3 de Febrero Park - Devotional with Nestor Curbelo, Church Historian

This morning we got up a bit earlier than we're used to.  Sister Sandy Dalton had arranged for the Area Church Historian, Nestor Curbelo, to give us a history lesson about the dedication of South America for the Preaching of the Gospel to the people here.

We were lucky in a way.  I had to teach the last day of the Career Workshop today and Ariel didn't want it to begin late, so he set up a remise (car and driver) to pick us up at our apartment at 7am and take us to the park.  The driver waited for us and took us to work after the devotional. And yes, we made it in time to start the class, pretty much on time...well ...five minutes late!

Here's the other Missionary Couples arriving.  Most of them had to walk.  It was a beautiful day about 23 degrees Celsius...that's in the low 70's for you Fahrenheit people.  Perfect temperature for a walk!

LaDee and Noel Raymond, Craig Dalton, Barb Zobell, Steve Zobell, Sandy Dalton

It took a bit of getting organized....

Roger Brunt, Nestor Curbelo, Terry Spallino, Linda Spallino, Robin Ashton, Bill Ashton, Janice Switzer, Karen Casos, John Switzer

Finally we were ready.  Songsheets were handed out.

Bill and Robin Ashton, Barb Zobell, Steve Zobell's ear, John  and JaniceSwitzer, LaDee and Noel Raymond, Craig Dalton and Nestor's box of history.

Nestor got his box of pictures and Artifacts in the middle and we were ready to begin. We opened with "The Morning Breaks" Words by Parley P. Pratt, Music  by George Careless...."The glory bursting from afar Wide o'er the nations soon will Shine."

Diane and Roger Brunt, Ellen and Paul Garvin, Stuart and Evelyn Candland, somebody's hand,  Bill and Robin (leading the music) Ashton

In the background was a train track, with trains running about every 5 minutes.  Nestor said the river used to run right along the park there.

Nestor spoke in Spanish and Elder Dalton acted as interpreter. It was not an easy job as Nestor became more animated and spoke of the history that he so dearly loves, he would forget to stop and let Elder Dalton interpret.  One can only remember so much at a time!

Sandy Dalton, Craig Dalton interpreting, Nestor Curbelo speaking, Linda Spallino, Karen Casos

Nestor spoke of 90 years ago, in this same area of Parque Palermo, a part of Parque 3 de Febrero, then full of weeping willow trees (sauces llorones) and then in sight of the Rio de la Plata.  It probably looked like this:

Sauces llorones by a river

Rather than this:

Parque Palermo within Parque 3 de Febrero

He said that Elders Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve, Rey L. Pratt, a member of the First Council of the 70's and the President of the Mexican Mission and Rulon S. Wells also of the First Council of the 70's on Christmas week of 1925 went into this area.  Part of it was landscaped at the time, but they went into the part that was still growing wild.  They found the right place to perform the dedication and came back in the early morning of Christmas Day, 1925 when the park was deserted.

Elder Melvin J. Ballard, dedicated South America for the preaching of the gospel. I quote from the dedicatory prayer:

“Bless the presidents, governors, and the leading officials of these South American countries, that they may kindly receive us and give us permission to open the doors of salvation to the people of these lands. …

“And now, oh, Father, by authority of the blessing and appointment by the President of the Church, and by the authority of the holy apostleship which I have, I turn the key, unlock, and open the door for the preaching of the Gospel in all these South American nations, and do rebuke and command to be stayed every power that would oppose the preaching of the Gospel in these lands; and we do bless and dedicate these nations of this land for the preaching of thy Gospel. And we do all this that salvation may come to all men, and that thy name may be honored and glorified in this part of the land of Zion.”

Nestor pulled out this ancient looking book and opened it.  It was a history of the Church, typewritten from the 1920's  

Nestor had brought a very old history of the church that was typewritten and bound starting in 1925.  Several of us got to read aloud from it.  I went first describing the coming of the three representatives of the Church from Salt Lake at the request of the four German members that were here.  They (the Germans) had only been baptized a year or so before in 1923 in Germany.  Of those who came, Elder Ballard spoke only English, Rey L. Pratt spoke English and Spanish and Rulon S. Wells spoke German.

You could just see the joy in Nestor's face as he spoke of the beginning of the Church in South American.

Nestor Curbelo telling us about the beginning of the church here.

He had someone read the prophesy from Elder Ballard about the growth of the Church.  It was a part of a talk given when Elder Ballard was getting ready to leave the area:

On 4 July 1926, Elder Ballard said:

“The work of the Lord will grow slowly for a time here just as an oak grows slowly from an acorn. It will not shoot up in a day as does the sunflower that grows quickly and then dies. But thousands will join the Church here. It will be divided into more than one mission and will be one of the strongest in the Church. The work here is the smallest that it will ever be. The day will come when the Lamanites in this land will be given a chance. The South American Mission will be a power in the Church.” 

I have got to find a way to go to the area office when I can sit and talk to Nestor.  He has an office there and  so loves this history.  Unfortunately we both work pretty much the same schedule.  I may just have to ask for an occasional day off so I can go talk to him. He is absolutely fascinating!  

A big thanks to Sandy Dalton for setting this up!  Oh, and thanks for ordering the beautiful weather today too, Sandy!