A common phrase in Hawaii from a song by the same name is the admonition to “spread a little aloha around the world.” During 2005, 11 Hawaii Conference members did just that when they went to nine different areas of the world to do global evangelism.

“You might be surprised if you were to go to a small town in a remote part of the world where they have now learned to greet one another with ‘Aloha’ and may give you the Hawaiian ‘shaka’ sign of welcome,” said Arnold Trujillo, former Hawaii Conference president, of his own trip to Kenya.

The conference planned a banner year of evangelism during 2005, both at home and abroad. Every church was to hold two evangelistic meetings at the local site, one designed for children. Rather than one or two large series, some churches planned several smaller ones in order to develop a lifestyle of soul winning.

Eliezer Graterol, pastor of the Waipahu church and the Honolulu Spanish company, spent several weeks in a part of Romania which is very close to the border of Ukraine. His village site of Sieu lies in the region of Maramures, Transylvania, which is famous for being the “Land of Dracula.” The work goes very slowly and people are not eager to publicly give their lives to Christ. In the last three years, the local pastor, who has five congregations, has baptized only 10 people. Graterol expected limited results, but God intervened in some marvelous ways.

“English is not my mother tongue,” said Graterol. “However, while in Romania, I preached even better and more powerful than I do in Spanish. Interestingly, however, this was only when I was preaching.”

Another notable gift from God came in the form of a national education strike that closed all schools and universities. Instead of having to leave for school, young people could stay in their home villages and attend all the meetings. “Do you know when the strike was over? Just two days after the last meeting,” explained Graterol. “Isn’t our Lord great?” The series resulted in eight baptisms and six other decisions, a surprising number for this land of people who are poor in material goods and have very difficult lives. However, Graterol discovered the people were rich in faith and their devotion to their Lord. “These people didn’t have transportation and had to walk long distances in the cold and snow,” said Graterol. “It was deeply moving to see the church crowded with over 100 visitors and to hear them singing and praying. I am so grateful for this tremendous experience that changed my life and ministry. I want to commit my life, gifts and talents to be a blessing to others.”