1953

 

Buenos Aires, Plaza Congreso

What in the world was going on in 1953?

World leaders were rearranged. 

• The Shah was reinstated in Iran. 
• The Korean War ends after three years and one month and the loss of over 1.5 million lives. 
• Stalin died after a twenty-nine year Russian rule, responsible for the death of millions. Khruschkev began his de-Stalinization program.
• Cambodia declared independence from France after a ninety-year colonial rule. 
• In the US, Eisenhower began his two-term presidency after a very successful military career. He was a five-star general during WWII and became Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. As president he was credited with, among other things, with creating the U.S. Interstate Highway System, and NASA. 
• In the UK, Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on June 2 was the first ever to be broadcast on television. Interestingly, that same year the first color television sets became available for about $1,175 in the US!

Among other achievements:

• Albert Schweitzer received the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquered Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.
• British physicist Francis Crick and American biologist James Watson discovered the double-helix structure of human DNA.

Meanwhile, what was happening in our little corner of Argentina?

    In September of 1952, our family moved into a house in Don Bosco. Some time in October, our dear missionary friends, Jim and Margaret Marshall and 15-month-old Michael, visited from Corral de Bustos. It appears that by then Daddy had built a swing for us.

    Among my father's papers I found seven tattered type-written pages, a summary story shared with the congregation as a farewell. I will allow his words to describe those very early days by translating for you the pertinent sections. Some of the the following may sound repetitive if you've read the previous chapters. 

Review of the Brethren Church in Don Bosco

1952 - 1963

    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.

    The Vacation Bible School reported in the Herald, must have taken place some time during the summer before Grandpa Norman's brief visit toward the end of summer.  

Don Bosco (Buenos Aires), Argentina

A report has just come in from Bro. Solon Hoyt concerning their recent D.V.B.S. "We just finished a daily vacation Bible school here. I believe the average attendance was 24, which we consider good for a new work. Wednesday evening we having the program when we hope to get the parents out.

We are constantly encouraged, although we are not seeing mushroom growth in our work. There seems to be steady, consistent attendance. Last Sunday night there were 26 of us.(Brethren Missionary Herald, 5.02.53)

    Other summer events had to do with the entire Grace Brethren fellowship in Argentina: camps and annual conference. Considering that we now lived a long distance from Córdoba, the mission hub, and had to use public transport, I can't imagine how our family was able to fit all of these travels into the short summer before Grandpa came. But the photos labeled Jan. '53 confirm that we were at youth camp.

Camp site

Transportation

Workers

    Mother and little Aldo are between doña Elena, the cook, and the Wagners, don Ricardo and doña Laura (based in General Cabrera). Next to the right: Lynn Schrock from Río Cuarto; don Pedro, the faithful caretaker, man-of-all-trades; and finally Bertha Abel, single missionary also in Río Cuarto. 

Kitchen crew

Campers and extras, like me sitting in middle front

     In March, soon after Grandpa's visit, the school year began. I am not sure when I started; it may have been later. In any case, it certainly felt like I was jumping into the middle of somthing I did not understand. During the one year in the US, I had lost language fluency. I don't know how much Spanish I had regained by the time I entered school in the third grade. Somehow, I survived and even thrived. 

    For those who may not know, the starched white school uniform is called guardapolvo, which literally means "keeps off dust" and is a mother's nightmare to keep clean.

    In August, Aldo turned three-years-old. Early in the year he had an accident where he broke his arm and it was either not set correctly or was impossible to avoid the unnatural double-pointed elbow. 

    Sadly, later in the year, he suffered another misfortune. The two brothers were handling the push lawn mower, and Aldo fell on it. A note in Grandma Hirschy's diary says:

Tuesday, November 3, 1953 

Had a letter from Kathryn. Aldo got his index finger cut off in lawn mower.

    As I reconnect with people we met in Don Bosco those seventy years ago, I hear interesting stories. Graciela Rodríguez was Aldo's age and grew very close to our family. She recently shared one vivid memory of those times. She saw Pastor Hoyt with Aldo in arms running madly past their house on the way to the clinic. Which accident? Perhaps both. Thankfully, Aldo let nothing keep him from enjoying all the opportunities life has given him.

    My parents also never allowed hardships and challenges to slow them down or cease to praise God.   

    "Blessed be the Lord who daily carries us. God is our deliverer (Psalm 68:19 ISV)."

A Special Visitor

 

Esther and Norman Hirschy
My maternal grandparents

    When Grandpa Hirschy prayed that God would give them a missionary family, could he foresee the sacrifice and separations to come? God did indeed answer the prayer. Four of the six children became missionaries and moved to far away countries. 

    I never heard how it happened, but Grandpa found a creative way to be able to visit our family in Argentina. He was able to board the SS Uruguay as a chaplain, all expenses paid! It was one of the ocean liners belonging to the Moore-McCormack Lines (or simply Mooremack) and could carry 750 passengers and 350 crew members.

 

   Grandma's diary provided a few details, like the dates of departure and arrival, which helped calculate the length of time he was gone, some 41 days.

Tuesday, February 3, 1953

Daddy left after church with Levi to Altoona where he took the train to N.Y.

Wednesday, February 4, 1953

Daddy called up from N.Y. Was at the dock and ready to pull out on the "Uruguay" at 5 o'clock. Catholic priest as a roommate.

Tuesday, February 24, 1953

Phil brought me two letters from Papa.

Tuesday, March 17, 1953

Daddy called from N.Y. Arrived there this a.m. Bessetts took me in to Pittsburg to meet him at 8:20.

    Thanks to my archivist cousin who was able to find Grandpa's diary and the letters he wrote during that time, we have a careful description of his travels. I transcribed them carefully to maintain his style with dashes, punctuation, numbers, characters and spelling.

    Diary entry: 

Sunday, February 22

Arrived at Buenos Aires at 8:30 got thru Customs. Solon met me and we got out to the home about 10. Rainy weather.

Glad to see the folks. They have a nice home. I spoke at meeting tonight 13 folks present and with us there were 19. Solon interpreted for me. It's hard to speak that way.

    He wrote a letter the next day. 

Don Bosco

Feb 23 - 1953 Monday A.M.

 My dear Companion,

Here I am in the sitting room just had breakfast and worship. It is now 9:10.

Your letter awaited me here. Glad to get it. It helps so much along the way. As to my letters to you - I wish you could have gotten letter sooner but since we went ten days without a stop and two more days till letter was mailed at Rio - You were 2 weeks without a letter - which was no fault of mine. Surely by now you have about 3 letters anyway.

We arrived at B.A. about 20 minutes late. Got off boat - Sam was to meet me - It took about 30 minutes to get thru customs. It rained quite a bit. We went over to subway - then transferred to train and got off at Don Bosco. It rained fast at that time - It was a walk of about 2 blocks to home here. We got here about 10 a.m. No one came to S.S. because of the rain.

We talked - had dinner - then rested a while. Then in evening - got ready for the service here. - Had it here in the sitting room. 13 outsiders here and with us there were 19. Solon asked me to speak - he interpreted. I suppose it was about 15 minutes - Solon spoke some more. I do not fancy speaking thru an interpreter. 

Today Schrocks are coming and will stay here a few days while we take car and go out into country.

    So it was that our family welcomed this very special visitor, my grandfather, Norman Hirschy. The challenge for my parents was how to show him the places they had served in the previous term and have him meet as many of their friends as possible in such a short time. They planned a whirlwind tour [viaje relámpago]! 

    Diary entry:

Feb. 23

Kathryn did my washing.
Solon and I went to city. I bought a suit - ($27)
Rested this P.M.
Rev. Schrock and family came this evening. 

Tues. Feb. 24

This morning we took Schrocks Plymouth (1941) and started for La Carlota . . .     

    We must have stopped along the way for a picnic lunch. I noticed in the photo that Aldo had a cast on his right arm. Then I remembered the sad accident that was partly my fault. As a clueless eight-year-old, I was pushing him on a tricycle too big for him. He got scared and jumped off. When he fell, his arm bent backwards and broke. Sadly the arm healed with an unnatural-looking elbow, a new joint which the body made with what it had to work with. And it can only extend 130 degrees rather than the normal 180. Gratefully, this has never kept Aldo from doing anything nor has he ever complained.

    The diary note continues:

Had supper at Corral de Bustos about 35 miles on dirt road off of highway. After supper we went to La Carlota. Got there about 11 P.M. went to bed so we could rest and be ready for tomorrow.

Wed. Feb 25th

I got up early - saw sunrise. Saw milkmen with their cans on two wheel horse drawn carts deliver milk. Interesting. Walked up town. Wrote letters - Walked around mission premises - saw artesian well, swimming pool - etc.

Had barbecued chicken for our noonday meal. Helped butcher chicken. Afternoon rested then went out to see cemetary, 1 1/2 miles in country. Bought a white slip (jersey) for Mother in one of stores in town (4.00)

Went to prayermeeting tonight. I gave greetings, Solon spoke a bit - Horatious [Horacio Bettinalio] spoke (he is a student at Bible Institute. Good crowd present. 

    The same day he wrote to Grandma:  

There is an Areomotor windmill just outside here pumping water into a tank. Sounds very old fashioned and familiar.

                                                                                    La Carlota at 11:45 A.M. 

My own dear Companion,

 We left yesterday morning from Buenos Aires. Shrocks came in their car Mon. eve. They stay at Kate's home while we take the car and come interior. We went to Corral-de-Bustos where the Marshall's are - had supper there - they were expecting English folks there for supper also so we ate early while they waited for later. When we left those folks came. They expected 2 grown ups - but lo and behold 6 came and 2 or 3 children. - Mrs. Marshall expects [a baby]in about less than a month. I pitied her. Such is the life of a missionary. We had a 2 1/2 hr. drive over here and got here about 10.15 P.M. Dowdy's are on vacation - A Bible School student is here. Very nice fellow. So we have the place to ourselves.

It is nice here - like it better than any place I've seen on whole trip. Quiet - large swimming pool - artesian well - running into pool continually. Trees - (Euclyptus many of them) flowers, birds, chickens, ducks, cow, bees - garden - etc. etc. 

 Sam & Kate right at home here. Wish they were stationed here - You would like it - all except the high ceilings.

We expect to be here for prayer meeting and then go on to B.A. again and soon its time to start home - time is too short here. I miss you here more than ever. I do so much want you to see the place here. The quaint type Spanish architecture - People friendly. Got up early and walked round town - Saw way they deliver milk here. - The two wheeled carts drawn by horses etc.

The scenes along road - fields of corn (many dried up) thistles - weeds - large herds of cattle. Horses. Flocks of sheep. Mile after mile of prarie-like land - It is northern edge of Pampas. There is a lack of aggressiveness here - Govt. hinders progress in farming rather than assist it or then the people lack courage or finances to go ahead . . . 

Believers here gave Solon & Kathryn 2 chickens and invited us out for Supper. 

I washed out some clothes this morning. Kathryn washed out clothes for me Monday. So I'm about ready for the return trip - wish I had a nylon shirt - one that could be washed and dried and no ironing in a few minutes. It would help me in traveling. I'll get one when I get home. Here they are too high priced. 

            Much love. - Kisses - 

                                                Your husband

    I have one memory from  there in La Carlota. Grandpa and I were outside looking at the night sky. He pointed out how to find the Southern Cross.

    Margaret Marshall wrote in her weekly letter to family in the US, February 26, 1953:

    Tuesday was a most hectic day. I had invited a family for supper that evening - and then the Hoyts told us at conference that they'd be dropping in on us sometime during the day with Kathryn's father . . . Sam thought they could only stay about an hour, so I didn't think the two sets of company would conflict too much. Well, the Hoyts got here about 4:30 & stayed till 7:30. They were so hot and tired and dirty. There were six of them - I gave them supper about 6:30. Then just as they were ready to leave, the Livingstons came . . . we enjoyed seeing the Hoyts, but I didn't have time to visit with them much.

Jim, Michael, Margaret Marshall and Normal Hirschy
Solon and Rita Hoyt

    Grandpa's diary entry, Feb. 26:

We left last evening after service and drove all night over 300 miles and got to Don Basco about 8.15 A.M.

Rested a while.

Got ready to leave. Started about 8:55 - missed one train - made good connection at Suburban but at end  - No taxi. So we had to walk fast got to boat about 10:20. Had about 20 min. on boat - then good bye and they watched till ship was on its way.

Time was too short.

Sailed at 11 P.M.

    Excerpts from Grandpa's letter to Grandma:

                                                                        Don Bosco - Argentina

                                                                        Thur 12:15 PM. Feb-26-1953

My own dear Companion,

Greetings in Jesus Name. We went to Corral de Bustos visited the Marshalls then on to La Carlota. We were there till after prayer-meeting then started for here. children slept most of the way - I drove two times to let Solon sleep a bit.

The Schrocks are still here. Men are in city somewhere looking after business. Children are playing. Kathryn has dinner ready and men folks aren't here.

I packed my suitcases and am about ready to go. Time flies here these days. It however seems a long time since I saw you last. I do not want to be gone that long again if possible to avoid it. . . 

Was at prayermeeting last night, about 25 believers and children there.

Kathryn played organ.

Horatious a student of Bible Institute led the meeting and spoke. I gave a few words of greetings - Solon interpreted and spoke a bit. He is lonesome for La Carlota and I do not blame him. . . 

    Diary, Feb 27: 

Arrived in Montevideo at 1 P.M. - Walked around town bought a nylon shirt - ($9:00) So I can wash it if need be and as it does not need to be ironed then I can do it myself. 

The treat by government to passengers was show them fire works- As it was raining I did not go - Saw many of them from the ship.

Started at 12 midnight.

    Parts of one more letter:                                                                              

                                                                    Montevideo, Uruguay
                                                                    Feb - 1953 10:15 A.M.

My own dear Companion, 

Here I am on the journey home. They brot us here a day sooner to give us a special treat. . . I left Kathryn & Solon last evening. The Shrocks left at same time. It was almost 9 when we left house. Missed a train had to wait 20 min then till we got on suburban and got to place where one usually gets a taxi the time was 9:55. No taxi in sight so we had to do some tall walking to get to boat. It was a 25 min. fast walk. Hot - sweating we went on ship - staid about 20 min  had prayer - kissed each other goodbye - settled our financial accounts and then waved goodbye for about 20 min. Children watched - folks gave some of those plumes (paper) they wave. I threw each one one on dock - How they did wave them.

Sam cried and Kate also- I wish we could have had a few days extra. Glad for this much time. It was a blessing to me and I trust to them.

I'm glad to be on way home and see you again. How I've missed you. We leave here tonight at 11 or 12 o'clock - forget exact time. . . 

Aldo with his broken arm in a cast, does not have it in a sling - It just hangs there - hope its O.K. He never fusses about it (Does fussing because he can't have his own way.) He is quite a talker now. Children are nice. I enjoyed my stay there.

I learned so much on this trip. I appreciate you more than ever. I always knew I had a good wife but I realize it more than ever now . . . 

    The mention of my father's tears touched my heart as I reflected on the fact that Dad did not have a healthy and nurturing relationship with his own father.

    One last letter that came into my possession, written to people in the  Evans City Baptist Church that Grandpa pastored to thank them for praying. And said he still needed prayer as he was to preach three more Sundays on the ship. He was grateful for no seasickness.

    I can only imagine what an encouragement Grandpa's visit was to my parents.  What he experienced and shared served to multiply the prayer support back home.

Beginnings in Buenos Aires

  

 

    "Why We Expect To Return to Argentina" was the title of an article my father wrote shortly before the end of our year in the US. 

    Just a few months ago we bade farewell to the missionaries and believers in far away Argentina. I only wish that all of you who read these words could have seen the many expressions of appreciation on the part of groups of believers as well as individuals. I believe they expressed sincere appreciation for our work among them because they had looked deeply into our hearts and had seen our love for them. The memories of these several farewell occasions will ever be fresh in my mind.

    Yes, just last July 14 (1951) we boarded the plane to begin our first furlough, but we are already looking forward to the return trip.

    He then elaborated several points: the conviction of God's calling; the blessings experienced on the Argentine mission field; and "Argentina is in our blood"!

    It's hard to explain to those who haven't experienced it for themselves, but we must confess that we have been gradually changing in our way of thinking, ways of expression, outlook on life, and in many ways we have become like the Argentine.                   (Brethren Missionary Herald, 9.06.52)

    By the time the article was published, we were already in Argentina facing daunting challenges as pioneers starting a work in a totally new area. As an eight-year-old, just tagging along, I was unaware of the challenges my parents faced.  How does one plant a church from scratch? I learned about the process from the notes and articles published in the denominational magazine.

Now in Buenos Aires

    Brother Solon Hoyt and his family are now located in Don Bosco, a small center only a few minutes ride from downtown Buenos Aires. They are now engaged in house-to-house visitation and hope soon to have the first assembly of those interested in hearing the Word of God. Buenos Aires has a population of over 2,500,000, being the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere. (Brethren Missionary Herald, 10.04.52)

   Several months later, my father wrote a lengthy account that was published in two parts.

What About the New Work in Buenos Aires, Argentina?

The First Problem

    Where shall we locate? After Brethren Schrock and Marshall had made some investigation in and around Buenos Aires, and after considerable discussion in the field council meetings, we were all agreed that the problem of location is one which can only be decided finally after living in the area to be reached. Therefore we were to locate here wherever we could find a house to rent.

A Bigger Problem

    Because of a tremendous influx of immigrants from Europe and a general movement from the country to the city, the housing situation throughout the towns and cities of Argentina has been taxed to the limit. But here in this area it has been by far the most acute because most of the immigrants have settled down close to the port of entry and hundreds from the interior have rushed to Buenos Aires to seek higher wages in the factories, which are almost exclusively in this area. After several weeks of searching in every way, shape and form that it could be done, the Lord directed us to the place in which we now live. The rent is exorbitant, but we have learned not to complain about that since others are paying much more in comparison with what they receive.

    In his handwritten memories, Lynn also mentioned those beginnings:

    When we arrived in the province of Buenos Aires, we lived for a short while in a "pensión" (boarding house) owned by Mrs. McLeish, a dear Christian lady from England.

    I have only one recollection of that time and that was the afternoon tea time, with scones, biscuits, jellies, jams and delicious tea served in a cozy room in her house which fronted on the town square of Quilmes (the county seat).

 

 

    I remember those English teas as well. That was the first I knew of tea cozies to keep the tea pot warm. Hers were hand knitted, I believe.

 

 

    During that time, Mother and Dad were seeking for a house to rent, two train stations closer to B.A. in Don Bosco, a very small middle class bedroom community of B.A. At this time Don Bosco was maybe ten blocks long and five or six blocks wide along the railroad tracks of the Beneral Roca train line.

    Life was very uncomplicated and simple in Don Basco. We lived in a small, very nice home on Calle 31 (31st Street) about seven blocks away from the train station and 3/4 block away from the tracks where the steam-engine-driven trains pulled three to four passenger cars and one cargo car back and forth on their way to and from Plaza Constitución and the provincial capital of La Plata.

     Dad's article continues,

    This house is located in a very new section of a new suburb called Don Bosco. We are 7 1/2 miles from Buenos Aires proper which is just 26 minutes by train. Since we are only four blocks from the train station and trains go to Buenos Aires every 18 minutes and sometimes oftener, we may consider ourselves quite well located. This suburb is one of four which are built so closely together that one cannot know where to make the divisions between them. People living at the farthest point from us in any of these four suburbs could easily attend our meetings since it would take only from 10 to 20 minutes at the most by bus.

 

    We moved into the house about September 4, and it took exactly one month more to get everything out of customs and get things more or less settled and running smoothly.

Two Months of Ups and Downs

    During the months of October and November our sole work was house-to-house personal evangelism. Since we know no one as yet, we didn't know what to do about the children so we could go out together in this house-to-house personal work. We finally decided to take the youngest (Aldo) with us since we would be visiting first near the house, and leave the other two. This worked out very nicely and when the time came that we needed someone with whom to leave all three, the Lord directed us to a neighbor girl of about 16.

    Some days we would return filled with joy for the privileges we had to present the Gospel; other days we returned discouraged. As a whole, however, we had to feel that there is a more open and unbiased attitude on the part of the people here as compared with those of the interior. Very few refused the tracts and a goodly number talked at length with us about spiritual things.

    We must confess that our discouragement at times only revealed to us our constant need of His help and direction . . . Has not God promised that His Word will not return void? (Brethren Missionary Herald, 4.04.53)

    Lynn notes,

    From the start of their ministry in Don Basco Dad did a lot of door to door visitation, giving out tracts. (My favorite was "La Voz" - The Voice) and inviting people to do one of two things, attend a Bible study in our home or allow him to hold a Bible study in their home.

     In an earlier update, Dad shared the excitement of those new beginnings.

Don Bosco, Argentina

    I believe we have some wonderful months ahead. The people about us seem to be so neighborly and open. From what little I've observed thus far this section seems to be made up of young families.

 

 

 

    Right now our work is almost entirely house-to-house work. We have had some interesting experiences . . . We're anxiously awaiting the opportunity to have some tent meetings . . .  (Brethren Missionary Herald, 11.08.52)

    The second half of Dad's lengthy report was published the following month in the Herald, with a different title.

More About the New Work in Buenos Aires, Argentina

     In our short time here we have entered into conversation with a man and his wife who operate a vegetable market. Several times I mentioned that we were expecting to have tent meetings as soon as possible. They immediately manifested curiosity. With this slight encouragement, I mentioned that we expected to have a vacation Bible school also, and their two children seemed to be delighted. Later they asked me more about the D.V.B.S. seemingly anxious that we have it soon. Considering their evident interest, we invited their children, together with a couple others, to our house for a little class on Sundays. We didn't invite many, for we just wanted to feel our way a bit longer.

    After the second class, one boy asked Mrs. Hoyt what she would teach after she finished the lessons on the wordless book. He breathed a sigh of relief after she showed him a drawer filled with lessons, and he said, "I'm so glad because I like these very much." (That boy stepped out like a man in the tent meeting and accepted the Lord.)

 

    The children were questioned and cross-questioned when they got home to find out what they had been taught. The parents then became interested even to the point of learning the choruses we had taught them.

"I want to see Buenos Aires before I die"

    We imagined this to be the voice of the Bible Coach ('20 Model A) as it crept along the highway carrying the tent and equipment as well as four passengers for the first tent meetings in this area. In spite of its good intentions, its age greatly limits its possibilities. We hadn't gone but about 90 miles when we had motor trouble. This delayed us some 10 hours thus the whole trip took 32 hours. Even the poorest sense of humor would have appreciated the sight of this antiquated vehicle. with its four passengers almost one upon the other, as it creaked into the capital city of Argentina. [I wonder if this was the last adventure of the Bible Coach?] 

Someone Must Be Praying

    Twenty days before the date for the tent meetings I had presented the necessary petitions for the lot, use of public-address system, police authorization, and so on. As the days passed by without any answer whatsoever, I wondered many times whether I should make that long trip from Río Cuarto to Buenos Aires with the Bible Coach and equipment without previous authorizations. Nevertheless, feeling fully confident that the Lord would answer, even if it were "in the nick of time," we made the trip. The day came for the tent meetings and still no authorization from the police, nor electricity. But in the afternoon, all within an hour we received the permission from the chief of police and a neighbor consented to our securing electricity from him. Yes, someone was praying. I know you folks at home have been praying for this new undertaking, and the believers throughout the mission here seem to have a special burden for the new work in Buenos Aires.

     The entire campaign seemed to be owned of the Lord. There was a consciousness on the part of all who had a part that the Holy Spirit was working. There were no great crowds, but those in attendance was consistent. There were no great preachers nor attractive programs, but the Gospel was given forth simply night after night. There were no sudden or unusual manifestations on the part of the listeners, but there seemed to be a growing interest and conviction. No invitation was given until the next to the last night--we wanted to give the people as much time as possible to understand the Gospel. When the invitation was given, a goodly number responded.

"Pastor, can you direct us to a good church?"

    Several nights before the meetings closed, I was asked this question by two different families. . . I was deeply moved to see how the Lord was working. I hadn't mentioned further meetings nor the possibility of starting a church as yet, but the Lord was already creating that desire within them. I announced the first meeting in our home for Christmas Eve. We truthfully did not know whether to expect one or ten, especially since it was Christmas Eve. However, to our great joy there were 15 besides us. The second meeting was held December 28 and there were 22 besides us.

    We are praying that our work here may grow, and that our people may quickly fit into the plan and program of the entire mission. Now that we have launched out into this new area we trust that we will soon have a healthy, self-supporting church and become closely united to the other churches even though separated by 350 miles. (Brethren Missionary Herald, 5.02.53)

    Seven decades later, I look more deeply into my parents' hearts as I reflect on their journey, read what they wrote, and hear what others have said. I am in awe of how God prepared the way for my pioneering parents and directed their steps. And I rejoice that the Word of God continues to go forth in that area and beyond. 

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

(Isaiah 55:10-11)

 

Returning to Argentina

     

    The night before sailing from New York, Mother wrote a note to the home office, titled: 

BUT GOD!

    It's raining! It's our last night in the homeland! Thoughts come and go. Will we ever see our loved ones again on this earth? What will happen in the five years we are gone? Homesickness, loneliness--yes, plenty, but God!

    Cars are coming and going, people are rushing here and there in the streets below our window here in the Sudan Interior Mission home (New York). It makes me think of the city to which we are called--Buenos Aires--filled with people rushing to and fro without a knowledge of our Saviour. Will they receive the message we have to offer?

    When the Lord passed through Samaria and gave the water of life to the woman at the well, He said: "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." that is our desire tonight as we look forward to our next term on the field. 

(Brethren Missionary Herald, August 2, 1952)

 

    In the same publication, Dad wrote a note about the new term of service they were about to begin.

A NEW TERM OF SERVICE

    As we look back over our year of furlough, we praise God for it. Above all other blessings, it has given us opportunity to appraise our first term and see where we have failed and how our service can be improved.

    We anticipate this new term of service with even greater joy than the first. Now we know more or less what to expect, but we do not expect an easy term. Beginning a Brethren testimony in Buenos Aires will mean tireless effort. . . It will demand a daily supply of divine wisdom.This will be a new undertaking and a very important one with many decisions to be made. . .  

    Grandma Hirschy wrote about our return trip to Argentina.

August 11, 1952

    We got a letter from Kathryn last week telling that they arrived in Buenos Aires on the 31st of July, I think. At least she says, "We anchored in the Río de la Plata about 7 a.m. and were unable to get a dock until about 3 p.m. Because of the mourning for the first lady, ships evidently had lined up in the channel waiting to unload, etc. For three or four days no one had worked at the docks so you can imagine what kind of a mess it is down there with baggage everywhere. Just before we got off the boat we had to stand still for 15 min. doing homage to the deceased." 

    I remember that moment of silence as we stood in line waiting to be able to get off the ship. Eva Perón, wife of the Argentine President, was only thirty three years old when she died of cervical cancer on the 26th of July. A few weeks earlier she had participated in her husband's second term inauguration, June 9, 1952.

    Eva Duarte de Perón, lovingly called Evita, may have lived a short life, but her story lives on to this day shrouded in mysteries. Many books were written about her life, as well as the famous musical "Evita" by Andrew Lloyd Weber and the film version starring Madonna.  

 

    Just as Argentina was going through major historic events, our family was about to experience major changes. Lynn explained these shifts, to the best of his understanding, in a section of his handwritten memories subtitled "The 50's"

    About the time Dad and Mother arrived on the mission field, several changes came about that transformed the whole playing field.

    As far as Brethren Foreign Missions is concerned, the biggest and most important reason for change was the industrialization movement, which caused many Brethren people from the Southern half of Córdoba to move to the province of Buenos Aires to take advantage of the jobs available in Argentina's industrial centers along the Río de la Plata.

    Our churches were seeing their members move away for better (or available) jobs, and, because Buenos Aires was not in our territory (by comity agreement [acuerdo de cortesía]) they were joining Methodist, Baptist or Plymouth Brethren churches in that province.

    The second change that was very influential was the departure of some of the denominational groups from their strong positions on the Inerrancy of Scriptures to follow the teachings of men like Harry Emerson Fosdick, Reinhold Niehbur, Karl Barth, and more recently Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuler.

     These two main reasons, coupled with the requirement of the Argentine Government for every church and/or Missionary organization to have an official headquarters in the city of Buenos Aires, and the desire brought about by relationships they had formed over the years with dear Brethren who had left their area to move to Buenos Aires, prompted the missionary team in Argentina to decide that they must begin church planting there.

    This proposal, presented to the Missionary Society, was not received well at first, but after much consideration, it was decided that the Hoyt family would move from the interior to B.A. to plant a church there when they returned from furlough.

    After they arrived back in Argentina, the Hoyts were assigned temporarily to Huinca Renancó in the southernmost part of the province of Córdoba. 

    When I read this last paragraph, I began to question the accuracy of Lynn's memories. I could not recall a time in Huinca Renancó and only had vague and hazy remembrances of a chaotic time, including a family train trip. I was so embarrassed because my assigned task was to carry the "potty" neatly hidden in a draw-string bag. I was convinced it was obvious, that everyone could see what it was.

    Lacking the treasured resource of family letters for this period, I resorted to searching the archives of the Brethren Missionary Herald. I came across an overlooked article written from Huinca Renancó during the last months before furlough. 

(Brethren Missionary Herald, August 4, 1951)

            I read what was the perfect message for the many church presentations in the year to come. 

    In the first paragraph, Dad reflects on how the "5 1/2 years of happiness while serving the Lord" also changed their conclusions as to methods and procedures as they gained experience and new insights.

    What he then outlines are his firm and sure convictions. The following is a summary.

  I.   THIS FIELD HAS BEEN GREATLY BLESSED OF THE LORD 

    God has honored and blessed the faithful ministry of former missionaries and pastors as evidenced by . . . 

1. New Interest - The increased attendance to national conference each year was cause for wonder and praise, evidence of blessing, and necessitated changes and additions to the accommodations. 
2. Two More Permanent Testimonies - From 18 different preaching centers when we first arrived, today two more towns have regular meetings and each has a small group of believers. Besides these two permanent locations, four other towns have been visited from time to time.
3. A Bible Institute - no longer a dream, it is a reality! The need had been recognized for some years. It was our purpose to begin in April of 1947, but, there were not enough prospective students. However, night classes were held in three or four locations. That year people prayed in earnest for the youth camp. As I went to camp in January of 1948, it was with the conviction that we were going to see a special manifestation of God's blessing.Twelve to fifteen young people responded to the call to prepare to serve the Lord. With only two months to prepare, the Bible Institute began with ten or eleven students. This marks the third year with numerous blessings, a token of what the future holds.
4. The Argentine Council - composed of the missionaries, the national pastors and seven laymen elected by delegates from the congregations. This group is responsible for the general running of the Mission, which not only leads to greater cooperation, but also prepares them for the time when they take full responsibility.
5. A New Camp - for two years now we've had a children's camp, questionable at first as potentially risky and dangerous. But the Lord has showered blessings on this undertaking.
6. Fund for Paying National Helpers - to help Bible Institute students during their summer service to the various mission points and boost the allowances of the national pastors during the year when the students are in school.

 II.   THE FIELD IS VAST

    During these five years we have constantly heard of towns and cities without one ray of the Gospel.

III.   THE FIELD IS PATHETICALLY UNDERMANNED 

    Here we are with  20 towns and a Bible Institute as our responsibility before God. But we are only eight couples and two single ladies. One couple has five towns to care for, three others have three towns each as well as teaching responsibilities. For the past two years it has been necessary for each pastor and missionary to take his turn caring for the services in Huinca Renancó, the town in which we now live. This has been a great burden--the long trip, the exhaustion, leaving home base often poorly cared for. But can we abandon this group of believers? When we leave on furlough next month, the same schedule will be carried out again. 

    So, Lynn was right, we did live there for a short time before furlough and could also have returned there when we arrived back in Argentina. I read on, and understood why he had a special place in his heart for Huinca Renancó. 

    Moving to Buenos Aires was an experience I do not remember at all. The only event I can remember from those days was that mother tells me that she was glad to get out of Huinca Renancó because, being in the "pampa seca" (dry pampa, semidesert prairie) it was nothing to sweep up at least a bucket of dust a day. 

    But Huinca was neither dry nor dusty for the boy who heard the message of salvation there. Vacation Bible School time came around, and the seed planted by my parents and Sunday School teachers sprouted when the VBS teacher gave us the opportunity to trust Jesus.  

    However, before moving to Buenos Aires, our family went through a turbulent time. I do remember the atmosphere of heaviness during the conflict. Lynn explains it thus:

    When the next Field Council came up, the missionaries were faced with what, to them, was a hard decision. Laboulaye needed a pastor, and the Hoyts were now back from the U.S. Why not send them there and put B.A. on the back burner? This they decided to do. When Dad came home and told Mother of that decision, her reaction was one of dismay. What followed was grief and many tears. Dad, who seemed up front to be a solidly unemotional (though friendly and kind ) man was not able to withstand that demonstration of disappointment. I imagine that it had taken Mother some time to get used to the idea of moving to B.A., because she had made friends in the interior and leaving them seemed hard. Now all of a sudden, the idea she had been dealing with for most of their furlough year was being taken away from her and she felt like a person who had just had the rug pulled out from under her--unstable, insecure. Now Dad was the one hit with insecurities. He reported this to the Field Council, and the decision was made to go back to the original plan--Buenos Aires.

             Recently, a friend remembered something my father told him once, "Redheads can be difficult."

   This conflict and ultimate outcome could be debated and questioned. Throughout centuries, so much has been said and written about knowing the will of God. In the end, we know that God is sovereign and his purpose prevails.

 

 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand           
(Prov.19:21).