General Meeting at San Luis Potosi, Mexico
By G. W. Caviness
We now have a number of companies in the country round about the city of San Luis Potosi, as well as one in the city itself. It was thought best to have a general meeting of these companies and also to have the mission committee meet in San Luis Potosi in the closing days of last December. This may be called our first general meeting of believers of one state in Mexico, and we are glad to say that the meeting was in every way successful. There were present about one hundred Sabbath-keepers and a goodly number of interested ones. The meetings were characterized by the presence of the Spirit of the Lord in great measure. The companies in Moctezuma, La Visnaga, Barbecho, Tapona, and Mexquitic were well represented. In all these places we now have small companies, and Brother Marchisio is the only worker we have in that part. He visits these companies as often as consistent, and has done and is doing a splendid work. At one morning meeting a brother mentioned the fact that he did not desire to rob the Lord any more, but wished to pay his tithe, and would do so just as soon as he could dispose of his crops. Others began immediately to say, “Why wait?” and came one after another and deposited their money on the table until there was some sixteen pesos. When one knows how exceedingly poor these people are, he can appreciate what this meant to them. Many of them work for thirty-seven cents a day, and do not have work all the time at that, and when they support a family there certainly is not much left to give. There have been a great many improvements among our brethren, especially in La Visnaga. In days gone by some of them possessed small holdings of land. For many years there has been scarcely any rain in that part of the country, and as they tilled the ground in a very slipshod manner, they did not receive very much in return, and seemed forced to sell their land to speculators. There was nothing left for them but to work a little for the large landholders, and receive a small wage and perhaps a little corn and beans. Since their conversion they are more industrious, and having left off their vices, they have made considerable advancement in many respects. The past year there was a little more rain than usual, and more attention given to their little corn-patches, and these were shown me with seeming thankfulness and pride as they said, “We now have enough to live on for a year or more.” And in truth, it does not take a great deal of corn and beans to last a family a year, and that is practically all they have. To see their thankfulness and also their resolution to give the tithe of all to the work of the Master, was indeed inspiring. The teacher of the school in that place receives a salary of fifteen pesos, or seven and one-half dollars (gold) a month; but with this small sum he is in as good condition as any of them. When people in such conditions joyfully offer to the Lord the tithe of all they have, it does seem those in far better condition ought to have a deeper joy in rendering to the Lord his own. The last day of the meeting was the best of all. On this day we baptized nine persons, and afterward the whole company partook of the Lord’s Supper. After the ordinance of humility there was a general embracing, brother with brother, many of them moved to tears; a similar scene was enacted in the room where the sisters celebrated this part of the service. One brother said that the Mexican brethren would count time from this conference, and when it was over many of the rest of us felt that we also could mark great spiritual advancement from this time.449 Our meeting caused something of a sensation in the city. For some reason the governor concluded just at this time to enforce the regulation of the reform laws against the excessive ringing of church-bells. The church (when we say church we mean the Catholic Church) was much put out, and refused to ring the bells at all, so that the city was very quiet in comparison to what it is most of the time. Indeed, in many places the cities are full of Catholic churches and they ring the bells almost incessantly, making one who is not accustomed to it, think there is a fire. The ignorant people accused us of being the cause of the governor’s action, but there was no trouble. We believe that if we had a good, strong evangelical worker in San Luis Potosi, we should soon be able to organize a respectable conference in that state. We are earnestly praying that a man may be found to fill this great need. Let all our brethren unite in prayer with us that this field may not have to wait much longer for the greatly needed help.