Speed-the-Light Pajamas

This picture was taken in 1963, two years before the following incident, but it gives you the idea... and I would have to go through about 3,000 slides to find another one taken closer to the proper date.

Our Mikey, the littlest guy in this picture, turned 6 years old aboard the Del Mar ship on May 19, 1965 during our 21 day ocean voyage to begin our labors as missionaries in Argentina.  We had just finished a year in Costa Rica studying the Spanish language.

All our clothing, office equipment, household items and much more came with us on the ship in sealed drums, plus a few crates.  We moved into a temporary house in Buenos Aires and began the process of getting our official documents and purchasing a car. 

Speed-the-Light, the Assemblies of God official youth missions project is dedicated to providing vehicles, projectors, sound systems and other equipment for missionaries all over the world.  They had raised  $3,500 with which we were able to purchase a brand new 1965 Rambler Classic car directly from the factory, made in Argentina. 

So there was a lot of excitement at our house about our new “Speed the Light” vehicle. 

Ronny (10), Timmy (8) and Mikey (6) were looking on as Frances reached deep into several barrels filled with wonderful things donated by the WMCs “Women’s Missionary Council.”  She pulled out a brand new pair of pajamas and handed them to Mikey.  He was delighted.  He held them up in his hands and yelled, “Are these Speed-the-Light pajamas?”

Little Mikey is now 55 years old, happily married and manager of a successful business in Seattle… and here I am… still ministering in Argentina long after retirement.  I have it in my blood.

And today I am thanking the wonderful people of the Assemblies of God churches for supplying our family with almost everything we needed for living in a foreign country, allowing us to dedicate our lives to the task of winning the lost.

You really can’t blame MKs for getting it all jumbled in their little heads.  There was the “Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade” the BGMCs.  Then the youth were called “Christ’s Ambassadors,” the CAs.  And the Women’s Missionary Council, the WMCs… that later became the WMs.  And Light-for-the-Lost, the men’s project providing us with Gospel literature... and of course, Speed-the-Light …supplying us with our pajamas… ha!

Ralph