Porto Rico by B. E. Connerly; Mrs. B. E. Connerly

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Nov 19, 1903

Porto Rico

By B. E. Connerly; Mrs. B. E. Connerly

Since our last report we have been as busy as the hot weather would permit, working with El Centinela de la Verdad and the books and tracts. A small degree of success has attended our efforts when measured by the financial returns, and the number of books sold; but we have succeeded in interesting a goodly number of people in our work.

Times are hard in Porto Rico. We never before witnessed such poverty as exists here, and the people, unused to work or to planning for themselves, are in a desperate condition, and know of no better way of righting things than to make the most bitter complaints against the present political administration. The papers take up and circulate these evil reports and complaints, and this makes matters worse.

In view of these conditions, we decided to publish a special number of our paper, in which we extolled labor, and published several articles on the resources of the island, and some of the simplest means of success here; also articles on the coming of Christ and the power of the gospel. This paper we sent everywhere, and the interest created was good. Many say it has had a soothing influence upon the troubled waters.

Our paper is gaining little by little, though many do not know what to think of it, as no paper of this kind was ever printed here before, and none expected it to prosper. I have been out in adjoining towns recently, and have been surprised at the success the Lord has given me, as my command of the Spanish language is so limited. When we received our second-class postal rate, it came as a token of good to those who were interested in our paper, and a number came to us, saying that they rejoiced to see this, as it was an evidence to them that our paper would not fail, as many others have. Many of the papers here run only three or four months. A superintendent of schools came to us, saying that he would assist us in any way possible, and do his best toward securing as subscribers for us all the teachers in his district. He said also that he never read anything so good in his life. We hope to see this man and a number of others yield to the power of the third angel's message.

When we consider that only seven months ago, when we published our first number, we could speak almost no Spanish, and could not depend upon one person in the island to subscribe, and then see how the Lord has prospered us in this place where Rome has ruled for three hundred years, we can but thank God, and take courage. We are only three among a million. We are now praying for a press.

MR. AND MRS. B. E. CONNERLY.