The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 6

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6 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

work has prospered and grown under the manifest
blessing of God. ;

Several years after the work had been begun in
Brazil, the door was also opened for our laborers
to the neighboring Republic of Argentina. In that
country many German Russians have settled and
are being served by our missionaries.

Nine years ago our missionaries began to preach
to the Luso-Brazilians, that is, the Portuguese-
speaking natives of Brazil. Though nominally
Catholic, these people were entirely neglected by
the Roman Church and were practically heathen.
This work among the native Brazilians is most
promising and calls for expansion. In Argentina
our missionaries are also working among the
Spanish-speaking natives with considerable success.

An institution for the training of ministers and
teachers born in South America was founded in
1904. Circumstances compelled its discontinuance
for several years, but since 1907 it has been doing
a blessed work for the missions in Brazil and Ar-
gentina. The present faculty consists of five mem-
bers, and the enrolment exceeds fifty. Just recently
the churches of Argentina have also opened a higher
institution for the preparation of pastors and
teachers. L. C. G. D.

What the Gospel Can Do.

When our Lord Jesus Christ issued His gra-
cious command to preach the Gospel to every crea-
ture, Matt. 28,19, the disciples well understood

4 Wedding at San Juan, Entre Rios, Argentina.

Including the Luso-Brazilian missions, the total
number of congregations and preaching-stations in
Brazil, at the present time, is over 140, at which
more than forty pastors are caring for more than
20,000 baptized members, about 10,000 of whom
have also been confirmed. In Argentina the total
number of places served is over sixty, with almost
6,000 baptized and over 2,500 communicant mem-
bers. About fifteen pastors are working in Ar-
gentina. :

Work among the Negroes of Brazil has also been
taken up by several of our missionaries, and the
promise of the Lord by the mouth of Isaiah that
His Word shall not return void is being fulfilled
in these missions among the Negroes of South
America.

that they were to proclaim Him as the only Savior
from sin, death, and hell. ‘The action of those
faithful apostles of Christ in preaching Christ the
Crucified One as the only Way to heaven certainly
proves their comprehension of the divine statement.
And the establishment of the Christian churches
wherever they promulgated. Christ also proves the
efficacy, under God’s blessing, of their public testi-
mony of the Lamb of Calvary; or as St. Paul would
say: “The Gospel is the power of God unto salva-
tion to every one that believeth.” Rom. 1, 16.
But there are still people who declare such tes-
timony to be vain; and some maintain that, if it
is not vain, the meager results do not warrant the
great expense. Still others adhere to the false
notion that those whom God wishes to save will

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