Canvassing and Evangelical Work
By W. F. Mayers
After spending forty-five days in Tuxtla, Gutierrez, Chiapas, I am leaving for a visit to the churches on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the home of the Zapotecan Indians. Nearly all our members there are of that tribe, and some of them have set a good example in Sabbath keeping and the faithful paying of tithes. As I leave Tuxtla, the thought occurs that my life here has been as a drop of water in a bucket, which, when taken out, leaves no trace. While this is true of ourselves, yet in working for the Lord, we have this assurance: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16. When the Americans occupied Vera Cruz, a year ago, practically all the American missionaries left the state of Chiapas, and there is no one to preach the gospel in this great state. The same is true of many other states in Mexico. Each night for six weeks I have held Bible studies with a family of Sabbath keepers and some of their neighbors. As the room was small, I did not make any effort to get a large attendance. Besides the meetings, I have been selling “The Coming King” in the Spanish. As Tuxtla is 120 kilometers from the railroad, I sent seventy-eight copies by mail from Vera Cruz before coming here, and on my arrival began taking orders. Owing to the fact that the paper money in circulation is worth very little, I had to raise the price to ten and fifteen pesos. Formerly we sold the book for two and one-half and five pesos. After getting the mayor’s order, I went to the palace (this city is the capital of the state), and succeeded in taking a large number of orders there, though I found it impossible to deliver many of these. After presenting my card and waiting a long time, I saw the governor. He gave me his order, and his assistant also gave me an order. These both I delivered. In Vera Cruz Brother Green had taken an order from General Carranza and about seventeen orders from the members of his cabinet. These I delivered before coming to Chiapas, as Brother Green had to leave for Mexico City. I am very thankful for the privilege of placing these messengers of the Lord’s coming among these leading men, and I believe the reading of these books will help to mold their opinions, even to the extent that they will see that the only durable kingdom is that which will soon be set up (Dan. 2:44), and that it will endure forever. To the teacher of the general’s children I was able to sell “Practical Guide,” “Daniel and the Revelation,” and “The Coming King.” I also gave her some Bible studies on leading points of our faith. I visited the leading men — merchants, doctors, professors, lawyers, etc. — and sold books to them, thus placing fifty-five copies. After working Tuxtla, with the help of a native brother twenty-three copies were sold in a town sixteen kilometers distant. We walked both ways, although the weather was intensely hot. This town, Chiapa de Corzo, is located on the Grijalva River. Several years ago, when looking on the map, I wondered if the message would ever reach this out-of-the-way place. The people of Chiapa gladly gave their orders for “The Coming King,” and we found them quite free from religious prejudice, much more so than those in Tuxtla. Just now we are praying earnestly that the Lord will not leave this place unworked, but will send laborers into the fields which are now ripe for the harvest. Who will say, “Here am I; send me”? Owing to the revolution, and therefore the abandoned fields, there is a great scarcity of food products, especially corn, which is very expensive. In some parts, a condition bordering on famine exists, and the price we have to pay for some things is very high. Besides this, the peso is now worth only 8 cents gold. In the majority of cases, the merchants have raised the prices of their goods very high, thus causing much suffering among the poor, while the rich have withdrawn all the silver from circulation, hiding it in the ground or elsewhere, leaving only paper money. Just now small change is hard to get, and it is almost impossible to get a five-dollar bill changed. The merchants compel the people to buy two or three dollars’ worth before they will consent to change a bill. The government is about to issue a lot of small bills, which will no doubt be a great help. In spite of all these things, I can say with Paul, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.” 2 Cor. 2:14; also chap. 12:9, 10. I am leaving a native brother in Tuxtla, who will sell Las Senales de los Tiempos, hold Bible studies, and give water treatments to the sick. Some day I hope to return and distribute more of our literature. Pray that others may enter the field, and that God may in a special manner watch over the workers in these difficult and trying countries.