A Visit to Sapucaia, Brazil
By F. W. Spies
JANUARY 31 the writer, in compliance with requests that had been coming for some months, and that had recently become more urgent, started for Sapucaia, a small town in the northern part of the province of Rio de Janeiro, about one hundred and fifty-five miles north of Brazil's capital. A five-hours' ride, made mostly on the Rapids, the through express, brought me to the place, and was rather an agreeable change, as compared with the manner in which I had generally been traveling—on muleback—for the last few years. Arriving at Sapucaia, a brother who had accepted the Sabbath in Nichteroy, and some friends, met me at the station, and in a little while I got quite an idea of the situation in this new field. I could here see what a blessing our Portuguese Sabbath-school lessons had been to the people, as these lessons during the past year had treated the cardinal features of the message. The people not of our faith studied them with great interest, and, as it were, grew right into the truth. Arriving at Sapucaia on Thursday at 10:30 A. M., I remained until the following Tuesday. I was sorry then that I was compelled to leave the place so soon; but as the date of the Curityba conference was nearing, and I had been appointed to attend this gathering, I could not remain at Sapucaia longer. I found there a number of persons ready to listen to the preaching of the truth. Baptists, Presbyterians, and Catholics attended our meetings, all eager to listen to the important truths for these days. During my stay there the time was generally spent—from early morning until late at night—conversing upon the truth, preaching, visiting, and answering questions and objections. My duties will not permit me to return to this place to do any extended work for months. We hope a native brother, who is planning to shape his work so as to dedicate himself to giving the message, may go there and reap; for certainly the harvest is ripe. Several have already decided to keep the Sabbath; in fact, one brother, a Baptist, was, while I was there, disfellowshipped from the Baptist Church for this reason. A goodly number are deeply interested, and it seems that not only Sapucaia, but other places near by, are ripe for the message; while the brethren in the provinces of Espírito Santo, Minas Geraes, and Bahia are growing impatient to have workers come to their fields and engage in the harvest that is on all sides ready to be gathered in. Our needs are great, and are ever the same—consecrated men and means. May the Lord send them. To-morrow (February 9) we expect to have another baptism here at Rio, when four souls will be buried with their Lord in the watery grave. F. W. SPIES.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.