Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Warmest love and greetings in Jesus’ name.
We are very happy to inform you of the baptisms of JAIME (24) and DOUGLAS (18) MATE on April 8, 1995. They are brothers of Sis. Cristina, Bro. Manuel and Sis. Maricela and nephews of Sis. Alejandra, Sis. Teresa and Bro. Esteban. Both young men have been attending for many years and it is a joy for us to welcome them as brothers and wish them God’s richest blessing in their walk to His kingdom.
On April 10, we said goodbye to Bro. Kevin and Sis. Rebekah Hunter (our son and daughter-in-law) as they left to return to Victoria, British Columbia to continue their schooling. They had been working here for two and a half years. Their main area of preaching was in the western part of El Salvador where they gave classes and special lectures, visited contacts and held billing campaigns with the support of the young ecclesia in Sonsonate. They were also active with the San Salvador CYC and Kevin held special mutual improvement classes for the young brothers while Rebekah worked with the postal course. They leave with all our prayers and thanks in the hope that, if we do not see each other again sooner, we will all meet again in the kingdom.
Comings and goings
We were sorry to say goodbye to Bro. Paul & Sis. Sian Green and son Watson who, due to health problems, have returned to New Zealand from Guatemala. It was a pleasure to have them with us for the time they were studying Spanish here in El Salvador — it made life a little less lonely! Sis. Susanne Mudge, Sian’s mother, was also here for a brief visit and it was lovely to have a chance to meet her.
Bre. Frank Woodcock and Dan Styles were here for visits and we thank them for their fellowship, words of encouragement and best of all, for the dinners out! Bro. Frank was working in Guatemala for a few weeks and he also went to Costa Rica to visit the ecclesia there.
Sis. Ana Yanci Araya is here from Costa Rica for an extended stay with her sister, Sis. Marisol Vanegas. She is proving to be a big help teaching Sunday School, a job that has taken on new seriousness with Rebekah gone and the need for sisters to teach in Guatemala every other week.
Guatemala
A number of lectures have been held in Guatemala in the last few months, supported by brothers and sisters from here. There is good interest from the contacts with about 15 coming out each time. Bro. Tomas Fernandez has been up several times. Last week he made a special trip midweek to speak to a small evangelical group who indicated their beliefs were similar to ours. Near the end of the talk (on the soul) Sis. Magdalena, who had accompanied him, overheard complaints about the “heresies” he was teaching! It was an interesting experience for all concerned!
Bro. Ross and Sis. Wendy Melles, who are now the only Christadelphians in Guatemala, are trying to continue with the work. But for one brother to try to set up a new ecclesia in a foreign country in a foreign language is a formidable task.
Progress in El Salvador
Bro. Tomas continues his work in San Miguel where monthly seminars have been held for nearly a year. God willing, he will begin baptismal classes with two of the most faithful contacts this month. He is also finishing preparational classes with two men here in San Salvador; we hope they will soon be baptized. There are several people studying in Sonsonate and we hope to continue with the monthly lectures in Santa Ana. To take advantage of the trips to San Miguel and Santa Ana, two lectures are always given back to back with refreshments offered during the break. This also makes the best use of the rented rooms.
Correspondence work
Sis. Sara Boulstridge, along with providing general help and support, has taken over Rebekah’s job of sending out the first postal course. She is also trying to reorganize and, God willing, rebuild some of the interest shown a few years ago in Puerto Rico. Using old files, she was able to put together a list of about 650 people who have at some time received a postal course. Those people have now been sent a letter inviting them to redo the course, take a more advanced one, request a pamphlet and also continue to receive the “Meditations on the Truth” series — the first of which was enclosed in the letter. It will be interesting to see if there is any response.
San Salvador
Here in San Salvador, the work keeps everyone more than busy. Although no special invitations to the meetings have been sent for a long time, the average number of interested friends at the lectures is about 18 per week. Some weeks, when there are brothers and sisters in San Miguel, Sonsonate and Guatemala all on the same weekend, the visitors outnumber those of us left in town. Fortunately, they are mostly regular attenders and don’t require the same intense attention that first-time visitors need.
We thank so much all who have sent letters and ask that you continue to remember the work in Central America in your prayers.
Love in Christ Jesus,
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One