s no middle ground. A large percentage of the churches in Brazil grew
out of the fact that a believer moved into a community and began to
tell the story of the love of Jesus to his neighbors. He may have
entered this community by choice or may have been driven into it by
persecution. However, that may be, the truth is that many a poor,
despised, often persecuted believer, has started a movement in a
community which gathered to itself a large company of believers, and
formed the nucleus of another one of those most wonderful institutions
in all the world--a church of Jesus Christ.

When I had entered the First Baptist Church in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and
stood for a moment looking about me, I heard someone exclaim, "Oh,
there he is! There he is!" and presently I found myself locked in the
affectionate embrace of an apparently very happy old woman. She was
about seventy years of age. She was the janitress of the church. She
had looked forward to our coming with joyful pleasure, and gave to us
as hearty a welcome as did anyone in Brazil. Her name was Felicidade,
which being translated means "Felicity."

Several years ago she had come from Pernambuco, in which city and State
she had labored with great success for many years in behalf of the
gospel.

When a girl of ten or twelve years of age she heard her father talk
about a book he had seen in the court-house upon which the Judge had
laid his hand as he administered the oath. She had the greatest desire
to see this book. She was married in her thirteenth year and her
husband died when she was eighteen. After his death she went from the
country to the city of Pernambuco, where she met some members of the
Congregational Church and was led by them to attend the services. She
saw the Bible and heard a sermon preached from the text, "Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst," and soon afterward she gave obedience to
Jesus.

From that time forth her whole conversation was upon the gospel and
upon the subject of bringing other people to Christ. One time when Mrs.
Entzminger was away from the city of Pernambuco she left her children
in charge of Felicidade. While Felicidade was passing along the street
with the children one day she was met by Mrs. Maria Motta and her
daughter, who stopped to admire the beautiful children. Felicidade told
who the children were and urged her new acquaintances to attend the
church services. They accepted her invitation and soon became
interested in th