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During his shockingly short term, President Kennedy endeared himself to me in several ways. One day in Washington in 1962 the President invited Grady Wilson and me into his office. We informed him of our upcoming five-week crusade in Latin America. 'I'm going down there before that,' Kennedy said. 'I'll be your John the Baptist.'
'Don't forget,' Grady said, 'that he lost his head.' That did not dissuade the President, who laughed and repeated his offer. 'What can I do for you?' We told him we were having problems getting into Colombia, where some leaders warned of religious riots if we held large meetings. Our missionary friends there were praying that God would reopen the door.
The President turned to an adviser and told him simply, 'Take care of that.'
We got into Colombia, and attendance at our meetings was as high as twenty thousand, without incident. The Catholic President of the United States had made a good John the Baptist.