Good News from Paraguay

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 12, 1907

Good News from Paraguay

“Wonderful Are the Ways of the Lord”

The above is the heading of a report written by Brother Luis Ernst, director of the Alta Paraná Mission, for publication in the South American Union Conference paper, La Revista Adventista. Believing it would interest the REVIEW readers, Brother N. Z. Town has translated the report for us:—

“On the tenth of February I set out on horseback from the colony Gonzales, offering for a trip to Missiones, Argentina. After riding about two leagues, I fell in with a man, a native of Paraguay, who lives in the same colony from which I came. As he was traveling in the same direction as myself, I had the privilege of talking with him in regard to the signs that indicate the second coming of Christ. I also gave him a copy of La Verdad Presente which treated especially of the signs of our times. When we separated, he invited me to visit him on my return from Missiones.

“When I returned, Brother F. Taborda accompanied me to Paraguay, to take part in the work. When we arrived in Gonzales, we visited the man who had invited me to call on him. As we studied the Bible together, he became very much interested. We invited him to our meeting the following Sabbath. He came; but instead of coming alone, he brought seven or eight others with him. Shortly after this, one of these invited us to hold meetings in his house. We gladly accepted this invitation, and about thirty families attended. The interest seemed to grow continually; and soon the devil began to feel very uncomfortable. We were cited to appear before the authorities, where we were accused of making an uproar among the people with Jewish doctrines. The result was that the authorities strictly forbade us to hold any more meetings. I wrote to the judge in Asuncion, who had defended us once before when we were accused, and also to a brother in Asuncion, telling him what was taking place. At the same time my prayer to God was that he would destroy these satanic plans against us.

“He gave ear to our supplications. The brother presented the matter to the minister of the interior at once, and soon I received a paper with the government seal, giving me permission to hold public meetings in any part of the republic, and offering me the protection of the authorities, in case I was persecuted. The Lord be praised for the care he has over his work. At present there are ten in this place who have just begun keeping the Sabbath, and some of them desire baptism. The Paraguayans in general are very idolatrous, and steeped in vice. But the Lord is manifesting his arm among them. Pray for the work in Paraguay.”