Your ShelfYour Projects

Central America

20%

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 27, 1903

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 80, No. 4.

Read the full edition

Central America

By A. N. Allen

San Lucia, Spanish Honduras.—I had an interesting experience while en route to Tegucigalpa. I took some Spanish copies of the Gospels, and walked to a small Indian village near Agua Caliente. The first time I visited this place was last March. I found the people devout believers in the Catholic Church, and whatever the priest said was law. When I mentioned the Bible, they said that the father had forbidden them to read it. So I said nothing more to them about it, only visiting them and buying their produce. When I went there this time, I told them that I had something to sell them. I showed them the little books, and a small Indian girl took them out and sold every one, twenty-three, in about ten minutes. They cooked a good dinner for me, and said they hoped I would return again soon.
While canvassing in Corosal, a town across the line from Mexico, a priest called on me, and forbade my selling Bibles to his people. I went right on, and the other priest sent word that he wanted to see me. After I had finished the town, I called upon him. We spent about an hour and a half together. He labored with me, and I asked him questions. I assure you it was interesting. He supplied me with literature, and repeated the command of the other priest. I left him without arousing his open hostility. He will have something to think about.
If we had the variety of Spanish books that we have of English, two or three could be well employed here. But as it is, it takes very little time to go over the ground with what books we have in Spanish. In and about Guatemala there are quite a number of Germans, and some English-speaking people, and in the republic of Guatemala a large per cent are able to read. True, it has just been the scene of a great disaster, but the more need for the message of love. As yet, I think nothing has been done there by us. On the steamer which brought us from Belize there were a Protestant missionary and his wife on their way to Guatemala.
A. N. Allen.