March 26 by A. C. Bourdeau

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, April 21, 1885

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 62, No. 16

March 26

By A. C. Bourdeau

Italy.

The Waldensian Valleys.—Many of our friends in America have doubtless read, with interest, works that have been published concerning the Waldenses of the valleys of Piedmont, and the persecutions and sufferings they endured in the Dark Ages, and even more recently, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, on account of their faith. Would that the inhabitants who occupy these valleys now,—being mostly the descendants of those heroes who suffered so much in the past,—might have the firmness, the integrity, and the disposition to fully live out the truth, and to suffer for Christ’s sake, that their forefathers had.

During the present century, an effort has been made by the Protestants to gain a foothold here. They now have an educational institution in Torre Pellice, and nearly twenty houses of worship, with perhaps more than that number of preachers, in these valleys and the surrounding mountains. The means for the support of their institution, preachers, etc., come almost entirely from abroad. For some time it has been thought that their officials were too much at ease in Zion, and did not manifest the zeal and activity in the work which they should; hence real piety is at a very low ebb among them, and immorality, drunkenness, imbecility, deformity, degradation, and stern poverty, seem to be nearly as apparent among the professed Protestants as among the Roman Catholics. Still there are honest people in this part of old Italy, as well as in other surrounding countries, who seem to have their eyes opened to these things, and to manifest an interest in the work of the Lord; but they need to have their minds enlightened by the great and glorious truths that belong to our times.

I am happy to be able to confirm the good news which has been published concerning the work that is in progress in Torre Pellice. After I reached these valleys, Feb. 24, my brother and I labored together one week, until his return to Switzerland. He was worn on account of excessive labor, and it seemed necessary that he and Bro. Vuilleumier should return home for a while. Notwithstanding the determined opposition which is made in many ways against us and against the views we advocate, the work here seems to be progressing slowly but surely. We now have a meeting hall which will hold two hundred persons. Thus far I have given nine discourses per week—forty in all—besides visiting families with Bro. Geymet. The new converts feel more established in the truth; and others who had been discouraged on account of difficulties they had encountered, have decided to move onward with God’s people. New friends are expressing their desires to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, that they may be prepared for Christ’s coming.

Last Sabbath, March 21, we organized a Sabbath-school, according to the plan adopted by our churches, for children and adults. The lessons employed are the same as those printed for our Sabbath-schools elsewhere. At its commencement our school here had twenty-two members.

Good news comes to us from Roumania, Corsica, and other places, which shows that our new friends are holding on to the truth. May God speed on his work. Laborers in the Master’s vineyard, let us buckle on the armor anew, and take courage in the Lord. A. C. Bourdeau.