p. 12 | A Visit to the East Brazil Mission by F. W. Spies

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 28, 1912

A Visit to the East Brazil Mission

By F. W. Spies

F. W. SPIES

ON Nov. 24, 1911, I embarked at Rio, to make a visit to the East Brazil Mission. We arrived at Bahia on the twenty-seventh, and as the steamer was to remain in port until the next morning, I had the privilege of spending the night in Elder John Lipke’s home. On the following day, in company with Brother Lipke, I continued my journey to Maceio, the capital of the state of Alagoas. At Maceio we stayed a week, holding meetings each evening, and visiting the brethren during the day.

At the close of our stay at Maceio five believers were baptized, and with two others who had previously been baptized, were received into the Maceio church.

Scarcely had we arrived at Maceio, when the news came of a revolution in Recife, capital of the state of Pernambuco. The situation was quite serious. For several days traffic on all railroad lines running out from Recife was entirely suspended, all business places were closed, and a number of persons were killed. Fortunately, however, by the time our meeting in Maceio had closed, the trains were running again, and we were able to go on to our next appointment at Caruaru, Pernambuco.

Although we met with no further difficulties, our Caruaru meeting was considerably smaller than it would have been if there had been no revolution; for Caruaru being quite an important political center, and the revolution being the outgrowth of political moves, some of our people feared to come to the general meeting.

The Caruaru meeting was held December 8-14. On Sabbath, December 16, we had meeting with the brethren of Recife, who reside principally in and near Tigipio, a suburb of Recife. At the following meeting in Caruaru ten were baptized, and at Tigipio two, making nineteen added to the church during the trip.

Although this mission is comparatively new and the workers are few, about sixty have been received into church-membership during the past year. And although the new believers are all poor in this world’s goods, their tithe has reached an average of eleven dollars per capita for 1911, which is certainly very encouraging. I found the brethren, who are all natives, very earnest and devoted, and I felt rejoiced to see the good work which the Lord through his truth has done for these people. Five native workers have been developed, three of whom are spending their entire time canvassing. The other two do some Bible work, and canvass a portion of the time.

The truth is spreading rapidly in this field, so much so that Elder Lipke, who is the only ordained minister to look after the work in four states, finds it impossible to get around to attend to the various interests demanding attention. Recently, through the work of our faithful canvassers, interests have sprung up in the southern part of Bahia. In a recent letter, written from Ilheos, Elder Lipke states that as a result of meetings held, there is a fair prospect of a company of twenty in that city, and some have begun to keep the Sabbath in Itabuna, another city near by.

This condition exists very much all over Brazil. Just across the line from Pernambuco, in Parahyba, we have Sabbath-keepers, and up in Para there is a company of believers who have as yet never seen a worker. Thus here, as everywhere, the doors are being opened faster than we can enter them.

During the year 1911 three ministers have come to this vast republic,—an addition to our laboring force for which we certainly feel grateful,—but even with this additional help it will hardly be possible for us to supply the needs in the older fields, and so we shall have no workers for branching out into unentered territory.

But our eyes are on the Lord of the harvest. To him we look, and to him we send our petitions for help in this great and needy field. And we believe he will send it.

Estacao Sao Bernardo, S. P. R., Sao Paulo, Brazil.