General Meetings in Brazil
By F. W. Spies
THE territory of the Brazilian Conference being nearly as large as that of the United States of America, it is very difficult—almost impossible—to have anything like a general representation at any one meeting held in this vast field. Hence the plan was conceived of holding a series of State meetings in the different States, or provinces, where we have believers. Leaving my home in Brusque, toward the close of January, 1903, I started for the Province of Rio Grande do Sul, on the way visiting several of our churches and laboring for them. I arrived at Sao Leopoldo, in time to attend the first of this series of general meetings, which was held April 4-11. At this meeting we enjoyed the Lord’s blessing in rich measure. The different departments of our work received attention, and those present were united as never before in the message entrusted to us by our Lord. Two souls were baptized at this meeting. Eight days of travel on muleback across the campos (prairies) of Rio Grande do Sul, during which time we usually slept on the greensward with the blue sky for a canopy, or perhaps in some sugar mill, brought us to the place of our next general meeting, Linha Torres, Santa Catharina. This meeting was a great blessing to the people among whom it was held, owing to the peculiar circumstances existing at that place. At the close of the meeting there were five souls buried with their Lord in baptism. The journey was then begun for the15place of the next general meeting, which was held in Joinville, Santa Catharina. On the way to Joinville, Brethren Graf and Westphal had hoped to spend a Sabbath at Gaspar, the home of the writer, where our largest and oldest church of Brazil is located, but reaching there too late, this plan could not be carried out. The Joinville meeting was also a great blessing to the brethren present, but the attendance was smaller than at the previous meetings. Here also two souls were baptized. From Joinville we traveled to Curityba, where the general meeting was held May 23-30. Curityba is the capital of the province of Parana. The Curityba meeting being attended in part by native brethren and sisters, it was necessary to carry on the work in two languages. But as at the other meetings, so also here, the hearts of the Lord’s people, although the people were of different tongues, were united in the great work before us, and all left the meeting with the resolution to do faithfully their part in warning the world. When we were about to leave Curityba, Brother Graf became quite seriously ill, and was obliged to remain at Curityba, while Brother Westphal, and Brother Holzle, who had joined us at Curityba, and the writer went on to Itarare, the place of the next general meeting. We were very sorry to leave Brother Graf, but the appointments for the future meetings were out, and we could not delay. We left him in the care of faithful brethren, committing him to the Lord, and I heard nothing further from him until about six weeks later, when I met him in Santos. He had fully recovered. The Itarare meeting being attended chiefly by natives, everything was done as far as possible in the Portuguese tongue, or was translated into that tongue. At this meeting seven persons were baptized, and as many others made a start in the Lord’s service. Brother Holzle remained at Itarare to follow up the interest created by the general meeting, and a number of others have since started in the Lord’s service. After the Itarare meeting we were again obliged to part. Brother Westphal went on to the province of Espírito Santo, to attend the general meeting there, while Brother Holzle remained at Itarare, and I returned to Brusque, accompanied by another brother who was going to take Brother Graf’s mules home. As soon as possible after my arrival at Brusque, I went to Rio de Janeiro to attend the last of the series of general meetings, and the council of the conference committee held in connection with it. The Rio meeting had the least attendance of all the general meetings, yet the gathering was an important one. Many important questions relating to the work of the depository and the general work were decided at this time. We trust that much good will result from the council held at the headquarters of our large field. The first of September I arrived at my home in Brusque, having attended six of the seven general meetings held in Brazil. I traveled about six hundred miles by water, five hundred miles by rail, and seventeen hundred miles on muleback, and about four months’ time was spent, in attending these various meetings. While on these rides, sometimes a capao (small woods) or an open campo would be our lodging place for the night. It is true that comforts and conveniences, and even at times the necessary food for ourselves and our animals, were scarce, yet upon looking back over these months of wearing labor, we can see that the Lord was with us and blessed our labor. So we press on toward the prize of our high calling, giving him all the praise. Ribeira, Sao Paulo, Brazil.