Canary Islands by B. B. Aldrich

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Sep 25, 1913

Canary Islands

By B. B. Aldrich

B. B. ALDRICH

THE Lord is blessing the work here. The most we can do as yet is faithfully to sow the seed, improve the opportunities we have for Bible study, and then trust to our great Leader to do by his Spirit's influence what we can never accomplish. The Lord has truly gone before and given us favor with the people in presenting the health book. I am now trying to canvass the principal towns on the island, and hope after counseling with Brother Conradi to begin the work with the Bible books.

As God has used the health book to pioneer the work in other Spanish fields, we trust that he will bless it here, where there is a sad lack of all true hygienic principles. Thus far I have taken about seven hundred and fifty orders, besides selling hundreds of health and gospel tracts to the poorer people. I have been successful in placing the book in some of the best and most-cultured families on the island.

On account of Bible readings in Santa Cruz, I have been obliged to return weekly to the home. We have been favored with a visit from a native teacher who belongs to the Baptists in Palma, and other missionaries from Palma have visited the home. We trust that God's Spirit will use the home and our association with these persons to influence them for this great truth. They are doing a good work and God is blessing them.

This is the season of the wheat-harvest, and as I was passing through the country near Laguna yesterday, selling tracts, I came to a man who was threshing the wheat with a cow. They use cows here instead of oxen. I asked him to let me ride on the sledge and drive the cow, and as they are always very polite, he kindly allowed me to do so, and I rode round and round over the wheat on the rude stone-boat, which pounded out the grain and broke up the straw. All through the country are to be seen these threshing-floors, and for two or three months the patient cows and peasants are threshing the golden grain. Afterward they throw up the wheat and straw, and the wheat falls to the ground, while the chaff and straw are blown to one side. This makes very vivid Daniel's picture of the judgment-day, in Daniel 2, where he says the nations shall become like the "chaff of the summer threshing-floors."

There are, however, signs of progress. The people seem inclined to advance. There are now two new threshing-machines and equipment here in Teneriffe, one of them in Laguna, and they present quite a contrast to the old way. Merchants in the city are putting in new store-fronts, and there are other signs of advancement. We trust this spirit may mean more liberty to preach the message. At present the majority of the people are indifferent to all religion, and the country folk especially are very ignorant and superstitious. One peasant told me he did not take his wheat to the machine, as wheat threshed with fire and water did not grow well.

We invite the prayers of all the brethren and sisters for this needy mission field.