Doña, a Spanish word seldom used in daily conversation in Uruguay, is reserved for people to whom you want to show deep respect. It’s kind of like how we’re taught to say sir and ma’am in the States, but with a couple of notches more respect. Amy Robinson was the living embodiment of the word and all the cultural context surrounding it.
I had known of Paul and Amy Robinson since my youth. They were pioneer missionaries in Uruguay, along with Bill and Glenda Fulcher. Their work began in 1962, and they entered an entirely different Uruguay than we did.
In 1998, having just been appointed as missionaries to Uruguay, my wife Tammy and I had the pleasure of spending time with them and sharing a meal with them and the Ellison family. This meal was an induction into the Uruguay missionary society. Boy, did we get an initiation. We went to this meal not knowing what to expect from these pioneer missionaries. We even instructed our young children to be on their best behavior. We left the meeting with our sides hurting from laughter and the encouragement of the faithful warriors who were counting on the newbies to continue the work.
Paul and Amy came a time or two to visit Uruguay and take care of some business. We thoroughly enjoyed those times of fellowship filled with Paul’s stories. We loved watching them with the people they loved, in the country where they spent many years of ministry. From what I am told, their home always had an open door, and visitors were in constant rotation. Their individual personalities were enjoyable, but together they were magnetic.
Tammy and I were honored to have known and served with them in a small way. We’re proud to be part of the legacy of the Fulchers and the Robinsons in Uruguay. We would probably have the same respect for them, however, if we had never even met them.
Everyone we met in Uruguay loved them, respected them, and held them in the highest esteem. I still remember the testimony of a pastor’s wife who told how Paul and Amy came and shared the gospel with her family. It gave her the privilege and ability to grow up in a Christian home. Another lady told how she loved the little church near their home, but her husband forbade her to go to the church. They were building their house and needed to work on Sunday instead of going to a church service. The lady would work in the corner of her yard closest to the church so she could hear what was going on. She accepted Christ in that little church and prayed diligently for her husband who, after 25 years, accepted Christ. Several years later, he served as the church’s only deacon.
We visited Amy right before she passed away. I told Tammy I would miss her smile, her laugh, and her beautiful singing voice. That’s what I remember most about her. I’m sure when she finally met the One for whom she worked so faithfully and tirelessly, He held her hand and welcomed her to her reward. Maybe He leaned in and said to her — probably in Spanish — “Well done, Doña Amy, enter into the joy of the Lord!"
More About the Robinsons
Appointed as missionaries to Uruguay in 1960, Paul and Amy departed for language school in Costa Rica in August 1961. They teamed with Bill and Glenda Fulcher to plant churches along the border of Brazil. Working in rural areas outside the border-town of Rivera, the Robinsons also developed a camp for church members. The Robinsons retired from missionary service in 1992, after 32 years of service with IM. They continued ministering to Hispanics after they settled in Smithville, Tennessee.
About the Writer: Jaimie and Tammy Lancaster served in Uruguay for 23 years. They served in many ministries, from youth ministry to leadership development and church planting. In 2021, the couple was placed on special assignment to the director of field partnerships. Jaimie now serves as the assistant director of field partnerships, working with Dr. Kenneth Eagleton to promote the needs and successes of IM ministry partners. Learn more at iminc.org.
