Beginnings in Peru by H. F. KETRING

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Feb 2, 1905

Beginnings in Peru

By H. F. KETRING

H. F. KETRING

NOTWITHSTANDING the darkness and ignorance in this field, and are encouraged to press forward with the message before the door shall be closed any tighter than it is already.

I reached Lima the thirteenth of October, and found a few who had been keeping the Sabbath for about a year. These I called together in secret meetings, public meetings being prohibited in Peru, and from evening to evening instructed them in present truth, visiting them during the day, and continuing the instruction in their homes. I thus taught them for about a month, until Sabbath, November 12, when, in little companies of two or three, and going in different directions, we left the city to meet in a certain place where there was sufficient water to baptize. We took that precaution to avoid attracting attention, which surely would have resulted in trouble.

Here, in a quiet way, without any singing, we knelt down, and implored the blessing of our Heavenly Father upon those who were thus to testify of their faith, after which I buried seven precious souls with their Lord in baptism, and I trust they arose to walk in newness of life.

We then returned to the house where we had our meetings, and after taking part in the ordinance of humility, all rejoiced in the privilege of partaking of the Lord’s supper, and thus the Sabbath closed, a day long to live in the memory of those in Lima. There are several others keeping the Sabbath, whose baptism was postponed. I continued meeting with them a week longer, and when I left, all were rejoicing in the Lord.

One brother whom I baptized has been employed for five years as colporteur for the American Bible Society, and has had some wonderful experiences in the towns of the interior of the country. Once as he was nearing a town far back from the seacoast, he stopped for two days on a large plantation, about three miles away, where there was some interest to hear his explanations of the Bible. Immediately the news of his presence reached the town, and the priests told the people that it was Antichrist coming, and that when he reached the town, they were to burn him and his books.

Accordingly, as soon as he rode into the town on his little gray mule, hundreds of men and women gathered round him, threatening to burn him if he did not leave immediately. Fearlessly he got off his mule, and standing before them, told them that his message was a message of peace; that he came to deliver his countrymen from their lost condition by making known to them the Word of God. For two hours he held their attention, in spite of their determination to kill him. Then one man walked up to him with his hands full of dust, and threw it into his face, filling his eyes and mouth, so that for a moment

he could neither see nor speak. The women screamed, “O, take him outside of the town to kill him, and don’t kill him here in the town!” Then one big negro walked up, and spat in his face. At first he felt the rising of the passion of anger. But falling on his knees before them, he exclaimed, “If it is necessary that blood be shed to free my countrymen, here I am; take me, and kill me. But if you cast me out of the town, I will enter again five times.”

Then some one, moved with compassion, said, “Let him go; he may have a wife and children somewhere.” Others said, “Don’t kill him here; take him out of the town, and kill him there.” Finally they put him on his mule, and led him out. At the edge of the town, three men came riding up, and said, “Give him to us.” He was then turned over to them, and they led him off about eight miles, into a very solitary place, and, getting off their horses, asked him who he was. He told them he was selling the Word of God, and that they were taking him out of the town to kill him, but that the Lord had sent them to save his life. Whatever may have been their intentions, the Lord moved on their hearts to set him free.

True to his promise, however, several months later he went back into the same town, and sold some Bibles. And after a while he went there again, until he has since entered five times, as he told them he would. Now he has many friends there, and has sold a goodly number of Bibles in the place.

About a year ago he began to keep the Sabbath, and since then has been telling the people about the Lord’s coming, and all that he knew of the third angel’s message. As a result, there are several in the interior keeping the Sabbath. One man, an Indian from an inland town, who has been observing the Sabbath for about six months, was in my meeting twice. He has a large plantation, but says that there is no work done on it on the Sabbath. He told me that this brother had taught him to keep the Sabbath. He urged strongly that some one be sent to visit them. But what can I do? I promised him to come myself next year, if the Lord permitted.

As the Bible Society officers were not satisfied that he should teach the people about the Sabbath, this young brother came to Lima to resign as colporteur, intending to go to work at his trade as carpenter. But feeling that the needs in this field demanded some one to work here, even though he be a native, I induced him to continue in the work as colporteur, selling our books and papers, which he has decided to do. Thus we have one native worker among three million people.

We must have some one here to help in this great field. What we need is a laborer capable of building up the work. Who will say, “Here am I”? May the Lord of the harvest send some one, is my prayer.

Valparaiso, Chile.