Dr. Cho was received as a state guest in Guatemala
Dr. Cho and his delegation arrived at the airport in Guatemala at 5:00 a.m. on October 27. Though their arrival time was so early in the morning, Mr. Juan Esteban Berger, the Guatemalan President's son who is businessman, came to the airport to personally welcome Dr. Cho. There was also welcoming traditional music by a Guatemalan band consisting of nine people, including a ceremony to present flowers to Dr. Cho. It was an exceptional, cordial reception ceremony.
During the forum, Korea-Guatemala Day was proclaimed
Guatemalan President Berger and his son Juan Esteban Berger attended the 2004 Kingdom Business Forum at Quinta Real Hotel in Guatemala City, which showed the great interest in the forum by the government and people of Guatemala. During the forum, they proclaimed Korea-Guatemala Day on October 29 and asked Korean businessmen to invest their capital in Guatemalan industries and commerce. Forty businessmen from Yoido Full Gospel Businessmen's Mission Federation participated in the Kingdom Business Forum. Elder Paul Kim (a lawyer) lectured about The Influence of One Man in the Miraculous Development of Korea, elder Byung Yool Kwak (Kook Do Machinery Co. Ltd.) addressed the businessmen about An Overview of a Korean Entrepreneur's Prospective about Investing in Guatemala, and Elder Shin Il Kong (President of Jeboom Trading Co.) gave a lecture about The Entrepreneurial History and Testimony of the Economic Miracle of Korea that was very popular among the participants. Last August 25 before this forum, the President's son Juan Esteban Berger visited Yoido Full Gospel Businessmen's Mission Federation (President Soon Bae Kim) and requested them to have a positive interest in investing and helping in the development of Guatemala.
The Diario de Centro America newspaper headlined a story about Dr. Cho
Dr. Cho's visit to Guatemala originally began with a Leader Training Conference in Central and South America in 1979. This was his third visit to Guatemala to preach the gospel of Jesus, following a National Day of Great Prayer that was held at Estadio Mateo Flores (Olympic National Stadium in Guatemala City) in February 1992. The Diario de Centro America newspaper was especially interested in Dr. Cho and featured Dr. Cho and Guatemala President Berger's meeting in their paper. The newspaper reported that Dr. Cho's visit would greatly effect the economic interchange between South Korea and Guatemala, including church growth and church cooperation in Central and South America as well.
There were many church leaders from Central and South America at the CGI conference
In addition to Dr. Cho, Rev. Harold Caballeros, James Marocco, Richard Bernal and others were invited to lecture during the 2004 Church Growth International Conference at El Shaddai Church. Thirty CGI board members and pastors from Central and South America attended the 21th CGI conference, which followed the conference in Seoul last year.
During the CGI conference, many of Dr. Cho's books were sold
Dr. Cho's books were almost sold out during the Church Growth International Conference at El Shaddai Church. A church member who prepared and displayed his books said, "Dr. Cho's books were sold so quickly. There were only a few left of his books that were translated in Spanish. The publisher needs to print a new supply. It seems that pastors from Central and South America have great respect for Dr. Cho." The display of books for sale included: Autobiography of Dr. David Yonggi Cho, Hope Ministry 45 years, Prayer That Brings Revival, and The Fourth Dimension.
Fellowship in Guatemala with Korean missionaries and their families
On October 29, Dr. Cho attended the Missionary Prayer Breakfast at Quinta Real Hotel that was prepared by the Full Gospel Businessmen's Mission Federation. He encouraged Korean missionaries from Yoido Full Gospel Church and asked them to do their best for the evangelization of Central and South America. Elder Soon Kon Kim presided over the prayer breakfast, where 10 Korean missionaries who are ministering in Central and South America with their family attended. Korean Ambassador to Guatemala, Hong Rhak Kim, attended as well.
CGI conference participants were thrilled by a video presentation of Mongolia Harvest 2004
On the second day of the CGI conference, a video was shown of Mongolia Harvest 2004 held in Ulaanbaatar last August, the capital city of Mongolia last. It had been translated into Spanish and was shown before Dr. Cho's sermon. The video featuring the miracles and power of the Holy Spirit in the land of Tibetan Buddhist Lamaism showed to the attendees the reality that God is alive. The conference participants continually shouted, "Hallelujah," giving glory to God when they watched 60,000 people gather and 30,000 people converted through the evangelistic meetings.
Dr. Cho challenged them to have a new identity in Jesus Christ
After the 2004 Kingdom Business Forum and Church Growth International Conference were finished, Dr. Cho preached for the Sunday worship service in El Shaddai (Rev. Harold Caballeros) at 9:00 a.m. on October 31. He said to the congregation, "Pray in faith. Establish a new identity in Jesus Christ. Go forward toward your goal, having hope."
The churches in Central and South America had an opportunity to be united
On October 31 after the CGI conference, there was a publicity interview about at the conference. Dr. Cho personally interviewed Rev. Harold Caballeros, and Rev. Caballeros said, "I thank God for having Dr. Cho with us at the conference. We experienced the power of the Holy Spirit. We are especially blessed through Dr. Cho's preaching, and the churches from Central and South America had the opportunity to be united in Jesus Christ. I hope that the CGI conference in Seoul next year will also be successful in sharing the abundant grace of God with many church leaders from all over the world.