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i'lAR. I 7 13"/6
Serving the Independent Christian Churches Since 1950
Western Mexico Christian Mission58 N. Vniarreai St.
Director
Dr. Gerald D. Bowlin
Native ChurchesEvangelism
(Mailing Address)
APARTADO POSTAL No. 350
HERMOSILLO, SONORA, MEXICO
Telephone 4-30-19Co-D/rector
Mrs. Geneva S. Bowlin
Bible SchoolsBenevolence
Thank God that in this ever-changing*wrrid we believe in and
serveOne who never changes: "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today andfdrever." And His Gospel is the samewe believe it, wq try
to. liveit, teach and preach it and we see lives changed by it
almost 2,000years and half-way around the globe from the time and
place itchanged the -first believers on the Day of Pentecost.
In thinking over our experiences on the kission Field in
t/esterniLexico in order to prepare this yearly report, I am
reminded, of astory I >onoe heard of Deacon Jones who found the
preacher in hisstudy pacing back and. fo.rth like a caged lion.
Upon inquiry byDeacon Jones about what was bothering him, the
preacher replied:"Deacon Jones_, I'm in an awful hurry." Deacon
Jones said he couldsee ho wrong in this, and less reason for the
very evidently agitatedstate of mind the preacher, To which the
preacher explained:'Deacon Jones, I'm in an awful hurry to get a
lot of things done inthe Lord's work, but. the Lord .lust doesn't
seem to be in a hurrvat i" .. , ; " ^ .-
Like the preacher we could sum up many of our experiences in
theyear 1975 with the one word"Frustration." We had a lot of
beautiful
> plans-for the year, few of which, came to.-fruition. As St*
Francis put it hundreds of. years agoi "Man proposes, but God
disposes.'-'. We.
might add: "Blessed be the Name of the Lord,"
One thing in which we have"not been frustrated is the
preaching*ofthe Gospel: We have preached every Sunday, we have been
in the city,unless ill of course.- for the Colrnia Olivares
(Westside) church hfltrein Hermosillo, and taught the Youth Group,
wJfch includes our- own '."children"'(they like .the term
"young-people" better;-): Son, FranciecoJavier (Pancho), - 17;
daughters Yolanda Geneva (Veva)who' will be 15*March 23;
Elizabeth^. (Becky) 14; and our "great niece", Maria
Magdalena(iialena), 16, all High School students, .(The girls
alternate teachingthe children in Bible School.) I finished
teaching them my translati
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1975 Annual Report page two
Geneva has supplied the Sunday Bible School Children's
literature,and tho she has several years' lessens, she is
continually revisingand upgrading them, and adding nev/ 13 v/eek
series for the Primary ages.
Geneva oi^st cams in and read the first page? she said to tell
you herpet frustration, outside of waiting over a year for parts to
fix herold Smith-Corona 500 electric portable typ n.vriter so she
could typesten'-ils(-) p is "ying to ge * 11 or 12 teenagers into
our little I965Dodge Coronet sedan take them to-joint youth
meetings at La Mesavillage, some 25 miles east of here5 And worse
yet, knowing there areanother 10 or 12 unconverted neighborhood
youth who would like .tr go.
This delayed our newsletters in 1975frustrating to both us andto
you in the homelands.
Wall; thafs one of my "frustations"-too I had hoped to purchasea
used pickup this year, but finances are so tight we just barely
makeonus, meetj- in fact there's usually a gapwe're behind on some
of ourpayments nn'w at the end of the yearhouse, drugstore^ Our,
income has
- stayed the svvi in dollars, but inflation has reduced it's
purchasingpower drastically^ I notice it more on food and utilities
because Iseo'these bills weekly or monthly: We are spending about
.$120. a week ($20. per person^ on foods That means $500, a month
for foodand y-vU can see v/hat that does to nur pre-inflati^n
income! Thenthe electricity v/ent up in one big juiripour last bill
was almost$90sOO and that for a winter monti'., I hate to even
think what it willbe in the summer months with our two I/3 h-.p.
evaporative coolersrunning 2^ hours a day to ksap the he use down
to about SO' F. inside when it's 112'''-115Foartideo
We were frustrated too in our plan to get a. neighborhood youth
groupgoing at the home of one of o\x:: yoyxng Westside membersv
Just a coupleof .'ays before our first irir-ctihg was scheduled,
the father withdrew his
^permissions (We especially wanted to start this group, train
the twsisters, _then turn it over to them as we feel they need to
strengthentheir own witness--they"are college age^ Oh well, perhaps
"papa" will
'relent in 19760 .
Jesus Amaya, our young minister and his family at the La Mesa
village'^^have. had their frustrations too, but joys as well as his
attendance
has stood up well in the summer heat, and bitter winter cold in
a; building that has neither heat for winter nor even fans for
summer use-#
He,-has had 50 children consistently in Sunday Bible School,
20-25 in, ^ youth and evening preaching services He rep'^^rts the
outside baptistry
next to the church'building plastered inside and out. Last we
.heardWhe shop-where he ordered the mctal-sash window to go over
thebaptifetry had knocked off work for the Christmas-New Year's
holidays
vwithput delivering the window. So the cold v/ind blew and blew
thruthe,big hole in the wall near the pulpit all during the
Christmasservices. .
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1975 Annual Report page three
'Jesus works as a bricklayer, constructing additions to these
two orthpee room burnt-adobe homes to feed his family. The
physically tiredat nite, he says he is trying desperately to keep
up with the demandfor'the Jule Mller "Cottage iweeting" filmstrips,
with cassette commentary in Spanishc I also might add that the
$^0.00 we gave him to buygifts for his family at Christmas-time was
spent for medicine as allbut he were down with either flu or
tonsillitis or both. Such alovely Christian familynot even the
children complained, and his wife."Cuca", is too fine a Christian
to doubt God's will for her life.
Several youth, both "there and here In tile city, say they want
to be thefirst ones in the baptistry. We may hav^e to chop a hole
in the icefor them if this winter cold spell holds on?
The Christian man who plans to come to the University of Sonora
herein Hermoslllo to finish his C =P.A..worE has again beeii
delayed--y^u-whwork days and go to college classes-at nite will
understand, And sohg.s even a small beginning toward the eventual
Campus Ministry, OurRadio Pr^.-gram still needs some person or
group to sponsor it financially,as we have no funds to even sign
the first contracts Money for thehospital has slowed to a trickle,
and there are other local problemsnot -present when the offer of
sale was made, V/ell, all in good time,the Lord's time, that is,
which is always right.
Perhaps I shouldnH ev:;n use the word "frustrated" as it carries
aconnotation of "discouragement," and really we arenHj we're
justhumarfend like the preacher in the illustration, "in a big
hurry"s'^metimes to do what ^ plan and vre think is right for this
MissionField,
As I believe I informed you, the Vildosolo Mission, on the far
Southside of the city, l-st its meeting place. Due perhaps to this,
and apersonal economic factor, severil of the families returned to
theirhome state south of here. Sinaloa, Other interested families,
are, Ibelieve attending the Viila de Seris (Southside)
congregation, andstill saving their "centavos" and "pesos" to
purchase a lot and put upsom% temporary shelter so the mission will
function again.
As mentioned in other reports, when the mission congregation
becameindependent of the mission and missionary, that is, became
"National"rather than "missionary", they do not feel obligated to
report to themissionary, and this as it should be, But this is
somewhat frustratingwhen you in the U..S
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1975 Annual Report page four
by a" man who does wrought iron and metal window and d'^or
fabricationin a small shop. The elders, one retired, and one a
barber, care forthe Eastside group, with an occasional lift from a
visiting minister,).I have heard only occasinally, and sometimes
indirectly from theNational (iviexican) missions in the Southern
and Northern parts of theState, but assime they are still preaching
the Gospel. (Unfortunatelyextreme "Nationalism" in these 3rd world
countries even effects therelationships between "National"
Christians and the "foreign" Missionaries!) Baptisms, actually, no
real criteria in a difficult field,probably did not exceed the
average of previous years, 20-25.
Our children, excuse me, young people, again taught groups in
vacationBible Schools and loved every minute of it, Geneva had the
able assistance of our summer intern, kiss Lois Graham of
Belleville, Kansas andCasa Grande, Arizona, in the preparation of
the lessons. (These, as
'^isual-, were used by other groups, including the State Child
Evangelismworkers*). Vacation Bible Schcdl was held in a new
village for the firsttime this year, with an average of over 100 in
attendance each night.One of our neighborhood H. S. boys who helped
wanted to know if therewasn't another village which would invite
us, and he isn't evenbaptized yetl
Geneva continues to give shots to all and sundry in our
neighborhood,and witness for Christ, as do I, among these
professional people, V/ewere elected Treasurer and President
respectively at Veva's new HighSchool P.T.A., and this is giving us
a number of friendships forfuture witness. V/e've given away ever
so many New Testaments to thisnew, upper-middle, professional
class, talked to them about Christ,counseled v/ith^them abnut their
problems, etc., etc. But there stillseems to be a,barrier. Talk as
we will about social equality, evenin the U.S. Christians tend to
drift to, the group where they feelcomfortableone to a large
congregation; another to a middle-sizedone; and yet another to a
small group. And these folk just aren'tcomfortable sitting on
rustic benches with working class people.Oh how I wish they could
visit one of our congregations in the citylike Monterrey or Mexico
City, and see that people of their educational,cultural,
professional and social background have accepted Christ andformed a
congregation, and built a building where they feel
comfortableAnother frustration>how to cause these friends to
believe in a typeoc Christian congregation with as nice a building,
ch^ir, and organ aethe Catholics, when they have never seen such a
gr#up, much lessattended it's services?'.?!
All in all, it's been a good, tho slow year, but then we know we
mustexpect changes in attitude and problems in a Third World
Countrysuch as Mexico. God bless yu and remember that "Jesus Christ
is thesame yesterday, today, and forever." Let's all thank God that
inthis ever changing world, HE NEVER CHANGES.
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1975 Annual Report -- page five.
SPECIAL NEEDS FOR 1976
lo A public address system for use outdoors (and indoors too)..
Youdonate it we'll use it' (In fact/ we could use a couple).,
2^ An electric typewriter -- it can be a portable-- for use in
makingstencils for SeS-. and V.B.S. workbooks.- Bible Study
courses, -e'tc.
3-. Sponsor(s) for our Radio Program ^20 =00 for 15 minutes
eachweek, or $80c00 per month, payable ohe month in advance'.
(X.E.D.M.is a 50j000 watt; clear channel station which covers at
leastfour states in Mexico at niteo In fact you may have heard
itv/here you live at 1660 on your radio dial)r>
Your church's old Model 36O Gestetner Duplicator to use for
partsto repair ours.
NblE: PLEASE WRITE US FOR SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS.
5= Garden Seed-send in a letter directly to us- - a 13^ stamp
willbring 2 or 3 packages. Please don't take the attitude that
:rge ^'ill do it" - but please YOU do it today. We can't
recievot 'o many packages of seeds. If we supply the seed our
"country"friends will have a much better balanced diet, also the
Bowlinsv;ill enjoy garden fresh vegetables.These vegetables can be
planted in February and March
asparagus beans beetscarrots collards cucumbersegg plant endive
herbs' "u i-HC*kale leeks 8 muskmell'^h; 'parsnips peas peppers . .
radish rutabaga spinachsummer squash swiss chard tomatoesturnips
watermellon onions
And any thing else you can think of that will grow.
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Serving the independent Christian Churches Since 1950
Western Mexico Christian Mission/ (Mailing Address) ..
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Veva and Pancho "graduated" from grammar school with excellent
grades, Malena andiBecky have taken their last test and have
promises of their grade cards on the 3rd ofJuly. They "think" they
passed everything and will be secondary (high school) studentsnext
year!
Jesus Amaya tells us that he has several young people who are
thinking about beingbaptized (a young woman friend made the "good
confession" in our home just after I wrotethis!!) Ue decided to
build an outdoor baptistry at the La Mesa church, Jesus starteda
collection among our young people here and has collected about two
hundred pesos (orsixteen dollars). It will take about one hundred
dollars to build it, including payingJesus* wages, (He has to work
to take care of his family.)
Uith the above good news, I will bring this to a close, asking
your prayers forthose who have stated a desire to complete their
obedience to their Lord and for otherswho should follow their
example. Pray too for the construction of the baptistry, forJesus
and his family (all ill with infected tonsils), and for the Bowlin
family too.
FUNDS!
Kiss Donna M, Sickafopse, FND. AgentvJestern Mexico Christian
Mission98^0 North 5th AvenuePhoenix, AZ 85021
Love in Him,
G. Bowlin
PACKAGES:
Hestern Mexico Christian Missionc/o J, Elliott807 S. Jerrie
Ave,Tucson, AZ 85711
PERSONAL LETTERS, NEWSLETTERS, NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND BOOKS
(Use Field Address);
Gerald D, and Mrs, Geneva S, BowlinWestern Mexico Christian
Mission
Apdo, Postal 350Hermosillo, Sonora, I-EXICO
We wish to publically thank Deane and Vergene Brown for their
faithful service as ourForwarding Agents, We are sorry that,
because of health and business considerations,they were not able to
continue. Also, our thanks to the Women of Memorial ChristianChurch
in Phoenix, AZ, where the Browns are members, for the receipting,
sorting, andstoring of the used clothing, quilts, layettes, etc.,
until they could be brou^t to theField. May God bless and repay
each of these who served The Mexican Mission Field,
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I'lESTERN MEXICO CHRISTIAN MISSIONDeane Brown, Fwd, Agent
FINANCIAL REPORT 197^
RECEIPTS:JAl^RJARY
FEBRUARYMARCH
APRIL
MY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
^JPTBIfflER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
LECEHBER
TOTAL RECEIPTS - 1974
DISBURSEMEJITS for YEAR:
Benevolence:
Food for Needy & 111 MexicansMedicines &
Benevolence:
Churches:
Audio Visual EquipmentBenches - Village Svang. Legal Fees
\Native Evangelists jS.S, & D.V.B.S. (Literature) fStudents
Bible InstituteUorld Conv, - Hex, SpeaJcer - i
$
1749.411673.931344.431196.831734.291473.311057.582086,091423.721273.051206.532337.12
$ 18556.29
1200.00
399.12
174.9560.0040.00
1020.00
189.5850,0080,00
Mission Center:
Bank:
Charge, Printing, Saf, Dep. Box 30.41Error Deposit 10.00Missing
check 84,00Returned check 70,00
Bookkeeper, Checkbooks, etc. 54.00Memorial Bldg. fxind, I973
(Desig) 354.30Office Repairs (equipment) 35.44Office Supplies &
Postage(Mexico) 61.57Office Utilities 9.00P.O. Box Rent (Mexico)
7.68P.O. Box Rent (U.S.A.Legal Res.) 14.40Telephone (U.S. Credit
Card) 47.79Office SuppliesPostage
(U.S. Fwd. Agent) 108.53
Disbursements Continued:
Missionary Family:
Designated Adoption PanchoDesignated Christmas, *73-'74Housing
AllowanceLiving Link Support, Bowlin Fam.Medical and Hospital
$ 180.00550.00
2605.148056.47
574.80
Publicity:
Equipment CameraNewsletters
Travel to U.S. churches
Transportations s
Auto Club 74-75Auto Insurance
Auto Repairs: Dodge *65 Coronet*64 Station V/agon U.X.
Auto Gas, Oil, GreaseLicense & Fed. Auto Tax
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS I974
26.27174.77507.71
40.0040.00
348.34120.80
1200.00
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$ I8660.60
SUMMARY!
Balance on Hand Dec. 31, I973 $ 789.00
Total Receipts 1974 18,556.29
Total Disbursements 1974
Bank Balance, Dec. 31 1974
19,345.29
18,660.60
$ 684,69
SEND ALL FUI^IDS TO NEW FORUARDIKG AGENT:
Miss Donna M, Siokafoose9840 N. 5th Ave.Phoenix, AZ 85021
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Servmj f/:e Indopnndent Ch//sf;.3n Chirches Since 1950
Western Mexico Christian MissionKQ w v/ili I tsx (r-lJling
Address)
' APARTADO POSTAL No. 350 TelephoneDirector HERMOSILLO, SQi^ORA,
MEXICO CoJteJr^"^^
Dr. Gerald D. .Bowlin g. BowlinNative Churches-Evangelism ^ ^
Bible Schools-Benevolence
Aug,-3ept, 1975Dear Friends and Brethern:
I want to thank you personally for your generous response to our
Julyletter. We are current on all v-ur bills; except for a portion
of aIran we contracted during IViay and June and July to make our
house payments. We are confident that our Father will see fit to
clear thisup soon too.
While I was registering Becky (Elizabeth), our youngest
daughter, andour'great-niece*, Malena (Mary Magdalene) fir their
sec-nd year of High WSchool, July l^th; my sister phoned Geneva t.-
say: "M^.m has gone Horne."!^Had she lived until Aug. I8th; she
wnuld have been C?. (Dad passed awayat 79 in 196^). So we took our
week's grocery money for expenses andour ARCO credit card(^) and
set out for San Dieg'-^, (*Christian friendsin So. Calif, kindly
gave us money tx pay this bill when it came in,).
I had the privilege 01 bringing Men's Funeral message. I
especiallytried to help the. grandchildren (I5 in all) understand
and appreciatethe great Christian and American heritage their
Grandmother had leftthem (Her mother was a DOAK of the pioneer
Tennessee family, and herfather, Albert Femyer, of pioneer German
extraction frjm Pennsylvaniavia Ohio.) I conclude"! with these
words: "How can we ever be worthyof such a Christian Mother? Well-
perhaps we never can, but we havetried to do so by raising our own
children with the same love, discipline, Christian values and
respect for God and Country that Mom andDad taught us, both by
preccnt and example."
The Colonia Olivares (Westside) Chapel here in the c'ity is
being whitewashed as I write this letter. While in the UMS., I
purchased stencilsand stencil brush to put a better sign on the
chapel. I finished C.J.Sharp's "The Bible for Youth" (my
translation): S^S. class for our youthiand "A Catechism for New
Coriverts", which I taught Sunday evenings. Wehave begun Geneva's
study of The Gospel of John on Sunday mornings andthen I preach
verse by verse expt^sitory sermons from John's Gospel onSunday
evenings (Already have 50 sermon outlines ready from the first12
chapters of John, so I expect Geneva will have to write a
workbookstudy on some 'Other N.To book or books long before I
finish preachingon JohnI
Spent the last two weeks of August getting Veva (Geneva) in a
highschool (1st year). First we tried where Becky and Malena are,
but theytook the first 5OO or so out of over I5OO applicants, and
even with a9.^ grade average, Veva wasn't among those 500^ And
neither were any of the other 6 or 8 girls of o":.r neighborhood
who applied, but then ehefound there was to be first year H^S.
classes held afternoons 1:30-7s00 P.M. in a nearby grammar school;
so tried there and came out 3rd or4th from the top, and thus will
be in. the flag honor guard on Mondaysand in the National Holiday
Parades; Pancho (Francisco Xavier) is I6so cannot .get into day H.
S. classes. He has signed up for nightclasses ($10,00 a month) held
at the .grammar school just up the streetfrom our home. Hs is
planning to w;rk mornings in an uph.^lstry shop,(He worked in a
cattle feed-lot this summer.)
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With public sch'^ols starting (Grammar, Sept. 2t H. S. Sept. 8)
wewish t again hold joint Youth Group sessions at least once a
month
with the Lar.'iesa Church. BUT we need more adequate
transportation,for even by Geneva or I staying home: we can only
crowd 11 or 12 youngpeople into our *65 Dodge Coronet sedan, and
about that many morewould like to go with us? mostly ones who
aren't baptized yet. Ihave a lead on a good, two year old pickup,
so perhaps I'll havenews in our next letter about how you can
help.
D.V.B.Schools were a great success, thanks to our summer
intern,&dss Lois Graham of Gasa Grande, Ariz., and Belleville,
Kans., andour own youth, who each had', a group. And tl-nks to your
financialhelp and your prayers, of course. Please continue with
both.
YOURS AND HIS,
GERALD D. BO^N and FAMILY
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Serving the Independent Christian Churches Since 1950
Western Mexico Christian Mission(Mailing Address) >1958 N.
Viltarreal St, APARTADO POSTAL No. 350 Telephone ,,
Director HERMOSILLO, SONORA, MEXICO Co-Director 'Dr. Gerald D.
Bowlin Mrs. Geneva S. BowIIn
Native Churches-Evangelism OC t.-NOV.-De C 1975>EC 1 5
1975
Dear Friends of MexicotThank you for being gener'vus with your
offerings fm-.. .
the baptstry in La Mesa. It is still at a stop-and-go affair.
"StoiD"making adobe to burn because of rains-"go" make adobe,
"stop" trriix the old truck to hauj. woo,d and water to make more
adobe andburn the ones already made. "Stop" because there is no
cement tooe had in all of Hermcsillo-even with the cement mountain
right inthe middle of/everything: We hope to have it finished this
month,we are thrilled that those who have made it known they are
ready tobe baptized have not changed their minds!
Gerry told you in his last letter about Veva being inSchool,
Well, when we had the Mexican equivalent
of a PTA meeting, Gerry was elected president and I was chosen
as "treasurer and to keep it all in the neighborh'^od, the
secretaryliyes up the street and the assistant treasurer lives
closer. Of 6officers, 4 live within a one block radius. We enjoy
woirking withthe beginning of things> so this new school is just
anotherbeginning for us.
r ^ Principal was sent up here from* Merida, Yucatan,f America)
to start a school. He arrived one afternoon,and the next afternoon
started enrolling students.-The building is
a borrowed grammar school (mornings only). He even had to
b,or?owenrollment forms tn enroll the students. Had to put out word
via
that there was to be a high school on the north side oftown...
When Mexico decides to do something, they do itNo planning,no
ppperation, or even thinking about it--they decide it is neededso
they start,,..NOW!
Mexico is changing in our area, guess it is known asprogress.
^The Catholic church is Icsiing its hold on the people,and sad as
it is, most of them are not becoming Christians--theyare growing
away from religion per se, The they are inquisitive,they want to
know about "our" religion. Pray for us and the nativesthat they may
awake to the need of becoming a true Child of Gd andpray for us as
we labor here in our chcsen field. Continue toremember us with your
tithes and offerings, and COMB TO SEE US-. . y
_ _ _ , . Geneva.P.S. Fer you who are inter^ted in remembering
our children atChristmas. Please make^ynur gifts "en efectivo"as we
say here (money),as they need clothespants, shirts, material for
blouses and skirtscost about the same here as in the U.S. Thank you
and may 0drichly bless each of you as ycu serve Him. GSB.
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3-*""
We Pray
SEASONS GREETINGS
''|L-c5:5=^^*'>..s"'''~":.'i)l
THAT
WE may all be thankful at THANKSGIVING
for the Gift of His Son "C
WE may each honor God in the NEW YEAR.
WESTERN IvEXICO CHRISTIAN MISSIONApdo Postal 350
Hermosillo, Sonora;MEXICO
Rsax^ OiqTi* Hleele# Swr*AitMi w. S, KeGUwgrBox 177XOG^toO*
IB