Bolivia by Ed. W. Thomann

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 1, 1908

Bolivia

By Ed. W. Thomann

COCHABAMBA.—The work is progressing slowly here in Bolivia. Until now no other laborer has come, and I have only a few hours every day for aggressive field work. It is difficult to do justice to the editorial work, and yet have time for canvassing. From six to eight I generally study, from eight to ten I engage in editorial work, and then I take breakfast. After that I canvass until five or six, when I return for supper. Three times in the week we have evening meetings from seven to eight. After that, if I do not feel too tired, I take up writing or translating, keeping at it generally until ten, as I do also on other evenings when we have no meetings. In that way my health keeps generally quite good, and I can accomplish more than with other divisions of time.

There is hardly an afternoon when some one does not throw stones or dirt after me, when I am canvassing; but I am quite accustomed to it already, and the best of it is that no stones have hit me so far.

Yesterday I offered the paper to a priest, and soon we had a little discussion. As I attempted to prove something from the Bible, he said that my Bible was no good. I told him that just over at the corner was the public library, and there they had Catholic translations of it. So we went over there, and he asked for a Catholic translation. They handed him one, and he tried hard to find a text with which he intended to prove that at the resurrection the soul will come from heaven or hell to join the body. But as he could find none, he laid the Bible down, and went out. Then a lot of people gathered around me, asking many questions, and I had for a good while about fifty hearers. Some seemed to be favorably impressed, but some also made hostile manifestations.

About two weeks ago the teacher of the highest degree in law at the university made us a visit. While his wife was talking with Mrs. Thomann about health principles and child training, he asked about religious things. Among other questions he also asked about our organization, and how the missionaries were supported. I made the matter as clear to him as the time permitted; and he said he never had heard of such a perfect and just way of conducting things. He said that if he were ever to become leader of a nation, he would try to implant an organization on such a basis as the one we had. He then asked who of our brethren had shaped that organization. I told him that it was not man's work; but that the Lord, through the spirit of prophecy, had guided the church in it. It made me glad to have the first law teacher of this city see so much light in our church organization, and say he thought it the most perfect he had ever heard of. It seemed to me that some of our people, who sometimes seem to murmur, as the Israelites did, against the Lord's way of doing things, might learn that no other organization in this world is so perfect, yet so simple and understandable, as the one the Lord gave through his Spirit to this people. We do not need to be ashamed of the light the Lord has given us; and when we think that the work committed to us is to give the gospel to the whole world in this generation, we may understand that a good organization is essential. How could such a great work be done otherwise?

ED. W. THOMANN.