A Spanish Field at Our Own Doors
By Augusta S. De Angeles
Since Jan. 1, 1905, I have been laboring in the Arizona Conference as a Bible worker. I was in Phoenix until May 15, doing house-to-house work among the Mexicans. Two, the parents of eight children, accepted the truth, in spite of much opposition. They were baptized while we held our conference meeting. At Tucson I spent two months. Elder Serna—one of our Mexican laborers—and I conducted meetings in the Seventh-day Adventist church. Brethren Ernest and Bond were holding tent-meetings, and as a result baptized about eleven, I think. Then we reorganized the church, with a membership of about forty, Mexicans and Americans. Officers were selected out of both nationalities. Services have to be conducted in both languages—one in the early morning, and the other late in the afternoon, as it is too hot in the middle of the day. Brother and Sister Serna and I then left for Globe, a mining town of about fifteen hundred people. We stopped by the way to visit another Seventh-day Adventist Mexican church, to encourage the members. We found some faithful ones here. Two families came five miles every evening, walking both ways, so anxious were they to get every word we had to say. One of these families had two babies to carry and several other children to bring. They are very anxious for a church-school, but can not support a teacher. They are trustees of the public school, and offer it to some Seventh-day Adventist teacher who can speak Spanish. Is there no one among us who can fill this opening? Bible studies could be given outside of school hours. Besides, the teacher could be of much help in the church. There are about thirty children, all Mexicans, who speak no English, all Seventh-day Adventists, except a few Methodists, who do not object to us. Since we have been in Globe, Brother Serna has baptized eleven, consisting of Methodists, Baptists, and Catholics, including a Mexican missionary, who is greatly rejoicing in the truth. One sister, who accepted the truth at Mesa, through the labors of Brother Ybarra, took the stage to this place, coming out of her way in order to be baptized. We began to preach in the street a week ago, Brother Serna and I alternating in teaching the Scriptures to the passing public. We have many calls for literature, but have none to give or sell. The majority of the people have no Bibles, and we have no tract to offer them after our meetings. We find in our audience almost as many Italians as Mexicans, who want tracts, and of course we have none for them either. I speak this language also, and could make good use of some literature. Many Americans who understand Spanish listen to us. To these I have been able to hand some papers and tracts, but my supply is nearly exhausted. I would like to have a good supply of these. If any one will be kind enough to send me some, post-paid, they will be thankfully received, especially the tracts, and the sender will be assisting in the work in the Lord's vineyard. A Mexican wanted one of the Capital and Labor number of the Signs which I was handing out last evening. He could not read it, but I suppose he intended to get some one to translate it for him. As a result of our street work so far, we have been called by four different families to come and teach them at their homes. One is a proprietor of many small tenement-houses around their home. We held meeting there yesterday afternoon, and arranged to hold a service every Wednesday and Sunday at 3 P. M. Most of the tenants will attend. All are Catholics. Another family are backsliders from the Christian Church. We held a meeting at their home Sunday, and they expressed a strong desire to join our Sabbath-school, which we organized a week ago with a membership of thirteen adults and ten minors. One of our street listeners came last Sabbath to join the school. There are four Seventh-day Adventist Mexican churches in this territory, two in New Mexico, and one in Colorado. Many of our Mexican people do not send their children to school, and they are growing up without knowing how to read well, even in their own language. Even those not of our faith do not approve of the public school. Land can be had very reasonably here, an adobe edifice can be easily constructed, and I know that many children from the neighboring States and from Mexico would fill up a school as fast as we could accommodate them. An English department could be conducted for the benefit of those who wish instruction in that language. A small press could be used in connection with the institution, and for printing literature.