South America by J. W. Westphal

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 10, 1910

South America

By J. W. Westphal

J. W. WESTPHAL

WHILE our brethren and sisters are giving of their means toward the $300,000 Fund, of which $35,000 will go to South America, they will no doubt be interested to learn what the money is to be used for, and how much is needed. We asked for $27,000, to be distributed as follows: For the Brazil printing plant, $5,000; the Brazil school, $5,000; the River Plate printing plant, $5,000; the school, $5,000; the sanitarium, $8,000; Chile school, $3,000; West Coast printing plant, $2,000; and the West Coast Indian work, $4,000. Since the West Coast printing work is united with the publishing work in the River Plate field, the $2,000 for that work will be divided between the River Plate printing work, which now belongs to the whole Spanish, South American field, and the Chile Conference, for the establishment of its tract society.

The oldest South American institution which will receive help from this fund is the River Plate school. This school was begun when brethren were few in the field. A brother gave forty acres of land, and others gave different amounts in cash. The school was started twelve miles from the nearest river port, and nine miles from the nearest station. The country is an undulating prairie, and, although well cultivated and sowed to small grain, is but sparsely settled.

The school was planted here because there was not means enough to establish it in a more expensive locality. Only three or four rooms could be erected in the beginning, and to these one room after another has been added, as means could be secured. It can easily be seen that it was impossible to build a desirable dormitory in this way for a school. We have never been able to add a most necessary porch; and as no room is connected directly with the dining-room and the kitchen, the matron, teachers, and students must all pass through sunshine and storm, heat and cold, in any move from their rooms. Owing to our effort to erect a building for school purposes, 50 x 50 feet, and two stories high, work on the old building, which is greatly in need of repairs, has perforce ceased entirely.

No debts were incurred until the new building was started; but the attendance and the crowded condition of the school demanded that we do something to provide room for the students and teachers. At the same time it became necessary to enlarge the farm, which we did by the purchase of eighty acres of land, the school now having one hundred twenty acres. Our present indebtedness is about three thousand dollars. This is not large, but it is more than any school ought to have. Our brethren have given liberally of their means in order to secure this result.

However, our greatest difficulty is the incompleteness of nearly everything. The schoolrooms are unceiled; the entrance is unplastered; the partitions in the upper story are imperfect. The seats are, for the most part, roughly constructed seats such as are made for a tent. There is practically no library, and helps for study are few. The rooms are crowded, six and sometimes seven persons being forced to occupy a single room. There is no office. The dining-room is too small, as is also the kitchen; but we have not been able to carry out a plan made to increase their size. Chairs must be carried to and fro between the dining-room and the class-rooms. We have no means to start any industries. Owing to a severe drought, there is no prospect of a crop from the farm this year.

With the exception of a smaller school in Chile, this is the only school in South America for the training of workers for the Neglected Continent. The enrolment this year is over one hundred, a number of whom are preparing to enter the work. Five thousand dollars will secure only a few of the many dire necessities of the school. I am sure if our brethren could see the need as we see it day by day, their donations for this purpose would be gladly and liberally given.

Buenos Aires, Argentina.