Have you ever wanted to sit down with a missionary and ask them what life was like on the field, hear their stories, and get advice? Now you can! We interviewed a variety of former IM missionaries who served within the first 50 years of IM. Read their stories and stay tuned as we share more former IM missionary interviews in our new series, “Leaving a Legacy: Former IM Missionary Interviews.”
Bill & Glenda Fulcher, Uruguay (1960-1969) and Panama (1971-1979)
When were you appointed and how long were you on the field?
Bible College in Nashville, TN on October 5, 1960. After raising funds and support for our ministry in Uruguay, we left the States on April 25, 1961, for language school in San José, Costa Rica. On April 16, 1962, we left Costa Rica for Uruguay. We served in Uruguay until December of 1969. We spent the next couple of years in the States raising funds. In August of 1971, we arrived in Panama, where we served until June 25, 1979.
Glenda Fulcher
What were some of your responsibilities and roles while on the field?
All the years we spent in Uruguay and in Panama, my main responsibility was teaching - in Sunday School classes and Bible Clubs. Over the course of the years, I taught every age group. I planned, directed and taught the Vacation Bible Schools. I also started monthly ladies’ meetings in both countries. In addition to teaching, I was very involved in the music of the church, directing both adult and youth choirs. A lot of time was spent in Panama starting small groups of special music - solos, duets, trios, and quartets. I also played the piano in the services. In Uruguay, before we ever had a piano in the church, I taught myself to play the accordion and played that in the services. In addition to the ministry in the churches, I raised 5 children!
Glenda Fulcher
Tell me about one memory from the field (personal, spiritual, funny, etc.)
One thing that stands out is how in Panama you had to protect your house, car, etc. because there were lots of thieves. Houses had bars on the windows. You had to be careful not to leave anything outside. At one time we kept a German Shepherd dog in the yard. I remember one Sunday when we came in from the church service and we had a terrible shock. As we opened the front door, there was a pile of some of our belongings on the floor. As we hurried through the house, we found drawers open, a mattress off of the bed, and several electronics missing. Someone had robbed our house. They took all our jewelry, a money collection, tape recorders and several small things. They also took three small, engraved silver knives from Uruguay that I had saved for our boys. They removed my accordion from the case and left it, but evidently used the case to carry the things they stole. The girl next door said she had noticed a car parked at the curb earlier. They had entered our yard through the door to the carport and got into the back door of our house. She said the big dog was just lying quietly on the side of the house. I thought, “so much for being a ‘guard dog’!” But she could hear our little house dog barking and yelping. The only thing we ever recovered was a tape recorder they had left at a pawn shop, with a tape in it of Bill talking. It was the only time our house was robbed in all the years we lived in foreign countries, and it was an experience we will never forget!
Glenda Fulcher
What’s one thing you miss about your host country?
One thing I miss about Panama is the hot weather. I dislike cold weather very much, so I remember what it was like to wear the same wardrobe year-round and never even needing a sweater.
Glenda Fulcher
Tell me about your transition from Panama to Uruguay and church-planting in two contexts.
Uruguay and Panama are very different. Panama is a tropical country, with hot weather all of the time. Uruguay has all four seasons. Even though both countries speak Spanish, it is very different. When we changed fields, we had to make adjustments with the language, as well as adjust to the differences in culture. There was much influence from the USA in Panama and there was none in Uruguay. When we went to Uruguay, we went as a team with Paul and Amy Robinson. In Uruguay, we started our church in Santa Teresa, a poor rural area outside the city of Rivera. No other missionaries had ever worked in that area. Back in those days, new missionaries did not receive all the training and instruction like they do today. Church planting in Uruguay during this time included us going door to door and handing out fliers. We began by organizing a children’s service followed by a preaching service. We started three different churches during the years we were on the field in Uruguay.
When we went to Panama, we took over a ministry that had already been established in Agua Buena, which is now called San Vicente. In a couple of years, we consistently had a large crowd. After that church was officially organized and had a Panamanian pastor, we started another church in the city of Panama. I (Glenda) started by teaching a weekly Bible class for children in our home. Later, we rented a building to have Sunday School and preaching services. I praise the Lord for the opportunity He gave me to minister in these two countries!Glenda Fulcher
I praise the Lord for the opportunity He gave me to minister in these two countries! – Glenda Fulcher
