Chile, South America by F. H. Westphal

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 8, 1906

Chile, South America

By F. H. Westphal

The great catastrophe of Valparaiso and the general destruction caused by the earthquake have opened the way for a special number of the Senales de los Tiempos. It was agreed to publish an edition of fifty thousand. The subjects treated in this special number are as follows: A Great Earthquake, The Catastrophe of Valparaiso, The Cause of Earthquakes, Terrible Scenes of the Disaster, What Do These Things Mean? Some of the Great Disasters of the Present Year, When Will the Next Earthquake Occur? The Fiery Demon, etc.

The condition of the post-office made it impossible to send periodicals away from Valparaiso. Our small company of workers there took hold of the work, and in less than three days over seven thousand copies of the Senales were sold. Others besides our brethren asked for the privilege of selling our paper. A blind man sold several hundred copies readily, and a man with only one foot hobbled through the streets, which were filled with broken timbers and bricks and mounds of rubbish, and sold the Senales with great pleasure. Newsboys took the paper and cried out: “Senales de los Tiempos, a special number.” “All about the earthquake and the great disaster. What do these things mean?” Brother Balado, who thought that he would never do as a salesman, sold eleven hundred copies in three days. A sister who is so timid that she can scarcely speak to any but her most intimate friends, sold several hundred copies. When the people have a mind to work, something can be done.

I am now on my way north with five or six thousand copies of the Senales to distribute among some of the companies, for them to sell. Rolls to be sent to other places I have in bags, and when I reach Antofagasta, I shall mail them. Some of these will go to Peru and Ecuador. We shall have to send other packages to other places by some of our brethren. In order to warn the people a sharp, quick work will have to be done. We have published more copies of this special number than we usually publish during an entire year. We are planning to follow this number with another special number. Courage and faith are taking hold of our people.

In Santiago packages of tracts had been left on the shelves untouched, but immediately after the earthquake our brethren took them, and sold them readily. We need now to give the loud cry of the third angel’s message. I took some copies of the Senales onto the boat, and in twenty minutes sold forty of them, and after that some would come and inquire for them. If we are faithful, we shall soon be known in all the world as those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Let all our people everywhere spread the message with heart and with hand, and very soon thousands of other voices will be heard saying, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” The Saviour himself has designated the faithful in this movement as such.

Brethren, let us work, watch, and pray, and we shall soon be gathered from the east and the west and from the north and the south, to sit down in the kingdom of our God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the faithful of all ages. What a gathering of the faithful that will be! Now there must be a scattering of the faithful to a greater extent than there is. Those in congested centers ought to move out where they are needed, and they would then have no time to quibble about the origin of some of the Testimonies that do not suit them.

Let us pray that God may speed on the wheels of progress, until the light of present truth shall have scattered the thick darkness of every corner of this dark world. Light, precious light, is called for from every part of this groaning, dark world.

We are almost home, dear brethren, and in heaven conditions will be different, and there we can often come to the city of our King. All will be pure and holy there. F. H. WESTPHAL.