Next! Our Sunday School Quest in South America — B. H. Pearson (Signed by the Author). A scarce 1940 Christian missionary travel narrative describing a Free Methodist expedition through South America. B. H. Pearson presents the journey as a modern “Caleb-Joshua” story, following three representatives—or “spies”—sent by the Birthday Pennies for South America Fund to survey missionary opportunities in lands “beyond the Amazon.”

The book moves rapidly through South American geography, history, religion and contemporary life as observed by American Protestant travelers. Its 31 brief chapters combine firsthand travel impressions, missionary appeals, humor, political observations and encounters with local customs. Subjects include the Andes, the Amazon River, the Inca Empire, Spanish conquistadors, Protestant missions and the religious heritage of Roman Catholic South America.

Named places and historical subjects include Cuzco in Peru; the Andes Mountains; Buenos Aires; Rio de Janeiro and Corcovado in Brazil; the Amazon headwaters; the Río de la Plata or “Silver River”; and the Inca imperial capital commonly called the “City of the Kings.” Chapters refer to Sir Francis Drake, Martin Luther, the conquistador Matías Arela, the Inca Empire and German immigrant communities represented by “Sacs-Huaman” and “Kansas by the Sea.” The contents also include “Was Sir Francis Drake Here?,” “A Young Revolution,” “Martin Luther in South America,” “The New Conquests of Conquistador Matias Arela,” “Up to the Headwaters of the Amazon,” “South America’s New York,” “The Silver River,” “Into the Heart of South America,” “No Sin South of the Equator,” “South American Shadows” and “El Cristo.”

The cover features the Japanese ship M.S. Yasukuni Maru of the NYK Line and the monumental statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado overlooking Rio de Janeiro. An interior photograph identifies “Caleb” and “Joshua” bearing fruits of the land. The opening poem, “The Christ of the Cuzco Andes,” and the introduction by Reverend A. L. Brown establish the book’s strongly evangelical purpose.

Pearson dedicated the volume to Daniel M. Nishizumi, described as a South American pioneer whose ministry helped establish the Free Methodist Church in the region. The introduction explains that the expedition was supported by small birthday contributions collected through approximately 1,300 Free Methodist Sunday schools. It therefore offers unusual primary-source material on American Protestant missions, church fundraising, Sunday-school culture and North American attitudes toward Latin America immediately before World War II.

This copy is especially notable for its author presentation inscription on the dedication page: “Compliments of B. H. Pearson,” dated June 1940. The owner’s name is also written across the top of the front cover. The cover and pages show substantial age-related wear, staining, creasing, edge loss and other handling consistent with the photographs.

Other books advertised by B. H. Pearson include The Monk Who Lived Again: A Tale of the Soul of South America; The Lost Generation Returns, a novel dealing with the needs of youth; and Wings to Aztec Lands, children’s stories of Mexico.

Publishing information: Next! Our Sunday School Quest in South America; author, B. H. Pearson; introduction by Reverend A. L. Brown; publisher, Light and Life Press, Winona Lake, Indiana; copyright 1940 by B. H. Pearson; printed in the United States; original price 50 cents; approximately 94 numbered pages; illustrated wrappers; no ISBN, as the book predates the ISBN system; signed presentation copy dated June 1940.