/ia^ '

L5

Notes From

Saltillo Christian Mission

Apartado Postal 306
Saltillo Coahuila
Mexico

Acting forwarding a^ent

Rodney G. Northrup
3003 Willamette

Ru^ene, Oregon, 97405

6
The Northrups
All five of the Northrup family have about an equal amount of
are in school this year. Sylvia* research papers to get in on
in the first ^rade* is now speak time. Maysel's courses have
ing English quite fluently. EiKe an emphasis on New Testaher brother and sister, for her nient and Exegesis while
English is a foreign language.
Rodney's are on Mission Field

Anita, 14, Mark, 15, are con Church Growth and related
quering "Modern Math." Roth subjects.
All are enjoying a
are enjoying the Christian fel very happy and full year of

lowship of the young people at study and fellowship in the

church.
Maysel and Rodney Lord.
A

Farming and Village Evangelism

FARMING
The farm work on Mt. View

Ranch is progressing to where

we will be able to grow enough
beans, corn and vegetables to
supply the school kitchen for a

year. With the new machinery

we will be able to get the rest
of the land into grass and small
grain.
If rain comes, there
should be income from the

small grain to help make the

school self supporting. A
VILLAGE EVANGELISM

This year, we are improving

our program by reaching four

new villages, and more people
We of Mt. View Ranch are pre in our present villages.
We
paring for a camp to be held are training three new preach
July 4-8, 1965. We need hand er boys by sending them in
ANTICIPATING OUR NEEDS

craft for the five days of camp. teams with older, more exper
We will need 200 items each ienced preachers.
The new
day.
This is a good V.B.S. or boys are learning preaching ,
Youth Group project.
Items calling, and teaching by apcould be collected and mailed orenticeship.
it
to us at Box 465, Earado, Tex.,
by June 25, 1965.
For the V.B.S. program in the
villages, we need 25 items each
of handcraft materials. If you
are interested in one or both of

these, write Mrs. Lowell Tate,

^Apdo. post. 306,Sa!tillo, Coah.,

Mexico, for information.

AVILABLE

See and tell. These packets

of twelve things from Mexico,
with a script, are useful with
mission studies, youth groups,
or V.B.S.
They cost five doldars ($5.00). Write Mr.Tate. A

How much would you give for your soul?

Christ gave his life.

How much for another man's soul? Christ went to the cross for it

How much would you sacrifice to see villages in Mexico ev"

angelized to Christ? "The Lord is long-suffering and you-ward, not
wishing that any should parish, but that all should come to repentance."
II Peter 3:9

God desires their salvation.

Over 40 villages around the Cedars
Christian School Project are waiting for Bible Teachers. Your
Missioneries are prepared and willing to go but there are special needs.
1. More earnest prayer and prayerwarriors are needed.
2. Debts must be paid. Rodney borrowed $1,000 on a personal note in Dee.
1964 to pay off some of the debts on the Cedars Christian School Project.
The time to pay this note is nearly up.
3. Spanish New Testaments, hymn books, and V, B. S. materials are
urgently needed.

Would you make a special sacrifice or V. B. S. offering

toward the following?
Please do not think everyone else is sending an offering... so few do.
Cut and mail to

Furlough address:
Rodney G. Northrup
3003 Willemette St.

Eugene* Oregon 97405

We of

would like to share our special

or V. B. S. offering with the

Lord's work in Mexico for the

following things.
1. A special sacrifice offering toward the $1,000 loan on Cedars. $.....
2- A special or V.B.S .offering toward the Bible College build
ing at Cedars. This must be finished by Sept. to begin

Bible classes at Cedars.

3.
4.
5.

About $2,000 are needed.

An offering for Sp. New Testaments at 40 cents each. Need 500

An offering for Sp. hymn books at 80 cents each. Need 300
An offering for Sp. V.B.S. materials. Need one thousan'd
at 50 cents each.

Saltillo Christian School

OUR FACULTY
Francisco Luna
and C e l l s tin a

Samane^o are
two of Mexico's
most dedicated
workers, not on

ly for their work

in the academic
field but also for
the fine Christian

example they set

for the students.it

STUDY!

STUDY!

STUDY!

NEEDS

The purpose of Saltillo Christ

One of our greatest is for more

ian School is to prepare men to

faculty.

preach the gospel of Christ in

over-worked.

Mexico.

teachers not only to relieve

To this end our stud

The two we have are

We need more

ents are kept busy with studies

them but also to expand our

in homaletics, Church history,

program.

Fxegesis, Gospels, Biblical

Geography, and others.
A

could accept more students .

Each year we must turn some

A NEW CHALLENGE

Mexico is a ^rowin^ nation.

Her government has made
vast strides in its system of ed
ucation.
As the nation ^rows
educationaly, the Christian mi
nistry must ^row also. For this
reason we help our students
^et their education. This year,
we have 4 in School of Tech.,

8 in Secondary, 3 in Day School

and 1 in Prep, of the Univers
ity of Coahuila.

it

RESULTS

This year, three oi our young

men will graduate from Saltillo

Christian School. Three grad

uate from "The Tech."

It

away.

We also wish we

However, another tea

cher requires more support.

Also more money is needed for
materials, books and tuition.it

^Cedars Christian School

OUR GREATEST NEED

"The harvest is plentiful, but

the laborers are few; pray the
refore the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into the
harvest." matthew 9:37

For the last three Sundays, we

have had over 40 people inSunday School in Sandia, a nearby
village.
Other villages, more

than 40 of them, are waiting

for us to come, we expect the
same results in them.

This is

is an area so well prepared to

receive the gospel that only the
Holy Spirit could be responsi
THE CUTLERS

j The Cuylers are new mission-

ble.
However, Jesus' words
were never so true, for the lab

\ Larry, Garnet, Ki, 4, and Ricky,

orers are few. Pray for labor

ers. Won't you?
A

^jSaries to Mexico from Michigan.

2, are happily settled in their

trailerhouse at Cedars.

Larry

is a hard worker and is contri*

. buting much to the work.

He
has experience in agriculture,
which is proving invaluable.
Garnet is helping with the Sun
day School. Both are studying
Spanish four hours a day. it
JOAQUIN REN2

Joaquin Renz, or Buck to

most, will soon be making a

trip to the Northwest. On the

Eighteenth of June in Eugene,
Oregon, he will be wed to Lisa
Keith. The weding will be in
the University Street Church
of Christ. Buck and Lisa, who

.f has been to Mexico twice as a

missionary recruit, will be in
the Northwest until the middle

of July.

They will be accept

ing speaking engagements. A

THANKS

We are "thankful for your part

nership in the gospel from the
first day until now." Phil. 1:5

We wish to thank you for the

gifts and offerings you have

sent. We trust you will always

remember us so.

Cedars Christian School

Brings threefold education to o
"forgotten" Mexican village

'^1

By RODNEY G. NORTHRUP
Typical vlllaflt to ba banalltad by Cadari Chfiitian Sdtool

HOW loDg should apeople be forgotteo

and left without the gospel?
Puentes (The Bridges) has been
one of the forgotten villages of southern
Nuevo Leon, a Mexican state lying west of
the southern tip of Texas. Puentes is sur
rounded by twenty-seven other and similar
villages. Corn, beans, chili, and children
are the main crops. Scrawny cows, goats,
long-nosed pigs, and fighting cocks are the
animals chiefly raised. Oxcarts cut deep
ruts in the primitive dirt roads which wind
their ways among desert palms, cactus, and
brush. In this area the burro or the oxcart

pools of spring water, just a mile from

Puentes, caught my attention the very first
time I was in the area on behalf of the

gospel. At the time I thought, 'This would

be a perfect spot for a Christian school
and summer campgrounds."

But eight

taken away by sina bottle of wine, to be

followed by another and another. Irrigation
has changed the hopeless barrenness of
their lands to green fields and a harvest.
Only Christ can change them as spiritual
beings with the hope of life eternal.

years of praying and working in the area

were to pass before the thought was to

Time for action

become a reality.
During those eight years the Lord added
to those who were being saved, and nine

I bad been watching these changes care

fully and in the spring of 1963 I concluded

small groups of Chiistians were brought

into being and began meeting in the area.

that it was now time to begin action on

the school I had visualized through the

Twenty other villages have asked for Bible

teachers. The congregation in the nearby
village of Sandia has sent four men the

years. During Easter week I talked with

160 miles to Saltillo Christian School on

Froylan Guerrero, minister of the congre

gation in Sandia, Mexico, describing my
long-cherished plan for a Christian school

Daniel Cavazos, director of the Mexican

is the usual means of transportation.

Families average from six to sixteen
members and the only steady means of
livelihood is cutting and preparing the fiber
of the sisal plant. A man working very
hard can earn about sixty pesos, or five

Mountain View Ranch in the neighboring

state of Coahuila to study for the ministry.
It became increasingly apparent that an

dollars a week.

other Christian school should be estab

springs in the natural cedar park near the

lished in the area of Puentes.

>^lage of Puentes.

Most babies arrive in this world to be

Federal Cultur^ Mission 826, and with

and a federal school to be built around the

Together we visualized a school where

young men and women could learn trades

greeted by "Graimy" or occasionally by a

poorly-trained midwife. Most broken bones
are set at home. Among these villages it
is thirty miles, by horse or truck, to the
nearest doctor or hospital, and each year
dysentery and similar diseases take their
toll among children, pigs, and chickens.

About two years ago the Mexican gov

ernment began to remember Puentes and
the other villages in southern Nuevo Leon.
The tall towers of well drilling rigs were
seen in and around Puentes. The govern

and be prepared to use the water that was

ment drilled eleven wells and for the first

grade school, Bible, and trade school train

time irrigation waters ran out across the

ing at the same time. Here young men

Most of the houses are made of adobe

would train their minds, hands, and souls!

or palm trees with earthen floors and open

thirsty land.
In February, 1963, a Federal Cultural

hemths.

Mission came in with eleven technicians

three of the mission's most provoking

to teach the villagers how to do the many

things a county home demonstration agent
teaches in the United Stateshow to plant
vineyards, wheat, oats, broom com, pota

have only three or four years of schooling

could now finish their secular grade school
and high school work. Two, small congre

toes, and alfalfa, and how to increase the

gations would be less burdened with the

support of their preachers since each min

The village school building at Puentes

is a room with one. door, two small win

dows, and no heating. Here the first three

grades are taughtif the teacher stays all
the school year. Many girls are marrying
between twelve and sixteen since there is

nothing else to do. By marrying early a

girl may escape having to take care of
mother's newest baby. The usual social
life consists of dances, weddings, festivals
for the saints locally honored, and funerals.

production of corn and beans. The govern

Some of the area is wooded and there

for February 8, 1964

This type of school would help to solve

problems. One, ministerial students who

ment is now constructing a canal from six

ister would know a trade by which to help

support himself. Third, the problem of

student support would be reduced because

hundred acres.

Within the past few years the material

lives of the people have been changed. At

spend, but this made spiritual needs even

more evident. Many families are still in

are a number of springs. An undeveloped

natural park with cedar trees and several

ministerial students would receive their

springs which will irrigate more than five

harvest time, there was more money to

Place of a dream

now on the land. We saw a school where

dire need because the harvest income was

Mr. Northrup. a Christian missionary to Mexico,
lives in Saltillo, Coahuila.

the students would be able partially to sup

port themselves while in school.
It was decided to go to the village of
Puentes with the matter. During the next
month the necessary approval from village,
federal, and state officials was gained and

all the legal details were taken care of.

Instead of the originally intended five

one for Cedars Christian School buildings

and activities; another for the federal grade
school buildings; and a third for the pro
posed government-subsidized shops and

brary. At this point help from the United

States will be welcomed. Books, or money
to purchase books, may be sent to Rodney
G. Northrup for Cedars Christian School,
Apartado Postal 306, Saltillo, Coahuila,
Mexico. Books in Spanish are most useful,
but a course in English will be given, so
books in English will be helpful too. Bible

Each unit will cost approximately $1,300.

What will be accomplished in the two
adjoining schools?
1. Young people will be given an oppor
tunity to finish grade school and high
school, prepare for the Lord's work, and

trade schools.
A fence was built around the land.

story books and volumes useful to Bible

college students will be especially needed.

2. Girls will have an opportunity to

finish school so that when they do marry

acres, a tract of forty-five acres has been

leased in the area of the natural cedar park
for the purpose of the schools. The whole
tract has been divided into smaller areas:

Cement blockmaking became the first trade

taught, and the school is being built with
student-made cement blocks. Gravel for

the blocks must be hauled to the site by

oxcarts, even as rocks have been hauled

for the foundations of the library; the

fourth, fifth, and sixth grade, building; the
teachers* cottage; dormitory; and dining
hall.

Help from others

Antonio Guajardo, a teacher with nine
teen years of experience, became the pio
neer teacher in the federal part of the
project. His wages are paid by the federal
school system. With true Mexican patri
otism he had a slender flagpole peeled and
propped up temporarily with cement

bloc^ for Ae twentieth of November to

commemorate the beginning of the war for
equal rights in Mexico. Two days later the

flag was flown at half-staff in mourning for

President Kennedy.
Tidings of the new consolidated school
were carried quickly from village to vil
lage. Eighteen villages have indicated a de

For those desiring to help enlarge the

they will know how to establish Christian

school shops a special way is available

through "CARE," 660 First Avenue, New

homes.
3. Cedars .Christian School will be able

York, N. Y. Donations should be desig

nated through our Mexican corporation

to receive and prepare for Christian service

Christian students coming from all over

"Lie. Adolfo

Mexico. These in turn can be sent to the

Lopez Mateos," Charco de Puentes, Aram-

"Bethel," for the school

twenty or more villages which want Bible

teachers. During the summer the mission
can use all of the buildings and grounds for
Bible camps.

berrie, N. L., Mexico. Each ."CARE" of

fering for the school should be designated.

For example, a gift of $75 will buy a
sewing machine. A carpentry kit or a

masonry kit is $20, a knitting machine

$25, a midwifery kit $25, an agricultural
kit $11, a village library $5, a medical aid
kit $35, and needle craft kit $7. A car

pentry shop for twenty-five boys costs

$2,400, and a small carpentry shop is
$650. The more of this kind of equipment
is received the better prepared will be the
ministerial students to earn their way as
mey preach the Word of God to their
fellow men here in Mexico. When gifts
come through "CARE" the school does
not have to pay duty on the machinery and
the amount of the gift is tax deductible.
The total projectCedars Christian

School; the feder^ school, "Lie. Adolfo

sire to come in and help build the school if

Lopez Mateos*'; and the trade school^will

their children will be allowed to attend the

about one-third of the total cost of the

cost approximately $22,000. The mission's

part will be about $12,000, since there is
no federal help for the construction of
Bible college buildings.

fereral school, which is named **Lic.

Adolfo Lopez Mateos" for the man who

The next step

fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. The help of

all the surrounding villages is to amount to

is now president of Mexico.

Within a short time the Mexican govern
ment became very much interested in the
project. It has provided desks, books,
blackboards, cement, roofs for the build
ings, and the federal teacher. As the school

grows the government will supply other

teachers as needed. When buildings for the
trades shops are built, another govern
mental department has promised machin
ery with which to teach carpentry, welding,
mechanics, and sewing. When chicken
houses are built the agricultural depart
ment will give baby chicks to the school.

The same department will also supply all

learn trades that will make them useful

to their own communities.

The mission's commitments on the fed

eral school, "Lie. Adolfo Lopez Mateos,"

are about finished since the f^eral teacher

is now holding classes in the federal build
ings. We want to begin our Bible classes
as soon as possible. Mexican law requires

us to hold ^em in a church building. The

4. This is a test case. If an effective job

is done, other schools of this type can be

set up elsewhere in Mexico, .^ready two

other areas have approached the mission
asking for similar schools to be set up
for them.

5. This is an opportunity for Christian

people in the United States to show the
youth of Mexico that they care for them.
This is important at a time when Mexicans
tend to think that Catholicism is the only

force fighting communism. Each building

of the federal school will carry a plaque

stating that it was built throu^ the joint

efforts of the Mexican government, the
surrounding villages, and "Bethel"^the
mission's Mexican corporate name. The
names of churches or individuals giving
for the construction of any particular

building will appear on the "Bethel" plaque

in that building.
The first of December, Daniel Cavazos
and I were in Mexico City taking care of
business for the school. In practically

every department of the feder^ govern

ment the officials said, "We want to con

gratulate you men for going into this

isolated, forgotten area and establishing
this consolidated school. We will help as
much as we can." In the first six months

there were sixty students in the school.

As soon as roads can be built and buses

proposed combination church and class

room building will cost five thousand dol

secured to operate between the villages,

we expect between five hundred and a

lars to build. Three thousand dollars will

thousand students in the school.

finish the dormitory for forty-eight stu

Only we Christians hold the obvious

dents. Most of the resident students will be

answer to the question, "How long will the

enrolled in Bible college. Two cottages

should be built for Bible college teachers.

people of Puentes, and that area, be for

gotten and left without the gospel?" end

the fruit trees that will be needed. The

government aid will amount to about a

third of the total cost of the federal school,

and the government will continue to pay

the federal teachers.

Just now the federal teacher is teaching

the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. The ce
ment block factory is being run by the
students and they are constructing the
school buildings.
The government has given a small li
Poflo Four

(84)

PropoMd church and

BIbIa collasa bulldlns of
Cadart Chriatian School

CHRISTIAN STANDARD

Cedars
Chris tain

School

anJ

eJ^odnt^

cdVoitk^uji

APARTADO POSTAL 300

SALTILLO COAH . MEXICO

THIS

HUCK

Thi

Fidoral

Tha

kitchen

The Fadaral

IS

ALL

(aaehert*
and

dInInt

echosl

BUT

COHPLETED:

colliie.
raoa.

bultdini

..a.

s,

6ih (ladat and library

Busy building

i9Proposed

Location of C-C-S

dormitory for
48 students and

ts/?odney

house parents

-dVoil^wfi

Proposed

THE BIBLE C0LLE6E SECTION IS STILL TO BE COMPLETED'

E BILL HEED:-.

Tha Bible coMega taaeheia- cottage llnlahed by July isih

The Church and Bible college building flnl.had by Aug. igih

church and

Bible college

build ing

Front

View

y.'can la. .in only .No. u. to taach B.bla cla.alc

tha church building). , 12,000 dollars

.p,

Bible college section.

need PRAYER ,or:.. a.

B.

Tha ara a ayang.Ii,t|c progr.

as

The lalsclion of the faculty.

Tha aaleclion of the student body.

Side

View

Notes From

Saltillo Christian Mission

spt. u, 1965

The Northrups
SUMHBK BBKAK31

Apartado Postal 306

Saltillo,Coahuila
Mexico

A BEOKEN NECK was suffered by Maysel the morning of Juno 24, 1965 when enroute

to Old Mexico, the car hit a slick spot and rcAled over near Vaughn, New Mexico. In
stead of spending the rest of the sunmer in camp, V. B. S. and village evangeliam in

Mexico as planned she spent six weeks convalesci^ in and out of the hospital at
Mountainair, New Mexico.

When finally released to return to Mexico, (wearing a neck collar) the doctors
recommendation was that she not travel on rough roads for awhile.

Since rotigh roads

and accordion playing are principal parts of village evangelism, Maysel had to drop
that work for a time but she found all kinds of work waiting for her at Mountain
View Ranch.

She supervised the late summer clean-up and kalsomining before'the start of
classes at Saltillo Christian School.

Sane sparrows had taken up residence in the

chapel. They had a ring side "opera" seat for all services during the summer camp.
Campers report that the little sparrows especially liked the Spanish choruses.

A country mouse family had made their home in the piano while the Northrups

were away. Most notorious of all wore the tribe of bedbugs which had made their
camp in the boys' dormitory. It took about 60 pesos of Raid, H24 and Black Vlag
to exterminate them and make, sure there were no more outposts.

ALL RSCORDS WERE BROKEN at Cedars Christian School Project in this summers!

V. B. S. held by the Larry Cuylers, Fco. Barren and teen missionaries Mark and
Anita Northrup.

A tractor

an utility trailer was used to transport 80 children over

the bush country dirt roads which were at times very muddy and always full of
stickers. By the last day, attendance had climbed to 196. Mark 16, spent lots
of time driving the tractor, pulling out stickers, patching and pun?>ing up tires
lAiich included the tractor tires.

The tractor and trailer is part of the equip

ment supplied to the schools by Ira Jones and the churches around Etamett, Idaho.
BROKEN SPRINGS.

Returning from Cedars Christian SchocO. Project to Saltillo,

July 27th, Mark and Anita were in their second accident of the summer. The Cuyler
truck suddenly went out of control going down d steep curve and as it headed for
the left side of the highway Bro. Lany Cuyler could not turn it back. Twice they
almost turned over when they hit the enfcankment and in the process Just missed

hitting a small VW. Finally the truck stopped, (The brakes had failed also.)
Both doors were sprung. The Broken Springs had caused the steering column to
freeze. When they looked to the right of the road they realized the Lord had

literally spared their lives. If the Cxiyler pickup had gone right instead of
left, they would have plunged over the bank and down into the canyon below.

This BREAKDOWN immobilized summer work during the repairs until Rodney and Maysel
arrived from the United States August 8 with the 1965 Dodge Van which had been
repaired like new after the June 24 turnover.

Page 2
IMPOBTAHT VISITORS TO AHD SPECIAL BI3SINGS PGR CEDARS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL PROJECTl

WHO?t

SeOor A^TTONIO SANCHEZ head of the Mexican Forestry Departonent.

ACCOMPANIED BTt
ACGOMPUaHEDl

Sr. ROBLES head of the regional Mexican Pre-fabricated Schools,

1.

SeHor Sanchez with State Governor Livas made i t official that

electricity would bo bro\ight into the area,

2. Sr. Sanchez called a meeting of the heads of several of the
collective farms and exhorted them to cooperate with the school in every
way possible.
3, Sr. Sanchez promised that the Forestry Dept. would finish all

the constructions (except the chxirch building which is the mission part of

the project). (We also need 1500 to Install windows and wire the Federal
buildlxigs^
4*

Build and furnish the other shops.

5.

Put in the plumbing and water system.

- 6.
?

Finish fee-fish ponds and swimming pool.

Give the school 100 hives of bees.

8. The Pre-fabricated fchdols Dept. will supply the roofs and

furniture for the sixth grade roan and library.

9.

Best of all, the Forestiy will start road construction over

which a school bus could travel.

This will mean also that we can reach

many of the "Forty Villages" in a matter of minutes instead of hours with

the Gospel of Christ.
RESULTS OF FOHTT WEEKS OF PRAIER FOR THE FOKTI TOXAC$ AREAl

1.

A new missionary family, the Larry Cuylers, living on the grounds of

Cedars Christi^ School Project.

2.

Filemon Castro, a 1965 graduate of Saltillo Christian School, working

3.

BIBtE CLASSES to begin at Cedars Christian School Project Oct. 4, 1965

4.
5.

VB3 of 196 adults and children at Cedars Christian School Project.

More and more villages asking for Bible teachers.

with the Cuylers is to be the first BIBLE teacher at CEDARS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.

-o

FEAIER REQUESTS!

X.

For the villages of Sandia, San Juan and Puentes.

Lord willing, Rodney,

The Cuylew and Fjj.ejtt$n will be holding evangelistic meetings in these three
2.
3.
4.

during the month of October.

Pray for the Bible classes that are to begin Oct. 4th at Cedars.
Pray for the students and 10 fifteen dollar a month scholarships for Cedars.
Pray for the twelve students of SaltiLlo Christian School.

5.

Continue to remember the recovery of Maysel and ftelestina Samaniego in

prayer,

SOMETHING SFBCIAL FOE HATSEL

The accident has left Maysel with a rather stiff neck.

Since the accident she

still tires a little quicker, the cold is a little colder and everything is still a
little harder for her. The following material feings would help to ease her work
and make her recovery a little faster.
a.

The money to put in a septic tank and finish the inside plumbing.

b. The money for an electric light generator with which she could iron. The
"Sad Irons" seem much heavier now. The house is already wired for electricity. We
could also use the small electric refrigerator.

Please designate these funds as "Special for Maysel and the house."

tO