Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by F. W. Spies

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Mar 22, 1906

PORT ALEGRE, CAPITAL OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

By F. W. Spies

F. W. SPIES

It is some time since my last report, and it has been a very busy time to us. Last June I moved my family from the Province of Parana, where I had been temporarily located, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s capital. Owing to improvements which the government is making here, and which include, among other things, several wide avenues that are being cut through the heart of the city, thousands of dwellings have been torn down, resulting in a great scarcity of houses and high rents.

This, of course, made it somewhat difficult to find a home. But the Lord, who always provides for his people, led us to a house, which, though by no means modern in its equipments, could be made to serve our needs quite well.

It may be remembered that in a former report I mentioned the locating of our printing plant. It was finally decided to establish our printing-office at Taquary, Province of Rio Grande do Sul, as it was thought that this would be the most economical place for the time being. But having decided to locate the printing enterprise at Taquary, it appeared desirable , and even necessary, that our book depository and general business management should, for economy’s sake, be united with the printing-office, and hence, also, go to Taquary.

The preparations for the removal of our depository and business office, in view of their being turned over to the management of another person, made considerable work, a part of which fell to my lot, and this, with a large amount of correspondence, consumed much of my time, so that I could not give as much time to general missionary work as I desired to do. Then, too, as the Rio church had been without an elder for almost two years , the church itself needed considerable attention. My first burden, therefore, was to get things righted up in the church.

To accomplish this, I began by causing to be elected by the church a committee composed of three persons of known experience in and fidelity to the truth, who, with the writer, should share in the responsibilities and counsels of the church work. Toward the close of November we announced that those who desired baptism might make known their request to any member of the committee. Four requested baptism, but one of them soon withdrew his request.

The candidates were then invited to appear before the church committee in four different meetings, and were examined as to their knowledge of and standing in the truth. Special pains was taken to inquire into their personal Christian experience, and to make plain practical Christian duties. Inquiries were also made as to their understanding of the different points of the truth, and to see if they were in harmony with them. Such Christian duties as giving to the Lord his own in tithes and offerings, obedience to the light on healthful living, instruction as to the sin of vanity in dress, wearing of gold, were placed before them, and when they were clear in these things, and the importance and significance of baptism had been placed before them, the ordinance followed.

I believe that if we always took more pains to carefully and thoroughly instruct

candidates for baptism, and to see that they were in harmony with the whole truth, we should have a holier church, with less trouble, and fewer members who refuse to walk in the Lord’s counsels.

On December 14 we had the privilege of burying these three souls with their Lord in baptism, and on Sabbath, December 16, we had the Lord’s supper, for the first time in the Rio church for about two and one-half years. It was a season of much blessing. At this writing, December 25, there are about fifteen who are keeping the Sabbath, but have not yet been baptized, while as many others are deeply interested in the truth as far as they understand it; some of these are promising people, and may the Lord help them to take their stand for the Sabbath and all other truths, and may he give us wisdom to faithfully instruct them to this end.

The day following the ordinances we had a business meeting, at which, after duly laying before the church the requisite qualities of elder and deacon and their duties and responsibilities, a brother was elected according to the word, to be “proved,” for each of these offices, and later on ordained if found called of the Lord to this responsibility. Tithes and offerings were, on this occasion, also brought into the Lord’s treasury, and ten dollars United States gold was pledged, and partly paid, toward the purchase of a small foot-power printing-press, which is greatly needed by our new printing enterprise.

As duty now calls me, after having had the privilege of being at home for about six months (the longest time I was at home at any one time during my nine years’ work in Brazil), to leave my loved ones and go forth to help other needy souls, I feel grateful for the good prospect of the work here in Rio, and, most of all, grateful that the church as a whole is wide-awake and active in the work of saving souls, and that the Lord has given us here three capable and earnest brethren, to whom, during my absence, I can entrust the work, and who I hope will, because of the responsibility thus placed upon them, become still more useful and efficient in the service of the Lord.

Rio de Janeiro.