A Family Affair: Pioneering Women in South America

Missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th century often didn't speak the language and didn't know anyone in the new country they were going to, at least at first. Missionary boards typically sent couples like Joseph and Jennie Westphal into the field together so that they would not have to go it alone. 

But this didn’t stop single women missionaries in South America like Lucy Post and Olive Westphal from carrying out their calling of service. They found ways to build support networks of community, friends and other family members so their work was impactful and long-lasting, laying the foundation for medical clinics, hospitals, churches and universities that are still present today. 

Thank you to our guests, Dr. Silvia Sholtus & Pastor Kayla Goodman. 

Special thanks to Ashlee Chisholm from the General Conference Archives for helping us find photos of Jennie Westphal and Lucy Post. 

Explore More

• Article | Lucy Belinda Post (1845–1937) - Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists 
• Article | Jennie Westphal - “Parents Par Excellence” - Review and Herald Vol 145 No. 31, 1968 
• Book | “Women in leadership in the beginnings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America“ by Silvia Sholtus, Margarita Biaggi (Translator) 

This episode mentions Lucy Post, Luisa Post, Frank and Mary Westphal, Joseph and Jennie Westphal, Olive Westphal, River Plate University, Argentina, Brazil and South America.