phipps charles maryfrances 1951 italy

8/17/2019 Phipps Charles MaryFrances 1951 Italy

1/7

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Sfears

Sanatarium

Denver,

Colorado,

Feb* 1st

,

951

Dear

Christian Friends:

As I write this, I am

in

Spears

Sanatarium,

hoping and praying that

their

outstanding success

in the treatment, and cure

of

Undulant Fever

will be

repeated

in

my

case.

Since Mary Frances

and

I returned

fron

Italy in order

to

find

a

cure

for this fever,

contracted

there, and which had been

attacking

me

for over two years,

we

have been doing

everything

possible to overcome it»

I

have

taken

the various

medicines

which

have

been used successfully in

some

cases, but

none of

them

have

been

effective#

I

have come here

on

faith.

The

offerings which you have

so kindly

sent,

have

necessarily

been used

to meet

the curr ent expenses and

obliga-

ticns of

the

work in

Italy.

The result is that we have no funds to meet

the expense

of

the

Sanatarium.

Five

Hundred

Dollars will

be

needed to

pay my

bill here.

May I

ask

that if

possible,

you

help

us to meet this necessary expense, and that

your

prayers

be

added to those

already offered for my

recovery*

Please

send your contribution

to:

The Mediterranean Christian

Mission

529

Ogden Ave

Toledo,

Ohio®

L&ry

Frances and I must return to Italy this June

at

the latest. We

are so eager to go and are praying that our purpose

in

coming home on this

emergency furlough might be fulfilled,

I

leave the hospital

at

the end of February and

must pay my

bill by

that time.

Thank

you

in

advance for your

prayers,

and help.

Your

fellow-servant,

Charles E. Phipps

Mediterranean Christian Mission.


2/7

i

Toledo, 0» July

SEMih, 195L

Dear

Christian

Friends:

J f e n y

times throughout

our lives we

experience

disappointments

and discourage

ments

which draw us closer

to the

Lord and also closer to our

friends and loved

ones because

they

sheure the trials with us. Thus

it

is

that we

are

asking

you

to share our disappointment in our post—poned sailing. Not just the disappoint

ment, but to

share

with us

a

fellowship

of

ja^ayer for the future^

Sime o \ i r permission to

reside

in Italy for longer than three

months did not

come in time to permit

us

to sail on J uly 3d

as

scheduled, we had

to

delay our

sailing. We have reserved space for August 7th and

we are

praying fervently

that

the

desired permission

will

come before

then«,

We

are

requesting you

to

pray with us in

this

matta^xs

We are

needed in

Italy since

the

Mayfield family

is home

on :tolough and

Betheen and

Evelyn are

carrying

the

whole work by than-

selves. They need rest and to be relieved

of

the

executive urden as

well

as

the

physical

burden®

August 7th is

less then a month

away so

prav

earnestly that

the

needs

will

be

met®

The

effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man

availeth

much®

They of Italy

salute you ®

Your Missionaries

* We don^t want to

say

Emergency

sinco that

has

been

too often o v e r w o r k e d j ,

*

*

but we do

want you

good folk who

have thus far

sent your Missionaries into

*

Italy

to

know

that

at the present time

we

are about ^1000.00 in

arrears

-

he *

mission

party

have

used

their

Living

Link and personal

funds to

keep the

*

*

work

going. This is duo to Ihe

unusually

heavy ezpenses we

have had

with the *

necessity of returning

Charles

and Mary Frances

Phipps to this

country,

Charles

*

medical expenses,

and

return passage to Italy. The coming to

this country

of

*

*

r o ®

Mayfield

and

his

family

account

the

Army

recalling

> i i w i to

the

Chaplaincy

*

{probably

within

the very

near future)®

l / / e must

have

aid

if

this

work

is to

*

continue. You have

the facts, our prayer is that

you will

find it in your

*

hoarbs

tmd ability

to help

us over

this Rou^ spot . *

John K. aeplow, Forwarding Agent,

*

529

Ogden Ave®,

Toledo,0®

*

9 | (

9 | e

9 | c : | c

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> | e

> | c ) | c

9 i c

9 | e

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3/7

1 1 ] S

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S 1 ] ; ]

{

L S i

s i j i i j r

/ ^ o l c a

1^

ROME

FOGG A

BAR

J3RIND1SI

LAJANO-

'A-MESAGNE

T A R A N T O ^ : > ^ ^ - ^ ^ y ^ , A

anduriK/

THEY OF ITALY

SALUTE YOU

H£B.13:2^

i^uniPiSi]

\ } f

\ V s ]

BY

MARY

FRANCES

PHfFPS

»:

-/ t - V - • 1 •


4/7

Naples,

Italy, Aug« 15th, 1951

Dear

Christian Familyt

In just a few hours we s l i a l l get our first g l i i i 5 ) s e of

the Bay of

Naples

with Old

Mt, Vesuvius

ri sing up in all

its

smouldering fury«

The skies

are

beccming

bri^t

with another glori ous Italian sunrise« Yesterday we were

thinking;

By

^sunrise

toiaorrow*

we

shall be

in

Italian waters

and

eagerly

scanning

the

hcxrizon

for

our first

g l i i i 5 ) s e

of shore line . Our feelings are

miasd at this moment. 0 \ i r

hearts are pounding with anticipation of our

first

glimpse of Evelyn and Betheen, and

yet

our thoughts are with you

all

a r i d

wish

that you

could be

here

with us to share these

moments, and

then our

joy

would be full»

All

around

us

is the hustle and

bustle of the

crew

coming

and going, getting

everything in readiness for

the

moment

when

the ship

will

be nosing into the

bay

and then

we will

be

hearing all the familiar

sounds of

the tugs

coming out

to get us,

the

shouting of

the vendors

who have-come out

in their boats

to-get

first chance at

the

touristi and all the ordinary shipboard flurry which seems

to

be

accelerated beyond

all reason at this time. Everyone is saying their

good-byes to the

friends

and acquaintances that have shared this voyage

with

them, and

without

a doubt,

everyone

is doing last minute packings (In

fact

I

shall have to leave this and do the same)

Good-bye

until later ^

(Later)

Words cannot begin

to t e l l

you how wonderful it was

to

see Betheen

and Evelyn when

we finally

found

each other. We

knew they were to be

there,

but

in the

crowds that

were

inside

the customs

house we couldn't

see one

familiar

face.

Between keeping track of the men with our baggage and trying to

get our

place in

the

lino

that

wq forming

to

get to the customs officials,

we

didn't have

time

to do much looking and so

they

slipped up on

us©

What

a

reunion

after

more

than a year, and

how

natural it seemed

to

be together

againi After taking

care

of the customs and seeing

that

all of

our documents

were in order we

went

with the girls to the hotel whore they

had

gotten a

room for us,

and settled down

to

catch

up

on

all

tho news

from Italy

and

Amorica.

I on't even

begin

to tell you how much or how long wo talked^

Suffice it to say that wo just

got

started,,

\ i l h o n we finally were ready to retir e, wo knolt

to

t h c a a k God for

tho

care

Ho

had afforded us in our journey,

for

our lovod ones at homo, and all of those

in Italy we were

eagerly waiting

to

see. The

Lor d has been good to

us

in

ways

wo cannot even to onumorato and we can never coaso

to

thank t t i t o tar

all

His goodness®

\ I q

ask

your

forvont prayers for us that tho Lord will continuo to

open

ways

for us

to

tell pooplo about Him and

that

means

mi^t bo provided to m e i k e

tho

most of the

opportunities

Ho gives us.

They

of Italy Salute

you e

Your

missionaries


5/7

£BS

YOU

AN

ITALIAN?

If

y o u a u s w e r ' • y e s t o t h i s

g . u e s ' t i o z i

t h e c h a n c e s are y o u c o n d u c t

yourself in the following

xmys.

If you answer no* to this question

but

w o u l d l i k e t o leam h o w t o b e an I t a l i a n , t a k ©

a

l o o k a t t h e

f o l l o w i n g

i n t e r e s t i n g

c u s t o n s

a n d t h e n

c o m e

to pay us a

v i s i t *

Uhen y o u c o m e to v i s i t

us

y o u will r e c e i v e , l e t

us

say, an i n 7 i t a t l o n

t o

p a y a c a l l

o n a n

I t a l i a n f a m i l y . T h e I n v i t a t i o n s t a t e s t h a t t h e p a r t y

will

b e g i n at

nine o'clock. But p l e a s e , do not be

on

time I

In d e f e r e n c e

t o

y o u , t h e h o s t e s s m a y h a v e i n v i t ed t h e o t h e r g u e s t s f o r

e i g h t

o ' c l o c k b u t

t h e y

p r o b a b l y w o n ' t b e

t h e r e

u n t i l

t e n , s o

if y o u a r r i v e

a t

n i n e t h i r t y w i t h a g o o d

e x c u s e , y o u r h o s t e s s w i l l

b e

m o r e

t h a n

p l e a s e d w i t h y o u r p u n c t u a l i t y .

W e u g u a l l y o p e n

a

c o n v e r s a t i o n

w i t h H o w d o y o u d o ? If

y o u

d o t h a t

in

I t a l y , d o n ' t

b e

s u r p i l s e d

if

y o u r e c e i v e

a d e t a i l e d a n s w e r as to the

s t a t e of

h e a l t h o f t h e

p e r s o n

t o w h o m

y o u e r e

t a l k i n g .

C o n v e r s a t i o n

i n l t a l y

i s

very——

r̂ d e r th^, to be a g o o d I t a l i a n , y o u m u s t n o t h e s i t a t e to c a r r y

w i t h y o u s n a p s h o t s

o f

a l l o f y o t a r

f a m i l y ,

i m m e d i a t e o r n o t s o i m n e d i a t e , a n d

p l e a s e

b e s u r e t h a t y o u t e l l

all of

t h e

a g e s ,

c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s

a n d

d e s c r i b e

in detail every m e m b e r of the familyo

I n o r d e r

t o

b e

a

g j o d

I t a l i a n y o u m u s t

a l s o

l e a r n t h a t

w h e n

y o u l e a v e

a f r i e n d

o r e v e n

a n

a c q u a i n t a n c e y o u

c a n n o t

d o

it

a s

a b r u p t l y

a s

w e

d o i n

A m e r i c a . H a n d s h a k i n g I s

a n

i n t e g r a l p a r t

o f

t h e I t a l i a n w a y of l i f e . It

^ u a l l y t a k e s

f r o m 1 0 t o

2 0

m i n u t e s

f o r a p a r t i n g c ©

p l e a s e r e m e m b e r t o i n c l u d e

t h a t i n t h e

t o t a l

t i m e t h a t y o u

f e e l

y o u c a n s p e n d i n c o n v e r s a t i o n o r T i s i t i n g ®

O n e

h a n d s h a k e

a n d

a

g o o d - b y

( A r r i v e d er c i )

a r e j u s t t h e b e g i n n i n g ,

b e c a u s e

a f t e r

t h a t

y o u

h a v e

s o m e

m o r e c o n v e r s a t i o n , a f t e r v h i c h

y o u

s t a r t t o l e a v e

a^in s a y i n g ,

W e l l ,

g o o d * > b y a g a i n

t h e n t h e r e

i s

m o r e c o n v e r s a t i o n

a n d s o on—

t h e n u m b e r o f h a n d s h a k e s a n d g o o d - b y ' s m a n y t i m e s r u n a s hi^ a s a d o z e n s

T h e n

s p e a k i n g

o f

a b r u p t n e s s , w h e n a s k e d

b y

a n . I t e l l a n h o s t e s s

i f

y o u w o u l d

c a r e f o r s o m e r e f r e s h m e n t , p l e a s e d o n o t s a y : Y e s , p l e a s e a t

o n c e ,

b u t

i n s i s t

t h a t s h e n o t d i s t u r b h e r s e l f f o r y o u . S h e

w i l l

i n s i s t a g a i n

a n d a g a i n

y o u m u s t

r e f u s e .

A f t e r

t h r e e

o r f o u r

r e f u s a l s , a l l o w y o u r s e l f

t o b e

p e r s u a d e d

t o a c c e p t a o n e t h i n g . T h e

I t a l i a n s

l o v e

c e r e m o n y

a n d i f

y o u a c c e p t

t o o

q u i c k l y

they will

be very

disappointed.

W h e n y o u a r r i v e i n I t a l y d o n o t b e

d i s t u r b e d

a t

w h a t m i g h t

a p p e a r t o

y o u

t o b e

f g h - f c s

o r

s e r i o u s a r g u m e n t s b e t 7 7 e e n t w o

o r m o r e

p e r s o n s . D o n ' t

^

f t e r

a

p o l i c e m a n b e ca u s e

w h e n y o u g e t b a c k w i t h o n e t h e t w o c o m b a t t e n t i

w i l l b e d r i l l i n g

a

c u p

o f c o f f e e to g e t h e r o r

i f

t h e f u r y i s s t i l l r a g i n g ,

t h e

p o l i c e m a n

w i l l j o i n in. T h i s

is

k n o w n in I t a l y as

o n e

m e a n s o f l e t t i n g o f f

steam.

L i f e i n I t a l y , i f y o u

l o o k

b e h i n d t h e s ce n e s , is

a

s t r u g g l e a n d h a s

a l w a y s

b e e n

s o .

I t i s o n u n c e r t a i n b u s i n e s s :

y e t

t h e

I t a l i a n s c l i n g to t h e i r

i d e a l s o f p a s t g l o r y ,

e v e n

w h i l e h a v i n g

t o

l i v e

i n

t h e

d r a b

p r e s e n t ,

a n d

look forward to an indistinct f u ' t u r e o


6/7

Excegrptg

grcm

life

In

ITALY

Xtaly ia d i v i d e d

X n t o

t w o t y p e s of p e o p l e end in o r d e r to

know

Italy,

and the X t a l i a n s y it is necessary to know these types

end

more

important

to

understand them«

F i r s t t h e r e

is

t h e

Soathem

I t a l i a n

¥ f l i o is

a

m i x t u r e

of

G r e e k ,

Spani^

Saracen and

a

little

Frendi

and

German*

Secondly there is

the

Northern Italian

i d x o is a mixture

of

German,

French,

Austrian and

a

little Greek and S C L a V o

These differences stand out r e z B a r k a b l y «

The

Southern ItaH^ generally

is

of a swarthy complexion, dark«^yes

and dark

hair,

and the

Northern

Italian

is

o f :

a lifter

complexion,

even tho

his eyes

and hair

mi^t

be dark*

But you

do find a mixture

^ich

results

sometimes in a very

fair

blonde or a

red

haired Italian*

The Southerners

and

the Northerners differ from each other in c u s t f C f f i i S ' —

and

habits also*

In Northern Italy

the

business

men

do

not usually

take

a

full

afternoon's siesta,

^ereas

in

Southern

Italy

it is

practically impossible

to find any executive at

his desk before

4 r 5 o*clook in the aftemoozu

They

keep their

businesses

open until

8:30

or

9:00 but

this custom

is

disconcerting to someone used

to

more usual hours*

In Nbas^hem

Italy you will

find

that the families give the girls more

freedom than they do in Southern Italy* Girls of respectable families have

taken Jobs

in

shops and

offices

and have pursued a career of

medicine,

law

or

chemistry* In Southern

Italy,

however,

girls are

extremely well*guarded*

Very fow girls h o l d down

J o b s

in s t o r e s o r o f f i c e s

e x c e p t

v d i e n it

is

a family

business, and the father

or

brothers ore always around

to

chaperon the young

lady*

In

this

o e c t i o n of Italy, a young

man,

u s i l e s s

he

intends to marry

the

girl

is

not

p e i a n i t t e d

to

take her

for

a walk or to a

movie

unchaperoned,

and

even after

he has

asked

her to

marry

him,

and they

are

fommlly

engaged,

the

courtship

is

carried on with

another member of tho family present at

all t l n B S s «

There

is another difference which the average tourist in I t i i l y does

not see,

that of the living

conditions

of tho average Southern Italian famllyo

In Northern Italy whore

there

is more industry and

where

Mussolini concentrated

on

developing roads and setting up an agricultural

program, the

people have

better living conditions, althou^-nothing compared to-the

American

way-of

life, but Southern Italy was neglected

during Mussolini's

reign, and has been

Just recently brought

to the attention of

the rehabilitators* For this reason

It

was urged

that

W t e r s h a l l Plan funds bo used extensively

in

Southern

Italy*

But

let us

look

in on an average Italian family in

one

of

the

little,towns

in

the

south*

Perhaps the family lives in

a

little stone

hut with earth floors*

No matter how large the family there is

probably

not over two

beds*

Perhaps

thoro arc one or

two chairs and a table* Tho stove is

the open

h e c ^ ^ t h

where

a

charcoal fire will be

usod or

Just tho

brush

that has

been picked

up along

the

sides of the road will serve as fuel* Many of these

people

are so poor

that

they camot even afford spaghetti regularly, and use

it

as a luxury

di^

to

be

eaten

only

on

special

occasions* In the sunmer time

the

main diet of

the

Southern Italians is bread, S f i r e a d with raw tomatoes, garlic c u i d olivo oil*

In winter,

beans

is their

usual staple

food and

when there

ore

frosh

greens


7/7

Excerpts

frcM Life

in Italy

Page Z)

they

make a thick vegetable

soup -which

is called

ininestrone ® Now and

them

eggs mi^t be

included in

- f c h e i r dietc

Perhaps

a

family will own

a few

chickens - w h i c h have

to fend

for themselves

as

far as getting

food

goes,

because

the

family

would not

have enough money to buy feed

for

the

chickens#

They

do not have

milk

because cows

are too

expensive

to buy and there

isn^t

enou^ grazing land to keep the cows well

fed.

Goats

are

plentiful and goat^s

milk is

used by

the

people

^enever

they can

afford to buy a small portion#

The people who are fortunate enough to be employed to work in the vineyards

and olive

groves

and in the small truck gardens, leave their homes before

daylight and work

until

dusk- The women work as well as the men, and when

there are small children

they

are taken to the fields also

and

left in the

care

of the

other children just older

than they#

The

famili es eat

as soon

as

they

get home

and

it

will be food

Miich

has been cooked in the early

morning before

,they^left for the fields-

It

Ls eaten

cold, since_mo^t^

of

people

make a fir e only once

a

day on the hearth,

and

then

- f c h e y go

to bed

as

soon

as

they have eaten because - f c h e y have

no

money

for

candles*

Thus

the people live a life of

hopelessness

for the most part, not being interested

in

anyone or

anything,

except

to

dream of wealth end luxury ^ich f c h e y know

they will probably never have#

*

end Contributions

to *

* o h n K - P a e p l o w , F o r w a r d i n g A g e n t , *

529 Ogden Ave*, *

* oledo 9 hio *

phipps charles maryfrances 1951 italy

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