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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Mar 23, 1905

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 82, No. 12.

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Portugal

By C. E. Rentfro

LISBON.—We are feeling quite at home in this needy field, as the language is becoming more familiar every day. We are short of literature on the subject of Christ’s soon coming and the signs of the times, but we have quite a number of tracts on the Sabbath question. We are praying for help in developing more literature. I have distributed 1,487 pages of tracts and about fifty of the Arauto de Verdade (Herald of Truth), our Portuguese paper published in Brazil. There are several persons for whom we are especially working and praying. Since it was in this country and city that there was such a manifestation of the approaching time of the end, the great earthquake of 1755, we have prayed to God to manifest the soon coming of our Saviour by an outpouring of his Spirit upon this people, and the giving to us of precious souls.
There is one reminder of the earthquake is an old clock tower, once a part of a royal palace, which was ruined at that time.
Some time ago, when the king, Don Carlos, was in London, the British and Foreign Bible Society presented him with a magnificently bound Portuguese Bible, which he received with very profuse thanks. The Protestants expect to make use of this fact in seeking to get the people to read the Bible.
We are progressing slowly in the language. I can now translate a Portuguese sermon fairly well. I attend four or five meetings a week, seeking to become acquainted with the people, and handing out literature as I can. There is a slight tendency on the part of the people here to lean toward liberalism, as they are getting tired of Jesuitical rule. Not long ago, on the occasion of raising a memorial of the five hundredth anniversary of the giving of the dogma of the immaculate conception, the priests were hooted by the populace, but the populace was put to flight by the soldiers.
We ask prayers in our behalf, as well as for this people who need light very much. We already need help—men, and means, and literature. Funds for the publication of more literature will be acceptable, if sent through the regular channels.
C. E. RENTFRO.