Love Never Fails, Second Edition: The Story of Jacob and Bertha Vande Kappelle: Missionaries to Latin America

By Robert P. Vande Kappelle and David M. Howard

Love Never Fails is Robert Vande Kappelle's biographical tribute to Jacob and Bertha Vande Kappelle, career missionaries to Latin America. The book introduces the reader to two contrasting nations, placid Costa Rica and turbulent Colombia. During Jake and Bert's seven terms as missionaries, democracy and Marxism contended for the soul of Latin America. Against this backdrop, Catholic and Protestant traditions clashed, and then cooperated, in their struggle against poverty and disbelief. The book narrates the spiritual conflict while highlighting the opportunities created when individuals of faith contend against forces of superstition and despair. Love Never Fails will cause all readers to evaluate the meaning of faith and look for renewal of heart and mind.
This second edition, an updated and abbreviated version of the popular first version, eliminates the photographs of the original version while adding new material to the preface and abbreviating the ending. Nevertheless, it contains the vivid narrative and the inspiring stories of the original, all designed to make the volume more affordable to the public.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Release date: Jul 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781666748116

Robert P. Vande Kappelle

Robert P. Vande Kappelle is professor emeritus of religious studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is the author of forty books, including biblical commentaries, volumes on ethics and church history, and discussion guides on faith, theology, and spirituality. Recent titles include Holistic Happiness, Radical Discipleship, A Bible for Today, Christlikeness, and Soul Food: 106 Stories for Life’s Journey.

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Introduction

Approximately five hundred years ago, on the morning of August 3, 1492, a Man of Destiny set sail for the New World. The journals of Christopher Columbus suggest that his initial motives for launching into the unknown included a sense of divine calling. Relying often upon biblical quotations, he expressed his mission with words from Isaiah: Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples far away!. The Lord called before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. . . . I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth (49:1, 6).

His Italian name, Cristoforo, meaning Christ-bearer, was for him a confirmation of divine calling, a sign that from the womb God had selected him to bear Christianity to the inhabitants of undiscovered lands.

His initial ideals, however lofty, soon became compromised, and in later expeditions this Man of Destiny showed himself unable to cope with the greed and evil passions of the more unscrupulous of his followers. Within a few years of Columbus’s expeditions, the stage was set for the genocidal drama of the Conquistadors, who undertook the bloodiest rape of a country the world has ever known—and all for the love of gold.³

Like Columbus, Latin America is enigmatic, beset by contradiction. Its passionate inhabitants match the lush terrain. Sadly, tragic sociopolitical realities also abound, including poverty, revolution, dictators, and drugs. The upheaval is shaking Latin America today, with profound political and social implications. This struggle for the soul of a continent, begun by Bishop Barolomé de las Casas, a companion of Columbus on his third voyage, has persisted through the efforts of others, foreigners and nationals alike, who have risked their lives and their reputations for the noble cause of bringing Latin America to faith in Christ.

In recent years, however, this struggle has produced a significant shift in religious allegiance. Roman Catholic journalist Richard Rodríguez noted this change in a Los Angeles Times column:

After four Catholic centuries, a new brand of Christianity is catching fire in Latin America. Latin America . . . is turning Protestant. And not just Protestant, but evangelical. At the beginning of the century there were fewer than

200

,

000

Protestants in all of Latin America. Today, one in eight Latin Americans is Protestant: There are more than

50

million. That rate of conversion (by one estimate,

400

per hour) leads demographers to predict Latin America will be evangelical before the end of the twenty-first century.⁴

Another observer, author David Stoll, registered his surprise to this awakening in his 1990 book, Is Latin America Turning Protestant? Until a few short years ago, he wrote, my reaction to evangelical talk about making Latin America Protestant was amusement. Not any longer."⁵

• • •

On October 5, 1935, when Jacob and Bertha Vande Kappelle set sail from New York City for Central America, they had no idea that they would live to see religious change of such epic proportions in Latin America, much less be part of it. They only knew that God was calling them to work with children, in an orphanage.

Recently married, the Vande Kappelles were sailing for the tiny nation of Costa Rica, named rich coast by Columbus during his fourth journey as he traveled along its coast, obsessed with gold.

Jacob and Bertha recognized in Costa Rica a treasure of a different sort, one stored in human vessels. As career missionaries, they reaffirmed the oft-neglected truth that humans, by virtue of their creation, are of inestimable value, bearing within the image of their Maker. They came to remind Latin Americans that whether rich or poor, master or servant, friend or foe, in Christ each could become a Christoforo, a Christ-bearer.

During Bertha and Jacob’s seven terms as missionaries, two political forces contended for the soul of Latin America: democracy and Marxism. Against this backdrop, Catholic and Protestant traditions clashed, then cooperated, in their struggle against poverty and disbelief. This book narrates the spiritual conflict, highlighting the opportunities created when individuals and institutions of faith contend against forces of superstition and despair.

3

. Marshall and Manuel, Light and Glory,

62

.

4

. Quoted by Landrey, Epic Change,

4

.

5

. Stoll, Turning Protestant,

308

.

1

Manhattan

As the S. S. Veragua prepared to dock, crewmembers scurried about, busy with last minute details. The gangplank was finally in place, binding the floating metropolis to one of the most secure, bedrock-solid sites on earth, Manhattan Island; on deck passengers jockeyed nervously for position.

The year was 1940, and the eight-day voyage from Costa Rica, though calm and uneventful, had seemed much longer to a couple returning from their first term as missionaries in Central America. Perched high atop the upper deck, they strained anxiously to identify familiar faces on the crowded pier far below, faces they hadn’t seen for four and a half years. Yet something unusual was occurring. For even though the docking procedure was complete, the crowd remained stationary. No one was allowed to disembark.

What’s taking so long? Bertha Vande Kappelle thought, impatient to greet her widowed mother, other members of the immediate family, and many of the friends she knew would be there to welcome her back to the States. Next to her stood her husband, Jacob, tall, thin, and well-tanned from his year-round exposure to the tropical sun. Much more patient than his spirited wife, he attempted to compose her by suggesting reasons for the lengthy delay.

Meanwhile, on the dock below, an older woman had managed to position herself close to the ramp. She too wondered about the delay. Finally, unable to restrain her thoughts and emotions any longer, she approached the official guarding the ramp and asked for an explanation.

Lady, he responded, the president of Costa Rica and his group are on board, and they have to come first. There are seven cars waiting for him.

Well, my daughter’s coming home, was all Emma Brouwers could say, for as far as she was concerned, her daughter Bertha was more important than any president.

Actually, the man on board was President-elect Calderón Guardia, going to Washington for talks with President Roosevelt. At this time of worldwide unrest, solidarity among Western Hemisphere nations was of utmost importance to the United States. World War Two had begun six months earlier, when Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Later on, in the embrace of her mother, Bertha (known to her family as Bert, for her contemporaries generally associated the name Bertha with the Big Bertha howitzer or tank) heard the reason for the delay, and how a procession of seven cars was awaiting the Costa Rican president. Then Emma whispered in her ear words that Bert would remember forever, "And you know what? We have seven cars waiting for you."

• • •

Throughout her life, even prior to becoming a missionary, Bert displayed a remarkable adaptability, a resourcefulness that enabled her to turn something negative or detracting into an advantage. She derived greater pleasure by making do with something old or used than by purchasing something new or unnecessary for herself. This frugality, arguably attributable to a restrained Dutch upbringing, had a mischievous dimension. The following episode reflects a bit of Bert’s chicanery.

In 1935, when Bertha first left for Costa Rica, the red-velvet hat she wore was in vogue, but now, five years later, all she had was that one hat, for in Costa Rica women did not customarily wear hats. Embarrassed by the thought of returning to the States with an unfashionable headpiece, she approached one of the missionaries for advice. Seeing the small velvet hat that Bert had worn originally, the clever lady began improvising.

Put it on backwards, she suggested, and let’s see what it looks like.

Bert tried it, and the lady nodded her approval.

Yes, that looks fine, she said. You go home with that.

It was around Easter when Bert arrived in New York, wearing her hat backwards. And her stylish sisters were there to greet her, dressed in their fancy open-toe shoes and in their trendy Easter bonnets. They chuckled when they saw the returning missionary’s hat, but Bert took one look at their meager covering and got the last laugh.

At least mine’s a hat, she countered. All you have on is a bouquet of flowers!

• • •

Returning to the United States by boat brought Bert and Jake many memories, but none more vivid than that of their departure from those same wharves in the fall of 1935. On that occasion, Bert’s mother had joined the crowd of visitors who had boarded the vessel to give their loved ones a final farewell. She had decided to escort the newlyweds as far as possible, and as might be expected, she was among the last to disembark.

The view from their deck was unforgettable. In addition to family members, Bert and Jake spotted dozens of friends, singing and waving from the dock below, accompanied by two large bands, one from the Star of Hope Mission and the other from the Hawthorne Bible Church. The crowd also included friends from the Madison Avenue Baptist Church, their home church in nearby Paterson, New Jersey. Bert had served as a volunteer with the Star of Hope Mission for eight years, and the farewell was a visible reminder that these missionary-minded congregations stood behind this couple, both in prayer and with financial support.

As the steamship California left its mooring, voices joined the combined bands in the singing of a rousing hymn of faith:

We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Spread the tidings all around: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Bear the news to every land, Climb the steeps and cross the waves;

Onward! ‘tis our Lord’s command; Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

As people on both sides of the widening gulf waved their handkerchiefs, the last strains heard by the departing missionaries as they clung to one another bound them in common cause:

Waft it on the rolling tide; Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Tell to sinners far and wide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Sing, ye islands of the sea; Echo back, ye ocean caves;

Earth shall keep her jubilee: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!¹

The Vande Kappelles journeyed to Costa Rica as members of the Latin America Mission (LAM), a nondenominational faith mission founded in 1921 by Harry and Susan Strachan. The concept of faith missions, a name given to an array of independent evangelical mission agencies that arose on the North American continent in the late nineteenth century, was advanced by the vision of Arthur T. Pierson. As author of more than fifty books and a popular conference speaker, Pierson motivated his generation to evangelize the entire world by 1900. His vision took hold, and within a few years, thousands of student volunteers began reaching the mission field. Though the task of evangelizing the world remained incomplete by the turn of the century, the number of explicitly evangelical or independent missions continued growing dramatically throughout the twentieth century, surpassing the number of mainline-affiliated missionaries shortly after mid-century.

Another prominent evangelical to advance the faith mission concept during the late 1800s was Adoniram Judson Gordon. Downplaying the social and civilizing forms of mission work, Gordon encouraged local churches to act as autonomous missionary societies, training, equipping, and supporting their own recruits. In his view, the task of evangelizing the world called not only for professionals but also for lay missionaries. The latter could be trained locally, needing only the Bible as their text. Inspired by the teachings and principles of these evangelical pioneers and fueled by the belief that Christ’s imminent return would accompany the evangelization of the world,² many North American congregations began to heed the call, training young people with a single-minded emphasis on evangelization. And the ranks of volunteers swelled, led by congregations such as Paterson’s Madison Avenue Baptist Church.

Trusting that God would provide for their every need, the Vande Kappelles left for Costa Rica, knowing that their home church had pledged sixty dollars toward their monthly support. But many of those supporters gathered on the dock that October day to bid their missionary charges Godspeed were embarking on a journey of their own. The year was 1935, and the country was still reeling from the Great Depression. Though promising to contribute regularly towards the support of their foreign-bound friends, many of Bert and Jake’s backers lacked financial security of their own. They too were launching into the unknown, faithful despite adversity.

• • •

The day before their departure, the missionary couple had gone to New York City for an orientation with Clarence Mason, Sr., president of LAM’s Home Board. There they were joined by another pair of newlyweds, Sidney and Charlotte Marcy, assigned by the Board to serve with the Vande Kappelles in Costa Rica.

Clarence Mason had prepared an unusual initiation for the new recruits. Following dinner at an expensive restaurant (no doubt paid out of Mr. Mason’s own pocket), they visited the recently completed Empire State Building, at that time the world’s tallest building. Clarence took them to the entrance of an elegant ballroom where they stood as in reverie, watching well-dressed couples waltz gracefully across the dance floor. The ornate setting was unlike anything they had ever seen.

This is how the other half lives, Clarence told them, moving them toward the exit.

Mr. Mason’s orientation far exceeded a memorable sendoff. He wanted to expose these first-term missionaries to the good life they were leaving behind, a lifestyle they could have attained had they remained in the United States. Though intrigued by their encounter with high society, neither couple felt any attraction to this way of life.

Years later, after her retirement, I heard my mother say what was surely on her mind as she began her missionary career: I’m glad the Lord gave me something more worthwhile to do than just take care of a house. As a missionary, she had little interest in material things, in staying at home or going shopping. Telling people about Jesus, making friends, sharing her testimony, those were the activities that brought her joy and made life worthwhile.

That Friday evening, as the small company walked the crowded avenues of America’s most famous city, Mr. Mason announced another surprise: I want to take you to a Spanish-speaking church service where you will be transported to a different world, to a world much like the one you will be experiencing in Costa Rica.

As they entered a large Pentecostal church, they found the service already in progress. Following Mr. Mason’s lead, the startled missionaries marched up to the front of the sanctuary, where they sat on some folding chairs, facing the audience.

Pay close attention, Clarence instructed. This is what it will be like where you’re going.

At the conclusion of the lively song service, a man came forward carrying a canary in a cage. Holding the cage up high for everyone to see, he began singing the song, "His Eye is on the Sparrow." Upon reaching the chorus, with its joyful lyrics, he was overcome with emotion:

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow . . .

At that point he began weeping, overwhelmed at the thought of God’s boundless love for him, a sinner. After composing himself he continued singing,

And I know He watches me.³

The Marcys and Vande Kappelles watched in amazement as people streamed forward to kneel at the altar, confessing and praying openly.

Spanish people express their emotions and feelings much more openly than we do, Mr. Mason commented as he ushered them from the sanctuary and to their hotel rooms.

Within twenty-four hours the new missionaries were on the open seas, sailing toward their new world.

• • •

Do we have to go? Allert Brouwers pleaded with his wife, apprehensive about attending his daughter’s sendoff.

Of course, Emma responded impulsively. I’m going until I can go no farther.

Allert, though ailing, had kept his sickness to himself. In his reticence to bid Bertha a final farewell there may have been a premonition, for he would not live to see his daughter again.

1

. The lyrics of "Jesus Saves!," composed by Priscilla J. Owens, are in the public domain.

2

. A biblical