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"Chips Off The Did Block"
News From Marilyn Wood
Serving Christ through:
Spanish American Evangelism
3135 Forney Lane
El Paso, TX 79935
Volume VIII Number 1
Dear Christian Friends, Spring 1989
Each year I tell myself that I'm going to get a newsletter out at least once
a quarter, and each year the time seems to go by faster and faster. I've
heard it said that the older one gets the faster time goes by, and that
certainly is true in my case.
The past five months have been busy and exciting ones. Christmas, as
always, was a joy. Our family was together, except for my sister-in-law, who
had to work. My nieces and nephews really enjoyed having Uncle Rick
(my brother) around for a few days.
January was spent getting all the "end of the year" things done-
financial reports, things together for the annual meeting in February, etc.
Then February came, and it seems like we've been on the go ever since.
On the fourth Price and Ruth Barnes from Ashton, Illinois, arrived for
three weeks. They came to help us out in any way that they were needed;
Bill had done a little remodeling in order to get the "new" press ready for
use. Price was able to help out a little Inthat area, but their big contribution
was in painting the interior of the office building. That hadn't beqn done
for four years, so it was badly needed. That was such a big help to us.
I don't know when we would have found the time to do it.
I first met the Barnes' when I was in Puerto Rico. Their daughter and
son-in-law, Chuy and Jane Ramirez, are missionaries in Yauco, Puerto Rico,
and each summer I would spend a week there helping in vacation Bible
school. The Barnes' would come down each summer for a few weeks, and
they were always there for V.B.S. We have kept up a correspondence since
that time, so when they said they wanted to come and be put to work, we
told them to "Come on." (They have both retired from teaching.)
Shortly before Price and Ruth left, Ruth Knavel from Fairfield, Illinois,
came to spend two weeks with us. She came to work and see if she would
like to come out on a full-time basis. Her past experience included working
in the print shop of Artesia Christian College, so we felt she would be a
definite asset. At the end of the two weeks, she decided she would like
to return and workwith us on a full-time basis. Right nowshe is in Illinois
trying to raise her support so that she can come back. By her ownadmis
sion she is 64 years oldand doesn't want to grow oldsitting ina rocking
chair.
I mention these three toshowthat one is nevertoooldtogo into service
for the Lord. It can be eitheron a full-time basis, such as Ruth iswanting
to do, or on a volunteer basis, such as the Barnes' did. If you have some
job skills that you feel could be used here, just contact us.
March, ofcourse, always means the Mexican Missionary Reunion. This
year itwas held inQueretaro, about 1000milessouth of here. The speaker
this yearwas Dr. Garland Barefrom Lincoln, Nebraska. Hegrewup in Tibet
and later served as a missionary in Thailand. This year over 160 men,
women, and children attended the reunion. (The teens and children have
theirownsessions.) Dr. Barespoke on burn-out, as well as relating several
personal experiences from his own mission experience.
Next year's reunion will be held in the same place with Dr. Jim Pierson
of Knoxville, Tennessee, as the speaker.
This year's trip was not without its highlights. I rode down in a small
motorhome with Ed and Donna Weckerly, Emma Wales, and Rilla Wiggins.
(Rilla owns the motorhome.) The first two nights we were unable to find
motel rooms for Ed and Donna, so Ed had to sleep on top of the vehicle.
During the-daylTwas qutte^hotrbut at night it was downrighfchilly.^Ed^
didn'tsay too muchabout his "outdoor bed", but everytime he turned over,
we knew about it. We told him he had to quit "rocking the boat." One
afternoon we stopped for gas. Emma and Idecided to take advantage of
the facilities, so we got out, leaving our purses in the vehicle. When we
came back outside, Rilla was driving away. After a little bit of yelling, she
heard us and pulled over. I would have hated to have been stranded out
in the middle of Mexicoespecially since we didn't have any moneyor
phone numbers with us. There was a restaurant there, but without money
it wouldn't have done us much good.
On the return trip with Vernon and Norma Miller, we managed to lock
the keys in the cara Volkswagen Gulf. It was a Saturday afternoon at
the beginning of the Easter holiday and in a town where we knew no one.
Fortunately, a man from Monterrey stopped and took me into town to try
to find a locksmith. We did find one, and he got us into the car in about
30 secondsl The whole incident took about an hour.
The week-end of March 31/April 1 I took part in the Mimbres Women's
Retreat sponsored by the Mimbres Christian Camp and held at the Las
Cruces ChristianChurch, since the camp has veryfewfacilities. Special
speaker was Charlotte Wheat fromArtesia, NewMexico. I presented one
of the three workshops on Saturday morning. Ichose as mytopic "A Walk
through the Valley." Ifyou would like a copy of the manuscript, just let me
know, and I'll send you one.
The following week (April 4-7) I was in Mesa, Arizona, attending the
National Church Music Conference. This was the same conference I
attended inJoplin last year. Once again it was a tremendous spiritual, as
well as learning, experience. Shiela Lotspeich (choir member from
Eastside) and Rosa Baker also went this year. I gained a lot of useful
information, and ifIcan just put half of it to use withthe choirs at Eastside,
I'll be very pleased. Next year itwill be in Atlanta, Georgia, onthe campus
of Atlanta Christian College. If you're anywhere close to there and are
interested in church music, you should go. It's worth every penny.
Nowit is May, and the "major" event was the children's musical at church
on Sunday, May 21st. Theypresented "Gettin' Together" which is a sequel
to "The Backyard Gang" we didtwoyears ago. We'redidsomething new
this yeartwo performances: one inthe afternoon and one at the regularly
scheduled Sunday evening worship hour. We had enough children
participating, that some of the parts got split. One child did a particular
part in the afternoon, and another one did it in the evening.
Again this summer I have no plans to represent SAE in any camps or
Vacation Bible Schools. I will be working in the junior camp at the
Guadalupe Christian Camp near Carlsbad, New Mexico. This is the camp
that Eastside supports, and the kids attend. Our preacher is the dean for
that week and is trying to get as many people from Eastside to go as
possible to help. I'll be working with the music. It's been a while since I've
been to junior camp, so I'm sure it will be an interesting week. Later in
the summer I'll be working with the VBS at Eastside.
The workat SAEcontinues to go forward. So far this year over 540,000
pieces of literature have been distributedincluding over 23,000 New
Testaments. Bill was able to print over 1,000,000 tracts last year, but he
hasn't had time to do any more,,so our tract supply is rapidly getting
depleted. (We haye less than 40,000 in stockmost of those are the same
title.) We are waitingfor another shipment of NewTestaments20,000this
time, 10,000 ofwhich Bill plans totake toCentral America inJuly. Wehave
received 20,000 so far this year.
Ina previous newsletter I mentioned the need for complete Bibles. By
the end of the year, we had $150.00 in a fund for that purpose. About two
months ago we ordered 100 Bibles. Since we had several requests for
complete Bibles, they did not last long. If you would like to contribute to
the fund, youmaymake yourcheck out to Spanish American Evangelism
and designate it for "Bibles." People have been good about reimbursing
us for the Bibles, but not everyone can afford them, and for those who
can't we give the Bibles to them. Currently the fund has about $75.00 in it.
As you can see, we do have needs here. They can be summed up in
two areaspersonnel and funds. Would you pray with us and for us that
the Lord will provide for all ofthem. We need personnel intwo areas right
nowprinter and businessman. Funds are needed for the general fund
which covers paper and postage, as well as the general operatingexpenses
of the ministry.
As I mentioned at the beginning of my letter, time has a way of getting
away from us. I have tried to make a speaking trip every three years or
so to my supporting churches. The last such trip was in 1986. However,
I'm not going to get that trip taken this year. My thinking now is that I'll
try to do it next year (1990). Ifyou would liketo have me come and represent
SAE at a VBS or camp during the summer, I could try to combine the two.
I'll be contacting my supporting churches before next summer to start
getting things set up. Others of you should contact me if you would like
for me to come and tell you about the work here.
I do want to take this opportunity to thank you again for all your support.
Without your prayers and financial support, the work of Spanish American
Evangelism nor my part in it would not be possible. May God bless you
all as you continue serving Him wherever you are, and "may the Lord of
peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be
with all of you." (2 Thess. 3:16).
In Christ,
Marilyn Wood
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"Chips Off The Old Block"
News From Marilyn Wood
Serving Christ through:
Spanish American Evangelism
3135 Forney Lane
EIPaso.TX 79935
Volume Vlli Number 2
Winter 1989
Dear Christian Friends,
The calendar says December, and Christmas cards have started arriving in the mall, but
I must say that I feel it must only be September. It just doesn't seem possible that the year
1989 is almost over! So much has happened since I last wrote.
The biggest event for me personally was becoming an instant mother for 16 weeks for my
nieces and nephews. Shortly after I sent out my last newsletter, my brother-in-law, Maurice,
called and asked if i would keep the kids for about ten days. Then they would go to my folks
In Dodge City for the rest of the summer. His phone call came less than 72 hours before
I was to leave for church camp, so I had a little time to get prepared.
I returned from camp at 4:40 p.m. on Friday, June 30th, and they arrived at 4:50. Great
timing! Five minutes later my mother called to let me know my father was in the hospital with
some heart problems, so Maurice and I decided the kids would be better off staying here
in El Paso. They had made a lot of friends here last year, and VBS was coming up in two
weeks, and they wanted to go to that.
To make a long story short, it took Maurice longer to find a job, find a house, get the furniture
moved, etc. than he thought it would. So the kids were here until October 20th. The closest
grade school is only four blocks from my house, and all but Phillip attended it. Phillip went
to a junior high with one of his friends. All in all the four of them adjusted quite well to being
here. But now that they have a permanent home, they are really doing super.
- Maurice found a job in Houston, and the family is living in Katy, just west of Houston. They
lived there before, and Allison met one of her friends the first day she was in school. Maurice
feels things are looking up for them for the first time in five years. We say "Praise the Lord!"
Thank you all for your prayers on their behalf.
Becoming an "instant working mother" with four children in school for this length of time
was quite a change for me. I found I didn't have a lot of spare time, and at times it was difficult
to keep up with everything. I have an even greater appreciatian for single, working parents.
For the most part, things went quite well, and 1experienced the joys of motherhood, as well
as some of the pain.
As for the two major activities last summerVBS and campboth went really well. I was
"dorm mom" at the camp, as well as playing the piano for the services. I really enjoyed working
with everyone there and wouldn't mind going back to help again.
VBS was also terrific. We had a two-week one again. I think the average attendance was
between 150 and 160the best yet. Our missionaries were Ben and Karen Rees who work
in Hong Kong. They sent material over, and I presented it to the kids. I also worked with one
of the Middier Classes and played the piano when the pianist was out of town.
My dad is doing quite well now. The doctor has taken him off all medications but two, and
that has been a big help. At the end of July, my uncle (Dad's only brother) died at the age
of 87. It was not unexpected, but it did add to a very full month for my folks.
The end of September I went on a much-needed vacation with my sister, Marsha, to the
Orlando, Florida, area. We had been planning this for almost a year and a half. It was the
first vacation I've taken in years that wasn't tied in with going to a convention or going to
see family. Because Marsha travels a lot in her work and gets a lot of vouchers for air travel,
hotels, car rentals, etc.. we were able to go fairly cheaply. Since this had been planned for
a while, I was able to save some money for it and also used my Master Card.
Marsha and I had a terrific time. 1truly relaxed and enjoyed myself. My mother came down
for ten days to stay with the kids while I was gone. I think they wore her out before it was
over, but I'm truly grateful for her help. The kids hadn't wanted me to go, but about two days
after I got back, Sarah (8) told me, "Aunt Marilyn, you were right. You did need a vacation."
I wasn't nearly as cross with them when I got home.
Since the kids have left, I've had a lot of company. A couple of friends threatened to buy
a shingle for my front door that read "Marilyn's Hotel." The first guests were my former room
mate and her husband, Bob and Alma Blazek. They were here for a week. Before they left
another couple from Indiana spent a couple of days with me. They were down to look SAE
over and see if they would like to work with us. From here they went on to the missionary
convention with us. A college roommate and her family were through last week on their way
to California. A! and Rocio Williams live In Missouri and are getting ready to raise support
to go to Ecuador as missionaries. There will be a team going in 1990. Rocio is a native of
Guayaquil, Ecuador, and that is where the team will be locating.
The first week of November I was in Anaheim, California, for the Missionary Convention.
As usual it provided opportunities to visit with friends I hadn't seen in some time. Next year
the convention will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, October 14-17. Freeman Bump, missionary in Juarez,
Mexico, (living in El Paso and a former director of SAE) is president. I plan to be there. One
of the main speakers will be Don Richardson, author of Peace Child. Don was the speaker
at the Mexican Missionary Reunion a few years ago and was absolutely terrific. I recommend
that if you can you attend the convention in Tulsa.
The Lord has really been blessing us at SAE, and we've been able to do a lot in the last
few months. In July and August Bill Baker made a trip to Central America, taking with him
9380 New Testaments. He made a lot of new contacts and was even able to put one of our
missionaries in Guatemala in touch with two other church workers on the otfier side of the
country. Bill tried to get into Nicaragua and El Salvador but wasn't able to make the proper
connections. He hopes to do so when he goes back next spring or fall.
In my last newsletter I asked you to pray that we might be able to get additional workers.
It appears that the Lord has answered those prayers. We have been in contact with two families
who are interested in coming and doing the printing. They are all fluent Spanish speakers
and have been involved in printing for a number of years. They also see the need for a Spanish
literature ministry. Continue to pray with us that things will work out where they will be able
to arrive on the field soon.
Also, we now have tracts! During October and November Bill spent about four weeks in
Joplin, Missouri, taking advantage of the two-color press American Rehabilitation Ministries
has. In that time he was able to print over 1,250,000 tracts. It would have taken him all year
to get the same amount done here. So now we have tracts, and we rejoice in that. But we
have a second problemwe need money for postage to get them all sent out. We have
requests going back over two years. It won't take us long to distribute all these tracts once
we have the money for shipping.
We have received several thousand more New Testaments since I last wrote. If we have
the money for the postage, it's safe to say that in these two years (1988 and 1989) we'll have
distributed 100,000 New Testaments. We do thank Ray Ewing of Christian Gospel Distributors
for his help in providing the New Testaments to us.
Another prayer that has been answered is the provision of funds for the general fund. We're
still a little short, but we're not nearly as far behind as we were. We do need additional regular
support for the general fund though. It has steadily decreased over the past few years, and
yet we are doing more than we have ever done before. Even though we haven't had a huge
supply of tracts until recently, we still have distributed over 700.000 pieces of literature so
far this year. The Lord has a way of stretching the dollars, and we can only marvel at the
way He provides.
Also, we were able to get another book produced this year in cooperation withCollege Press.
This one is David Eubanks' book, Jesus, the Last Word. Susan Calderon, missionary in the
Yucatan, did the translation. Raul did the editing and typesetting, and College Press did the
printing. We have several other books almost ready to be sent for printing. And College Press
says that the first book 13 Lessons in Christian Doctrine is out of print, so we'll be resetting
it soon.
I hate to mention finances. In the past when I've made specific requests, I've gotten little,
if any, response, but. .. my support has dropped drastically in the last seven monthsalmost
$350.00 per month less than what I averaged the first four months of the year. One of my
biggest supporters had to drop their support by 40%! At the same time, expenses have gone
up. Just recently I received notice that my rent would be going up by over 10%! Ouch!!! This
prompted me to start looking for another place, but I didn't really find anything as nice for
a cheaper price. In fact, most of them were more expensive and were all electric. In most
complexes here in El Paso the resident pays the electricity, and the bill is not cheap. Anyway,
I have decided to stay put and trust the Lord to continue to provide for my needs, including
this increase in rent. It is possible I will have a roommate by the end of January, but I'm not
counting on that.
I really don't want to move either. I have lived in this particular apartment for over 6 1/2
yearsthe longest I have lived in any one place in my entire lifeand it really is home.
On the plus side, one of mysupporting churches has indicated they'll be increasing their
monthlysupport byover $20.00, and that is definitelya big help. The Lorddoes provide through
His people, and I'm grateful to Him and to you for all the help you are to me.
May you all have a great Christmas, remembering The true reason why we celebrate this
special day, and may 1990 bring you even more blessings from our Lord. Thank you again
for all your support and prayers.
In Christ.
'Ky
Marilyn Wood
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