Summer of 1963

 

Youth Camp Choir

Summer months were usually full, but this year seemed to be exceptionally so.
After sixty years, I had forgotten many of the happenings that I find in the letters and documents gathered from various sources. 

Here is one interesting seasonal tidbit I related to my friend Mirtha:

January 8, 1963

This morning I got up at 5:45 to go with Lynn to the town fair. [Every Tuesday vendors set up their stands across from the train station.] He has a stand there with Bibles, Christian books, and Alpha radios [the business of the three friends, Julio, Roberto, and Antonio]. The street fair is a block away from the Temple, so someone always needs to help him carry and set up the table. His little stand has drawn quite a bit of attention and he has sold 3 or 4 or 5 Bibles, 2 of your books, several books for children, 2 or 3 New Testaments, etc. Lynn is so excited about this work that his life is centered around it (well, maybe not that much, but almost).

As more Brethren churches were added in the Greater Buenos Aires, the cooperation and joint events increased.
 

January 5 all the youth groups met in Castelar where Don and Hazel Bishop had settled two years earlier.

Jim and Margaret Marshall had moved to Ciudad General Belgrano at the end of 1962. Dad made numerous trips to their place throughout the summer to help them settle into their house and build a garage. Often he was accompanied by members of our family and on a few occasions took along a couple of the young fellows that regularly worked with him on a variety of projects.
 

Meanwhile the Marshalls had been reaching out to their neighbors. Sunday March 3, they began services in their home.

Early January, Jim traveled with thirteen children from the Buenos Aires churches to camp in the sierras of Córdoba. He stayed to help with the other camp sessions. This year Dad did not participate at all in the camp programs as Mother was due to have number five sometime before the end of the summer. 

We had a record number of youth that attended camp from the Buenos Aires area, some 35. I was very excited that Delia, my classmate, and her sister were among them. They were especially enticed by the fact that they would be able to meet our author friend Mirtha Siccardi, whose novel they all read including their mother. 

Also it was my last year. I wrote to my friend, "Did you realize, dear Mirtha, that this is the last camp before I leave for North America and it may be the last time I see you before leaving because I don´t know whether I will be able to attend Conference?" 

I remember feeling very sad many times during that camp.

The description of our return trip from camp brings back those happy sad memories. The two and half hour ride in the back of the truck from the sierras to the city of Río Cuarto left us filthy, covered in dust and very tired, but happy. After washing up, a bite to eat, a little nap, some of us went to see the sights: the lovely city park with boat rides, and then downtown for food and souvenirs. I almost didn't go as I had been crying, feeling sad again. That night we took the overnight bus to Buenos Aires, my last time.

I slept a lot on the trip but even so we arrived very, very tired. It was good to be home again and see everyone. I found Mom well, except that her feet were quite swollen. After cleaning up and a bite to eat, I went to sleep. At 4:15 Dad woke me up; it was time to go to the Temple to leave for Bible Clubs.

In an earlier letter to my friend I had mentioned an interesting new development surrounding the children´s Bible clubs.

Did you know that we asked to be given streetcars? I don´t know if you heard that the government is giving away streetcars to any religious or charitable organization. LAPEN [Child Evangelism in Argentina] through Mr. Bongarrá obtained 10 and he himself also several. Dad, before knowing this had requested some and we are praying that they will give us at least one to place in Villa Domínico.

So, what did happen? I remember that my mother was the one who saw the ad about the government giving away old street cars and suggested they could be used as little chapels in these outreach locations.

March 5, Mother began a letter to her parents:

Here Rita and I are sitting in a street car trying to write letters, read and rest, but we aren't able to do much of anything as there is a gang of kids outside trying to bother. Yesterday morning we hired two trucks and a truck with a crane to bring the 4 streetcars. (Did we tell you that the Government gave us 4?) Two of them we placed on a lot in Villa Domínico and two here on a lot that belongs to a believers´ family. Daddy and some of the men are putting a wire fence around the lot in Villa Domínico and probably tomorrow they will do it here, that is if I don´t pull any tricks and go to the hospital. I´m so glad I´ve been able to keep going yet. 

Last night Lynn and another boy slept in the one in Villa Domínico and two others here. This morning when we went to see how they fared, all had passed the night very well and peacefully.

These streetcars are really useful. One is a 1955 model and in excellent condition. The other 3 have a seat loose here and there or a few windows broken but they all can be fixed in time, and make nice little chapels. Each one has seats for 36 people.

The hard work began in earnest. Men, young and old, began taking out the middle walls to join the cars, then join the roofs, and do the repairs. 

 

 Dad picked up writing where Mom had left off. 

Thursday A.M.

These are difficult days - we are trying to do too many things in too short a time. We´re trying to do our best to protect these streetcars, but after we´ve done all we can, the Lord can take care of them. . . Since the young people have been having Bible clubs in Villa Domínico for two years and we also had a tent campaign there, we felt that we should put two of the streetcars there.

I have so many things to do with church building, Institute, Public offices, keeping all the missionaries content [at the time he was the Field Superintendent], etc. that I almost faint at times. But the Lord is able. 

 Later that day, Dad added a final paragraph.

Well, you have another red-headed grandson! He was born 2:35 P.M. weighed in at 8 lbs. 8 oz. Kathryn got along real well and the baby is very nice, quite pretty for a new born babe. Kathryn is in the British Hospital receiving the best of care.

What Dad did not say was that while he was filling out the paper work, he fell asleep and missed the delivery altogether! 

The guys working on the streetcars were waiting eagerly for the news of the baby, but recall that when Pastor Hoyt came back from the hospital the first thing he did was check the progress of the work and give further instructions. Some minutes went by, they looked at one another, and since he hadn't said anything, they asked. "Ah, yes, another boy!" he said, and went on telling them where and what to do next.

At home, my brothers and I also awaited the news expectantly. When Dad said Ruth had arrived, I didn't believe him and insisted he tell us the truth.

March 29, Dad gave a fuller report to the grandparents.

We want to get this letter off to you and should write much more but are so pressed for time that we'll have to limit it. We named the baby Norman Alan, since we're so thankful for his grandpa, and trust he'll be like grandpa more than in just his red hair. We felt the name would be appropriate. Up to now he has been a lovely baby. Kathryn is still able to feed him and we hope it will continue for some time. 

Although he is Norman Alan, it was always the plan to call him by his middle name in keeping with the family tradition of four-letter names easily pronounceable in Spanish.

Dad went on to say:

We are heading for the last round up here in Argentina. Trying to put everything in readiness so that a national pastor can take over, trying to coordinate everything throuhout the mission as a president should, and trying to be a pastor and father has me almost defeated. However, if we can just hold out for another 9 months the Lord will give us a long rest.

Those were intensely busy days. It is not surprising that I found no baby pictures of Alan. 

I am reminded of a few scriptures:

A blessing Moses pronounced for one of Israel's sons: Deuteronomy 33:25b ". . . as your days, so shall your strength be."

Alan was born March 7, the last week of summer vacation and March 11 was the beginning of the school year.

Ecclesiastes speaks repeatedly of God's perfect timing. In chapter 3, verse 1: "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven."