The Opening of Our Work in Western South America
By F. H. WESTPHAL
The West Coast field is composed of the following four republics: Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. It contains an area of 1,397,926 square miles, and a population of 10,000,000. The official language of the four republics is Spanish, yet there are tribes of aborigines,—the Mapuchi, the Aymara, the Cedma, and others,—and each tribe has its own language. There are a large number of foreigners, also; for nearly all the nationalities of the world are represented. Near the close of the eighteenth century, a Jesuit, called Lacunza, moved by the evidences of the prophecies of the Bible, wrote a book, which was entitled, “The Coming of the Messiah in Majesty and Glory.” The publishing of this was prohibited by the ecclesiastical authorities; nevertheless the book is still known of by some. This was at least one voice that proclaimed something of the three angels’ messages in Chile. The Presbyterians began their work in Chile about fifty years ago. They say that two of their laborers were killed in the beginning of their efforts. Little by little a large number of copies of the Scriptures were circulated. The Methodists entered the field with Bibles, and finally the Baptists, and all together these prepared the way somewhat for the last message. In Peru, where the law prohibited the preaching of the gospel, various laborers had to seal their faith with their lives. A daughter of a Methodist minister was burned, and others met a similar fate. This caused the work to progress, and souls are now hungering for the truth in that country. Bolivia has been in great darkness. But the missionaries who went there were treated cruelly, some being condemned to death, for the only offense of preaching the gospel. But the Lord did not want the people to be left always in darkness, and he was preparing the way for the proclamation of the third angel’s message. A short time ago Congress proclaimed liberty to preach the gospel. This should be hailed with gladness by all lovers of the truth, to whom the Lord has committed the giving of the news of his coming kingdom to every nation, tribe, and people on the earth. In Ecuador the doors were closed against the gospel. But finally the Lord directed the government to establish religious liberty, and at present, the rights of all are recognized in all parts of the country. The third angel’s message came to Chile first, and that by means of the canvassers Nowlen, Bishop, and Davis. Through the work of these, quite a number of persons accepted the truth. After the colporteurs had been there one year, Elder G. H. Baber went to take the superintendency of the field, in 1896. In a short time believers were gathered in Iquique, Santiago, and other parts, and soon workers were selected from among them. The Baptist evangelist, Henry Balada, who labored as a Bible colporteur; Eduardo Thomann, a deacon of the Presbyterians; Brother Escobar, an exhorter of the Methodists; Victor Thomann, and others began to dedicate their time entirely or in part to work, and in this way the message extended more and more. Notwithstanding the resistance made by the enemy of the truth, there were gathered from among the freethinkers, Catholics, Spiritualists, and from among the different Protestant denominations, believers, until they now number about two hundred in Chile. Assisted by donations gathered in Germany in the year 1898, several brethren from Santiago and Arequipa visited Lima, Peru. Here they began to bear testimony of the light which they had. Those in Arequipa who believed were cast into prison; but these brethren, being Chilenos, were sent back to Valparaiso, through the services of the Chilean consul. In this way they were liberated from staying longer in the prisons, jails, and calabooses of Peru. A little later, Pastor Balada served one year in that country as a witness for the truth, a short while before Elder Baber and Brother Eduardo Thomann visited the brethren. Brother Pereira had served as a Bible colporteur in the north of Chile, but after receiving the truth had passed two years in Bolivia. There he was cast into prison, and was condemned to death. But by the blessing of God, he was set at liberty, through the services of a lawyer who defended his cause, and who through this means was afterward converted to the gospel. In 1900 our missionary paper, Senales de los Tiempos (Signs of the Times), was first published. Through it the faithful were more enlightened on the truth, and many others were brought to a knowledge of it. The next year a second paper—La Revista Adventista—was published. This was dedicated especially to aid the members of the churches. In 1901 the force of workers was strengthened by the coming of Brethren A. R. Ogden and H. F. Ketring from the United States. The burden of the superintendency was placed on Brother Ogden. But because of the failing health of his wife, he returned to the States. Brother Ketring succeeded him as superintendent. The next year the writer was placed in charge of the field. The message of the third angel was carried to Ecuador in 1904, by Brother Davis, who from that time to the present has been working there as a colporteur. A year later he was reinforced by the coming of Elder Casebeer. Peru also received reinforcement in Elder Perry from the United States. The Brethren Thomann and Brother Escobar visited Bolivia five years ago. During the four months spent there they visited five of the principal cities, and took five hundred subscriptions for the Senales. In 1905 we opened a school among the Mapuchi Indians. This name signifies “countrymen.” Brother Victor Thomann has charge of this school, which is carried on during the winter months. During the summer the teacher works as a preacher among the colonists in the south. A school for training workers has been opened at Pua. Brother Krieghoff and wife have been in charge of it. Pray for the work and the workers here.