Chile by H. F. Ketring

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Mar 17, 1904

_Chile_

By H. F. Ketring

BAJO IMPERIAL.—October 23 I left home to make a trip to Nueva Imperial and Bajo Imperial. The church that we organized last year in Nueva Imperial is growing slowly. This last trip I baptized three more.

Bajo Imperial is on the seacoast, at the mouth of the Imperial River. Here our work is making some advancement amid the darkness of Roman Catholicism. We have six members, two of whom I baptized on this last visit. There being no other Protestants in the place, our faithful handful of believers is truly a spectacle. Two years ago I celebrated the first baptism that was ever witnessed there outside of the Roman Catholic Church. It was a rare sight, indeed, for the natives. This last time a large congregation gathered to witness the scene, and I talked to them a little while, explaining why we baptize thus.

While there in the house of Brother Hormaechea, who is a merchant, one morning just after I had risen, I went out into the store, where there were eight Indians, who had come a long distance to trade. One of them came to me, and said, “Are you the pastor that teaches the law of the great God?” I told him that I was. He asked, “Have you his law here?” I answered “Yes,” and reached for a Bible. He said, “Mr. Hormaechea said that you were coming, and we want to know about your God and his law.”

I opened the Spanish Bible, as they understand a little Spanish, and began to read the ten commandments and to explain them. They listened very attentively, and seemed pleased, especially the one who first spoke to me, as Brother Hormaechea had talked much with him.

After telling them about the fall through sin, and of the Saviour, I told them how he had gone to prepare us a country, and that he is soon coming for us again, just as soon as we finish his work of preaching this message to all the world.

I then sang them a song that I had learned in their language. The first stanza ran thus:— “Cupamun huheril cave, A’yehimun guinen mapun tami hahiu, Eye gueno mapu mothromihemun, Ni mapumehu doi quimehi; Huni tuntenum rume namblahi Namblahi ta nipelo Vei peloi meten buehan Guinen mapu deumaquelo. Mai, Mai, quipay ya quipay! Eye gueno mapu mothromihemun, Ni mapumehu doi quimehi.”

Literally translated, it reads as follows:— “Come, ye sinners, for that God in his love To heaven he calls you, which is a better country; Where the morning never loses its brilliancy, Where the glory of God the Creator forever shines. Yes, yes, come, O come, To heaven he calls you, which is a better country.”

They seemed to appreciate the effort that it cost me to sing it, and in order to encourage me, between each stanza they shouted, “Bueno, muy bueno!” (Good, very good!)

At different times, when it was known that I was to be there, some have come fifteen or twenty miles to hear me preach. While by far the greatest numbers of them are very unpromising, yet surely some of these will accept the message, and be numbered among the one hundred and forty-four thousand. We must give the message to them. Now that the door is open, may the Lord stir up our hearts to enter before it is shut.

H. F. KETRING.