As the year was coming to an end, we were looking forward to big events coming up in 1963, but also took a long look at the past decade.
As a family, we were excited about the baby to come. I wrote to my dear friend Mirtha:
You know what . . . ? I'm going to have a little sister (because if it's a little brother, we will send him back, NOT REALLY!) If it's a baby girl, which we are all hoping for, her name will be RUTH (ANN?) HOYT. If it's a boy, we don't know yet what he will be called. What do you think?
My little sister Ruth will be born some time around the end of February or the begining of March.
And what about your neice or nephew, when?
Here is where I should mention that Mirtha´s sister Sara married Angel Díaz in March and now both of us friends were anticipating the arrival of a baby into our families.
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| The wedding announcement in the Heraldo |
The long look backwards took place December 10th when our little Don Bosco church celebrated its 10th year anniversary. A well-advertised evangelistic campaign led up to the event, with evening services as well as three five-day children's Bible clubs.
Julio Poncet designed a flier which we distributed door-to-door until we ran out of both fliers and time! However, the town was well informed because the poster-size announcement was plastered everywhere possible. I wrote my friend about the fun our fellows had in the process.
The guys went out several times at night and worked until 1 or 2 in the morning putting up posters . . . But, guess what happened to them one time. So, Julio R. was carrying Julio P. on his bicycle, Lynn was carrying Aldo, and Antonio, well I can't remember exactly, but I think he was carrying the glue or paste. Antonio does not know how to ride a bicycle very well, then ¡CRASH! a collision. Julio R., Julio P., paste and more paste, Antonio, bicycles, mud, etc. etc. Julio P. could only laugh. Julio P. laughs and laughs, his whole body shakes. It is contagious. His mother told us later that he could not even tell her what had happened because he was laughing so hard.
I pause to mention a related incident. The guys did such a good job of covering or papering the town that the stationmaster had a word with my father.
Well, the campaign, I´m not going to say it was a failure, however, it was a great disappointment. We had worked so long and so few came out. The messages were wonderful. And, I´m sure many neighbors who are so indifferent, heard the message because we used the loud speaker. The Lord knows and we know that His Word will not return void, so I believe that in heaven we will see the fruits of this campaign.
What was truly marvelous was the outreach among the children, the three 5-day clubs in different parts of the town. We reached about 100 children and they seemed to understand the message, many accepted Christ.
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| Pastor Hoyt |
Dad prepared and read a summary of the ten years in Don Bosco. I have already shared parts of this document, but thought you may be interested in seeing and reading the entire story of God's work in one small town through ordinary and flawed servants.
Review of the Brethren Church in Don Bosco
A young couple about thirty-years-old with three children and five suitcases is seen arriving at the Retiro train station. How lost they felt among the multitude in this new world! Their destination was the boarding house of a friend in Quilmes, but how to get there? How to buy tickets? How carry the suitcases along with three children? Such problems filled their minds. After many inquiries, they arrived at the Constitución railroad station. They asked more questions, moved their children and suitcases toward the train line which would take them to Quilmes. Impossible to hide their bewilderment, they were assisted by a fellow traveler.
Once settled in the boarding house near the courthouse in Quilmes, we began looking for a more permanent base from where we could ascertain the best place to establish a testimony for Christ. For a family with small children, the wait was long - we were piled into a room for one and not for five. Such was our impatience that we almost rented an apartment in an area that already had a testimony. But, the Lord stopped us and in His time provided a house in Don Bosco. The 23 of September of 1952 we were able to bring our furniture from Río Cuarto and move into the house.
In a short time we recognized our inability to wisely evaluate the immense mission field that is the Great Buenos Aires. Our lack of experience both in life and missionary work made this task impossible. In addition, we saw the possibility and the need to start a Sunday School in our own home. So it was that in the month of October we celebrated the first Sunday School gathering with three children present outside of our own family--Arnaldo Calderoni, Julio Reta and Silvia Reta. If I remember correctly, they were the only ones invited, as they were our children's playmates. So, the first meeting was 100% successful. We have not experienced similar success since that day.
During the months of October and November we were dedicated to house-to-house visitation and the Sunday School. Those months seemed endless because we were eager to see the first fruits as soon as the seed was sown, but it was necessary to wait a little more.
The First Big Scale Effort
In the first days of December, this peaceful town was surprised by the appearance of a comical truck from the year '29 known as the Bible Coach. It took 30 hours to make the trip from Río Cuarto to Buenos Aires bringing the tent; all the equipment for the first evangelistic campaign; don Pedro, the caretaker; and two fellows from the Bible Institute. It might be amazing for some of you to know that the tent was raised on the same site where you are seated now. It was truly a conquest to set it up; so many tall weeds had to be cut down and after that we had to hire the Italian with his cart to carry it all away, not only the weeds but also shoes, wire, a cat and dead fish.
Four Years in the Pastor's House
Now we entered into a new phase of the work - meetings in our home. This continued until December of '56. En the last meeting of the campaign we announced that the tent was leaving but that meetings would continue the same in the Pastor's house - Calle 31 # 33. The first meeting was held on Christmas Eve. At that time we were 27, a greater number than we expected. The attendance varied throughout those four years, but especially blessed were the Daily Vacation Bible Schools for children with an average attendance between 23 and 27.
Two more tent campaigns were held - one on the corner of Cramer and Ramos Mejía and the other in the plaza on the other side of town, the current location of the new first aid clinic. None of these campaigns had the same welcome nor such good results as the first. However, the Word was sown and at least one person made a profession of faith and has remained.
In January of 1954 we held the first baptisms. We had a canvas pool made to use in a hole of the same measurements. The event took place at the Maconaghys in José Mármol, because they had a larger yard and also a few members who had asked to be baptized. At that time, Mr. Rodríguez, Mrs. Ravera and Rita Hoyt were baptized. One of these has since left our congregation, but hopefully not lost from the universal Church.
In 1955, Mrs. Kolodziej was baptized, in the same pool but this time placed in the back yard of the house on Calle 31. In spite of opposition from family members and neighbors, whe obeyed the Lord giving testimony of faith in Christ through baptism.
At this time there was a good youth group who, in addition to social gatherings, would do personal work and hold evangelistic meetings. We remember many of those young people and cannot help but believe that a day will come when like the prodigal son, they will return to the Father who awaits them patiently. With deep gratitude to the Lord, we remember Angel Díaz, now a graduate of the Bible Institute and an approved worker. He was already a believer when he came to us, but we were allowed to enjoy his fellowship and contribute in a way to his decision to give his life to serve in the work of the Lord.
During this same period of time, a good group of believers from this church and others was meeting for a type of Bible Institute. Precious moments were spent around the Word of God and surely fruit for eternity will result.
Very much at the beginning of the work, in 1954, we made a signpost with a corresponding frame for posters. Mrs. Fischer spend many hours preparing and painting the signs we hung regularly in front of our house. Only eternity will reveal the lasting good that came from sowing the Gospel in that way.
Not all the memories of those first four years when we met in our home are as pleasant. We cannot forget the times when due to the mud lack of lights on our street, and no sidewalks, only a few made it to the services, and sometimes no one. The right hand remains somewhat closed due to holding the knife so long cleaning the mud off the shoes of the children before entering the house for Sunday School. Brother Maccio will remember the night he was drawing close to the house, stepping with much care to avoid the mud, when he slipped and his foot or rather his entire leg sunk into the ditch. At one point the work became so discouragaing that this pastor would have abandoned it completely and thus shared with brother Maccio. These emotions eloquently spoke of the need for growth in the pastor´s own life. After exchanging some thoughts and ideas, we agreed to pray about the matter every morning at 8:00 wherever we were until the Lord should reveal His will. It was not long before He answered and thus the work entered another phase of life.
The Temple - First Phase
July 5, 1956, this congregation received a gift from the Foreign Missionary Society, a piece of land for the temple. The only condition was that the believers take charge of building the church. The believers took on the challenge and approved a blueprint and in that very month of July, with the help of Francisco Sparta and Mr. Fischer, laid out / marked the foundations. Some of the young people and the pastor and his wife dug the foundations.
We remember August 17 with joy because several friends and believers from Mármol came to help us fill the foundations. Old and young, women and children - all worked hard and in addition to filling the trenches, were able to dig holes for the bases of the three columns and put together the corresponding iron frames. Looking at a photo taken that day, we realized that the bathroom had also been completed before that day.
With the help of some young folks, especially brother Angel Díaz, we continued working until the walls were at a point where we felt the need to hire a mason / bricklayer and kept him on until the roofing stage. We remember with gratitude the ample scaffolding that Mr. Escala loaned us when we got to that point in the construction/building.
On roofing day we had the collaboration of many. We certainly were few for such a huge and heavy job, but we were more than usual.
Christmas was drawing near, so we set the goal of inaugurating the temple with the Christmas program. There was so much to do that it was overwhelming, however, we kept moving forward daily. We finished cutting the iron for the windows and Mr. Allessándria put them together. We installed them at the same time that Mr. Rocobertón was making the doors. Thus we accomplished one thing after another, but we were running out of time. The day before the program, we worked late putting in the glass. There were no lights and we were unable to connect them until a few hours before the program, and to do so we had to ask a neighbor for electricity. But we were in, December 23, 1956! The temple had no plaster, no flooring or subflooring, a perfect atmosphere to celebrate the humble birth of our Saviour!
January 1957 through August 1957
. . . we tried to do only the basic essentials on the temple in order to dedicate time to the spiritual aspects which had been neglected. We were able to make a basic cement floor with the help of believers from Wilde. The tower was finished and the over roof. Our attempt to waterproof it failed. For some time we preached to the accompaniment of drips from a leaky roof.
Some may remember the special meetings with Brother Schrock during Holy Week in 1957. On Good Friday Mrs. Allessandria, Mrs. Devesa and Roberto Spina were to be baptized, but the baptistry was not ready nor the rest of the platform. At last, we were able to have the baptistry in working order and made a provisional cover. However, there was a gap behind the platform of half a meter to the floor. Brother Schrock was very confident when he got up to preach because he said, "I don't move much when I preach." But in a moment of excitement, he took a step back and stepped in air. He would have fallen had he not been able to lean against the wall.
August 1957 - August 1958
I cannot say much about the church during our furlough year. God raised up two young ladies, graduates of the Bible Institute, to care for the work under missionary Maconghy's supervision. They endeared themselves to many, and left a mark for the glory of the Lord. Several made professions of faith, Miss Mabel Devesa was baptized, and surely there was growth among the believers.
August 1958 - December 1962
It was customary in our Foreign Missionary Society to replace the missionary for another when furlough time came, so he would only stay in one place for five years. We, however, returned to the mission field grateful for the privilege of continuing the work begun in 1952. We had no sooner greeted everyone, when we got back to work on the temple. We laid sidewalks and a few other minor things. Desiring to finish floor and plaster soon, we obtained a loan of 50,000 pesos from the Missions Society. But, as time went on we recognized the need of space for the Sunday School. So we did not stop until we had built two stories on the side, 2.80 by 12 m and this required another similar loan. It was only this year that we were able to finish the final plastering, lay the floors and paint the walls. Our goal ws to finish all the details for this dedication, however, despite the good will especially of the young people, we were unable to complete the many tasks for lack of time.
Increase in Attendance and Offerings
Thanks to God, He has sent new people to our midst and these have brought others also. The attendance is not what we had hoped after ten years of existence, but it is moare than we could have imagined at one time. Offerings have increased from one year to the next. Last years we reached $84.656 pesos. One debt was paid off and only the internal one remains of 55 thousand pesos.
The Importance of the Sunday School
Some two years ago we there were notable results from the years of work among the children in the Sunday School. Those children are now young people and every day they are taking on more responsibility. These youth are becoming men who give stability to the work. They are young persons whose entertainment is serving the Lord: they conduct two Bible clubs and hope to start others; they direct the Sunday School program in a major way; lead singing; and preach occasionally; they've given many hours to work on the church building, and for this campaign they have done virtually everything. We give thanks to the Lord because I believe they have done all for the glory of God. In spite of the long and difficult struggle to find many men from this neighborhood and town to be the columns of this church, we have faith that many will hear the voice of the Son of God and be saved.
I believe the simple narrative of the story of this church through the ten years, shows us that it is not by man, but that it is a work of God. The words of the Holy Spirit in Romans 11:33-36, express the profound sentiment of all who have been allowed to follow the spiritual thread of these lines:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and inscrutable his ways!
"For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?" [Isaiah 40:13]
"Or who has give a gift to him that he might be repaid?" [Job 41:11]
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
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