Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
By H. MEYER
By recommendation of the Brazilian Union Conference, I left the Rio Espírito Santo Mission and came to the Rio Grande do Sul Conference the latter part of February. From March 3 to 8 we had the annual conference session in the city of Porto Alegre, which was well attended. It was found necessary that I should visit, as soon as possible, the different churches and companies throughout the conference; but some adjustment having to be made in all our church property papers, for which a legal procuration was needed, I was somewhat delayed, and visited only a few churches close by. The first part of May I started for the newly settled colony of Erechim, where I met our worker, Brother Hacker. Together we went to Rio de Peixe, where a number of our brethren had recently settled. We found them in straitened circumstances. During about ten days of the journey I did not remove my clothes day or night and more than once we were thankful to satisfy our natural wants with dry bread and water. Yet all were of good courage in the Lord, and on May 23 a church was organized. We celebrated the ordinances and had baptism in the river close by. Probably this was the first baptismal service that ever took place in that river. Next I visited Paiol Grande, also a newly settled colony, but our brethren there are better situated than those at Rio de Peixe. A Jewish colony has been started near Paiol Grande, and is financed by the millionaire Rothschild. Every Jewish family receives a sum of money monthly for a certain length of time. But these Jews do not wish to till the ground. They only trade and traffic, so our brethren receive good wages laboring for them. At this place I had the privilege of organizing another church on May 30, besides baptizing a number of persons. Returning to Erechim, we had a number of meetings with the brethren there. Besides several who have accepted the truth recently, I met some brethren who have had a long experience in the Lord’s service, one of them being Brother A. B. Stauffer, who came as the first colporteur to this country twenty-three years ago. It did me good to hear his earnest testimony. On June 6 we had a day of special blessing. After having baptism, we organized a church of twenty-two members, and then celebrated the Lord’s Supper. I next visited the church at Nao me Toque, which has been for some time our largest church in Brazil. For several weeks we had overflow meetings night after night. One thing that impressed me especially was the splendid harmony among our brethren. As their meetinghouse is too small, they are now erecting a larger one. I also visited a branch Sabbath school of this church, three hours’ journey distant, which consists entirely of Brazilians. Here I was much pleased to make the acquaintance of some colored believers whose lives have been transformed by the truth. The meetings were well attended. Several young men were baptized, and twelve entire families in this neighborhood were organized into a company. After a four hours’ journey from Nao me Toque we found a company of five families who had kept the Sabbath for more than three years, but had not been visited by any of our ministers. From them we obtained information concerning two other companies several leagues distant, who were keeping the Sabbath under like conditions. Next we visited our brethren at Tjuky, where we had well-attended meetings for two weeks. As a result of the faithful efforts of a Swedish brother, four applied for baptism. On account of the particular situation here, it was found necessary to reorganize the work into three companies, two German and one Brazilian. In Guarany we met with another company. They have gone through some testing struggles; but since the arrival of Brother Braener, who teaches public school in that place, and takes an active part in the spreading of the truth, things have greatly changed. We enjoyed some blessed meetings. On July 10 the Lord came very near. A number confessed their sins before the brethren, troubles of long standing were settled, and it was a time of seeking forgiveness by all. Six were baptized, and others returned to the fold, increasing the number of the company from eleven to twenty-six. The following day we organized these persons into a church, with Brother Braener as elder. While on our homeward journey, we were overtaken by a long, heavy rain. When night came, we had to camp, with wet clothes, on the open prairie, under a cattle shed only partly walled. Besides all this, we were short of food, which made us long for home so much more. I reached home after an absence of nearly three months, but my stay will be very short, as a number of urgent calls have come from different parts of the field. I rejoice that the Lord’s work is progressing in all parts of the world, but believe that before our Lord’s return we shall see much greater progress. May God help us all to have a share in it.