The River Plate (Argentina) Academy

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 1, 1911

The River Plate (Argentina) Academy

THE following interesting report, with a photograph, which is reproduced with this article, has just been received from Prof. Walton C. John:—

FACULTY AND STUDENTS, RIVER PLATE ACADEMY, ARGENTINA, SOUTH AMERICA

“Our school closed last year with the best attendance it has ever had in the regular graded classes. The enrollment was 118. In many respects the year was a good one, although we have suffered much inconvenience for lack of room in the dormitories. The way we have to crowd students in our rooms would scarcely be allowed in the United States. While our rooms are quite large, we have to put four and five in the smaller ones, and seven to nine in the larger ones. Our American students have many things in their favor, when they consider how the students live here. However, our students have borne these conditions with great patience. We are anxiously looking forward to the time when the portion of the $300,000 Fund which has been appropriated to our school shall arrive, so that our buildings may be completed.

“The spiritual condition of the school, considering the age of the pupils, has been good during the past year. As the school has grown in numbers, Satan has tried to thwart the principles of right; but we are thankful that God is powerful, and is leading us on to a higher plane of spiritual life. The Lord has opened the way for sending out students in the canvassing work this past summer. In view of the dry weather, there was no crop, so our students undertook to do what they could with ‘Patriarchs and Prophets’ and Salud y Hogar. Nearly all the boys had extraordinary success, some even selling as high as nine hundred pesos’ worth during two months. This shows to many of our young men the value of the scholarship plan, which we have adopted here.

“During the past year Elder G. Block, one of the first students of our academy over ten years ago, contributed something of interest to our school. In his labors in Concordia, Entre Rios, he brought into the church an Argentine lady who had been a Roman Catholic. During a recent visit he called on her, and found that she had become somewhat discouraged. Inquiring into the matter, he learned that she had continued bowing down to her household saint, San Antonio, who is the patron saint of that region. Elder Block soon helped to clear away the obstacle which separated her from Christ, and she then found the peace that she so much desired. She gave the god to Elder Block, who turned it over to us. This San Antonio was originally in the church of Concordia, and was reputed to have been the means of healing many sick people, securing, in consequence, large sums of money for the priests. However, the day came when the priests decided to get a better-looking image, and so they gave this one to the son of this sister, who was an assistant at the altar.

“The outlook for the school this year is not bright, owing to the two consecutive dry seasons, which have left nearly all our brethren in poor circumstances. We are fortunate this year in obtaining Elder H. S. Prener, who will bear heavy responsibilities as Bible teacher and preceptor. Prof. C. D. Lude is secretary, and Sister Lude acts as matron; this year begins their eighth year of continuous service in this school. Our other teachers are Prof. Otto Heyde, Camilo Gil, and Miss Catalina Block, who begins this year as a student-teacher. Brother Arthur Westphal is now treasurer and bookkeeper.

“It is our fervent desire that the Lord will use us as his servants in training workers to go into the great South American vineyard. We ask a special interest in your prayers that God’s work may advance rapidly in this place.”