dallas, Texas."

We rejoiced, sang, prayed, studied and communed together, praising God that through his love and mercy he could bring some of his children together in a foreign, desolate land in the middle of war.