The first printing of booklet of the series Templos Vivientes (Living Temples) was published under the same name of Templos Vivientes. I really did not think it would become more than just the one booklet (a series was not yet been thought of).

My vision at the time was that this little booklet would be distributed in the villages of Mexico, especially in the area where I had been working. It was full of illustrations to make it easier for parents to read the story to their children.

Back in the early 1980s many of the village folk in Mexico were still illiterate. The illustrations would help these parents learn the story and so be able to read it to their children. Thankfully with the help of government programs, today most adults can read.

As I commented in the last chapter of this story, my vision started out small, but it did not take long until it grew multiple times. Once other issues were added and published, the first booklet was renamed Templos de Dios (God’s Temples) and the complete series took the name Templos Vivientes.

God’s Temples tells the simple story of the Gospel using different colored cartoon houses as illustrations.

God’s Temple As I mentioned in chapter 1 of this story, the first cartoon house in the booklet “God’s Temples” was purple to represent that we are created to be children of the King of kings. Purple is a color that is used by royalty to represent their position.

In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us we were created to become Living Temples (temples filled with God’s Holy Spirit).

Next comes the yellow house, representing our God designed destiny, if we so choose to cooperate with Him. Yellow represents the light and we are told in Revelations 21:23 that in heaven there will be no need for the sun or a light bulb.

Heaven will be filled with the light of the glory of God. We are also told that God is light, and there is no darkness in Him. 1 John 1:5.

The next pages show a black house which of course represents the sin which entered into the world.

A temple, even though it is built (created) for God, cannot get into heaven in this state. The Bible clearly states that we are all born with the seed of sin in our lives. Romans 3:23 tells us we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Ezekiel 18:4 also states that the soul that has sinned shall die. Death is a consequence of sin. But there is an answer – and the second half of this booklet shows the way out of this predicament.

The truth is we do NOT have to stay in this negative state. We do have a freedom of choice. We are all free to choose who we will follow (Christ Who leads us to heaven or our selfishness which will lead us to destruction).

Who do you choose today? (The gospel of Mark is a great book to start with when you first pick up the Bible).

From Cuernavaca I went back to New Zealand for my first break (known as “furlow”). During this time Anna Lee’s husband passed away (director of Bread for Children) and I was asked if I would consider returning to the head office in Florida to help out there for a time (rather than returning to Mexico).

There I had the opportunity to gain more experience working closely with the printshop, and doing the layout of the English magazine (Bread for Children).

Part of my job description was help with the proof reading but there is such a conflict between the written British English and American English, that I gave that one up and told them to just give me the copy once it was “correct”.

In my spare moments I began “playing” with some ideas for sketches and came up with a series illustrating my favorite parable – The Sower (Mark 4:1-20).

This set of cartoons has been used many times over the years in different settings. I later did the parable of the Good Smaritan which is also easily broken into just four sketches.

The fifth edition of Living Temples includes this set of cartoons where & it was when I was preparing this booklet that I added four “interpretation” cartoons.

Here are the sketches of the Parable of the Sower:

Some seed fell on the hard ground.		Some seed fell on the stony ground
Some seed fell on the thorny ground		Some seed fell on the good stony ground

Look out for the next chapter which will contain the cartooned interpretations of the parable of the sower.

Most youngsters grow up with dreams of what they want to do and where they want to go when they grow up. What was your dream when you were little? I am sure you had a least one. Perhaps you had several during the course of your childhood.

One of my dreams was to work in the Disney Studios. I used to love Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and especially liked drawing them.

A Slight Change of Course

Then during my late teens I got involved in an organization called “Youth For Christ” where we enjoyed many fun activities as well as being constantly challenged by youth pastors and missionaries. It was not long before I discovered the direction I felt my life was to go in. I was to be a missionary in Latin America. That was the end of becoming a cartoonist, at least that is what I thought.

A few years later though a course of events which I will reveal at another time I found myself in Mexico near the end of 1976.

Overwhelmed

My first impressions of Mexico were overwhelming. I loved the country from the beginning, but the need was so great in the village areas I first visited that I did not know where to start to offer any help at all. I vividly remember sitting in an meeting held outside a home in the village, with chickens running around our feet and asking the Lord, “what have I got that they need here?”. The answer came quickly and very clearly: “Give them My Word”.

At first my Spanish was limited to just a few words and it was an exhausting strain trying to understand what was being spoken around me.

After a week or so the missionary I was with let me share a Bible story with the children. That was accomplished using flash cards, with my “lines” written on the back of each picture so I could read them. If a question was asked my missionary friend would come to my rescue. I had little or no idea of what was being asked, let alone being able to answer.

A Series of Children’s Booklets is Born

During this time I recognized there was a need for Christian Literature for children. (This was back in 1976). Several months later I found myself in an apartment in McAllen Texas preparing my first booklet which was called “Templos Vivientes” (Living Temples).

This first booklet, which became a series of booklets was based on the very well known teaching aid known as the Wordless Book. The wordless book is a teaching tool used by millions to share the simple gospel message with children across the world.

The Extra Color

Coming from a British country where we recognize royalty and understand, I added a color to the standard 5 colors used in the wordless book and created cartoon houses to tell the story.

The reason for adding a color to represent royalty is that we are created to be children of the King of kings.

Why houses? My key verse is found in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (New International Version). Thus the name of the first booklet and consequently the series: Templos Vivientes (Living Temples).

Watch for more of the story about how this series grew was published and mailed out to Mexico and Central America. It is basically a story of little miracles (well for me anyway), and was certainly the expression of my childhood dream of being a cartoonist, plus the strong calling to the mission field I felt in my youth all wrapped into one!

May all YOUR dreams be fulfilled!