p. 16 | Spain by Anita Robinson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Apr 27, 1905

Spain

By Anita Robinson

BARCELONA.— Here we are, alone in this big city, and yet not alone; for, by manifold evidences, we are continually reminded that the Lord is with us, helping us to break up the fallow ground.

One day I was feeling a little downhearted because of the meager results of our labors, when presently my husband read to me from “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VII, these words about some who had worked hard in pioneer work: “Let not those become disheartened who have labored so earnestly to bring the work in the Southern field to its present state of advancement. . . . God will be glorified in those who have been laborers together with him in breaking up the ground in fields that have never before been worked.” These words greatly encouraged me. We know that God has his faithful ones here, for we have found some. We meet with our little band of Sabbath-keepers in Sabadell, which is twelve miles from here, nearly every week, and we have some blessed times. They are growing in the knowledge of the truth, and are learning to pay tithe, which we are glad to say is more now than ever before.

Week before last while there, we took a walk through the fields, and came across a man who had attended our meetings and knew the truth. He was working with his spade. We went up to him and shook hands, and my husband said, “So you are still working on the Lord’s day.” “Yes,” he said, rather sorrowfully; then he threw down his spade, and we all sat down, and had a Bible study; as he seemed anxious to listen to us. Presently he said: “This is the last Sabbath for me to work; next week I will begin to keep the Sabbath.” He promised to come to the meeting. We prayed that he might be kept faithful to his promise, and sure enough he came early Sabbath morning. He realized the joy and peace found in believing.

Another week on our return journey from the meeting, my husband, always eager to testify for our Saviour, began a conversation with a man in the train, which very soon turned on Bible topics. Two other men in the same carriage joined in, disparaging the Bible, saying it was full of contradictions. “Is that so, my friend?” said my husband. “I have studied the Bible now for over eleven years, and have not found any; will you show me one?” “O I have not a Bible,” said the man. “I have,” said my husband, and pulling down his bag from the rack, he handed his Bible to the man. He began turning over the leaves while another man lighted matches to give more light (our trains are not very brilliantly lighted here), but he soon handed the book back, saying that he could not find it just then. These infidels never can, and one can be pretty sure of getting them in a corner by placing the Bible in their hands, and putting them to the test. My husband said, “My friend, I have tried and proved this to be the Word of God,” and then he went on to show how wonderfully the prophecies had been fulfilled. By this time there was a row of heads from the other carriages between the hat-rack and seats leaning over, listening while my husband took them through the second chapter of Daniel; so by the time we arrived at our journey’s end, about twenty had heard how near we are to the end of time.

We are trying to awaken an interest here by visiting from house to house; this means much climbing, as all live in flats, and the buildings are very high. We find that when we go together, we are more often invited in, and that gives us an opportunity of giving a Bible reading. Now we have some whom we go to regularly. My husband does most of the talking, as I am not sufficiently acquainted with the language; but I am making progress. We are of good courage, and trust that the prayers of God’s people will follow our work in this dark field. ANITA ROBINSON.