Old Providence and St. Andrews Islands, South America
By J. B. Stuyvesant
When Elder and Mrs. Knight, Brother Haughton, and I left the little company of four in Old Providence Island who had accepted our message and were baptized in May, 1905, it was arranged that I should return in six or eight weeks to further strengthen them, and also to encourage some who were interested to take a stand for the truth. Owing, however, to the long illness of my wife and myself, it was not until recently that I was permitted to meet with them again. I did make one attempt to reach them, but after three days of tossing about in contrary winds on a stormy sea in a small sloop, we were forced to return without reaching the island. After our week of prayer here, which we observed during Christmas week, I went to the island on one of the cocoanut schooners leaving here for the United States of America, taking Mrs. Stuyvesant and the children with me, hoping that a visit to that high, mountainous island from this low one might stimulate her slowly returning health. The little company there were delighted to see us, and were ready to do all in their power for our comfort. After one night’s rest to recover from the effects of a very rough passage, we began the week-of-prayer services there, having the regular reading in the morning, and a sermon or Bible study in the evening. The few who attended these services were all much refreshed and strengthened. Three of the four who were baptized last May were Sister Robinson and her daughter and son-in-law. Sister Robinson’s husband was a deacon in the Baptist church, and was away at that time. On his return he accepted the message, and had been awaiting an opportunity to unite with us. Sabbath, January 13, I had the pleasure of baptizing him and one of his sons and two of his daughters; and later in the day we celebrated the ordinances, which was a great privilege for the little company who have been forced to face much opposition, but have stood bravely for the truth they accepted. We endeavored to instruct them thoroughly in those peculiar and important truths of our message upon which they required most help, and they seemed anxious to walk in the light as fast as it was presented. After ten days spent thus, I recanvassed the island with books, selling quite a number. One man, apparently expecting to get rid of me, said he had no money to spare then, but he would buy forty dollars’ worth (Columbian currency) of books if I would buy his horse for sixty-five dollars. When I surprised him by agreeing to his proposition, he wanted to back out; but as I needed the horse, I finally succeeded in selling him twenty-five dollars’ worth of books, and paid him the difference in cash. That gave him nine books. On my first visit to the island I met an old man who had several of our books, and I sold him two more. He told me he had written all over the country to obtain a copy of a book, which, according to an advertisement, was proving a great blessing to many persons. I finally learned that it was “Christ’s Object Lessons” to which he referred, though he did not remember the title. I sold him one the next day. Upon my recent visit I sold him another book; and when I went to spend the night at his house some days later, he wanted a book, “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation,” which he had seen advertised in the fly-leaves of the other book. I had one for him in my grip. As Elder J. A. Morrow recently observed, “This shows the good that well-worded notices in our books will do.” After completing the canvass of the island, we held several meetings in different parts of the island with considerable interest, and only wish a thorough effort could be made at those places, but it is not possible at present. After a stay of almost six weeks we returned to St. Andrews, glad to have had the privilege of encouraging these believers, and we both were also feeling better. For a long time we have felt a strong desire to see something done to reach the large community at the north end of this island, where the government is located, but the way seemed closed. We have finally secured the use of a lot there, and already have held two services with an increasing interest. The little tent we made some months ago, and were unable to use until now, was well filled last Sunday. It is about five miles from our home, and some of us have to walk when the sea is too rough for comfortable sailing, but we are much rejoiced to see the apparent interest, and pray that we may have the greater joy of seeing some accept the blessed message for this time. I am also devoting one day each week to canvassing, with fair success. The rest of my time is more than crowded with shop and outside work, as I now do tin, gun, and lock work, blacksmithing, house and sign painting, carpentry, and general repairing of all manner of things and materials. I was well prepared to do carpentry and painting before coming here, and had always been handy at general tinkering and repairing, but it has truly seemed wonderful to me how the Lord has assisted me in doing things I had never before thought of undertaking, and doing them in an acceptable manner. I wish to say to all young people who are preparing for missionary work. Never fail to observe how a useful thing is done, whether you expect to do it or not, and no matter what your trade or profession may be, learn all you can of every other, for no such knowledge will come amiss when in a foreign field on a self-supporting basis, which will be the only possible basis a little later on.