to return to our homeland, to put the great needs of their country before
the people. They cried, both men and women, and pressed upon us until we
thought we could never get ready to start. I had to put our suit-cases in
a room and lock the doors so I could finish packing, for the house was
full of precious souls begging to hear more of the Gospel, and telling us
how much they loved us, and what a great blessing we had been to them.
Our hearts were breaking over the people, for they were as sheep without
a shepherd. May God bless and keep them true to Him.
We were packed and ready to go to the train when there came a big
procession of people marching into the house. Some of them we had not
met before, and some we had seen on the streets and in the markets, when
we were preaching and giving out tracts. Many of them had come to our
meetings, had heard and accepted the Gospel, and had been filled with
the blessed Holy Spirit. They brought many presents, among them a nice
leather bill-book for my husband, a manicuring set for Alma, pretty fans
for me, and boxes of candy for Carl. Many useful presents they brought,
some of which had cost much money, for everything is much more expensive
there than in our country. Even rich people had come and brought presents
to show their appreciation of our missionary work among them.
When the train pulled in, and we were about to go on board, several
doctors and lawyers and the judge of the city came, saying they were
going to the port with us to stay until our ship sailed, and there was
the crowd standing outside waving their hands and saying, “Good-bye,
don’t forget to pray for us, and send us Bibles.” Oh that scene! We
shall never forget it. As the train started the people hung on to the
side, waving their hands, and calling “Good-bye, our good missionaries;
we love you so much.”
We had many opportunities to witness for Jesus and to give out literature
on the way to the port. The people were so hungry they would run and beg
for more tracts.
When we arrived at the port station we were taken to a hotel by one of
the men who had gone with us, and there a fine dinner was given us in a
special dining room, and we had a nice time.
We found we must appear before the American consul twice a day for
several days before sailing, as we had come from a yellow fever infected
region. We began to go that morning, for the ship bound for Panama would
come in seven days.
We made ready to leave on that boat, but there was no money for the
fare. As I prayed in my room one morning the Lord said, “Go and ask for
your mail.” I thought, “I don’t believe the mail is opened here, but on
arriving in the port is immediately sent to the different parts of the
country.” But as I prayed again the Lord spoke once more, “Go and ask for
your mail.” I knew it was the voice of the Lord, for He had wonderfully
spoken to us and led us all the way, so I went. On asking for the mail I
was told that no mail was coming for two weeks, and when it did come it
would not be opened there but would be sent out to the different parts of
the republic.
[Illustration: Women coming from the market place]
I returned to my room, wondering. I believed the Lord had sent me for
our mail, but why had the postal officials said it could not be obtained
there? Besides, there was no mail boat coming until after the other boat
had sailed. But as I prayed I heard the voice of the Lord telling me to
go again and ask for my mail. I waited until the next morning, then went
again. Once more the postmaster told me the same thing, that it would be
impossible for me to get my mail there when it did come. I must admit
that I felt at a loss to know what to do, or what it all meant. But I
couldn’t doubt the voice of the Lord. I waited another day, and prayed
until I was sure the Lord was speaking to me. Though I couldn’t see how
it all could work out, yet I knew that He knew, and had spoken.
I went again to the postmaster and explained to him that we were sailing
on the ship which was then in the harbor, and which was to leave in three
days, but again he told me the same thing; there would be no mail boat
in for two weeks, and it would be impossible to receive my mail before
that time. I returned to my room and, falling upon my face, I cried to
the Lord for help, for this seemed more than I could bear, for the enemy
was taunting me, saying that the Lord was not speaking to me, that we had
been deceived, that the Lord had not even told us to come to the port,
and that our fare would certainly not be provided. Nevertheless, the
voice of the Lord came again to me, saying, “Ask for your mail tomorrow
morning.”
When we arose the next morning we saw another ship at anchor in the
port. It had come in during the night. My husband strolled down to the
dock, and was informed that this was the mail boat from Panama, also
that our ship was not to sail until the following day, because the cargo
was not yet unloaded. When he returned with the welcome news I began to
pray again about the mail, feeling certain there was something for us on
that ship. Then I went again to see the postmaster, this time taking a
Testament to give him. This seemed the wrong thing to do, for he was a
fanatical church man, and the Gospel was not allowed to be preached in
that port. But we had gone unmolested all over the place, distributing
tracts, and preaching to the people, and the dear natives had begged for
Bibles and the little papers (tracts).
[Illustration: Alma with her music class in Leon]
Walking up to the office window, I told the man the Lord had spoken to
me, telling me there was mail there for me, which had come in on that
ship. He came to the window, began talking about the Lord, and asked me
how I knew the Lord had said there was mail there for us. I answered
that we had come to port in order to sail on the ship then in harbor,
that we did not have our fare, but the Lord had told us the fare would
be provided after we reached the port. I was sure there was mail for us
there, and would he please give it to me? Handing him the Testament, I
told him to read it, and learn about the wonderful Savior who could come
into our hearts and talk to us, and lead us in such straight paths. He
began to weep, and told me he had never before seen a Bible, had hated
and persecuted the missionaries, had hated me when I came inquiring for
mail, and had not even believed in God before; but my coming so many
times, saying the Lord had told me there was mail coming for me, in spite
of my knowing that the mail ship was not due for two weeks, then the
arrival of the mail ship before time, and the postponed sailing of the
other vessel upon which I said we were to sail, had convinced him that
God was actually speaking to me, and he promised to try to get our mail.
However, there were thousands of letters, and he was rather doubtful if
he could find our mail in the midst of so much other, but promised that
if I would return in the afternoon he would do his best for me. In the
afternoon, I returned for the mail, which I was sure would be there. The
man came hurrying to me, and handed me two registered letters, saying
they were on the top of the pile of mail in the first bag he opened.
Surely God had spoken to me, he said, and he knew now there was a God,
and he was going to serve Him, so as to have Him speak to him, too. And
very earnestly he promised to read the Testament, also he asked for a
Bible for his wife, and tracts for his friends.
When I opened the two letters there, lacking twenty-five dollars, was
the amount for our fare. We sailed the following morning. Later I went
into my stateroom to find out the exact amount of money we had, to make
sure how much was lacking for the entire trip to the homeland. Sure
enough, there was exactly twenty-five dollars lacking. Again I looked to
the dear Lord for help to believe for the needed amount, and again He
spoke, telling me to open my Bible. I did so, and my eyes fell upon this
scripture:
=“And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with
thee; He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be
dismayed.”=—Deut. 31:8
Looking at the little scripture calendar hanging on the wall I saw in the
space for the day on which we would land in Panama the identical verse
I had just read. Strengthened and encouraged by this, I felt that Jesus
would make it all right, and that we were simply to trust and obey.
Upon arriving in Panama we were taken to the American Bible House, where
we were treated with the greatest kindness. Dear Mr. Duffey and his wife
gave us much valuable information about the whole of Central America, as
they were in touch with every mission station, and had themselves been
missionaries there for many years.
We had to wait three days for the ship to New Orleans, and we sweetly
rested in the Lord and trusted Him to supply that twenty-five dollars.
One day we met a young Mexican on the street, whom we had known in
Nicaragua. He was a traveling salesman from St. Louis, Mo. We had given
him a Bible and talked to him about giving his heart to the Lord, and he
had been very much interested in our work in Nicaragua. We invited him
to visit us at the Bible House, and in the evening he came. We read the
Word of God and had prayer, and he told us of his having persecuted the
missionaries in Mexico. He had never seen a Bible before he met us, but
in the United States he had learned that missionaries did a good work
among the people, so he no longer hated them. He said he was glad to have
met us and heard us preach the Gospel. “In return for this Bible which
you have given me,” he said, “and the way in which you have talked to
me, I feel I should do something for you, and the Lord,” and he passed
twenty-five dollars across the table to me. Praise the Lord! there was
the rest of our fare home. Surely God does temper the wind to the shorn
lamb, and take care of His little ones, leading them in and out where
they can find pasture.
We sailed the next day. Many were the precious souls reached by us with
the Gospel while we were in Panama; also on land and on sea after we left
there. Shall we not praise God forever for all His goodness to us, and
for the privilege of being called to preach to the nations of the earth?
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest truly is ripe;
Put ye in the sickle, and reap with all your might;
Put ye in the sickle, for the Lord calleth thee;
Put ye in the sickle, and to Him, ever faithful be;
Put ye in the sickle, ye worker of the living God;
Put ye in the sickle, in every land ye tread;
Put ye in the sickle, for the day is surely nigh;
Put ye in the sickle, for Jesus cometh from on high.
—Given in tongues, with interpretation.
[Illustration: Alma with her English class of native girls]
LEAVING NICARAGUA FOR PANAMA
We sailed on the Steamship San Juan. After placing our things in the
stateroom we went on deck and sat down. A little South American woman
came over to me and asked, “Are you a missionary?” I told her I was.
“Well,” she said, “I thought you must be a missionary, for no one else
would be away down here so far away from their homeland.”
She had been in the States studying to be a nurse, and had been saved
through a Salvation Army meeting on the street. She took my arm and said,
“Come right over here. There is a poor blind man from Salvador, and he
badly needs help.”
We thanked God, for here was another chance to cast our bread upon the
waters, another hungry soul reaching out for the truth.
We took some tracts and Testaments and went over to the man. He said he
had heard a traveling missionary preach the Gospel several years ago in
his own country, and had longed to know more about it; now here we were
to tell him. So he praised the Lord, and we wept and told him Jesus loves
us so much that He never fails to answer the prayer of an honest soul.
We gave him a Testament and some tracts on Salvation and Divine Healing
and the dear little woman read them to him. Day after day he asked for
more to be read to him. The woman asked if we could not give her some to
take home to Ecuador to her people.
There was only one man on the ship who did not take tracts and read them
and ask for more. This man said he had not read the Bible since he was a
child. Now he was too old. As we looked at him and saw the hardness in
his face, a great pity came into our hearts, and we asked the Lord to
have mercy on him and save him.
We arrived in one port in Costa Rica on September 15th, Spain’s
Independence Day. The whole country was celebrating. Our ship would have
to wait here several days, perhaps a week, the captain said, because all
the people got drunk on that day, and it would take several days for them
to sober up. We arrived at six in the morning. The noise from the cannon
and other things was terrible. We knew about how much time we had to make
connections in Panama, and that we could not stay in this port over one
day without missing connections. So we prayed that God would make these
people unload the ship that day so that we might go on.
At twelve, when we were having lunch, our ship was moving out to sea.
The men had come with their lighters and unloaded several tons of the
cargo, and we were on our way. The dear old man who would not read the
tract, ate at our table. He said he had lived there and in Panama for
fifty years, and that was the first time he ever knew them to do such a
thing. He knew it was because we prayed. So God was good not to leave him
without a witness.
A man and his wife were going to South America. They took tracts and
Testaments along which we gave them, and said they were glad to have the
light on the Second Coming of the Lord, and on Divine Healing.
There were people on board who were going to Japan, China, India, England
and the United States. All took with them the Word of God which we had
cast upon the waters. Two young men on their way to school in New York,
took along Testaments to read. They said they no longer believed in the
Church of Rome, and wanted to read the Bible.
Another boy on his way to South America came to talk with us about
the Bible. He said he wanted to read the Bible but had never had the
opportunity. So he sat on deck and read it. How he did rejoice to know
the truth! He told us how he had gone to the different temples of the
idols and saints seeking peace, but had come away from them all without
receiving any help. But now he knew the truth, and wanted to carry the
good news to his people who were still in the darkness. He said, “Why
don’t more missionaries come and tell us the truth? Won’t you go back to
your homeland and tell them of our needs and the darkness we are in?”
Stewardesses, waitresses, captains and officers all heard the story of
the Gospel, through the bread we cast upon the waters. One officer said
he was glad that someone thought of the men at sea. They were always
going and had no time to attend church and hear the Gospel. He had had
Christian parents, but they were dead. His heart was touched and with
tears running down his cheeks he said, “May God bless you for giving me
this Testament. I shall read it, and pray every day, as I want to meet my
dear mother in Heaven.” He had been at sea twelve years, and that was the
first time anyone had said a word to him about salvation.
The doctor on the ship was so interested he would leave his office for
hours and come and talk with us. He had been on that line many years and
he had been shocked to see the condition in the Latin-American countries,
and the church at home seemed to be doing nothing. He took tracts and
papers and talked with us about prophecy. He said he knew the Lord was
coming soon. We invited him to meetings with us at Colon. He came to the
Bible House and to the meetings and said he was going to a Pentecostal
meeting when he returned to the States.
While in Panama we visited the Sea Wall M. E. Church, where there is a
work among the natives. But all who come to the school have to pay. That
leaves the poor population wholly untouched by the Gospel. We looked over
the field and found it a great white harvest field, where laborers are
badly needed. In all these parts the people are hungry for the Gospel.
[Illustration: Alma reading a Bible story to her girls]
There is a little union church in Colon in which a few people are praying
for a revival. It is a wonderful opportunity for a band of workers to go
and hold evangelistic meetings. There are many English-speaking people
in these parts, but Pentecost has not been preached. We believe God will
raise up workers and send them to this place. Besides the people who live
here, there are hundreds of ships coming and going to all parts of the
world. Many souls could be reached.
As I stood on the beach one day,
And saw the breakers roll in from the way,
The great waters piled up high—
I cried, “O, God! open the flood gates of mercy
Send rivers of Thy Spirit, don’t pass this people by.”
SAILING FROM PANAMA
Finding a ship that was to sail for New Orleans we went aboard and set
forth, carrying with us many more tracts and Testaments so that we might
cast bread upon the waters among other people.
Soon after leaving the port I noticed a man on board whom we had met
in another place. He was a gambler, who traveled and gambled on ships
all the time. We had spoken to him of the Bible and about the Lord, but
he had said he did not think anyone ought to talk about the Bible and
religion, as such talk would make people lose their minds. We were only
getting people stirred up, and that wasn’t good. I heard him tell the
captain we were missionaries, and that wherever we went we talked about
God and the Bible, but he hoped we would not be allowed to do so on this
trip.
[Illustration: An Indian woman who came to the meeting and was saved.]
Some of the people looked so very aristocratic that the enemy said to me,
“You had better not give out tracts and Testaments on this boat, as the
people will not listen, for they will think you are a fanatic.” But I
felt I must let my light shine here as well as in other places. So I went
to my stateroom to pray. I opened my Bible to read and saw in it a little
tract, containing these words:
=“Have you overcome the worldly opinions of the sect which is everywhere
spoken against by taking your stand with it? What would Jesus have you
do? Have you done that? If the world has nothing to say against you,
Jesus will have nothing to say for you. His grace is sufficient. Ask
Him.”=
That was a message to my heart. I said, “Lord, I will go through this
ship and give out tracts to everyone. Now, Lord, you bless every dear
heart, and open to them the Gospel.”
As I passed around the deck giving out tracts, a man and his wife asked
what church I belonged to. I told them I belonged to
=“The Church of the First Born.”=
Then I told them about the Pentecostal people, and how we had received
the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, as the people did on the day of
Pentecost, and told them that God was pouring out His Spirit on the
earth, and that Jesus was coming again soon. They were Seventh-Day
Adventist missionaries from Colombia, South America, coming home on
furlough. They had been on the field four years, but had only been
selling their literature. Nobody had been saved, but they thought that
when, they went back again they would be able to do something, as the
people would have an understanding of their religion and the keeping of
the Sabbath Day. We could see their lives were empty, and that they knew
nothing about worshiping God in Spirit and in truth.
We had many talks together about the law of Moses and the ten
commandments. We showed them we are dead to the law through the body of
Christ, and that we should serve in newness of Spirit and not in the
oldness of the letter. Oh, how these dear hearts did respond to the
Word of God! They had been reading the many different books of their
denomination, but did not have a Bible. We asked them to read the Word of
God that would bring Spirit and Life into their lives and we gave them a
nice Bible. As we separated in New Orleans, they took my hand and said,
“Thank God for sending you on this ship. We felt empty and dry, and now
we know what is the trouble. We shall read and pray until we are filled
with the blessed Holy Spirit, and when we return to our mission-field we
can preach the Gospel to the people.”
A family coming from South America took tracts and Testaments and called
for more. They said they were Lutherans, had been raised in that church,
felt a lack in their lives, and wanted to have the power and glory of God
in their souls. They believed that Jesus was coming soon.
Every time we went into the parlor and sat down we had a congregation,
for the poor people were so hungry they would come and ask us to tell
them more about this wonderful way.
A great hurricane was sweeping the Gulf. A wireless message had been
received that the storm was terrible, and warning us to prepare for it
before leaving the port. The blackness was awful on the waters as we went
out. As we moved slowly out of the inner harbor, some battleships were
having target practice at sea. Two submarines partly submerged, were
slowly moving along to keep ships from coming too close to where the
sailors were shooting.
The Lord said to me, “Just as those submarines are placed here to protect
the ships from the shooting, so I will place My angels around this ship
and the storm shall not molest you.”
=“Only believe and rest in Me.”=
The passengers were frightened, and the captain gave orders to have the
storm doors and windows put in, and the ship made ready to meet the
terrible hurricane. But on we sailed, and the storm moved on in front of
us, all the way to New Orleans. Only once did we get into it a little for
a few minutes. The rain came down in floods, the wind blew with great
force, thick darkness settled down over the ship, and we were tossed
by the great waves that arose. Many became sea-sick and ran to their
staterooms for life-preservers. The captain gave orders to have the life
boats in readiness.
As we passed into our staterooms, not to get the little cork-and-canvas
life preservers that were lying there, but to get in touch with the One
Great Life-Preserver, who said He would give His angels charge over us,
there came into our hearts a sweet rest and peace. After prayer we
arose and went on deck. As I passed through the door I met the captain,
who said, “I have been looking for you and your husband, that you might
pray for our ship to be saved, as there is no other hope.” He himself
lifted up his hand and asked God to drive back the storm. Just then the
blackness swept off the decks, the ship straightened up, and the sun
smiled down upon us. Surely God giveth His angels charge over us, that we
should not dash our feet against a stone.
“Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.”
From that time on we were sailing just behind the big black hurricane. A
ship that had been following us was caught in the storm, and for three
days and nights they were lost and had no hope of being saved. A young
man from this ship rode on the train with us from New Orleans to St.
Louis. He told us of the terrible things they suffered. How they all had
life-preservers on many times, and were ready to get into the life-boats,
as they thought the ship would go down.
On our ship every passenger, officer and member of the crew took tracts
and Testaments and read them. The captain told us he was glad to have
someone on the ship who knew how to pray. On the previous trip he brought
some women from Colon who were dope fiends. The whole boat was in a
terrible uproar all the way, and he feared God would let them all go
down for such wickedness. He himself knew something of the power of God.
He took a Bible and tracts and asked for some of our books for the ship’s
library. Shall we not give these men some good books to read at sea?
The gambler, whom I heard say we were always talking about the Lord, came
to me and said, “I want to get some papers and a Bible. I have always
been a wicked man, but since I have been on this boat I have made up
my mind to give my heart to God and live different.” He said he had a
Christian mother who taught him to kneel at her knee and say his evening
prayer, and he wanted to meet her in Heaven, for he knew she was there.
One of the professors from the Northwestern University was on board. He
had been traveling through all the Latin-American countries, gathering
information for the new history he was writing. He came to talk with us,
saying he was interested in mission work. We gave him all the information
we could about the different parts of the country we had visited. He
said, “I know you people have something I haven’t. What is it?” He was a
member of the Presbyterian church, and had been since he was a very young
child. His father was a minister, so he had always been brought up in the
church.