I Believe – My Values

After I finished the missionary Trainning with New Tribes Mission in December 1971 and also after I was asked by the Executive Committee to consider going to Mexico instead of Brazil, my pans for the travels began.

MY FAVORITE FOODS

Most people who migrate to another Country long for the food they grew up with. Just like the Israelites longed for food they enjoyed in Egypt mentioned in  Numbers 11:5   “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick.” Of course, it would be difficult to find all the ingredients in your new home country. You have to do your best and make the taste as close as you can to what you are used to. The only few places that you can find real Mexican food would be where there is a large Mexican communities like in Chicago, IL, and bordering towns with Mexico. After a month and a half of being in Fusagasugá, Colombia in South America in 1984, I craved for Mexican food. I traveled to Bogotá and checked the few Mexican Restaurants. After seeing their prices, I desired that I could wait another month and a half until the end of May and eat all I wanted in Chihuahua for a cheaper price. The only thing I could not wait was for the Salsa. I asked the Colombian students as to where I could find hot peppers and was told that Colombians did not eat that They call it Ají. I was sad to hear that, but I did not give up. One day I went to the open market in Fusagasugá better known for just Fusa. I walked around and lo and behold I saw something that look like Chile Piquin that was freshly picked because it was green and is supposed to turn red. I bought some and did not wait for the ají to turn red.

I boiled the ají and cooked two tomatoes on a grill. I crushed both ají and tomatoes on a plate with a glass and made salsa. I cooked pork meat on a pot and when it was done, I added the salsa to it. I let it boil for a bit and then I served it on my plate along with just freshly cooked pinto beans and something like Italian bread because I did not have tortillas because that is something Colombians do not eat. Mexico is primarily the only country where tortillas are part of the food staples. I then invited the students to eat some of it. They told me that no Colombian would eat that kind of meal. I insisted for them to at least taste it. They agreed to that and ended up finishing the rest of the food. From there on I would cook the same thing every Saturday that I did not have to go to Bogota to Preach. The students would stick around until it was ready. I had a lot of fun with them.

As I grew up, I noticed that I was not like most kids. I never bought any candy for myself. I prefer salty foods. I never liked cakes, but I did eat a piece for my wedding as well as for my other four kids’ weddings. I like hot or cold chocolate but not as a candy. I have always like “Greñudas.” They are coconut and sugar candies. Since I was a kid, I always ate and still do, “Camote con leche” as cereal. It’s cooked sweet potato with sweet piloncillo. You have to know what is good to like it. My Grandma Poncha used to make “Caldo de res.” An incredibly special Mexican beef soup. She would also make “Sopa de fideos” which is the Mexican noodle soup. Homemade Enchiladas Rojas Chilaquiles Rojos, Carnitas de Puerco, Chicharrones en Chile Verde, Taquitos filled with mixed mash potatoes and ground beef. I also enjoy: Mexican rice (Please notice that this is not the Spanish rice known to Americans) and beans. Chicken Tostadas and Tortas Piolines. Especially Tortas with Chorizo and Chile relleno but using the Chile Chilaca from Chihuahua. I also learned to like “Enchiladas Verdes” that my wife makes and her delicious Flautas. My wife makes excellent Quesadillas. I eat tamales and barbacoa de res, but they are not my favorite foods. I have to be honest; this is torture for me because I can have everything I want until I go back to Mexico. Now I understand the Israelites better. Well, let me continue with my torture. While I lived in Puebla City, I ate foods that people from the Central or Northern parts of Mexico never heard of such as: Memelas, Pambazos and Huazontles. They are delicious. I loved to eat Tacos Arabes too . It`s like dying and going to heaven. As far as I know, Puebla City is the only place you can buy them. I mean the real ones. I want to take a trip down there just to eat those four foods.

When I was 11 years old, I came to the States with a tourist visa and the first thing that I like was the milk in a milk carton. It tasted really good, and I like ever since. Hamburgers were the next thing  and shrimp that I liked to eat, especially since my mom worked at the fast-food place called “The Quick Bite.” In Laredo Texas.

I migrated to the States when I turned 18 and I really didn`t do much for a time. Then the Lord in His Mercy led me to Waukesha as I explained before. There my first job was at a foundry two blocks away from where my brother Arturo and I lived. I worked 10 hours a day, from 3:00 pm-1:00 am. After taking a shower at work I would go to Jimmy Grotto`s Stand at 1:30 am. I was his last costumer of the day. Sometimes I would place my order ahead of time. Sometimes it was the largest pizza of that time (larger than today`s) two orders of large French fries and two large strawberry molts. I loved that pizza and still do. Other time I would order two Italian sausages with the rest of the stuff I would order for pizza. Yes, after a long day I was hungry, and that food was delicious. Lasagna was another excellent food I was introduced to, I`ll eat it anytime I have a chance.

I had saved plenty of money to pay my way for the next two years. Yes, I was trusting in my money, but something happen when I was at the Boot camp in the Missions training in Oviedo FL  Most of my roommates did not receive any financial support and were struggling. I began to use the money I had saved for them and finally I had to start selling my silver coin collection. I run out of money at the beginning of the second semester. Then the food was not the greatest and as a boy’s dorm we began to eat spaghetti with no meat just tomato sauce. That was the first time that I had tasted that meal and I did not like it. I began to lose weight and soon I lost 15 pounds. Hunger made me like spaghetti so much that today I need to have it more often. While I was at the Boot camp, I learned to bake chicken and rice. That is something that I still love to eat and since my wife is now the cook, I just have to ask her to make it and she always gladly makes it. One of the main and easy food to prepare is Chicken and rice

It is so difficult to choose favorite foods. Why did I ever choose this topic? It makes me hungry for all of these foods at once. Out of all this short list of foods that I like there are:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Four Mexican, that I like the most: “Caldo de Res” (Mexican Beef Soup) Tortas Piolines, Montados, and “Enchiladas Verdes” the way my wife makes them.         Two American, Chicken with Rice and Hamburgers with no mayonnaise.                                                                                                                                                       One Lebanese, Tacos Arabes 8Only from Puebla City, Mexico

Two Italian American, Pizza and Lasagna. Whenever, we get to go to Olive Garden I always order “The Tour of Italy,” it is a real tour.

There are some desserts that I really like and enjoy even though they are sweet. Pumpkin Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Coconut Cream Pie and Strawberry Shortcake. I don’t have to wait for any special day to eat any of them.

As I grew up I noticed that I was not like most kids as far as sweets.

Chapter 1  “What’s in a name…”

My name is Vikki Jo Stewart but, it wasn’t always that simple! Mother named me Vikki Jo Crook after my birth father, Victor Joseph. He was adopted at the age of one and his birth name was Harry Savage. She divorced him a short time later married my stepfather, Dale George. Just after the marriage they told Kathy and me that we were now Vikki and Kathy George. I was almost four and Kathy was 18 months old. Think about it, Vikki and Kathy Crook ceased to exist (on paper) and Vikki and Kathy George attended K-12 without birth certificates! Not really a problem until I graduated from high school and started working on my first ‘real’ job. The job for the city of El Dorado required identification in the form of a…wait for it…birth certificate. I produced a certified copy of my birth certificate and explained my renaming expecting that it would all be okay. Well, it wasn’t okay and I had to go to court to change my last name legally to George. As luck would have it the only attorney I knew was a sponsor for a club I was active in at Butler Community College — People-to-People! Erwin Grant was a kind and gentle character and agreed to represent me. He explained that it was fairly simple and straight forward. I’d have to publish a two week notice saying I was changing my name in the local paper, a different county in Kansas paper, and a paper out of state AND it would cost $187. So the notices were published and a court date was set. The morning of the hearing Grant told me the process is quick and easy. He’d ask me why I wanted to change my name and I’d respond then the judge would bang the gavel and pronounce that I was Vikki Jo George. I remember thinking, it’s $187, I have to do something…  

It’s important to the story that I add another character, the judge. I worked as a soda jerk after school at Clark’s Drug store in downtown El Dorado my last three years of high school. Most days a few minutes before 4 pm I would stir chocolate syrup into a glass of milk (called a 400 on the menu), set the glass on the counter, give a  stool a hard swing in time for Judge Darling to walk through the door for his afternoon 400! On the court day a few folks were in the court room as my attorney, Judge Darling and I prepared to begin. After the swearing in, Erwin asked me why I wanted to change my name. I responded I wanted to change my name to “Goosey.” The color drained from Grant’s face. I continued to share that I was engaged to Jimmy Horney and that my intention was that the announcement in the paper would read Goosey/Horney vows. Judge Darling hid his mouth and there was laughter in the courtroom.  Then I said, OR I want to change my last name to my stepfather’s — George — and be Vikki Jo George so I could get paid and be legal. Judge Darling banged the gavel and said So Ordered, you are Vikki Jo George. 

NOTE: My sister Kathy did not change her name until she married John Peek. There was some confusion when the minister and her marriage license and certificate all said Donna Kathleen Crook! 

My first marriage to Ron Moore lasted 15 years (5 happy) and added another name/identity.

What’s in a name? Well, I thought of myself as: 

Vikki Jo Savage Crook George Moore Stewart!

I grew up feeling my identity was fractured.  That could account for some of my behavior in the late 6O’s! On a positive note, over 37 years ago I married George R. Stewart thus becoming Vikki Jo Stewart. I owned the name and it meant the end of feeling fractured.  I was like the Velveteen Rabbit,  I became real!  

Becoming real is another chapter!

As I was growing up I began to realize that I liked more salty foods than sweet stuff. Even today I rather eat more salty food than desert.  I was not t00 exided about candy or chocolate, though I did like hot or cold chocolate.

MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Anything that I accomplished in life has not been of my own effort. It is the Lord who deserves all credit. He is the one who gave me direction, guidance, blessings, protection, wisdom and supplied my needs.

The most important thing that I was able to do by God’s mercy was to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. The next was when the Lord put a desire in my heart to be involved in reaching the unreached with the Gospel. Then led me to take a welding course in Waukesha in 1968. At that time, I could only say and understand very little English, but the Lord helped me through it. Right after I finished that course, I had a job waiting for me with no questions asked. It was a shop where Stone Breakers were built. The name of the business was “Highway Machinery Co. Two weeks after I started to work, I asked the owner Gene Johnson about taking two weeks off to go to Aguascalientes and see my family. He told me to see him the coming Saturday. I did and he gave my paycheck for the week and then he handed me another check for two weeks’ pay. I was surprised but thankful. After I got back, I worked for him as many hours possible that he would need me for. I also mentioned to him that I was going to attend the New Tribes Bible Institute. He was happy to hear that though he was not a believer. I tried to witness to him, but he was never interested. I asked the Language Coordinator Jean Dye Johnson to fill out the application for me and I handed to Paul Burkhart the Bible Institute Principal the day before classes started. He didn’t look at, he just said come tomorrow. The Lord must have given him the assurance that I was ok. At least that’s what I like to think.

While working I was able to save plenty of money since room and board was only $14:00 a week. I saved enough to pay for the rest of the Training. The Lord then led me to continue the missionary training in one of the Boot Camps (As they were called back then) in Oviedo, Fl. On Jan 1970. It was snowing when I left the Bible Institute but there was plenty of sunshine in Fl. Then after finishing up that course, I made my way to the final stage of the training in Jan 1971. The Language Institute was located in Roach, MO. That was a very appropriate name for it because there were a lot of roaches.

While I was a student, I had the privilege and the blessing to collaborate with Jean Dye Johnson in the developing and recording of the Spanish program. It was called “Situational Spanish” Book 1 and book 2. For many years all missionary candidates going to a Spanish speaking Country knew my voice very well. It was used in Mexico and in all the Countries NTM works in South America. During the last semester I studied Portuguese because I wanted to go to Brazil. Portuguese was an easy language for a Spanish speaker and so I was done in 3 months. The staff, not knowing what to do with me, I was asked, to go to the Cherokees to put into practice the language and culture technics that I had just learned. Something funny took place while I was in that tribe. After I had being there for two weeks, I noticed that 2 men kept looking at each other and that made me feel uncomfortable. I though I had somehow violated their culture, but they didn’t say anything. I finally asked them about it, and they then asked me: Why do you keep asking how do you say this and that in Cherokee when you do speak Cherokee? I told them that I did not speak their language but that I was learning it. They asked again: Aren’t you a Cherokee? I told them that I wasn’t. They asked once again }: What tribe do you belong to? I told the that I was from Mexico. But in their mind, they understood New Mexico. I tried to explain the difference with no success. I just took that incident as a complement because that meant that I was learning Cherokee well enough for them to assume that I was one of them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            After being done with the whole training in December 1971 and then became officially member of NTM on February 1972, I was ready to get ready to go to Brazil. Shortly after that I was approached by Macon Hare, one of the Executive members and asked me if I would be willing to consider going back to Mexico as NTM was praying about starting a work there. I had peace about it and started making plans. I had one main problem- I did not have a Home Church or any kind of prayer and financial supporters. Faith Bible Church at the bottom of the hill from the New Tribes bible Institute asked me to be a member of the church so they could start supporting me. Then the Lord began to raise more supporters.

In order to start the work in Mexico there had to be a main Survey Trips. Dick and Rose Sollis  (She was Joe Moreno’s daughter. A Mexican American man who went down to Bolivia with the first missionaries that were killed by the Ayoré tribe) and I went on that survey in January 1974. We met in Mexico City where we inquired about the legal aspects and then straight down to Oaxaca, where the Executive Committee had told us to look into for being the State with more tribal groups. At that time, the Wycliff missionaries had permission from the government, and they had occupied the most strategical tribal areas. It didn’t look good for our Mission based on what I saw. From there we went to Chiapas and made our way back. The Sollis went back to the States. Even though Leadership had told us not to go anywhere else, I felt the Lord ,was leading me to Chihuahua. (Maybe, one of the reasons was because that’s where I was going to meet the one the Lord was preparing for me to marry) I went to Baborigame where I felt it was a good place to start a work, Guachochi, a center town that could be used by missionaries to get groceries and some health service, Cabórachi. another place where I felt it was also a good place for missionary work and Tónachi. I went back to the States and gave my report to Leadership. Finally in 1980 Leadership realized Chihuahua was the place to start. Other survey trips were done  in 1981-1982where missionaries are presently working. Praise The Lord for all His goodness!!!

In 1996 Soledad and I helped Virgil and Jerry Holt start a Bible Institute in Chihuahua. Started with 3 students and by 2016 we were having over 50 students. In 1997 I became the Bible Institute Chairman and Soledad was the accountant and Secretary. In the early days we didn’t have much help and my wife and I were in charge of both boys and girls dorms. Later on we got more help. Now we retired after 50 great years of serving as a missionary and 36 for Soledad.

Today we have graduates from our Bible Institute from different Countries. Some of them working in Tribal areas in Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua, Tanzania and Papua New Genea

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

My father was 6 years old when WWII started.   He was the youngest in the family among his two older brothers.  My grandmother expected another child. They lived in Gomel. I August 1941 my grandmother  with children left Gomel and started there way toward safe place  Orenburgskaya area.  They used different ways of transportation, walked although more often on the train. Low bombs cracked thei train in the town Orel.  They run from the train and at falled down fro the reail road.  Many people were killed. On my father eyes his cousin burned alive.  Awful smell of burned  people was all around.  The sound of that bombing and caking of the train stay with my dad for a long time  and its have affected his hearing.

During all the time of evacuation they suffered from the strong frost, hunger, infections diseases .

In 1944 they came back to Gomel and they are house occupied by another family.

My father start working at 16 years old in the factory and continue until he was 55 years old

He became an electrician and he start like a helper , by the end of his career he was  a higher ranked electric.

G

MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Anything that I accomplished in life has not been of my own effort. It is the Lord who deserves all credit. He is the one who gave me direction, guidance, blessings, protection, supplied my needs, wisdom, etc.

The most important thing that I was able to do by God’s mercy was to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. The next was when the Lord put a desire in my heart to be involved in reaching the unreached with the Gospel. Then led me to take a welding course in Waukesha in 1968. Right after I finished that course, I had a job waiting for me with no questions asked. It was a shop where Stone Breakers were built. The name of the business was “Highway Machinery Co. Two weeks after I started to work, I asked the owner Gene Johnson about taking two weeks off to go to Aguascalientes and see my family. He told me to see him the coming Saturday. I did and he gave my paycheck for the week and then he handed me another check for two weeks’ pay. I was surprised but thankful. After I got back, I worked for him as many hours possible that he would need me for. I also mentioned to him that I was going to attend the New Tribes Bible Institute. He was happy to hear that though he was not a believer. I tried to witness to him, but he was never interested.

3. MY FAITH

3. MY FAITH

I was born and raised in the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Like most people back then I only knew the catholic teaching. We were very conservative. there was no drinking, smoking, dancing or use of bad language. The dirties word we used was “Dummy”. We practiced our religion as much as possible. When the priest told us to fast, we fasted. When told to pray the rosary so many times a week, we did exactly that etc. One day when I was  6 years old, I heard that protestants had a book called “Bible” and the Catholic Church told every catholic that anyone that would read it or even look at it would go to hell. Well, from then on, I didn’t want to ever see a Bible. I always had the desire to serve my God as a missionary to baptize as many people as possible so they could be saved or be a priest in a local Church.

Time went by and when I was 18, I either wanted to be a professional actor, get married and live a normal life or be a priest. My older brother Arturo was living in Waukesha, WI at that time and had come to know the Lord through the witness of some missionary candidates while he was drunk on the streets. The Lord used him to invite me to visit him as he was attending the New Tribes Mission Bible Institute. While there, the Lord also used other Christians for me to understand the Gospel.

The missionary candidates told me that when somebody is saved the Holy Spirit changes lives and helps them in their Christian lives. I desired to put them to the test. I went to visit a future missionary couple at 2:00 a.m. The doors to the building were not locked because back in the 60’s  was still safer. I knocked at their door and the head of the household greeted me and asked me to come in. I heard his wife ask: Who is it honey? At that time, I wanted to at least catch the wife making faces or some kind of gestures indicating her discontent. I turned facing the front door as the man was closing the door. Then I lifted my right arm and acted as if I was going to scratch my nose to use the amethyst stone on my gold ring as a reflection and see the wife’s reaction. But they both gave me a real warm welcome. I took it that the Holy Spirit did change lives. After all they didn’t get upset at me for knocking at their door at late hours. Believe it or not (Well, you need to believe it) that really encouraged me to read the Scriptures more. Later on, I saw my need of the Savior Jesus Christ. I’m so grateful to the Lord for the greatest gift of Salvation. He knew that in Aguascalientes I was not going to hear the Gospel. He knew exactly what I needed to do and how many people were to be involved in my life. He used my brother to take me to Waukesha where the New Tribes bible Institute was at. It was there where I came to know the Lord and then where I started my training to be a missionary and serve my God the way I know Him now.

They used simple and clear passages to help me see my wretched condition without Christ.                                                                                                                      Juan 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.                                                                                         John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Juan 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.                                                                            Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Romanos 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

I now have a Ministry for 50 years, a wonderful wife, kids and grandchildren.

Praise God!!! My prayer is that all my Kids, grandkids and all my descendants incuding Carlos and his family may come to know Christ as Savior and always look to the Lord as they grow in Him.

These are pictures of my mom and dad before I was born!