Couple follows Christ to the ends of the earth and back to their own community
Byron McGuire and Yvonne Lorentzen met at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky in 1954. There they studied to become teachers. But the thing that most impressed them was the reality of great needs on mission fields around the world. Their hearts were always stirred as they heard missionaries from Africa, Asia, South America. the islands, and locations within North America. At Asbury, they heard many challenges such as, “Would you be willing to surrender all to follow Jesus where He would lead you? Would you be willing to answer like Isaiah? “Here am I, Lord. Send Me.” Their heartfelt commitment was always, “Yes, Lord.”
In 1957, they were married and in 1958 they graduated from Asbury. In October 1958, their first child, Duvon, arrived. Teaching school and furthering their education occupied much of their time. In the summers, Byron received from the National Science Foundation three grants for specialized scientific courses at Indiana University, one grant from Purdue University, and a grant for study at the University of Montana’s Biological Station on Flathead Lake—all contributing to his Masters Degree in science and education.
After completing his work in Montana in August 1961, they went as missionaries to Farmington, New Mexico, where Byron was able to use his outstanding scientific skills in teaching at the Navajo Methodist Mission boarding school. Also, both he and Yvonne served as dorm parents to a building full of lively Indian junior-high school boys. During this time Duvon showed interest in everything. Byron taught him to look through microscopes and taught him the scientific names of the things. In December 1961, God gave them their second child, Josiah.
After the school year was finished at the Navajo mission, they returned to Indiana. The next few years they continued teaching in local schools, furthering their education, and adding Martha, Maria, and Linda to their family. Byron took a preaching charge, but the desire to serve God in a foreign country never left them. They also read about the five missionaries from Quito, Ecuador who were martyred by the Auca Indians during this time. This seemed to add a greater urgency and passion for them to go. However, they had to raise support for their ministry before they could go.
With baby Linda less than a year old, they packed their things, and they with their five children went to San Jose, Costa Rica for Spanish language study. Linda actually learned to talk Spanish from their maid before she learned to speak English.
After completing the Spanish language study, the family continued on to Quito, Ecuador, where Byron worked with shortwave radio station HCJB, Yvonne made chalk pictures and charcoal drawings accompanied with Spanish scriptures and Christian music for the TV broadcasting station there.
It was my privilege, along with my thirteen year old niece, Mary Kay, to visit them in Ecuador during Christmas vacation in 1971. We had a wonderful time seeing the ministry first-hand. It was such a thrill to get up early on a Sunday morning and with Yvonne’s easel, music player, picnic lunch, five children, and a national preacher, head for a Quichua village market place in the Andes Mountains. We needed to be there before 8:00 in the morning when the people would be bringing in all kinds of things and produce for sale. With a flatbed truck as a platform, Yvonne made her chalk picture and the national preached in the Quichua language/and or in Spanish. All five of the little blond haired children including little three-year old Linda were out mingling in the crowd, passing out Spanish Christian tracts. All this Sunday activity was done on their free time, but this is an example of their passion to share Jesus with the lost, helping fulfill the great commission to go into the world and teach all nations about Christ.
After leaving the village we traveled to Mt. Cotopaxi, where we enjoyed a picnic at the base of this high, snowcapped volcano which is reported to be the world’s highest, active volcano. Any time we were traveling and the children would see pedestrians, horseback riders, or bicyclists along the road, they would say, “Daddy, may I throw a tract out of the window to them?” Byron would check to see that there were no other vehicles close because he didn’t want anyone getting hit as they’d try to retrieve a tract. Although many could not read, they would grab the tract and if in a village, rush to someone who could read. It was a real encouragement to see a group of maybe up to eight or ten people standing around a person who was reading to them about God. Virtually no tracts were wasted. Not only did Byron’s and Yvonne’s love for serving Christ impact the people there, but it made a tremendous impression on their own five children as they, too, became an important part of sharing Christ with others.
Finishing their term in Ecuador, they returned to southern Indiana, but did not forget ministry.
Rather an increasing heavy burden for local ministry pervaded their very souls. The neighboring farm unexpectedly was offered for sale. Without much money, a loan, and a lot of faith, Byron and Yvonne purchased this farm. They walked through the wooded wilderness and prayed together, and believed that God wanted them to have a lake built. They wanted a place where God could easily speak to hearts of all who would come to enjoy church picnics, youth rallies, and baptismal services. They knew that they were not founding a church nor competing with churches in any way, but that they were enhancing the ministries of the community. Hundreds of people came before they had any permanent facilities, other than an outhouse, bales of hay or logs to sit on, and picnic tables. The family decided that they would call this place New Life International.
For many years the McGuire’s had served hundreds of meals at their own expense to visitors who came to these grounds. The first permanent building was a shelter house. Many Sunday school classes and other church groups enjoyed picnics and spending a restful afternoon or evening enjoying Christian fellowship, singing around a campfire, hiking, or seeking out a quiet place among the trees to pray or read their Bibles.
Ministry just seemed to come here and show up at unexpected times and in unexpected ways. People brought friends here who had suicidal tendencies and other serious problems. They wanted Byron to visit with them, and in Byron’s quiet, unassuming manner, he listened carefully with his mind and heart as they told him of sad experiences in their lives. Byron never told them that he would fix them of their troubles, but he always pointed them to how Christ could help them and read the Bible to them. Often times he gave them a Bible or New Testament to help them in their start of walking with the Lord or rededicating themselves to Christ. Often Yvonne would sing a heartfelt a cappella solo such as “Open your heart and let Jesus come in,” or “I’d love to tell you what I think of Jesus ”or “ In times like these, you need the Savior.” Before leaving, people would often mention how inspired and challenged they were and determined to completely live for Jesus.
One of the most unique ministries I’ve ever seen was Byron’s hayride ministry. With a tractor hitched to a hay wagon with bales for people of all ages to sit on, Byron would take a group on a tour of the grounds and farm areas. After going a short distance, he would stop, turn off the tractor, and call everyone’s attention to a certain plant, toad pond, or fish. With his vast knowledge of science and nature, he would be telling something extremely interesting for a minute or two—always making a spiritual analogy or comparison to our lives as Christians. For example, one time he stopped by a large tree that had been entwined by much poison ivy. He pointed out that these poison ivy vines would soon completely kill this tree that had once been strong. He likened this tree to our lives, and cautioned that we need to be careful about letting poisonous and negative thoughts and actions start to entwine our lives even if we think we are strong Christians. Any evil that starts to entwine us needs to immediately be removed and destroyed to enable us to live triumphantly for Christ and be a blessing to others like a strong fruitful tree.
When groups made appointments to come to New Life, the family would work hard trying to get things ready and mow the grounds. Later they spent hundreds of dollars of their own money hiring people to help mow and prepare for the groups coming. Donations were sometimes given, but rarely covered the expenses the family had incurred in preparation. They soon realized that this ministry was much larger than just a family ministry with a few personal friends supporting. However, soon people—sometimes people we didn’t even know—would stop by and say they’d like to do some volunteer work. Maybe it would be carpenter work or families or youth who wanted to pick up sticks or some other kind of work.
A sudden and dramatic change happened when Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras in the fall of 1998. Duvon had been working in industry after graduating from Asbury College, and in his spare time at New Life he was passionately developing and testing an effective water purifying system to kill cholera and other waterborne diseases which are so prevalent in many other countries of the world. Both he and his father had experienced terrible sickness from water in Ecuador. His cousin, Mary Kay who was a missionary in Honduras, contacted him and said she knew he was working on purifiers and could he come quickly with some to help in the desperate crisis for safe water there as a result of the devastation of Hurricane Mitch.
Duvon, by faith laid aside his home business and, at much of his own expense, went to answer the urgent cry of these stricken people. Materials and components of various kinds were needed to assemble over 30 water purifiers. Relatives and friends were contacted to come to the shelter house to be trained quickly on how to make and assemble these purifiers. People worked late into the night and morning hours getting these ready to go. Accompanied by another man, Duvon flew out of Louisville with suitcases and containers loaded with purifiers to Honduras. Devastation was everywhere. Roads and bridges that were washed out made travel extremely difficult and dangerous to access areas with such great needs. Many people’s lives had been lost. As Duvon traveled, the terrible stench of death was everywhere. Animal bodies and vegetation were decaying. Dust was whirling about him as a thin crust had dried on some of the areas of mud. With his background in medical and science, he knew the danger of breathing this contaminated dust, but still he relentlessly traveled on to provide for them. At one place there was a school of over 500 children who desperately needed safe water. The school had a tank that held 15,600 gallons. That day with one of his purifiers, he supplied safe water to these most grateful little children. Many came up to him, took hold of his hands and arms, or hugged his legs thanking him in Spanish for giving them safe water.
As a result of their involvement in helping in crisis situations, many people from many places realize that they can volunteer or support with prayer and finances to actually make a difference for suffering people in this world. Unexpected blessings come to caring people who become so involved in helping others—it seems to pump more vitality and inspiration into their own lives and the lives of their families and churches as they realize there is something more they can do for God. New Life International is much interested in helping individuals catch a vision not only in foreign countries, but also in our local churches and communities to bring the Living Water of Christ to help people spiritually.
Since Hurricane Mitch, over sixty countries have been reached with the purifiers which are now being sponsored by individuals, church groups, and other groups who know that this can also be a part of their ministry. My brother, Byron McGuire, went to meet Jesus on October 24, 2007. But his wife, Yvonne, Duvon and staff of New Life International, Inc. are as committed as ever to seeing this ministry move forward for Christ in reaching the lost of this world and providing life-giving, safe water to the poorest of the poor. Your prayers and partnership are tremendously appreciated. You are welcome to visit New Life International, to see a demonstration of the water purification system, and see how you can serve the Lord by lending a helping hand. For more information, please contact:
New Life International, Inc.
6764 S. Bloomington Trail
Underwood, IN 47177
812-752-7474
http://www.waterfortheworld.com/about
http://www.waterfortheworld.com/videos
Duvon McGuire
Email: duvon at waterfortheworld.com
Article written by: Eileen McGuire (my Aunt), retired missionary, World Gospel Mission, served 45 years on the American Indian Field in Arizona.
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