Baptist in 1965, and are happy in their work there. It provides opportunity for both home and foreign missions. Our evening was so rewarding, that my traveling companion, who is not of my faith, decided to re turn with me Sunday. We saw Sunday school classes grouped in every room in the house, the patio, garage, and under trees. In the minister’s absence, the Super intendent of Mission, Rev. Milton S. Leach, Jr., preached a strong message on the spiritual needs of the island, and challenged the con gregation to take an active part in bearing the Good News. Spanish descendants at Puerto Rico have maintained their Cath olic religion as well as their na tive tongue. Zealous missionaries of many faiths have labored to evangelize the island since the turn of the century. About 17% of the population are now Protes tant. Calvary Baptist is a y o ung church, formed as a mission by 16 residents in 1964. They held their first services in the home of one of the members. Meetings are now held in a rented house across the street from the site of the future sanctuary. The first unit under construction is an educa tional building with an auditori um suitable for a sanctuary. With a membership around 150, the church is moving forward, and is aiding 7 Spanish-speaking mis sions. The new church building is expected to draw more permanent residents and more tourists to their ministry. Over 1,400,000 tourists visit the island annually; and ministry to visitors is a vital service of the church. Yes, you can take Jesus any where you go. In this age of world-wide travel and communi cation, you’ll find His people ready to greet you with outstretched hands. Why not consult your mis sion board before you depart for vacation, business, or to serve your country? Missions will then become a real dynamic part of your being. ^
cordial as if we were doing them a favor by eating their delicious food and fellowshipping with them. On a plateau high above my humiliation, I learned tha t Chris tian hospitality is the same wher ever there are true Christians. At the supper, I noted tha t the memb e r s were predominantly young: men in the armed forces, employees of the Federal govern ment and of American industries, English-speaking residents, and bilingual G e rma n s with their families. Children ranged from infants to young teens. A couple recently transferred from Texas by the Gulf Oil Company took us home, and picked us up for Sun day services. A Christian spirit was notice ably demonstrated by love for one another’s children. These young sters, uprooted from their homes in Texas, California, Georgia, or Florida, and dropped into a strange environment, truly have a church home at Calvary Bap tist. At prayer service, Mr. Rockett preached on God’s leadership. He spoke of Samuel and of the Apos tle P a u l hearing and obeying God’s call. He cited Saul, Solo mon, Jeroboam, and the Israelites as examples of disobedience. As I listened, I was glad that God calls servants to edify no mads like myself, fa r from home and in need of spiritual susten ance and Christian fellowship. My contact w i t h Calvary Church proved to be the high point of my trip. The photos, slides, and re ports I have shared with church groups are fa r more precious than those d u s t - c a t c h i n g souvenirs which deplete budgets and over load luggage of tourists. The Rocketts had served pas torates in Alabama, Oregon, Indi ana, and Louisiana. Yet, when they applied to themselves God’s question d i r e c t e d t o E l i sha : “Doest thou well here?” the an swer was negative. Clyde and Dot had both been called to missions. They accepted the call for the first full-time pastorate at Calvary
Wednesday afternoon^ fly to St. Thomas Thursday morning, then back to San Juan Saturday. After I mailed it, I wondered what the pastor would think of a stranger writing so informally. It was too late for a reply, so I wouldn’t know until I got there. Perhaps he;would be out of town! Perhaps I would never hear from him! The whole tour was exciting. All the islands are lush and tropi cal, yet no two are alike. Puerto Rico has belonged to the United States e v e r since the Spanish-American War in 1898, and is now a commonwealth. There is talk of its becoming our 51st state. The capital, San Juan, with its sandy beaches and sky scrapers, impressed me as a sec ond Miami. Mary and I were getting settled in our hotel room Wednesday af ternoon when the phone rang. They were having potluck in the patio at Calvary Church before prayer meeting, the Rev. Clyde Rockett told me. Was I free to come? I told him I had a traveling companion. “Bring her along,” he said cordially. “I ’ll stop by for you at 5 o’clock.” He spoke as though it were a mere matter of driving around the corner. We weren’t yet orient ed to our environment. I had no conception of a mission church right in the city. I’d associated island missions with jungles and thatch-roofed huts. Promptly at 5 he was in the hotel lobby — a youthful, robust man with sparkling blue eyes. Good - na t u r ed l y , he bucked b ump e r - t o - b ump e r rush hour traffic for an hour before we reached the church! I thought of my pastor’s caution, and was ex tremely embarrassed. Then when I learned he was flying to Hous ton that very night, I wanted to crawl into a hole. How much he must have had on his mind before leaving his church and family that afternoon! His sweet wife, “Dot,” was as
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