Missionary Work in Mexico
By A. G. Bodwell
AFTER our council meeting last winter, at which Elders Daniells and Knox were present, I went to Guadalajara, where, after holding a few meetings, a Young People's Society was organized, and plans were laid for active missionary work. While there, I also spent some time in canvassing and in helping Brother Welch to get started in the canvassing work. Leaving Guadalajara, Brother Placencia, one of our young Mexican laborers, accompanied me on a canvassing tour down the Zapotlan branch, as far as God Stoyac. We spent a little over a week here in giving Bible readings to a young Methodist minister. He accepted all points of our faith, and arrangements were made for us to return about two or three weeks later, and baptize him. But our plans were changed on account of unavoidable circumstances, so that we were unable to visit that place again. However, I am still in correspondence with the young man, and he is studying the truth, and preaching it to his congregation. In his last letter he says that some of his followers are accepting the truth, and that others are rejecting it. Of all the Mexican Protestants that I have seen he seems to be the most consecrated. He has certainly had a remarkable experience. We returned by way of Guadalajara, and made a trip through the State of Michoacan, canvassing all the towns of any importance through which we passed. The people of this State are more fanatical than those in other States of the republic, but the Lord blessed us in a remarkable way, and we were able to take a goodly number of subscriptions for our paper. When we reached Acambaro, Brother Placencia went to his home in Guadalajara, and I started for Mexico City, intending to canvass the towns on the road; but I had hardly finished the first town when I was taken sick, and had to go directly home. The last month of the trip was the best for me. During this month I secured two hundred and sixty paid subscriptions for our paper, besides selling quite a number of books. I remained at home over two months. When I was able I spent a good portion of my time in canvassing or in giving Bible readings. Some days I felt tolerably well, but other days I had to go to bed. About the middle of last month I left home again in company with Brother Hartman. We stopped in Toluca, where I spent a few days in getting him started in the work. I then came to San Luis Potosi Edo. S. L. P., where I have been quite busy. The third Sabbath before leaving home was a good day for our little church in Mixcoac. Two Americans, Brother and Sister Blachly, were received into the church. Brother Blachly is a colporteur for the American Bible Society. He began keeping the Sabbath as a result of Brother Cooper's labors with him. It was with him that I made the trip to Chiapas. His wife was very much opposed to the truth, but finally the Lord opened the way for me to give her Bible readings, and after she had studied point by point carefully, she too decided in favor of the truth. Next to the last Sabbath that I was at home I had the privilege of baptizing Brother Nelson, a young Scandinavian to whom I had been giving Bible readings. As I look over my work for this year, the visible results seem very small, but this is a difficult field, and will require steady patient labor. I realize that all I can do is to sow the seed, and that to God belongs the work of giving the increase.