Costa Rica, Central America
By H. LOUIE MIGNOTT
SINCE my return from the West Indian Union Conference, I have been laboring at Cimarrones, Jimenez, and Zuacimo. The Master has greatly blessed the seed sown, and here and there are to be seen plants of righteousness springing up into life eternal, for which we praise the Lord. Israel is on the march to the promised land. We have for a long time been trying to get an entrance into the little town of Guacimo, but were unsuccessful, as we could not rent a room in which to hold our meetings. But in his own time the Lord helped us, and we were able to hire a little house with two small rooms, about half a mile from the town. We held our first meeting in the open air, on the last evening of March. We had a good hearing, and the people began to feel more kindly toward us than at the first. We then invited them to our little house; the first attendance was good, but owing to a very dangerous bridge over which they must cross in the night, our attendance became very small. We then went over into the town and held our meeting every night under a large bread-fruit tree. This we could not do but for the heavy drought which now prevails here. My wife played the organ, while I played the violin. The Lord brought great crowds of people every night to listen to the message for this time. They were a well-behaved people, paid good attention to the truths presented, and so became deeply interested. A Baptist church is at this place. It is also the stronghold of one of the organizations that is “endeavoring” to crown Christ king of this world, and to compel all men by human laws to become Christians. They are our greatest opposers here. Many of the church leaders were present at some of our meetings. One of them, after listening to the discourse one evening, made the following remarks: “These are solid gospel truths. If we do not take heed to these things, it will be to us as it was to the people in Noah’s day.” It was not long before the wrath of the dragon was aroused against us. Some of these leaders, blinded by ignorance and prejudice, summoned their people together and warned them against us. They also told them that the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples on Sunday, so it was made the Sabbath. But such sophistries did not lessen the interest already manifested by the people. They come more and more every night. The work is onward. It must prevail. This modern Jericho must fall before the word of the living God. There are many “Rahabs” at this place, who will be seen in the kingdom, by the help of the Lord. “The weakness of God is stronger than men.” As a result of our labor during the past two months, seventeen precious souls have enlisted under the banner of the mighty Prince Emmanuel. I have had the joy of burying seven of these with their Lord in baptism. While relating to my people some of the proceedings of the conference in Kingston, Jamaica, I mentioned to them how Pastor Strickland, of the Kingston church, and his congregation had asked the Lord for an addition of one hundred to the church, and how the Lord heard their prayers, just a few days afterward, in the same way that he heard and answered the prayers of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, by the preaching of an earthquake. Some time after, a brother suggested that we follow the example of the Kingston church, and ask the Master for an addition of twenty souls to his cause here. This was agreed to by the whole church here at Pacuarito, and a half hour every Sabbath evening was set apart for that purpose. We can all rejoice that in direct answer to our prayers we have already seen seventeen out of the twenty accept the truth. We are still praying. The work is moving onward in Limon. Brother E. N. Rogers, the leader of that company, has by earnest labor brought ten into the light of present truth since the beginning of this year. Some of these have been baptized, while the others are preparing for the same rite. Brother Rogers is a tailor, but uses his spare time in the work. Pray for us.