Costa Rica by Hubert Fletcher

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 13, 1906

Costa Rica

By Hubert Fletcher

Bocas DEL TORO.— After a very profitable meeting with the brethren at Mt. Hope, I walked two miles to Colon, just in time to board the launch for Bocas. We had a rough voyage, and arrived in Bocas Sunday morning. I was met at the wharf by the brethren, who gave me a hearty welcome. Elder Knight having left the previous day, I found Elder Mignott in charge. Bocas is about nine miles from the mainland, and is the capital of the hundreds of islands studded within the arms of the Mosquito Gulf. All these are under the Panama republican government.

Elder Hutchins, the pioneer minister, took up the work in this field, and with the use of the schooner "Herald," preached and sold books, also distributed other literature. After years of faithful labor he fell at his post as a tried warrior. He was succeeded by Elder I. G. Knight.

On September 7 the brethren of the Panama Mission field were called together to consider the advisability of organizing the field into a conference; and on the eleventh it was organized into the West Caribbean Conference, with the countries of Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, and the adjacent islands as its territory. This covers an area of about 164,268 square miles.

There are two ordained ministers, two licentiates, and four holding missionary licenses. We have six churches. These with the isolated brethren and sisters, give us about two hundred and sixty-six believers in this field. We have also just started a church-school in Bocas, with Brother F. Reid as teacher. This is a necessity, and we are doing our best to make it a success. It is hard to work among the keys, and dangerous, too. On some we have quite an interest at present. The brethren here are warm-hearted and love the truth, and an experienced minister could do a good work.

I have been having some interesting experiences since coming here. On Sunday, November 4, we had a most profitable business meeting with the Bocas church. About four o'clock, accompanied by six of the brethren, we took our launch to conduct a meeting on one of the neighboring islands. We reached there safely, and after speaking on the subject of the judgment, one of the leading men, while shaking my hand, said, "We are thankful for the sermon, and no one can criticize your teachings; we welcome you back." We then started for home, to be in time for song service and preaching; but the launch would not go after we pushed out from the wharf, and there we drifted until we had to be towed back. After a while we succeeded in getting her started, and all went well until we got in the channel, where the sea is never smooth (this is the most dangerous place around these waters), when the launch was disabled. The curtains of night had begun to enwrap us, and there we were drifting, tossed to and fro in the cradle of the deep, with no sign of help, while darker and darker grew the night. We used every means at our command, but all in vain. We were drifting, carried by a strong current out to sea, with dangerous reefs near us, on which we would have been dashed to pieces had not the Lord sent us help just when the crisis came. As when the disciples were tossed on the stormy Galilee, so the Lord came to our rescue. The very people for whom we were laboring heard our distress horn, came out with a launch and picked us up. And praise the Lord, we were saved.

"Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go, Anywhere he leads me in this world below; Anywhere without him, dearest joys would fade, Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid."

Brethren, remember us and this field in your prayers.

HUBERT FLETCHER.