THE “GOOD NEWS” REACHES CHILE

The preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom began in Chile with the arrival of Richard Traub. Brother Traub had learned the truth in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and had dedicated his life to Jehovah in 1925. While he was pioneering in Argentina near the Andes Mountains, a desire grew within him to open up the preaching work in Chile. Brother Juan Muñiz, the then branch overseer in Argentina, agreed that it seemed to be a good idea. Brother Traub was assigned to Chile.

He arrived in Santiago on the evening of April 30, 1930. Of course, there was no one to meet him at the train station, and that night he stayed at a nearby hotel. The next day he rented a room. Brother Traub tried to cash a check that had been given him to help him to get started, but he could not get the money immediately, since the bank had to find out if there were funds to cover the check. In the meantime his money and gifts of food ran out, and our self-sacrificing pioneer brother went for eight days without eating!

Although he had no literature to offer, on May 4, 1930, he began to work from house to house. It was with full confidence in Jehovah and with a true missionary spirit that Brother Traub began his work as the first Witness among the 4,000,000 people living in this land at that time.

The Roman Catholic religion had been the state religion until the year 1925 when a new constitution, separating Church and State, was adopted. While working from house to house, Brother Traub was questioned by the police, but when he explained the nature of his work he had no difficulty whatsoever. He found there truly was freedom of worship.

Brother Traub described his feelings during those early times this way: “Each Sunday as the hour of the Watchtower study drew near I would walk to Mount San Cristóbal and under the shade of the trees immerse myself in study and prayer. Yes, I felt very lonely and had a consuming desire to talk to another brother about the truth, but following my private study I felt strengthened and was filled with the realization that I was not alone. I was ready for another week’s work.”

INTERESTED PERSONS ARE FOUND

While witnessing from house to house, Brother Traub met a God-fearing man by the name of Juan Flores. He accepted literature and asked many questions. At the time he was being visited by the Seventh-Day Adventists. However, after listening to a discussion between them and Brother Traub, Flores decided to study the book The Harp of God.

“Thereafter,” Brother Traub relates, “I rented an apartment and began to invite people to a public Bible lecture and Bible study each Sunday. Juan Flores, the first person who responded to an invitation, asked: ‘And the others, when will they come?’ My answer was: ‘They will come.’” And within a short time they started to come.

In the area called the Quinta Normal, Brother Traub found a man who accepted literature and who then invited him to give Bible talks at his evangelist church. Juan Flores accompanied Brother Traub and listened to him share the Kingdom message with those gathered. They were invited to return. The evangelical preacher was happy because attendance was up and the collection plates full after a visit from Brother Traub. Brother Traub did not agree with the collection plates, so he gave a talk at the church based on John 10:12 and the “hired man.” With that the majority of the churchgoers, among them a young lady, Consuelo Galvez, began to attend the meetings conducted by Brother Traub. In time the evangelist preacher was left alone, his group having disappeared.

Juan Flores invited Brother Traub to live at his home on Concón Street and to use it as a meeting place. (It has since been enlarged, and to this day it is used as a Kingdom Hall.) After a little more than 10 months of activity the time had arrived for the interested ones to be baptized. So Brother Traub wrote Brother Muñiz and asked if he might come for that historic occasion.

On February 13, 1931, the first baptism in Chile was conducted by Jehovah’s Witnesses with Brother Muñiz giving the talk. The eight persons baptized on that occasion were Juan Flores, his wife Teresa, his mother Delfina Villablanca, Juan Castillo, Pedro Ortiz, Roberto Rojas, Margarita Sandoval and another Sister Flores. According to Brother Traub, all eight continued faithful.