DARK VENEZUELA | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 11, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 32.

DARK VENEZUELA.

VENEZUELA is, like all Roman Catholic countries, robed in dense darkness. From a letter from a devoted lady missionary now laboring in that land, we take the following extracts, not giving the name and address, for fear of imperiling her existence:—

“One living daily among the people is saddened greatly by the sorrows, sins, and deep darkness of their lives; and yet I can never get over praising the Lord for His wonderful leadings, not only to this land, but to this opportunity of living among them. Occasionally one might long to get away for a day or an hour from the sorrows and burdens which press so heavily, to the companionship of those who have known Jesus and who are living saintly lives, but it can only be a passing thought and then a deeper rejoicing that our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and that we are counted worthy to be ‘burden-bearers.’ As you probably know, my health has been far from strong, so I have not therefore been enabled to do the aggressive work that I had hoped; but it has at least been progressive, for I have had many opportunities of reaching the hearts of some, and now, as I am stronger, Señora — and I are planning (D. V.) a more aggressive work in the hill country, reached by train, foot, and donkey-back, and in this new work we ask your sincere prayers, united with ours, that tact—Holy Ghost tact—and wisdom may be given, and that we may indeed be filled with the Holy Ghost.

“Traveling expenses, except on foot, are very high here. Since the last persecution, when they were planning to drive me out of town, because of their evident fear of me, and a thought that it is best to let things be quiet, I have been endeavoring ‘to buy up the opportunities,’ sowing the seed here and there, visiting the sick, dispensing a few remedies, dressing wounds and sores, clothing and sewing for the poor, translating some tracts, teaching the Word to —, also a little boy and girl, also giving a few English lessons.

“I often wish that I could really convey an idea of the social condition of the people. Jesus is ONLY a name, with no power behind the name. They have scarcely any shame in their sins. Their hate they vent out in various and diabolical ways. Men and women with contagious disease will peel off a little skin and put it in wine, coffee, and other drinks, soups, or food, and invite their enemy, or send it to him. Leprosy and like diseases are thus spread. New Year’s eve is always spent, especially by the men, in doing their dark deeds and venting out spite until towards the morning. The friends in the house had great fears that harm would come to me. I succeeded in quieting those of — as to my life, but the mother feared that at least something might be done to the house, and they sat up until after midnight; but, praise the Lord, while other houses on all sides bore traces of evil, nothing was done to us or ours. I lay down and slept without a fear until midnight; then I was awakened by the voices, and heard the people passing and repassing until morning, almost dawn.

“The people are most superstitious; witchcraft and the ‘evil eye’ are believed in by the common people mostly. A poor woman two doors from here has a little baby. She is intelligent enough. She told me personally that she trembled and feared all the first nights that the witches would come and carry him off, or suck his blood; for they do such things until the child is baptized, so she says. They told me not to look steadily at the baby or I would kill him. The witches fly in the air, laugh, talk, do their bad deeds, give sickness, kill cattle and other animals and people. Can you believe such things possible in a civilized country, seven days out from New York? There are other things which I may tell you of later, but these are enough to give some idea of the dense darkness of this poor people, without the light of the Gospel, bound down in fear by the power of Satan. Do you wonder that our hearts are heavy when we hear upon every lip, ‘Jesus,’ ‘God,’ ‘Blessed will of God,’ ‘Your blessing, my mother, father, uncle, aunt,’ or whom it may be, and, ‘God bless you, my child’? And how hopeless the task seems, when the lives are so immoral and so dark of all who speak the words! Pray with us that a mighty wave of Holy Ghost conviction may pass over the land.”