In the South American Union Conference
By J. W. WESTPHAL
I AM glad to say that the work here is onward. We have many reasons to believe that the Lord is working with us. In various departments we see improvements. Our missionary paper is continuing to have a good circulation. People are more ready to buy our literature now than ever before. We are hard at work translating the new book “The World’s Crisis,” and within a few weeks we hope to have it ready for circulation. The last of December, sixteen believers were baptized at Rosario, the second city of Argentina, and a number of others will be baptized soon. A year ago we had in that city only our workers. Now we have a church of more than forty members. I have been engaged for several weeks in a public effort with Elder Casebeer in the city of Buenos Aires. Our location has not been the most favorable, but there has been a fair attendance. One person has begun the observance of the Sabbath, and others are very deeply interested. Brother Sherman has just returned from selling our missionary paper in the vicinity of that city, and is greatly encouraged over interested persons whom he found. One aged woman who had been to the meetings but twice, was greatly interested in what she heard; but on account of determined opposition on the part of her husband to anything religious, she cannot attend regularly. She said that we are different from other people; that there is a different spirit among us, and that there is power in our message. Thus the truth is finding its way into the hearts of the people. From Chile reports come of continued progress, converts being baptized every month. The workers in our publishing house are kept very busy. The sanitarium has the largest patronage in several years. Our school is to open in two weeks. Our two principal teachers were occupied in public efforts during the summer. In the Alto Parana Mission there were more baptized than during the previous year. So we have every reason for encouragement. But we have many needs. Our working force is small. The Argentine Conference is greatly in need of a president. I have taken this responsibility until a new man arrives; but as I shall have to leave early in March for the west coast, to be away some months, Argentina will be practically without a director, and that at a time when faithful work should be done in our churches to unite them in active missionary work. Our brethren are much more active than in the past, but a greater work remains to be done. Our Indian work in Peru greatly needs additional help. Elder Pohle, of Bolivia, is also earnestly calling for more help. In these high altitudes we should have sufficient laborers to be able to send part of them to the lower altitudes without injury to the work. There are a great many possibilities among this downtrodden people.