From this humble beginning in I9 6 0— roofless mud brick walls— has come the present Christian home environment for more than 50 needy children.
Across America hearts were chal lenged, hearts were spoken to, and money was sent in for Mr. Stroman to help the needy ones in the canyon. With the nearly $900.00 which was received, the Mexican Fellowship was incorporated in the State of Califor nia as a non-profit corporation. The organization was established to lend a helping hand to the sick and home less of Mexico and to further the Christian witness to our neighbors south of the border. Working hand in hand with the Mexican Fellow ship is Confrdtemidad Mexicana, an organization registered in Mexico City so that the operation is carried on in an official legal, business-like way. A small piece of ground with only some adobe walls left standing was purchased. It wasn’t long before a roof was raised and Gospel services were held regularly in the yet un finished dirt-floor building. During the years that followed, these serv ices continued and tons of clothing and food were distributed to the needy families in the Ensenada area. It wasn’t long before children were being brought to the mission to be cared for. And so God laid it on the hearts of the Mexican Fel lowship and the workers at the mis sion to build an orphanage. From this humble beginning, Centro de Amparo ( “ Center of Refuge” ) be gan. In building an orphanage, many obstacles such as water, housing, had
the coal oil lantern flickered in the darkness. Because of such darkness as this inside a too tightly crowded room, the people soon emptied the building and sat down upon the hill side. There they watched with fas cination the Gospel pictures drawn and listened intently to the message God had laid on the heart of Dr. Pearson. Two such pictures were painted and two sermons were preached before the sun buried itself into beautiful Bahia Todos Santos ( “ All Saints’ Bay” ). Finally the chill of the night air forced the people to return into the adobe building. The hours clicked on and before the service ended that night, four hours had slipped past. The eagerness of these people to hear the Gospel and their evident joy in their singing brought tears to the eyes of Mr. Stroman as he sat and watched and listened. The service was long and the singing loud, but the voice of the Holy Spirit was speaking even more loudly to Stro man, “ You must come back and help. You must come back and help.” So it was that henceforth he made regu lar trips to visit the folks in the San Carlos Canyon. Upon return to the United States, Ken Stroman wrote a story about “ A Week End Missionary Journey,” which was published in the World Vision Magazine, solely as a mis sionary story without any appeal for funds. But God had a different plan. DECEMBER, 1964
to be overcome. Water for drinking was carried by bucket for nearly a mile. Many of the crops were poor and inadequate. Everywhere were signs of poverty. Many children had not had the proper food and their clothing was ragged and dirty. To meet the water problem, water rights to an abandoned well were purchased and the superstructure of
Benito Banaga, burned in a bonfire accident, was brought to the hospital in Monrovia, California. Through the help of Drs. William Baker and Ted Moeller, he was given adequate treatment. a windmill, provided by a Sunday school class in Sierra Madre, was trucked to the canyon to meet this very needy problem. Mr. Stroman also laid out blueprints for a whole complex of buildings on the small mesa at the entrance to the Canyon. The master plan calls for dormitories to house a hundred homeless chil- (co n tin u e d on n e xt p a ge 43 )
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