Brazil, South America by F. W. Spies

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · May 5, 1904

Brazil, South America

By F. W. Spies

LEAVING Itarare, our next stopping-place was Pirahy. On the road we made several visits, but found the people more interested in their lands and cattle than in the commandments of God and the soon coming of Jesus. At Pirahy we were rejoiced to find that a Brazilian blacksmith and his family had begun the observance of the Sabbath soon after Brother Holzle’s last visit. We remained in this section four days, also visiting some other Sabbath-keepers, among whom was a leper. In the provinces of Sao Paulo and Parana are a number of lepers, who, as a rule, live isolated. The leper brother referred to above is awaiting baptism, along with several others who live in that section. But it was impossible to baptize them at this time.

From Pirahy we came to Ivahy. At this latter place we visited a widowed sister and her family, who suffer much and bitter persecution from their former Roman Catholic friends and acquaintances. While at Ivahy, we made the acquaintance of a man who informed us that he did not travel on the Sabbath. (In the Portuguese language the seventh day of the week is called “Sabbado,” which is Sabbath.) Upon conversing with him further, he said that where he lived there were several families who were keeping the Sabbath. Of course we were glad to hear this, for we had not had any knowledge of these people, and I do not know that they had any definite knowledge of us. As the time had come for me to turn my steps homeward, it having been previously arranged by our conference committee for me to conduct a canvassers’ institute the latter part of January and February, Brother Holzle went with this new-found brother to visit and labor with these Sabbath-keepers of whom he told us. In a letter since received from Brother Holzle, he informs me that twelve of these are awaiting baptism. Thus the Lord is at work. The provinces of Parana and Sao Paulo are ripe for the harvest, as is also all Brazil; and as our annual conference is approaching, the great and perplexing question will be, What can we do to meet the demands of the hour? There are so few to enter the many openings that it makes one feel sad.

The brethren in the province of Rio Grande do Sul call for Brother Hipke to come there and help them, and the province of Sao Paulo, in which there is no worker, and the province of Parana, in which there is only one, also call for more workers, while in Santa Catharina, where I have been located for several years, there is also plenty of work among both Germans and Brazilians.

We find the Brazilians ready to study God’s Word, the greatest drawback being that but few of them are able to read. But as the glory of the third angel’s message enlightens the world, it is also dispelling the darkness of the benighted minds in Brazil, even of those who can not read. During this trip I was away from home four months, rode more than one thousand miles, baptized twenty-nine precious souls, all Brazilians, and enjoyed much of the Lord’s blessing. I especially enjoyed laboring with Brother Holzle these months, and the Lord often came very near to us. There are about sixty scattered Sabbath-keepers in the territory we passed through. These are not yet baptized, but about twenty-five of them are now ready for baptism. May the dear Lord bless and strengthen all these his children, and keep them all faithful. F. W. SPIES.