Bowlin Gerald Geneva 1959 Mexico

THE WESTERN MEXICO CHRISTIANIncluding Mexican Bible Seminary News

Vol. XI, Nos. 2, 3, 4

Pedro and Esau Julian

PLAIN TALK ABOUTLIVING LINK MONEY

By Gerald D. Bowlin, Mission DirectorSeldom in the pages of this bulletin have

we spoken of the money needed to sustaintlie missionaries on the field in the boomagricultural economy of Hermosillo; wehave stressed the requirements of specialprojects, the Seminary or evangelism program, but not of our very vital personnelwho spark-plug the work for Christ inWestern Mexico.

/VWe believe, however, that you wouldto know that some of your mission'

^rics have done without, made do, waitedtill the third pink "Please Remit" notice,and cut their household budgets all yearwithout a word of complaint (not to mention ten-year-old furniture that is disintegrating!). This because some living-linkpledges were dropped and offerings, whichusually take up the slack between pledgedliving link and actual family needs, have

Winter 1959-60

FUTURE SEMINARY CAMPUS

Tho only a spiny cactus and a few scrubpalo vcrde trees rise from tiie desert floorat the site pictured above, our heavenlyFather has looked upon this acreage andfound it fit for the erection of MEXICANBIBLE SEMINARY'S first campus buildings ; it is now Seminary property. God'sprovidence has provided, thru our forwardlooking Seminary Director, Alex Julifin,these tw(^^^£g^ located only about twomiles~'^ir'Tfie^T*an-American (Guaymas)highway from where the Seminary classesare now held. With your continued helpthe first buildings can be constructed in1960. May our Father continue to use youin the work, side by side with those thatpray and labor in Mexico. May HISCHURCH have the glory.

been few and far between. Thus, as theyear draws to a close, some Western Mexico missionary families are still one totwo months behind in living link family

(Continued .on page 5)

Page 2 THE WESTERN MEXICO CHRISTIAN Winter 1959-60

Director's CoUimn

II

Gerald D. Bowlin

The past year, in keeping with God'sprecious promises, has been a year ofvictories for Christ's church in WesternMexico.

They say, "the first fifty years arc thehardest," but after only ten I would liketo report thousands of baptisms as ourChristian missionaries in Africa after theirfirst half-century, or Seminary buildingbeing built by joint missionary-nativechurch pledges as in Japan after that first,long 50 years. I am glad, however, that Ican report victories of progress as thefoundation continues to be laid for a strongnative church which will in time evangelizeWestern Mexico. A few arc: (a) The Ran-chito church, in a surge of nationalism,declared itself as able to manage its affairsand pay its way without Mission help. Ithas weathered an anti-instrument churchof Christ invasion, paid its minister, thopoorly, and ba3)tized a number of precioussouls, (b) The Nogales church, tho shorton men, beginning to shoulder the responsibility of preacher and building, (c) TheLa Mesa church taking the gospel tosurrounding villages and Ranchos, thus

training its members to evangelize theirown people, (d) These churches and otherssufficient to supply a good group of youngpeople for the sccoiid summer Youth Camp,(e) Mexican Bible Seminary, native staffedand directed, a power for Christ in WesternMexico, its graduates serving churches (andcamp) mentioned and others, with anotherminister to graduate; now to build acampus.

Thank you and God bless you for yourfaith in the gospel of Christ which wepreach in this land of Romanism, thefalse gospel, the native church which wehelp to establish, and in us and our visionof a Christian Western Mexico in our lifetime. ODE

THE WESTERN MEXICOCHRISTIAN

Published four times each year,funds permitting, by the Missionariesassociated with Western MexicoChristian Mission. Apdo. Postal 350(Office: Tlaxcala 109 Pte.), Hermo-sillo, Sonora, Mexico.Gerald D. Bowlin EditorW. Jack Gilson .. Associate Editor

Mexican Christian Wedding

Winter 1959-60- THE WESTERN MEXICO CHRISTIAN Page 3

Seininary*s Bright ButureBy Alex Julian. Director

Today Mexican Bible Seminary, ten yearsafter her founding, faces a bright future,tlio we have been nomads all these years,from the Mexico-U.S. border to the citywhere we now find ourselves. But beforeleaving each place we erected a house ofGod. Now. finally we glimpse the buildingsof which we so often dream, for we ownthe land on which to build them.

But oven beyond this great event, theerection of our own campus, we visualizean even greater future, that day when thenative Mexicans sustain the Seminary; fornow we must yet leave the finances in yourhands, having done all that is within ourl)owcr. the foimding and establishing of theSeminary as it now e.xists.

The students who have attended theSeminary, and those who now attend, preachin places as far away as 500 miles, andan even brighter day will dawn for usand them when we have the satisfaction,as you now have, of sending missionariesto other countries, just as you have sentto us; and of course the culmination ofall our dreams will he the day when theChurch of Christ, as revealed in the NewTestament, reigns in the hearts of allhumanity.

Alejandro (Alex) Julian

Julians After the Flood

MISSION RESULTS IN BRIEF

BENEVOLENCB-—Three babies horn withGeneva Bowlin's assistance, and the building of a water storage tank preparatoryto construction of the first clinic buildingsare the big events. An average of 15 peoi)lereceive treatment and medicines in herback yard clinic each Tuesday and Thursday. God has repeatedly smoothed the waywith this good work of the Church.

EV.ANGELISM: Beginning to see resultsof our teaching concerning the NativeChurch: One churcli in Hermosillo heldits own DVBS: another was held in atiny pueblo in the mountains by a womanbaptized in Nogales. (Also see "EvangelismProgram Fruitful.")

CHURCH CONSTRUCTION—The Villade Seris had a kitchen added for Seminary-Church use—a joint project in construction.The La Mesa buildings were repaired, afterthe rains forced a move into a home. Stillwaiting for title on Bacobampo land—.3.000bricks ready.

SEMINARY—Only one new student andhis wife were enrolled for the fall semester—others wish to enroll in the Spring—scholarships are needed—$30 a month. The

Page 4 THE WESTERN Mh

Mrs. Esther Julian in Seminary Kitchen

land for the Seminary campus has beenfenced. calling program and one of individual teaching in homes was carriedout under supervision. Students are activein some phase of church activity all year,

YOUTH—Young people's meetings are heldin the San Benito church and this churchsent 2 girls to Suininer camp. The camp.August, had at least cue representativefrom each congregation in our group—"Sunday school children grown tall" saysBro. Julian! The camp had 20 youngMexican students, two Seminary studenthelpers, 3 teachers, with the programcarried by the ministers. Next year ourMexican brethren hope to promote andfinance the entire camp thru the youth andchurches.

MISSION OFFICE—Nerve-center of ourlabor for Christ. Printed DVBS materialfor all schools; catalogued hundreds ofused Bible School materials; renovated andimproved mailing list (6.000) ; and otheractivities we've accepted as routine—counselworkers; interview sick, needy, beggars;conduct tours of inspection for visitors;staff meetings for information, fellowship,crisis and what have you! WJG

CXJCO CHRISTIAN Winter 1959-60

MISSIONARIES^owlin, Director <6 Churches

(Mrs.) Geneva S. Bowlin, BenevolenceAlex Julian, Mexican Bible Seminary(Mrs.) Esther Julian, Seminary(Miss) Lorene Martin, Mission Office

Watkinson, Evangelism, Bldgs.(Mrs.) Deloris Watkinson, Bible Schools

Gilson, Youth Groups, Publicity^ Mrs.) Billie Gilson, Home Industries

^OFFERINGS—Church ChecksLiviir®'^'"^ Service-Link sent via

churchl be made payable to theindividu'®' '"'ssionary. Project checks—SeminailT' Benevolence, Evangelism, Con-structiov- general FUND—shouldbe madd" payable to the Mission. Mail toMission address.

OFI^^^NGS—Personal Checks—\ Income Tax

Make all , V""" personal checks payableto MEXIC,>N BIBLE SEMINARY, ourFederally 'i.^-Exempt recppration. Thiswill avoid di. '-' dties in case of spot-check-

.Always list afL-VBlif' contributions whenfiling tax form as paid to MEXICANBIBLE .SEMINARY.

Seminary Student

tVinter 19SS'60 THE WESTERN JM eXICO CHRISTIAN Page 5

Summer Youth Camp

evangelism ' PROGRAM 'FRUITFUL^ Sometimes the temperatui^ reaches 125

y1)ut we take advaiJta^e^,^ these summer/ months, despite the heat, for all the workers

/ and students are free from Seminary activ-/ ities and we can intensify our efforts to^ evangelize all of the preacliing points and

organized groups as well. We feel that/ through your help, much has been ac-L..- complished for the Lord, both in summer

and fall.In La Mesa, special services were held

with slides from the Life of Christ series.Under the leadership of Brother Atondo,services have been started in another homewith fifty attending the first meeting. Aneighboring village has asked to haveservices.

On one of our visits to Bacobampo weheld services with the aid of slides. .At-

! tendance was 162 in an evening service,t Vacation Bible Schools, one of the high\ points of the summer work, were held in

eight different localities, with an averagetotal attendance of 300. This means that

./something over 400 children had at leastsome teaching. In Bacobampo alone therewere 103 registered the first day, some

/ coming as early as six in the morning to/ be sure to be on time. They were asking

for another Vacation Bible School atChristmas time even before they finishedthis one!

The first in a scries of evangelisticservices has been held in San Benito,Hermosillo. Others are to follow in otherareas. These services, with the aid of charts,/tracts, and recorded hymns, are intendeds,to give the people a solid foundation inthe fundamental teachings of the Bible.Our goal is both to reach new people andto teaph the Christians more so that they 'can reach others. The average attendancewas about double the regular Sunday attendance.

Your prayers and support are requestedas Western Mexico Christian Missioncontinues her evangeli.sm program. Please/mark your checks for these projects/EVANGELISM. JDVf

(Continued from page 1)expenses! (Imagine the hardship this wouldwork on your family?).

I feel sure that you will want to sendyour favorite family a special, generouscheck so that each may end the year "owingno man anything, but to love one another,"and especially the brethren who keep uson the field. Include a note of encouragement, won't you? God bless you.

Missionary Lorene Martin

Page 6

PAN 1 s l5tJ5THE WESTERN MEXICO CHRISTIAN Wiater 19S9-60

Bible School Class. Bacobampo

MAILING ADDRESS—LETTERS

Western Mexico Christian MissionApdo. Postal 350Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.

FORWARDING AGENT—PACKAGES

Western Mexico Christian MissionP.O. Box 1S30Nogales, Arizona U.S.A.

No packages can be accepted at our Mexicoaddress due to lack of an import permit, andduty above 100 percent. All parcel post, freightand express shipments must be sent to our U.S.Agent who holds them until permits to j'njporfare obtained.