p. 15 | The North Caribbean Mission by B. E. Connerly

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 23, 1908

The North Caribbean Mission

By B. E. Connerly

B. E. CONNERLY

It was my privilege to attend the meeting of the West Indian Union Conference Committee held at Trinidad, B. W. I., and at this time the name of the Porto Rico mission was changed to the North Caribbean mission. Its field was also enlarged by the addition of Santo Domingo, seventy miles across the Mona Channel to the west, and the Virgin Islands, including St. Thomas, forty miles to the east.

On my way to the conference I visited Curacao, a possession of Holland, off the north coast of Venezuela. This is a most interesting little place, which appears at first only like a large rock rising out of the sea. It has no timber and very little vegetation; still it supports a population of nearly thirty-five thousand, principally through its foreign traffic, it being an entirely free port. A very small portion of the inhabitants are Hollanders, though a stranger would easily know them to be the dominating class; for the architecture of the city is purely Holland. Dutch is the language of the court; but as many Spanish and French reside on the island, the language spoken commonly is peculiar to the place, somewhat resembling patois. The island has a fine port, and being free is noted for the sale of dry-goods and clothing. All steamers stop here for from four to six hours, giving time for passengers to make purchases. A number of families of rich Hebrew merchants are located here, and they have erected a synagogue.

Our work has not been started in Curacao yet, but I believe that the people are ready to hear the advent message. I was permitted to do some work with our Spanish paper; and as I worked among the people, I found myself longing to see the message given to them. I wish somebody could be sent to Curacao at once.

I considered it a privilege indeed to visit among our churches in Trinidad and Barbados. These brethren are for the most part poor, but they love the message, and I was impressed with the reverence they expressed for the house of God. As I worked among them, I rejoiced in the conviction that from among them God will surely raise up some strong workers for this precious cause.

Our union conference is now taking an active interest in the Spanish work. Of the seventeen million population of our union, thirteen million are Spanish, and of the thirteen countries there are but five or six which have representatives of the advent message; but I feel sure that another year will see a great change in our Spanish work. In the North Caribbean mission are but four paid workers. Elders Walleker and Matthews are located in the Virgin Islands, and they work among both the English and the Danish people. They have a gasoline boat with which they travel among the islands. This year they are building a school for St. Thomas, and are purchasing a tent in which to hold meetings in the different islands.

Brother and Sister Moulton are alone in Santo Domingo. He is selling books and working for the paper El Centinela. All his reports are full of courage. He says he expects to see a good harvest from this field.

For all of these interests we earnestly ask the prayers of God's people, and especially for Porto Rico, where the work moves so slowly and so hard.

Mayaguez, Porto Rico.