# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S134
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

134 Missions in General

every pastor and every congregation. We fully realize that the
progress will be slow. The days of phenomenal growth of missions,
such as our fathers were wont to see, are no more. It will mean
a winning of souls one by one.

Before we leave for foreign and distant lands, we cannot but
remind you of the blessed work done by the missionaries to the
deaf and blind. Do you know that there are upwards of 80,000
deaf in our country? 20 of our missionaries preach in the sign-
language at 230 stations.

Our Church is a cosmopolitan Church. We reach out to Jew
and Gentile in many foreign languages of the world. We preach
to the Indian, to the Negro, to those without Christ and His Gospel
in China'and India. The King’s business demands haste.

Home Missions beneath the Southern Cross in South America.
The Lord has opened a wide and open door in South America.
Do you know that 67 missionaries are serving 35,932 souls in Brazil,
that 25 missionaries are giving spiritual care to 10,367 in Argen-
tina, and that the work has been extended to Uruguay and to
Paraguay? And the possibilities? We believe that the missions
in South America at the present time are most promising. There
is a erying need for more workers. Permit me to quote briefly
from a letter written by President Heine of Brazil (translated
from the German):

“Our dire need. It is indeed a very serious matter, this
work of our Church here in Brazil, which has been carried on by
our workers with so much personal effort, amid so many difficulties,
and with great sacrifices and supported by our Church. If we
cannot soon devise ways and means to remedy this trying situation,
I fear it will spell disaster. I do not know what will become of it all.
Our present forces are not adequate to do the work before us.
Many of our pastors are so overburdened that it is but a question
of time how long they will be able to carry on before they will
break down. Rev.S. says: ‘How long I shall be able to perform
the task placed upon me rests alone with the Lord. Help is sorely
needed. It seems that I shall soon break down. Often I have
thought of quitting the ministry and of doing something else.
But I will carry on. And I know that you and the honorable
Board of Missions will remember me in your prayers. The work
progresses nicely, though at times in the midst of great difficulties.
Oh, that a pastor could soon be sent to C.F.!’ Pastor G. writes
soon after the opening of school, which is attended by 53 children
after vacation: ‘During the vacation I intended to rest. But it
was impossible. Dead tired and emaciated, I opened the school at
the beginning of the new school-year.’ Pastor K., a graduate of
last year who accompanied Rev. G. M. on his visit to the preaching-