Anne Luther Bagby

In 1882, Anne Luther Bagby and her husband, Dr. William Bagby, helped to establish the first Portuguese-speaking church in Brazil. During their decades in that country, William and Anne started two churches. In 1902, she established the Progressive Brazilian School for girls, which included evangelistic Bible instruction.

The Bagbys’ missionary work helped lay a foundation for the spread of the gospel in Brazil. As of 2020, evangelical Christians made up 31 percent of Brazil’s population.

Things Not Seen

Storms rocked the ship as newlyweds Anne and Dr. William Bagby sailed from the US to Brazil for forty-eight days. Their seasickness soon passed when they docked in Rio de Janeiro, eager to begin their lives as missionaries.

During a visit to America, a General Hawthorne had appealed for missionaries to come to Brazil. He lived among a small group of Americans who had formed a church in Santa Barbara. The Bagbys could stay in that city while they prepared to start their ministry. However, Santa Barbara lay 560 miles away. The young couple didn’t speak Portuguese, didn’t have a place to stay, and didn’t know a soul in Rio. How would they get to Santa Barbara?

William left Anne on the ship and set out to locate a man whose name he had received from a friend. Perhaps this American dentist could advise them on getting established.

Sometime later, William rushed back to their stateroom. “Anne, I’ve a letter from heaven!”

The circumstances were extraordinary! The letter was from Mary Ellis, a stranger who lived in Santa Barbara. Months before, a man in America had clipped an article out of a Baptist publication and sent it to Mary’s acquaintance in Brazil. Mary read the article, which mentioned the Bagbys were coming as missionaries. Adjusting to life in Brazil had been difficult when she had arrived as a foreigner, and compassion filled her heart for this young couple. She wanted to help them and had written to invite them to live with her until they were established!

Now, William and Anne read the letter together. They fell to their knees and thanked God for His provision. How had William ended up with the letter? she asked. How had Mrs. Ellis known where to find them?

Mary Ellis had sent the letter to a friend who lived in Rio and asked him to deliver it for her if he could. Since the Bagbys would land in Rio, she trusted that God would get it to them. Her friend, Mr. Slaughter, had no idea where to find them or when they would arrive. He tucked the letter into his coat on the chance he might run into Dr. Bagby somehow.

One day, Mr. Slaughter conducted business near his friend’s workplace. His friend was a dentist. He stopped in at the dental office for a visit. Unfortunately, the dentist was out of town, but standing there was another man from America, whom the receptionist introduced as Dr. William Bagby.

“Bagby!” Slaughter said. Amazed, he pulled out the letter and said it was for William.

“No,” William said. He didn’t know anyone in Brazil.

But yes, came the reply. It must be for him. It had his name on it.

Bagby could see his name written on the outside. So he opened the letter and learned of Mary Ellis’s kind welcome and invitation. He hurried back to the ship to share the message with Anne.

The Bagbys had arrived in Brazil with faith that God would provide whatever they needed. And, quite miraculously, He had.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).