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). 

The Year Between

 

    The year away from the mission field used to be called furlough, which led to the concept of an extended vacation. More recently that time away is referred to as home assignment to avoid such misconception. 

    The missionaries ministry expectations are to visit all the supporting churches to report on how God has been at work, remind them of their partnership in the Gospel, and encourage their continued faithful support. More importantly, they are meant to reconnect, strengthen relationships and build new friendships. As delightful as these visits may be, for the missionary family it is work, much travel and speaking, often out of their comfort zone.

    What was that first furlough like for the Solon Hoyt family? When we left the US in 1946, we were only three, and now in 1951, we were a family of five. I could only imagine my grandparents' excitement as they anticipated the long-awaited reunion. I read my maternal grandmother's entries in her five-year diary, to learn dates and details related to that year.

 

 Saturday, February 3, 1951  Finally got a letter from Kathryn today They expect to move to Río Cuarto for a few months. And expect to come home by July. 

 Tuesday, July 10, 1951  N.Y. S.I.M. [New York Sudan Interior Mission] home. Could hear real well. Rita and Lynn said goodbye too. 

Tuesday, July 17, 1951 This noon we went to Pittsburgh to meet Sam and Kathryn and were at the Allegheny airport for 4 hours. And then left too soon and missed them. Came home . . . My did I feel badly.

    I can feel Grandma Hirschy's emotion hearing our voices on the phone, and later her deep disappointment at the delayed encounter. 

    There were many more relatives to visit in that first month. There is no precise record of our travels, only a few photos and notes..

    Grandma Hoyt, who kept an itinerary of her moves from birth to age 72, wrote in 1951: "The last of July, Solon's (home on furlough) came to Tennessee  and the 1st of August Solon's brought me to Lowell's where I stayed until Brethren Conference began . . . " Anna Leola Dorsey Hoyt raised ten children and in her latter years moved around, living with each one for a few weeks at a time. She also lived on her own for a while in a little white house in Grandview, Tennessee.

    Two relatives' names appear in Grandma Hirschy's later diary entries. 

Monday, September 3, 1951 When we came home Kathryn and family were home and Lowell [Dad's brother] came with them and stayed here all night.

Thursday, September 6, 1951  Solon and Kathryn came home Monday night a while after Harlan [Mother's older brother] left. Seems Harlan misses them every time.

Kathryn and family left about 9:45 for Winona Lake. Hated to see them go. Seems we have seen so little of them . . .they expect to spend the winter there. Solon wants to build a house there for himself. We kissed them good bye and we will not see much of them this furlough and according to time of life they will not see us the next furlough they have.

    Again, I was saddened by the notes of disappointment, crossed paths, and longing for more time together. But, alas, my parents chose to make Winona Lake, Indiana, their home base for the year, and even build for a future there.

    That year, I attended an American school for the first time. Jefferson Elementary was, and still is, located next to Grace College and Seminary. This is a more recent photo. I cannot recall what the building looked like seventy years ago.

                                                               

    A few memories of that second grade remain. My teacher's name was Mrs. Little, but she was far from small. My mother made Valentine cookies for everyone in the class. She painstakingly wrote each student's name with icing on their cookie.

Second grade school picture

    Other photos add details to our whereabouts during that interim year. We probably visited our Pennsylvania grandparents again that winter. Despite its poor quality photographically, this one stands out not only for the enormity of the snowball, but more because of the new winter experience Lynn and I shared with our grandfather.

Grandpa Hirschy's snow lesson

    

    Some ten years ago, my brother Lynn visited us here in Upland. I had always counted on his help to write our family memories. But as I let the years slip by without any accomplishments, he became impatient. 

    I remember that day in August when he sat in my kitchen and began to write. He kept at it till he had filled fifteen handwritten pages. I treasure these memories. Lynn is no longer with us to share in this project. How many times I wish I could consult him.

    Here I quote what pertains to that year in the US when he was only three or four years old. Some are cute and comical anecdotes and the house Dad built during that furlough stood out in his little boy's mind.

 What I remember . . .

    I can't really pinpoint the age I was when I begin to have clear memories, but it was very early in life.

 

    The earliest home I can remember was the brand new unfinished house Dad built on Robson Road in Winona Lake. I was present when Dad was installing the toilet in one of the bathrooms. Since I had no idea of mechanics, hydraulics or physics, my simple and young mind put together a few things - a hole in the floor, a vacuum cleaner and a loud swoosh - and came up with an image of a machine that would suck me in, possibly chew me up and put me into a bag, which would then be thrown into the garbage pail.

    Another memory was being deathly scared of dentists. This happens because at more or less three and a half years of age. I fell down the basement steps and knocked one of my lower incisors thru my skin just below my lower lip. The dentist determined that the best solution was an extraction. I became so hysterical that I called the worst bad word I could think of: "You alligator, you . . ." Proof positive that my parents did not use profanity or vulgarity in their speech.

    Some time in that year or year and a half of furlough we visited my grandparents in Pennsylvania. Grandpa was pastor of the Evans City Baptist church there, and we spent a short time with my grandparents. I was a very active child, always getting into things. At one point my grandfather nicknamed me his "private investigator." But though that tendency could have served me well in future years, it came coupled with the characteristics of a person who lives up to my grandmother's nickname for me. Her endearing though not flattering description of me came from the Switzedeutsch "schutz katter" roughly understood as meaning "one who does before he thinks."

    This characteristic of flightiness was not approved procedure in our family. Mother did not accept this as a possible acceptable behavior . . . To this day, I am extremely risk averse - fear of heights, poverty, debt failure etc. As far as I know the one area of risk I am not afraid of is language. I love languages and have no fear of making a mistake. I only ask that instead of just laughing at my mistakes the person I am speaking with will have the courtesy to CORRECT me.

    Another illustration of my "acting before I think" occurred at the same house in Winona Lake. I had seen Dad shave (he used a straight razor and a shaving brush & strap) and, wanting to be like Daddy I decided to shave, too. I don't know whether I cut myself or not, but I did give my parents a scare.

     Lynn had an eye condition (Strabismus, lazy eye) that required surgery to correct the misalignment. I have a vague recollection of the procedure taking place, but cannot be sure when or where. I know he had surgery when he was only four years old, but was it in Pennsylvania where we had grandparents to care for the other children?

    Grandma Hirschy's diary adds a few notes of interest.

Friday, April 4, 1952  Kathryn and family came around 10:30. Rainy weather.

Sunday, April 13, 1952  Rainy Easter day, Joyce's family and Kathryn & children also the two Roger's girls were here for dinner. We had chicken etc. Joyce spoke for Y.P. [Young People's meeting] in Kathryn's place. Lynn had quite a temperature. [Was it related to the surgery?]

    Joyce, Mother's older sister, was also in the US on furlough with her family of four (Karin, Eddie, Rosie, Freddy). The youngest was born around this time. Four of the six Hirschy siblings became missionaries, two went to Africa and two to South America. We always felt closest to Joyce and Ed de Rosset's family because our furloughs coincided regularly.

Enjoying time with cousins Karin and Eddie

Monday, April 14, 1952 Sam got in at 1. They left for home about 11 o'clock. Still rainy weather. 

    A News Brief in the April 19 issue of the Brethren Missionary Herald, confirmed what I suspected, Daddy was speaking at one of the supporting churches. "Rev. Solon Hoyt presented the work of Argentina in the Summit Mills and Meyersdale churches April 6. Pictures were shown in the evening service."

    A couple weeks later, our grandparents visited us in Indiana and helped with the ongoing house project.

Tuesday, April 29, 1952  Got up early again and got to Kathryn's for breakfast. We have been landscaping their yard. Weather is very hot. Got a lot done. Went over to Warsaw for tile.

 Wednesday, April 30, 1952  Did some more lawn and sowed seed. Pop's bones are creaking. Sam's too I think.

                     

                          

    Dad was not only building a house, and traveling to speak in churches, he was also teaching a semester of Spanish at Grace College. Returning missionaries were expected to fill those faculty positions. As such he participated in the closing ceremonies and gave the invocation at Baccalaureate, May 18, 1952. 

    

    That was also my eighth birthday. One photo of our family celebration remains. Sadly, I cannot appreciate from the photo the details of the cake Mother made for the occasion.

 

    There is one church visit that stands out in my memory. We went as a family to Canton, Ohio. It must have been  on my birthday or close to the day. As I remember, it was the biggest birthday party I ever had. There were many gifts, they made a big deal of my birthday. Now, in retrospect, I wonder whether that was merely my self-centered eight-year-old perspective?

    A News Brief in the June 7, 1952 issue of the BMH states: "Rev. and Mrs. Solon Hoyt have transferred their church membership to the Canton, Ohio, church. It is from this church that they receive their financial support as missionaries to the peoples of Argentina." Over the years, they remained loyal supporters far beyond the monetary contributions.

    Our year in the USA was coming to an end. Grandma Hirschy wrote:

Tuesday, July 8, 1952  We took Kathryn and family into Pittsburgh. Took the train to N.Y. at 10. Ed's went in too. It rained hard on the way back.

Wednesday, July 9, 1952  We have that empty left behind feeling today. 

Thursday, July 10, 1952  Kathryn called from . . . (ship?)

    Looking back, I question to what extent furlough objectives were accomplished:

• Reconnect with family and friends. For the children it may be a first meeting.
• Renewal - many missions require a debriefing.
• Retrain - methods, techniques, technology are constantly changing.
• Raise - prayer and financial support.
• Report how God is at work and remind churches of their essential partnership in the work.
• Refocus - distance and time allow for reassessment

    Furlough guidelines and practices have changed over the years. In those early days, and throughout my growing-up experience, missionaries returned to the US every five years. On this occasion, my parents had volunteered to stay on in Argentina an additional half year to cover all the needs. It was indeed time for them to "Come away . . . and rest awhile. (Mark 6:31 ESV)" But, was it restful? 

    Despite mission organizations' improved provisions, rest remains an area to be guarded jealously and creatively.

The Temple

    Two strong impressions remain from my life in La Carlota: the church-building process, and the experience of a natural disaster. As I was researching, I found photos, letters, and articles that greatly enhanced my memories.

    Dad wrote a note to the Foreign Mission Office in mid 1949:

    I suppose you folks know that we are responsible for the evangelization of four towns as well as teaching in the Bible Institute. This has been a burden and a heartache for us ever since starting, for we have found it absolutely impossible for one couple to truly evangelize and care for four towns. To think of the hundreds of people whom we have not reached with the Gospel makes me shudder, and especially since we know not when we'll be able to reach them. . . La Carlota is the largest of the four towns in which we serve. It is the only one which has paved streets and running water. Since this is our home, most of our work is done here. We have four meetings here a week . . . [The believers] are very faithful in their attendance at the meetings and are learning to give of their meager incomes for the Lord's work. When we first came, they were not paying any of the rent for the meeting hall. Soon after we came, and just before the Dowdys left, they began to pay a part of the rent. Now they are paying all of the rent and some is left over. All this is over and above what they have been giving to the building fund. It is so interesting to note that those who have the least are the ones who give the most . . . Three years ago the Sunday school offering averaged about two to four pesos; now it averages 10. Besides this, they give special offerings. We now have 1,550 pesos in the building fund . . . The Lord is blessing His work. May we be humble and submitted to Him. . . (Brethren Missionary Herald, 7.02.49)

     Then in 1950, Dad wrote more of the history of the congregation's meeting places that led up to the following announcement:

La Carlota Will Have a Church Building, Too!

    The matter of a meeting place has been a problem ever since the opening of the work in La Carlota some eight years ago. At first the meetings were held in the pastor's home. This was very inconvenient for several reasons: the space was too small; it was on the main street where there is entirely too much noise; and, furthermore, it is always inconvenient to have the meetings in a private home.

     Next a small room was rented several blocks from the pastor's home. This was an improvement, but the room proved to be very small for such use. A couple of years later, another room adjacent to that already rented was secured, and the dividing wall was taken out to make it into one large room. This arrangement has proved quite convenient until this last year. The greatest difficulty has been that the owners have constantly been on our heels asking us to find another place. Although the law protects the renter, it is an unpleasant arrangement to be sure. Furthermore, it is not at all satisfactory for special occasions such as youth rallies and communion services.

    April 26, 1947, is a memorable day in the history of this small congregation. On that day the first offerings were given for the building fund. Beginning with 120 pesos, the fund kept growing steadily until April, 1949, when we felt that we should be looking for a lot on which to build. By this time the prices of lots had doubled and tripled, which fact almost disheartened us completely. However, we kept praying that the Lord would guide us and show us what ought to be done.

    One day in June, 1949, we saw a sign announcing the sale of certain lots near our home. Upon studying the situation, it seemed that the Lord was leading us to make our bid at the sale. Much prayer ascended to God in those days, and even during the sale, and God gave us a small portion on the corner. I say that God "gave" us a small portion, for when I was bidding I reached the maximum of what we had decided to bid. Thinking that someone else had made a higher bid, I even ceased to pay attention to the auctioneer's pleas. Just at that moment the auctioneer looked at me and said, "It's yours!" Although the auctioneer did his best to secure a higher bid, there seemed to be no interest. He even stopped for a moment and questioned, "What? isn't there anyone who'll bid more for this beautiful corner lot?" No,  God had reserved it for us!

    At this point I must insert an anecdote about how things went at the auction. Mother had also told me this story, so I believe it to be true, but do not know exactly how it fits into the above paragraph. Brother Ivan tells it like this: "I remember Dad telling me about how the lot for the Church building in La Carlota came about. He said there was an auction on a cold windy day and he attended as a spectator with no intention of bidding. A gust of wind threatened to blow off his hat so he raised his hand to secure it. Much to his surprise and concern since he didn't know how he was going to pay for it. The Lord provided somehow." 

    We had secured the lot so cheaply that we had some money left over for a building. To be sure, it was very little, but was a start. We continued in prayer before the Lord from week to week. All during this time they were asking us to vacate our meeting hall, for they wanted to transform it into a dwelling. The demand for dwellings is so great that any kind of room or hovel can be rented. When we came to La Carlota, we rented this eight-room house for 70 pesos. Today, four years later, two bare rooms, without bath and kitchen rent for 70 pesos. This pressing situation made us do some more thinking, and God revealed to us a way so solve our problem, for the present. We decided to build a good-sized garage with two small toilets, and finish it attractively in order to use it for the meeting hall until we could build the church proper.

    Then began days of planning, inquiring prices, exchanging ideas, discussing problems. We drew a sketch of what our final desire was for the lot--the church on the corner, the parsonage at the other end of the lot, and the garage to one side in the middle. Building the garage first, we needn't pay an architect to make plans . . .With a small project such as this, the believers could see it as possible, and needn't look at it as a mountain too steep to scale.

    What was to be done first? One believer who owns some brick ovens, offered 10,000 bricks. These were taken to the lot. The sand was ordered and unloaded on the lot. Next we needed mortar. In order to have mortar, we must have water. The water line was 67 yards away. that meant digging a ditch and laying a pipe line. The town officials would not take the line to our property, but gave us permission to do it. The pastor with four other men, put on their working clothes and began to dig ditch. Nobody complained of the work--it was such a joy to begin work for the Lord's house. The ditch dug, we bought the pipe, and under the direction of one of the believers who is a plumber, we laid the pipe.

    Nothing had been said about further work, but there was such enthusiasm that the men wanted to continue digging for the foundation of the garage. We soon finished that task and were ready for the bricklayers. In five days (hot, dusty, and windy ones at that), the walls were up, and we were ready for the roof. The cheapest, strongest and coolest roof here is made of bricks 3/8-inch iron, rods, cement, and stone. This must be done by men who have specialized in this to prevent the construction of a roof which might prove dangerous. . . we are still waiting for that roof to be put on.

    How will it look when it is done? The inside will be plastered and then painted. The floor will be of cement, and all necessary connections will be prepared so that the rinse tubs may be put in the corner when the parsonage and church are built. At one end of the building there will be room for the work bench which too is so necessary once the parsonage and church are done. Outside, black cement will be put between the bricks, then several coats of varnish will be applied to the whole surface. The doors will be white and there will be a border of white around the top of the building. We are hoping to go into this building by the middle of April.

    In comparison to the other groups of believers, these are some of the poorer. Nevertheless, they are giving of their time and means and doing it hilariously that they may have their own church. God is honoring their faith, and they'll soon be stating work on the larger job--the church . . .     

    The last sentences, which I intentionally left off, elicited an editorial note by Dr. Bauman  titled Hallelujah! 

    Bother Hoyt's article, together with the drawing of the proposed building arrived from the foreign missionary office at Winona Lake last night at about 11:30. Your F.M.S editor [Dr. Louis S. Bauman] was in bed, sound asleep, when the door chimes rang. Mrs. Bauman answered the bell, and brought up a "special delivery" letter. Stirring out of sleep enough to get it open, we read, the caption, and yawned: "Don't these missionaries know that we have just sent out 13 new missionaries, and that last year we lacked $15,000.00 in getting enough money to meet our expenses: We just can't promise any more money for church buildings at this time . . .I read on, expecting the very next line to ask for money to help build a church on that lot.

    And lo! Toward the close of the article I read--or thought I did--"We do not ask for your money to help out in this task, because we want it to be an Argentine church . . . However, we do plead with you that you pray for us that it shall be only the beginning of such undertakings here in the Argentine." (Brethren Missionary Herald, 4.22.50) 

     Two months later, this same Dr. Bauman, still enthused about the building project in La Carlota,  included a letter Dad wrote to him in the June 24 magazine.     

    THAT BUILDING PROGRAM at La Carlota (Argentina) to which we gave special mention recently, is going forward. Bro. Solon Hoyt did not expect us to give it a "write-up." But it is greatly encouraging to us here at home to see these people determined to help themselves . . .even though they may have but little of this world's goods. Again, we quote from a letter written by Brother Hoyt on May 19. He says:

    Naturally I was quite encouraged with your letter and your editorial. Not that we are doing such a wonderful piece of work here, but a person certainly does a lot better work when he knows that others are for him. I've thoroughly enjoyed the project up to now. I like to put on my work clothes and get out with the men. Furthermore, I like to see progress . . . We worked several hot days this past summer and, brother, it was almost unbearable, but we all did it with joy. Some days I went home with my face just black, since the wind blew the dirt on my face which was soaked with sweat.

    Dr. Bauman, . . . I certainly did not try to paint anything big in my article. The fact is, it is a small thing which we are trying to do. The building which will later be used for the garage will be ready in about two weeks. I am just finishing doors now . . . We have another man who is doing the electrical work and the plumbing. All of us work together on the digging, and we're going to put up a wall in the near future. Little by little we are going ahead. The temple will take longer, but we will be doing it with a little experience behind us . . . Our building fund has passed the 6.000 peso mark . . . Just the other week one of the members here said that he is going to donate 1,000 bricks, which represent 100 pesos. This man has three children and they are expecting another .  .  . Just in this moment two boys of the Sunday School came by to paint the doors for the garage . . . Thank you so much for your offer to buy something for the temple. Well, there is time to think over that offer. We have a very nice pulpit and do not think of changing the seats which we have either. However, there are many things which will be necessary when it comes time to get everything in readiness for the dedication. (Brethren Missionary Herald, 6.24.50)

Children bring their offerings for the temple

     Meanwhile, offerings were coming in and the walls were going up. In a short update about the work a few months later, Dad wrote:

    In making the doors and window ourselves we are able to save about 3,000 pesos. In addition to this, we are saving about 10,000 pesos by not giving the work to a contractor but by directing it ourselves. The blessings we have seen in this undertaking have been marvelous. People are talking of it all over town. I have prayed all along that it might not be an end in itself, but the means to an end in the salvation of souls, and we believe we are going to see this.  (Brethren Missionary Herald, 12.20.50)

    Before this last note was published or even reached the US office, something happened.

Cyclone Destroys La Carlota Church

By Rev. and Mrs. Solon W. Hoyt, Argentina

    At 6 o'clock in the evening of the 8th of December, we slipped out on the porch to look at the sky.  For several days, we had been longing for rain, and at last we saw a ray of hope in the sky, and a few drops of rain on the ground. Rita and Lynn were "having a picnic" running in and out of the rain. Scarcely had we spoken to the Marshalls when our attention was called to the windmill, which was revolving at lightning speed and gave the impression that it would either grind off the very axle or fly off, doing great damage. We all of one accord rushed into the house, realizing that we were seeing something which was extraordinary and dangerous. Having closed the door, we tried to turn on the light, but there was no current. Then we began to pray--that the Lord would protect His own; that He would keep us safe; and that He would get great glory to His name. Later we found out that other believers had prayed just the same way. We had never seen a cyclone before, nor can we estimate the velocity of the wind, but this one thing we saw: in 10 minutes the Lord can bring all man's possessions and strongholds to naught.

Believer Brings Bad News

    The wind and rain had subsided a little when one of the believers came saying that he had some bad news for us. We immediately thought that someone had been killed. But no, that couldn't be, for we had prayed. It was our little church--flattened to the ground. It was just ready for the roof, the walls having been finished just two days before. So many people had been admiring it--in fact, the whole town had its eyes on our little project. People were desirous that we have a nice little church, for the Gospel has a very fine testimony here in Carlota. There are many friends, although they are not believers.

The tornado destruction

Numerous Comments

    Hurriedly we jumped into the car with the Marshalls to go see what the damage was. When we arrived, there were many folks already there, looking with bulging eyes, commenting with explanatory gestures. Little groups had formed in many parts around the building each with a different comment--weak walls, too many windows and doors; poor workmanship; too much sand and too little lime in the mortar; walls were out of line--and many other idle comments. It was a sad sight to our eyes--bricks and mortar in all four directions; the door and window frames twisted, broken, and buried; a mason's plank broken in two; the constructor's sign twisted, bent, and broken beneath the bricks; the iron which had been set in cement above the doors and windows all twisted; parts of walls standing, but cracked. We estimated the damage to be about 1,000 pesos.

Destruction Inevitable

    Great damage was done throughout the whole town. Many walls, barns, sheds, windmills, huge trees, etc., were brought to the ground or twisted completely out of shape. Our neighbor's barn all blew over into the next field. A good part of the roof blew off the theater. The electric lines and telephone lines were left in miserable condition. Truly there was every reason that the cyclone should lower the church to the ground. It was composed of four long walls with no support whatsoever. Many houses under construction were not damaged in the least because the dividing walls which form the different rooms gave support to the outer walls. Besides this, it was without roof which would have given great support. When the cyclone struck these long walls, in an open lot, recently set in fresh mortar, its destruction was inevitable.

It Happened Before

    As we stood there looking at the ruins, I believe we must have sensed a little of Job's feeling when God permitted him to suffer the loss of everything except his life. Then we remembered the Jews' experience when they looked upon their city and temple in ruins. Not for one moment did we doubt God's wisdom in it all, but the question kept forcing itself upon us, "Why did this happen?"

Believer Weeps

    Little can one realize what this whole thing means to God's little flock here. They were so happy anticipating the nice building in which they would worship and take the unsaved to hear the message of salvation within perhaps two more months. All they had had up to the present was the pastor's front room, a rented room, and then a garage. However, being right here in their midst did not make us realize how deeply they would feel this great loss. A lady who accepted the Lord about a month ago told how her eyes filled with tears when she heard it and later saw it. Others told how hard a trial it was for them since they have brothers and sisters who are Catholics and continually look for something in which to condemn them.

What Shall We Do?

    After seeing what it means to these believers, and realizing that perhaps God is putting us to the test just to see how far our faith reaches we have unanimously decided to rebuild. One of the believers hired a man to work in his place cleaning off the bricks and piling them up again. The mason has promised to come back as soon as the ruins are in order. Others of the men and boys will be cleaning bricks a couple hours after supper. I'm sure God will honor our faith and will supply all that lacks, and more too. (Brethren Missionary Herald, 2.03.51)

    My father's undaunted faith shines through in the accompanying note to Dr. Bauman: "What a shock this article must be after reading my last letter. Well, just wait, we're going to see something wonderful in La Carlota." 

    Did God answer their prayers of faith? Seven decades later el Templo Evangélico still stands.