Spain by WALTER G. BOND

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 12, 1907

Spain

By WALTER G. BOND

GRANENA DE LAS GERIGAS.—During the last two or three months we have had considerable sickness among our members. The brethren in Valencia have had a siege of typhoid fever. I spent several weeks there to help with the nursing. One young sister, the wife of a faithful canvasser, died of the fever, September 25. She was a noble soul, and died full of courage. Several of us were gathered about her bedside, as she passed away, and she said, “My hope is in God.” We thank God for the blessed hope of the resurrection. Her husband is of good courage, and wishes to do all that he can to help carry this gospel of the kingdom to his people, and thus hasten the return of our Saviour.

My brother’s wife was also very low for several weeks. The doctor gave no hope for her recovery; but God is merciful to us, and has blessed the treatments given, so that she has improved, and we hope that she will soon be restored to health.

Fourteen days ago I came with my family to this place, to encourage a family of Sabbath-keepers who had moved here from Barcelona some months ago. We found them endeavoring to live out the truth and make it known to others. To reach here we traveled about seven hours by slow train, to the city of Lerida. There our mode of travel was changed. In company with several others, we were loaded into a large cart without any springs, which was drawn by two fine large mules hitched tandem style. There were no lines attached to the leading mule; and as he had about the same disposition as most of his class, he was not always obedient to the voice of the driver, who seemed to consider every misbehavior a special demand for much bad language. I know of no other people who are, as a whole, so immoral and blasphemous in conversation as are the inhabitants of these Catalonian provinces. After seven hours’ travel in this rig, over by far the worst road we have ever seen, we arrived safely at our destination, though badly jolted and bruised.

That same evening a large crowd of neighbors gathered at our brother’s house, to hear what we might have to say. The night following, and almost every night since, we have had the house, the stairway, and the street in front of the house, filled to overflowing with attentive listeners to the Word of God. Out of the eight hundred inhabitants, there are only two families who have not attended one or more of the meetings. A large majority of these are extremely ignorant and superstitious. When France or some other of the great nations is mentioned, many of them do not know whether the speaker is talking of some great city or just a common province of Spain. On All Saints’ day special preparation is made to entertain all dead relatives. All beds are made in the best way possible on that day, so that the visiting spirits may have a comfortable rest. O, that they might find rest for their own souls, by becoming acquainted with our blessed Lord and Master! The whole town seems stirred, and we are kept busy from early morning until late at night.

But our enemy is not asleep. Several women have decided to obey the truth, but their husbands threaten to thrash, and even kill them, if they have anything more to do with the new doctrine. One, however, has taken a firm stand for the message. A well-to-do widower has also decided to obey, having discarded his tobacco, and begun the observance of the Sabbath. Two others also profess to have begun to obey the Sabbath command.

Since coming here, the rainfall has been very heavy, the greatest ever recorded for this part of the country. Some localities have been greatly damaged by floods. Many important bridges have been washed away, and some of the most productive garden and fruit land in all Spain has been so terribly damaged that the expense of living will be considerably increased this year, thus multiplying the misery which already abounds to a terrible extent in this country.

LATER.—We are home again. We are now preparing to begin a series of hall meetings. Please remember this effort in your prayers. We are enjoying excellent health, but my brother’s wife has had a relapse, and is very sick again.

WALTER G. BOND.