OPPORTUNITIES FOR MISSIONARIES IN MEXICO.
By A. G. Bodwell; Wife
BEFORE coming to Mexico we had heard so much about the condition of things here that we imagined it was a country filled with cutthroats and robbers. We felt that nearly every man's hand would be against us. But so far we have found things much better than we expected. Mexico City with its suburbs is said to contain five hundred thousand people. And there seems to be far less crime here than in cities of the same size in America. The people are very polite and friendly. In fact, I believe that they can teach us many lessons in politeness and courtesy. It does us good to see the affection that they show for one another. It is true that many of them have bad habits, and that some of them cannot be trusted. But this is true of all nations. On the whole, we think that the people here compare quite favorably with the people of other nations, considering the advantages they have had. One of the greatest needs in Mexico at the present time is converted people — those who will live the life of Christ before the people. I do not know of another country that offers such advantages to self-supporting missionaries. There are many enterprises that can be carried on that will return a good living. One of our brethren here, who receives one hundred dollars a month for keeping the books of a firm, has been canning fruit in a small way during the time that he could spare from his work, and in two months has cleared five hundred dollars. This brother expects to clear between five and ten thousand dollars in the same business next year. Another brother has been running a bakery in San Luis Potosi for about a year, and is now taking in about one thousand dollars a month. One of our sisters is acting as governess in a Mexican family at Dolores Hidalgo, for which she receives seventy dollars a month and board. Every little while we notice advertisements in the papers for an American governess. The people are anxious to learn our language and our ways. It is not very hard work for one to get a school of Mexican children to teach. It is not necessary to understand their language in order to teach them English. Several of our brethren could move to the same locality, buy a tract of land, and start a church school. In this way they could give employment to the natives, and teach them the truth. This is one of the finest countries for farming that I have ever seen. Almost anything you plant will grow. It is not as it is in the United States, where only one crop is planted in a year. You can plant here as fast as you can gather the previous crop. They cut alfalfa about every month or six weeks. There are many other enterprises which would yield a good income, and enable our people to get the truth before this people who are in such great darkness. But time and space will not allow me to speak of them at present. If any one who is thinking of coming to Mexico has any questions to ask, Prof. G. W. Caviness, Tacubaya, D. F., Mexico, or myself will take pleasure in answering them. Just think of a country where you have fresh fruits and vegetables the year round, with a climate that is almost perfect. And in this country there are thousands and thousands of people who know nothing of the truth which we love so dearly. Many of them are anxious to know how they can serve God more perfectly. We trust that God, by His Holy Spirit, may impress the hearts of some of our brethren and sisters who know the truth, and have a real burden for souls, to come to this needy field.