SAVAGE FLAME

[Music] the focus chart and sound section give the projectionist an opportunity to adjust the sound level and focus the lens before the start of the picture in a moment the focus chart and music will end followed by five seconds of darkened screen before the actual picture begins [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] here is south america continent of contrasts one-seventh of the land in the world and only a twentieth of the world's people civilizations older than christianity and tribes that have never heard of christ magnificent cities and unmapped jungles tropical beauty and searing savage fire and here above all is a challenge [Music] begin with a city we are in rio de janeiro the most spectacular seaport on earth high above the harbor stands the great statue of jesus as if gazing down on the people below [Music] if the statue really could see this is what would meet its eyes an aerial cable car climbing to the top of sugarloaf with a breathtaking panorama of the city tourists exclaiming over rio splendor a workman checking cables and ignoring the view and far below the graceful crescent of copacabana two miles of almost perfect beach [Music] warm breakers roll in from the south atlantic to provide endless pleasure for swimmers for those who would rather relax rio's sun is warm and its breezes summery the year round [Music] past these pleasure seekers the avenida del atlantica carries a constant stream of traffic and modern resort hotels extend for miles there is romance and color too such as this ancient aqueduct that has become a trolley bridge [Music] but such sites are not all of south america it is time now to leave the city for scenes best known to the church and its missionaries we have boarded a plane we are bound for the interior of this continent of contrasts we have flown many hours many miles past many mountains we have come now to a scene reminding us of the words of jesus other sheep i have which are not of this folder it is such sights that symbolize the contrast it is in areas like this far from the cities that we find the other folds the small isolated groups of people whose shepherds are christian missionaries so come with us now to watch the work of those shepherds who tend christ's other folds we are in the motto grosso the great forest [Music] [Applause] we have come to watch some medical missionaries who have dedicated their lives to battling a strange disease [Music] the medical term for the disease is brazilian pemphigus but here in the one part of the world where it occurs it has a more graphic name they call it savage fire no one knows the cause a virus bacteria something in the soil not even the doctors are sure but this much every sufferer knows the pain is like a burn eyes muscles even bones may be affected the disease is dreaded like leprosy savage fire most often strikes the young and until recently few lived longer than 15 years now however these medical missionaries use a new treatment they apply a compound of tar oil and chemicals and use hydrotherapy and special diets painful but it often brings a cure with other treatments 40 out of 100 die at this christian hospital in a recent series of cases 92 out of a hundred recovered when savage fire has been arrested patients often must learn to walk again training begins even before the sores have completely healed careful records are kept of the patient's progress and doctors rejoice at every step but sometimes there is sorrow too for this man treatment failed now the doctors can only pray and yet prayer can work miracles prayer combined with faith with skilled research with christian love with dedication to the welfare of even the humblest of men [Music] yes miracles can happen and this medical missionary is proud to prove it he has stopped his work for a moment to greet a japanese girl one of many living here in south america she had savage fire what a triumph what a tribute to this dedicated man many missionaries use south america's network of rivers largest in the world as we use superhighways [Music] aboard this boat is another medical missionary who serves both the souls and bodies of his widespread flocks [Music] along the shore those who have been awaiting him wave a welcome and as the word spreads whole families come from tributary streams for miles around so when the boat docks practically everyone in the area is on hand to greet him other medical missionaries make house calls going everywhere to bring help in the name of jesus the same river highways take missionaries to conduct services at floating churches and the boat also becomes an ambulance when patients must be moved to a mission hospital even a dentist travels by boat right to his patients now we have left the river for the vastness of the mountains the range of that strange beast the llama [Music] and here is another strange sight an auto that runs on rails on the world's highest standard gauge railroad we are bound for a little-known lake half as large as lake ontario lake tita two and a half miles above the sea here stranger still is an indian tribe living on floating islands they have made for themselves why do they live this way no one knows but the ura's people have been here countless centuries their customs also go back into unrecorded time this young lady is only 12 but married [Music] she grinds brain as in the stone age and she cooks outdoors with grass ashore near their floating homes these people plow little plots of ground in a way as primitive as everything else in their lives [Music] here in every sense is a field ripe for the harvest and isolated people out of the distant past waiting to be reached by the word of god a challenge indeed again we have taken to the air and now we are crossing a strange desolate country that looks almost like the mountains of the moon we may wonder is there any life down in that barren land yes there is life this missionary has paused to ask directions now he rides on in a lonely quest a search for souls who need to learn of jesus [Music] perhaps he may bring to mind isaiah's words prepare ye in the wilderness the way of jehovah make level in the desert a highway for our god and the glory of jehovah shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of jehovah hath spoken it the grass withereth the flower fadeth but the word of our god shall stand forever and here is evidence that the word of god does stand strong in these mountains a church built staunch and square of enduring stone [Music] congregations taught to read the word for themselves and gathered from this rugged land by such missionaries crowds eager to know more and more of christianity [Music] we have taken wing once more now we are above the andes the backbone of the south american continent these are the highest mountains in the western hemisphere and no human foot has ever trod this snow looking down we see nothing but emptiness in the mountain castles and yet if we were to go below we would find that there is life here too a railroad and a highway that are marvels of engineering and a truck on a perilous journey look more closely at the truck where can it be going in this wilderness [Music] the driver wears an oxygen mask for we are 17 000 feet up more than three miles above ceiling why does he travel on this desolate and dangerous road where the air is so thin that the engine falters and stops [Music] the answer lies in the differences between men and machines even the most powerful engine is dependent on physical things in this case air however the man in this truck is motivated by a spiritual power it is the power jesus gave his disciples as he breathed on them and said receive ye the holy spirit it is the power that converted saul on the road to damascus and sent him on journeys even more perilous than this it is the power that moves such men to obey the command go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations this man is a missionary across a canyon we can see some of the perils ahead there are places where the road has been wiped out by landslides and built again there are places where a mistake of an inch or two would send the truck plummeting down thousands of feet and there are crosses to mark where such mistakes have been made and yet the crosses stand not for mistakes but for the great christian certainty eternal life through him who died on a cross and modern wheels on this brutal road helped spread the story of one who nearly two thousand years ago traveled the brutal road to calvary [Music] we are on our way to watch another journey even more difficult and dangerous we are passing over one of the world's greatest waterfalls iguazu falls in the central part of the continent two and a half miles wide 210 feet high greater than niagara yet this power has never been harnessed for it lies in the heart of a wilderness but there is a power that is being used the same power that was behind the missionary we saw in the mountains here it motivates another man returning to his mission from a trip to the coast here the journey's perils take uglier forms and the swift current of the river increases the hazard for at any moment the tiny native dugout may be overturned [Music] some reptilian instinct has alerted the beast almost too swiftly for our cameraman the canoe upsets luggage in the water hints at a tragedy as the cameraman's canoe approaches but through the grace of god the missionary and all others are still clinging to the little craft [Music] the greatest danger is not yet passed but something perhaps the splashing and shouting of the men perhaps the direct intervention of a watchful providence keeps the alligator away [Music] only one jungle creature comes near now comes the hard work of hauling out the canoe and after that recovering what little can be found of its cargo a day later we have left the river we are making the long uphill trek to the mission the air is hot thick with jungle humidity and there are only a few places where the water can be trusted is pure there are other perils too this is the haunt of the boa constrictor and the even more dreaded anaconda which sometimes reaches a length of 25 feet [Music] a much pleasanter site is this little fellow who hangs upside down to get a closer view of unexpected visitors he must think it rather odd that anyone would drink and then wash his face [Music] most jungle creatures just drink [Music] on and on our party goes constantly on the alert for dangers this is a coral snake extremely poisonous and another parallel a makeshift bridge where a misstep could mean disaster [Music] at last we're at the mission the machete bearer the man with the long knife still leads the way although his protection is no longer needed [Music] here the arrival of strangers is an exciting event until today the missionary his wife and their baby have been the only white persons within hundreds of miles it has been a lonely time for this young wife and we can see her joy as she greets her husband and welcomes the strangers who have made the long dangerous journey with him we are invited to stay in the clean comfortable house the indians have built for them with clever native craftsmanship [Music] later ranging the area around the mission we see other clever crafts being used this man is making a dugout canoe from a mahogany log with no tools but an axe no measurements but his eye and when it is finished and polished it will be the envy of any boat owner in another part of the forest we find a man patiently cutting grooves in the bark of a tree this of course is the first step in producing crude rubber the tree which grows wild here is the hebia and when it is scarred it exudes drop by tiny drop a milky juice called latex this drips into a pail and is then carried to a trough where patient hands smooth its consistency and add a coagulating agent which is nothing in the world but lemon juice when it has coagulated but not yet hardened the latex is carefully peeled off in a thick sheet [Music] [Applause] [Music] then comes a process that may remind cooks of the way they roll out pie dough carefully the latex is rolled into a thin sheet [Applause] we may wonder who taught these men this intricate art next the sheet is hung in the sun which will soon turn it brown eventually a trader will come by and take these sheets of rubber in exchange for a few cents worth of trinkets going on we find indians who at first seem to be gathering firewood but no they're digging for roots and while the roots are cut up and carried away we learn that this is the beginning of one of the most ingenious and unusual procedures in the whole wide world the route is called babasco and as we follow these people down to the river we still may wonder what they have in mind now each route is pounded into shreds and though we don't know why as yet we notice that each pounder is careful not to get any of the sap on his hands at last when every route has been thoroughly mashed each man picks up a bundle and goes to the waiting canoes while the other members of his family follow [Music] plainly this involves the whole family and the river in some way although we're still not sure what it will accomplish [Music] upstream where the river narrows a weir or fence has been built from bank to bank and now we begin to get an inkling of the purpose of all this [Music] a swimmer is checking over the weir and making sure that there are no large openings either above or below the water this must have something to do with fish but just what is the connection between fish and those pounded babasco roots well we'll soon find out now the fish will be penned into a small area and we see the families start up the river as they ready their bundles of roots while others scan the water looking for fish beneath the surface it is now that the roots come into use moved through the water they leave a milky cloud and as this cloud of babasco root sap flows downstream with a current it does a remarkable thing it shrinks the veins in the gills of fish and because fish get oxygen through their gills they literally smother [Music] [Applause] in a matter of minutes there is food for every member of the tribe even the children contribute a share of the catch fishing in a strange way used nowhere else in the world and again we wonder who taught these people the complicated chemistry of the babasco root [Music] and another riddle how did these isolated people completely out of contact with the rest of the world until recent times learn the art of weaving on looms that are basically the same as those of highly civilized countries [Music] how did they learn the craft of making pottery or a hundred other useful arts the people cannot remember but it is easy to believe that god himself must have inspired them with the means of surviving in this wilderness training in survival even becomes a part of play among these people this is a game with blunt arrows but at the same time it teaches boys to elude their enemies and to hunt hunting in fact is a prime necessity and even junior has to get in a bit of practice he'll use another handy local invention a rubber band [Applause] lucky mother didn't see him though mother's attention is on another matter she is looking across the street where the last act of a familiar tragedy is taking place this is the village witch doctor he is chewing the leaves of certain trees to prepare for what he claims will be a miracle of healing most of the villagers look on in superstitious awe as fearful as little children for the witch doctor maintains his position through force and brutality now he kneels to blow on the forehead of a dying woman while her husband and children watch with mingled hope and fright the witch doctor's son is near as the pagan ritual comes to a close where is the miraculous cure that was promised why does she look more ill than ever even close to death [Music] the witch doctor has an answer the magic bones he holds say the sick woman's daughter is to blame she is the evil one and if the mother dies the child must also die before she brings disaster to the tribe the child must be burned alive and in his mind the father sees the savage flame what can he do he dares not disobey the witch doctor and he cannot bear the thought of his daughter dying in the fire he can only hope that his wife will live but with the dusk the mother dies and as the father follows to the burial place another hope comes to his mind he has heard of a christian missionary up the river perhaps he can get his children there early in the morning before the village is a stir he has loaded them into a canoe and started toward the mission the children are bewildered by his haste fearful of what may lie ahead but even more frightened by what they now see behind them two other canoes with the witch doctor and his men [Music] plainly someone saw them leave the village what chance does he have to save his daughter's life now arrows are being made ready the same barbed ones used on fish and it is then surely through the intervention of god that the missionary comes to the river and sees what is happening [Music] [Applause] the hope of rescue puts more power into the father's flagging strokes [Music] [Applause] and in moments the missionary is helping the children out of the canoe and they are hurrying for shelter [Applause] but the danger is not yet passed do the witch doctor and his men know what happened [Music] will they see the father's canoe no they are going on upriver the child will live there will be no burning there will be instead an introduction to a whole new way of life that way of life filled with love and kindness that way called christianity it is a strange word to these children and their father but in time they will take it to their hearts embracing it as fondly as the children themselves are embraced by the missionary's wife [Music] that evening sunset is the most peaceful the children remember but after dark flaming arrows streak out of the jungle the witch doctor has learned where the child is he is determined she shall burn the night is lit by savage tons of fire but the buildings are empty the family has been taken to another part of the compound and the mission and its work go on [Music] an important part of that work to which the children will be introduced as they grow older is education the fathers and mothers of these youngsters can either read nor write they knew only vaguely of the existence of a written language among other people now they will be able to read god's word for themselves and furthermore they can in time write down their christian experience and communicate it to others [Music] because christianity is directly opposed to the pagan work of the witch doctor another share of this mission's work is christian doctoring with modern civilized medicine here we are watching the missionary as he visits a village where he has been told an infant is ill certainly the witch doctor could never pretend to restore a wasted little body like this to help the missionary admits that he himself cannot guarantee a cue still he must try for the sake of this soul precious to god and the mother who feels as any mother would quickly he prepares an injection the little body is so thin that it is hard to find a place for the hypodermic needle [Music] expressionless as the mother's face is the missionary knows she feels instinctive gratitude and so he tells her that this is not his work alone but an expression of christian love going on to another village he finds an opportunity to combine christian teaching with a health lecture here he tells the story of creation and how man was created in the image of god emphasizing the importance of proper care for the bodies god has given us [Music] sometimes it is hard to tell from such impassive indian faces whether or not his message is being accepted [Music] but on sundays when he rings the improvised bell of his jungle church he can always judge the response this is when the people come streaming from all parts of the compound from the nearby villages from the forests and the fields [Music] this is the great reward of all the work all the hardship all the danger the knowledge that these people have come to worship the one true god and to hear through an interpreter how god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should have eternal life [Music] so these then are some of the things outside the cities in this continent of contrasts riders in the far and lonely lands dedicated men risking a dread disease devoting their lives to finding a cure surgeons praying for guidance before an operation [Music] nurses expressing christian love in long hours of patient care and missionaries toiling through danger-filled jungles enduring drudgery risking all perils to carry the word into the wilderness to further the cause of christ yes these are the shepherds of the other folds of jesus and watching them we must hear in our hearts the great challenge he gave simon peter after the resurrection loveth thou me tend my sheep lovest thou me feed my sheep the great challenge echoing down the centuries coming to us now from this continent of contrasts for the shepherds of these other foes the missionaries who need our prayers and support loveth thou me feed my sheep [Music] foreign