Mexican Village Evangelism

Non-ProfIt Org.

U. S. PostagePAID

Springfield, Mo.Permit No. 1468

Sponsoring Church:Southiand Christian Church2631 South McCannSpringfield, Missouri 65804

Missionaries:

Bill and Loretta DykesBox 59, San Antonio, Rio HondoOrange Walk DistrictBelize (British Honduras)

Forwarding Agents:

James and Helen Johnston640 North Oak GroveSpringfield, Missouri65802

JANUARY 1974VOLUME V

five PO I n t P ROG R am

We have outlined a five point program

the government to use the program we have outlined. I want togive a short explanation concerning the five points.

(1). We want to train a ministry in compliance with the ̂ reatCommission in the book of Acts. We want to have ago out and do missionary work and to evangelize in the wholecountry of Belize. We also want to cross over the border intoMexico to do evangelism there.

agricultural program,chop the brush, punchground. This is thein some farm equipmentusing the same empha-We want to help them

to tell them about the

(2). We want to help the people in anThe men in this village take a machete andholes in the ground, and drop seeds in theextent of their farming. We want to bringand help these people to help themselves,gis as we did with the medicine in Mexico,to better themselves and at the same timeChrist.

(3). We would like to build a trade school here. We want toteach different trades and bring in teachers from the UnitedStates who will donate time to a project like this. ^trade school here in this northern district at all. This wouldgive us a chance to have a dormitory here, have Y^ung boys hereand be able to preach to them and teach them about Christ. Thisrtoo, could be used as a means of evangelism.

(4). We would like to build a hospital or a clinic becausethere are thousands of people on the other side of the bor er,and probably that many here, too, who need medical attention. Wewill use medicine once again as a means of reaching people. Allthese things go into taking care of the physical man as well asthe spiritual.

(5). We want to start a program of Christian tourism. Wepromote among our churches a "vacation with a purpose". The

peopl© can come down here and visit the country, visit themissionary work that is being done among these Indians up anddown the river, and let these people go back home and do something to help evangelize Central America. In doing this we willhave to build some little Mayan huts and use as a motel and perhaps a restaurant. This will be used as a means of promotingthis work down here.

I have talked to the village council concerning this fivepoint program here at San Antonio, which is a village of overthree hundred people. The men of the village were thrilled toknow that we would be helping them to have a better life, and tohave medicine and all these things close by.

I then went with the village council to see the area representative, which is equal to our U. S. Congressmen. I talked to himabout the program and he told me he is one hundred percent for itand would present it to the cabi'^et minister and also to the premier. I think it won't be too long now before we get thingsreally started.

It looks like we are going to have a real fine program and achance to teach the Word of God the way it should be taught. Ibelieve it has a great potential and I believe we have the opportunity of doing a great work here in Central America for the Lord.

We covet your prayers and ask that you will continue to prayfor us and pray for Bob as he prepares to come down. We ask, too,that you will pray that the government will give us a free handto do whatever we need to do here to win the people to Christ.We can evangelize anyway, because we can go across the border andinto Mexico to teach and preach but it will be very good to havethe permission of the government to work this big program hereand I'm sure from the words of the area representative that wewill have this permission in the near future.

BIBLE STUDY CLASS

I have started a Bible Study class here, which meets on Mondays and Fridays. My neighbor, Amado Cocom, who is about fortyyears of age, is a very fine Christian man. He has a very wonderful family and we have the class at his home. I have beenteaching him since we arrived here ^ in San Antonio and he isreally getting the New Testament position well in mind.

We began the class with just two boys and it has grown to theplace where we can hardly get in the doors. Most of these peopleare adults (men), who want to hear about the Word of God. Theclass keeps getting bigger and bigger. They have never heard theWord of God before. It is taught in English and I am explainingthe plan of salvation. We start with the very basic things. Theykeep asking "When are we going to have our next class?^really want to learn. This really thrills me because this willmake a good nucleus for a church here. I am really thrilled atthe prospects. These people are very alert. Their standards aremuch higher than the people we've been working with in Mexico. Weare looking forward to establishing a church in this area.

Brother Bill

Mexican Village Evangelism

Non-Profit Org.

U. S. PostagePAID

Springfield, Mo.Permit No. 1468

Sponsoring Church:

Southland Christian Church

2631 South McCann

Springfield, Missouri 65804

Missionaries:

Bill and Loretta Dykes

Box 59, San Antonio, Rio HondoOrange Walk DistrictBelize (British Honduras)

Forwarding Agents:

James and Helen Johnston

640 North Oak GroveSpringfield, Missouri65802

VOLUME V, NO. 2 July 1974 Springfield, Mo

The Bible Study Class continues to meet on Mondays and Fridays

at the home of my neighbor, Amado Cocom. It began with just two

boys and continues to groWo These people are eager to hear the

Bible taught.

Since our arrival here I have taught twenty—one chapters of

the Book of Acts, all of the New Testament conversions, a series

of lessons on faith, repentance, confession and baptism, the church

in the Bible, plus preaching many sermons. These Indian people are

very slow making decisions. There are several that are ready to be

baptized. Please pray for them and for us.

We continue to wait for approval from the government as they

process our papers. They are very slow in dealing with religious

groups. Please pray that they will give us a free hand to do what

ever needs to be done to win the people to Christ here in Central

America.

FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOUR HOUSE. . . , . ,

After an examination, the doctor tolH v^o if J-n Arrange waiJc.had better aet him aoctor told us if he started vomiting we

S.'K.S. cS.S-SS.2'c';«r';iiJj;?.S''r J! T ''live«5 Rills, i -' ul i i praise God, in whose hands we place our, illy It, acme and doing well, minus his appendix.

We are ceitainly proud of Billy, When he tnnk- hieexctm to enter High School, he made the highest score of anyone in.ne whole country of British Honduras. It was a score of 99 flt?of the children are doing well in school. *

-f Season is over and it looks like we will have plentyseason?' ^®9etables didn't do so good during tL dryhelDs with rho '' again during the rainy season. Our garden

a expenses. We, too, are caught up in the inflationIS driving food prices around the world sky-hioh For axamnlo

rLTv'S". ■""•K SonSg;;diffion?r ^ the same gallon costs $14.50. It is becoming vervdifficult to make ends meet. ($1.00 U.S. equals $1.65 B.H.)

V I S r T o R s

pis .f & riss- ii™I recognised one or them as the inspector in cL?oe of altOrange Walk District. He and his wife were our guests

in wht?"wo one week prior to this. He seemed to be interestedin what we were trying to do and offered to help us by recom^endinor program to his superiors. He introduced the other two officers

?s thf superintendent wtufb^wSothe head policeman for the whole country. He seemed l-ik^a anice man and requested that when I came t^ihe capi?Il to ator?^and visit him. I explained briefly what we were attempting to dof?om Samuels from Orange Walk said that we should be hearingfrom the government soon, I gave each r,f = 4 ^ nearingthat Loretta and I had canned. They seemed very pleased? ^

1". S. r hope rt~^tJgsh'T;""3am" up ouf ̂ 'ogram: ^ —

THANK irOH

vour you once again for your love, foryour gifts, for your concern and especially for vour oravei-sPlease continue to pray that we may teach the people in Cent?af"America and that many lost souls will be won to Christ.

t

Mexican Village Evangelism

Non-Profit Org.

U. S. PostagePAID

Springfield, Mo.Permit No. 1468

Sponsoring Church:Southland Christian Church2631 South McCannSpringfield, Missouri 65804

Missionaries:

Bill and Loretta DykesBox 59, San Antonio, Rio HondoOrange Walk DistrictBelize (British Honduras)

Forwarding Agents:

James and Helen Johnston

640 North Oak GroveSpringfield, Missouri65802

IP 7s

November 6, 1974

''Jjefs ̂ usi P^&ise J'ke

we can shout the message from ^he housetops asj.efrom Belize Government to go H^at'on the Rio Hondo Riverpermission to build clinics, opera Snnn-hrv The aovernment wants usLd to preach the Gospel anywhere in the country whilh^cSts of aboutto build a principal clinic in Orange walK We will use this17,000 people and at the pesent ti™® ^as only Antonio, Albian Island,as headquarters and then south of us. Vlith the hospi-and Douglas which to take medicine up and down the river and

over'into MexL" "flL tabling us to preach the gospel over there to theSuirff\h: n^e^^for -"iciirfn^f^Ioctors th^ ^^to^K^'in

SrsoLli'is'Slss^onarierwfwufbfaLr?o lo'much more for the Lord.The people here are certainly in need of our Prayers. .fheld in my home since the preach my heart out to theseas we were not allowed to preach elsewhere. I preacn my nearupeople. They listen but they sure do have iSt^ They areThey are a different people ^ control over them for yearsslow in making decisions. The devil has naa control y aoina to haveInd he isn't going to relinquish it "f^t fay, but Christ ^oing to nin thU -«.r; Vr^SiS. f S?t'iSn5 El»n th.StSS-hoSdXn S'^nriL'SoiS f.';»»-chJiS"?o'^S.rplnri.To s:

S KinrtSS'thin^to LL us, but through your prayers and God's guidance, Christ isgoing to be preached in this countryI

HURRICAHBS

CARMEN - Without your intercessory prayers on our behalf, we wouldn't have

escaped this one. We were right on a collision course with it. The eye

of Carmen would have passed exactly 25 miles south of where we live but

just at the last moment it changed course and went north of us to strike

at Chetumal with 175 mile per hour winds. If it had hit this grass shack

the leaves would have been blown all the way into Mexico. We stayed up

most of the night to watch. The wind blew and trees were flying in every

direction. The trees in the jungle looked like a big giant had grabbed

straws up in both hands and twisted them off. We lost 3 big fruit trees

as well as one large tree beside our house.

I went over into Mexico where Carmen had hit so hard, just about 30 miles

from us. We took food and also my generator, which they used for runway

lights at the airport. Donations from our worship service totaled $80,00

and was used to purchase tortillos for the people. That town of 10,000

looked like it had been leveled by an atomic bom.b. We are thankful we es

caped and are certainly thankful for your prayers.

FIFI - The hurricane Fifi formed about 280 miles southeast of Swan Island

in the Caribbean Sea and came straight west just skirting the northern

coast of Honduras with tidal waves, floods and water cascading"down from

the mountains. Thanks be to the Lord we just got the edge of this one. It

blew some leaves off the house and we had rain and high winds. It justdevastated the northern part of Honduras. There were 8,000 killed or

missing. A train came to take the people to safety. Even though theybegged them to go because of the advanced warning, only 200 were willingto leave. They were afraid someone would vandalize their belongings. Con

sequently, they stayed to watch and were swept away with the floods. Theylost their lives because they didn't realize how serious the situation was

until it was too late. Thanks once again for your concern for us and for

your prayers.

National MissionaryConvention

CiNCINNATS NOVEMBER 26-29

tA€

Kokomo Ben Vilson

Qiurch of Chriat December 197^ preacher

Dp£CJx]i iijjD'bMoiJ ijbporrMany of our people are personally acquainted with Bill

Dykes, missionary to Belize(British Honduras). Severalweeks ago, when hurricanes swept through Honduras, manywere concerned about the safety of Bill and his family.Here is a report we received recently in Bill's missionnewsletter.

HURRICANES

CARMEN - Without your intercessory prayers on our behalf, we wouldn't have escaped this one. We were right ona collision course with it. The eye of Carmen would havepassed exactly 25 miles south of where we live but just atthe last moment it changed course and went north of us tostrike at Chetumal with 175 mile per hour winds. If it hadhit this grass shack the leaves would have been blown allthe way into Mexico. We stayed up most of the night towatch. The wind blew and trees were flying in everydirection. The trees in the jungle looked like a big gianthad grabbed straws up in both hands and twisted them off.We lost 5 big fruit trees as well as one large tree besideour house.

I went over into Mexico where Carmen had hit so hard,just about 50 miles from us. We took ■ food - and ' also imygenerator, which they used for runway lights at the airport.Donations from our worship service totaled #80.GO and was

used to purchase tortillos for the people. That town of10,000 looked like it had been leveled by an atomic bomb.We are thankful we escaped and are certainly thankful foryour prayers.

FIFI - The hurricane Fifi formed about 280 milessoutheast of Swan Island in the Caribbean Sea and camestraight west just skirting the northern coast of Honduraswith tidal waves, floods and water cascading down from themountains. Thanks be to the Lord we just got the edge ofthis one. It blew some leaves off the house and we hadrain and high winds. It just devastated the northern partof Honduras. There were 8,000 killed or missing. A traincame to take the people to safety. Even though they beggedthem to go because of the advanced warning, only 200 werewilling to leave. They were afraid someone would vandalizetheir belongings. Consequently, they stayed to watch andwere swept away with the floods. They lost their lives because they didn't realize how serious the situation wasuntil it was too late. Thanks once again for your concernfor us and for your prayers, —Bill Dykes—

Last week, at the Missionary Convention, new developments in the aftermath of the hurricanes were reported.IDES(International Disaster ̂ ergency Service), a new mission work devoted to helping in such disasters, had sentiji^OO.OO to Bill to help the storm victims. As a result.Bill was able to go from Belize to the neighboring nationofHonduras and distribute much needed food to the village ofOmoa and the surrounding area. While there, he spoke withthe Consulate-general of Honduras and received assurancethat permission would be granted to any Church of Christmissionaries wishing to work in the country. Up to now wehave not had any missionaries from our churches in Honduras.

This week and next, Mr and Mrs. Mario Calderon fromMexico are in Honduras for additional medical work amongthe hurricane victims. IDES gave 4^600.00 toward theirtravel, and secured medical supplies from two pharmacyfirms. Their work, however, is only for two weeks. AChristian nurse and doctor are needed now to set up a fullmedical mission work. Through helping these people physically, a real opportunity to help them spiritually presentsitself. Please pray for this tremendous opportunity.