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North Brazil Mission

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 26, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 52.

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North Brazil Mission

By F. W. Spies

AUGUST 14 I embarked at Rio de Janeiro to visit the church at Theophilo Ottoni. After a pleasant voyage of two days I arrived at Caravellas. As I was mailing some letters at the post-office, I met Brother Queiroz, one of our faithful canvassers from the East Brazil Mission. I was pleased to see him, and as he told me of his experiences in the work during the recent weeks, I could but realize that only one who loved the work would continue in it when he had to battle with so many difficulties in the field, especially when he had a good trade by which he could with ease make a living and be at home with his family. May the Lord ever bless and strengthen our self-sacrificing canvassers!
On the twentieth—for in this section we have trains only every five days—I took the train into the interior, and about 4 P. M. on the twenty-first reached the little town Theophilo Ottoni, in which live a few members of the church of this name, the others living about one hour’s ride from the city.
I was glad to be once more with these brethren, for they are the first-fruits of my Brazilian labors; and during my stay I had the privilege of baptizing five new believers, raising the membership to sixty-three. Although during the sixteen years since I first came to that section the brethren have passed through various experiences and difficulties within and without, I was glad to find them all of good courage and faithfully holding up the light. Through the influence of their missionary work the truth has extended beyond them, so that sixty miles distant some are keeping the Sabbath; but my time would not permit me to visit these. In the vicinity of this church, as in so many other places, there are openings for work, and the brethren pleaded for a worker to come and labor there for a time; but as in so many similar instances, we could only tell them that we would send them one as soon as we could.
On account of so many important duties that were pressing upon me, I was compelled to make my visit somewhat brief; but as I made this long trip to visit one single church and a few scattered members,—and they had not been visited for almost two years,—I could only again send a prayer to the Lord of the harvest to send us more laborers, so that we can better attend to all the calls and interests that are constantly confronting us in this large country. Arriving home, I began preparations to move my family to Sao Bernardo, so that I might be in more easy touch with the union conference headquarters.
Soon after our removal to Sao Bernardo, our Sao Paulo canvassers’ institute began. On the whole, we can say we are of good courage, for the Lord gives us many evidences that he is working for us. F. W. SPIES.