CHAPTER
III - First Mission to Mexico
Upon my return
home, I applied for a teaching position at the Juarez Stake Academy,
and was accepted. I taught the following classes: chemistry,
Horticulture, Poultry Science, General History (to the Seniors)
Freshman Spanish and zoology (the last was also taught in Spanish). I
was the Freshman Class Advisor, and we presented an interesting and
funny assembly program for the whole school, and had many other
activities. Among my students were Alma Jarvis, three of the Whetten
girls and many others I cannot remember as Freshmen. LaSelle and
Arletta were in the Senior Class General History and were more
interested in each other than in the class. To save time, I boarded at
Aunt Maude Bentley's home (and Joseph C. Bentley's) from Mondays to
Fridays, and went home on weekends. I had to keep ahead of the
students, and so I was always sleepy. The Bentleys treated me like
their son, and fed me very well.
The year that I
taught at the J. S.A. Ralph B. Keeler was Superintendent. It was good
to be home for a year, after having been in Logan for four years. I do
not have a record of what I did during this time. I remember that some
of the students and I formed a dance band. I played the saxophone. I
was pretty rusty, however. We played for school dances.
The year that I
taught at the J.S.A. I served as President of the Alumni Association of
the J. S. A. I gave nearly all of my wages to Dad to keep for my
mission. I believe it was more than enough to pay for my entire mission
of two years and five months.
On July 22, 1937, I
received my Patriarchal Blessing from Patriarch Joseph C. Bentley.
I was set apart for
my mission August 5, 1937 in our home by my father, the Stake
President. That same afternoon, I left home with President Harold W.
Pratt, the Mission President, and Isidro Bautista, for a trip into the
mountains of Chihuahua to find members of the Church who had been
abandoned since 1926, when the missionaries were forced to withdraw. We
found a few members in the towns we visited: Galeana, San Buenaventura
(El Valle), Namiquipa, Bablcora (William Randolph Hurst's immense
ranch), Temosachic, Matachic, Guerrero, Miniaca, and, after a tight
squeeze on a narrow ledge of a road, San Juanito, Maguarichic, then to
Chihuahua, Las Delicias and back home--6 days. We left home again at
2:00 A.M. on August 13-President Pratt, Isidro Bautista (who was going
to Mexico City to see his father after 15 years), and Cesario Gonzalez,
who was going to Mexico to work for Harold and Joe Pratt. We stayed in
El Paso that day and until 2:00 P.M. on Saturday. We arrived in Piedras
Negras Sunday morning in time for Sunday School. We also held a meeting
of members and investigators (83 present) at a ranch about an hour in a
truck southeast of Piedras Negras. There I had my first opportunity to
speak in the mission. I had spoken in the Mexican Branch at home
previously. We then went on to Monterrey and held another meeting there.
We went on to Mexico City over that fascinating mountain highway.
I had the pleasure
of giving my brother Bob a big hug. I had not seen him for five years.
I was assigned to work with William H. Jarvis in Mexico City. LeRoy
Hatch also lived with us. He was attending the National University. We
lived at Gabino Barreda 101.
In the afternoon,
we visited a family that had a sick child with some sort of fits, to
administer to her. Then we went on to a home to a meeting with
investigators with Reah Walser and Marguerite Taylor. Later, the little
girl we administered to was completely well 3 days afterward. However,
much later her illness returned.
I received a letter
from Mother, dated Thursday, August 19, 1937, saying that the boys had
taken Grandmother Mary Gubler Bowman to Provo to be under the doctor's
care, and that Maybeth and Aunt Lottie were with her. The next letter
from Mother was written in Provo on Tuesday, August 24th. She informed
me that Grandmother had died the day before, Monday, at 5:30 A.M. They
had received a telegram on Sunday at 9:00 A.M. that she was dying, and
they got ready and left immediately for Provo. Mother and Dad took
Wesley and Dorothy along.
I still get an
inspirational feeling in my heart when I think of a lot of things that I
know about Grandmother, after having lived with her for four years
while attending college. Mostly, I am oh so grateful for the privilege
of having been associated that intimately with such a wonderful woman.
If she had not helped me so much by letting me live with her to help
take care of her business and things around the house, I would not have
been able to finish my schooling as easily. She also paid my tuition one
year when I didn't get enough work to pay it myself.
Grandma was ready
to go when she was called home. Ever since Grandfather's death on April
30, 1933, she had been saving all she could so that her last expenses
would not have to be paid by her sons as Grandfather's were.
Grandfather had been in the hospital so long after his prostate cancer
operation in June or July 1932, that he had used up all his reserve. He
was just as great a man as Grandmother was a great woman. Grandmother
had saved over $1,400.00, and she also had a few hundred dollars of
Poultry Stock in the Cooperative. She had also contributed more than
$200.00 to Marion's mission. She saved the money out of the rent on the
three apartments in the house. Grandmother was an aristocrat, that is,
she was definitely among the finest people who have lived on the earth.
If I started to list all of Grandmother Mary Gubler Bowman's
outstanding qualities, they would fill a number of pages. Probably the
most outstanding quality I know was her ability to sacrifice anything
and everything for what she thought was right and what she thought she
should do. The most important thing in her life was living according to
the principles of the gospel, and having her sons and daughter live them
also. She worried considerably over the fact that some of her boys were
not too faithful to the Church and the teachings of the gospel. Nothing
gave her more joy than when one of her boys, or her daughter, did
something creditable as, for example, when Dad was made Stake
President, or to have one of her grandsons go on a mission. I remember
how she used to say so proudly. "I have two grandsons on a mission"
--speaking of Marion and Bob.
I shall never
forget the hours of fun we used to have when she'd tell me about her
experiences, or when we'd get into some argument, not serious, just in
fun. Zelpha Cook also got in on these confidences and wrote a lot of
them down. She promised me a copy, but I never did get it.
Bob was released
from his mission to go home on Saturday, August 21, 1937, and he
traveled home with Beatrice Hawkins and Naoma Stevens. I shall never
forget the trip I was permitted to take with Bob to San Marcos,
Santiago and Pachuca on Mutual business and to tell the Saints goodbye.
They prepared a big program and banquet at San Marcos. I had the
pleasure of sitting by him while they covered both of us with confetti
and flowers and later when they sang him an especially composed song
that started out like this: "Va se va el hermano Bowman, Va termino su
mision." Sorry I can't remember the rest of it, or have a copy of it. I
can't describe how proud I felt, but I hope that I can fill his place.
Even as I say it I know that it is impossible. Mother thought that I
would step right into his place, where he left off, They did ask me to
be the teacher of the Book of Mormon class at Ermita in the Mutual. Now
maybe I will study the Book of Mormon.
September 17, 1937
I feel pretty good
tonight because we had a pretty good day today. We contacted 9 new
places and visited 6 investigators. We also presented our film strip
"King of Kings" in Ermita tonight. I have not put out a Book of Mormon
this week to fulfill one of the mission goals.
On the fifteenth,
we started about ten p.m. to go to the Zocalo to hear the "Grito". We
stopped at a show house where we were to meet LeRoy Hatch and the sister
missionaries. We went in and saw the rest of the show, which made us
ten minutes late to hear the "Grito". But we were not too late to have
our ears deafened by hearing all the bells in the cathedral ringing at
once, and not too late to get our raincoats soaked in the downpour. It
has rained almost every day this week. On the sixteenth, we went down
to the Alameda and climbed up on sign to have a good seat to see the
parade and take pictures. We saw one of the Russian leaders, one of
Lenin's co-workers, who had been exiled to Mexico, and who was
assassinated a short time later. In the afternoon, we went out to Ashton
and Ruth Longhurst's (they were running an orchard for an important
politician) and played games and had a nice picnic.
We bought an
electric iron to iron our pants. It cost $6.00 pesos. We couldn't
afford the 50 cents it costs to press them, It rains and there goes the
press. How do you kill bedbugs?
September 30, 1937
I invested $6 so
pesos in a tripod for my camera. We went down to the National Museum to
take some pictures to use in our work. We spent the whole morning, but
didn't get permission to take any pictures. Elder Jarvis says he won't
give up though.
October 12, 1937
Today is Columbus
Day (Dia de la Raza), so we took the excuse to go to the mission home
to play ball. We arrived just in time to see President Pratt arrive
bringing Aunt Bertha and Sister Williams (Vila's mother). All the gang
played ball. Ashton and Ruth were there also. They are preparing to
return to the Colonies.
Everything is going
along fine. I am over my cold and typhoid shots, and feel like I could
lick the world.
November 6, 1937 – Atlixco, Puebla
After a great many
satisfying experiences working with Elder Jarvis up to the time of the
San Pedro conference (Oct.23-24) and the inspiring missionary meeting
the Monday following, I have been given the position as President of the
missionaries. I am to travel throughout the mission to help supervise
and help the missionaries.
Elder Jarvis was
assigned to work with George Turley, one of the four who arrived Oct.
23: J. B. Robinson, LaVerne Whetten, and Dorothy Bowman. I was
certainly glad to see Dorothy and visit with her. She was assigned to
work with Marguerite Taylor.
My first job in my
new assignment was to come to Atlixco, Puebla to work with Elder
Francisco Haro because Elder D.V. Haws was sent to Monterrey. Elder
Haro was to meet me in Mexico City. I was a little late, and he didn't
wait. I wasted all afternoon waiting for him before I decided he had
gone on. I took a night bus to Puebla, stayed in a hotel, and left at
6:00 A.M. on a bus for Atlixco. I was really worried, because this was
my first trip alone. I woke Elder Haro up. We went to Tlacotepec with
Brother Ramos to visit his cousin. On the way back, we missed the train
and had to walk 4 hours. I was not used to it, so was very stiff the
next day.
While in Tlacotepec
we had trouble sleeping because all the bells in town began to ring at
midnight. We got up at 5:00 a.m. and went to the cemetery to see the
thousands of candles on the graves of the children. They believe that
the dead return to earth on November first to the seventh. The children
come the first day. November first was Sunday, so they couldn't start
until midnight. The graves of the children were covered with Flowers of
the Dead (Flor de Muerto) a pungent yellow flower. A group of musicians
were there playing at the graves where the mother had 30 cents to pay
them to play so the spirits of the children could dance. They ring the
bells and shoot sky rockets and bombs to wake the poor things up. They
also make an altar in their homes, decorated with flowers and pretty
paper, on which they place a food offering for the dead. They make a
pathway of flowers of the dead from the gate to the altar to lead the
dead to it. The poor people have to eat the food after the seven days
are past. The proof that the dead have partaken of it is that the flavor
is all gone.
We visited San
Gabriel Ometoxtla, where the members were all conventionistic. Perhaps
I should explain the Third Convention a little. It is a long story. The
members were left alone so long that they held a convention and decided
to ask the Church to give them local leaders as mission president and
other callings. They claimed to be the only people of the house of
Israel, and all the North Americans were gentiles. They twisted the
teachings of the Book of Mormon to fit their ideas of Church doctrine.
When President Pratt arrived in Mexico City on August 30, 1936, he
started to work with these people to return them to full activity in
the Church. There were such intense feelings and race hatred that he
couldn't get through to them. He held a court and excommunicated eleven
of the principle leaders. A large number of the members joined with the
leaders and formed congregations outside of the branches organized by
Church authority. Thus they were all out of the Church, although only
eleven had been excommunicated. The missionaries spent a large amount of
time trying to get them back into activity in the authorized Church
branches.
A little later,
Margarito Bautista returned to Mexico from Salt Lake City and
introduced the doctrine of plural wives to the group. He gathered quite
a large following.
In San Gabriel, the
members were getting tired of being out of the Church. I believe that we
helped them understand the situation and the doctrines better, and the
branch was soon organized within the Church.
I returned to
Mexico City, but President Pratt sent me back to help the Elders get
the people of San Buenaventura and Atlixco out to the two conferences
to be held on November 14 and 21. As I remember, we had a pretty good
conference in both places, but not as many out at the latter place as we
should have had. A few of the conventionistic brethren also came out.
The women got busy and made mole and beans for the whole crowd. This is
not a good idea because the women don't attend the conference. However,
the women in San Buenaventura do not speak Spanish they speak the Aztec
Nahuatl.
I then went to
Pachuca, Hidalgo to help Ricardo Flores get ready for conference there
on November 28. Knowing that the missionaries were invited to
Thanksgiving dinner at the mission home. Elder Ricardo and I returned
to Mexico City. Sister Pratt and Fanny Bluth Hatch prepared a wonderful
dinner. Uncle Dewey Brown was also invited since he was there alone.
Aunt Millie Robinson Brown was planning on coming to Mexico after the
first of the year.
After the
conference at Pachuca, President Pratt, who had just returned from
Chihuahua, sent me to Ozumba and Chimal to help Elders Ernesto Tellez
and Raymundo Montoya prepare for the conference at Chimal December 5.
We had a good crowd and a fine conference under a canvas stretched out
over the patio. I also enjoyed the Catholic fiesta at Chimal, where
they set off more "cohetes" than I had ever heard at one time before.
We then went to
Chalco in the same district to invite all the people to conference.
They all promised to come, but less than ten showed up. There should
have been about fifty. Perhaps they were afraid of the law. It seems
that one time they were holding a "kermess," and most of them were
thrown into jail, where they spent the night and had to pay $5.00 each
to get out.
I had written to
Elder Serrano to come with me to Toluca to invite the Saints there to
conference. There were no missionaries there because Elders John Canton
and J.B. Robinson had been sent to reopen the mission in Chihuahua.
Elder Serrano and I walked all over that part of the State of Mexico.
One walk I will probably always remember was from Tenanzingo to a place
near Ocuila, about 25 kilometers away, to visit two families. We walked
it in 4 hours and very much enjoyed the visit. There was a long climb
that when taken fast is bad. We were stiff all week after doing it. Had
a good conference.
On December 21,
1937, I left Mexico City early in the morning on the train for San Luis
Potosi. Had to stand up most of the day because the cars were so full.
I woke Mennell and Floriene up to get a bed. I enjoyed Christmas with
them. Sister Rinda Taylor was also there. President Pratt thought that
we owed something to these isolated members and gave her permission to
visit her brother. I also visited Lester Skousen and his wife Eva
(Shupe) in San Pedro.
On Christmas night,
I left for Charcas. Harold Taylor, who was visiting his brother, and
Marguerite Taylor who was also there with President Pratt's permission,
came down the 15 kilometers of ASARCO track in the old jalopy to meet
me. The colony members in Charcas treated me royally. The following
members were there: Asael and Oreva Taylor, Clyde and Mabel Brown,
Louise and William Bartlett (the latter is not a member), Reuben and
Lemoyne Farnsworth, and Ellen Beecroft and kids. I stayed 2 days. They
were just getting over the Christmas celebration.
I left for
Matehuala on Tuesday morning, December 28. I was also treated royally
by the members there: Lamar and Lucille Redd, Van and Vilate McDonald,
Sixtus Carlton and wife, Leo Carlton, and LeRoy Johnson. These last two
got me a free room at their hotel. I was visiting these people to
investigate the possibility of organizing a branch at each place.
I missed the Friday
train, so I attended their New Years dance for a couple of hours to see
a bunch of Americans plastered and become a smoked ham. I felt a great
desire to be able to impress these Mormons with a desire to live their
religion. They are all very fine people, but some don't know what the
Word of Wisdom signifies.
I arrived at
Monterrey Saturday night. It cost me $1.00 peso for a taxi instead of 5
cents for a bus ride, because I didn't know how to find the Elders'
quarters. That day they had baptized a young fellow, a Baptist,
converted mostly by Antonio Ivins Martineau. He will introduce them to
his friends, and it looks like the Monterrey Branch will grow. The
other missionaries there were: Elders David Haws and George Turley, and
the L.M's Sisters Laverne Whetten and Raquel Morales. I enjoyed my two
weeks with them, which included a weekend at Saltillo.
On Saturday January
15, 1938, I went to Piedras Negras, Coahuila about 12 hours on the
train. I arrived at the Alba's home. I knew they were members, but it
took me about 20 minutes to realize who they were. I thought that the
address I had was the "Casa de Oracion."
I worked with
Ignacio Zarraga, who is a very good missionary, but a little too proud
of himself. The first Sunday evening, I walked over the bridge to Eagle
Pass to attend a meeting with the American Elders there. I arrived three
minutes before it was to begin, and they asked me to speak. I stayed
all night with them to get acquainted.
I must tell about
our visit to Saucillo, about 20 kilometers from Piedras Negras. After
seeing how miserably poor those two families were, I shall never be able
to complain about my situation again. It was really cold, and we slept
on a gunny sack with a thin factory sheet over us. The four kids had a
few rags and a thin blanket over them.
President Pratt
came to Piedras Negras on January 20 to hold a conference. We enjoyed
it a lot, and had about 50 in attendance. Sister Pratt, Francis Meaker
(who was going to the Colonies to school), and Elder Haws were in the
party. They picked me up and, after a night in Sanderson to visit the
Hursts and a night in Clint, Texas to visit Joe and Vila Pratt, and a
few hours in El Paso to buy some good candy, we went on to the
Colonies. I arrived Home at about midnight. Boy! I was a privileged
missionary to get to visit my family. I took some pictures of mother
and dad.
We left at 4:00 A.
M. the next morning, Thursday, February 3rd for Chihuahua. We visited a
number of families, and that night had a meeting-party with the Mormon
Smelter employees. We went on to Delicias the next afternoon, after
waiting for President Pratt to finish his business. We met with the
Woods and Rodriguez family. The Pratts left at 11:00, intending to stop
at the first good hotel and go on to Monterrey for a conference on
Sunday, February 6th.
They took Elder
John Carlton along because he was to have an appendicitis operation.
They left me in Delicias with Elder J. B. Robinson. We visited and
attended church on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday night we left for
Chihuahua, thinking that the train left the next morning for Madera. It
didn't, so we visited there in Chihua-hua on Monday. On Tuesday
morning, after a long run to the station, we caught the train that was
just pulling out, and went to San Isidro (10 hours), and walked to
Guerrero to visit the Quintanas. The next afternoon, we went as far as
Fred Pothast's ranch. He kindly invited us to stay overnight. He was a
German, a nice old gentleman with a few funny ways. He had some
Mennonites working for him. The next day he took us clear to
Tejalocachic (39 kilometers) in his rickety old car. When he heard my
name, he said that Bowman or Bauman meant "builder" in German.
We visited Sister
Nieves Treviso, who was suffering greatly for having accepted the
gospel. To punish her, her husband put her out on an isolated ranch
without her glasses or her Bible, and with insufficient food. This
ruined her health, and she was a very weak old lady, but she still was
faithful to the gospel.
We went on to
Temosachic and spent two days visiting the Aragons and other members
there. I had been there 6 months previously with President Pratt. They
were on their good behavior when he was there, and I thought they were
living their religion, but this time, we found that they were not
keeping the Word of Wisdom. I had the pleasure of blessing two of Abdon
Aragon's children and authorizing him to bless the other two.
We waited almost
all day to catch a truck coming from Ocampo to catch a ride to
Chihuahua. We finally left at 5:30 p .M. and, after 3 flat tires,
arrived at Chihuahua the next morning (Tuesday) at 9:00 A.M. Oh how
good it felt to have a bath and some clean clothes.
It was a pleasure
to tract with Elder J. B. Robinson, and we made some good contacts. In
one experience, the guiding Spirit was manifest. One afternoon, we
knocked at a "zaguan" (a big door to the patio), but the lady wouldn't
accept any tracts. She told us to return when her husband was home. We
knocked at another door, and were permitted to enter and talk to the
lady for about half an hour. She invited us to return on Sunday, when
her husband would be home. So Sunday afternoon, after Ara and Annie
Call took us to a good restaurant for a good dinner, we went to visit
our contacts again. When we arrived at the first place, I had no desire
to knock on the "zaguan." We passed it up, but then something impelled
me to return and knock. The husband was there and he received us very
well. They were followers of Judge Rutherford (Students of the Bible),
and they had a big stack of literature and phonograph records. Part of
their doctrine is true, but when the record talked of the personality of
God, we were able to explain why Judge Rutherford really didn't
understand the Bible. We stayed about two and a half hours. Another
couple had come in and had heard about half of the discussion. They
invited us to return. We also visited the other family. The husband was
there, but his wife was not at home, and she had not told him about our
visit. However, he invited us in and listened to our discussion.
I left Chihuahua at
12:00 midnight February 22nd, arriving at Torreon the next day at 9:00
A.M. I wanted to go to Saltillo, but there was no train until the next
morning. I studied most of the day. but went to a movie in the evening.
I was up early to eat some cornflakes I had bought and catch the train
at 7:00 A.M. for Saltillo. On the way to Torreon, I made a contact with
a young medical student and gave him a copy of all the tracts I had. On
the way to Saltillo, I also contacted two men who were interested and
gave them tracts. I arrived at Saltillo at 2:00 A.M. and spent the day
visiting members there, leaving on the train at midnight to go to
Vanegas. I arrived there at 4:30 A.M. on Friday. I slept and studied in
the station until noon to take the train to Matehuala. I visited the
Colony boys and their wives that evening and Saturday and Sunday.
President Pratt
arrived at Matehuala Sunday evening, and visited all the members except
the Carltons and Roy Johnson. He set Lamar Redd apart as President of
the Matehuala Branch, and Sister Vilate H. McDonald as the Relief
Society President. Van McDonald was set apart as counselor in the
Presidency.
March 22, 1938, Mission Office, Rosa
116511 Quinta Celina, Colonia del Valle, D.F.
We are at the
mission home for a general missionary meeting tomorrow. We moved from
Cuautla and vicinity on Wednesday, March 16th. Elder Romney and I went
to Chalco, the stronghold of the convention. We spent the rest of the
week there. We stayed two nights with President Rodriguez, who is not a
conventionist (Cruz Rodriguez), and one night at San Pablo with Jesus
Soriano, the President of the conventionist branch.
Back to Ozumba
March 20, for a debate between President Pratt and Abet Paez, president
of the convention. (Attendance around 250.) President Pratt certainly
spoke with the Spirit of the Lord, and he didn't leave the
conventionists a thing to stand on. But you know how people are; they
only hear what they want to hear and only see what they want to see.
Some of Abel's arguments sound good to a prejudiced mind, or a mind
swayed by race prejudice. His talk and the prayer given by Othon
Espinoza were certainly words of fire to keep burning to a white heat
all the race pride and desire to be the "chosen house of the Lord." We
have been working with the saints (?) before and since the debate, but
we have not been successful in changing the way they want to believe.
In organic
chemistry at school, we studied about a substance a few drops of which
would make many, many gallons of water smell like concentrated skunk.
Also it is next to impossible to get the containers clean and free from
smell. The easiest way is to throw them all away to avoid contaminating
the rest of the dishes. You could compare the convention with that
substance, but we can't throw them all away, because the value of souls
is too great. We will keep working with hope.
The missionary
meeting on March 23 was very inspiring. It lasted 9 hours, and all the
missionaries were very enthused. Elder William Walser and I went to
Puebla on the train and then to San Buenaventura. Elders Lemuel Flares
and Haro met us there and we divided up to Xalitzintla and San Nicolas.
Elders Serrano and
Haro held a meeting with some investigators. A group of Catholics came
and threw rocks at the house breaking some roofing tiles. Brother
Santiago Mena, an investigator got sore and went out to stop them. They
took him to jail. The others went to Cholula and got an order for his
release. They are all now very enthused about the gospel. Satan
certainly uses the wrong method when he uses physical punishment.
We met Elders
Jarvis and Serrano in Puebla. Elder Jarvis and I went to Tlacotepec.
(This is the town nearby where Dad was killed in an automobile accident
May 20, 1958.) Of the families we visited previously, probably four
will be baptized.
We visited other
towns, then went back to Mexico City to spend Easter on a picnic at
Chapultepec park. It was an extraordinarily good time, playing ball,
watching the monkeys, eating a delicious dinner and our fill of
watermelons. I nearly died laughing silently. The two sisters that work
at the mission home went along with us. Later in the afternoon they went
out behind some bushes and did what people sometimes do behind bushes.
Unfortunately a policeman happened along. It is against the law to do
it behind the bushes in that park. He was going to take them right down
to jail. After a long time, the Elders talked him out of it.
May 5, 1938. Down By the River's Verdant
Side, Xalitzintla, Puebla
It is absolutely
impossible to find anyone at home during the day in this town, so Elder
Lemuel Flores and I have retired to the banks of this little stream to
do some concentrated study (if the knats don't drive us away). We got up
this morning way before sun up to get a few words in edgeways before
the campesinos pulled out for work on their farms, or making "metates"
etc. Some also make things out of wood, like tubs and pans, etc.
Oh, what a great
sight it is to see the sun tip Popocateptl with a pink crown at
daybreak! The people here are not very well educated, but we do have
the 21 best-educated families, because those who know how to read study
the Bible. I guess it all started with Brother Tequianes, who got a
bargain buy on about a hundred Bibles and brought them up to this
country.
The way we eat
around here reminds me of those old fashioned progressive suppers.
Every place we visit, always at morning or evening mealtime, when
people are at home, they offer us a little "taquito." Sometimes we eat
as many as ten times a day. This time, we feel a little underfed,
because we have been able to get some of the brethren together to visit
more than one family.
When I went in to
the office last week, President Pratt had me stay there for a couple of
days to help him plan the three day missionary conference and school we
are going to have after the San Pedro conference. He has also had me
working on a card filing system to keep a record of each family the
missionaries teach. I have been looking for a suitable box in which the
missionaries can keep the card file. I have also been getting my
driver's license, with all the red tape, fingerprinting, standing in
line, taking tests of physical condition and ability to drive. We have
also been looking for a car the mission is to buy for us.
Prior to the
conference on May 20-21 in San Pedro, I went alone out to San
Buenaventura, San Nicolas, and Xalitzintla, because I had promised to
walk over between the volcanoes with the brethren who wanted to go to
the conference. They al1 backed out except a young fellow, Miguel Mena.
Two others went in previously. Miguel and I hit out, and in 7 hours,
counting a 45 minute stop to warm up some "itacates," we crossed the
saddle between the volcanoes and arrived at Amecameca. The scenery was
tremendous. It was a delightful hike, and I didn't even feel tired.
They have built a new highway from Amecameca up to between the
volcanoes for tourists. We rode the bus from Amecameca to Mexico City.
Conference was
splendid. The new San Pedro chapel was dedicated by President Harold W.
Pratt. We had been afraid he would not be with us, because he had an
attack of kidney stones. It makes all the difference in the world when
he takes charge of a conference. The chapel is really pretty, and it
was filled at every meeting. There were 450 present on Sunday morning
and 500 at the Mutual program.
I ate more "mole de
guajolote" than I thought was possible. On Sunday they fed everybody,
which was really something for a little town like San Pedro. Every
family had to set their table from two to four times.
The next three days
after the conference were very busy and happy and inspirational for us
missionaries. Between the meetings, we played volleyball, etc. to have
an appetite for the delicious food Sister Pratt fixed for us. There were
35 present, counting a few visitors. Twenty-eight were missionaries,
and three of them were released.
William H. Jarvis
and I were assigned a new job. We were given a used 1933 Ford Victoria
two-door, and have all of Mexico as our front yard. Our special job is
to help the Elders make new contacts and create good will in general. We
have a small projector and six illustrated lectures: King of Kings, two
Book of Mormon films about ancient America, "Forgotten Empires and
Before Columbus," two History of the Church films, and another about the
Authorities of the Church. We also have a record player and are hoping
to soon receive organ and choir recordings. We have six volt globes, so
we can give the lectures with a battery in pueblos where they do not
have electricity. We always passed out two or three hundred
invitations, a copy of which is in my missionary journal. We had a great
time going to many different little pueblos, finding an available hall
or room, and giving the lectures. The people were hospitable and it was
not too hard to get something to eat and find a bed.
May 24, 1938 – San Miguel Ameyalco
Elder J. B.
Robinson was made mission secretary, letting Elder Barton Pratt go to
Monterrey. I took him down to get a driver's license, but he didn't
pass the test the first time. My test wasn't that catchy.
At San Miguel
Ameyalco on June 24th, we got permission to use the school again to
give King of Kings. There were about 150 people present. So many were
trying to crowd in that we took the crowd to the patio, put the
projector on top of the car and used the wall for a screen. We couldn't
control the rowdies. They went off a ways and started to make a lot of
noise: "Protestantes, burros-- amaneceran tiezos!" And other funny
noises to make the crowd laugh. This was the first time we had
experienced this. A man was outside yelling, "Paula! Paula! salgate de
alli, no escuches a ese tarugo. Estan hablando de Jesucristo, pero no
dicen nada de su madre! Salgate de alli, o entro a sacarte." Paula
didn't get up and go out, she couldn't, it was too crowded.
June 30, 1938 – Puebla, Puebla
Yesterday we
received a circular letter dated June 23 from El Paso, that had been
printed at our mission office, saying that President Pratt had been
released, and A. Lorenzo Anderson put in his place. I can't explain the
disappointed feeling it gave me. We all think so much of President
Pratt and his wonderful wife, Anna. The mission home has indeed been a
home to us. We have all profited greatly from our experiences with
President Pratt, and we are so grateful for our relationship with him.
We are sorry to have him go, but we know that it is the will of the
Lord, or the change would not have been made. It was probably because
of his health problems.
I can just hear
what the conventionists will say that the Lord removed him because he
was “un hombre mentiroso” and other things to that effect. But those
who really know him here in the mission have only love and respect for
him and his lovely family. We have all had a glimpse of heaven, because
we have been in their home and have seen how lovely and thrilling a
family relationship can be. Sister Pratt is a very good manager, and
she has made us all feel like we belonged.
July 15, 1938
Last Wednesday we
went with LeRoy Hatch and some of his pals to witness an operation. It
was an experience I will never forget. They opened him up half way up
the front and let his intestines out to find an obstruction in them.
They were using a local anesthetic, and every time they would touch his
intestines or move him he'd yell. They finally decided to put him under
general anesthetic. He said, "No pongan ese sobre mi boca porque me da
ansia! Me da ansia! No me tapen la boca, me da ansia!" The poor fellow
died before they got half through with the operation.
Doc Hatch also took
us to the morgue where they cut up corpses to study anatomy. I don't
know how many bodies they had there but if was a lot.
July 25, 1938 – Mission Office
Elder Jarvis and I
arrived last night with a very muddy car and a broken front spring and
mud up to our knees. We had been working in the State of Hidalgo. We
were over at Tepatepec Saturday and Sunday, and we wanted to go to
Arenal to give encouragement to one family of members and a few
investigators. Just as we were ready to go, it started to rain. The road
was absolutely the most slippery I have ever been on. We got stuck
once, and the car was so tipped that gas ran out of the tank. We finally
got it out after trying a dozen different things and then hiring some
men to help us push. We were not able to have a meeting, so after
visiting a while, we came on in to Mexico City.
July 29, 1938 – Mexico D.F.
I have just
received a letter from President Pratt transferring me to the office to
do the translating for the mission, because Sister Rinda Taylor wants
to accept a teaching job, and must be home by the first of September.
The letter says immediately, but we want to go to the Ozumba area to
accomplish our unfinished business.
The last couple of
days I have been translating the tract, "Three Degrees of Glory" by
Elder Melvin J. Ballard, a really inspiring sermon. I suppose that you
have noticed the first installment in the Atalaya.
Sister Pratt asked
me to see what I could do about writing a history of the Mexican
Mission. I wrote to Brother Bentley to see what he could contribute,
and have talked to Brother Perez (one of the first 8 baptized) and have
taken some pictures of the places they held meetings many years ago.
We certainly
enjoyed our week of fling before my entering the “prison.” We showed
the Church History and Church Authority pictures to a lot of
conventionists, and the other pictures to a number of new people. We
wanted to go over to Tepecoculco--there was no road, so we loaded the
battery on a stick between us (like Joshua and Caleb did the bunch of
grapes (as I just translated a Sunday School lesson), and walked two
hours to get there. We had about 50 people to our meeting, and we
encouraged the members.
Sister Rinda Taylor
was released and left for home on August 17, 1938. We miss her,
especially me, because I have inherited her typewriter to pound on.
August 30, 1938 – Mission Office
President Pratt,
Sister Pratt, President Anderson, and his daughter Marguerite all drove
in on Friday the 26th. We are certainly glad to have a mission
president again. Elder Carlos Barton Pratt has been in charge in the
president's absence.
We played a lot of
fronton and volleyball on Saturday. Sister Pratt asked me to take the
kids to a show, which I did, and then came home and went to "Marco Polo"
with the other missionaries.
Sunday the
Presidents held a conference in Ermita. We certainly enjoyed it.
President Anderson has a lot of enthusiasm, and I think he will do very
much for the mission. President Pratt has had very tough going, but
things are just about to the turning point. We think that President
Anderson will profit by the hard knocks that President Pratt has had.
We were rather
shaken up when we checked the reports and found that only two people
have been baptized here in Mexico City, while over 40 have been
baptized in Monterrey this year.
William Walser
finished his 6 month mission and was released on September 1st. He has
been working trying to get all the unmarried couples married.
President Pratt
went up to San Marcos today to use his tact in summoning Brother
Bernabe Parra to an Elders' Court. Brother Parra is one of the very few
members who had enough to live on. He is a wonderful man, except for
the fact that he can't leave the women alone. He already has one or two
children out of wedlock, and now he has another of the girls who work
for him in trouble. Brother Pratt is a very dear friend of the family.
Woe is us until we
can change the morals of the people of Mexico. This is one of the
reasons that Elder Walzer was glad that his mission was for only 6
months.
Doc Hatch composed
the following song to the music, "A Teacher's Work is Done." He, Carlos
B. Pratt, Juan B. Robinson Jr., and I sang it twice in San Marcos and
in San Pedro at farewell meetings for President Pratt and his wife,
Anna H. Pratt.
DESPEDIDA
Mensaje este, Dios
nos dio
A su llamado fieles
son,
En siglos muchos ha,
Mostrando el amor.
Que la honra es
para el
Dios les inspira
por Su don
A quien Dios se la
da.
Y obran con fervor.
Para cumplir con
esta ley,
Dios su descanso
les mando;
Son cinco anos ya,
Su voluntad haran,
Llegaron a cuidar
Su grey
Y otros vienen a
servir,
Nuestros Hermanos
Pratt.
Y ellos ya se van.
Cumplida ya su gran
mission,
A otros campos van.
Oramos, pues, que
Dios les de
Paz y su galardon.
Quiza nos vemos mas
alla,
Porque Dios es
bondad.
Alla podremos
renovar
Nuestra gran
amistad.
I went to San
Marcos last Saturday, September 10th, 1938 in time for a nice dinner at
Lupe Monroy's. During the afternoon we pumped water to fill the
baptismal font, studied and fooled around. Then we went to the program
honoring the Pratts. It was well done according to our mission
standards, in other words it was awful, but we were very well
entertained and had a few good laughs. We will not mention that some of
the things that were supposed to be funny weren't and vice versa.
Sunday was conference and we had a delicious dinner at Bernabe Parra's
home. We also stayed there. They have a special room for the
missionaries with two beds and some mattresses. There were nine of us
on this occasion.
Sister Bowman
(Dorothy) ate some mole, which she had been told not to do, and was
sick all afternoon. She has been suffering with appendicitis, among
other things.
We had an
experience that I never expect to have again because it is so rare. We
stayed at the home of a brother, had a very elaborate dinner, and that
evening were called to form an Elders Court to excommunicate him, an
September 11. The following were present: President Pratt presiding,
President A. Larenzo Anderson, E. LeRoy Hatch taking minutes but not
participating, and the following members of the court: GuadaJupe
Zarraga, Abel Juarez, Agricol Lozana (San Marcas Branch President),
Sabina Lazana, Lemuel Flares, J. B. Robinson Jr., Carlos B. Pratt, Jose
Garcia, Jose Regina, Trinidad Hernandez, Archie G. Meaker, and Claudius
Bowman Jr.
Brother Bernabe had
been disfellowshipped previously for confessed sins. He confessed
another and accepted responsibility for it, and so, according to D
& C 42nd section, he was excommunicated. ‘
I would rather die
than have to face that accusation in a Church Court. This gives me an
idea of the utter horror of having to face our Father in Heaven on the
judgment day. I bear you my earnest testimony that there is nothing on
this earth that could be worth even ten minutes of what I think that
will be for a sinner. I believe the prophet was right when he said that
a sinner would rather have the mountains cover him than to stand before
the judgment seat.
There were times
during the court that there was not a dry eye among those present,
especially after it was all over and everyone expressed deepest
personal love for Brother Bernabe, and their desire that he have the
blessings of the Lord to help him return to full fellowship in the
Church again. He expressed his desire to continue paying his tithing
and supporting the missionary he was supporting, and that his family
not be blamed nor hindered in any way.
I can't see how it
is possible for a brother to be so good and capable in all other ways
and be so weak in this way. The court was conducted in such a way as to
guard against hurting his feelings, but the sadness and hopelessness of
sin was brought home to me in a way that I will not soon forget. My
heart was so full that it was about to burst, and we couldn't hold the
tears back. I suppose that the world, and worst of all my loved ones,
will have to learn by experience.
As we bid goodbye
to the Pratts, you can't convince me that there is no satisfaction in
serving your fellowmen. The tributes paid to them complete a very epic
of service. One family's hearts are full because at the time of their
deepest sorrow, when they lost their little boy, the Pratts were right
there with sincere sympathy that they know how to express and have it
sink in. Others are filled with love because they are grateful for other
kindnesses that only an understanding heart can give. The moral to all
this is that the secret way into anyone's heart is to have and show an
interest in their pleasures, sorrows, and their in between times. It
doesn't do much good to have these feelings if you can't show them and
make them sink in. This is my problem.
October 3, 1938
We were very busy
last week because the lessons were not out, and were a week late. We
finally got them in the mail, and are now resting easier. I guess I
will have to burn more midnight oil. I even went out visiting this
evening. The others went to San Pedro to a kermess.
Dearest Dad: This
is to let you know that we will be thinking about you on September
sixth, and we lovingly wish you complete happiness on a good many more
September sixths. I hope that you know that I love you and honor you. I
want you to know that this love grows with time, and that because I
appreciate all that you are, my life and the lives of all the members
of the family are made better. I know that it is impossible to put into
words the deep feelings of gratitude that I have for the heritage that
you and our dear Mother have given to us physically and through the
environment that you have created for us. I truly believe the greatest
privilege enjoyed by our family is to be intimately associated with two
souls so great. I want you to know that I am grateful for these ties
that bind--that they are the dearest in the world--and grateful that
they are eternal. This inspires me more than anything else to follow
your example to insure the eternal nature of these family ties. Happy
Birthday!
November 18, 1938
The gang at last
got the "Atalaya" out today. It should have gone out three days ago.
Elder Ignacio Zarraga wrote a bad editorial, that is, it didn't have
the right spirit. I just happened to notice it as Dorothy was beginning
to type it on the stencils. Between the two of us (a formidable team)
it didn't go to press. It really would have made quite a stink since it
was an answer to a letter Othon Espinoza wrote criticizing us for
calling President Pratt's service Christ-like (in the October Atalaya).
The best way to handle stinky things is not to handle them, so we
didn't.
A general
conference was held in San Marcos with all the missionaries present on
December 4 and 5. Dorothy and I stayed at the mission home on Saturday
to be with Sister Anderson. She had fallen and dislocated her tailbones
and didn't feel up to the conference. We went to San Marcos Sunday
morning and greatly enjoyed the sessions, and also the delicious dinner
served to all on long tables in the "casa de oracion." Due to the
shortage of time, the people were spared my sermon. Monday the sixth
was spent very enjoyably in a missionary conference. The missionaries
all spoke to each other as was the custom, and President Anderson gave
us some very inspiring instructions. We all returned to the city and
fields of labor that afternoon on the train.
Brother Albert C.
Wagner Sr. arrived in the mission on Sunday. Elder J.B. Robinson met
the train in San Marcos and had him get off to attend the conference.
He will be a great influence for good.
The next day after
conference, I took Dorothy to see Dr. Garnett. He advised her to get her
appendectomy over with, and he arranged for her to enter the Hospital
Americano on Wednesday. The appendectomy and removal of an annoying
wart on her left foot were performed on Thursday December 9th. She was
under ether for almost two hours, and was she sick when she was coming
out of it. Sister Anderson stayed with her until I relieved her about
three o'clock so she could go home and get something to eat. We all
faster for her, and she also received the administration of anointing
with oil by President Anderson and Uncle Harvey Taylor, who had arrived
the day before. I was also in the circle.
Fanny Bluth Hatch
underwent an operation for some sort of tumor. She was put in the same
room with Dorothy. She was also very sick because of the ether. They
took her home on Tuesday. That night Seville called the President and
asked him to come over and administer to her. She had a hemorrhage and
was very low. The next night it occurred again and they had to take her
back to the hospital for an operation to stop it.
I cut the clipping
on the next page out of the Deseret News. I can't realize that good old
Doc. Wilson is dead. He was my major professor at the U.S.A.C., and one
of the best friends I ever had. I worked for him at the college off and
on for three years. I worked for him all of the summer of 1935. He was
one of the most understanding men I have ever known, and an all around
good man. He treated me almost like a father. I'll surely be glad to
see him up there some time. The picture on the clipping must have been
taken when he was much younger than when I knew him. There is just a
slight resemblance. Good old Doc. Wilson.
December 13th 1938
My skinned knee
from a fall while playing "fronton" started to act up. It made me sick
and gave me a lump in my groin, which are signs of the beginning of
blood poisoning. Sister Anderson put me on the couch and started to
soak it, that is, steam it with towels dipped in hot boric acid water.
We kept it up all day. I got the water so hot that it gave me a second
degree burn just below the hurt part (a blister about the size of a
fifty cent piece. a "toston," with several small ones. All this has
taken a lot of my time getting doctored and visiting Dorothy in the
hospital and has thrown me far behind in my translating.
Sister Bowman came
home from the hospital on Sunday, Dec. 18th. Seville kindly furnished
the transportation. I put her right in bed, but she wouldn't stay put,
and she got up the next day, that is, she went as far as the sofa. The
next day she was out on the porch in the sun in the big rocking chair.
She looked so cute that I ran for my camera. She wasted four of my
films by putting her umbrella in front of her face, but I finally got a
good one. I'll keep the whole series. She is quite spry, but she can't
walk on her foot at all, on account that it would split open.
Dorothy and I sent
a small package home to the family: A sarape piano scarf for Mother (it
seems that mothers always get presents that serve the whole family), a
pocketbook-letter-folder for Dad, and one for Uncle Harvey, a leather
belt for Maurice, a small cedar chest for Kathleen, a pocketbook for
Donn, a horn chess set for Keith, a wrist watch for Wesley, and
handkerchiefs for Rinda Taylor. We also sent a tooled leather briefcase
to Bob.
We greatly enjoyed
the Christmas season here at the home. The two Marguerites, Anderson
and Taylor, came home of course. The Andersons gave each of us
missionaries, Jose Rueda, J.B. Robinson and me a very nice pair of
tennis shoes.
From home: a dress
to Dorothy, a pair of very comfortable house slippers (Alvino, or
Romney leather shop, made) for me, that smelled of tanning, however,
the smell has now disappeared. They are really nice, and Mother's love
and her desire to do something for us are clearty manifested. Donn sent
me a bead watch fob he made for me, with a Mexican eagle, two flags,
and my initials woven into it. Mother also sent boxes of candy, cake,
and other goodies for both of us. Dorothy gave me a wristwatch like we
sent to Wesley. I guess she saw how much I liked it. I gave Dorothy a
pair of birds made from cow-horns that she has wanted. The missionaries
gave the Andersons a nice "popote" picture and a lacquer tray that are
typical Mexican art. We each received, including J.B., five pesos from
Grandfather Robinson and the same from Aunt Lucille, fifteen pesos each
from the bishop, and $1.15 each from the Dublan Relief Society. Dorothy
and I received an international money order for $48.50 {ten dollars)
from Bob. We hope that Uncle Harold cooperated, because Bob, a school
boy couldn't spare that much.
We went to Ermita
on Christmas Eve to see a very nice pageant (with speaking) that showed
that a lot of work had been done on the scenery by Elder Ignacio
Zarraga. We spent Christmas Day, Sunday, at Chalco, but were not able to
hold a meeting. We had a lovely Christmas dinner on Monday, to avoid
breaking the Sabbath Day, with turkey and cranberry sauce (cranberries
at $3.00 pesos a kilo) and all the trimmings. We went to the Alameda,
the best show house in Mexico, that night to see a movie. At first,
Dorothy didn't want to ride in the "arm chair" that J.B. and I made for
her, but her condition made her accept. Her left foot is not entirely
well yet.
January 17, 1939
My dearest Mother: Happy Birthday!
Being our Lord's
greatest gift to the Bowman family has been quite a job, hasn't it
Mother, and 99.9% of the time a mighty thankless one. I am trying to
express part of the .01 %, but it is difficult to find words to express
my poignant feelings. It doesn't take much reflection to think of all
the mental torture, the physical effort to the point of being a
punishment, the downright impositions that you have borne willingly and
without complaint from and because of all of us--the whole family.
You inspire in me
the most marvelous admiration for the twenty-four karat qualities of
your soul and personality. Your sound judgment, your high intelligence,
your extraordinary self-control, the absolute love and self abnegation
of your nature are precious pearls of inestimable value to me. I am
sure that if we, your children could acquire your qualities of mind and
personality, the world would recognize us as one of the absolutely
outstanding families of the age. We still have a long way to go. Yours
are the qualities and capabilities that really count. As we, your family
grow older, we will become more aware of these things, and I hope we
will try to make it up to you in some small measure for some of the
things you have sacrificed in your life on account of us. However, I
still think you have lived wisely and well, and I doubt very seriously
that you would trade the things you have for the things that you were
admiring so much in your friends who have visited you lately.
I can't think of
all these things without mentioning the same admiration for Dad, even
though this is directed to Mother because of her birthday next Sunday. I
hope we can live in such a way as to show our real appreciation for the
priceless heritage that you both have given us. Almost every night I
express my gratitude to God for the privilege of being born in your
family, and of having you to guide and inspire me as you do.
Well, the Mission
President is renting another home, and we will move at the end of the
month. We are sad that the new house doesn't have a fronton court. It is
four kilometers closer to town. (I don't remember moving.)
February 5, 1939
Great Daze! Sister
Bowman left my kind, loving side to go away off up to Monterrey. At
last, she has her wish granted to work again in the field, and the best
place in the mission too. They are having problems because the owner of
the place they were renting to hold meetings will not rent it any more
since he is afraid of expropriation due to recent action by the
government. They'll probably get a chapel soon. Elder George Turley is
to take Dorothy's place.
Sister Bowman has
really done a lot of work here in the office, and it is surprising how
much she has been able to learn while here. I am really proud of my
sister. One of the reasons that I would like to have gone to Monterrey
with her is to participate in her success. I am sure that she will get
right into the work, and also that her work will be successful. She has
quite a way with her.
May 10, 1939
My Dearest Mother:
MOTHERS' DAY next
Sunday, and all the loving thoughts are filling our minds. As usual,
this letter will be late but, even so, it carries the same love and
pride that your son feels for you, and which Mothers' Day causes to be
put into inadequate words trying to express something that is
impossible. I do love, admire, and respect you more than I can express.
This quotation from President J. Reuben Clark inspires me to try hard
to see that it is fulfilled; "This righteous family of father, mother,
and children, with their loving relationships, will endure throughout
the eternities to the glory and blessing of its members."
Thank God for you,
Mother and Dad, and thank him too for our glorious heritage. We surely
are a privileged family. We will try to pass on to your grandchildren,
if any, the same clean, pure, and priceless heritage you have given to
us, starting with eternal covenants in the House of the lord.
About the first of
June 1939, we had a very nice trip with the Andersons down to Acapulco.
They had been planning to take their family, and when the close-by
missionaries heard about it, we all wanted to go. I had so much work to
do that I first decided not to go, but changed my mind so as not to
shame the others by staying at work while they were playing. The
following traveled in our Ford (tin lizzie): J.B. Robinson, George
Turley, Arthur Clyde Pierce, Elder Longhurst, Sister Muro, and C.
Bowman. In the Dodge (palace): President and Sister Anderson, Bobbie,
Clyde, A.L.Jr, Marguerite, Sister Nora Redd.
We Elders took a
quilt and slept on the balmy beach. I left my camera in the car and
forgot to lock it. My camera was stolen. On the way, we stopped at the
Cacuamilpa Caves. They are really a sight to see. We also stopped at
some Maya ruins, some of which have been restored. They didn't lack
much, however. We had a great time.
June 13, 1939
We have settled
down to the grind of getting the lessons out this month. But, Joy! Oh
Joy! It looks like at last I am going to get released from this
job--maybe this is the last set of lessons I will have to get out. We
received a letter from President Ivins asking where they should start
with translating the lessons in Salt Lake City. (I had to get the next
quarter's lessons out also. They didn't start as soon as we thought
they might.)
September 1, 1939
We very much
enjoyed the visit of Bishop LeGrand Richards, and you will also because
he is to visit you. He visited the mission in order to purchase a
meetinghouse in Monterrey. They found one in a very good location-Tapia
Poniente 840--and bought it with only two days delay to get
authorization from the First Presidency. President Anderson then
insisted that he come on down to look over our situation. He was very
impressed with our needs, because he went over to Ermita to a District
Presidents' meeting. It was raining, and the roof of our little shack
leaked. I got to accompany President Anderson and Bishop Richards for
the latter to explore the city to see if Ermita was where they wanted
to build a chapel. He found that it was really a good area, and
promised to see that a chapel would be built there as soon as possible.
We had a delightful and inspiring missionary meeting with Bishop
Richards. He also attended a special meeting in San Pedro. President
Anderson translated for him.
President Anderson
asked me to accompany him up to Xalitzintla last Sunday morning bright
and early to visit the conventionist members there, who are dominated
by “el indio Margaro" (Bautista) as he calls himself. We took the Ford
because the Dodge would have hung up on high centers. Upon arriving, we
found that Bautista, Tomas Sandoval, and Cesario Dominguez were already
there. The elders had told the Xalitzintla people that the president was
coming, and they undoubtedly informed Bautista of the visit, who
doesn't want the President to get to talk to those poor people without a
rebuttal. This made the trip very much less a success than it would
have been. President Anderson and I were both given the opportunity to
speak, but the other three spoke afterward and did their best to try to
neutralize the effect of the President's talk without openly insulting
us.
After the meeting,
Bautista, Sandoval, and Dominguez asked to ride down to Cholula with us.
We ran out of gas just as we were arriving at San Nicolas. There was no
gas there, but we found some in the next little pueblo. The Ford was a
gas hog. By rights it should have gone another 150 kilometers on the
gas we put in that morning. By that time, it was almost dark, and it
began to rain. We came to a fork in the road, one a straighter road to
Cholula, and the other that the bus takes. Since we had been over it
that morning, I thought we would arrive sooner by the straight road. I
didn't remember that the road for a short distance was in the bottom of
a sort of trench. The water soon began to run down the road. "Bump,
bump, plop!" We fell into a little pothole that left the car leaning
close to the right side of the trench. We only lacked about thirty yards
to get out of the low road. I got out in the rain and tried to jack the
car up and put some limbs under the wheel. It stopped raining for a
while and I worked hard to get the car out, but with no success. Then
it started to rain again, and the water came up, up higher and higher.
When it covered the gas tank I gave up. They were all in the car but
me. I was drenched anyway. The water reached the top of the lights.
President Anderson was sitting on the back of the front seat with his
feet on the steering wheel holding the briefcases, but he still got wet
where he was sitting. It finally stopped raining, and President
Anderson decided to send Elders Johnson, Garcia and me back to San
Buenaventura to Brother Mendez' home to bring tools and oxen out the
next morning to pull the car out. We arrived at about 11:30 P.M. The
others got to Cholula about 1 :00 A.M.
Dear Sister Mendez
(who doesn't speak Spanish but only Aztec, or Mexicano as they call it)
got up, made a fire to heat the "comal", ground some "nixtamal", made
tortillas, peeled some chiles, made some "ojitas" (herb tea) and gave us
something to eat. Then they gave us a petate and one blanket for the
three of us (which probably came off of someone's bed).
The next morning
six brethren went with us taking an ox team to get us out. After much
digging, the oxen would not pull together and broke their yoke, but we
finally got the car out by man-power (it wouldn't run, it would have
ruined the motor because it was all full of sand). The car had eight
inches or more of dirt and sand on the inside. We finally towed it to
Puebla. The agency wouldn't take the job of cleaning it up, so I took it
to another place after President Anderson had gone home leaving me
there. They couldn't get it done until Saturday, so I also went to the
office. It cost $70.00 pesos to get it cleaned up. They had to take the
motor apart and gas tank off etc. to get all the sand out. This was one
of the biggest messes I ever got anyone into.
It is an example of
one time the straightest road was not the best. It was funny to see the
peaches, walnuts. etc. that the people had given us floating around in
the car. When the door was opened, Elder Johnson's shoes went
downstream. He only was able to find one the next morning. I went back
to Puebla to get the car on Saturday. I also bought some briefcases that
Bob asked me to get for Uncle Harold. I started home when it was
starting to get dark. When I got a little past Cholula I had a short in
the lights, so I asked Brother Sandoval for a bed and stayed over until
Monday to get a few more things done on the car.
I forgot to tell
you our experience when Brother Paez died. He was Abel Paez' brother I
think, and one of the eight who were excommunicated because of the
convention. On Wednesday morning August 16th, his daughter called up
President Anderson and asked him to come and administer to him. He and
I went over and did it. Brother Paez was so far gone that he probably
didn't even recognize us. He died about two hours after we left,
probably of bronchial pneumonia.
Jose Rueda, who was
a good friend of the family, and I went over the next morning. No one
else came (none of the conventionist brethren), So Jose and I thought we
should prepare him for burial. I called Sister Anderson, and she told
me what to do. We stayed until late afternoon and, when the catholic
relatives came and put candles all around him for the "velada", we
left. I didn't think I could stand the drunken people. Margarito
Bautista came and forcefully took oVer the funeral arrangements. The
District President, Brother Zarraga, and we missionaries didn't dispute
with him. We didn't want to make a fuss. The President left the city
that morning. He called on me to speak, and also the others, and he
also spoke well, So it was not so bad.
Things are looking
better now. Most of the worthwhile people of the convention have now
returned to the Church.
October 16, 1939 - Bachelors' Hall,
Calle Moneda
Boy, we are in the
money now, in fact we are right on "Money Street." Yes, the moment
arrived this morning, and I was fired right out of the office. Elder
Dennis Romney was appointed as the new secretary, and I am taking his
place with Elder Ike Taylor to work here in the city. My desire must
have been leaked to the President. I don't think much of our living
quarters, and already, I miss the good food and good bed. I feel like an
arm that has been tied up in a sling for a year and two months.
Brother Amando
Perez, the eighth person to be baptized here in Mexico, had informed us
that there were some members in Texcoco who had
not had contact with the Church since
the missionaries were withdrawn about in 1912-1914. So last Sunday
Elder Romney and I were assigned to get in the Ford and drive out the
Puebla highway to the Texcoco highway to San Vicente. We found one of
the members there, but he was only about twelve years old when he was
active in the Church, and he didn't have enough interest to sit down
with us and talk. We talked with him out in the yard for a while, and
left him some tracts. We drove into Texcoco, but couldn't find any
others.
On our way back, we
stopped at Chapingo, the National Agricultural School. They have some
good cows, chickens, hogs, and quite a lot of land. They have a nursery
of fruit trees that they plan to send out to different places in the
republic. This is where Rey L. Pratt's son died about in 1925-1926, when
he and Jenner Hatch were going to school there. It is a pretty good
start for Mexico.
December 3, 1939
Now, Mother, please
don't worry about my health. It has been a long time since my stomach
has bothered me, and I am feeling very fine. We eat even more than we
should, and get plenty of fruit. We go down to the "Merced" market and
stock up. We get 72 oranges for a peso, and bananas are only 12 cents a
kilo. We also buy potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and
beans. We don't have to cook much, because the saints are good to invite
us to dinner. We also buy honey at 50 cents a kilo, and cajeta at 80
cents, so we have plenty of sweets. Our milk is delivered at our window
every morning at 7:00 A.M., and so we have a pretty good alarm clock.
We get the best bread in Mexico from a "panaderia" just around the
corner. I almost forgot to thank you for the cheese. We really
appreciate it. We use it instead of butter.
I neglected to
record that Sister Bowman was released about the last of October. I
miss her.
Also, I didn't
record that we moved to 2nda. General Prim 32-F2, downstairs from where
the Martineaus lived. Sister Martineau was very good to send us down
food occasionally. LeRoy Hatch boarded with them.
I will also insert
a note here about what eventually happened to the brethren who were
excommunicated because of the Convention. While Arwell Pierce was
President of the mission, President George Albert Smith went to Mexico
and held a conference. He revoked the action of the excommunicating
court almost 15 years previously, and brought all the members back into
the fold. This really hurt President Harold W. Pratt and others of us
deeply. We felt that they should have been required to humble themselves
and return to the Church like any other excommunicated person. Possibly
if they had done this, they would have appreciated their Church
membership more. Being returned to the Church so easily didn't help
them, because they didn't do much in the Church after being readmitted.
The Stake
President, my Dad, wrote to President Anderson to request that I be
released from the mission about five weeks early. I was serving a two
and a half year mission. This was urgent because they had a job they
wanted me to take, which was to manage the poultry business that had
been organized. The manager, Velan D. Call had died. For this reason,
President Anderson released me and I arrived home on December 24, 1939.