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 One
member of this church accompanied me to a meeting where 85/90
people were assembled. Comment: “It ‘s good to visit a large
church. But I miss the close warm feeling of a smaller group.”
There are five members where this saint worships.
I
can’t publish a picture of their building — they meet in an
abandoned “Legion Hall”. One man, his wife, his widowed
sister. another widow, and a faithful woman whose husband does
not attend. They compose a great church.
The
man works for Santa Fe. his wife operates a small motel, his
sister is part-time motel worker. the other married woman
operates a motel. These are “working” people. the elder
widow lives on a pension. yet they have for years assisted in
the support of various Evangelists. Years ago they supported me
in a meeting in a place where faithful brethren were hard
pressed. A one-night debate developed, and they added $50.OO to
my check in genuine appreciation.
This
year they supported a meeting in Ashfork, and the four women
drove over 50 miles each night to attend. (The man was away,
working on a farm) Then, they supported me in a one week Special
Study In 0.T. but we had to have this each morning — no night
services — for they had used up their “free” time in the
earlier meeting. They plan to continue a weekly “home” study
of the outlines and notes used in the Special Study, and to
follow-up contacts made with non-members. In their community of
ca. 600, with a high percentage of Indian and Spanish railroad
workers, “contacts” are very hard to make: but these saints
have a good reputation among white-collar and “cover-all”
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workers alike.
One
Sunday I returned from a meeting elsewhere to learn that the
four women had had a visitor — a transient who asked for “assistance”.
(I think town-people send such cases to them, knowing their
compassion.) The ladies talked it over (the man, out-of- town)
and decided they could not use church funds for this “doubtful”
need: but they offered the man $10. to chop the weeds and
clean the “Legion” property where they met. I returned in
time to check the job, and “pay off” for them.
Bro.
Ted Bollier drives 400 miles once a month to preach for them,
and they pay his expenses. Young men come down from Flagstaff
(73 mi. ) now and then to “practice” on this appreciative
(and critical) audience: and sometimes a fine Christian woman
from Flagstaff. who is an excellent Bible student and teacher,
comes down for a study” with the ladies.
They
are currently helping in the support of a preacher in Mexico,
and take great interest in reports of his work among his people.
They heard of my proposed trip to Australia (1971) and began to
discuss how they might help with this. But if you think
they are a “soft touch” you had better think again. They are
fiercely independent, with an autonomy born of hard Bible study
and circumstances.
Worshipping
with these “faithful five” is an experience not soon
forgotten. I believe the Seligman. AZ. church is GREAT in God‘s
sight
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