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Review and Herald Publishing Assn. · Washington, D.C. · Dec 31, 1903

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 80, No. 52.

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Argentina

By N. Z. Town

CRESPO.— We have watched with interest the removal of headquarters from Battle Creek to Washington, and it has rejoiced our hearts to see the manifest leading of the Lord. The willingness to follow the heavenly counsels is sure to give fresh courage to our brethren everywhere.
We have no discouraging report to send from this part of the field. Brother McCarthy writes me that fifty-five are firm in the truth, as the result of the effort in Missiones. The Lord is working in a wonderful manner there.
We pitched our tent in the village of Crespo, Entre Rios, early in September, to hold a local meeting for the brethren of the province. Each evening we had a meeting in the Spanish language, for the benefit of the people in the village and vicinity. These meetings were conducted by Dr. Habenicht and myself. The day meetings were conducted mostly by Brethren Westphal and Maas, in the German language, as our brethren in this vicinity are German. There was a good attendance of our own people, and at the close of the meeting four were baptized.
As there was considerable interest manifested on the part of the Spanish-speaking people, Mrs. Town and I remained to follow up the interest. It is slow work among these Catholic natives, who have never seen a Bible, but we are seeing some results. Five have begun the observance of the Sabbath, and have expressed a desire for baptism.
From here Brethren Westphal and Maas went to a German colony on the east side of the province, with the tent. They pitched the tent in the village, near the place where we held our general meeting in March, and where Brother Maas has since been working. In a letter just received from Brother Westphal, he reports five baptized recently, and others keeping the Sabbath, who will be baptized soon.
One of our native workers, Brother Diriwachter, is working in the province of Santa Fe. He reports that a German Catholic family with four sons has begun to keep the Sabbath.
A few months ago a young German teacher came to our school to study. He had to room with other young men. When they had their worship together before retiring, he made sport of it for a time. But after a while he grew more serious, and it became clear that he was having a struggle with the truth. At last he gave in, and sent me the following note:—
“I have decided to be baptized, to liberate myself from this load that Iam always carrying, and to find eternal peace. Although I do not expect that my life from now on will be free from tornadoes, I believe the Lord will help me in the struggles I may have to go through, if I give myself entirely to him. May the Lord help me in a fulfilment of that which I to-day promise. Do not forget me in your prayers; and let me know where the baptism will take place.”
The young man has taught school for some time among the German colonists here, who are opposed to us, and it has cost him quite a struggle to take this stand; but he could not withstand the power of the truth. So, even in this dark land, the good work is going forward slowly, for which we give thanks to our Heavenly Father.
N. Z. TOWN.