PERMIT # 112

ORGj POSTAGF PAIT^ FSCONni-'O CALIF

Lord*s

Reapers

1111 N Main

Joplin Missouri 648OI

March 196G

GREETINGS..GRACE & PEACE

WGuslcttDr from the CULIACAIM CHURCH OF CHRIST: Culincan, Sinaloo,.Mcxica

ALL FUNDS: CHURCH OF CHRIST 215 UI, LucDrc PERSONAL LETTERS:

Las Crucos, (May Mcxico

0BQO1

Apdo, 826 (Gilsons) Apdo. 863 (Atondoa) Culiacan, Sinaloa, MgxIcd

Please NOTICE the heading.,.this is the beginning of a NEU PHASE of the

work in Culiacan, ue might coll it,,..
PHASE TWO!

as UD bclievG the uork is entering the second phase of several to carry it forujard. The first phase was the missionary on the field, noui the second phase is leaving the uork in native hands.

AS OF APRIL the Gilsons uill no longer be dirr?ctly associated on the field but ore returning to the USA. Uic'll keep our house in Culiocan until June but Jack uill be in and out of the states starting mcdical treatment. This uill terminate eight years of service in Mexico, OIONISIO ATONDO our com panion of the last five years and a 'littie mare, uill be in complete chargG
of the field here along uith the uorkers ue have trainecJ^

THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE CULIACAN CHURCHES ARE SELF SUPPORTING, (It uould

be a pleasure to announce this but isn't yet possible).

goal for "Phase Three" or "Phase Four".
THE CULIACAN NEWSLETTER....

This is still a

uill continue to reach you and report the uork here.

Present workers are

the Atondo family (uho are awaiting the birth of child No. 9 any moment nou); Rodrigo Kataura Acosta, our Saltille graduate; and three men trained locally to preach and teach. Projects are still the three churches, allL of uhich are in building programs nau; the continous evangelism and train ing of workers; and the Educational Aid program for secondary schooling
among the Christians.

THE CHURCH, THE UORKERS AND PROGRAMS

all need your continued prayers and financial concern and uc feel ue'd be
selling you short if we didn't expect it.
BOB AND GRETCHEiM WINTERS,

who were ministers at Sunnyside Christian in Tucson, uhen the Gilsons came

to Mexico, are going to take over the duties of forwarding agent. They'll receive, receipt and distribute funds from their present ministry in Neu Mexico. They've continued a very deep interest in the Mexican field and
are able to communicate in Spanish. Russell Brinker and the First Church of Christ in Phoenix have had an exceedingly faithful ministry uith us in

this and are deeply appreciated.

They have written a most kind letter as

(Copy on request-

elders to the uork here concurring in our resignation. one is being sent to each contributor),
SINCE THE LAST GENERAL LETTER

the season of heavy schedule has been in the services and arrangenmts for turning over the work. At Christmas ue visited Phoenix, Arizona and Billie made a speedy trip to visit her people in Sacramento, Calif,
SD MANY THINGS

seem to lead us to nostalgia. The many friends we've made in and out of the Christian field of work. The other missionaries we've come to love &

respect.

Jack made a trip to Guadalajara to see the Looney family and

passed by thD ocoan and canals loading to it, a symbol of Sinaloa, Clinton Loonoy is going to mako an occosicnal trip horc to report on the uork indopondcntly, Ug'to going to miss those people.
Hero at the

In the siijamps and coastal tidolands the egrets, sea eagles, ducks and thou
sands of Ljator birds make an inviting and changing spBCtaclo.

house LJD see constantly a big variety of birds: parrots and parakeets,

silky and one scisscr-tailod flycatchors, big black boat-tailed blackbirds

and lesser varieties (gracklos), Lde have in the big guayinuchil tree a

catch all for shrikes, flickers, sparrous, creius','parrotlets and a flock of oriole-fomily coubirds, "In the bock gnrden uie often sec Inca Doves. Lie have an injured "Urraca" which is our Icng tailed blue Magpie uith
white under feathers.
disposition,
iiilTH THE CHURCHES '

He's a noisy thief uith a sharp bill and a nasty

ue' ve continued to have. responses ^.nd baptisms uith tuio in the Ejidal

church recently and the first cnnvu^rts from" Rodrigo' s schoolmates. As ue uiere writing this we received word that dear Sister Margarita had passed on in Aguaruto. She was abnut 70 years old and a little elf. bJe'll miss her presence and bright seyii^Qs she was ready for a "broma" (joke) any time. Just before she pasBod awny she said, "I'm going to leave you and I'm not joking this time!". Her children were not Christi a n s
so wouldn't let us hove a service but finally at the graveside Atondo was

allowed to read some scriptures- choosing those from the last chapter of Ecclesiastes. "Some day the silver cnrd will break,..".
lillTH THE GILSDNS....

Our address will be the same for personal mail until 3une when we'll let

you all know.

UJe expect to^ spend the next few months looking for a place

to land in the USA but most of all to regain Jack's health te a good

strong level. This is the first item on the agenda and we want thisbuilt up tn a strong "pre-Mexico" situation where he can feel able to take on the necessary burdens that life presents. This re-adjustment will take
a while and we have no definite plans to let you know at this time. The

Escondido group has agreed to continue editing this paper,

Ue covet and need your prayers for onch of us as the UJORH COIMTliMUES.
Jack & Billie Gilson, and the workers.

tTT

" J "'f '\r

r-t

x>Y>OL>/j
First Christian Church

'13aD So. Juniper St. Escondido, Cslif. 92025

Pormlt #112 Kon Profit Org, P6st;go Paid Sscondido, Calif.

23 &&
Lord's Reai^ers

1111 ST Main

Joplin Missouri 648OI

August 1966 GREETINGS GRACE & PEACE . (\lEiiJslQttGr From the CULIACAIM- CHURCH-OF .CHRIST:" Culiacarv^. Sinaloa, Mcxico
ALL FUNDS: CHURCH OF. CHRIST 213 liJ, Lucoro
PERSONAL LETTERS:

ApclQ 863 (Atandos) Culincnn, Sinaloa,. Mexico

aaooi

Lns CrucGS, Nguj Mexico

To all the Christian Friends of the Culiacnn Mission:

Hello! Ad the neuj foruarding agent for the Culiacan Church of Christ, I*m uriting this letter as a means of getting acquainted uith all of you. I do count it a tremendous privilege and responsibility to have been asked by the
Gilscns to do this ujork for the Lord,
Mexico.

Bob and I hsue been vitally interested-

in Mexican missions for many -.years nou and have, taken numerous trips into

Ide thought perhaps you would like to hear from the Gilsons, Atondo and the Culiacan Church,, so up asked jgek to write a short report,
ABOUT THE GILSONS . .

Their neu address is 1705 Sacrsinynto in Las Cruces, Jack is Area.-Erogrisfn Director for the Home Education Livlihood Program (HELP) uhich in turn is

part of the Anti-poverty Program. *ThL' tuork is with Mexican migrants and immigrants. Billie is busy trying to make their house into a "home" right
nou. path have.plenty of opportunities to speak Spanish, what with over one half of the Now Mexico popi^latian being of Mexican or Spanish extraction.
El Paso and'Ouarez are a short distance away for more contacts.

Jack is making.weekly trips to an El Paso clinic and is feeling much better, and before long' hope to aid in the beginning of a Spanish-speaking work.
Your letters are deeply appreciated and prayers definitely needed!

thank you!

Both are active in the Las Cruccs New Testament Christian Church

Jack says,"My deepest concern, after my hf^alth, is that the funds for the ononing of the Culiacan work not become scarce. Atondo is doing a very fine J--: jab along with Rodrigo l^ataura and the other workers. The scholarship pro gram is bolstering the work a great deal and I hope we can enlarge it.

Regino Aguilar, our minister who pasced away in 1963,

to the USA over the kth of July.
trip more enjoyable.
ABOUT THE CULIACAN LtJDRh AND ATONDO

One of the scholarship students this year will be Efrain Aguilar, son of

Saltillo to school, where such a good job was done with Rodrigo,

He'll^be going to

Jack made a trip to Culiacan to bring Billie and their household goods back Ernest Hoffmann, leader in the Las Cruces Church. Bob Idinters (Minister of the Los Cruces Church) loaned his trailer and air-conditinned car to make the
On the trip they were accompanied by Mr,

Baptisms are continuing at the same rate and services are being held in all places with the Hidalgo work showing the most physical progress. Aguaruto averaged 90 in Vacation Bible School, and increase of 200% over last year.
Atondo and his family live in the Hidalgo area so it receives the most work and influence of a Christian family..The Atondos have completed anothp room on their house, so they moved entirely into it to leave the original^

The Culiacan work is going forward in good shape with some areas of concern.

ties,

tarpaper- and - piled - brick building just for services and church activi They still need more house room...can't imagine why,,,,they have
three rooms and only eleven in the family!!

Sikisaka, uas called home just one year afTtcr 16 year old Hiki uas killed in
an auto-pedestrian accident.

There is to bn a ujcdding in August hetuaon Rosalinda Sikisaka and GuillGrmo S0 me Qluido, In the pattern of continued deaths in the village of Aguaruto, Mrs. Priscilla Gomez Sikisaka, Rosalinda's mother, and mother of "Kiki"

UJe need three more immediate commitments for the secondary schooling scholar

ships for this fall.

Maybe one of the youth groups could help us for the

next ten months at par month. It ujould sure be a blessing to the work ta have one more Christian youth assured of a secondary education in the ed
ucation-poor country of Mexico.

Atondo writes, "In taking the responsibility of the work here in Culiacan, I had tc ask myself two questions, am I prepared for it? Am I sufficiently responsible to direct the Lord's business? Right away it is not easy to
knocks, it shall bo opened to him, Lufee 11:1D.

give an answer, However our God says, Have no fear I am with thee, Isaiah ^1: ID. And, each one that asks, receives; he that seeks finds; and -he that
"Plead to God for me that there shall be given ujords of wisdom and intelli
gence to minister His work,"
ABOUT THE LdlNTERS

Briefly, wo would like to tell you about our own "calling" in the Lord's work. Our ministry has been dedicated to establishing new churches. The first effort was in Tucson, Arizona, the second in Sierra Wista, Arizona and wD are now leading the new work in Las Cruccs. liJe find it takes Dbout five years to establish a mature cbngregation with a building and resources
to call a full time minister. To support ourselves we have mobile home

sales business. Bob is a graduate of Lincoln Christian CollegE 9nd I attended there two years before he "sidetracked" me. Lie have three children, two boys, 7 and 9 r^nd a girl, 11. A fourth addition is expected in October,

In conclusion, let us emphasize the continuing needs of the Mission: Atondo and Rodrigo's salaries, building funds for a new church building-and for the
additions to Atondo's house, the education funds for the Christian youth.

Lie' urcic you to write to us, get acquainted and stop to see us in Las Cruces.
liie are only one block off the highway and really love to have company.
Remember the work in your prayers.

Yours in Christ's Service,

Gretchcn bJinters