Missionaries Are Human Too

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Missionaries Are

Human Too

Glimpses of Life in Mexico

Nancy Perry

(edited and re-issued by Doug Perry, 2008)



DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my parents, Gayle and Edna Whitlow. The time and love I invested inauthoring this book are but a fraction of what they invested in guiding, nurturing, and shaping my life.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many people have been helpful and encouraging during the writing of this book. pecialacknowledgment, however, is given to Miss Mabel !ale for reading the manuscript and offering helpfulgrammatical suggestions. "or her help in providing maps and illustrations, I am grateful to Mrs. haron"aucett and also to the ummer Institute of #inguistics of Me$ico %ity, Me$ico. I e$tend my sincere

appreciation to &r. 'lan (unnels for reading the manuscript, for his encouragement, and for writing the"oreword.I am especially indebted to my husband, )ob, for his constant reassurance and advice throughout

this writing venture. *s is so evident, his e$periences form an integral part of the book. Without the patience and understanding of )ob and our two sons, &ouglas and &avid, this book could not have beenwritten.

'ne scripture +uotation is from the ew *merican tandard )ible -*, / The #ockman "oundation.

'ther scripture +uotations are from the Today0s English 1ersion )ible -TE12 %opyright / *merican)ible ociety. *ll +uotations used by permission.

%opyright / 3456 ancy 7erry%opyright / 8996 &oug 7erry

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FOREWORD

This is a different kind of inspirational book : one that is ;down to earth but up to God,<acknowledging that missionaries are people too. ancy shares her =oys and sorrows, her hopes and fears,her triumphs and defeats. he presents life as it really is for her and her family, as well as the way itought to be, freely owning strengths and weaknesses.

ome folks think that missionaries are angelic beings who live in the world of %hristian cliches2

trust in God, commit it to the #ord, pray about it. ancy and )ob have found out that giving this kind ofeasy advice to a friend or taking it yourself is not always the way to go. It may =ust be an easy way outinstead of getting involved with people and their problems.

I predict that ancy 7erry0s commonsense approach will help thousands of people to come to knowwhat a real live missionary is all about. When you finish reading this book at least two things willhappen to you. If you haven0t been to Me$ico, you0ll want to go> if you0ve never thought about being amissionary, you will. It will be fun reading, especially if you are lonesome for a personal relationshipwith %hrist. If you0ve been afraid to get close to God because !e might call you to be a missionary, readythis book anyway.

!ere is the missionary book of the future2 utterly open in its approach to God, free of threadbarecliches, homespun yet profound, passionately honest.

'lan !. (unnels7astor, wope 7ark )aptist %hurch"irst 1ice?7resident, outhern )aptist %onvention

March 89, 3456.

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CONTENTS

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. AI. !ow &oes a Missionary )eginB

%onversion, %all, and *ppointment ........................................................................................ C'rientation ............................................................................................................................... 5#anguage chool ...................................................................................................................... 5

II. Where &oes a Missionary #iveBGuadala=ara ............................................................................................................................ 39'a$aca ................................................................................................................................... 33Me$ico %ity ........................................................................................................................... 3@

III. What &oes a Missionary EatB%actus .................................................................................................................................... 3A%hicken with (ice in the Market ........................................................................................... 3CWild )oar .............................................................................................................................. 34Ten Meals of "ish .................................................................................................................. 88

I1. Where &oes a Missionary leepBIn a %arry?*ll ......................................................................................................................... 8C

In a Tehuantepec Motel ......................................................................................................... 861. !ow &oes a Missionary TravelB

)y )us to Ducatn ................................................................................................................. @3)y ylon !ose in the &esert ................................................................................................. @@)y 7rayer in an *gustFn ....................................................................................................... @5)y "oot to #lano de #en ...................................................................................................... @6In "irst Gear in Me$ico %ity .................................................................................................. H3

1I. What is it #ike to be a Missionary idB*n M %limbs 'ver *ncient Mayan 7yramids .................................................................... H8*s een by Their "ather ........................................................................................................ H@#ying in a !ospital )ed ......................................................................................................... HC

!aving a ightmare ............................................................................................................... H5With the %hicken 7o$ ............................................................................................................ H61II. Who *re a Missionary0s "riendsB

Me$ican %hristian Women .................................................................................................... H4#ittle %hildren ........................................................................................................................ A3%o?workers, 7ast and 7resent ................................................................................................ A@* !undred ames and "aces ................................................................................................. AH

1III. &oes a Missionary "ace "rustrationsBoldiers near 7uerto Escondido ............................................................................................. AA)aptist in %uauhtemoc ........................................................................................................... AC

IJ. &oes a Missionary E$perience Koy and 1ictoryBThe !omeL%hurch Missionary ............................................................................................... C9Women0s )ible tudy ............................................................................................................ C8%onversion of a %atholic 7riest ............................................................................................. CH7eter and !umberto ............................................................................................................... CH)riana ..................................................................................................................................... CA

J. What is the Missionary %hallengeB ............................................................................................. CCGlossary of panish Words ................................................................................................................... C57ronunciation Guide to panish ames ............................................................................................... 59*bout the *uthor : and &oug0s %losing &edication and "amily pdate ............................................. 58

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INTRODUCTION

&uring our first four years as outhern )aptist representatives in Me$ico, )ob and I have manytimes wished to be able to share more of our e$periences in detail with those people back in the tates.'ur e$periences have run the gamut of emotional levels from =oy to sorrow, hilarity to tragedy,e$hilaration to frustration. It has not always been easy to immediately e$perience victory and peace inthese widely varied circumstances. Det both of us can truly say that the !oly pirit has led us all the

way.Missionaries seem to be a great mystery to many people. We are asked similar +uestions about

missionary life over and over again. ometimes people want to ask +uestions so basic and simple thatthey are embarrassed to voice them.

This book has been written in an effort to show that missionaries are human, too. We share in these pages some of the happenings that have made our lives on the mission field at times interesting, e$citing,and challenging> and at times dull, frustrating or discouraging. 1olumes have been published with factsand figures about missions. tirring biographies have been penned. We offer very little herein to that body of literature. 'urs is simply an effort to relate a bit of what has happened to a very human familyfrom Missouri after God led them to Me$ico.

When a missionary called out by God goes to the field, nothing has necessarily changed about him

e$cept his geography. !is mission and his responsibilities under God to the people around him aree$actly the same as those of any %hristian anywhere, to share the Good ews of Kesus %hrist. Manydiscover on the mission field, =ust as many discover at home, that God is always able to meet every needof !is %hildren. !is grace is always sufficient to overcome any obstacle. *nd !is !oly pirit canconsistently fill life with peace and =oy and victory.

It is our prayer that through the reading of this book you might once again be impressed with howgreat %hrist is as !e lives out !is life in !is disciples, and also that through your better understanding ofwhat a missionary0s life may involve, you might be led to even more faithful prayer support for %hrist0smissionaries around the world.

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I. HOW DOES A MISSIONARY BEGIN?

CONVERSION, CALL AND APPOINTMENT

)ob and I were standing with thirty?seven other men and women on the platform of the "oreignMission )oard0s auditorium in (ichmond, 1irginia, on the evening of Kuly 39, 345@. *s our missionaryappointment service progressed with introductions, cripture reading and testimonies, I could hardlygrasp the reality of my actually being among the group of new appointees for foreign mission service.My mind flashed back over the years to +uickly review how the #ord had brought me to that preciousmoment in my %hristian pilgrimage.

With my acceptance of Kesus as my personal #ord and aviour at age eleven, my %hristiane$perience had an early beginning. There followed seven years of solid %hristian nurture and trainingunder the dear, late 7astor T.K. mith, as well as faithful unday chool teachers and missionorganiNations at Winnwood )aptist %hurch in orth ansas %ity, Missouri. My parents, of course, played an important role as they instilled in me a love and respect for all people.

There during the appointment service, I recalled having made a public commitment to foreignmissions during my freshman year at outhwest Missouri tate niversity, and soon after having become engaged to an ;uncalled< math ma=or. everal elderly church people reproached me for

;forsaking< God0s call to missions. Det my fiancOe )ob 7erry and I had sincerely prayed about ourdecision and felt deeply that we were within God0s will when we were married on *ugust 3A, 34CH.

)efore we graduated from the niversity, )ob felt a definite call to the gospel ministry in May,34CA, and accepted his first pastorate in Kanuary of 34CC. God was unfolding and revealing !is will forus gradually, step by step, as we were ready to follow !im. Two weeks after the birth of &ouglas in*ugust, 34C5, )ob began three years of studies at Midwestern )aptist eminary.

Whenever there was a special Missionary &ay or planned "oreign Mission )oard conference oncampus, I would +uietly insist that we attend. ;)ut I don0t feel God is calling me to serve overseas,< )obwould say. ;Des, I know, &ear,< I would reply, ;but let0s go to this meeting anyway.< We talked with"oreign Mission )oard personnel representatives )ill Marshall, &on (eavis, and &wight !oneycutt.;urely by graduation time )ob will feel God0s call,< I convinced myself. Det it did not come. With a

touch of sadness, I saw other recent graduates leave for appointment and overseas service. ;#ord, whenare you going to call )obB< I0d pray. ;We0re willing and ready to go now, but Dou must send us.< DetGod knew that we were not ready. !e had more to teach us before sending us out.

* beautiful tow and a half year pastorate followed at 7isgah )aptist %hurch in E$celsior prings,Missouri. We grew to love the people deeply. We bought a lovely home and &ouglas entered school. Idid not have to work, so was able to be at home after &avid was born in May of 3453. Thought notwithout problems and occasional frustrations, our ministry there was a fruitful, en=oyable time, and was atime of great personal growth for both of us. In ovember of 3458, we completed the "oreign Mission)oard0s initial information forms for prospective candidates for foreign mission service. In our letter tothem, we stated2 ;*s you will note on )ob0s information form, he has not yet felt God0s definite call toforeign missions. We feel an assurance that God wants us right here at this time. Det at the same time we

feel definitely led to continue our relationship with the )oard.< It was not until the following May when,without any special missionary conference or stirring sermon, God +uietly but firmly spoke to )ob,;ow you are ready to go, my son.<

In the following nine weeks prior to our appointment that Kuly evening, there were life histories anddoctrinal statements to complete, forms to fill out and personal references to contact. #ater there werethorough medical and psychiatric e$aminations to pass. ow, ten years after e$periencing God0s definitecall to foreign mission service, I was actually being appointed. * whole new and e$citing facet of our%hristian pilgrimage lay before us.

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ORIENTATION

Missionary orientation for fourteen weeks at beautiful %allaway Gardens, Georgia, was an e$citingtime. While &oug began first grade in the nearby town0s public school, two?year old &avid was cared forin the orientation daycare center. Meanwhile )ob and I sat in classes from eight until three o0clock daily.The myriad of topics which we studied ranged from linguistics, anthropology, literacy techni+ues,doctrinal studies, and comparative religions to church recreation, puppet making, first aid, and car

mechanics. Week?ends were filled with speaking engagements in nearby churches.#eaving behind an active pastorate in Missouri, we had prayed that God would use us as

missionaries in Georgia, rather than =ust being ministered to through orientation. The #ord answered our prayer.

oon after our arrival in Georgia, )ob was asked to pastor a group of twenty people meeting inacommunity building at Melody #akes, Georgia. Kust a few weeks earlier the Walter kinner family andthe W.'. !arrisons had started a unday chool. That unday in ovember was the first time the grouphad a preaching service. ine people went forward during the invitation to become part of the newmission of the Waverly !all )aptist %hurch.

&uring the ne$t few weeks, the group of believers purchased land and installed a mobile chapel onloan from the %olumbus *ssociation. There were additions to the church every unday. )efore we left,

we held a week?long revival, and had a baptismal service. !ow tremendous it was for us to see a church bornP !ow wonderful it was to be allowed to share in those very challenging and strategic weeks. TodayMelody #akes )aptist %hurch has a membership of si$ty?eight, has purchased a building, and haslicensed one man to the gospel ministry.

o it was with real =oy and e$citement that we moved closer to beginning our missionary service inMe$ico. The fellowship with other new missionaries was sweet, and as we drove from %allawayGardens back to Missouri to say our final goodbyes before driving south to the Me$ican border, we weremindful of the rest of our orientation group headed to various countries around the world. We were toshare a deep interest and involvement in the ministry of others whom we had come to know and to love.

LANGUAGE SCHOOL

#eaving Missouri the day after %hristmas in 345@, we gladly left snow and icy winter roads behindus as we traveled south in our newly?assigned mission car to the Me$ican border. ince we wereentering as tourists, we could take only a minimal amount of personal and household articles, as well as)ob0s most precious books and commentaries. We would buy all our furniture and appliances afterarriving in the country.

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the #ord always> again I will say, re=oiceP0 It has thrilled my soul, for 7aul wrote that while chained in a(oman prison. !epatitis isn0t nearly that bad, so I find it easy to praise the #ord and re=oice in !im thesedays.<

In late *pril, )ob and &oug and I flew with a missionary pilot to MOrida, on the Ducatn peninsulaas we sought the #ord0s will regarding our field of service following language school. *fter over tenhours in the air in a four?seater %essna plane, we were thankful when we saw lights of the MOridacontrol tower at dusk. )y car the same trip would have taken thirty hours of driving each way, and

besides, we had been privileged to see Me$ico from a different viewpoint from above.7assing over hours of ancient volcanic mountain ranges> beside famed snowcapped peaks of

7opocatepetl, I$taccihuatl, and 'riNaba> and above the famed archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan and$mal filled us with awe. 'ver the Gulf coast oil fields, over verdant undergrowth and irrigated fields,we were reminded of Me$ico0s diverse natural resources. Then our minds would return tot he challengeof how such an e$pansive country could ever be reached for %hrist.

)rother *urelio Mandu=ano, pioneer Me$ican missionary to Ducatn and long?time pastor of "irst)aptist %hurch of MOrida, was our host for three days to e$plain the work and needs of the %hristianwork there. 'ne morning we drove past miles of henequen plants under cultivation to attend anassociational Women0s Missionary ociety mission in %acalchOn, a tiny rural Mayan community ofwhite plastered huts with arched thatched roofs. Most of the hymns were sung from a panish hymnal,

although the local pastor preached to the group in their local Mayan dialect. Many of the women spokevery little panish. )ut the warmth of %hristian fellowship was present as we were greeted and acceptedinto their meeting. We also felt another kind of warmth. It was 394R in the shade in *pril, and it is*ugust that is their hottest monthP evertheless we were moved by the needs there and felt it +uite likelythat God would lead us in that direction. #ittle did we realiNe at that time that the #ord had other plansfor us.

When we were again back in language school, the summer passed +uickly. We became more activeas members of #a Iglesia )autista El MesFas, The Messiah )aptist %hurch, as I taught preschoolers andas )ob preached and sang special numbers from time to time.

&uring our *ugust annual meeting of the Me$ian mission -over seventy?five outhern )aptistmissionaries serving throughout the country, agricultural missionary Kim 7hilpot presented us the need

for a field evangelist to work with him in the rural, southern state of 'a$aca. *lthough we had notvisited the area, after much prayer we felt assured that it was God0s will for us to work alongside the7hilpots in 'a$aca.

With the anticipation of moving to our chosen field of work, we diligently finished the final fifteenweeks of language study and before %hristmas, we had packed to move once again.

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II. WHERE DOES A MISSIONARY LIVE?

GUADALAJARA

#iving in Guadala=ara, Me$ico, is similar in many respects to living in any large city of over amillion people. #arge modern supermarkets and lovely shopping centers dot the city> neighborhoodlaundromats and corner grocery stores make day to day living easier. Well?known *merican brandnames label many canned food products. everal good, private English?speaking schools are availablefor foreign children. )eautifully landscaped parks, a Noo, theaters and museums provide places to go foramusement, and fine restaurants offer the foreign visitor *merican cuisine.

Det one can definitely e$perience culture shock even in a large, modern foreign city. The language barrier is =ust one facet of the problem. %ultural standards and value systems differ greatly. &riving

patterns and attitudes can be frustrating. *nti?*merican feelings can be upsetting. Even the fre+uentstares of the innocently curious can be unnerving. "eeling pre=udiced against occasionally can becrushing to a white *nglo?*merican.

*lthough we were confronted with many of these situations to some degree, Guadala=ara was a perfect transition for us as we passed from a modern .. setting to the rusting city of 'a$aca.

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OAXACA

The state of 'a$aca in southern Me$ico is mostly a mountainous area, although further south theIsthmus of Tehuantepec is low and flat. It0s capital city of the same name, 'a$aca, has over 399,999 people, yet remains rustic and colonial in many respects.

)efore moving to 'a$aca we read as much as possibleabout its history and people. We learned that the Indian

population, composed largely of Qapotecs and Mi$tecs,speaks over eighty different dialects within five separatelanguage families. Many still do not speak panish. !ighmountains, deep ravines and lack of transportation have perpetuated strong cultural barriers. hopping in the bustlingcity market in 'a$aca, one can identify the various groups bythe distinctive native dress of each Indian region. "or althoughmost women wear a long, loose overblouse, or huipil , eachtown0s is distinguishable, whether it be by a certainembroidery design or possibly by the colors woven into thefabric itself.

* woman from Dalalag hurries by in her long whitehuipil with a brightly colored tassel hanging at the neckline. * barefoot MaNateca woman from northern 'a$aca wears alovely overblouse embroidered with birds and adorned with pink and blue ribbons. Tehuanas, selling smoke?dried fishfrom the Isthmus, stand proudly. *mong the most +uickly to be identified by their long colorful skirts ruffled at the bottom,worn with a short waist length embroidered overblouse, theseQapoteca women from the Isthmus have for centuries runfamily business and commerce while the men work the fields. ecklaces and earrings of real gold coins complete their

costume for fiesta days.Within the market0s ;restaurant< section, two men play lively marimba music to the accompaniment

of three guitars. hoppers are urged to re+uest a special selection which the group gladly plays and singsfor a few pesos donation. *t every doorway in the city0s sprawling market section there is a homemadeshrine to one of several saints or perhaps to the city0s patron saint, the 1irgen de la oledad, the 1irginof olitude or #oneliness. 'n a busy street corner a local witch doctor hawks his wares from a portabledisplay. %rowds form to watch live snakes crawl up his arm as he e$tols the virtues of his herbs, animalskulls and amulets to ward off evil, sickness and death. ales are brisk as people who have not known%hrist reach out to whatever remedy or false answer is offered them.

7overty is on every hand. !ardship writtenon every face. adness universal.

*lthough 'a$aca %ity, @H9 milessoutheast of Me$ico %ity, lies in a richagricultural valley, its tourist industries ofleather, cotton and wool goods and black pottery are most widely known. everalwomen are in the city0s main plaza dailyweaving on primitive saddle?back looms tomake beautiful, decorative tourist items to sell.

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'ne end of their ancient horiNontal loom is fastened to a nearby tree, while the other end is attached to a belt around the waist of the weaver. The native artisan sits on the ground to stretch the loom taut as sheweaves with a simple shuttle.

'a$aca0s unsophisticated colonial atmosphere, along with its pro$imity to several of Me$ico0s mostoutstanding archaeological Nones of Monte *lbn, Mitla, Dagul and others, make it a favorite city forforeign tourists. They can easily distinguish the two prominent classes2 the rich, of panish heritage andthe e$tremely poor, of Indian heritage. There is, however, a rising middle class of businessmen and

professionals as is already so evident in the larger metropolitan areas. While the lower class is usuallysuperstitious and intensely devoted to the %atholic %hurch and her innumerable saints, the upper classusually avoids all contact with the %hurch, e$cept for baptisms, confirmations, marriages and funerals.

'ur months in 'a$aca afforded us a time to gain new insights regarding church ministries in ruralMe$ico. Much of what is recounted in the following pages is from our e$periences in 'a$aca, where weworked with people in rancherias, small towns and cities. With a supply of books and materials from the)aptist panish 7ublishing !ouse, we began a %hristian literature ministry. We discovered, as wecarried bo$es of books into every area we went, that people are hungry for God0s Word and other%hristian books and teaching helps.

My days were often filled with washing clothes in my wringer?type washing machine, pasteuriNingmilk purchased from a dusty milk truck, walking si$ blocks to an open?air market to choose my fresh

meat from hanging +uarters of beef, and preparing meals for visiting Me$ican brethren who had come infrom their village to confer with )ob or make purchases in the city. 'ur children, playing in the dusty,dirt roadway that passed our house, +uickly learned to step out of the way of the cattle driver leading hisherd to graNing areas, and out of the way of modern trucks carrying five?gallon =ars of purified waterwhich they sold at each house.

In the late afternoon we read the daily paper which told of student?administration clashes in theniversity, worker0s strikes in the factories, violent and brutal killings in the city and nearby towns, andof bombings in our downtown business district. *nti?*merican editorials were fre+uent. There weredays when the problems and uncertainties of our work and surroundings would press down on us.

Then at suppertime we would sing a panish chorus to the tune of ;' %ome, *ll De "aithful< ? achorus which Me$ican )aptists often sing before their blessing on the meal2

Por estos favores que tu nos ha dadoTe damos las gracias, ¡Oh, buen Padre Dios! De tu buena mano nos das el alimento De Ti es nuestra vida, de Ti tambien salud Ti te alabamos, ¡Oh, buen Padre Dios!

"or these favors that Dou have given usWe give Dou thanks, ', great "ather GodP"rom Dour good hand comes our food>"rom Dou, our life, from Dou, our health>

We praise Dou, ' great "ather GodP

*s we sang we would realiNe again that =oy and happiness does not come from our particularcircumstances, so much as it comes from serving Kesus, no matter where !e may call us to serve.

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MEXICO CITY

Me$ico, referred to by many as ;The #and of %ontrasts,< is true to that name. %omposed of thirty?one states and a "ederal &istrict, and appro$imately one?fifth the siNe of the nited tates, her population of over si$ty million people is spread from hot, dry desert areas in the north, to tropical, =ungle territory in the southeast. "rom a 8,999 mile border with the nited tates, Me$ico e$tends to hersouthern border with Guatemala and )eliNe. (anges of rugged ierra Madre mountains follow Me$ico0s

eastern and western coastlines to form a giant ;1,< ending at the narrow Isthmus of Tehuantepec. "romcanyons and ravines far larger and deeper than our Grand %anyon to e$+uisite, snow?capped Mount'riNaba at 36,C4C feet, Me$ico is uni+ue and beautiful.

Me$ico %ity, the "ederal &istrict, combines both pre? and post?%olumbian influences and is a great business and industrial center. This capital city, now ranking second in population to hanghai Sin345A, is truly one of the world0s greatest cities. Even as the country is one of contrasts, so also are theree$treme contrasts within the city.

The rich The poor

The employed The unemployedModern freeways &irt side roads )lack limousines

(usty bicycles Well?dressed businessmen )arefoot peasants The happy city dweller

The miserable misfit E$clusive department stores 'pen?air market stalls

Tall, blond European Me$icans hort, dark Indian Me$icans The %hristian

The non?%hristian

With over 3A million people presently living in Me$ico %ity0s metropolitan area and over 3,999 people moving in daily as they seek a better life than that in rural areas. Me$ico %ity0s administrators

estimate a population of 33 mii!" by the year 8999. S*ctually 34.8 million as of 899A Even now, A9 percent of the country0s population lives within a four hour drive of the city.

This dynamic city, with an estimated English?speaking population of over 59,999, has been our

home for over two years as )ob has served as pastor of the %apital %ity )aptist %hurch. We reside in amodern suburb with a ears department store, 7iNNa !ut, )urger )oy and hakey0s 7iNNa 7arlor nearby.&ouglas has attended the *merican chool with over 8,C99 other students. It0s student body is

composed of @@U .. nationals, H5U Me$ican nationals, 3AU dual citiNens, and the remaining AUrepresent twenty?nine other nationalities. With morning classes entirely in English following the ..%urriculum and afternoon classes entirely in panish following the Me$ican curriculum, &oug alwayshas plenty of homeworkP &avid has also attended a bilingual school, although its enrollment is almostentirely Me$ican.

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*s pastor of the only English?speaking )aptist congregation in Me$ico %ity -one of only two in theentire country, )ob has attempted to inspire and e+uip the membership to reach out into every corner ofMe$ico %ity as each witnesses daily for %hrist. With over 399 members and unday morning attendanceof around 899, our congregation is composed of English?speaking people from many nations. In recentyears, people from England, Dugoslavia, %anada, Ethiopia, Ireland, *ustralia, Germany, cotland,#ebanon, ew Qealand, Me$ico and the nited tates, as well as other nations have taken an active partin the church0s ministry. The diversity of their cultures, occupations, and talents serves beautifully, not

only to enrich the fellowship, but also to reach others for Kesus %hrist. In a recent unday morningworship service, twenty?five individuals stood to share about separate )ible studies, children0s meetings,and prayer groups which they were leading or sharing in. What a =oy it is to see the %hurch, God0s people, ministering outside the walls of the church buildingP

'ne e$citing aspect of our ministry through this church has been a counseling ministry which )ob began in 3455. Through the %hristian "amily %ounseling ervice, )ob has devoted many hours eachweek to private counseling with person from both within the church family and from outside. WhetherMe$ican or *merican, people are hurting with personal emotional problems or marital and familyconflicts. *s )ob counsels with 7rotestants, %atholics, and Kews, his counseling is always from a %hrist?centered )iblically?based approach. everal have accepted %hrist in the course of the counselingsessions. 'thers, who came as %hristians, have renewed their relationship with %hrist as they have

applied the resources of the !oly pirit to their problems.It soon became obvious that the need for %hristian counseling was tremendous when all available

counseling time was taken up without even advertising the service. aturday morning appointments werescheduled and yet another man accepted the #ord as he and bob discussed how to resolve maritalconflicts in the man0s home. #ater )ob held a series of group conferences in homes in order to reachmore people. *ll of the sessions, whether on a one?to?one basis or in groups, served to prove once againan age?old truth. #ives are always transformed when people hear and accept God0s message of how tolive an abundant life in !im.

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III. WHAT DOES A MISSIONARY EAT?

CACTUS

pon our arrival in Guadala=ara for a year of language study, we were introduced to the huge*bastos city market. 'ur eyes were filled with wonder as we looked upon aisle after aisle of unfamiliarfruits and vegetables trucked in from every region of Me$ico. Tasting a succulent ripe mango, Iimmediately vowed to buy at least one new kind of produce each week in an attempt to learn to en=oy allMe$ico has to offer in the realm of foodstuffs.

*fter several weeks of noticing piles of pulpy nopal , prickly pear cactus leaves for sale, oneafternoon I stopped to watch a woman carefully carving off many thorns covering each pad. I finallydecided to try my hand at cooking them. !aving invited a Me$ican family to dinner that evening, mythinking was that even if )ob and I didn0t care for the taste, our Me$ican friends, alvador and*le=andrina Tre=o, surely would finish it off. *s I paid a few cents for a stack of the cactus pads, I askedthe vendor how to prepare them.

"#e$ora,% the woman began, ;Dou dice the nopales, onions and tomatoes, then fry them all ingrease. It is a good vegetable to serve with pork or mi$ed in scrambled eggs with onions for breakfast.)ut do not forget to add some serrano chiles&<

;'racis, #e$o,< I nodded as I dropped the cactus pads into my shopping bag and moved on to buysome fresh papaya, mangos, pineapple, watermelon, and cantaloupe for a fruit salad. My mind flashed back to my parents in north Missouri on the mid?Kanuary day. !ow they would en=oy this array ofgarden?ripened fruits during winter0s cold, snowy daysP

That evening as I prepared the cactus leaves precisely according to the instructions given me in themarket, I could not help but wonder how such a food could be so popular. The appearance of the threeingredients in the skillet took on a slimy look as it cooked. Indeed, when I spooned the mi$ture into aserving dish, its viscous =uice discouraged my desire to even taste the concoction. Det I had followed therecipe as it was given to me, so I unabashedly carried my new dish to the table, along with the other food being served.

I proudly encouraged our guests to finish their first helping of nopales and have some more,

although my suggestion was virtually, but politely, ignored. When our meal was finished, and we twowomen were clearing the table, *le=andrina smilingly said, ;7osiblemente, ancy, the ne$t time youcook nopales, you might try it another way. Dou see, they are =ust like okra, so I boil the chopped cactusfor several minutes, pour off the water and rinse it in cold water. Then I do that a second or third time before I add the onion and tomatoes to fry it all together.<

;'h, *le$,< I e$claimed. ;The market lady forgot to tell me thatP Why didn0t you say something atthe tableB It must have been awfulP<

;o, ancy,< *le$ smiled, ;)ut it was different.<

3A



CHICKEN WITH RICE IN THE MARKET

Guadala=ara0s ew #iberty Market, (l )uevo *ercado +ibertad , situated several blocks from thestate capital0s downtown area, is a fascinating cross?section of everything typically Me$ican. 'n ourinitial visit to the bustling, multi?level city market, all five senses were instantly captivated.

)ob parked our car above, on the parking meNNanine from where we were afforded a birds?eye viewdown into the market itself as we leaned over the guard rail. pread out over the two lower levels was aniridescent patchwork of colors. Tables and booths were emblaNoned with every conceivable sort of product. "rom the parking balcony the kaleidoscope of colors with the constant movement of buyers and

vendors was a grand spectacle to view. 'ne long aisle was lined with brilliant crepe paper flowers, theirhues ranging along the entire spectrum from red to violet. * neighboring aisle overflowed with colorful pi$atas in varied shapes and siNes. * youngster, evidently buying one to fill with fruit and candy for his birthday party, chose a giant pink cartoon character. Kudging from the numerous donkey?shaped pi$atas,we decided they must be favored above the rest.

Glancing down across the open courtyard below, our attention was drawn to the fruit and vegetablesection. "ruit stalls held mountains of ripening sweet pineapples from the coast, yellow bananas from thetropical south, luscious red apples from northern Me$ico, and emerald green limes. 'ther stalls were burdened down with familiar watermelons, cantaloupes, green and black avocados and purple grapes, aswell as bushels of fresh vegetables. "irst impressions have always intrigued us, so we e$pectantly wounddown the concrete circular stairs leading to the market floor.

'nce on the ground level we were bombarded by a cacophony of sounds. 7ublic buses roared by onevery side, few using mufflers. %onstant honking of car and ta$i horns reverberated between buildings ofthe congested city. *lso emanating from the street were sounds of shrill police whistles and horsesneighing as they waited impatiently by their drivers to transport tourists in their pictures+ue calandrias.

&eeper inside the market, the din of street noises diminished, as distinct new sounds around us became more audible. 1irtually every vendor would call out to perspective customers passing by. Eachmerchant had perfected his own style to sell his wares. ome clamored for attention in a complainingtone of voice, while others appealed urgently to the client as if one would buy out of sympathy for theshopkeeper. "re+uently they e$horted with authority> yet others would plead in a whining cry, begging

3C



for a sale. *n occasional bashful saleswoman would +uietly offer in a hushed voice to assist you inchoosing from her selection of merchandise. #oud, high?pitched voices could be heard from all sides asscores of people bartered for the best possible price.

%limbing the stairs to the upper level, we heard strains of mariachi music coming from the preparedfood section. The resonant singing voices of a group of Me$ico0s famed wandering minstrels echoedthroughout the restaurant area as they accompanied their singing with violins, guitars, and trumpets."ollowing each song, one member would pass among the audience to collect a peso or two from each

other.When we entered the market, our sense of smell had been struck with a variety of distinguishable

scents2 strong, reeking odors emitted by the fresh fish section> a delightful sweetness radiating fromaisles of fragrant cut flowers> a repulsive, acrid smell originating in malodorous, contaminated publicrestrooms> the distinctive, pleasant musky odor of the large leather goods section> as well as the putridstench leaping from garbage barrels and piles of rotting fruits and vegetables. !ow incongruous itseemed, seeing such beauty and such s+ualor co?e$isting side by side.

We were in the market to get an overview of handicrafts of that region as well as sample the flavorof a Me$ican marketplace. Therefore we walked past the cluttered shoe section, down the greasy?smelling used hardware aisle, and on to more tourist?oriented products. everal booths were filled withsmooth hand?blown glass from nearby Tla+uepa+ue, blues and ambers dominating. *nother stall held an

assortment of glaNed pottery from Tonal, burnished copper from anta %lara, polished sterling silver =ewelry made by artisans in Guadala=ara and Ta$co, and colorful diamond?shaped yarn ojo de dios, god0seyes, of the !uichol Indians. Touching each handmade item brought on a strange sensation, a yearningto get to know and understand the people behind such sensitive works of art. With God0s help we would be able to do that in the coming years.

We shopped our way into the restaurant area to sample authentic Me$ican dishes whose tantaliNingaroma filled the air. ince it was one o0clock in the afternoon, the counter seats were virtually empty forthe Me$ican lunch hour is somewhere between two and four o0clock. eparate s+uare tiled countersenclosed individual kitchens, each with its stove and sink. %ounter?tops were laden with wide, round, basin?like pottery cazuelas brimming with palate?pleasing dishes, barely leaving room for hungry patrons to eat. )ehind each counter was positioned a heavy?set cocinera proudly hawking her culinary

wares. 'ne cook seemed especially good?natured. We seated ourselves at her counter.; uenas tardes, #e$ora,< we began. ;We0re new in Guadala=ara and want to try some traditionalMe$ican food. What do you recommend for a voracious appetiteB<

With the usual amiability of the Me$ican people, she started at one end of the counter describing thecontents of each large earthen vessel.

;This, #e$ores, is Kalisco pozole, made by simmering hominy, pork head and loin, pig0s feet andgarlic for several hours. When the broth is served, each person adds shredded lettuce, chopped onion,lemon and sliced radishes. *nd, of course, some hot salsa&<

;This pot contains frijoles refritos, I can see, #e$ora. My husband really like refried beans. )ut whatis that dishB<

;*h, moronga rellena is on of our favorite caldos. To start this soup we first clean hog tripe well

and turn it inside out. It is cut into eighteen?inch lengths. *fter mi$ing together several +uarts of fresh pork blood, diced pork fat, onion, chilis, garlic, and spices like oregano and thyme, mar=oram and salt,each section is filled. *fter tying the ends shut, we must simmer it for about two hours in salt water. It isdone when no blood escapes when the casing is pricked with a pin. ometimes I slice the rellena in athick green tomato sauce, and sometimes in a thin broth like this. It gets its dark color from the cooked blood.<

&eciding not to eat moronga, )ob +uickly pointed to two animal skulls perched atop a giant plate ofcooked meat. ;*nd this, #e$ora-< he asked with an in+uisitive look.

35



;That, #e$or , is barbacoa de cabra. )arbe+ued goat or lamb has long been a favorite throughoutMe$ico. It is baked in an underground pit and is very tasty. With the brains we make tacos de sesos,frying the brain?filled tortilla in hot grease. May I fi$ you someB<

;o, gracias,< )ob hastily replied. ;Is that not chicken with rice in the pot over thereB<;#., #e$or . With cooked peas and carrots mi$ed in, arroz con pollo is +uite good.<;I would like that, then, with some frijoles, please,< he decided aloud. ;*nd a bottle of cola.<;Is that all, sirB Wouldn0t you like a bistecB< she asked, indicating a plate of paper?thin raw beef

filets. ;I can fy you one in =ust a minute.<;Des, please,< )ob answered politely.;I0ll have the same, #e$ora,< I hastened to add, by then +uite famished.Within minutes, the affable cook served our plates accompanied by a side dish of chiles en vinagre,

a combination of garlic, sliced carrots, onions, cauliflower and jalape$o peppers pickled in vinegar. )obtook one cautious bite of jalape$o, only to turn red in the face from the sauce0s burning =uices. Gulpingdown +uantities of cola, he found no relief as tears flowed from his eyes.

;'h, #e$or ,< declared the cook, laughing sympathetically. ;Eat salt to take away the sting. %ola orwater does not help.<

ot in a position to re=ect any suggestion, )ob hurriedly grabbed the nearest salt shaker and +uicklycoated his tongue. "inding some measure of relief in that treatment, he continued to eat his meal, without

hot sauce. It tasted good.We finished eating as we listened to the loud, lively music of the mariachis, so representatives of the

vivacious Me$ican people. *s we talked )ob reflected audibly how pleased he was, despite the jalape$os, that God had called us to work in Me$ico. I agreed.

36



WILD BOAR

The rays of the morning sun fell across )ob as he awoke from a sound, undisturbed sleep. It tookhim a moment to reorient himself to his surroundings. !e and the Me$ican %hristians with him hadarrived late the previous night after and e$hausting trip on foot through the mountains to this tiny villageof #lano de #eon. Today a four?day annual associational meeting among the )aptist brethren would begin. )ob was e$cited about leading them in a ten?hour lay evangelism training session, and had been praying that some people of that village would become %hristians as a result.

!aving arrived sleepily after dark, he and the others had only made a cursory inspection of thelayout of the tiny secluded mountain village the night before. ow, as he crawled from his sleeping bagon the hard?packed dirt floor of the adobe cabin where they had been +uartered, he stepped to the opendoorway to capture an overall picture of his surroundings.

There on the small, low plateau was a cluster of houses. *lthough most had been constructed oflocally hand?made bricks, others consisted of only sticks daubed with mud. * few appeared to be ofunpainted hand?hewn boards, unsealed against the cold mountain air. The little flat area also held themission0s chapel where they had been so enthusiastically greeted upon their arrival. 'n beyond was thenew one?room government school building, stuccoed and painted white. !ow incongruous it seemed,complete with its concrete paved basketball courtP

)efore breakfast )ob followed the path down the lower side of the plateau to the cold mountainstream, passing the few huts that were sprinkled beside the pathway. Vuickly he spotted a large rock inthe creek bed on which to sit to lather up and shave before he began to bathe. #ooking up, he spiedseveral children dotting the mountain descent, perched strategically to observe his entire shaving and bathing ritual. )ob, sitting with his feet in the icy water, was contemplating his troubles when he perceived one of the Me$ican hermanos also shaving at the water0s edge. )ob immediately observed thatthe man had neither an aerosol can of shaving cream nor a twin?blade raNor. !is entire shaving kit wasone single?edged raNor blade that had no doubt served him for several months. There he sat, scraping.

)y the time )ob had returned his shaving utensils to the cabin assigned them, the call to breakfastwas heard. "ollowing several others to the group, )ob wound down the path off the plateau to a housenestled into the side of the hill. 'ne end and the back of the adobe cabin were built right into the

mountainside. The crudely made bricks that had been irregularly laid were capped by a roof of heavy, black corrugated tarpaper. 'nly one small window and the doorway interrupted the brown monotony ofthe cabin front. *s he followed the men into that place which had been designated the communal dininghall for those four days, two sensations overwhelmed him2 the darkness of the room0s interior, combinedwith the thick, pungent odor of smoke from the kitchen fires> and the robust aroma originating fromlarge earthenware ollas of food, waiting to be served to the group.

'ver twenty men filed into the one long, narrow room, while a similar number waited to be servedonce the first shift had finished eating. E$tended rough?hewn planks had been set on several sawhorsesto provide one, long table for the hungry company. The benches were split logs supported by lengthy,sturdy wooden pegs whose sharpened points had been wedged into holes hollowed out near each end ofthe log.

Vuickly and +uietly several Indian women moved among the men, serving earthenware bowls filledgenerously with a watery chicken broth with rice. Garnishing the hot soup were diced onions and sparse pieces of cooked chicken. Mountains of hot, hand?patted tortillas, wrapped in large cloth napkins, were placed at intervals along the bare table. The thin corn?flour cakes would serve both as a fork and as bread. eparate serving bowls of cooked black beans and dishes of pi+uant chili sauce amplified the breakfast menu. Mugs of hot, thick black coffee completed the morning meal. This was breakfast in the'a$aca mountains.

34



It was three in the afternoon before they had the mid?day meal. The morning hours had been filledwith the opening session of the annual meeting, which included greetings from each congregationrepresented. There had been singing and preaching, all done with a certain lengthiness, as was thecustom, but the fellowship had been good.

)ob0s *merican stomach was relieved when they announced that the comida was ready to be served.When it was his turn to be seated, he filled himself on venison, more boiled black frijoles, and theomnipresent tortillas. )ottled soft drinks, which had been carried into the village on pack mules from

an Gabriel si$ hours away, were a welcomed treat, even though served at room temperature.#ate that night there was another round of home?grown coffee, as well as some bean tacos for those

who desired it. Thus passed )ob0s first full day on the little plateau.The following ovember day dawned cold and misty. %louds draped themselves down over the

pine?covered mountains, enclosing the tiny village. It was difficult to leave the warm confines of thesleeping bag. Det )ob sluggishly got up and dressed for breakfast.

tepping into the dining hall, his body immediately sensed the warmth from the kitchen0s wood fire.The cooking area at the far end of the elongated room was dark e$cept for one narrow ray of lightcoming in from the vent hole that had been left in the hut0s roof. everal women were present, dressed intheir usual ankle?length skirts and loose?fitting blouses, with the traditional long rebozo wrapped aroundtheir shoulders. Their long, black hair was drawn back in braids, intertwined with colorful ribbons.

Greeting )ob in their cordial manner, the continued stirring the contents of the clay cookware.everal of the men were already seated at the table discussing some topic in an enthusiastic,

animated manner. )ob, struggling to understand the accelerated discourse, at last caught the sub=ect oftheir discussion. The men of the village had killed a wild boar, and the group would be en=oying a mealof jabal. at lunchtime.

The women at that moment began to serve breakfast. *s plate after plate was lowered to the table,the lively conversation subsided until the last man had been served. Then KosO Maya, one of the Me$icanregional missionaries, led the group in offering thanks for the food. Vuickly, however, following the;amen,< the congenial spirit ignited more dialogue.

; /ermano (oberto,< began KosO Maya, ;&o you know why they call these scrambled eggs, 0huevosa la bandera me0icana,1 or eggs, Me$ican flag styleB<

;Well, really I don0t,< answered )ob. ;We have never eaten them prepared this way in Guadala=arawhere we have been living.<;We call it that because it has red diced tomatoes, green diced chilis, and white diced onion mi$ed

in it.< KosO paused before continuing.;ow I understand,< interrupted )ob. ;Those are the colors of the Me$ican flag.<;That0s right, /ermano.< )ut there he left the discussion as the cloth?draped stack of tortillas was

deposited in front of him. Without hesitating, )rother KosO snatched up a hot corn patty, and begantearing off a piece with which to shovel up a mouthful of eggs. oon the frijoles were passed around, but this time the ebony beans had been mashed and fried until they were a thick, dry mass. )ob hadnever been known to refuse frijoles refritos, so served himself a big spoonful to accompany his eggs.Minutes later, finishing his breakfast with a last swallow of strong coffee, )ob e$cused himself and

retreated to the seclusion of the +uiet cabin to study his )ible a few minutes before the morning businesssession began.That day, the second, he was to begin leading the training sessions in lay evangelism. !e had been

allotted two hours each morning and afternoon to teach personal witnessing techni+ues to the group. ever before had he made such a long presentation in panish, and as he had not even completed theyear of language study, he knew that clear communication would be uncertain. Det in that moment, he prayed a prayer that he had offered in various other situations.

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;#ord, it is Dour message that I wish to communicate. 7lease give me the full capacity of myknowledge of panish this morning. %all to my mind the words I have learned, and allow me to usepanish to the best of my ability. #et Dour !oly pirit communicate the message to these people in spiteof my errors. In Kesus0 name, amen.<

* calming reassurance had taken control of )ob as he stepped from the cabin out along the path toattend the first meeting of the day. !e felt fortified by his renewed reliance on God and looked forwardconfidently to his participation in the meetings.

The misty haNe had climbed its way up from the plateau and the warm sunlight brightened themorning air.

*t the conclusion of the morning session, once again the group sauntered to the dining hall,discussing along the way the statistics and reports that had =ust been presented. * representative of theMiahuatln church had reported that their church sponsored thirty?five missions and twenty?three preaching centers. Their pastor, %arlos Morales, had baptiNed 3C9 new members. The state0s statisticalsummary had shown twelve )aptist churches with two having been self?supporting. There were ninety?si$ mission points. *mong the nine national pastors there had been 86C baptisms, bringing the totalmembership to over 3,A99.

The church of 7orvenir )allesteros, located deep in the mountains of the outhwest coast has performed fifty?five baptisms, as well as having shown increases in several other facets of their church

program. everal of these present had responded with animated dialogue to )ob0s presentation onwitnessing, and had lingered in the chapel to talk more with him. )ut now it was time to eat.

The wild jabal. had been prepared by roasting on a spit over an open fire. The cooks had tended thewild boar carefully, as they periodically chased away the village0s scraggy dogs who had been attracted by the alluring scent of such a delicacy. Inside, in the dark kitchen, two pot?bellied clay ollas on the firecontained sopa de tortilla. To the meat broth the women had added fried strips of leftover tortillas, afterthe diced onions, tomatoes and green coriander had been simmering for some time. * few minutes before serving, the cooks had remembered to add a sprig of mint leaves. The 2erbabuena not only addedits distinctive flavor, but was thought e$cellent for the digestion. The pot of black beans had beenreheated and the covered stack of warm tortillas had already been placed on the planks of the long,make?shift table. *ll was ready for the voracious appetites of the si$ty hungry men.

*s the first shift of twenty men was eating at the table, their discussion turned to the reports givenearlier in the day by the five associational?sponsored regional missionaries. 7erhaps that of (ogelio1s+ueN had impressed the group more than any of the others. Working in the rural area of ola de1ega, /ermano (ogelio had continued to work under the pressure of increased persecution. There had been fre+uent bombings and more than one believer had been killed in recent months. Det (ogelio0sattitude was one of optimism, as he pledged to continue visiting even those villages where the persecution was strongest.

#ater that afternoon, as the assembly reconvened, )ob continued his presentation. The brethren werereminded how to share their %hristian testimony to include the plan of salvation. *lthough )ob had beentold that almost the entire village population of 3A9 was %hristian, at one point in his talk, hecommented, ;ow that we have once again reviewed God0s plan for man0s salvation, perhaps there is

someone present this afternoon who would like to receive Kesus %hrist as his personal aviour. If youwould like to do that now, =ust lift your hand so that we can pray with you and help you to commit yourlife to %hrist.< Imagine the elation of the group as three adults raised their hands. Thus the meetingsgraduated from one high point to another there on that little remote plateau in the mountains of 'a$aca.

That night there was a special session to ordain a pastor. It was dusk when the people began to filterinto the rustic chapel. *s the walls were only vertical poles with small sticks woven in horiNontally, themountain people knew to dress warmly. Each entered carrying his )ible and his own hymnal, as hasalways been the custom in Me$ico. Gas lanterns were lit as the singing began. "or the ne$t two hours,

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;Well, I recall barbecued sheep in northern 'a$aca and turkey in mole sauce down on the Isthmus ofTehuantepec. !owever, I imagine we might have a little fish this week, being on the coast.<

;ow, that sounds fine,< remarked (obert. ;my wife, *nne, can fi$ great pan?fried fish in cornmeal. I really like that every now and then.<

;ancy makes good fried fish and corn bread, too, but I really never have cared much for fish. Theowner didn0t elaborate on his menu plans. )ut he did say,< )ob concluded, ;that whatever it is, he0dserve big helpings. o I suppose we0ll do =ust fine.< ot long afterwards, they drove into Miahuatln

where an e$cited group of five teenagers was waiting at the )aptist %hurch to accompany them to theyouth retreat. 'nce all bedrolls were loaded, the young people climbed in and the trip was resumed.oon the j3venes were egrossed in singing lively choruses and in discussing plans for their ne$t few daysat camp.

*fter a coke stop in the little town of Galera, the campers continued toward 7ochutla where therewas a 7eme$ gasoline station. Winding down out of the mountains, the group noticed that denseevergreen coffee trees covered the hills on both sides of the roadway for an hour before they arrived in7ochutla. The plants0 white blossoms reminded )ob of the dogwood in his native Missouri 'Narks.*lthough the men had en=oyed having a paved road the first hour and a half out of 'a$aca until =ust beyond Miahuatln, the last four and one?half hours of 7ochutla had been on an unsurfaced roadway of powdery?red soil. 'wning to their e$tremely slow speed which allowed no cooling breeNe as they

traveled along the unreliable road, and due to the intensity of the suns rays, the group of travelers lookedupon their arrival in 7ochutla with great relief. )ob wiped his grimy forehead and cheeks with his largewhite handkerchief, only to realiNe as he lowered the stained cloth how much of the dusty red soil hadclung to his sweaty face.

The highway up the 7acific coast from 7ochutla to 7uerto Escondido was a straight and paved onewhich took only another hour of the group0s time. *s they drove, )ob recalled that he had heard 7uertoEscondido referred to as an enchanting, tropical retreat like those to be found in Tahiti, or some other7acific isle. The town0s virgin beaches, with lovely palm groves, had been acclaimed by widely?traveledwriters of the unday edition0s travel section. (eaders were always urged to spend their vacation there+uickly, before the mammoth hotel chains and airlines invade its charm and +uaint loveliness withthousands of foreign tourists.

Travel writers everywhere should have been delighted to know that these two *mericans had indeeden=oyed their undiscovered paradise before the promised ;invasion<. "or soon they drove past a few*rmy barracks on the low hills overlooking the bay and beheld the lovely 7acific beach stretching outlaNily in the speckled shade of the coconut palm trees. Watching for the traditional main plaza or z3caloindicating the heart of town, )ob steered the car along the lower, old main street around the contour ofthe bay past tiny shops and a few thatch?roofed houses. The car rumbled past an occasional open?airrestaurant or small beach hotel. 'n either side there were fruit stands displaying the always popularmangos, pineapple slices, peeled whole cucumbers and wedges of melon. Whole coconuts, waiting to be plugged to e$tract the sweet milk, were piled to one side of the make shift stands.

ever hours of rough driving had given )ob annoying headache, so they stopped at a tiny, dimly?litcorner drugstore which proudly boasted a newly painted sign, ; 4armacia,< over its doorway.

wallowing the two aspirin with the help of a room?temperature soft drink. )ob =oined the others in thecar to continue on to the location of the camp. * few miles up the coastal highway at the turnoff to )a=osde %hila, they turned left off the highway onto another dirt side road which promptly led the tiredtravelers to a rented campsite on the shore of an inland lake of stagnant, brackish water. !ow unpleasantit looked in contrast to their view of captivating beaches down the coast. Det, being the only economicalfacilities available to house and feed a group of forty young people, )ob had earlier settled on thelocation.

8@



#ooking over the facilities, he saw a very large open?air thatched roof dining area, with rustic tablesand benches sprinkled among numerous roof support poles. To the rear an area had been enclosed toform three small rooms which were living +uarters for the owner0s family. &ingy cloth hung from eachdoorway to afford a semblance of privacy. The kitchen stood apart at the right edge of the dinning area.#e$ora %astillo and her two teen?aged daughters were preparing the afternoon meal at the brick woodstove which bore large earthenware ollas of black beans, rice and the main dish : fish soup. oddingtheir greeting to the women from their vantage point on the road, the two men walked several yards

down the path to inspect a second structure of the same construction, situated on the shore of thecontaminated lake. ;!ere,< e$plained )ob to (obert "ricke, ;we will have our conferences and )iblestudies during the day and it can serve as the boys0 dormitory at night. *ll these support poles are perfectto suspend their hammocks from. *s for me, I brought my air mattress and sleeping bag. The girls,< hewent on, ;can sleep up in the dining hall.<

Two old style outhouses with faded fabric doors were visible to the left of the path. *lthough airywalls of horiNontally?laid sticks provided good ventilation, one could have wished for more privacy.Within a few yards stood an anti+uated well which would provide drinking water during the retreat

(eturning along the trail up an incline, )ob had begun unloading this bedroll and materials whencamp owner, #e$or %astillo approached to greet the men. "ollowing customary introductions, )obconfided in #e$or %astillo that he and (obert were most an$ious to locate bathing facilities to scrub off

accumulated grime and soil gathered on their long trip.;o problem at all,< began the owner. ;Dou notice that little path leading off over thereB Kust follow

it up across the highway an on up the hill. )efore long you0ll find what you0re looking for.<%limbing up the narrow mountain path, neither )ob nor (obert really knowing what to e$pect, the

two men soon perceived they had arrived at the designated ;bath house.< "or there, hidden from viewuntil one was right upon it, was nestled a sparkling pool of clear water =ust a foot deep. 'ne singlestream of water fell from above, forming the diminutive waterfall which fed the small, crystal reservoir.Without hesitation the men stepped into the icy?cold water and took turns standing under the shower?head God had so graciously formed in the secluded spot.

Interrupting their refreshing bath, a feminine voice called from the path below. ; lqui5n se est6ba$andoB< ;Is anyone bathingB<

;#.,% )ob called out +uickly, as the men stepped from the water to dry off and dress. ; 7nmomentoP<Moments later, as the two descended the path, they encountered two teenage girls sitting beside the

path, waiting their turn to bathe. ;!ow did you know we were there to yell at usB< asked (obert.;'h,< replied one, ;we didn0t. )ut #e$ora %astillo told us to always call ahead before proceeding

beyond this point. urely you did that, too.< ot wanting to admit their inadvertent error, both men +uickly e$cused themselves and hurried back

to the car.)y then other young people had arrived and a group of over thirty teenagers was lined up in the

dining hall waiting for lunch. 7resently the line began to file past the serving counter, as #e$ora %astilloserved up bowls of fish soup. )ob noticed that those in front had received one big chunk section of fish

in their bowl, either the middle of tail end. Det as he and (obert stepped up to the rustic counter, #e$ora%astillo smiled widely and carefully spooned out two head sections to deposit in their dish. The menunderstood they were receiving special treatment and accepted their portions with a ; gracias< and asmile. !ad they known at the first meal that they would be so honored for ten more meals, they wouldhave wished to be treated as e+uals with the young peopleP

)ob got very little sleep that first night. *lthough all the young people had taken their hammocks,there were several weathered ones permanently left hanging from the various wooden pillars. !owever)ob was better prepared : he thought. !e unrolled his air mattress and after fifteen minutes of stomping

8H



on the foot pump, succeeded in getting sufficient air into it. 7lugging it +uickly, he laid his sleeping bagon top. ;ow,< he though, ;at least I0ll get a good night0s sleep.<

!owever as soon as his hefty body rested on the sleeping bag, ;7shhhhh...< blew the air mattress.Too tired to attempt to patch it, )ob simply lay there on top of the deflated cushion as it sighed out itslast breath of air and hoped that sleep would come +uickly. More rapid than sleep, however, camemyriads of crawling insects, mos+uitoes and renewed sensation of the humid coastal heat. The refreshingdiurnal sea breeNes had given way to deathly nocturnal stillness. When someone spotted a large

poisonous scorpion scurrying across the ground, )ob knew his mind was made up. &espite hise$haustion, he popped up and hastened to claim a dusty, empty hammock nearby. Glancing around theopen?air shelter, he noticed that all of the young men, as they perched in their hammocks, werehumorously staring at him.

; /ermano<0 called out one teenager ;Make sure to get into the hammock diagonally like we are.Dou cannot sleep well lying straight in it for the curvature of the spine is too great.<

With a great deal of effort, )ob finally positioned his weary body crosswise in the length of nylonnetting. It seemed an art that had to be learned., &irectly above him, dangling from the high thatchedroof, was a henequen rope. 7ulling on it, )ob discovered that he could swing the hammock for a bit of acooling breeNe and to ward off the mos+uitoes. That night and the following three, )ob becameaccustomed to sleeping like all people on the coast.

"our days later when the %arry?all was once again headed north to the comforts of home, the twomen reminisced about the past days. ;(obert, I about learned the techni+ue of sleeping in a hammock, but if I never see another cooked fish head floating in soup, I0ll be all the happier,< stated the driver. ;Ididn0t mind the fried fish that once, but boiled fish heads in insipid broth for breakfast, lunch and dinnerhas been almost too much for my debilitated stomach. )eing from Missouri, I was especially unnervedwhen they served us that heaping plate of mussels boiled in their shells.<

;Des, )ob,< replied (obert. ;If it hadn0t been for the roast pig they served us day before yesterday, I believe I wouldn0t have made it through the week.<

*fter si$ hours of driving, the men stopped again in Miahuatln to deliver their load of teenagers before traveling the last hour back to 'a$aca. *long the way, as the two hungry *mericans recalled theire$periences, )ob suddenly remembered that ancy had sent along a small sack which he had slipped

beneath the driver0s seat. (eaching down, he pulled out a paper bag and handed it to (obert "ricke. Theirdelight was indescribable as (obert e$tracted two small pop?top cans of *merican vienna sausagesP eedless to say, those two thankful men laughed with relief as the %arry?all continued down thehighway.

8A



IV. WHERE DOES A MISSIONARY SLEEP?

IN A CARRY#ALL

Missionaries traveling on the field learn to sleep in various circumstances. ometimes it may be in alovely hotel room. *t other times it ight not be +uite so comfortable. The week before Easter of 345A,)ob drove south from 'a$aca once again, headed for the little village of an *gustFn #o$icha locatedseveral hours off the main road. The )aptist mission had invited him to show a series of color movies onthe life, death and resurrection of Kesus.

)ob drove into the village in late afternoon, accompanied by a young man who had met him inMiahuatln to show him the way. #ike the 7ied 7iper of old, )ob0s arrival drew the attention of allvillage children who ran alongside the car until it stopped in front of the mission chapel. ;Manis,Manis,< they cried, running to announce this white man0s arrival to all who would listen.

;7ablo, why are they yelling 0Manis, Manis0 at usB<, )ob asked his traveling companion.;Dou see, /ermano (oberto,< he e$plained, ; /ermano Manis (uegsegger, a Wycliffe )ible

translator, is the only *merican that has ever come to visit our village. !e is tall and blonde like you.The children have mistaken you for )rother Manis.<

oon 7ablo was busy assisting )ob in setting up the large, tripod movie screen outside, anchoring itwith ropes to the eaves of the mission building to steady it against the wind. *fter steadying thetelescoping legs of the portable pro=ector stand, )ob lifted the bulky 3Cmm movie pro=ector from the back of the %arry?all to deposit it firmly on it0s base. #eaving an older teenager there to protect it fromcurious, probing hand of little villagers, )ob and 7ablo then lowered the heavy gas generator from thecar. *s it sounded like a loud lawn mower, they positioned the machine behind the mission buildingwhere the sound would be somewhat muffled. *fter filling it with gasoline and connecting e$tension

cords, it was time for the service to begin. With all the preparatory activity, along with the loud , freeadvertising of e$cited children, a large crowd had already gathered. The mission building was not in thevillage proper, but along a well?traversed trail at the community0s edge. Therefore many non?%hristianvillagers stopped to watch. E$cept for small children seated in front on the ground, the audience stoodfor both singing of hymns as well as for viewing the movie. That was to be the pattern for all four nights0services.

)eing only the second white man to go to #o$icha, )ob seemed to fascinate the entire village. *fterthe movie, a few men assisted )ob in carrying all the e+uipment into the chapel for the night. Then )ob

8C



returned to the %arry?all to spread out his sleeping bag in the back to retire for the night. Glancing outthe large windows, he became aware of a swarm of youthful faces gathering around the car, pressingtheir noses to the window glass to peep inside at the fair?skinned gringo.

With a noticeable shrug of his shoulders, )ob simply lay down fully clothed, thinking the curiouscrowd would soon dissolve. Det the energetic, wide?awake youngsters had not en=oyed such an e$citingevening in the village for many months. They good?naturedly began to rock the huge car from side toside, tap on the windows and even climb upon the hood to peek through the windshield. *fter almost an

hour had passed, with the =uveniles still present, )ob finally drifted off to sleep.The following three days gave )ob opportunity to observe firsthand how life can be in a small

Me$ican village. *s it was !oly Week, many %hristians from the surrounding mountains and valleyshad walked great distances to see the series of movies. With them they brought they straw petates onwhich to sleep in the )aptist templo. The pastor0s family lived at the rear of the auditorium, so /ermanaMartineN, along with other village women, used her kitchen to prepare meals for the group.

*fter breakfast some adults went visiting there in the village to invite people to their afternoon preaching services. The movies needed no promotion for that was the first time most of the hamlet0s population had seen a movie or such ;new?fangled< e+uipment. It would be years until electricity could be brought to their town. 'ther !oly Week visitors =ust en=oyed sitting and sharing new with %hristianfriends from other villages. %hildren played marbles in the dirt. The women had no sooner collected

breakfast dishes for washing, when they began to prepare the afternoon meal.)ob had not realiNed earlier how culturally remote #o$icha was from towns along the main road.

Det when he entered the kitchen to thank the hermanas for the meal, he +uickly realiNed that only the pastor0s wife understood panish. *ll other women spoke only the Qapotec #o$icha dialect, handeddown intact century after century by their Qapotec ancestors dating back before 3999 *.&. *s the menwent into larger towns to barter or sell their meager produce, they had ac+uired a workable, butelementary knowledge of panish. *s a new, white government school graced almost every largevillage, the school children were rapidly learning panish, also as their second language.

Each afternoon the plank pews of the templo were filled for a preaching and song service. )obwatched in amusement as the children +uietly fought over who would have the priviledge of sitting ne$tto their honored light?haired visitor. 'nce seated on either side of him, they would hesitantly reach over

and feel the blonde hairs on his arms. !ow strange it seemed to them, for Indians have virtually no facialor body hair.!oly Week was made special for )ob that year through sharing it with the %hristians of an *gustFn

#o$icha. *s he prepared to leave, the people gathered around him to e$press their thanks. 7astorMartineN presented )ob with fifty pesos, e+ualing four dollars, to help buy his gasoline. nowing of thescarcity of money among the villagers, )ob realiNed that amount represented real sacrificial giving.Then, )ob was given yet another love gift from his new friends : eighty pounds of bananas.

Des, !oly Week in #o$icha was very special, for it served to remind )ob once again that Kesus%hrist lived, died, and was resurrected for these Indian villagers too.

85





crippled air conditionerP Throughout the night )ob persisted in his attempts to thaw out the frosted?overmotor, but to no avail. It was +uite a sleepless nightP

)y C2@9 a.m. we were awake and glad the night was past. When the motel restaurant opened at 5299a.m., we were their first customers and consumed mountains of hotcakes and bacon, fresh pineapple andmelon halves. We knew that the services at )uenos *ires probably would not end until 8299 p.m.

The church, situated a short distance from the highway in a small rancher.a was not over twentymiles from Tehuantepec. ince we were traveling on country roads and trails, we knew we should leave

early. Even in our mission?owned ton %arry?all, this trip took one and a half hours over rock trails andup dry river beds. We arrived at the small settlement at 4299 a.m. still overly full from our large breakfast.

; /ermanos, welcomeP< We were greeted by the Indian pastor as we climbed down from our car.&ouglas and &avid immediately ran to chase some skinny chickens. ;%ome, hermanos, my wife has breakfast all prepared for you. Dou must eat before the service can begin. The congregation will wait.<

I gulped and looked at )ob. )ob smiled a weak smile and gave me a wink, ;#., hermano, of course,<he answered, ;though it is not necessary for you to go to the trouble.<

;)ut, hermano,< replied the man, ;it is a privilegeP We have killed our fattest chickens for the soup.%ome, you must eatP<

odding my greeting to all of the settlement0s population who had gathered to stare at the white

outsiders, I followed )ob into one of the dark dwellings. *fter we were seated on two child?siNedwobbly wooden chairs, a sawhorse table of planks was arranged before us. #arge bowls of chicken andrice soup were brought to us. While the se$ora stayed in the open?air kitchen area, her husband broughtus stacks of hand?patted tortillas and opened bottles of hot 'range %rush for us.

;'racias, hermano, you are very kind.< I said in the formal Me$ican way as I accepted my softdrink. #ooking down at a chicken leg awaiting me as it floated in the soup, I laughingly prayed silently,;#ord, I know that I have to eat this in order not to offend our hosts. o now Dou =ust help the pancakesand syrup, and all the rest I ate earlier to get along with this greasy chicken soup and soft drink. Thankyou, #ord.<

I ate> I drank> I smiled> and I survivedPThanking our hosts again after we had emptied our bowls, we =oined the congregation assembled

down the hill in a nearby open?air meeting area, somewhat like a brush arbor. The pastor rose, greetedthe people assembled, introduced our family, then announced that /ermano 7erry would now preach themorning messageP )ob discovered that he could preach e$temporaneously in panishP

"ollowing the worship service, I offered to take all the wiggly children out during the businesssession. itting on a low tree stump, I gathered the boys and girls around me as I told )ible stories andshared some illustrated children0s books I had with me. Det my mind wandered fre+uently as I wished Iknew what serious problem was being discussed in the adult0s business meeting. I would simply have towait for )ob to tell me later, I told myself. Whatever the problem, the people could surely resolve it.

*fter what seemed like hours, their meeting was ad=ourned. #eaving some books for the pastor0swife to use with the children, we thanked our hosts profusely once again for the fine breakfast andheaded for home.

*s our car bounced and rumbled back down the dry river bed, )ob answered my +uestion about the business session. ;This was one problem I never had to deal with as a pastor in the tates,< )obremarked as he laughed, ;and I doubt that it0ll ever be a problem back home.<

;What was it, )obB< I asked, more eager now than ever to know.;The church members are unhappy with the pastor and feel that his is not fulfilling his obligations.<;&on0t tell me that0s new, !oney. We0ve heard that before.<;)ut, ancy, let me tell you the reason the church feels this way. They want their pastor to hold

preaching services every night as well as two services on undays, permanentlyP !e says he simply

84



cannot do it. ince they have never paid him at all, he has to farm to support his family, and =ust doesn0thave the time to prepare not to go to long services every night.<

;What did you say to themB< I asked.;*fter everyone had spoken, I really encouraged them in their desire to have nightly services for

)ible study and worship. I agreed that the #ord would be pleased. Dou should have seen their faces lightup, ancy, as I confirmed their idea. *ll but the pastor, that is. !e looked +uite disheartened.<

;)ut )ob, if he has to work ...<

;Then, ancy, after affirming their need for )ible study, I e$plained in no uncertain terms that thecriptures teach that believers are to assist in supporting God0s preachers. Then I preached to them ontheir responsibility to minister also, rather than leaving it all up to the pastor. The preacher, by that time,was sitting up listening attentively as he nodded in agreement.<

;&id the people understandB &id they agree with youB< I asked.;I believe they did. They voted, in agreement with the pastor, to have him lead four services weekly.

The church laymen agreed to lead the rest of the meetings themselves. *nd not only that, ancy, butthey voted to begin paying the pastor eight dollars a month. *s they have never before paid a pastor,even that small amount is an important step for such a little congregation.<

;)ob, they have a lot to learn, but let0s pray that those new %hristians won0t ever loose their Neal forstudying God0s Word and for worshiping !im.<

@9



V. HOW DOES A MISSIONARY TRAVEL?

BY BUS TO YUCATAN

It felt good to settle down into my assigned seat on the motor coach that would take my friend !elenGriffin and me back to our homes in Me$ico %ity. *s the other passengers filed through the bus aisle insearch of their seats, I reflected on the past five days.

*lthough the twenty?one hour bus ride that had brought us to MOrida, Ducatn, earlier in the weekhad been a long and tiring one, there had been precious hours of sharing between !elen and me. "orseveral weeks we had been looking forward to this trip to the Gulf?shore encampment on the northern tip

of the Ducatn peninsula for a spiritual retreat with about eighty young people from all over Me$ico.The blessings we had anticipated had become reality through the )ible studies, preaching, songfests,campfires and fellowships during those brief days. Whether swimming in the warm ocean surf withnewfound %hristian friends, or collecting myriads of colorful seashells while walking along the whitesand beach as I counseled a lovely teenager about the ;how< and meaning of God0s calling, my soul had been refreshed amidst the natural beauty of God0s creation. *s I sat beneath the stately coconut palmtrees swaying in the sea breeNe, my )ible study and prayer had sent a revitaliNing charge through my body as I felt myself being drawn closer to my "riend.

!elen0s soft voice beside me brought my thoughts back to the reality of the present. ;ancy, do youknow that prior to our bus trip to come to MOrida, we failed to offer a specific prayer for traveling safety.Det this evening when my foot stepped onto the stairs to board the bus, for some reason I felt led towhisper a special prayer for our safety on this return trip.< *lthough we pondered that statement for aminute, her remarks were soon forgotten as we spent the ne$t few night hours sharing our thoughts andimpressions of the preceding days0 activities. My body, still physically tired from its first few nights0e$perience at sleeping in a Me$ican hammock at the camp, rela$ed easily in the firm bus seat. )eforemidnight we were fast asleep.

*t @299 a.m., traveling through the lonely, desolate tropical region of %ampeche state, I +uietlyawoke for no obvious reason. #ooking forward and then to the rear of the bus, I +uickly noticed that allthe other passengers remained sound asleep. The ne$t thing that caught my attention was that the buswas traveling at an unusually slow pace. #ooking to the front and out beyond the wide windshield to the

@3



pavement, I became alarmed to see that our bus was weaving erratically from one side of the highway tothe other. #istening to the boring drone of the motor and its slow accelerations, I soon became convincedthat the driver was surely almost asleep. Through my mind raced news headlines of the fre+uent fatalMe$ican bus accidents. ;#ord, what would you have me to doB The driver will surely be insulted if Ieven hint that he is not completely alert.< Vuietly I awakened !elen and e$plained the situation to her. ;Imust go forward and speak to him,< I stated. he readily agreed.

Vuickly and silently I slipped out of my seat and into the darkened aisle. tepping over the e$tended

limbs of sleeping passengers who had let their e$hausted bodies overflow from their restricting seats, I atlast stepped down into the stairwell ne$t to the driver.

;E$cuse me, #e$or ,< I began, startling the sleepy man, ;but could you tell me how much longer untilwe arrive in 1illahermosa.< The driver, stretching a bit and sitting more erect in his seat, answered, ;Kusta half hour, enora, but we are not stopping there. The gas tank is full and we0ll be driving straightthrough until our breakfast stop at 5299 a.m. this morning.< With the sound of our voices, the co?driverwho had been sleeping soundly in the front seat, awoke to keep his partner company. I +uickly closedour discussion and returned through the cluttered aisle to my seat.

There in the stillness of the early morning hour, I prayed that the driver would somehow stop in1illahermosa to either wake up completely or switch drivers. *sking the #ord to take charge of thesituation, I simply trusted it to !im. The ne$t thirty minutes passed slowly as the bus continued its slow,

winding =ourney along the dark, lonely highway, now crossing the state of Tabasco.Imagine the elation I felt entering the state capital of 1illahermosa when our still groggy driver

pulled off the highway into the bus line0s service yard and got off the busP Ten minutes later the twouniformed drivers reappeared from a service building to resume the =ourney. Within minutes the newly?energetic roar of the engine, combined with my special sense of peace, lulled me into a short, but deepslumber.

The rising morning sun startled me into wakefulness only a few minutes before our cross?countrymotor coach pulled into the terminal for our breakfast stop. I opened my )ible to continue my reading ofthe 7salms from the Today0s English 1ersion. &avid0s prayer of confidence, 7salm 3C, became my personal prayer of thanksgiving in that moment.

Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord, all the good things I have come from you.” ... You Lord,

are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands. Ho onderful are your gifts to me; ho good they are! I "raise the Lord, #ecause he guides me, and in the night my conscience arns me. I am alays aare of the Lord$s "resence; he is near and nothing can sha%e me. &nd so I am than%ful and glad, and I feel com"letely secure, #ecause you "rotect me from the

"oer of death, &nd the one you love, you ill not a#andon to the orld of the dead.

You ill sho me the "ath that leads to life; your "resence fills me ith 'oy and #rings me "leasure forever.

?7salm 3C23,8, A?33 -TE1

!elen meanwhile had roused from her sleep. ;'h, !elen,< I began e$citedly, ;May I read you aspecial message God has given me =ust nowB I have marked today0s date and e$perience here in themargin of my )ible.< Then we re=oiced together as I again read the lovely words of 7salm 3C.

*fter our breakfast stop later that morning, I spoke to the driver as I boarded the bus once again forthe final leg of our =ourney. ;&idn0t you tell me last night that the gas tank was full and that you wouldnot be stoppingB< I asked.

;Des, I did,< he said. ;Why do you askB<

@8



Trying to measure my words carefully in order tonot offend him, I continued, ;I spoke to you in the night because I sensed that you were very tired from drivingalong that lonely stretch of highway.<

;Des,< he replied with surprising frankness. ;I washalf asleep. Thank you for coming forward to speak tome. I decided that I should stop to have a coke and

walk around a bit to wake myself up. That is why wemade the e$tra stop.<

I followed !elen on to my seat with a newrealiNation of the magnitude of God0s power to move inthe hearts of men and to change circumstances for !isglory. *s the psalmist of old wrote,

(all to me hen trou#le comes; I ill save you,

and you ill "raise me.

?7salm A923A -TE1

BY NYLON HOSE IN THE DESERT

Mile after mile of cactus and dry sagebrush on a colorless desert passed by our car windows. Theunvaried bleached?out landscape stretched out as far as the we could see, broken by neither the presenceof people nor towns. Even the never?ending string of power lines e$tending beyond the distant horiNoncontributed to our fatigue and boredom. The two children napped as the %hevelle station wagon0s airconditioner emitted an incessant, never?varying hum. 1irtually no traffic passed by. *s the rough surfaceof the narrow highway made high speeds unsafe, )ob drove tediously west toward our destination ofTorren. !is s+uinting eyes tired +uickly as we drove into the late afternoon sun directly ahead of us.The uninteresting sameness of the desert hour after hour anesthetiNed our senses and a dull weariness bore down heavily upon us.

;The monotony of this afternoon0s trip is so very tiresome,< I stated drowsily. ;Whoever saidMe$ico is a land of contrasts surely had this e$panse of arid desert in mind to compare to the verdantcities further south. The most e$citing thing that0s happened all afternoon was seeing that large iguanascurry across the highway a few miles back.<

;I agree,< commented )ob, ;but mostly we0re =ust tired from going through customs at the borderthis morning and from the long drive. I suppose we should have stopped to spend the night back inaltillo at four o0clock, and not driven these e$tra 35A miles to Torren this afternoon. I hated to wastethese daylight hours, though, and we0ll arrive at the Whitlow0s soon after dark.<

;7eople keep telling us never to drive on open roads after nightfall, but I still don0t really understand.'f course, since all this area is open range, cows and burros could be on the roadway. )ut one thing has

been on my mind.<;What0s thatB< )ob asked, glad for conversation to ease his boredom.;That there are no towns or gasoline stations within hours. What if we were to have car troubleB<;Is that allB< laughed )ob. ;This mission car is barely si$ months old. Granted, we0ve put almost

39,999 miles on it already, but what could go wrongB<;I suppose you0re right, !oney. )esides, I0m an$ious to get to the Whitlow0s house. !enry and )etty

promised to show us the )aptist eminary0s facilities, but I plan to go to bed early tonight. I0m reallyworn out.<

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;It0s only another 3@9 miles. I0ll have you there in a couple more hours,< )ob assured me.'ur conversation turned again to our visit with the Whitlows. *fter serving over seven years in

!ong ong as a seminary librarian, ;Whit< and his family had been reassigned to serve in an identical position for the Me$ican )aptist Theological eminary, located in Torren. Their year of language studyin Guadala=ara was completed =ust weeks before our arrival at the school. ince the eminary wasmoving to its new campus in Me$ico %ity0s northern suburbs in Kuly of 345H, Whit and )etty were to bein Torren only si$ months. We were looking forward to our overnight visit with them before their

move.'n down the highway we drove, the scenery still devoid of interest to our tired minds and bodies.

&ouglas slept on, stretched out in a narrow section in the back of the wagon surrounded by our luggageand sacks of stateside groceries. &avid lay sleeping on the back seat. Within moments, however, all thatwas to change.

* light flashed red on the car0s dashboard. Wrinkles creased )ob0s brow.;What is it, )obB< I asked.;Evidently running the air conditioner constantly, along with carrying e$tra weight in the back, has

caused the engine to overheat. We0ll have to turn off the air and open the windows despite the desert0sheat. )esides it0s almost dusk, so the temperature outside will lower rapidly. We0ll appreciate the coolevening air.<

Vuickly he flipped off the air conditioning, yet the insistent red light stayed on. ;I0ll stop and checkunder the hood,< stated )ob as he decreased our speed to pull off onto the grassy shoulder.

team billowed out as he raised the hood. With only a cursory inspection he realiNed that our newcar0s fan belt had snapped and had been thrown by the wayside miles back.

;Was I complaining about being boredB< I moaned. ;ow what shall we doB<)efore )ob could attempt an answer, a huge semi?trailer truck was lumbering down the highway

from behind. !is diesel engine emitted a burst of black smoke from its stack as the driver slowed his rigto pull onto the shoulder in front of our car. !is engine was left running as the driver stepped back to ourcar to scrutiniNe the situation.

;What0s the problemB< he asked as he approached us. ;%an I do anything to helpB<;'racias,< replied )ob, ;but I0m afraid not. The fan belt wore out and broke. 'ur only hope seems

to be for a Green *ngel tourist patrol car to come by. We0ve read they carry spare parts.<;F, that0s true,< answered the burly truck driver, ;but the last patrol for today has already passed onhis regular run until tomorrow morning.<

;Well, we0re off the highway enough on this straight stretch,< )ob thought aloud, ;that there0s nodanger of being hit. We0ll =ust sleep here in the car and wait until tomorrow morning0s Green *ngelcomes by. There0s surely no danger.<

;'h, no, #e$or P There is no danger, but you and I can fi$ your car. #et me get some rope from mycab.<

econds later he reappeared with a length of strong sisal rope and wire. !e and )ob worked side byside to thread the rope into the groove and then to fasten the rope tightly with wire. *ll the while theevening was getting more obscure.

;There. #et0s try itP< stated the driver triumphantly as they tightened the wire as securely as possiblearound the rope. ;There is a small rancho not far ahead on the left. The man there usually has somespare parts for sale. Try to get that far if you can.<

;Thank you again,< )ob said as he tried to bid the man goodbye.;)ut, #e$or , I shall be following you all the way.<;That0s not necessary,< insisted )ob. ;Dou have lost a lot of time already and will be late delivering

your freight to Torren.<;o, #e$or , I insist that you allow me to accompany you. ot that there is any danger, but it is not

@H



pleasant spending a night in the middle of the desert.<Giving in to the driver0s insistence, )ob =oined two wide?awake youngsters and me in the car and we

headed for the rancho. )y then the night was black. %reeping along at a snail0s pace a few kilometers,we finally pulled up to the rancho1s door. 'ur trucker friend parked beside us and, climbing down fromhis cab, +uickly disappeared into the dimly lit building. )ob followed.

(eappearing several minutes later with a fan belt in hand, )ob seemed relieved. I instructed therestless, fidgety children to stay in the car while I got out to hold a large flashlight in position while the

men worked to install the belt. 'nce the belt was installed, the men were more guarded in theiroptimism. It was too loose.

etting out once again with the trucker following slowly, our mission car only went ten kilometers before the fan belt detached itself and was lost.

!ad I said earlier that the trip was monotonousBWith our hopes dashed and trampled in the dust of the Me$ican desert, )ob persisted in urging the

truckers to leave us. !owever the driver, apparently giving no thought to his schedule, would notabandon us to that dangerous solitude.

;)ut, #e$or , you have told us each time that we would be in no danger, verdad B< )ob asked again indesperation, his spirits drooping lower by the minute.

; (0actamente, my friend, but one never knows when an unscrupulous person might happen by who

would take advantage of your isolation here in the night. )ut we will think of something. It should only be another thirty kilometers to the 7arras =unction. 7aila has an all?night 7eme$ gasoline station andcafe. Dou would be safe there.<

;!ow I wish I had a mechanic along,< )ob stated wishfully. ;There surely must be some way todevise a makeshift fan belt that would get us twenty miles.<

;Why didn0t I remember that earlierB< I asked rhetorically. ;)ob, I have known the solution to our problem all along. #ast fall during missionary orientation classes in Georgia, you were absent when amechanic spoke to our group about emergency procedures for car repairs.< I was elated that there wasindeed an answer to our dilemma.

;Go on, ancy, what is itB<;Well, the mechanic said that the best substitute for a fan belt is a woman0s nylon hose,< I replied,

thankful that the darkness hid my blushing face.)ob was incredulous. ;Whether it works or not, we have no other recourse. #et0s give it a try,< hesaid in a determined voice.

Vuickly I stepped behind our car door to slip off the only pair of pantyhose available. With his pocket knife )ob slashed off one leg of the hose, and the men once again leaned under the hood with theseriousness of two surgeons over an operating table. notting the nylon length tightly, we were off againto the accompaniment of the embarrassed giggles of our two little boys. "ifteen kilometers more werecovered before it busted. The dash0s red warning light flashed on again.

;That0s fifteen more kilometers than I would have believed,< commented )ob optimistically. ;*tleast we have one more legP )ut let0s pray that this one gets us to the 7eme$ station.< "or the fourth timethe friendly trucker pulled to the shoulder behind us. * wide grin crossed his face as he approached our

car. ;*h, #e$ora, you are a fine mechanic. ow I believe we shall soon get to 7arras =unction where youcan rest and eat.<;This one will get us there,< )ob declared confidently as they secured the second hose tightly. ;'ur

ordeal is surely about over.<*fter what seemed like hours, we spotted the welcome lights of the 7eme$ station up the highway

on our right. We were e$cited of course, and relieved. &riving along slowly, )ob heard the last nylonhose flip loose. My heart skipped a beat.

;&on0t worry, ancy. We can make it now, I0m sure.<

@A



The red warning light flashed on once more, but )ob inched the car forward at a retarded pace untilfinally we pulled up under the few bright fluorescent lights left on for an occasional nighttime customer.;Thank you, #ord,< I e$claimed aloud.

'ur trip from altillo to 7aila, a distance of eighty miles, had taken us si$ hours, for it was then teno0clock. 'ur faithful friend, the truck driver, had persisted cheerfully for five hours to see that we andour car arrived to a place of safety for the night. !is preoccupation and concern for an *merican family : strangers he0d never see again : was demonstrative of the unselfish, caring attitude of so many

Me$icans. !is good?humored helpfulness contributed to our ever?growing love and respect for theMe$ican people.

)ob offered the trucker a few dollars to show our gratitude. They were accepted reluctantly after)ob insisted. Then the trucker was finally on his way to deliver his freight to Torren.

'nce we went inside the nearly?deserted cafe, the waitress acknowledged the e$istence of atelephone. *fter taking our order for supper, she assumed her secondary =ob as long distance telephoneoperator, placing a call on a primitive switchboard to the Whitlows in Torren. he motioned for )ob totake the call inside an anti+ue wooden phone booth in one corner of the dining area. Moments later, )obreturned to our table.

;)etty was at home although Whit was still not back from a church meeting. he assured me thathe0d drive out here at daybreak with a new fan belt. ince their mission car is the same make, Whit0s

spare fan belt will fit perfectly. I assured her we0d be fine here until morning.< Meanwhile the waitressserved our soft drinks and quesadillas. !ot corn tortillas filled with melted white cheese tastedespecially good as we were famished. &ouglas and &avid completed their meal by eating packagedcream?filled chocolate cupcakes. "inally, at 33299 p.m. We were ready to bed down in the car to getsome rest before morning. *fter all, I had planned on getting to bed earlyP

The brisk night air sent a chill through my body as we walked to the car. We had only warm?weatherclothing with us and the night was turning cold. *n ine$pensive 4 $ 38 foot carpet we had purchased atthe border had been folded and refolded to cover the back of the station wagon. )ob and &ouglas,rearranging luggage and sacks of canned goods, crawled into the back and burrowed down betweenlayers of carpet. *lthough it was so stiff that it didn0t conform to the contour of their bodies, it helpedgreatly to shield them from the cold night air,.

Three?year old &avid climbed into the front seat with me, bringing with him his pillows and baby blankets. Grabbing two of )ob0s hanging sport =ackets to cover our already?shivering bodies, I snuggled&avid tightly against my body so that we could help keep one another warm. !ow I wished for anelectric blanket and a way to plug it inP oon &avid0s teeth +uit chattering as he fell into a restlessslumber. *fter a few hours of shivering sleep, I awoke near dawn even colder than before. (eaching back for the last available coverings, I snatched two pair of )ob0s slacks from their hanger andhaphaNardly threw them over &avid and myself.

We were rescued from our refrigerated prison at C299 a.m. when Whit drove into the station. To our pleasant surprise, )etty had sent along a large thermos of hot chocolate. !ow scrumptiously warm ittasted as we sat in Whit0s heated car and relished each sip. )etty had also sent some snack cereals whichthe children greedily devoured. In no time at all )ob and Whit had installed our new, tight?fitting fan

belt and we were on our way to Torren, ninety?five miles west.The four of us had an impromptu praise session during the ne$t hour and a half as our mission carsped toward Torren. We talked of God0s watchcare over us and that !e surely must have sent the kindtruck driver by at the precise moment of our need. *nd we discussed missionary orientation and itsfourteen weeks of fine preparation.

;Dou know, )ob, my hearing that mechanical presentation was surely no coincidence. Isn0t it beautiful how God prepares us ahead of time for needs and problems we will have in the futureB<

We spoke of new friends like Whit and )etty who give so freely and unselfishly of themselves.

@C



;Whit left home at H2@9 this morning to bring us the replacement fan belt,< mentioned )ob. ;*nd nowhe has a long drive back before breakfast. I really appreciate him.<

;I like *unt )etty 0cause she sent us cereal and hot chocolate,< inserted little &avid.&oug giggled, ;We should be thankful that Mama was wearing the 0spare part0 we needed, tooP<!ow easy it was, even for children, to praise the #ord for !is goodness and protection, !is

provision for our every need.Minutes later we drove into the city and soon were parked at the Whitlow0s curb. pon entering the

house, we encountered )etty waiting for us with plates of crisp, aromatic bacon and mouth?wateringsourdough pancakes. It was an ideal way to end a less?than?ideal night on the desert.

BY PRAYER IN SAN AGUSTIN

The car trip from 'a$aca to the Qapotec Indian village of an *gustFn #o$icha to show moviesduring !oly Week was an especially tedious one, yet not without a special incident to stamp the

e$perience into )obXs memory.*fter stopping in Miahuatln to pick up 7ablo, a %hristian teenager from the village, )ob had no

worry about getting lost along the way. !owever 7ablo was +uick to warn him of the difficult, almostimpassable dusty road that awaited the %arry?all after leaving the main road they were then traveling,itself only dirt and rock.

;Dou see, /ermano, there is only one truck which travels the road to our village. The owner is myneighbor. Twice a week he makes the trip to uchi$tepec to bring in staples and soft drinks. !e is alsoour bus service. )ut the road has been shaped by his heavy tires and the ruts may be too deep for your%arry?all.<

evertheless, the two continued ahead, confident they would be able to get through somehow.!ours later, )ob turned from the main road onto the single?lane track which would take them four hours

later to an *gustFn #o$icha, a distance of about forty miles. *fter two laborious hours of driving, )obaand 7ablo came across two young men walking.

;%an we give you a rideB< asked 7ablo out the window. ;Gracias, weXd appreciate it,< they replied,almost in unison, as they climbed up into the %arry?all. !owever, in only a few minutes the car suddenlyspluttered to a stop, in the middle of nowhere. *ll )obXs tools had been stolen from the car a few daysearlier, so after checking under the hood and being unable to discover anything, )ob suggested to 7ablothat they pray about the situation.

neeling in front of the car, )ob prayed, ;#ord, Dou know the car wonXt run and weXre helpless todo anything about it. Even if I were sure what were wrong, I have no tools. o #ord, if we are to get toan *gustFn, Dou will have to intervene. ow I firmly believe it is Dour Will for us to show thesemovies about %hrist to the villagers there, so I pray that Dou will fi$ whatever is wrong with the car so

that we can be on our way. Thank you, #ord, in KesusX name. *men.<)ob and 7ablo then rose and climbed into the car. The two other riders, a bit bewildered by the turn

of events, waited skeptically by the side of the road, a dubious look written on their faces. *s the engineturned over on the first attempt, )ob beheld two +uite startled and impressed young riders. Vuickly theyclimbed in and the group proceeded on their way. )ob and 7ablo were then able to share moredynamically the power and love of God with two strangers. When the riders got out minutes later, theywere still awed by the e$perience. God had used a dirty, clogged gas filter to reinforce the faith of !ischildren and for a witness to two non?believers.

@5



BY FOOT TO LLANO DE LEON

"or several weeks )ob had been planning his trip from Guadala=ara to the )aptist associationalmeeting in the southern state of 'a$aca. pon completing language school two months later, the familywould be moving to that area as it was our chosen field of work. Det the brethren had invited )ob toattend their four day ovember meeting in the remote village of #lano de #en -7lain of the #ion tolead them in a ten?hour lay evangelism training session. Thus it was that )ob had taken an all?night bus

ride from Guadala=ara to Me$ico %ity. "ellow missionaries met him at the bus and took him to thecapitalXs International *irport for the flight on to the city of 'a$aca, capital of the state by the samename. There he was met by Kim 7hilpot, agricultural missionary for 'a$aca since 34C4. (etiring earlythat night, the two men arose at four?thirty the following morning to meet at the bus station with severalMe$ican )aptist men who would be making the grueling trip with them.

(umbling out of the city by five?thirty, the crowded second?class bus was already overflowing with people, luggage, and chickens. Even the standing space in the aisle was occupied by short, barefootIndians gripping tightly onto whatever anchor was available. 'utside, the top of the bus was adornedwith more luggage and a few hogs tied securely for the bumpy trip ahead.

;The first hour is not bad,< declared Kim. ;The road is blacktopped until ola de 1ega, but thesucceeding eight hours are through rugged mountains over barely passable dirt roads that should be

closed. !owever you will like the people of #lano de #en.< !e continued. ;'f the one hundred andfifty people in the isolated mountain village, only fifteen are not %hristians. The people have no locks ontheir doors, as there is no crime. *nd although most live a hand?to?mouth e$istence, there is a certainvitality and enthusiasm in their secluded hamlet. 1irtually every night the men gather in their chapel building to play their instruments and sing hymns.<

The ne$t hours ticked off tediously. There was conversation from time to time, although once the bus left the paved highway and was skidding over the loose gravel of the hand?built roadbed, most of the passengersX attention was on either the driver or on the precipices falling away at the roadwayXs edge.There had been recent landslides which had carried dirt and rocks down the embankment in +uantity.Det the decrepit bus would recklessly maneuver its way through or around the rubble, scarcely slowingits speed. The driver seemed to hasten from one dangerous mountain curve to the ne$t, as if gripped by

the subconscious death wish. Then there would follow short stretches of road to offer some relief to thenervous stomachs of those aboard. )ob became fascinated by the strange?sounding Indian dialect heheard spoken from various corners of the bus. These were the descendants of the ancient Mi$teco tribe.!e recalled that over forty per cent of 'a$acaXs population is almost pure Indian, conserving many of thecustoms and the language of their ancestors, and that many thousands still do not speak panish. )obhad learned earlier that over eighty distinct dialects are spoken =ust in the state of 'a$aca. *nd he hadnot even finished one year of panish language studyP !ow will all these people ever be reached withthe gospel, he thought. It was then that he overheard the )aptist hermano in the seat behind him telling

@6



his seatmate about Kesus %hrist and !is power to change lives. ;Des,< reflected )ob, ;that is still the best way. imply telling another what %hrist has done in our life, and how each can accept !im forhimself.<

ot long afterwards, at three oXclock in the afternoon, the clamorous rackety bus skidded to anabrupt halt in the little mountain town of an Gabriel Mi$tepec. The fifteen weary men of the groupworked their way through the crowded aisle and thrust themselves thankfully out onto the tierra firmeonce again. ome hastened to scale the outside ladder at the rear of the bus to lower their remaining

baggage from above, before the vehicle once again rattled on its way further south to the 7acific coast.everal men were there to welcome them and to serve as their guides for the duration of the trip on

foot. *fter the lengthy initial greetings and handshakes, the fatigued group was escorted to the nearby)aptist mission of an Gabriel where a few kind hermanas had graciously prepared an ample meal forthem to en=oy before continuing on the roughest part of their =ourney.

With gusto the men ate the turkey meat covered with the traditional thick, reddish?brown molesauce> huge servings of black beans> and innumerable large, cornflour tortillas, as they +uenched theirthirst with the ubi+uitous bottled refrescos.

The Me$ican missionary for the region soon interrupted their fellowship, however. ; /ermanos, wemust get started. We have a si$ hour trek ahead of us, and even now we will be forced to travel afternightfall.< !urriedly the revived travelers e$pressed their gratitude to the men and women of an

Gabriel for their hospitality and went out again into the dusty street.!aving regained their strength to some degree, they braced themselves for the grueling hike ahead.

They had been told about the thin thread the Indians called a path, that wound its way precariouslyaround the contour of the pine?sprinkled mountains. *nd the Indians had related graphic descriptions oftheir encounters with the wild boar, the jabal. , which inhabited that region. ever did one travel in thosemountains after dark if it could be avoided.

*s their huarache?sandalled indigenous guides brought forth two horses, the regional missionaryreminded them. ;We must get across the (Fo 1erde before sunset. It would be risky to wade through theriver after dark. #etXs travel as fast as possible.< The men +uickly decided among themselves which twowould begin the hard trip on horseback. ;Every little while we can switch riders,< stated one hermano.;!e who is not accustomed to treading these rugged mountain paths will tire easily.<

Thus they began the second and last leg of their pilgrimage to the *ssociational meeting in #lano de#en.*fter three hours of tedious travel, the group worked its way down the side of yet another mountain

and followed the sinewy path as it wound its way along the river bank until it led straight into the swiftriver. There at the waterXs edge at dusk )ob was fortunate to be on one of the horses. Those two onhorseback forded the river with little trouble, although the water reached the top of the saddle. Those onfoot +uickly slipped off their shoes and trousers, and balancing their clothes and bedrolls on their heads,they entered the cold, chest?high waters to wade the fifty yards across. It made a strange?looking procession.

"ollowing the hard three?hour walk, the cold water was invigorating and seemed to revive the menXs physically e$hausted bodies. evertheless, they were thankful when the last man had safely emerged on

the opposite shore. ever in his life had )ob e$perienced such a trip. )ut the most dangerous part wasyet to come.The sun had set as the e$pedition twisted straight back up another mountain from the riverbank.

Within an hour the caravan had ascended into the thick low?hung clouds of the southern ierra Madres.)ob had by now conceded the horse to another comrade, and was on foot once again. !e had seen theapprehension written on the faces of their guides at sundown and ultimately decided to +uestion one ofthem further. ; /ermano,< he began as they traveled upwards, ;*re you really worried about ourtraveling on the nightB<

@4



;#. , /ermano (oberto,< he replied. ;ince there are many of us, I am not so worried about the wild jabal. Xs attack. Det even during daylight one does not travel these trails without risk. *nd tonight there isnot even the welcome light of the moon to help us.< )efore continuing his e$planation, the short, agileIndian shone one of the few flashlights among the group out into the darkness to his right. ; /ermano,from now on until we reach our village, there are barrancas and ravines hundreds of feet deep =ustinches from our trail. The heavy fog causes e$tra slipperiness on the rocks and recent rains have causednew landslides. #. , /ermano, I am a little worried, but Dios mediante, we shall arrive safely within a few

hours.<7resently the path widened enough that the riders of the two mounts were switched, and )ob once

again was privileged to ride. Mopping his wet face with his already damp handkerchief, and slapping hisrain?soaked cowboy hat against his leg to release a small portion of the moisture, he tried to rela$ histired, tense body. Det he found himself working along with the unfortunate mare as both strained everymuscle to fight their way together over the rocky, muddy trail. 'ccasionally the horse would stumble onthe loose, wet rocks and almost lose her footing. Each step had to be taken with care. Meanwhile )obstrained his eyes, trying to pierce the darkness as he watched for washouts in the trail that might send both horse and rider falling into the deep chasms far below.

Then amidst the murky darkness, the words of a beloved 7salm memoriNed during college daysfilled )obXs soul.

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains>"rom whence shall my help comeBMy help comes from the #ord,Who made heaven and earth,!e will not allow your foot to slip.!e who keeps you will not slumber.

?7salm 3832 3?@ -*

The ne$t two hours passed with amaNing rapidity. oon the hikers began their final descent. Withyet another thirty minutes of winding trail ahead of them, they could hear strains of familiar hymns being

sung energetically on the plateau below them. That which sounded like trumpet music reached their earsas the dim twinkling of gas lanterns became evident through the opa+ue night air, signaling the comfortand safety of the mission building. Then they trod down and crossed a little rippling creek and climbedone last time to the mountain plateau which accommodated the ma=ority of the villageXs population.

The drowsy e$hausted company of travelers was enthusiastically welcomed by the crowd of believers in the mission chapel at ten oXclock that night. *s the singing continued to the accompanimentof guitars, as well as an accordion and a trumpet, the men were escorted to a cabin where they were leftto crawl wearily into their sleeping bags.

)arely had the singing resumed when )ob and the others were sound asleep.

H9



TRAVELING IN FIRST GEAR

* discussion of travel in Me$ico would not be complete without mention being made of our dailytravel e$periences the last two years in the metropolitan areas of Me$ico %ity. With a population of over3A million people utiliNing the cityXs modern freeway systems, there are inevitable and seeminglyinsurmountable problems. Many Me$icans =oke about the terrible traffic situation which is worseningdaily. 'ne of their favorites goes something like this.

;!ere in Me$ico %ity we have a first?class freeway.<;Why is it firstB<;)ecause the traffic moves so slowly, you never get a chance to shift into second.<The =oke would be funnier if it were not so true. Many traveling *mericans are stunned by our

seemingly never?ceasing rush?hour traffic. everal widely traveled visitors have assured us that ours is possibly the worst traffic situation in the world. The cityXs frantic efforts to e$pand its e$cellent subwayand public transportation systems seems to have come too late. The number of vehicles on the roadcombined with the Me$icansX driving personality work together to provide a constant frustration forthose who will allow it to unnerve them.

'ur mission home is fifteen miles north of the %apital %ity )aptist %hurch. *lthough on undaymornings the trip can be made in twenty minutes, the same distance usually takes at least one hour in

weekday morning or evening traffic. Many committee meetings, held in membersX homes, may re+uire afifty?mile trip, as members are scattered to all corners of the giant metropolitan area.

"acing this kind of travel situation daily poses a real challenge to practical %hristianity. egative+ualities of impatience, rudeness, anger, or a revengeful spirit are constantly manifested by freewaydrivers. ;!ow can we as %hristians not be drawn into these reactionsB< we ask ourselves. everal thingshave proven effective as we search for ways to redeem the hours necessarily spent in traffic.

Whenever possible we invite other church members living nearby to ride with us to churchfunctions. 1isiting and getting to know each other better makes the time pass more +uickly. *s ourchurch promotes enrollment in the )ible Memory *ssociationXs organiNed plan for cripturememoriNation, )ob and I found our time behind the wheel an ideal opportunity to further our knowledgeof the criptures. This helped lead us naturally into making those hours a time for singing hymns and for

prayer : eyes open, of course. We found it not so very difficult to be courteous to fellow drivers, and patient when traffic stalls indefinitely when our minds are on the #ord.

o matter whether todayXs missionary is traveling through =ungles or deserts, mountains or plains,areas of political unrest or through the densely populated asphalt =ungles of the worldXs metropolitanareas, atan is always there in one form or another. &angers, obstacles and frustrating circumstancesseem ever?present, but one thing is certain. 'ur loving and protecting God is also present, and it is !ewho gives victory and safety in travel.

H3



VI. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A MISSIONARY KID?

AN MK CLIMBS OVER ANCIENT MAYAN PYRAMIDS

WhatXs it like to be a missionary kid in Me$icoB

*n M

%limbs over ancient Mayan pyramids, and rides in modern crowded subways.

Eats chicken soup for breakfast in a mountain village, and eats %olonel anders entucky?friedchicken in Me$ico %ity.

!elps Mom purify all the fruit and vegetables in iodine water, then drinks dirty water from thefront yard hose when sheXs not looking.

(ides horseback down a mountainside, and rides an elevator to the top of a skyscraper to lookdown on the tiny cars in the streets below.

*n M Meets new friends and classmates from all over the world, yet forgets what his own cousins look

like.

Gets typhoid fever even though they made him get shots =ust last year.

7icks Mom a bou+uet of giant poinsettia blooms in Kanuary, while he tries to remember whatsnow is like.

nows firsthand the geography of his adopted country far better than he will ever know that ofthe nited tates.

*n M ees parts of the world most people only dream of.

(ides in airplanes and builds sand castles at the seashore.

#ives in seven houses in five years and attends si$ schools.

7lants peanuts in 'a$aca, but has to move before harvest time.

*n M

Watches his dog give birth to puppies, then hurries to a swimming lesson.

Kumps up and down with =oy when he gets a personal letter from Grammy and Grand?dad

truggles to read=ust to .. culture while home on furlough, and

When back in the nited tates and is asked, ;&o you like spaghettiB *nswers, ;I donXt know.!ow do you play that gameB

*n M

Is a very special child of God.

H8





MY THREE#YEAR#OLD MK

$T! D%&i' ()!m D%'*

Dou are a charmer,with yellow hair that captures the attentionand affection of every muchacha,and a ready smile that is as contagious as measles.

What sounds to me like a recording played too fast,you understand perfectly andthe foreign sounds that I practice painfullyroll easily from you three?year?old lips.

;%ulture shock< has no significance for you.#ikewise you seem not to know about pessimism and pre=udice, andyour anger can only endure a few fleeting seconds.

!ow soon will you learn these thingsB *nd from whomB

Dou are so impressionable, little one,that everything that touches you leaves a dent, but you are so fle$ible that you bend with blows that nearly break me.

God made you so magnificentlythat learning to be a missionaryis easier for youthan learning to tie your shoes.

? R!+)- L. P))

HH



MY SIX#YEAR#OLD MK $T! D!/0 ()!m D%'*

I hope to do something great for the #ord,

but !e has given you potential, my son,to accomplish things grander

than I can envision.

The difficult ad=ustments of becoming bi?lingual and bi?culturalseem natural and simple stepsfor you.

*t age si$ you have seen placesand e$perienced thingsthat I had not at age twenty?si$

I see you becoming strong of body and +uick of mind,and already a sensitive %hristian spirit andself?disciplined responsibilityare beginning to take shape in you.

God is clearly molding you for !is purposethrough every circumstance and event.I humbly accept my part in you development,recogniNing that the greatest investment of myself in service God,may be that which I invest in you.

#R!+)- L. P))

HA





HAVING A NIGHTMARE

It was a Monday evening like any other that *ugust in Me$ico %ity. "ollowing the evening meal,each family member had become engrossed in his particular activity. *s I washed the dishes andstraightened the kitchen, the two children went to play in their room. )ob was reading in the den.

ot many minutes had passed before si$?year?old &avid, realiNing it was about bedtime, sheepishlyopened the door to the den. !esitantly he entered, whimpering softly.

;What is it, &avidB< asked his father, scooping up his little son to deposit him on his lap.

;(emember that bad dream I had last night,< &avid began, now crying aloud. ;Tonight IXll haveanother one and IXm scared, &addy.<

;&avid, you neednXt be afraid. IXm here and IXll take care of you. *nd the #ord is with us and !ealways takes care of us.<

;)ut, &addy, sometimes GodXs with me, and sometimes !eXs with someone else.<

;o, !eXs with all of us all the time,< assured his father.

;!ow many is !eB 'ne or a hundredB<

;Kust one, on, but !eXs everywhere at the same time.<

;!ow can !e do thatB<;!eXs a pirit, &avid, !eXs not like we are, !e can be with all !is children no matter where they are

in the world.<

"ather and son walked hand in hand into &avidXs bedroom. )ob gently tucked the covers around hisyoung son.

;&addy, letXs pray so I wonXt be afraid.< )ob prayed that God would give both boys a good nightXssleep and that they would awaken rested and happy in the morning.

;I want to pray too,< &avid stated, his sniffling now stopped. ;&ear #ord, thank Dou for everythingDou do for us. Thank Dou that Kesus is a soldier, a strong soldier to take care of us. obody is strongerthan !im. !elp me not to be scared and not to have bad dreams tonight. In KesusX name, amen.<

;&addy, Kesus is like a soldier to guard us, rightB<;Des, on.<

;&ay and night, rightB<

;Des, all the time.<

;!e never even takes one eye off of us, does !eB<

;o, !e doesnXt.<

;Goodnight, &addy.<

;Goodnight, &avid.<

H5



WITH THE CHICKEN POX

&avid is now almost seven. !e is still a charming little e$trovert with a happy mischievousdisposition. &avid has made a very open and genuine response to %hrist to the best of his presentunderstanding and awareness. !e prays for people and asks us to pray for him when he has a problem.

&avid recently contracted chicken po$.

*fter trying unsuccessfully to sleep for several hours one night, he climbed from his bed and enteredthe living room crying.

;&addy, my chicken po$ itches and I canXt sleep.<

;IXm sorry, on. &id Mom give you some medicine earlierB<

;Des, but it didnXt help. I canXt go to sleep.<

;I know youXre uncomfortable, &avid, but I really donXt know what to do to help you. #etXs go sit onyour bed and ask God to help you.<

<', &addy,< replied his trusting young son.

'nce sitting side by side on &avidXs bed, )ob began, ;&ear #ord. Dou know how much I love&avid, but we know that Dou love him even more because he is Dour child =ust as he is mine. We

believe in Dour power to help us get well and to make us feel better, so I pray that Dou will be with&avid right now. #et him know that Dou are with him and that Dou love him this evening. !elp him toget a good nightXs sleep. *nd thank Dou, #ord, that we have a warm house and a comfortable bed tosleep in. In KesusX name we pray, amen.<

;Thank you, &addy.<

;DouXre welcome, on. Good night.<

*s )ob rose to leave the room, confident that he had handled the situation well, &avidXs sobbingvoice presented him with one of those probing theological +uestions. ;)ut &ad, sometimes even whenwe pray, things still donXt come out rightP< %hallenged by such a logical and basic +uestion, )ob pausedas he thought how to respond to &avid in simple and forthright terms.

;ThatXs true, &avid. ometimes God might make us well right away to show us !e has the power tomake us well, but sometimes !e wants to show us that !e can give us patience or strength to go througha bad time. )ut either way, &avid, !e loves you and !eXs with you.<

;IXll close my eyes, but I donXt think IXm going to sleep.<

;I think youXll be able to sleep. ee you in the morning, on.<

;Good night, &addy.<

hould I stop there and lead the reader to believe that &avid slept peacefully all night longB &avidhad a rough night with the chicken po$. Det, although he didnXt sleep much, he didnXt cry or get upsetagain during the night. "or God had once again used a missionary to minister within his own family.IsnXt that where missions beginB

H6



VII. WHO ARE A MISSIONARY1S FRIENDS?

MEXICAN CHRISTIAN WOMEN

%hatting with another new missionary, Minnie !icks, as we walked home from language school =ustthree weeks after arriving in Guadala=ara, she commented, ;ancy, this afternoon I0m to attend a birthday party for two women who attend our church. Why don0t you come with meP<

;Great,< I answered without hesitation. ;I0m an$ious to see how Me$icans celebrate specialoccasions. May I take &avid alongB<

;ure,< replied Minnie. ;Three?year?olds always like a partyP We0ll leave in an hour.<

*fter picking up several Me$ican women at the church, Minnie directed the car out of the city limitsto one of many new colonias or subdivisions. *s we drove along we left behind concrete pavement forcobblestone, then cobblestone for dirt and dust.

; /ermana Minnie,< spoke up our companion in the front seat, ;someone has evidently dumped theirtrash here on the main road into the area, but there is another way around to your left.<

The rough alternate ;road< threatened to scrape the bottom of the car at every move, but we finallyfound the little one?room adobe brick house we were seeking and, parking our car in the unfinished

street, we got out. I lifted &avid up and over an open drainage ditch a few yards from the front door ofthe humble dwelling. *s the family0s open well was near their front door, I led &avid inside the housewith me.

; ienvenidas, hermanas,< chimed two women as they +uit stirring their simmering pots to welcomeus. *dding the traditionally Me$ican statement, ; (st6n en su casa< similar to our ;Make yourself athome,< they encouraged us to be seated.

unshine flooded through the open doorway and two small windows, dispelling the darkness of thehouse. The family had tiled the floor of the front half where the kitchen and living area were. Two old,

H4



full?siNed beds and dressers on a hard?packed dirt floor completed the furnishings of the house. *s a borrowed rickety bench was carried in from the neighbors to add to the e$isting two homemade, straight? back chairs, several of us were seated. 'thers took their place sitting on the side of a bed. &avid sat onthe floor playing +uietly with two scrawny kittens.

When all nine women had been seated, the pastor0s wife who had accompanied us led in a )iblestudy of 7salm 49. *fter prayer and several hymns, the group decided to go on visitation while ourhostess finished preparing refreshments.

*s we walked several blocks down dusty paths, the pastor0s wife e$plained to Minnie and me, ;*sthree of our active church families live in this colonia, our church has begun a mission here. 'ver thereyou can see the two?room adobe mission building that is almost completed. We want to visit a familynow to invite them to come to mission services.<

)y then we had arrived at the home of the prospect. everal tiny children had already scurriedinside to announce our group0s arrival, so the senora soon appeared in her doorway and graciouslyinvited everyone inside. hooing five little pre?schoolers out of the house, she pulled up two long, hand? built benches for us to sit on. I noticed that the sole provision for their family0s sleeping was twohammocks tied back until needed later that night. *s I saw no open well nearby, &avid hurried backoutside to play with the children and chickens.

;#e$ora,< began the woman in our group who lived close by, ;we have =ust begun to hold religiousservices nearby. We have )ible study for children and for adultos. We hope that you and your familywill come.<

;I have heard the singing,< replied our smiling hostess, ;and my children have told me there wereseveral of their friends who went last unday. They want to go too. That is unusual, for never beforehave they liked to go to Mass with me.<

;Then you will comeB< asked one of our group.

;Des, we will be there this unday morning, but my husband will not want to go.<

;We will be praying for him,< said the pastor0s wife.

*fter we had prayer for the family and the new mission, each woman shook hands with their new

friend and filed out the narrow doorway and into the bright sunshine.;Thank you for coming,< called the se$ora behind us.

We trod back down the footpath to continue our birthday celebration. When we were once againseated in our hostess0 home, she served each person a fried flat tortilla spread with chicken salad mi$edwith peas and carrots. The crunchy tostada, as this snack is called, tasted good after our walk in thewarm Kanuary sun. mall bottles of 7epsi completed the refreshments. Even &avid had seconds of thehot chicken salad, this time served on less e$pensive saltine crackers.

We concluded our party by singing a hearty round of 4el.z 8umplea$os, their traditional %hristian birthday song, and with a special prayer for the two hermanas celebrating a birthday. We then piled intoMinnie0s mission?owned station wagon for the trip back.

*fter leaving the Me$ican women back at their church, Minnie and I had time to reflect on our

afternoon0s activity as we drove home.

;Minnie, two things impressed me today,< I began. ;"irst, the warmth with which you and I werereceived and included in their plans. *nd second, and more important, was how happy those %hristianwomen are even though they live in such humble surroundings. I believe we *mericans too often letmaterialistic matters govern our degree of happiness. Today I have seen real =oy in the #ord in the livesof women not bound by materialistic concerns. It has been a refreshing lesson for me. Thank you for bringing me along.<

A9



LITTLE CHILDREN

;#e$ora ancy, #e$ora ancy,< an e$cited voice called out. Glancing upfrom unloading our luggage from the uburban %arry?all that was our assignedmission vehicle, I watched little nine?year?old Kulieta skipping up the sidewalkto our house in 'a$aca. We had =ust returned from a business trip to Me$ico

%ity, located seven hours to the north. (eturning with us were three friends, Mr.and Mrs. (ichard Taylor and Miss 7amela %owling, who had flown in fromMissouri to visit us.

; /ola, Kulieta,< I called with a smile to the approaching figure of my little neighbor. *s Kulietastopped before me, her large, brown eyes suddenly became serious as she hesitantly went on, ;#e$ora ancy, you have been gone and you have missed my birthday party.<

Instantly I felt sad at not having been able to be there to share that party with this petite, brownIndian friend. Even though she lived right across the street from our new, two?story rented missionaryhome, her life was so completely different than ours. Kulieta0s house, where she lived with her motherand si$ brothers and sisters, was made of scraps of tin, cardboard, bricks or of anything else that might be useful which the family members could find in trash piles. !er mother cooked over an open wood fire

in the small open courtyard, and felt fortunate to have an oldtime well from which to draw water. Thetwo, small lean?to rooms at the far edge of the lot contained only a rickety little table> two s+uatty, broken chairs> one old, bare mattress> an ironing board and iron> and two swinging hammocks, strungout from one wall to another. 'ne could not help but wonder how everyone managed to find sleepingspace each night at bedtime. 'ne naked light bulb hanging from the corrugated tin ceiling was visiblethrough the faded piece of fabric hanging in the doorway to ward off the cold of the valley0s night air.Det while Kulietta0s father worked as a laborer far north in Me$ico %ity, her mother took in washing andironing to earn enough pesos for the children to go to school.

)ut my thoughts were interrupted as Kulieta continued. ;#e$ora ancy, my pap6 sent money for a pi$ata and I wanted you to be there to watch us break it and to share the candy and fruit it had inside.<

;'h, Kulieta, I am so very sorry, but we were in Me$ico %ity. ee, I have brought some friends to

visit us. )ut, Kulieta, we would still like to come a birthday party for you. If we may come to your housethis Monday evening, we will bring everything we need for another party.<

;I will go tell my mother,< yelled Kulieta e$citedly as she ran back across the street, her long braidsflying. ;ee you on Monday,< she called.

*s Monday evening approached, our plans were carefully made. (emembering that gelatin desserts,rather than ice cream, are always served at birthday parties, we stirred up a large bowl of red Kell?'.Then candies and suckers for all the children were sacked up, and presents wrapped. 'ur guests haddecided to chose their gift for Kulieta from the small %hrisitan book store we maintained in our home. *sher gift, Mrs. Taylor chose a book entitled #anta iblia Para *., "The !oly )ible for Me,< that toldhow the )ible came to be and what each book was about. Kulieta already had a ;Good ews for ModernMan< ew Testament in panish and had been attending unday chool and church with our family.7am had brought some lovely used clothes with her, and carefully chose what would fit Kulieta and heryounger sister, five?year?old Elsa. *s I chose two pair of new shoes from some brought to us by earliervisitors from the tates, I thought, ;!ow thankful I am for friends. ow Kulieta and Elsa won0t have towear their rubber thongs to school.< To all this, we added some ;fun things< and off we went to Kulieta0shouse.

The make?shift door was +uickly opened as we knocked at the MartFneN house. Kulieta0s mother, thinand looking much older than her thirty?two years, graciously ushered us into the larger room. *round us

A3



clustered Kulieta and Elsa, pre?schoolers adot and Korge, and toddler Eva, followed up by older brothers!abacuc and Gustavo. Even though Mrs. Taylor and 7am could speak no panish, they wereimmediately caught up in the lively, festive spirit of the moment. They especially watched the sparklingeyes of the two older girls as they each opened her presents while the other children shared in therefreshments. &id I detect tears in the eyes of petitie Mys. MartFneN as she told each one, ;Gracias. VuO&ios les bendiga.< I sensed that there was no need for me to translate her e$pression of appreciation andwish for God0s blessing upon these visitors, for in that moment I felt a bond trying all of us together

through that happy e$perience of sharing.;Thank you, #ord,< I prayed silently that night, ;for allowing even two of my friends from the tates

to be here. *nd thank you for all our other friends who could not come to Kulieta0s party, but who love boys and girls like her enough that they sent us here to 'a$aca.<

A8



CO#WORKERS, PAST AND PRESENT

outhern )aptist work began in Me$ico in 3669 with the appointment of Kohn %. Westrup asmissionary. ince that time our work has e$panded to presently include over seventy?five missionariesinvolved in many facets of %hristian ministry. Each of our co?workers play an important role in helpingus carry the Gospel of %hrist to the people of Me$ico. Det much of today0s success is due to the solid

foundations laid years ago by earlier %hristian workers.'ne outstanding e$ample is the Me$ican )aptist Theological eminary which celebrated its 5A th

anniversary in 345C. !aving recently moved its campus from Torreon to Me$ico %ity, this schoolcontinues to train Me$ican people to carry out all aspects of %hristian service. 'ffering three levels ofstudy, according to the student0s previous educational preparation, the school is showing an increasedenrollment of young men and women each year. "or those unable to attend the seminary itself, theschool directs an e$tension program reaching out to all parts of Me$ico, as it trains Me$ico0s present andfuture %hristian leaders.

'ur 49?bed )aptist Me$ico?*merican !ospital, inaugurated in 34A6, is considered one of the finesthospitals in western Me$ico. Many of its staff are Me$ican )aptists. * missionary nurse helps to direct aschool of nursing, and both a Me$ican and a missionary chaplain minister to patients. *nother aspect of

the healing ministry is a mobile medical unit which travels to many parts of the nation. *s physicalneeds are being met by a physician and a dentist, missionaries and national workers present the Gospelto those in the waiting room.

*nother e$ample of our dependence on our co?workers, past and present, is the )aptist panish7ublishing !ouse of El 7aso, Te$as. It was begun in 349A as a print shop in a missionary0s kitchen inToluca, Me$ico. Today, besides shipments to over forty countries where panish is spoken, it suppliesfive modern )aptist book stores in Me$ico with %hristian literature. #ocal churches and pastors areencouraged to become actively involved in the distribution of %hristian materials, as are themissionaries.

'ther vital programs in radio and television, student work, agriculture,and English?language work complement the ongoing ministries of many

field missionaries working in rural and urban evangelism.

Today @9,999 Me$ican )aptists have almost @A9 churches and C99 preaching points. 'ver 899 of the churches are entirely self?supporting. In345C appro$imately @,899 people were baptiNed by almost @99 national)aptist pastors. The 1acation )ible chool enrollment reached nearly@6,999 children.

The ational )aptist %onvention of Me$ico, working hand in handwith outhern )aptist missionaries, is presently involved in a program to begin A99 new churches, 5A9 missions, and another 3,999 new preaching points. 'ther goals include increased giving by the churches, an emphasison a deepened spiritual life for every )aptist and enlistment of the laity inoutreach ministries.

ince 3669 outhern )aptists of the nited tates have seen thechallenge of Me$ico, have given financially to support the work, and havesent men and women out from their churches to their neighbors to thesouth. Det more workers are needed and more support must be given, forthe task is not yet completed of winning Me$ico to Kesus %hrist.

A@



A HUNDRED NAMES AND FACES

If I should be asked who are a missionary0s friends,

a hundred names and faces would race through my mind.

They are our parents

who are willing to allow their children0s

the freedom to follow God0s call

to a foreign land.

They are the folks back home in the churches

who give that we can go,

who pray that we can be upheld,

who write to us that we can be encouraged.

They are fellow missionaries

who have the gift of ministering

one to another, and who are our children0s

substitute aunts and uncles.

They are national church workers

who accept us as we labor

alongside of them

to win their people to %hrist.

They are our church members on the field

who pray with us and

who encourage us

in every situation.

They are our Me$ican neighbors

who welcome us into the community

without pre=udice

and help make us feel at home

"riends.

Det above and beyond all these treasured human friendships, God0s presence through the !oly pirithas remained the most real and precious possession in our lives

AH





In that moment one soldier0s eye caught a glimpse of the green canvas .. *rmy surplus duffle bagthat )rother Morales had brought along. The soldier, his eyes bulging whirled around to face )ob ande$ploded with +uestions. ;Who are youB What are you doing here with the .. *rmyB Where are yourdocumentsB Why...B<

)ob stammered and looked with eyes pleading for help to /ermano %arlos. The hermano calmlye$plained to the nervous enlisted men that the duffle bag was not )ob0s, but that it had been given to him by friends in the nited tates. That only prompted more +uestions regarding )rother Morales0citiNenship. ;how us your documents,< demanded one.

;I0m sorry, we neither one are carrying our documentos with us,< declared %arlos. ;)ut I assure youthat what we have told you is the complete truth.<

;*nd why should we believe youB< retorted one who had taken charge.

;)ecause, my friend,< state %arlos in a calm but stern voice, ;we are evangelical %hristians. If youknow anything about cristianos evang5licos, you know that I wouldn0t lie to you for any reason.<

*n immediate hush fell upon the group. ;Well, then, you can go,< the head soldier blurted out, as hesignaled for the others to stand out of their way. Vuickly )ob and %arlos climbed up into the %arry?alland headed south toward their destination along the 7acific coast.

"'od is our shelter and strength, al9a2s read2 to help in times of trouble&#o 9e 9ill not be afraid&%

? 7salm HC23, 8a -TE1

BAPTISM IN CUAUHTEMOC

!aving been raised on savory Missouri barbecue, it was an interesting discovery to find thatvirtually every region of Me$ico has its own style of barbecue, or barbacoa& )ob0s first opportunity toen=oy such an elaborate meal came during a trip he and agriculturalist Kim 7hilpot made from 'a$acathree and one?half hours north to %uauhtemoc village near Tla$iaco in northern 'a$aca state. Theoccasion was the organiNation of that preaching point into a mission of the "irst )aptist %hurch of'a$aca %ity.

;Kim, I feel right at home on this trip. I was hardly awake when we left town this morning at fiveo0clock, coming through the first stretch of mountains. )ut the wooded terrain here around Tla$iaco withits pine forests and oaks reminds me of the south Missouri hills where I grew up. Dou know, I0ve beenlooking forward to today as a time to get away from the pressures and frustrations and =ust en=oy theservices. Is it much further to %uauhtemocB<

Kim glanced at )ob, then back to the curvy, moutainous highway. ;o, not really. We0ll leave thehighway about fifteen minutes south of Tla$iaco. "rom there it0s only another forty minutes. It0s the dirtroad that0ll slow us down.<

;Tell me something about the )aptist work in the village, Kim,< re+uested )ob.

AC



;*bout two years ago KosO Maya, the regional missionary, began preaching in %uauhtemoc, acommunity of about two hundred people,< e$plained Kim. ;ince then si$teen people have been baptiNedand eight more are awaiting baptism. 'ne of the families has constructed a church building on his property and with a core group of about twenty?five members, the mission should grow rapidly now.<

;Dou mentioned eight people are awaiting baptism, Kim. !ave they =ust recently made professions offaith, or why haven0t they already been baptiNedB<

;The brethren here in Me$ico, especially in the rural areas, still believe strongly in allowing a new believer several weeks or months for training and preparation before he is baptiNed. They also look uponit as a trial period for him to show living proof of his new personal relationship with %hrist. )ut there isyet another reason for a delay in baptism,< added Kim. ;The local )aptist tradition demands that only anordained pastor can baptiNe. ince there are only about nine ordained pastors in the entire state, in mostareas there is a long delay between making a profession of faith and the time an ordained pastor canmake a long trip to baptiNe new believers. Therefore the eight new %hristians have been an$iouslyawaiting today0s meeting because )rother 'rtFN, the pastor of "irst )aptist %hurch, will be here and can baptiNe them.<

;I0ll be glad to see that,< )ob stated. ;I had heard that it is the custom here, as on some other missionfields, to deny immediate baptism to new believers. Det to my knowledge there is no )iblical precedent

for such action. It seems to me that baptism can have a real positive influence on %hristian growth. "orme, the highlight of today0s activities will be the ceremony of baptism. It also will be memorable for theeight an$ious candidates, I0m sure, as it signals an important step forward in their %hristian pilgrimage.<

*s the car wound its way through rolling countryside, their conversation turned to the history of the people who inhabit that particular region. )ob said, ;Dou know, Kim, since ancy has a longstandinginterest in Me$ican history and anthropology, I asked her about the !ighland Mi$tecs of this area. hementioned that the Mi$tecs have been inhabiting parts of 'a$aca state since before 3899 *.&., and being outstanding craftsmen, they worked in gold, =ade, and carved bone, as well as polychrome pottery.he reminded me that the famous archaeological ruin of Mitla in the 'a$aca valley is =ust one of severale$amples of their e$+uisitely carved stone mosaics. These people have a proud heritage of an advanced,highly?organiNed social system clima$ing artistically in the 3A th century, before the *Ntecs marchedsouth into the valley of 'a$aca to con+uer them. ot long after the arrival of the paniards, manyIndians were absorbed into the new mestizo race, to be sure. Det ancy read that many of today0sMi$tecs are the state0s outstanding craftsmen in gold filigree =ewelry, as were their ancestors.<

;!owever, )ob, those living around Tla$iaco are now mainly farmers. They cultivate corn and raisechickens and turkeys as their main source of meat, but occasionally shoot a wild rabbit or deer. heepand goats are also raised to provide meat for special celebrations and fiestas.<

)y nine o0clock the men had driven into %uauhtemoc and greeted the group of brethren gathering forthe full days activities. They were offered sweet bread and cinnamon?flavored hot chocolate.

everal men and women were already busy preparing the afternoon meal, which was to be barbecued sheep. * large outdoor pit three feet s+uare and four feet deep held a fire burning down to hotcoals. oon after dawn a sheep had been killed, split and cleaned. )ob watched as the men lowered theskinned animal down onto a rack made of green sticks, suspending the meat above the coals. *fter thesheep0s four legs were stretched out to four corners, two big earthenware pots were placed under the neckand tail ends in order to catch hot blood and grease drippings as the meat cooked. "inally anotherframework of sticks was placed over the top of the pit. #arge, wet straw mats were overlapped on top before the men shoveled on dirt over a foot deep to insulate the homemade oven.

A5





;I suppose the tendency to give priority to human traditions rather than )iblical teachings is nodifferent here than in many other places,< )ob commented. ;It0s a shame that these e$tra?)iblical ideashinder the work of evangeliNing and planting churches. I0ll =ust trust the #ord to give the )aptists of'a$aca not only numerical growth, but genuine spiritual maturity and creative approaches for reachingthese multitudes for %hrist. Meanwhile, I0ll pray for more patience and wisdom to know how to deal witheach new situation.<

With a certain feeling of relief following their discussion, )ob and Kim walked out of the mission building and along the footpath to =oin the others waiting for the meal to be served. The pit had beenuncovered to e$tract the barbecue meat. *s )ob was handed a plate of meat and a clay bowl of watersoup, he recogniNed the cooked blood sausage sliced and floating in the broth. *long with their meal the brethren drank sweetened rice water. Dellow cornflour tortillas the siNe of dinner plates were deliveredto them as fast as the masa dough could be patted out and cooked on the comal , a hot clay griddle. Thetortillas not only served as fork for the meat and spoon for the soup, but also as their only napkins.

;ow this is really +uite all right,< thought )ob. ;!ow often can you eat your napkin, spoon andforkB<

A4



IX. DOES A MISSIONARY EXPERIENCE JOY AND VICTORY?

THE HOME2CHURCH MISSIONARY

Koy comes to the ;homeLchurch missionary< through a thousand little ways : ways similar to how

your =oy is made more complete in the nited tates. In activities and in relationships> from big, notableoccasions and from small, inconse+uential moments> in doing for others and in sharing, =oy comes as weallow Kesus %hrist to live through us.

*s I walked dusty 'a$aca trails to a mission point, God was there.*s I saw hope in tiny, dark faces, !e taught me to care.*s I sat on a rock to tell children about Kesus, God taught me to share.

*s I taught a beginner0s unday chool class in faltering panish, God was there.*s I watched eyes light up as we sang of Kesus, !e taught me to care.*s I declared !is love despite grammatical errors galore, God taught me to share.

*s I lived across from 'a$acan hovels of cardboard and tin, God was there.*s I saw my neighbor living in poverty0s grasp, !e taught me to care.*s I gave them shoes or a )ible, God taught me to share.

*s I went shopping to buy food for the day, God was there.*s I gave out tracts in the marketplace, !e taught me to care.*s I told a shopkeeper about Kesus, God taught me to share.

C9



*s I cared three months for a baby girl being adopted, God was there.*s I applied for her passport, photos, and documents, !e taught me to care.*s I changed her diapers at midnight and warmed her bottles at dawn, God taught me to share.

*s I mi$ed socially with dignitaries in the *mbassador0s home, God was there.*s I saw so much sadness in people0s lives, !e taught me to care.

*s I shared my %hristian testimony as we visited, God taught me to share.

*s I cooked food for fifty campers, God was there.*s I taught them choruses under the shade of tree, !e taught me to care.*s I watched ten children accept %hrist as their #ord and avior, God taught me to share.

*s I answered the telephone to talk with a dear friend, God was there.*s I spoke with her about her problems, !e taught me to care.*s I prayed with her by telephone, God taught me to share.

*s I drove across Me$ico %ity through freeway traffic, God was there.

*s I taught Me$ican women )ible truths or English grammar, !e taught me to care.*s I saw their sorrow change to =oy, God taught me to share.

*s I was bedfast with typhoid, hepatitis, or salmonella, God was there.I thought, ;If only this !e does not let me shareP<Det through it all, I knew that !e cared.

"or without God0s presence within us each day,There0s nothing to share, nothing of worth to give away.There0s no way to care, there0s nothing to say.Det because of !im who gave us !is on,

There0s everything to share.There0s a world to be wonP

C3







CONVERSION OF A CATHOLIC PRIEST

While in 'a$aca we heard the story of the conversion of a %atholic priest in southern Me$ico whowas won by the witness of a shoeshine boy. The boy, some twelve or thirteen years of age, had learned a popular chorus at the )aptist church where he was a new member. The words to ;olamente en %risto<say, ;'nly in %hrist, only in !im. alvation is found in !im. There is no other name given to men. 'nlyin %hrist, only in !im.<

*s the lad shined the priest0s shoes he began to sing, ;olamente en %risto, solamente en El...< The priest interrupted, ;Vuit singing thatP<

;WhyB< asked the boy.

;)ecause I don0t like it,< retorted the clergyman.

The young %hristian said, ;'h, I think it0s great,< as he sang, ;olamente in %risto, solamente en E#.#a salvacion se encuentra en E#...<

;If you don0t shut up, I0m not going to pay you for the shoeshine,< the village priest blurted out.

;'h, that0s alright,< responded the boy. ;I0ll shine them for free.< !e began again, ;olamente en%risto, solamente in El...<

The e$asperated priest stomped away in anger with one shoe shined and one still dirty. !e was so

upset and disturbed that through the day those words passed through his mind over and over again ...;'nly in %hrist, only in !im...< !is heart became convicted of the truth that %hrist is the only way tosalvation, and he received Kesus as his personal aviour. That former priest now recounts the witness ofthe shoeshine boy as an integral part of his %hristian testimony.

PETER AND HUMBERTO

7eter is a deacon of our church in Me$ico %ity. * tall, strongly?built man of German descent, he leftEast Germany when he was eighteen. *lthough he has become a naturaliNed .. %itiNen, much of hislife has been spent in #atin *merica. !is lovely *merican wife is the daughter of life?time missionariesin 1eneNuela. It was there that 7eter met her. 7eter is now an e$ecutive of a large manufacturing

company in Me$ico.ome months ago 7eter noticed that one of his co?workers, a young Me$ican man named !umberto,

had a great deal of interest in discussing religious and )iblical topics. !umberto, the company0s salesmanager had a %atholic background, yet was +uestioning many of the teaching of his childhood. 7etergave !umberto a )ible, encourage him to read it, and began to pray that God would use the criptures tolead his friend to a personal encounter with %hrist. In 'ctober, 7eter invited !umberto to attend aunday service at %apital %ity )aptist %hurch. !e came and was +uite fascinated by the ;strange ways<in which )aptists worship.

That afternoon when our phone rang, )ob immediately recogniNed 7eter0s voice, still with its slightGerman accent. ;7astor,< 7eter said, ;!umberto is with me and he would like to come to your home andask you some +uestions about this morning0s sermon.< Within minutes the three men were sitting in our

living room involved in a discussion of the )ible0s most basic teachings about God0s purpose and Willfor man. *fter 7eter and )ob shared their own conversion e$periences, !umberto indicated that he toowould like to trust %hrist to become his aviour and #ord.

When the men stood again after the brief prayer time in which !umberto had invited %hrist into hislife, and 7eter and )ob had thanked God for the miracle of new birth, )ob e$plained to !umberto thatall new believers begin the spiritual life as babes and must mature day by day.

!umberto, with eyes moist, put his hand on the shoulder of his big German friend and asked, ;7eter,will you be my big brotherB<

CH



This, it seems to me, is the essence of real evangelism. 'ne person leading another to %hrist andthen ;big?brothering< the new %hristian toward spiritual fullness and fruitful service. The new %hristianneeds not =ust an orientation class or correspondence )ible study> he needs a big brother.

BRIANA

%apital %ity )aptist %hurch has been blessed by several young families of e$ecutives moving to

Me$ico %ity from the nited tates. #ast year )ob and Kan !artenstein =oined our church and, alongwith their two lovely children %hris and Kenny, became active in the life of our church as they awaitedthe birth of their third child, )riana. Their e$periences after the baby0s arrival served to draw ourcongregation together in prayer and support for them, as well as to enrich our lives personally. *llow meto let Kan tell it in her own words.

My dear ancy,I praise God for the opportunity to share )riana with others. &ifficult situations can be filled

with such rich blessings if we only let %hrist do !is will.When )riana was born, it was a beautiful time for us, especially since )ob shared in )riana0s

birth. %hris and Kenny had been very big babies, and she was so tiny. The first week at home with

)riana brought us many blessings. Then )riana became ill.When the doctor said it was a chest cold, I remained calm, thinking she0d be fine after a few

days in the hospital, but she gradually got worse and was unable to eat. When it was decided shehad bronchial pneumonia, the doctor put her in intensive care and we were unable to stay with her.It was so difficult not to be able to hold her and comfort herP The doctor was unable to say if hethought she would be all right or not. I panickedP )ut praise God for )obby. !e went to %hrist andleft )riana with !imP )ob tried to comfort me, but I did not want to be comforted. I knew God hada lesson for me, but I didn0t want to learn. I =ust wanted )riana to liveP

We had never faced such a serious situation as this illness before, so we felt we needed toknow others were praying tooP We called friends and relatives back in the tates and they calledtheir churches. ome gathered that very night to pray. "riends called friends and prayer chains

were started on our behalf. till, I was in my own worldP We were allowed to see )riana only oncea day and it was so hard. o many tubes and a baby so very tinyP

'ne afternoon while I was home alone crying -I did a lot of that, I =ust felt I could not handleit anymore. I couldn0t pray and I needed a friend. Dou came to my mind, ancy, so I phoned. I praise God for you, ancy, that you loved me enough to understand my need and cared enough to pray with me. When we finished, I knew I had suffered through those days unnecessarilyP "or thefirst time I truly felt God0s love, both for )riana and myself. !e did careP !e felt my unhappinessand my hurt and !e really caredP

I could realiNe then how precious were those people who cared enough to pray for us and our baby : people who didn0t even know us, but loved us because we all belong to God0s family.

That night when we went to see )riana it was so differentP I could see Kesus0 love all around

herP !e knew she hurt and !e loved her all the more. he improved and is doing so well now, andgrowing swiftly, all because of God0s loveP

This e$perience drew )ob and me closer, and the children saw what great things God can do by making their sister well. !ow God used and blessed the situation, once I gave it all to !imP Iknow now in my heart, and not =ust in my head, that %hrist is the answer for everything, and that peace is possible to obtain no matter how tough things are, all because of !is undying love for us.

#ove, Kan

CA



X. WHAT IS THE MISSIONARY CHALLENGE?

*lmost five years have elapsed since that memorableevening when )ob and I stood with those thirty?seven other menand women on the platform of the "oreign Mission )oard0sauditorium in (ichmond, 1irginia. Det our missionaryappointment service is fresh in our memories because thechallenge presented to us that night by )aker Kames %authen,E$ecutive ecretary of the "oreign Mission )oard, has been anupholding message throughout our first term of service in aforeign land.

&r. %authen read that portion of Qechariah @ where atanstands beside Koshua, ready to bring an accusation against thegreat prophet of God. &r. %authen reminded us that atan wassurely very displeased with our appointment, and that he would

be trying to accuse us in the coming months and years. &r.%authen went on to say that atan0s displeasure would often bevery real and personal as he would try to accuse the missionary.;Dou are not worthy to serve,< atan may say. *nother time wemight hear him declare, ;Dou are so weak spiritually that youcannot serve effectively.< 7ossibly he apporaches with the threat, ;I will destroy you.< Det, &r. %authenassured our group, we shall stand fast, for by God0s grace we have been made worthy> by God0s powerwe are sufficient for the task> and by !is promise we re=oice for, ;#o, I am with you always, even untothe ends of the world,< says the #ord.

The profound significance of those words voiced by &r. %authen did not sink into my heart at thatmoment. My enthusiasm and e$uberance could not be easily restrained as I looked, perhaps too

idealistically, to the mission field. I heard the words of the message, to be sure. Det, in the midst of myself?confidence and e$citement, I was unsure of their application to my life.

"our years in Me$ico have given deep meaning to &r. %authen0s words, for atan has now hadopportunity to voice all threats, and repeat some more loudly than before. Many temptations and trialshave come, and there have been times when, in my own power, I was very weak and unworthy, andatan came close to destroying me. Then I would lift up my eyes to Kesus %hrist once again and bereminded of !is constant love. It is !e who restores my courage and gives me victory. It is !e on whomI must depend, for after all, missionaries are human too.

... and if I have not said other thingsI should have said, forgive me,for I do not know how to tell it

better at this time.

? )ernal &FaN del %astillo 3H4C?3A6H

CC



GLOSSARY OF SPANISH WORDS

dulto -ah?&E#?to *dult.

lgui5n se est6 ba$ando- -al?ge?E say es?T*! ba?D*?doe Is anyone bathingB

rroz con pollo -ah?('! cone 7'?yo %hicken with rice.

tole -ah?T'E?lay Thick broth made by cooking cornmeal in water, it0s always sweetened and flavored,usually with cinnamon or chocolate.

arbacoa de cabra -bar?bah?%'?ah day %*?bra )arbe+ued goat meat> Greenwood broiler used byIndians, or the meet thus broiled.

arranca -ba?(*!?cah &eep hollow, gorge, ravine.

ienvenida -be?en?vay?E?tha Welcome : feminine form.

istec -)EE?take )eefsteak.

ruja -)(EW?hah Witch.

uenas tardes -)W*D?nas T*(?dace Good afternoon.

uj.a -boo?!E?ah park plug.

urro -)''?row &onkey.8alandria -kah?#*?dree?ah !orse drawn carriage.

8aldo -*!#?doe )roth or soup.

8azuela -kah?Noo?*DE?la 7ottery bowl used for cooking.

8hiles en vinagre -%!EE?lace en vee?*!?gray %hilis in vinegar.

8ocinera -ko?see?*D?rah %ook.

8olonia -ko?#'W?ne?ah !ousing development, subdivision.

8omal -ko?M*!# %lay or iron griddle.

8omida -ko?ME?dah Meal. sually refers to the big afternoon meal.

8ristianos evang5licos -krees?tee?*!?nos a?vahn?!*D?lee?kohs Evangelical %hristians, usedinterchangeably with the name, 7rotestants.

Dios mediante -dee?'! may?dee?*!?tay God willing.

(st6n en su casa -es?T*! en su *?sa #iterally, ;Dou are in your home.< ;Make yourself at home.<

(0actamente -ek?sahk?tah?ME?tay E$actly.

4armacia -far?M*!?see?ah 7harmacy or drugstore.

4el.z cumplea$os -fay?#E*E kume?play?*!?nyos !appy birthday.

4iesta -fee?E?tah !oliday, celebration, or holy day.

4rijoles -free?!'?lace )eans. %ommonly used varieties include the 7into, Ath of May, and black beans.

4rijoles refritos -free?!'?lace ray?"(EE?toes (efried beans.

'racias -G(*!?see?ahs Thank you.

'ringo -G(EEG?go "oreigner. Especially applied to *mericans.

'usto -G''E?toe 7leasure, keen en=oyment.

/enequen -ay?nay?E *gave plant that produces sisal fiber. It has blue?grey leaves with conicalspines which are cut from the bottom.

/ermana -air?M*!?na ister. /ermano -air?M*!?no )rother. sed widely in %hristian circles as in;ister ancy< or ;)rother )ob.<

C5



/ola -'?la !ello.

/uarache -wah?(*!?chay andal.

/uevos a la bandera me0icana -W*D?vos a la bahn?&*D?rah meh?he?%*!?nah Eggs, Me$ican flagstyle.

/uipil -WEE?peel Woman0s blouse native to southern Me$ico. paniards accent the last syllable ratherthan the first.

:abal. -ha?ba?#EE Wild boar. :alapeno -ha?la?7E!?nyo 'ne kind of hot chili.

:ovenes -!'?ve?nace Doung people.

;ilo -ED?lo Weight measurement. In the metric system, it e+uals 8.8 pounds.

+itro -#EE?tro #iter. Measurement in the metric system, it e+uals appro$imately one +uart.

*ariache -mah?re?*!?chay Me$ican band of singers.

*asa -M*!?sah &ough for making tortillas, tamales, etc. &ried corn is soaked in a lime solution untilhusks can be rubbed off. Then the ni0tamal corn is ground while still moist to make the masa.

*estizo -mays?TEE?No (ace of those of mi$ed panish and Indian blood.

*etro -M*D?tro Meter. In the metric system, it e+uals @4 inches.

*ole -M'?lay (ich, and usually pi+uant sauce made of chilis, chocolate, spices, nuts and raisins.

*oronga <ellena -mo?('!?ga ray?D*D?nah )lood sausage, usually served in a soup.

*uchacha -moo?%!*!?chah Girl.

)opal -no?7*!# opales -no?7*!?lace 7rickly pear cactus.

Ojo de dios -'!?ho de dee?'! Eye of god, pagan religious symbol of the !uichol Indians.

Olla -'!?ya Medium?siNed or large clay =ar, pot or kettle.

Pap6 -pah?7*! "ather, dad.

Pecado -peh?%*!?doe in.

Pescado -pehs?%*!?doe "ish.

Peso -7*D?so Monetary unit. 7resently worth between four and five *merican cents. -345C

Petate -pay?T*!?tay Woven straw mat.

Pi$ata -pee?D*?tah "anciful %hristmas or birthday decoration which is filled with candies, nuts andfruits, and small toys. uspended at children0s parties to be broken open during a game, it spills outthe goodies for all to grab.

Plaza -7#*!?Nah 7laNa, s+uare> marketplace.

Posiblemente -po?see?blay?ME?tay 7ossibly.

Pozole -po?'?lay oup containing hominy and pork, as well as several other ingredients.

=u5 Dios les bendiga! -kay dee?'! lace bayn?&EE?gah May God bless youP

=uesadilla -kay?sah?&EE?yah "olded tortilla filled with white cheese and, in 'a$aca, finely choppedyellow?orange s+uash blossom.

<ancher.a -rahn?chay?(EE?ah mall settlement or cluster of homes.

<ancho -(*!?cho (anch.

<ebozo -ray?)'!?so #ong, fringed hand?woven shawl.

<efresco -ray?"(*D?co )ottled soft drink. Most widely distributed throughout Me$ico are %oca?%ola, 7epsi and 'range %rush.

C6



<ellena -ray?DE!?na )lood sausage.

#alsa -*!#?sa auce, dressing gravy.

#e$o -*D?nyo hortened form of se$ora or se$orita. sed by Indians in the marketplace, especiallywhen it0s unclear if a woman is married or not.

#errano -say?(*!?no *nother kind of e$tra hot chili.

# . -see Des.

#opa de tortilla -'?pah day tore?TEE?yah Tortilla soup.

Tacos de sesos -T*!?kos day *D?sos Tortilla rolled or folded and stuffed with beef brains. %an begrilled, fried, or baked.

Temple -TE!M?plo %hurch, temple.

Tierra firme -tee?E(?ra "E*(?may "irm or solid ground.

Tortilla -tore?TEE?ya %ornmeal patty. * ball of dough is patted between the palms of the hands until athin, flat round cake is formed. It is then cooked on an ungreased griddle until done on both sides, but not browned. Tortillas are now machine made in towns and cities.

Tostada -tohsYT*!?dah %risply fried tortilla.

7n momento -oon mo?ME?toh 'ne moment, =ust a moment.

>erdad- -bear?&*!& Isn0t it trueB

?erbabuena -yehr?bah?)W*D?nah Mint.

@3calo -Q'E?ka?lo Town s+uare or plaNa.

WORDS FROM TWO SPANISH CHORUSES

S!%m"- " C)i-!

#olamente en 8risto -so?la?ME?tay en (EE?to 'nly in %hrist.

#olamente en (l -so?la?ME?tay en el 'nly in !im.

+a salvaci3n se encuentra en (l -la sahl?vah?see?'! say ayn?WE?trah en el alvation is foundonly in !im.

)o ha2 otro nombre dado a los hombres -no ahy ohtro nohm?)(*D dahdo ah los 'M?brays There isno other name given to men.

#olamente en 8risto, #olamente en (l . -so?la?ME?tay en (EE?to, so?la?ME?tay en el 'nly in%hrist, 'nly in !im.

P!) E-! F%&!) 4% 'i"") !"0 5 -! -6 -/" !( A'- Fi'7

Por estos favores que Tu nos has dado -pore E?toce fah?"'!(?ace kay two noce ahs &*?tho "orthese favors that Dou have given us.

Te damos las gracias, Oh, buen Padre Dios! -tay &*!?moce lahs G(*!?see?ahs, o, bwayn 7*!?draydee?'! We give Dou thanks, 'h, great "ather GodP

De tu buena mano nos das el alimento -day two )W*D?na M*!?no noce dahs el ah?lee?ME?toe"rom Dour good hand, Dou give us nourishment.

De Ti es nuestra vida, de Ti tambi5n salud -day tee es new?E?trah 1EE?dah, day tee tahm?be?E sah?#&E "rom Dou is our life, from Dou also our health.

Ti te alabamos, Oh, buen Padre Dios! -ah tee tay ah?lah?)*!?moce, o, bwayn 7*!?dray dee?'!We praise you, 'h, great "ather GodP

C4



PRONUNCIATION GUIDE TO SPANISH NAMES

*bastos -ah?)*!?tohs

*urelio Mandu=ano -ah?oo?(*D?lee?o mahn?doo?!*!?no

)uenos *ires -)W*D?nohs EDE?race

%acalchOn -kah?hahl?%!E%arlos Morales -%*(?lohs mo?(*!?lace

%uauhtemoc -kwah?oo?T*D?moke

El uevo Mercado #ibertad -el noo?*D?vo mare?*!?doh leeber?T*!&

Galera -gah?#*(E?ah

Guadala=ara -gwah?dah?lah?!*!?rah

!ermenegildo 'rtFN -air?may?nay?!EE#?do or?TEE

!uichol -we?%!'*#

I$taccihuatl -eeks?tah?EE?waddle

Kalisco -ha?#E*E?koh

KosO Maya -ho?*D M*!?yah

#a Iglesia )autista El MesFas -lah ee?G#*D?see?ah bah?oo?TEE?tah el may?EE?ahs

#lano de #en -D*?noh day lay?'W

MaNateca -mah?Nah?T*D?kah

MOrida -ME!?ree?dah

Me$ico -ME!?hee?co

Miahuatln -mee?ah?waht?#*!

Mitla -MEET?lah

Mi$tecs -MEE?teks

Monte *lbn -M'!?tay ahl?)*!

'a$aca -wah?!*!?cah

'riNaba -oh?ree?Q*!?bah

7aila -pah?EE?lah

7arras -7*(?rahs

7ochutla -poh?%!''T?lah

7opocatepetl -poh?poh?cah?TE!?peddle

7orvenir )allesteros -por?vay?E*( bah?yehs?TE!?rohs

7uerto Escondido -7W!E(E?toh ehs?cone?&EE?doh

7uerto 1allarta -7W!E(E?toh vah?D*!(?tah

(ogelio 1s+ueN -roh?!*D?lee?oh 1*!?case

alina %ruN -sah?#EE?nah cruce

alvador Z *le=andrina Tre=o -sahl?vah?&'!(, ah?lay?hahn?&(EE?nah T(*D?ho

an *gustFn #o$icha -sahn ah?goose?TEE loke?EE?chah

an Gabriel Mi$tepec -sahn gah?bree?E# meeks?tay?7E

an KosO del 7acFfico -sahn ho?*D del pah?EE?fee?koh

anta )iblia 7ara MF -*!?tah )EE?blee?ah 7*!?rah mee

anta %lara -*!?tah %#*!?ra

ola de 1ega -'?lah day 1*D?gah

59



Ta$co -T*!?koh

Tehuanas -tay?W*!?nahs

Tehuantepec -tay?wahn?tay?7E

Teotihuacan -tay?oh?tee?W*!?kahn ?or? tay?oh?tee?wah?*!

Tla+uepa+ue -tlah?kay?7*!?kay

Tla$iaco -tlah?hee?*!?koh

Tonal -toh?nah?#*!Torren -tore?ray?'W

$mal -ooks?M*!#

1illahermosa -vee?yah?air?M'!?sah

1irgen de la oledad -1EE(?hen day lah soh?lay?&*!&

Dagul -yah?G''#

Dalalag -yah?#*!?lahg

Ducatn -yoo?cah?T*!

Qacatecas -Nah?cah?T*D?cahs

Qapoteca -Nah?poh?T*D?cah

Qapotecs -Q*!?poh?teks

53



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

-written in 3456

ancy 7erry has been a outhern )aptist representative to Me$ico since &ecember, 345@, along with herhusband, (ev. (obert #. 7erry. "ollowing a year of language study in Guadala=ara, Me$ico, the familyserved most of 345A in the southern city of 'a$aca doing rural mission work with Indian peoplescattered throughout that mountainous region. ince eptember, 345A, the 7errys have lived and workedin Me$ico %ity. (ev. 7erry0s primary assignement with the "oreign Mission )oard is as pastor of %apitol%ity )aptist %hurch.

Mrs. 7erry grew up in orth ansas %ity, Missouri and graduated from outhwest Missouri tateniversity. )efore their appointment, she worked as a social worker, =unior high school librarian, and asa panish teacher, along with being a pastor0s wife. The 7errys have two sons, &ouglas and &avid.

58



DOUG1S DEDICATION AND UPDATE

Thirty years later, I0m still =ust beginning to understand the legacy that was entrusted to me by Godly parents, grandparents and e$tended family. In the last three or four years, the #ord has begun to reallyshow me how my own ministry is to be shaped. Det I keep looking back and seeing how our time inMe$ico : and my mother0s deep faith, selfless love and abiding connection with the !oly pirit : wasvitally important to prepare me for what0s coming. I never bought into the *merican lie that a boat and a

new car and a H93 would make you happy. I grew up seeing kids with their skin flaking off becausethey didn0t have a bar of soap. 7astors that would kill their last chicken to feed the visiting missionaryfamily : and yet were happy and trusted God in all things. I praise God for the parents !e gave me andfor the e$periences of watching them endure through so many trials.

This book was published on the year?long furlough after our first four year term in Me$ico. *fter thatwere about three more years of ministry in Me$ico : filled with ongoing health problems, particularlywith my younger brother &avid0s severe lung problems from the smog in Me$ico %ity. The decision wasmade to go back to the * in 3469 and &ad took a pastorate in E$celsior prings, Missouri, thenseveral years later an administrative role as &irector of Missions for the %lay?7latte *ssociation innorthern ansas %ity, Missouri. In there somewhere he completed a &octor of Ministry program at

Midwestern )aptist Theological eminary.Mom was never happy away from Me$ico. ince she was thirteen years old she had known that God hadcalled her to be a missionary in Me$ico. In college, she married a math ma=or. he took a lot of heatfrom the older ladies in the WM -Women0s Missionary nion that felt she was abandoning God0s callon her life. )ut she prayed : and )ob got called into the ministry as a pastor. *s he was serving as a pastor she prayed : and he got a call to be a missionary. he prayed : and they got appointed by theouthern )aptist "oreign Mission )oard to go to Me$ico. he never pestered or pressed, she =ust prayedand God moved.

he died from cancer -melanoma in 899@ after several years of fighting, living far beyond what thedoctors had predicted. ick in bed while on chemotherapy she started a non?profit called ;Good Gifts

Ministries< to provide handcraft =obs and income for poor immigrant !ispanics. In !erndon, 1irginia,on May, 34th, with the nuclear family gathered, my brother and his fiancOe got married in the livingroom, with her in a hospital bed, so she could be there for their wedding. he went to be with Kesus aweek later : and they had their full blown wedding in ansas %ity as planned in Kune that year.

Mom had such an amaNing gift of administration, mi$ed with a creativity and a sensitivity to the needsof others. This gift continued to manifest, even during her sickness. he had her own funeral plannedout, flight arrangements for the casket arranged, details done on every possible levels so that those whoremained behind wouldn0t have to worry. While confined to bed during chemotherapy times, she madehand?sewn dolls, collected toys and read books like 7eter (abbit -my favorite on cassette tape for thegrandchildren she would never get to see. I credit Mom in a big way for marrying (achael. In 344Hwhen we had been dating, (achael had decided that we should ;=ust be friends< : until we opened the bo$ Mom had left marked ;"or My Grandkids< and we pored through all the little bits, so lovinglygathered for those children she would never meet. * tea set marked ;for the first girl<. * train for thefirst boy. %assettes and dolls and mementos from Me$ico. (achael cried and cried and said, ;These arefor MD kidsP I want to be part of T!I familyP< * few months later we were married. Even in death,my Mom0s gift of administration was impacting our lives.

*nd even beyond that, Mom knew that &ad wasn0t really wired to be alone. In her last days, she had prayerfully and lovingly prepared her top ten list of single ladies that she felt &ad should consider

5@



remarrying after she was gone. oon after Mom0s death, &ad got married to &r. Marilyn %hristian elson ? who was number two on the list.

*t the time of her funeral &ad was the E$ecutive &irector for the Mount 1ernon )aptist *ssociation in orthern 1irginia. *t her funeral each of the doNens of the congregations in the association sent choirmembers to represent them. *s I recall, around A99[ people gathered and heard a choir nearly a hundredstrong, in a complete rainbow of choir robes, sing her favorite songs and hear the Gospel presented. I

never cried at her funeral. he was so loved by many, and I knew that I would miss her, but I also knewthat the death of a parent is a pivotal moment in any person0s life and a moment, above all, to testwhether you really believe what you say you believe. he was with Kesus and I knew it. *nd she was notin pain anymore.

I0ve prayed a lot about this and I0ve come to a very sad conclusion. God made ancy to be a missionaryin Me$ico. *nd because of decisions and circumstances, she couldn0t be that. o !e took her home.*nd I0m really glad !e did. (ight now, I0m sure she is, too. )ut the lesson to me is clear : be whereGod wants you to be : or else.

I often wonder how she might feel about the turn my own life has taken : the way that I have walkedaway from all to serve as a missionary right here to those trapped in dead religion. I think she wouldhave understood. he heard God a lot better then the )aptists would want you to believe is possible :and she EW that God could heal and that the gifts of the pirit were real and for today.

I know that where I0m walking is hard ground and I0m saying some things that people don0t want to hear, but I think Mom would understand. I know that she wanted the )ride to be pure and that she saw thefutility and hypocrisy of the politics and in?fighting in the ;system<. he was hurt by ;church politics<on many occasions that I can remember : and far more, I0m sure, that I never heard about.

It0s a very hard step to cross the line that I0ve drawn in the sand. If I0m right, the vast ma=ority of whatsome of us have spent our lives building and cementing into ;tradition< has grieved the pirit of Godand sent millions : maybe billions : to hell. It0s a hard thing to ask someone to cross that line. 'nly

God can push someone across that line and pull the scales off their eyes and pour out repentance.

In this book, Mom talks about the dead, superstitious religion that she saw amongst the cathedrals and basilicas of Me$ico : the blended %hristian and pagan legacy of the %on+uistadors. The giant, gold?crusted buildings built on the back of the e$ploited poor. 7erhaps if she were here now, she might seethat *merica in the last thirty years has become more like Me$ico in that way than we want to admit.

I pray that God will wake us up soon. I hope you will pray with me. The only unanswered prayer ofKesus that I can find in the )ible is the last one !e prayed before the %ross : that we would be 'E as!e and "ather are one. -Kohn 35 Then the world would know that !e was sent by the "ather. When wemanifest our freakish, unstoppable, sacrificial love for one another, the ;world< will have to see andacknowledge that something supernatural is happening and that Kesus is real and was who !e said !ewas. Maybe if we all pray that last prayer in agreement with Kesus, it might get answered.

In the meantime, I present this book -again, as a gift from my family, hoping that it will edify the )ody : and that this beautiful woman of God -who hardly anybody ever heard of will have a voice to speakagain about the power and glory and ma=esty and mercy of our Mighty God.

&oug 7erryMissionary to the nited tates

5H



%opyright ancy 7erry 3456%opyright &oug 7erry 8996

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Missionaries Are Human Too