Letter from Gladis - Ecuador, 1957

I found this letter yesterday, and I thought I would share it with you as I found it interesting and inspiring as well; a little peek into the day to day life of a missionary nurse 50 years ago.

Macuma, Ecuador
Sept 27, 1957

Dear Friends,

Your letter was so very, very welcome. The first from your part of the country since we have been here. It seems that I have already answered since I started a tape to you folks and answered some of your questions. We started a tape once before but it was such a jumbled conglomeration that we thought it best to make another. So in a week or so you should be hearing us. And that will mean in the near future we can expect to hear the voices of some of you. At least if we could have a recording of the service, say on Sunday Morning with Brother Claude preaching. My we miss hearing the Word in our language but all the more reason to master this tongue, the Jivaro language.

Bill is away at present, has been gone for over a week. He and the other missionaries went to an Indian Conference in another part of the jungle. Those tennis shoes that you folks got for him are being put to good use. He is walking back - a three day hike. He should arrive tomorrow and he will tell you all about the trek on the tape.

The day after everyone left, I delivered my first baby, and the first baby in the little bamboo clinic. And since we are talking about "firsts", the first baby for a little girl wife. She is about fifteen. I felt as if some one was praying for me because the Lord gave wisdom and it was a normal birth. Was I scared? Well, if I had stopped to think, I would have been but I felt the presence of the Lord and knew that all would be well. That was the first time that any Indian woman had asked for help during childbirth. So it was a real victory. Praise Him.

Shirley is very happy. She has six rolly polly puppies to play with. I am sorry to say that they are the source of about two dozen chigger bites that she has tonight but she will get over them. We just have to get used to bites. She is having Kindergarten every morning when I can possibly have it. One day she drew a man with his arm sticking out. She explained that he must be a missionary since he was shaking hands with some one. She carries a puppy to church like all the Indians. Yesterday, she said she wanted to grow up to be a Jivaro woman.

It is hard to say what effect the martyred missionaries had on the work here. To me there seems to be a much better spirit among the Christians and so many more have taken Christ as Savior. On the other hand two of the seemingly most stable believers are now walking far from the Lord. Just today Mrs. Youdarian was here for a few hours before going to an out station. She is radiant and you marvel to see how the Lord has brought her through. She is endeavoring to learn the Jivaro language. Her mother visited her for about two months and it was a great blessing to them both.

The tape recorder has been a real help already. We use it in language study and will do more with it when Bill gets back. It is so important to get the language from the Indians. They are amazed at what the recorder will do. We want to record them talking for you. It has worked just fine. Bill had to build a dry cupboard to put it in. that is a box with a light bulb so it will be kept dry, there is lots of moisture in the air. We have been so grateful for it and think of you folks every time we use it.

Until your letter we hadn't known about the gifts you were sending. We praise the Lord for His supplying our every need. We pray that He will richly bless you as you give so that these here may be reached. We have just taken on the financial responsibility of the clinic. the Indians pay some for the medicine but they cannot pay the cost. Would you folks object for the money to go toward medicine? Or for helping pay for the trips of the little airplane to bring in supplies? Just be frank with us, we feel it is better to have everything out in the open between God's people.

There are a few things that would be so helpful. For instance: rubber bands, paper clips, scotch tape, string, shipping labels. We have to mark everything. Just plain needles and Singer needles that will sew size 30 thread. Imagine my forgetting that. How can I ever use the thread that you all gave? I have already done some canning with the lids.

Well, I see I am getting long winded, so I'll sign off for now. We will be looking for another letter. Greetings to all the friends and tell them that we praise the Lord for every one.

Love to all,

Gladis