Colporteurs

     One day Mario, the colporteur, walked into the office of an important company and approached the general manager, who was known as a stern man who would not admit solicitors or canvassers.  On that particular day the manager seemed to be angry.  The young colporteur mentally prayed to God the whole time and the Lord gave him the necessary presence of mind to meet the situation.  The manager fixed his eyes on Mario, pointed his finger at him, and said with a very determined voice:

     “Ninguna palabra!”  (No word!)

     Mario obeyed.  He did not open his mouth.  Instead, he opened his prospectus and showed the man the books he was selling.  The man like the literature and asked:

     “How much are these books?”

     Pulling out his pen, Mario wrote down the price on a slip of paper and showed it to him.  The man said:

     “I want to buy these books.  How can I order one set?”

     Our colporteur offered his pen to the man and, without speaking a word, showed him where he should sign his name on the prospectus.

     “When will you bring the books?” he asked:

     Mario wrote the date of delivery before the eyes of the manager.

     Then under the same circumstances, Mario offered his books to the employees, and when he was finished, the manager asked:

     “Man, what’s the matter with you?  Why don’t you speak?”

     “You told me to shut up when I entered, and I obeyed,” Mario explained.  The man smiled.

     On that single day, in the office, Mario sold 24 sets of books—more than he would normally have sold in one week while going from door to door.  He thanked God for having given him the necessary calmness and presence of mind which were needed for that occasion.

Mario Linares (Peru)

     Carmelo Palazzolo, 28 years old, was doing colporteur work in Cordoba, Argentina.  One day he had planned to work in a certain section of the city, but, when he got there, he was not able, for some reason to get off the streetcar.  He felt as if his body was literally sticking to his seat.  So he got off in another area, where he had not planned to work.

     As he was knocking from door to door on the first street that he had chosen, suddenly a lady came out in a hurry, stopped and stared at him for several minutes, without saying a word.  He thought she might be insane and, feeling uneasy, he tried to move on, but his feet refused to move.  Then the lady quickly turned around and ran into the house.  Carmelo started to go away, but his feet were still stuck on the ground.  The lady reappeared almost breathless, beckoned to him and said:

     “Please, come in and sit down.”

     Carmelo presented his books to her and she ordered a set.  To deliver the books, he did not go all by himself, because he was afraid.  He took his wife with him.  As the lady was evidently interested, he introduced the threefold message to her.

     A new door was now open for Bible studies.  Once a week Brother and sister Palazzolo would see that lady and her husband to study the Bible with them; they were Protestant believers.  Upon their sixth visit, the lady explained to Carmelo what had happened when he knocked on her door for the first time:

     “The night before you knocked on my door,” she said, I had a dream in which I saw you—exactly the same face, the same stature,, the same suit, etc. Yes I saw you coming to our house.  In my dream a voice said to me: ‘Listen to this man, because your salvation depends on your acceptance of the message that he will bring you.’  My husband was greatly impressed as I told him my dream.  Then when I saw you, I was so surprised that I stood speechless for a moment.  I thought of my husband who had just left.  When I came to myself, I tried to run after him and call him back so he could meet you, but he had gone.  This is why I returned almost breathless.”

     Carmelo continued giving Bible studies to that couple.  They both accepted the message.  The man died two months after their first visit.  The lady, Sister Maria Heredia, was baptized as soon as she was ready, and her house soon became a meeting place for the believers.

Carmelo

(Argentina)