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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 8, 1909

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 86, No. 27.

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Peru

By J. W. WESTPHAL

In leaving Bolivia, Elder E. Thomann and the writer passed through La Paz, the capital, a beautiful city of eighty thousand inhabitants, located in a pot-like valley five hundred feet deep, which makes its climate mild for a city twelve thousand five hundred feet above the sea. Taking the train for Guaqui, we crossed the world-famed Lake Titicaca to Puno, the Peruvian port. Brethren were at the wharf to meet us, and we spent a pleasant and profitable three days, including the Sabbath, with them. Although none of them are baptized yet, one or two having doubts on some doctrines, we found fully a dozen of kindred spirit with the third angel’s message, and some are preparing for baptism. A few years ago they were firm Catholics, more strict, they said, than the bishop himself. A Bible purchased from a Bible colporteur first opened their eyes. The Señales de los Tiempos was the medium through which they learned of the Sabbath, and now they are earnest advocates of it. They have been visited by a Protestant minister, but when they were told by him that the law of God was abolished, they could not receive it, and he told them that he would not visit them again unless they gave up the Sabbath.
About ten miles distant on the lake shore are ten or twelve Indians, also keeping the Sabbath. Their leader, a full-blood Indian teacher, received his education at Moquegua and Arequipa. The work of Brother Eduardo Forga against religious oppression is familiar to him, and from it he imbibed the principles of liberty. He has for some time been engaged in private school work among his own people, and while thus employed, he learned of the Sabbath from the Puno brethren. Accepting it, he has taught it to his pupils and neighbors. Several of his pupils, young men, are keeping the Sabbath, and three of them come to Sabbath meeting in the city. His influence has reached further than simply teaching the people to keep the Sabbath.
As the results of his work, the people of his village showed little interest in an annual Roman Catholic bacchanalian feast, and many of them did not attend it. For this great wickedness (?) he was arrested at the instigation of the priest, and imprisoned. The local authorities only laughed at his efforts to secure justice. The prefect, or governor, was absent at the time, but on his return this Indian brother was released on his decision, and the authorities were forbidden to molest him. Since then he has had perfect liberty to pursue his work.
The attendance at his school varies from ten to sixty, according to the season, including individuals from children scarcely of school age to men grown. It is conducted principally in Spanish, a language the Indian is anxious to learn. There are government schools not far distant. This teacher’s income from the school being limited, he depends on farming for a livelihood. The school continues on the Sabbath, but consists in reading the Gospels, the teacher commenting on the portions read. This man is anxious to see a definite, decided, combined gospel and educational work started for his people. No laborer has ever visited them, and they are greatly in need of instruction.
We stopped at Arequipa one day, visiting Brother Hinckly, who has charge of the observatory, and another who has moved there temporarily from Puno. As Brother Hinckly is kept very busy with his observatory work, it gives him but little opportunity to meet with the people. Hence he had not been able to make the progress in the language that he had hoped. He would be a desirable helper and counselor to a man that ought to be located at this place, to labor in southern Peru. We were sorry that neither time nor means permitted us to visit Cuzes on our way here to give a closer study to the Indian situation, both from observation and from the experience of others at the center of their former national life.
At Lima we found Elders F. L. Perry and A. N. Allen engaged in holding a canvassers’ institute. A class of seven was taking a good interest in the instruction given, and their afternoons were spent with some results in actual experience. Since my visit here two years ago, several of the Lima church-members had fallen by the way, some had moved to other places, but the membership and attendance had increased, and a good spirit seemed to prevail. Elder Perry’s health was poor, and we were sorry that it seemed necessary for him to leave. He was preparing for his departure for the States. The Lord dealt kindly with the field in supplying a good substitute in Elder A. N. Allen. He has taken hold of his work with zeal and courage, and the brethren are pleased with the help they have received in him. In order that he may instruct our brethren in different places and follow up the several field interests, he needs a person to take charge of the office and of the work in Lima immediately. From the reports that came to us, the prospects for the third angel’s message are bright. After a six-days’ stay with the brethren, we took the steamship “Dendarah,” of the Cosmos line, for Guayaquil.
J. W. WESTPHAL.