The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 135

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

nigsmier at Jacksonville, with 39 pupils. The total
contributions of this little flock amounted to $586
in 1932. At Jacksonville the young people, 25 in
number, meet regularly for Bible class.

Yet it is not at all times sunshine. For often
this very paradise is hit by devastating storms,
which leave wreck and-ruin in their tracks.
Recently, when the Walther League convened at
Chicago and the pastor, who had been granted a
well-deserved leave of absence of a few weeks’ vaca-
tion, also grasped the opportunity to attend it,
& severe storm swept over the island again. The
student most vividly depicts his impressions of the
storm in a letter to his pastor. We cannot refrain
from quoting from his letter, as it will no doubt lead
us on to pray more fervently and more earnestly
that God would protect our missions and
our missionaries everywhere, at home and
abroad.

We quote in part: “The lights going out
and the time being so limited the following
night, made it impossible for me to write
at length. So I will try to supplement while
I have daylight. ...

“Sunday morning I got up at my usual
hour, planning on going over to Lugo by
boat. There was an ugly cloud hanging in
a northerly direction, and Moddriel advised
me to forget about going over. And it is
lucky that I heeded his advice; for in about
fifteen minutes it started to rain with a driv-
ing wind. It rained all morning and after-
noon, so that I could not hold services at
either place, none of the people being able to come
in the afternoon at Jacksonville. I spent the time
reading, never thinking of a storm. I had my radio
at the repair shop and so, of course, had no storm
warnings. About four o’clock I noticed that the
wind was growing quite strong, causing the house
to shake a little. I went out and looked around and
saw some of the people protecting their houses from
the storm. So I tinkered around with mine a bit
and got it into as strong a shape as I could. Sam
came in then. He had just been at Beatus’s place
and said their barometer had gone down five points
since noon. I knew then that a fierce storm was
coming. I then grabbed a bite to eat while Sam
was moving into the mission house and then set out
to see how’ the other people were faring. 'This‘was
a little after five. Quite a gale was blowing then;
in fact, it was growilig stronger all the time. ” I had
to brace myself in ‘order to be able to walk and had
to move along slowly. I found some of the people

rather frightened and some of the houses shaking
rather badly. Naturally I told every one that they
were welcome to come down to the mission house if
they thought they would be safer there. Limbs were
being broken from the trees, and there was a great
deal of noise. Temp decided to stay in his place
and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Rivers moved in with
him. Moddriel stayed in his place, and with him
were Kenny, Captain David, Monoah, and Sim
Powery, Jr. and Sr. The rest of the people all
moved into the mission house. So I had quite a
crowd. I helped carry children down and made my-
self as useful as I could. Carrying a child was
rather difficult now since the wind had grown to
a hurricane. One stayed on the trail as best he
could. Sometimes I was swept some distance away

Our Lutheran Chapel in Santa Fe, Isle of Pines.

from it. Many branches and much rubbish was
lying in the way, which made walking all the more
difficult. Upon arriving at the mission house, those
who had brought dry clothes with them put them on.
The rain beat through the sides of the house and
made the floor somewhat wet, but the roof did not
leak, and so we were comparatively dry.

“All this while the wind had been blowing from
the north. At seven o’clock it suddenly stopped
blowing, and we had a perfect calm. The people
remembered the 1926 storm, however, and so took no
chances. Most of them remained at the mission
house. Some that had brought no dry clothes hur-
ried home and got some and then returned. The
calm lasted for about forty-five minutes and then
the wind set in again, this time from the south. The
first puffs were terribly strong and blew two good-
sized holes into my thatched roof. Every one was
fearful lest the whole roof should go. But fortu-
nately the rest of it withstood the wind. Every one