Hello! My name is Arlo Moehlenpah. I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1936, moved to Detroit, Michigan when I was four and later to a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri at the age of five. I don’t remember when I first believed in Jesus Christ. I had a mother who was a silent Christian and godly grandparents from Wisconsin who occasionally visited us. As a child, I do recall going to an Assembly of God church and later a Presbyterian Sunday School. My paternal grandmother encouraged me to regularly read the Bible. When I was in high school I got involved in a Christian group called Truth for Youth and occasionally went to Youth for Christ rallies. In 1953 I enrolled as a chemical engineering student at Washington University and regularly attended meetings of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. During the summer of 1954 I worked in Detroit, Michigan and attended the Highland Park Baptist church.

It was during the Christmas holiday of 1954 that I received the most significant religious experience of my life. On the night of December 30, 1954, after attending a basketball game I went home and went to bed. That night my brother, who had gone to a church service, woke me up and told me that he had received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Whereas I had heard about this experience I had never sought for it. I did know, though, that God was not a “respector of persons” and that if God would give this experience to my brother He would give it to me. I got out of bed and started praying but nothing much seemed to happen. The next night there was a New Year’s Eve Watch Night service at the church where my brother received the Holy Ghost. Just around midnight they prayed the old year out and the new year in and then went home. I had come desiring the Holy Ghost but the people were ready to go home. The next day was New Year’s Day. Instead of watching the Rose Bowl game on TV, I spent the time in my room. That night was another church service. I don’t remember who preached or what they said, all I remember is I went to receive the Holy Ghost. After the service people prayed for me. I remember one lady told me to raise my hands and say “hallelujah.” In my mind I said, “You pray your way and I’ll pray mine.” About twelve people stayed with me and prayed with me until about midnight when I quit praying. Then we began to talk. They told me various things and that my brother had received the Holy Ghost. After about an hour I told them that this reminded me of the day of Pentecost where they were in one accord in one place. I asked them if they would pray with me some more. When we stood to pray I began to leap and ended up on my back with my hands and my feet in the air and began to speak in another language as God filled me with His Spirit. I would try to say something in English and it would come out in another tongue. At about 2:30 A.M. my brother drove us home and I woke up the family speaking with tongues.

Since that night I have been a different person. I had heard about being “born-again” but now I really was “born-again.” My Dad told me it would all blow over. He reminded me that I had joined boy scouts and then quit. Also that I expressed an interest in hunting and he bought me a shotgun but later I no longer wanted to hunt. He figured that I would lose interest in this also. It has been over 50 years since I received this experience and I am still so enthused about what God can do that I am writing this.

What I received from God that night is recorded in the Bible in the Book of Acts chapters, 2, 8, 10, and 19. Please read these chapters for yourself. You will note that this promise is for you and your children. Jesus Christ went to the cross to die for your sins, was buried and rose again. Before He ascended He told His disciples to wait for the promise of the Holy Ghost which He would send. They received this experience and so did I and so can you.