San German Christian Mission

JAY 12 1982
Dear Christian IViends,
Greetings- in Christ from Puerto Rico, We hope that you are well
and that the Lord' is blessing your lives richly. We have certainly been
blessed the past few weeks and we are excited to tell you about our
blessings.
Our second daughter was born just two weeks ago, on April km Her
name is La^ie Lynn and she weighed 7-lbs'.and ozs and was 21 inches
long. She is a real bundle of joy and #e feel very blessed to have her.
Suzanne is doing just fine ^d we were very fortunate to have her
mother, Thelma Swango, here when Laurie was born. She has been a big help
and of course has enjoyed getting to see her second grandchild.II was
very plgased to be able to be with Suzanne during her labor and during
the delivery. The hospitals here are as nice as the ones in the United
States and the care is excellent. Thank you all for your prayers for
Suzanne^ and the baby. Please continue to pray for us as the hard part
is raising children the way the Lord expects us to. Emily has done very
well adjusting to 'her new sister and is very protective of her. We'll
have some pictures of them in the next newsletter. Lord willing.
We were also thrilled to have another birth here recently, although
this birth was the t'new birth". Marta Lugo was immersed a few weeks ago
and it has been a joy to see her grow in the Lord. She has been studying
faithfully for" several months and was able to see the need for Christ
to be the Lord of her life. The church in Mayaguez where we are helping
has had seven other immersions the last two months and they are thrilled
about that. We had a revival there before Easter^ with Bob Gurwell from
the church at Caparra doing the preaching and it* was a real time of
growth for-the body.
We were very pleased to find out that one of our old friends from
Levittown, Mary Seda and her sons Jason and Bryan, had moved to San
German. They are all believers and are eager to help in getting the
church started here. We are looking now for a place to have our services
and we ask you all to be praying for that. I was sure that I had found
a place a few weeks ago. One of the neighborhoods where I have Bible
lessons has a new community center that is hardly used. The center is
still under government control and one of the rules is not to allow
any religiousrsert^ices. We are sure that the Lord will provide when
the time is. right. We are hoping to begin our services within the next
two months. Please be praying for that.
We have mentioned several times the camp property that the churches
in Puerto. Rico have purchased. We were able to get a great deal of work
done a few months ago when we hired a big bulldozer to come in and
level the parts that needed work. The bulldozer had a "ripper" on it
that really broke up the spots that were rocky and the camp is now ready
to build on. All we need is the money to build. We Want to try and
build an "^1 purpose" building first that can house the kitchen and
bathrooms in one part and some sleeping accommadbtions in another
part.
, We received a letter recently from Lonny and Vanessa Smith. They
Qve in Costa Rica studying Spanish before they come here to help
in the work here. They are enjoying their time of study and are adjusting
well to living in a foreign country. It. takes a lot of faith*to pick
up your family and move somewhere where they everything is strange. Pray
for them as they learn Spanish which is so very important.
A few of the events coming up soon will be Junior and Senior High
damp in June and 1*11 be going over to the Dominican Republic also to
help for a Week. Bill Loft has asked for help in an internship program
he has planned. I am eager to visit the work again there and renew
friendships with the Christians we*vemet before.
One of the f^ilies that I mentioned before in our newsletter.
Rafael and Somia Ascencio, have been through a trying time recently.
They have had problems in their marriage and about three weeks ago
Sonia gave birth to their second child, a baby boy, but he died the
next day because his aorta was blocked. Please be praying for them
in this time of trial that they might seek the Lord's will for their
lives.
Puerto Rico, as in the U.S. , is being hit hard by the recent
recession. Unemployment has always been high here and is "officially"
2^^ but many say it is higher than that. Several of the young people
in the church in Mayaguez have losted their jobs and are having a
hard time finding another one^.
Thank you all for your continued support, both financially and
through your prayers.-Through your efforts we .are able to do our work
and we are glad you have a chance to share in it. Please take time to
write us just a short note. We really enjoy hearing from you all.
Our address.
P.O. Box 1071
San German, P.R.
00753
Our Forwarding agents:
M/M Don Merriman
P.O. Box 6
Williamsport, Indiana ^7993
Rick & Suzanne York
P. O. Box 1071
San German, PR 00753
In His service,
-fu
Hick, Suzanne, Emily,and Laurie
Mission Services
BOX i 7 Q
Kempton, Ind. ^60^9
A> APR
U 1982
-t'/
9 ;se2
July 1982
Dear Christian Friends,
Greetings in Christ once again from Puerto Rico. We hope that
you and your family are enjoying this summer's activities and giving
God the glory in all that you do.
Our family is doing Just fine. Laurie will be four months old
next week and she is growing like a weed. She wears twelve month size
outfits and every week Suzanne has to go through her clothes to see
what won't fit her anymore. All the Puerto Rican people really make
over her. It is a custom here to touch a baby when you see one so
when we are out it is very common for strangers to walk up and
touch Laurie. In the Dominican Republic, where we visited a"few
weeks ago, it was even more so because they don't see nearly as many
American babies there. They all thought Laurie was beautiful but that
she was awfully whitel
Our summer has been on.of the busiest that I can remember. We
started the summer in a great way with a wonderful week of Senior
Camp. We had fewer in number this year than last but what we lacked
in number was more than made up by the spirit of the campers and the
faculty. We were able to have one of the college interns, Fernando
Dupey, be our special speaker and he did an outstanding Job. Fernando
is from Chile and is a Senior at Colegio Biblico in Texas. During
the week we had two confessions of faith- three campers express their
desire to walk closer with the Lord and two young college students
dedicate their lives to Christian service. These last two are now
enrolled in Bible colleges in the U.S. Praise the Lord for His power
to change people's lives!
The following week we held a week of Junior Camp for campers
8-12 years old. This was the first time we had ever tried Junior Camp
and we had over fifty campers. For the most part it was the first time
many had ever been away from home alone but we only had one really
homesick girl and it didn't take her long to get over that. We ere
planning to have the Junior Camp every year, Lord willing.
Right after the second week of camp we got ready to go to the
Dominican Republic for two weeks of teaching and preaching. Suzanne
and the girls were able to go with me so that meant making lists of
things to take along with boxes of clothes that we took for the poorer
Christians over there. Even though it is only about 100 miles from
Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic there is a world of difference
between the two. The Dominican people suffered for over twenty years
under the dictatorship of Trujillo and are Just now getting used to
the idea of having a democratic government. It is a much poorer
country, with little modern industry, and many unemployed people.
The Bill Loft family is working in the city of Santiago and we spent
two weeks there teaching and preaching in the different churches. The
work is being blessed in a great way and we were more than happy to
help. One of the highlights was teaching a group of future leaders
about the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Christ. I was
invited to speak on the radio which was e first for me In Spanish.
We got home on July 16 and we had time, barely, to wash our
clothes and then head back to San Juan for the 11th annual Caribbean
Missions Clinic. We were able to fellowship with missionaries from
Jamaica, Barbados, Dominican Republic, and the U.S. It vas a great
time of insplrption. We all were blessed by a series of lectures by
Seth Wilson from Ozark Bible College. Bro. Seth has Just celebrated
his fiftieth year of teaching the Bible and we all profited from his
exhortations. I don't think I have ever met anyone who knew the
scripture better than he does.
We recently heard from our future co-workers, Lonny and Vanessa
Smith. They are in Costa Rica learning Spanish and will be coming
sometime in September, Lord willing. We are really excited about
them coming and ask you to pray for them as they finish their studies.
They have two little boys, Adam and Luke. Adam is Emily's age and Luke
is a year old now so I imagine that their boys and our girls will
soon become well known in San German.
I am continuing with my home Bible studies and we are hoping
to begin services in our home in the next two months. I have a goal
in mind of having our attendance up to fifty by the spring of 198^,
when we will go on furlough. Will you please pray with us about
that? We do covet your prayers for our work.
This summer we have heard from more indiviuals in the churches
that support us than ever before and we really thank those that took
time to write. If you have the time why not write us short note and
let us know how you are and how the church there is doing?
Seth Wilson said during one of his lectures that the steps to
happiness are admitting Christ Into your heart, your life
to His service, and submitting your will to Him. Thank you all
for your continued support and let us all try and apply these points
in our lives. God bless you as you serve our King.
Forwarding Agents:
Mr. and Mrs. Don Merriman
P.O. Box 6
Williamsport, Ind. ^7993
Rick and Suzanne York
P.O. Box 1071
San German, Puerto Rico 00753
In Christ,
TU
Rick, Suzanne, Emily, and Laurie
Qn'T<b
Mission Services
P.O. Box 2^27
Knoxville, TN 37901
. "fc s bjj
November 1982
Dear Christian PriOnas,
Greetings in Christ again from Puerto Rico. We hope that you *
and your families are well. We are all fine and busy with our work
and excited about the coming months. Our two girls, Emily and Laurie
are both growing like weeds. Laurie has two teeth now and is able to
stand up and crawl. She looks just like Emily did at that age. Emily
is always on the go and continues to surprise us with how much
Spanish she is learning. She knows if a person speaks Spanish or English
and she speaks to them accordingly. When she doesn't know a word in
Spanish she just takes the word from English and invents her own
word I
We are excited about our workl Lord willing, we will begin services
on December the 12th. Please be praying for us and our efforts. We
are setting the goal of 25 people for the first service. We have found
a lot of interest in San German and we -are praying that the Lord will
use us. One of the real blessings for us over the last month was the
arrival of Lonny and Vanessa Smith and their two boys, Adam and Luke.
They spent eight months in Costa Rica studying Spanish and they are
able to do very well speaking and understanding Spanish. Lonny has
already begun to work with the youth in San German and Vanessa will
be in charge of the music at the church. Adam and Luke both have blond
hair like our girls and when we all go together somewhere they really
attract attention.
We were thrilled to be able to baptize Patty Padilla recently.
Patty is the niece of Mary Seda, one of our sisters in Christ I have
mentioned before. Patty is a high school senior and has expressed
some interest in teaching some of the younger children in church.
We were sorry to see two of our families move away in September.
Marta Lugo, who was baptized last April moved to the town of Bayamon,
near San Juan. She has gotten in contact with the church in Caparra
Terrace and has been attending services there with her sons. Mary Seda
and her two sons moved to Florida. She was unable to find a job here
in San German but has found a good job in a birlingual school near
Miami. Be praying for both those families, please.
As you can imagine, starting a new church takes a lot of work
and a lot of expense. We are going to be using our house for the first
few months to save the cost of renting a building right at first..We
hope and plan to double our attendance within six months to rifty^
people. After that our house probably won't hold any more and we will
begin to look for a building to rent or buy, Lord willing. The initial
expenses of chairs, tables, lesson material, etc. are expenses that
we can handle right now. We will need extra financial help in the future
but we will let you know about that as the needs arise. We are sure
that the Lord will bless the church here and we really want you to
be praying with us and for us.
Wie church leaders on the island had a camp meeting last Monday
and we hope to begin some construction on our camp property within
the next six months. The first building will be some type of multi
purpose building. We really need some camp facilities and it looks
like our dreams will soon become a reality. Praise the Lord for His
blessings.
As Christmas approaches and we remember the birth of our Savior,
we need to stop and thank God for His gift to us. May the Lord bless
you richly during this season. Thank you for your love and prayers
for our family.
For unto you Is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall
find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men .
Luke
.IL-WX'

Rick and Suzanne York
P.O. Box 1071
San German, P,R. 00753
Mission Services
F.O. Box 2h27
Knoxville, TN 37901
Seasons (Jrcetiiigs LISA2dc