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| Hoyts in 1960 Lynn, Solon, Kathryn holding Ivan, Aldo and Rita |
As usual, midsummer events were in full swing early in January. Both Lynn and Aldo went to children's camp (January 6-15), this time on their own with the group that traveled to the interior on the overnight bus. The rest of our family joined them by car for young people´s camp (January 19-28). It would appear from the photo that between camp sessions the boys had fun hunting vizcachas, a rabbit-like rodent found in the area, native of Argentina (langostomus maximus).
January 11
As usual I had to carry over this letter to another day. This time I am not sitting at my desk in my bedroom of my little home in my little town, little Don Bosco, but seated in an old easy chair in the room where the Maconaghys slept in the big old house in José Mármol where I am spending a few days accompanying Miss Lidia DiNardo in the absence of Miss Nélida Zanetti, her ministry partner.
The Maconaghys had returned to the US the previous September for their furlough year, and the two young ladies, graduates of the Bible Institute were looking after the work in Mármol under my father´s supervision.
It was a very busy season with the added stress caused by a strike of the postal workers. Mother wrote to her parents, January 31:
A month has rolled by and we haven't written any letter. Please forgive us. Since we knew you wouldn't get the letters because of the mail strike we quit writing. From the week before Christmas until this past week we hadn't received any word from you folks, then we got 6 or 7 letters all at once. This strike has caused more trouble and mix up than I believe any other one. Sam had to go in and give three radio programs as the tapes from Schrock did not arrive. . . we naturally couldn't cash checks that never arrived. This all happened at a time when Sam was the busiest trying to prepare for camp. He had to give 8 studies on 1 John besides 3 evening services. . .
Mother also wrote about Christmas, she related that they'd had a program in Mármol on the 20th of December and in Don Bosco on the 27th and both were well attended. Nélida and Lydia were with us for Christmas dinner.
This photo brought back several memories. After our year in the US, I resumed piano lessons with Mrs. Jones. Surprised that I had not fallen behind as expected, she was hopeful that I could pass the 7th year exam at the end of the year.
A music concert was planned as part of the annual conference in Río Cuarto. I was invited to take part. I tried to get out of it, lacking confidence, having been told that I played "timidly." However, I was persuaded to play Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy. It remains a favorite piece to this day.
The school year began in March. The midday meal was the bigger one. Mother said she could never get used to serving dinner in three stages. Lynn and Aldo needed to eat at 11:00 before school. I did not get home from secondary school in another town till 1:15. The rest of the family couldn't wait that long, so they ate at noon.
Lynn was in 6th grade, the last year of primary school and had Srta. Dina Ballestrelli, one of our favorite teachers.
Grandma Hirschy wrote July 8, soon after they returned from several months ministering in Barbados. Grandpa had visited the island on previous occasions. For this lengthy stay, he persuaded Grandma to go with him.
First of all, I want to thank all you who sent me birthday cards and wishes. [Gradnma turned 72 on July 7th.] Kathryn, I got home for my birthday alright and we received Ivan’s pictures. Can hardly feature him so big, but Pop says it looks like him.
Then she copied excerpts from Mother's letter:
Sam has been gone since last Monday. Left at 6:15 a.m. from home to go to Almafuerte, to teach in the Bible Institute Saturday, and today he was to speak in Río Cuarto, then this next week they have Field Council meetings in Río Cuarto. Rita, Lynn and the baby all have had bad colds. The other day they called from the U.S. Embassy and wanted to know if Sam was doing anything about the washing machine. I told him I did not know that there was anything we could do or were to do. He went on to say that some way he found out from the customs broker that the price of the customs is 9,500 pesos which, if true,would be a very reasonable price which we could pay immediately. He wants Sam to get in touch with him right away when he gets back.
July 17 Mother wrote:
Last week the children had vacation so it was a pretty noisy week for us. Sam got home from Río Cuarto a week ago Thursday. He came home with great news that he had seen 15 cm of snow that lasted 36 hours. How disappointed the children were that we did not have any here. One thing for sure, we had plenty of cold weather. We all hugged the stove for a few days.Since home Sam has had to spend time preparing the Heraldo. For three months he has had to write articles.
THE 12-MINUTE BROADCASTS IN BUENOS AIRES ENDED
Without major explanations, the radio station in Buenos Aires that aired our programs twice a week since December 4, 1956, informed us that we could continue no longer. However, thanks to the Lord we will be able to continue airing Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. on Radio Antártida. This new program is 25 minutes long.
CHILDREN'S STORIES IN BUENOS AIRES
Because we now have a 25 minute broadcast in the Federal Capital, we are dedicating a good portion to the recent children's programs of La Tía Sara [Aunt Sara] which air weekly in Río Cuarto.
The same publication included one of Aunt Sara´s stories and also one written by her younger sister, my dear friend Mirtha. These beloved siblings have dedicated most of their lives to reaching children.
Dad´s note, July 24, mentions another article he wrote for the August publication.
I spent all day Monday finishing up articles for our church paper. I wrote on the doctrine of Sanctification - by the Holy Spirit, by the blood of Christ, by the Word of God, and by His presence. It proved a great blessing to me, but it was a terrible task. I'd make a better brick-layer than a writer.
However, I was impressed with the content, and the quality of his writing, especially in Spanish.
Another memory surfaced seeing these mimeographed periodicals - the old mimeograph machine and the many times helping Dad crank out hundreds of papers.
Dad's note concluded with the saga of the washer:
Tuesday I went to B.A. and got an automatic washer we ordered. We would liked to have gotten our washer-dryer [out of Customs], but could only do it lying or paying a huge sum. This one cost us 21,200 or about $257.
August 22, my parents celebrated eighteen years of marriage. Dad reminisced in his letter, September 2:
The experiences have been legion and all of them have helped to draw us nearer to Him who loves us. . .We really have a house full right now. Friday night at 10:19 he Bishop family arrived here to start looking for a place to begin a new work. We received their telegram at 9 a.m. Decided we'd put them all up in the garage which has an adjoining stool and lavatory; went out to look at it and decided it needed a paint job. By 10 we had the necessary materials (lime, brush, coloring powder, etc.) and by two in the afternoon it was almost done.
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| Hazel y Donald Bishop Paula (5), Gail (8) |
September 19:
This past month has been sort of a nightmare in our home. For a little over three weeks the Bishop family was with us. One could very well have three or four more adults in the home and still have things running smoothly, but when children are brought in, chaos has struck. By the grace of God we were still friends when they left for their own new home. They have located 40 kilometers from us in a very nice neighborhood that we think will be a good location for establishing a testimony. [I. Arias 3360, Castelar, F.N.D.F.S.]
The real nightmare began, however, the very day the Bishop family moved out. October 3, a missionary mother of five arrived with her two-month old baby. Her husband had run off with the other four children. I have blurry memories of the days that followed, like images from a rapid train window: other arrivals and departures to locate the missing children; physical fights; police visit; screams of children torn from their father.
At the time, focused on my life surviving the challenges of school and teenage life, I was protected from the profound sadness of these events. But now as I read the details in my parents' letters, I am overwhelmed with grief for the severe and drastic rupture of that family, the irreconciliable circumstances, and the resulting far-reaching ripple effects.
I ask myself, what can we learn from these events? There were warnings long before: a sense in his spirit that they should not return to Argentina for a second term; admonishment from fellow missionaries who noticed the beginnings of a toxic situation with the hired woman to help the growing family. These were unheeded or ignored, and led to the progression of the affair and its cover-up.
My takeaway is: confront, repent and confess sin early There is hope in the gospel message!
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. . . But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 1:9-2:2).
