“Then the men flocked round. I speak specially about the women, because
their rule is that when a stranger visits their camp the women keep in
the background, or peep out through their well-ventilated grass-huts;
but these people were from Tres Pozos, and they had seen me squatting
round their fires, and moving freely in and out among their friends. I
was no longer a stranger but one of themselves.”
We will now make our way southward through Argentina, travelling for
many miles from one city to another by mule back. They are inhabited
by children of all nations, but speaking the one common language of
Spanish. These cities have their churches, convents and cathedrals, and
everywhere you see priests and so-called “holy” women.
In Cordoba, the Brethren are doing a splendid missionary work. Mr and
Mrs Will Payne and their children, with Miss Emily Reynolds, and others
are seeking to win the children to Christ.
A priest was holding a service at one of the Roman Catholic churches.
Amongst other things he promised everyone present that evening seven
years’ release from purgatory for their attendance at the service! A
rich young lady promised candles to one of the Virgins, if her prayers
were answered.
In the Sunday-school work only the better-class children are being
reached, as for the most part the poor children live so far away.
In San Martin, a village near Cordoba, a little Sunday-morning school
has been started. There are always a few listeners at the door, who are
afraid to come in. When invited to enter they say: “No, I must not, you
are heretics!” One of the Sunday-school boys, who attended a day-school
under the supervision of Roman Catholics, was expelled because it was
discovered that he attended the little morning Sunday-school.
How helpless the missionaries are in matters like these! For the power
of Rome is very great in these fanatical places. But this little
difficulty was speedily removed, for a Spanish woman who had recently
come from Spain had been a day-school teacher before her marriage in a
missionary school in Spain! She felt constrained to open a day-school
here, and so the children who attended the Sunday-school went also to
the day-school.
Best of all the Word of God is read and taught every morning for half
an hour. How true the proverb is: “What you put into the life of a
nation, you must put into its schools.”
There was an orphan school kept by a few Christians who loved little
children, a few miles out of Cordoba. A little boy was very ill,
dying of consumption; and he was brought to a hospital in the city.
The little fellow knew the Gospel, and had his Testament with him.
His precious Book was taken away from him; and although he was so ill
he was given no peace till he was driven to confess to a priest and
renounce the Gospel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account