Tents and Temples

The big tent and don Pedro Olthoff

 

    The story of my family's early years in Argentina moves on even as one source, my parents' correspondence, is drying up. Articles from the denominational magazine, The Brethren Missionary Herald, help me put together the puzzle of the next years in La Carlota. 

    These were still pioneering years for the Grace Brethren Church in Argentina. Dad reflected on those times in a 1947 article:

    Many are the thrilling experiences of a new missionary—his first opportunities to converse in the new tongue, his first time to pray, to lead a meeting, and to preach. Among these also is the first daily vacation Bible school. For my wife and me this joy came rather early in our ministry. We entered the work in November and began our Bible schools the following month.

    The first was held in La Carlota. With our little experience and our very limited vocabulary we could not have done it alone. Three of the believers aided wonderfully; in fact did most of the labors, we expected a better attendance. Our little experience was one of the big impediments, but Satan was also at work as evidenced by one mother coming to the door and very angrily forbidding her son to come with these Evangélicos.

    The next Bible school in our smallest town, Los Cisnes, was excellent. The attendance was from 23 to 33 each day. There also we had help—a believer from La Carlota and two believers of Los Cisnes. The Gospel was presented so clearly that surely fruit shall be seen from those efforts.

    In Santa Eufemia we were fortunate to have the help of Nélida Nuñez, who now is a full-time worker in the mission. The first day there were only seven. The second it rained and there were nine. Changing our methods from waiting to seeking we saw wonderful results. Forty-five children were reached for Christ and thirty-five were present at one time.

    The final Bible school was held in Alejandro. We were completely alone. Starting with four children, at the end of six days there were sixteen. In all, about one hundred twenty children heard the Gospel and carried it to their homes. The next summer we are expecting even greater results." (The Brethren Missionary Herald, 8.09.47)

     A general update from the Argentine field in the 1947 November issue stated, "The summer is upon us with its tent meetings, young people’s camp, daily vacation Bible schools, and the conference." These annual events belong in my memories like favorite pieces of furniture in a family home.

    The big tent is one of those memorable "characters" in my life story. Researching the ministry of la carpa, added history and texture to my memories.

    An earlier report from the field written a year before my family's arrival, told of the four tent campaigns that summer, the blessings and the tribulations. Two new towns were now open to the Gospel. In the first one, held in November of 1943, sixty people responded to the invitation to give their lives to Christ. 

    In another town with an eight-year-old Gospel witness, there were eleven responses despite great opposition of all kinds. The worst came January 31, 1944, when the lights were cut and the the tent was stoned with people inside. Some rocks were big enough to cause serious injury or even fatally wound a person.

      Johanna Nielsen, a single missionary lady from California, had now returned to Argentina after a lengthier home stay to care for her ailing father. She was assigned to report on the different mission points. About her stop in La Carlota, she wrote:

". . . we find Brother and Sister Hoyt thrilled to the depths of their hearts. The Lord is blessing their ministry in a special way—men and women, boys and girls taking their stand for the Lord in almost every Sunday service. Believers are growing in the faith, and they are now looking forward to a building campaign. At present, they are making plans to purchase a lot. (The Brethren Misionary Herald, 9.06.47)"   

    This earlier photo of the meeting hall was taken in our first year in La Carlota. My parents had plans to decorate it with mottos or Bible verses. But in their letters, I soon detected hints of its inadequacy and then in 1948 they were asked to be out of the salón, it was to be sold.   

This is the salón in La Carlota.
 At the right front is the organ,
in the middle the pulpit,
at the left the flannel board. 

    Miss Nielsen mentioned a building fund, among other things, in her report the following year:

This is a windy country, but that week [of the tent meeting in La Carlota] it outdid itself, with wind and dust and then cold that kept folks shivering and reduced attendance greatly. However, when the weather was not too bad, we had quite good attendance, and even when it was bad the believers were very faithful in attendance and there were always some from the outside.

The vacation Bible school that was held in the tent during this same ten days was also handicapped, but the children did not seem to mind the dust too much. They seemed to have a good time. One member invited her sister’s three children to come from another town to visit her in order that they might attend the school and services. They went home happy, with awards for memory work and attendance, and, we trust, with a greater love for the Lord and His Word.

On Sunday, the 21st, the Christmas program was given in the hall, with a full house. This hall is not very adequate either, and this little group is laying aside a fund for building a church. The Hoyts brought me to Río Cuarto on December the 22^nd, and remained here, only returning to care for services until the new son arrived January 3^rd. Lynn Arthur had to be modified to Arturo Lyn to conform with Argentine law, but it does not seem to worry him in the least. (The Brethren Misionary Herald, 3.06.48) 

    In 1950, Dad wrote an article entitled "My! How That Man Preaches!"

    The days were hot and dry. There was so much dust and wind that one preferred staying inside and suffering from the heat to going out to be blown full of dirt. Our home was full of visitors. We were in the midst of tent meetings and daily vacation Bible schools in La Carlota. When I say the house was full, I mean just that, for besides the four of us, there were two fellows from the Bible Institute directing the D.V.B.S. and a preacher and his two children from Rosario. In all we were nine. This may not seem like many, but when there is only one to do all the cooking and cleaning besides caring for the children and washing the clothes, then it becomes almost a superhuman task. But the trials did not end there. There was such a scarcity of water that we had to fill the bathtub and use it as a storage tank. We therefore did our bathing in the wash tub. 

    At 9:30 a.m. we arranged our powerful public-address system and began to play hymns and call all the children to attend the Bible school at 10 a.m. The children came running to discover what new thing had come to town. Great joy filled our hearts to see the two Bible Institute boys take charge of the classes. Truly they won their way into the hearts of these little children. 

    In the evening again we turned on the loudspeakers and called all the people to the tent to hear the blessed message of freedom through Christ. In order to reach a greater number of people with the Gospel, we used the loudspeakers during the whole service. Each night the messenger brought a clear Gospel message, calling upon the people to repent and believe the Gospel. Although he is an Italian, he has been in the country 40 years and commands the attention of the people by his way of speaking. 

    Rich and poor attended these meetings, but the most remarkable of all is that everybody heard the messages. The most interesting part has been the comments throughout the town after the meetings. While buying vegetables at a certain place all the way across town, I spoke to them of the meetings and they revealed that they sat on the front walk each evening and heard everything. Another day I was in a certain store when the owner, a very devoted Catholic, said, "My! how that man preaches!" 

    While in the grocery store, one of the owners, always very friendly, admitted that he knew where to go for the truth, but because of the business, the relatives, etc. he could not do it. He also mentioned that he and his wife stood for over an hour listening one night and his wife remarked, "They aren't like our priests. These folks don't attack anyone."

    Some three or four weeks later, I had occasion to go to the home of a certain German who lives close to our lot. He voluntarily mentioned the tent meetings and the messages. He said that he liked the music, but especially the messages. "I see you are going to build," he added "You're going to shut yourself in so that we can't hear any more of those fine messages."  I assured him that he would hear more, for we expect to use the P.A. system the year round.

     That was the beginning of my father's first building program. Throughout his life and ministry he was not only a church planter but also a hands-on builder of meeting places.

    This thought led me to look up all the Bible references to tent of meeting or tabernacle, and temple -all names of a place to meet with God. I learned much of interest. The pre-temple tent was central to everyday life for the nomadic Israelites. The tribes set up their encampments around the tabernacle and it always led the march and in their many wanderings through the wilderness. God had laid out detailed instructions for every aspect: its construction and furnishings; assigned servants and rules of conduct; and regular sacrifices and rituals. 

    The prominent purpose of this place where God met man, was reconciliation. God's heart longed for restored fellowship with His chosen people. 

    The big tent I remember served in many roles: to draw people to hear the message of salvation for the first time; to host different age groups during summer Bible schools; and provide multipurpose spaces for camps and conferences to further teaching and discipleship. Always the message remained, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you (James 4:8 ESV)."

The Bible Coach

    

    The beloved Coche Bíblico stands out in my memories like a favorite character. As I traced its ubiquitous presence, I arrived at a fuller understanding of the history of the Brethren church in Argentina.  

    Colportage, traveling about selling and distributing religious tracts and books, became quite common at the time of the Reformation, but goes back centuries before that. The term, from the French, combination of comporter (to peddle) and col (neck), meant “to carry on one’s neck” indicating the early method of transporting literature. Colporteurs’ means of travel have varied throughout the centuries.  

    In Argentina, other Bible peddlers had gone before, some on horseback or sulky (horse and buggy). An early challenge to the Brethren in the USA exhorted parishioners to share in the purchase of a Bible Coach for this new mission field. It  read: “We have only talked Bible Coach while our missionaries have walked. If we thought less of auto-riding and more of ought-to-giving. . .” A plea also went out for workers to be the colporteurs. 

    In 1918 The Brethren Foreign Missionary Society authorized the purchase of a Bible Coach. A fund toward the project had begun in 1917 in North Manchester, IN. The 1919 Easter offerings from the churches provided the rest, with the Muncie Mission being the first to send in its contribution of 25 cents per member.

    A Ford Truck frame, purchased in La Carlota (the same town where my family´s missionary journey began!), served as the chassis. The top, designed by an expert from Barcelona and built in Río Cuarto, cost approximately $2,000. It was a model of compactness and convenience, suited to the ministry, and so well made it could last a lifetime.

    The back of the front seat folds down and a front piece comes up, forming a bed which can be prepared in a moment. Below is the space for books and tracts, while above on one side is the wardrobe and on the other the kitchen outfit. The wardrobe doors open revealing a side seat. A blue-flame kerosene stove serves splendidly for the cooking. At the rear, a narrow tier of shelves and drawers make room for toilet articles, etc.

    Over the side steps on the outside there are cylindrical tanks for water, gasoline, carburo [carbide], and tools. The carbide makes a satisfactory light for the interior of the coach or for a meeting around the coach. The side windows are reversible, and one side is a blackboard, which bears the notices on each side of the coach. The front windows are removable. When they are on, the coach is entirely closed and can be locked up and left like a house. The center is high, to permit standing upright, and windows at each side of the high part give light and ventilation. Three or four persons can live comfortably in the coach but there is a small tent which can be taken along when necessary. The coach has proven its ability to go over all kinds of bad roads where an ordinary auto can go and has carried as many as twenty-five people through mud and rain. (The Brethren Evangelist, July 21, 1921.)

    The Bible Coach was dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1920. 

    Three workers aboard, el Auto Evangélico left on its maiden trip. Their first destination was La Carlota, “my” town. 

    Clarence Sickel was the new missionary commissioned for this unique ministry. Clarence and Loree had arrived in the country in November of 1919 and were still learning the language and ways of Argentina. Two seasoned workers, Yoder and Edwards, accompanied them. Clarence proved to be a model driver, could sing stirring solos, and even had mechanic skills. Loree remained in La Carlota with the resident missionaries to help them pack for their return to the US.

    As one writer put it, “There’s muckle adae when cadgers ride." (“There is large much ado when carriers ride.” The Brethren Evangelist, October 6, 1920.) A whole lot of preparation took place before the couriers set out--to stock the cupboards with provisions (cold cuts, eggs, tea, etc.), and bed clothing; to load an abundant supply of Bibles, New Testaments, scripture portions and tracts; to fill the fuel and water tanks.

    Then the real work began.

    We find that the auto behaves beautifully with the load it carries. . . people everywhere come out to see the auto that looks more like a streetcar. We can stop most anywhere and have people to talk to from morning to night. (The Brethren Evangelist, June 23, 1920.)

Charles Yoder, the pioneer with a decade of experience who went along for a few days on this first outing, continues: We sleep better in the coach than in a house and have it conveniently arranged for cooking as well. On the way from one town to another we can take all the quails, pheasants, rabbits we want and sometimes armadillos and ducks. [More importantly, however,] we distributed thousands of good tracts and portions of the scriptures and are quite enthusiastic over the work. (The Brethren Evangelist, June 23, 1920.)

It is our policy to confine our work to our district, and on account of the high price of gasoline (60 centavos per gallon, equivalent $1) to remain in a town until it is thoroughly canvassed before going to another. (The Brethren Evangelist, July 21, 1921.)

The district referred to, an area comparable to the state of Indiana, is in the province of Córdoba in the center of Argentina, with headquarters in Río Cuarto. This city was chosen for several reasons—the largest population (35,000), its centrality and its mild climate, but mostly it was still unoccupied, unreached, in a spiritually dark and hostile area. The idea was to expand out from there along the different lines of the railroad, and the plan for the Bible Coach was to canvass every town in each direction, even stopping along the way at country homes. One colporteur, who had been doing this kind of work for years with his horse and buggy, joined the new team in the beginning to reach remote country homes not accessible to the Coach. 

These colporteurs imitated the pattern Jesus gave the disciples when he sent them out. “Go your way, behold I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves . . . Whatever house. . . if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him.” (Luke 10:3-4)

When a town is entered, if there are people already interested in the gospel, they soon make themselves known and thus form a group or center for further work. A record is kept of all persons interested in each town, so that the work can be followed up in subsequent visits. (The Brethren Evangelist, July 21, 1921)

    This “church on wheels” was entering the domain of the Roman Catholic Church which, at that time, had no competition. Sadly, it was not a robust and pure religion. Although it had lost credibility due to widespread corruption and immorality, it still held cultural and political control. Priests began to organize special events, festivals, dances, loud music, anything to distract and oppose the efforts of the “intruders.” Some resorted to threats, destroying the literature and inciting violence. School teachers could threaten and punish those who associated with the evangélicos. The level of opposition varied depending on whether the town had a resident priest or only a visiting monk. Nuns were considered the worst enemies. 

    However, a welcoming like-minded minority prevailed among the European-born immigrants. The great immigration wave (late nineteenth, early twentieth century) brought people who had been taught the Bible. These were among the first followers, helpers, and leaders in the mission points and churches established as a result of more than thirty years of colportage. Some had long prayed for a Bible-believing fellowship. A few had begun to teach the Bible in their native language until a Spanish helper came along. Interestingly, most of the evangelists who traveled with the Bible Coach had European roots: German, Chech, Spanish, Italian. Reasons for migration were as varied as the nationalities—to seek a better life, to escape hardship and oppression, to find or develop new business opportunities. In some towns, such as La Carlota, the Bible Coach workers conducted separate meetings for the English-speaking population, mostly British, earlier immigrants who played an important role in the development of the Argentine railways.

    The Bible Coach workers were sent out in pairs for a four-month tour and, when possible, spent the winter in one town involved in follow-up ministry. The routine was to first go to the police station and town authorities to inform them of the purpose of their visit and get permission to set up in a choice location for open air meetings or to find a hall they could use for indoor gatherings. Then they wrote the time and place on the reversible blackboard window and canvassed the town to invite people and peddle their literature. 

The advantages afforded by this unique vehicle were listed in an article by field superintendent, C. F. Yoder.

    This method allows for several colporteurs to work together, thus encouraging one another. Second, they remain in one place as long as they wish with little expense and continue the work whether the weather is favorable or not. Third, to follow up their selling by teaching. Fourth, makes possible public meetings. Fifth, to carry a larger variety of Bibles, tracts, and other books suitable. Sixth, to reach the small villages and country places which the colporteur cannot ordinarily reach on account of the difficulty and expense. Seventh, the BC attracts the attention of those who are interested in the work and brings gifts and offerings. (The Brethren Evangelist, July 21, 1921.)

    The beloved Coche Bíblico labored long and hard for more than thirty years, weathering storms of all kinds: médanos, sandstorms during periods of drought; pantanos, deep mud bogs during rainy seasons; and the spiritual opposition.

    After five years the motor broke down. In 1927 it was back in service with a repaired motor and repainted body. There were times when it languished in a garage. Changes, additions, and improvements were made along the way.
In 1928 a half-tent was attached to the side, and the need for a major overhaul was recognized. That same year, Mrs. Lowmann, from Roann, IN, asked that in lieu of memorial flowers, monies go to a fund for the “church on wheels.” She died September 3. The $43.50 that came in started the offering needed for the new chassis. The mission points born from the many visits of the Bible Coach also contributed their support.

    In the winter of 1929, the Bible Coach sat idle. There was a serious flu epidemic. Schools were closed for a whole month. In Río Cuarto alone, fifteen to twenty funerals were conducted daily. When spring weather came around, however, two workers set out with the old coach on a south westerly route. 

    Then in 1930 a new chassis was purchased with a “horse of the proper size which gives a sense of power and security.” (The Brethren Evangelist, January 4, 1930.) With a new coat of paint and the addition of a stereopticon projector and loud speaking equipment, the Coach was ready and loaded for its next tour. 

    A couple of years later a tent and folding benches for two hundred were added, allowing for overflowing crowds to meet inside and out.

    Seventeen years after the beginning of its travels, an annual report from the mission field stated: The high light of our work is, no doubt, the Bible Coach. With its present equipment of loudspeaker and balopticon, and the facility for giving outdoor illustrated messages, we have one of the most efficient ways in all of the Argentine of giving the Gospel message to the people as a whole. The music draws the crowds, the pictures hold the attention, and the message given through the loudspeaker cannot fail to reach the ears, not only of those who draw near, but many more who remain in their homes, refusing to be seen with the “heretics.”  (The Brethren Evangelist, October 9, 1937.)

    Numbers may better express the magnitude of the outreach. That year alone, the tour covered twenty-five towns and held eighty-three meetings (64 open air, 19 in halls) with audiences between 350 and 1200. The written Word went out by the hundreds--850 New Testaments, 175 Bibles, 500 portions. The Lord’s blessing was on the ministry despite a late start due to lack of workers. The late mild fall weather allowed the Coach ministry to continue longer than usual. Far beyond these quantifiable statistics, eternity will reveal the impact of the colporteurs’ visits to each home, their many contacts and conversations.

    The advantages of this ministry have been enumerated thus: each town had the opportunity to hear the Gospel; isolated believers found fellowship and follow up; believers began to meet to study the Bible; Sunday Schools led to mission points and then established churches; the colporteurs were blessed and grew in the process; each visit blessed, encouraged, and grew the mission points; and those who supported the work were blessed. 

    The statement, we have never done a better work in Argentina than to send out the Bible Coach (The Brethren Evangelist, August 3, 1935.) proved true after years of ministry and unnumbered tours that led to mission stations and later established churches. 

    This Gospel work impacted the culture. 

    Writing specifically to the effect on women, one missionary wrote:  

    Evangelical missions have no easy path to tread in Latin America, but they have left a trail of gospel seeds through tracts, leaflets, testaments, Bibles, and lives that have done more than anything else to keep the women of Latin America from the grave danger of swinging away from all religion, as her men did. (The Brethren Evangelist, March 12, 1938.)

    The intense persecution in the beginning and the amazing results years later, reminded me of the promise, “Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. (Psalm 126:6)"

    The concept of vehicles as means to spread the Gospel has become a recurring theme in my life. 

    I married a man with a heart for God and the mind of an engineer. Convinced that, like Bezalel in the Old Testament (Ex. 35:30-33), he could use his gift for design and invention to help spread the Word,  he outfitted recreational vehicles with secret compartments to carry thousands of units of scriptures and literature to be delivered by dedicated Christian “tourists” to believers in closed countries. He also designed a remotely controlled airplane to drop packets of Gospel literature into Albania, at the time the country most closed to the Gospel. 

    Later, as a family, we lived five years on a missionary ship, yet another vehicle to penetrate many nations with the Good News. As a community of more than three hundred volunteers, our main goal was to make the message of abundant life in Jesus accessible in many lands.

    Jesus Himself took on a human body as a vehicle to dwell among us, reveal God’s nature, and even be delivered for our salvation and life abundant. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10b ESV)”