Year End 1967

Bible Institute workshop and truck

It was mid November when I rejoined my family in Almafuerte. 

The weather was very hot. Serious summer storms hit the area. For a day or so we had no electricity or water. 

    Alan, my four-year-old brother, was finally beginning to warm to this stranger, his big sister, nineteen-years-older. "At first he seemed rather embarrassed when she looked at him," Mother wrote. And later, "Alan is finally beginning to talk to her."  The baby, as she called him, became very sick for a couple days. "About all I've gotten done the last few days is care for Alan."  wrote Mother. "The worst problem right now is that we are out of water. We had a terrible storm and since then we have been out of electricity." 

    It could not have been a busier or more difficult time. The school year was wrapping up for the two brothers in primary and secondary school. The Bible Institute students and professors felt the pressure of course loads, final exams, and the workshop projects still to be completed. A tour group from the US, sponsored by The Herald, was due to arrive for a brief visit on the 15th. The planned entertainment included a tour of the workshop to show them all the items the students were making and a meal at the Bible Institute.

    The last week before graduation, the students helped out with a four-day evangelistic campaign in another town. December 2 was a day of celebration for the five graduates and the same day, in the afternoon, was the dedication of  the two apartments for the elderly. One of them was already occupied by a blind gentleman from one of our churches. Oscar, the student from Peru, could not go home that summer so was hired to care for Mr. Galán. He also helped Dad with printing projects. In fact, it was on one of those occasions that his hand got caught in the printer.

    December 4, Dad, as president of the Field Council, was required to be in Rio Cuarto when a ceremonial flag was presented to the Christian Day School. That evening we traveled as a family to the Escuela Cristiana Evangélica. This became significant to my future a few months later.

   My mother, ever the hardworking exemplary homemaker, industrious and skilled in every area, was the one who had made most of my clothes from when I was a baby. Now again she was trying her hand at sewing for me. She wrote, "Rita doesn't have many clothes left. so I'm trying to make her over a jersey dress that will be very practical for the summer campaigns. It doesn't seem to bother her much though if she doesn't have much to wear. It's nice she can be that way."  

    Summertime was when Mother preserved the abundance of fruit available. She was making jelly and canning apricots and peaches. 

    So how did I fit into this chaotic situation? They wanted me to help Dad with secretarial tasks. No doubt I also helped Mother with household chores. In one letter she says, "Rita is mending some socks for me that I never get time to do. On another occasion around Christmastime, a workshop order needed to be filled for 100 imanógrafos for the Ministry of Education. I was among the all-available-hands-on-deck.

    I was surprised to read that my 11-year-old brother Ivan and I had made time to go out two days in a row to sell Bibles and hand out tracts. "Yesterday they only sold one book but today they had more success."  Perhaps we were practicing for the upcoming evangelistic campaigns.

    Had there been any time for holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year?

    December 5, 1967, family letter to Grandma and Lynn:

We celebrated Thanksgiving on the 30th because that's what our calendar had marked as Thanksgiving Day. I believe you celebrated the week before. We invited Mr. Fay and Sylvia [missionary who stayed behind when 8-month pregnant wife returned earlier to the US, so that daughter Sylvia could finish up the school year]. When Peter Peer [Bible Institute student from the USA] heard that the Fays were coming he remarked about how lucky they were so we invited him too. He really ate with "gusto". We had roast beef, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, buns, olives, sliced tomatoes, jello salad and pumpkin pie. I tried to get some chickens but couldn't. We also went out in the country to get some strawberries but the hail ruined them all. I guess we don't get to taste strawberries this year. 

     January 4, 1968, letter to Grandma and Lynn (Rita writing): "Christmas we spent here at home and invited Oscar and Peter and Mr. Galán to eat with us, and also on New Year's Day." 

    A day later, in the same letter, there was mention of two family birthday celebrations--Lynn's 20th in absentia, and Ivan's 12th:

 Lynn, your birthday cake was very good. We really enjoyed it, so did Dino Camandona who came to visit us that afternoon, and also Peter and Oscar. Today is Ivan's birthday so I guess we'll have another one.

    What about summer vacation? Was there ever an opportunity to get away as a family? 

    In early December, Dad started to add a handwritten note to the family letter, "Had to go to Cordoba yesterday to deliver some hand bills we printed and make a number of purchases."  Mother added in her beautiful penmanship, "We ate our lunch (picnic) in a park near the Cordoba zoo. Afterwards we came home on the road that passes by Alta Gracia [a scenic, tourist area]. It is a winding hilly road, but nice for a change." 

    December 17, 1967, Mother wrote:

Last night we got away for a few hours at least. We took Alberto to Santa Rosa and then on the way home we stopped at a favorite spot along the river Santa Rosa and went swimming. It was such a relief after the terrible heat. 

 Tomorrow we were planning to go to the camp to get our tent so they'll have it for the campaigns. . . We want to camp out in Santa Isabel near the lake. It is to be a vacation, trial for the truck as to what will be needed on the campaigns, a time to have the Vacation Bible School in Santa Isabel and work on finishing the temple there. What a vacation! That's the way we always do things. I think we're crazy but there doesn't seem to be any other way to get things done. 

      I wrote to my new pen pal, Mike Koch, about the next big event looming on my calendar.

December 15, 1967

The youth activities in January and February used to be camps. This year there will be none, but evangelistic and literature campaigns instead. Perhaps I told you that my parents wanted me to come to Argentina to help with these. When I came they had already decided to have 4-12 day campaigns preceeded by a three-day training and prayer conference, January 5,6, & 7.  All the rest has and is being worked out by the Lord in answer to prayer. He is teaching me to "Be still and know that He is God." The God that worketh wonders. Today He helped me make out the program for the training conference. We're going to listen to nine orientation tapes. The Lord has been raising up some tremendous young people who really love Him and believe Him. I am praying for more girls. There are only four so far and about ten fellows.

    This whole time, a black cloud hovered over the congregations, another storm was brewing. Dad visited a few churches. Mr. Zielasko, the Secretary of the Foreign Missionary Society arrived in Buenos Aires. Big decisions lay ahead.

    I close with a quote at the end of Mike's letter: "'He is faithful, He who has called you.' and He will answer us. He has promised."