Conferences

 

April 4,5, and 6 is our Annual Conference in Río Cuarto, March 20, 1947. I come back to this note in my parent's last letter in my possession. 

     I have so many fond memories of la conferencia over the years. They led me to research and record all I could learn about those yearly gatherings. 

    The annual event took place toward the end of summer, usually during the Carnaval holiday weekend, in the central church in Río Cuarto. The property itself holds a special place in my heart. I can still mentally amble through the building and grounds and conjure up sweet memories. 

     The Schrock family and Johanna Nielsen lived there and, of course, bore most of the hosting responsibilities. Mrs. Schrock wrote a note in anticipation of the big event.

    The annual conference will soon be here. Arrangements have already been made to make use of every nook and corner. The gallery of the house is very large, so that this year we will be making use of it for sleeping quarters for more women. Now it is Miss Nielsen’s and my job to figure out what to do with all the plants and the bird house. We realize that for the believers this is the highlight of the year. Here they meet old acquaintances, see new faces shining with the light of the Gospel, and feast upon the Word of God. Many times we missionaries become weary of this extra work which really tasks one. But the Lord is blessing in a wonderful way and thus we see that He does work out all the details so that the believers can take advantage of these extra blessings from Him. (The Brethren Missionary Herald, 3.06.48)

      The next year, Mother wrote an article for the denominational magazine and highlighted the blessing and growth of the annual conference.

    Although there are several factors which influence the attendance at the General Conference, it is a pretty fair means of measuring the condition of the work. In our first Conference, which was in February of 1946, we saw comparatively few (probably not more than 40) from outside Río Cuarto. I mean few in comparison with the following years—I know nothing of the attendance before.

    The tent used for a dining room seemed quite vacant, even when all were seated around the one long table. As sleeping quarters for the men our smallest tent was used, together with the garage. The women were comfortably located in the house.

    A short time ago we experienced our fourth Conference. Just from last year the attendance nearly doubled. But comparing it with that of 1946, this Conference four times as large, with an attendance of 185 from other towns. The women were crowded to the limit, and this after making temporary divisions for the large gallery which has never been used before. Instead of pitching the smallest tent for the men, the largest one was put into use. The dining-room tent had three times as much seating space, and there were two seatings for each meal.

    Speaking of La Carlota alone, in relation to the Conference, the change has been just as great. The first year there was one of the believers who went to C. This year there were 20 including the children. (The Brethren Missionary Herald, 7.30.49)

    Growth was happening among the missionary families as well. The Schrock twins' first birthday was well celebrated December 2, 1947.

 

    Not long after, came an announcement, supposedly by the Dowdy boys, Jimmy and Roger: "We must take time to tell you that the Lord sent us a little brother at 6:00 a. m. April 26th, 1948. His name is ROBERT LUIS, and he is nice and plump, and weighs 8 pounds!”

     Important sessions took place during or in connection with the General Conference. One of those was the Field Council which involved all the foreign missionaries on the field at the time. This photo of the five North American workers present in 1948 is one of my favorites--it reflects the joy and camaraderie of serving together for the Kingdom of God.

Schrock, Maconaghy, Hoyt, Dowdy, Sickel

    I was especially interested in the first and foremost resolution of that year's meeting (2.10.48)

1.  . . . each believer feels the responsibility of the work, so that It may become the work of the Argentine Republic, united by common faith and the headship of Christ Jesus to the Brethren of the North, but not depending upon them financially.

Further resolutions included:

--express appreciation to all those who in one way or another contributed to the fine success of the Conference. [Followed by a long list of people, services, and specific ways in which they would be recognized.]

--presented a gift to Pastor Sickel, with best wishes for divine blessings on his mission to Brazil.

--fraternal greetings to the Brethren in North America and Africa and the church in Rosario, pastor Caramuti, the Immanuel Baptist. 

--common effort in evangelization, constant prayer for different missions, and for the Bible Institute. 

--try to acquire our own camp grounds in the Sierras where youth of different congregations become better acquainted. 

--pray for next year's conference; fund for better facilities; duration extended so delegates (one per 25 members from each church) may meet at the beginning and last day to consider new ideas.

    Johanna Nielsen, in her report, noted the significance of this years' delegate participation--the first effort of the Argentines themselves! 

    After one of the earlier council meetings, Dad wrote in one of his letters, From the discussion which took place we will have a Brethren Church of the Argentine before we know it. 

    That was always the goal, and indeed it was so. There are no longer any foreign missionaries from the Grace Brethren Church in Argentina. The growing fellowship is totally autonomous.

    Now, more about the conferences of those early years. Miss Nielsen wrote a personal letter to a friend about the 1949 conference. The news was so encouraging that it was shared openly in the magazine.

    We had the best conference ever, probably from any standpoint. There were 172 here from out of town and at least 150 of them slept and ate right on the property. The room formed by the partition was somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 by 35 feet. Some women had cots, but more just had mattresses on the floor, and practically every foot of floor space was used. Lois had Mrs. Caramuti and her little girl and the twins in with her. In another room was Mrs. Hoyt and children and another woman and baby. The other two rooms were just as full as the patio. Up here [Miss Nielsen lived in an upstairs apartment above the salón] I had Mrs. Wagner and the three girls and Dorothy Maconaghy. The men slept in a tent and truck and the garage. But you can hardly imagine the spirit that prevailed. It was really wonderful. When it looked as though everything was full, some more folks arrived, and Lynn went in to see if they could be accommodated, and the women began to try to move their cots and mattresses over a bit more and actually succeeded in making room for all and gladly, without a bit of complaint. . . . Quite a number were cared for in homes, but most of our people have no accommodations to offer.

    Friday was a blistering hot day, and that night a storm came and lowered the temperature so much that the mornings and evenings were chilly, and the daytime just right. So the Lord even took care of the weather. At Sunday School we had 232, I am quite sure an all-time record. In the evening there were 260 counted. You can guess it was no small job to feed all this crowd, but the Lord has provided us with a wonderful cook, from another town, who has been with us for three years. . .  One of the men from Cabrera (not yet a member) brought 2000 peaches, pears, and apples from his orchard as a gift to Conference.

    It was a strange coincidence that Mrs. Caramuti and Herminia Siccardi both attended their first Conference 19 years ago, and this is the first time that Mrs. Caramuti has been here since. The two compared notes and then called my attention to the difference between that one and this. Both were quite sick at heart at the other one and felt this one was really a foretaste of heaven. In fact, Brother Caramuti remarked at different times that if such a time could be had on earth, what will it be in heaven?

    Carnaval is on, but we hardly know it. The scheduled dance tonight in the boulevard was moved to the Plaza. We saw the Lord’s hand in so many details.

    The meeting of delegates: assumed the deficit and plan to build a large room over the garage to be used for men’s dormitory. Some offered labor, one getting cement at discount. Roof is to be made of reinforced concrete to serve as the ground floor for another story above that and the garage--a wonderful addition to the property. [Note: years later I taught in the Christian School in that addition.] A committee is going to the Sierras to see if they can find a campground good and reasonable. These are things that these laymen, not the missionaries have proposed. (The Brethren Missionary Herald, 4.02.49)

    Angela V. de Martin, a new believer from Corral de Bustos, wrote: IMPRESSIONS OF MY FIRST CONFERENCE

    After awaiting the long anticipated conference, the moment finally arrived, and with great joy I prepared to go to Río Cuarto, where it would be held.

    Arriving there, I met other brethren and sisters, who, as I, had been awaiting the time when the believers from the various congregations would meet together to glorify and honor the name of our Lord and Saviour.

    From the first moment I felt as though I had known them all for a long time. During that day and the following ones, others arrived. Everyone had only words of thankfulness for what the Lord had done, for they, as I, had been freed from sin.

    The messages, inspired by the Lord, were a blessing. Our hearts were filled with joy—that joy that only His children experience. One afternoon we had a meeting of women and girls. Each one had the privilege of giving her testimony. Truly one could appreciate the blessings that He sheds abroad in the lives of His children. The message given by Miss Nielsen increased our faith.

    The last day there were baptisms. I was very happy to be able to fulfill the command of the Lord. Also my husband and other believers were baptized that afternoon. That night the pastors and believers of the various congregations presented Mr. Sickel with a gift and an album signed by all.

    When the conference ended, we bid farewell to many until next year. I saw the believers leaving, full of joy, with the purpose of serving more faithfully, and the desire increased to take the message of salvation to others. Then came our turn to say “goodbye” and leave that beautiful place. I returned home with the desire to dedicate my life to the service of the Lord, and am anxiously awaiting the next conference in order to meet again the many Brethren and enjoy the fellowship with them and the Lord. (The Brethren Missionary Herald, 3.12.49)

Herminia Siccardi, wife of one of the Argentine pastors, wrote about the history of two outreaches to women: La Sociedad Misionera de Señoras and La Sociedad de María y Marta for the younger girls.

    In telling you, the sisters of North America, of the work of our church among the women of Argentina, I could not help but think of the first meeting of women and girls in my town, about the year 1928, a short time after my conversion from Catholicism to the Lord.

    The message that day was on the 23^rd Psalm, and we learned to sing the beautiful hymn, “Jehová es mi Pastor, me apacienta con amor.” We lovingly keep a snapshot of the group that met on that occasion. The meeting was led by our beloved Señorita Johanna Nielsen, who was the initiator of our women’s work in our district beginning with meetings for girls and women in the different towns.

    Later, when there was a group of converted women in each town, she, with the valuable cooperation of our much-loved Señora Loree de Sickel, made a simple constitution and by-laws, adequate for our needs, as a basis of what we call La Sociedad Misionera de Señoras, and La Sociedad de María y Marta, de la Iglesia de Los Hermanos. Thus organized we work among the women of our churches.

    Usually we have a monthly meeting of mostly devotional character, though some places they meet oftener. The offerings are disbursed according to the need, sometimes going to the Bible Coach, sometimes to help pay light and rent in some branch mission, or for traveling expenses of some of our women who go out to distribute our literature and tracts, and occasionally to help some poor person. Sometimes we meet and send out literature through the mails.

    For more than a year we have wanted to support entirely our national worker, Señorita Nélida Núñez. She is our representative personal worker. We have not yet reached that goal, but we are hoping, by God’s grace, that the societies will respond satisfactorily.

    The Day of Prayer on the 15^th of each month is one of real blessing and fellowship. 

    We thank God with all our hearts for you dear friends in North America, who by your prayers and definite help in the Lord’s work made it possible for the Gospel to reach us.(The Brethren Missionary Herald, 3.12.49)

    These sociedades held special sessions during annual conference. I remember reading that Mother had a part in one of them. The missionary wives also wrote occasional letters to the Societies in North America. 

    In 1950, Mother wrote one titled MISSIONARY CHILDREN, especially for the Sisterhood of Mary and Martha. Interestingly, years later, when I went to Grace College feeling very alone, one of the first class mates I met, told me she had grown up knowing my name and praying for me in her church.

RITA DORENE HOYT

    While we were still in Seminary. May 18, 1944, we received the first little life entrusted to us. She behaved rather well so that we could finish our training in order to make this long trip down to Argentina to serve the Lord. Before reaching this land, she said very few words; however, she did learn to say some difficult ones such as “Argentina.” She also learned to tell the people where she was going by saying, “far away” and making the proper gestures with her hand. She was the first of our family to touch Argentine soil—and she has touched it plenty since. As a result of one fall, she has a scar on her forehead where she fell against a brick in our patio as she was chasing a little hen.

    Rita is tiny for her age. She has brown eyes and blonde hair. She loves to read and be read to. She has already read three or four books in English, but as yet we haven’t taught her to read Spanish. She also likes to help Mama (when there is no one with whom to play). She wipes the dishes, shines the faucets, makes her bed and even tries to iron and scrub. She loves Jesus with all her heart. About a year ago she let Jesus come into her heart and in December 1949 she manifested publicly her love for Him. She speaks Spanish better than we do—at least the pronunciation is better.

    Some months ago they had the story of Daniel in the lions’ den in the Sunday-School class. When she came home we asked her why the lions didn’t eat Daniel. She said, “But Mama, the lions were made of paper.”

 

LYNN ARTHUR HOYT

    When this little one came into the world, he had hair which was decidedly red, but now it can scarcely be called red hair. He was born January 3, 1948, in Río Cuarto, Argentina. He would well be called “perpetual motion.” Needless to say, he keeps us busy. But the sad part of it is that because of his limitless energy he receives bumps continually and destroys many things in the house. He just goes from one to another—dumps the liquid glue, then dumps the ink, then pulls out the buttons, after that he is into the china closet, and then breaks the fountain pen.

    Well, we are just praying that the Lord will give us grace to direct this energy into the right channels that he may be a servant of the Lord. (The Brethren Missionary Herald, 8.12.50)

    Needless to say, I was surprised to discover this article and read what my mother shared. I don't remember the occasion she refers to of my public declaration of faith. The story of my very literal interpretation of Daniel's rescue from the lions was oft repeated and passed down in our family. 

    We are long past the days of Bible stories told with the aid of flannelgraph figures. My understanding of Daniel's example has deepened and become relevant to my life today.

    Daniel was among the exiles carried away to a foreign country at a young age, groomed and trained to serve the king. By now he was old, had served several succeeding rulers faithfully. His loyalty and wisdom earned him the highest leadership positions in the empire, as well as the bitter envy of other officials. They could find no fault in him so came up with a deceitful scheme to bring him down. Daniel's first allegiance was to God. No king's decree was going to keep him from worshiping his God. So he quietly continued his daily prayers even though it meant death. 

    So, why did the lions not attack Daniel? His answer to the distraught King Darius who realized too late that his officials had tricked him, "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty (Dan. 6:22 NIV)."

    Daniel was blameless and he trusted in his God, in life and death!

    This is a strong message for all of us who live in this corrupt world as “exiles” awaiting our heavenly home.