As we have engaged in this work, we have studied the methods adopted by Jesus, the Great Teacher, that we might learn, if possible, his plan of labor. His servants were to go to all nations with the “glad tidings,” and he was to train men for this work. To-day we also have a message to go to all nations, and we are sure that to follow his methods will prove as successful now as then. As we studied the subject, we saw that the training of the twelve disciples constituted a great part of what Jesus did to make known the gospel to mankind; and if it were not for the preparation given these men, there would have been very little to be seen for the years of his ministry.
In the book “Education,” is to be found a statement bearing directly upon the Saviour’s methods as a teacher. The writer says: “The most complete illustration of Christ’s methods as a teacher is found in his training of the twelve first disciples. Upon these men were to rest weighty responsibilities. He had chosen them as men whom he could imbue with his Spirit, and who could be fitted to carry forward his work on earth where he should leave it. To them, above all others, he gave the advantage of his own companionship. Through personal association, he impressed himself upon these chosen as co-laborers.” “The Life was manifested,” says John the beloved, “and we have seen it, and bear witness.”
The great question before us is how to reach the many tribes and tongues with the message that is to prepare some of all nations for his coming. We feel sure that this work must be done largely by Christian natives, who know the people, their ways, and their languages. These men can go from village to village, eating and sleeping among them, and teaching them the Word of God. But they must receive a training before they can do their work or be entrusted with its responsibilities; hence the need of training-schools, where the same work can be done that Jesus did for the twelve.
I feel sure that God has guided our brethren in the starting of our native work. I have visited many missions, but have never seen any methods adopted by them that I consider better than those adopted by us for the education and training of our native laborers. At each of our missions we have gathered about us a company of young people, and these we are keeping with us, as far as possible, till they are prepared to go out into the work. While receiving their training, a portion of their time is devoted to teaching village schools and laboring for their people. In this way they are gaining a valuable experience while obtaining an education.
NATIVE SCHOOL AT THE MISSION FARM, MATARELELAND
In our schools we first teach them to read and write their own language; and, after one or two years, we begin to teach them English, and continue the study of their own tongue. The Bible becomes the reading- and spelling-book of both languages, just as soon as they are far enough advanced, and we endeavor to press home to their hearts the truth of God. Some have questioned the advisability of teaching the native the English language, fearing that this knowledge might encourage him to go out from us and seek employment where he can get large wages. It is possible that this instruction opens a door of temptation; but it also opens an avenue whereby the native workers can become intelligent. When we give them the English language, we open to them all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in that language, while their own language offers opportunities which are very limited. Some may go out from us, but this proves that they were not of us. We have long felt the need of intelligent native teachers. We need young men who can assist us in translating into their own language.
If our native teachers can interpret for us, then any of our laborers who visit the country can instruct them, and at the same time be able to reach the natives through them. Those who understand the English can read our books, and be filled with the message, the same as other workers. We can not hope to be able to print all these books in each of the native languages, but being able to get these truths in the English, they can give them to the people in their own tongue.
But our teaching does not stop with giving them an education mentally and morally. We realize that if they are to be well-balanced, the physical part must not be neglected. Accordingly, we teach these young men that labor is honorable, and that they never reach a position where honest labor is a disgrace. Every boy and girl has a part to act in the work of the mission, and we try to train them to do all kinds of work we have to do, whether it be caring for crops and cattle, or the making of brick and the building of houses. We are only sorry that we are not prepared to do more for them, that they may be fitted for usefulness. Undoubtedly, here is where many missions have failed. They have developed the mental and moral faculties, but have neglected the physical, and the result is that these young men are unbalanced; hence the great amount of complaint against native education.
At the present time we have fully four hundred and fifty boys and girls in our four mission and ten village schools. We thank God that so many are under the influence of the truth of God. But this is only a drop in the bucket, as it were. Other centers should be sought out, and consecrated teachers should go there and begin their work of training natives, so that God can put his Spirit upon them, and send them forth to the work of giving the “loud cry” by and by.
The message must go to darkest Africa, till “the light of the knowledge of God shall shine into every dark corner of this vast continent.” God has sent devoted men and women into this field, and to-day the Bible, or some portion of it, is within the reach of nearly every tongue and people. But these teachers know not the message, and we have done, O! so little, to give it to them. Surely it is time that the light of present truth was planted in Central Africa. A few well-chosen centers would give us access to nearly all of this great country, and at these places young men could be trained and sent forth to bear the message to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people of Africa. Are there not many of our people upon whom the Lord is laying the burden of this work, and whose hearts are stirred to give themselves and the necessary funds to open these centers?
Cape Town, South Africa.
Losing Life for Christ
The only way to save your life or your means is to lose them for Christ.
The Swedish Meeting
By GUY DAIL
GUY DAIL
A few miles east of Kil, in the quiet rural district known as Grythyttehed, with its old and unique church, the delegates to the Swedish Conference assembled, June 21-25, for their midsummer gathering, held partly in the commodious meeting-house just across the road from our own chapel, and partly on the pleasant hillside covered with trees and rocks and grass a little farther beyond. Here we had our first church; and here we held our first annual meeting in 1881, when the Swedish Conference was organized.
For a number of days before the regular conference, a workers’ meeting was in progress, and the outside attendance was good. The attendance of our own people was the largest we have had in Sweden for years, and our delegates and workers pronounced it the most united and successful.
The labors of Elder O. A. Olsen, so soon to leave for Australia, and of Elder Conradi, and Elder Fred Anderson (of Finland), were helpful in increasing the spirit of consecration to God, and devotion to his cause. The disposition to listen to counsel, and to respond to the suggestions made, was more manifest than we have before seen; indeed, there was a real desire for the help offered by the visiting brethren. Some hard problems needed solution, and the workers and people grappled earnestly with the educational, medical missionary, and publishing questions that were considered. However, here, as in Denmark, the chief topic in this respect was the evangelical work, and the best manner of attaining a yet greater success in bringing souls to Christ. The Swedish membership at the close of 1904 was eight hundred and one; during the year they had received sixty-eight, and their net increase was forty-two.
One very important resolution was passed, urging the Swedish brethren to greater faithfulness in bringing all the tithes into the storehouse of the Lord. The tithe for the past three years has been as follows: in 1902, $3,804; 1903, $2,884; 1904, $3,118; and the offerings for last year amounted to $824; the book sales to $16,198, or only fourteen dollars more than for 1903. The publishing work is on a good financial basis, but there was a loss of six hundred and thirty dollars on their missionary and church papers. This called forth some discussion, and it was voted that the brethren be invited to put more earnestness into the work of increasing the subscription list for the coming year.
On the Sabbath eleven were baptized in one of the four beautiful lakes in the neighborhood. It was a very precious season to all.
X Meeting-house where meeting was held.
O Our own meeting-house, too small for meeting. The woods back of O were used
part of the time.
The officers chosen for the coming year are as follows: President, O. Johnson; Vice-President, K. A. Farnstrom; Secretary, E. J. Ahren; Treasurer, J. R. Lindqvist; Auditors, A. J. Settergren, J. Bergstrom; Sabbath-school and Missionary Secretary, A. F. Roos; Executive Committee, O. Johnson, K. A. Farnstrom, C. Kahlstrom, E. Lind, J. R. Lindqvist.
The legal association, which holds our property in Sweden, is called the “Sallskapet Sanningens Harold,” and the officers elected are as follows: President, E. Lind; Vice-president, O. Johnson; Secretary, J. M. Erikson; Treasurer, J. R. Lindqvist; other members, K. A. Farnstrom, C. Kahlstrom, J. Lindberg; auditors, K. Mattson, J. Bergstrom. During the year this society added $2,300 to its capital, and its finances are in a prosperous condition.
Ministerial credentials were granted to O. Johnson, J. M. Erikson, E. Ahren, K. Farnstrom, F. R. Oberg, A. J. Settergren, and ministerial license to Birger Andersson. The Bible workers are A. Lundgren, Mathilda Olsson, O. Nelson, P. Hedstrom, Oskar Karlsson, J. Anderson, Kristine Engstrom, Anna Hallberg, Mathilda Lundgren. Only a few of the Bible workers will be employed all the time on conference pay; the others will be self-supporting part of the year.
We have recently begun a small health institution at Nyhyttan, where our school is located. The present outlook for this enterprise is favorable.
It was also voted to organize a conference church, for the isolated members; the conference officers will be the church officials, and look after the individual members, who are scattered here and there over the field.
We certainly had a good meeting, and we believe that the future will show a still greater growth in Sweden. Remember the work here.
Stavanger, Norway.
Mission Notes
THE colleges of Japan now have some 5,000 Chinese students who are receiving an up-to-date education. They will return to China as missionaries of Japanese civilization. Since Japanese civilization is not yet quite the same as Christian civilization, the present is a most critical moment for China, and calls for greatest efforts to make Christ lead both in Japan and in China.
A MISSIONARY to a South African tribe has translated Bunyan's “Pilgrim's Progress” into the language of the people. The illustrations have a modern and unusual aspect, but serve to make the story plainer to the understanding of dwellers in that region. The “slough of despond” is the mudhole of the “veld.” Christian starts from a “kraal.” A war-dance feast serves to represent Vanity Fair. Apollyon is a formidable creature, having the head of a wolf, the scales and tail of a crocodile, and the eyes of an owl.
THE American Baptist missionaries at Kengtung, North Burma, have come in contact with some tribes who have a tradition that men from the West will come and teach them the true religion. There seems to be an extraordinary movement toward Christianity among one of these tribes—the Muhsos. Rev. Mr. Young has baptized seven hundred and twelve converts in that tribe, and word is going into all the north country, and on into Southwest China, that the men of the west are teaching the true religion at Kengtung, and every village must send its head men to learn.
THE First Lutheran church of Altoona, Pa., supports a missionary in Liberia; individuals and various organizations in the church support several native workers in Africa and India, while others have taken a number of shares in the “Seventy Missionary” scheme. The Sunday-school, on Foreign Missions' day, made one of the largest offerings in the General Synod. Altogether the church has given between twelve hundred and fifteen hundred dollars to foreign missions during the year. Moreover, it does this foreign work without crippling its local abilities or stinting its support of other benevolent operations at home. This church is an object-lesson in giving and yet increasing.
Bermuda
By JAMES A. MORROW
HAMILTON.—We had a very good meeting at Crawl last Sabbath. Most of the brethren and sisters from here went down with us to witness the baptism of five. These meetings are a source of encouragement to all.
Sunday evening we held our first service in a hall in Somerset. The room is small, holding forty or fifty persons. It is rented and used by the Good Templars. We rent from them for three nights each week. Our attendance was small the first night. Yesterday we went from house to house, inviting the people out, and selling papers. We had a profitable time, and sold twenty papers. One white lady seemed interested. I hope to report more about this effort.
JAMES A. MORROW.
Peru
The following is an extract from a letter received by Brother F. H. Westphal, of Chile, from Brother Espinoza, colporteur in Peru:—
“The few of us who form the little company of Seventh-day Adventists here, by the grace of God continue firm, giving our humble testimony of the third angel’s message.
“Two married ladies in Lima manifest great interest in the Sabbath. We have confidence that the Lord will awaken them to work as another sister is doing, for their country people.
“One sister who was bound by the chain of the world has gained the victory, and now gives a free and encouraging testimony in favor of the truth, and has gone farther north on this coast, to work. This is the result of the earnest prayers that have ascended to the Lord from our Adventists here.”
Brother Westphal says: “This brother is selling our books in Peru. We have sent to him money to buy a mule, so that he can carry his books into the country and far into the interior, where he has labored before as a Bible colporteur. He is well acquainted in the interior.”
Rio de Janeiro
By F. W. Spies
The ninth of June the writer and Brother Meyer reached Rio de Janeiro, where my family had arrived five weeks before. A house has been found, the family settled, and we are now ready for work. Owing to improvements which the city is making, thousands of houses are being torn down in the heart of the city, and the result of this is that houses are scarce, and the already high rents are constantly becoming higher.
As we enter upon our work in Brazil's capital city, we are impressed with a deep sense of the importance of the truth committed to us, and we also know that the evil one will do all in his power to hinder our work, yet we are encouraged by the help promised us from Him who sent us, and who says, “I am with you alway,” it is even to him that the “all power” has been given in heaven and in earth, and we gladly place our confidence in him, knowing that his work will succeed, and his truth gain the victory. May the Lord send his angels before us to open hearts and homes for his truth to enter.
We had our first meeting last Tuesday evening, to which the brethren had invited some strangers, but few of whom came. Our plan is to go from house to house with our Portuguese paper Arauto da Verdade (Herald of Truth), soliciting subscriptions, and in this way seek to open doors and hearts for the truth.
This great city is full of wickedness and misery, and Satan is even now working in a marvelous manner to deceive souls. May the Lord give strength and wisdom to make effective our work. Remember the work here in your prayers.
F. W. SPIES.
Russia
By V. PAMPALIAN
TIFLIS.—The reign of terror is still continuing in different parts of the Caucasus, as well as in Russia. It seems to be the sole aim of the authorities to arouse the nationalities to arms against the Armenians, especially the Mohammedan element—Turks and Persians—distributing arms (of course, secretly) and disguising the Russian Cossacks in Persian dress, to carry on the slaughtering, burning, and pillaging among the Armenian communities. I can not tell how soon the evil will be let loose on Tiflis, but should not be surprised if it comes ere long. We have been told by reliable persons that some preparation is already being carried on.
The Armenians have also been arming themselves for self-protection. We believe the Lord will give us a sign to flee from the city. There are German colonies near by, where we can find safety.
Tiflis seems to have become like Sodom and Gomorrah; and if once the protecting hand of the Lord be removed, it will be a very bad place in which to be.
When we read the sorrowful news of the death of my classmate, Dr. Maude Miller, in China, we were watching over our own baby, dying of fever. God has comforted us with his precious promises.
Our health work is making a favorable impression on some. We hope that it will be an entering wedge for the whole truth. We are thinking of opening up first, on a small scale, a health food bakery. We have made some demonstrations in that line, and people have showed satisfaction above our expectations.14Everybody here buys bread, and there is no good bakery. I believe we can take up this most practical line of work.
We hope the Lord will give us a little period of time in which to cause this land to hear the witness for the third angel's message. Hasten the day, O Lord; hasten it, is our prayer.
V. PAMPALIAN.
Jamaica
By W. J. TANNER.
KINGSTON.—Hayti is, perhaps, the last place to which I expected to be called, yet I believe the hand of the Lord is leading me to that field. The Lord, in his goodness, is giving me evidence that the change is in his order, and thus I am encouraged to move on, knowing that the apparent difficulties, when we come up to them, will be surmounted by his generalship, rather than by human wisdom.
Since I have been laboring in Kingston, I have been enabled to form the acquaintance of several Haytians, mostly exiles. I have had a number of them present at our meetings; and although I do not know of any who have accepted the truth, from this association with them I have been led to alter my opinion of them, and to conclude that no doubt the Haytians have been misrepresented by travelers and writers.
W. J. TANNER.
Bonacca, Bay Islands
By H. C. Goodrich
NORTHEAST BIGHT.— The Northeast Bight church was established as a company, with a little church building, by Elder Hutchins. A year ago last March I organized it as a branch of the Bonacca church, with nine members. Last night the rain broke up our meeting, the roof being in a bad condition. There are quite a number of young people who need a school. Two of them have professed conversion since I came. One backslider has been reclaimed. We are all much encouraged. We have formed a plan to raise the money needed to repair the church; all have promised to pay tithe, and a brother has been appointed to visit each one once a month, to receive the tithe.
We have made arrangements for Brother Smalley to come here to teach school. I called the people together, and made arrangements for a school of twenty or twenty-five pupils.
I expect to leave here to-day for another settlement three or four miles farther around on the north side of the island, where there was a little interest a year ago, and some began to observe the Sabbath. I hear that two have proved faithful, and I hope for others.
H. C. GOODRICH.
Oklahoma
By G. F. Haffner
THE work of the Lord is still onward in Oklahoma. At present we have several interests at hand. Our tent companies are doing a good work; four of them are reporting excellent interest. Quite a number are taking their stand on the Lord's side. At one place a discussion is going on at present between our workers and the Campelites. One of our young ministers started a meeting there and created quite an interest, and finally about three families took their stand, and quite a number were convinced, but would not take their stand until they heard the other side or had a debate, so our brother received one challenge after another until he got into a debate. We do not know how it will turn out, but we hope that the truth will triumph, and that a number will take their stand on the Lord's side.
At Elk City, where we had our local camp-meeting, the interest is still good. Elders Sorenson and Dake are reporting a good interest from Broken Arrow, where souls are accepting the truth; and the same kind of report is received from Brethren Braley and Jobe at Non, I. T. So we praise the Lord that the good work is still moving onward, and we hope it will soon be finished.
G. F. HAFFNER.
Tent-Meeting in Nashville, Tenn.
By GEO. I. BUTLER.
POSSIBLY the readers of the REVIEW have would like to hear from a series of tent-meetings which has been in progress for about four weeks in Nashville. For two years or more the Testimonies have urged very strongly that the large cities in the South be entered, and efforts be made to reach the people.
The writer has been exceedingly anxious to see this instruction carried out. As long ago as the Oakland General Conference this purpose was constantly before us. We had no large and suitable tent, but in an appeal made to the California Conference, then in session in Oakland, after the close of the General Conference, our brethren, with great liberality, raised $604, and with it purchased a sixty-foot tent, with two twenty-foot strips that could be put in the middle, making a tent of sixty by one hundred feet, and shipped it to us at their own expense. This was a very generous and noble act on the part of our California brethren.
The summer was nearly gone before the tent reached us, and we were so busy with our own camp-meetings that we could not well pitch it that season. Last year we made a great effort to find a suitable place in Nashville to begin the meetings we had desired so much to hold in the city. Nearly two months were employed in hunting for a place. We found many lots, but we could not get them. Some said they were perfectly willing we should pitch the tent on their lots, and would ask us nothing, but when some of the neighbors complained that they did not want the tent there, such was the regard for their feelings that the owners of the lots would not then let us have them. Brother Haskell and his wife were here with workers, and it was a very great disappointment, one of the worst we have had since I came into this field.
This year we began early, secured an eligible lot, got a written contract from the agent, and the permission of the proprietor, who was in Washington, that we should use it. After we returned from the General Conference, we began to put up our tent on it, and were informed that a person had a lease that had been running for several years, and that we could not have it.
Then we spent another week, and finally the owner of a lot, a skeptic, gave us the one where our tent is now pitched. We can not express the great sadness we have felt in not being able to get to work in the city before. The tent was pitched in a suitable place, about a block from the meeting-house we have bought. Much good taste has been exercised by our sisters in putting it into nice shape, so as to be an inviting place for meetings. We have been holding seven meetings each week ever since. We do not have any on Saturday night, but two on Sunday. We have not had what we might call a large or rousing interest. We have had about two hundred two or three times. A very few times we have had as low as forty or fifty, but generally from seventy-five to one hundred and twenty-five. Quite a number of these are our own members, who attend quite well.
We have good music. Elder Haskell and the writer have done the preaching. The truth has been plainly and forcibly presented, and the meetings have been characterized by the best of order. We have been treated respectfully and courteously by the people, but have been quite disappointed because the attendance was no larger.
So far as we have been able to learn, the meetings have had an uplifting and beneficial influence in the city. We have heard of no unkind or invidious remarks concerning them. There have been in connection with the meetings some very regular attendants, some of them people of influence and wealth. They are there almost every night, and pay excellent attention.
Our effort is not by any means finished. The camp-meeting of the Tennessee River Conference begins here the seventeenth, on one of the leading car lines. Next week we shall take down our tent and move it over to the camp-ground. After the camp-meeting we shall probably bring it back, and hold meetings three or four weeks longer. So we can not by any means foretell the results; but we have been encouraged.
A week or two ago we learned of four who had begun to keep the Sabbath, and recently we have heard of several others. Our Bible workers find them at their homes keeping the Sabbath. I think all of these are women.
It seems very evident to the writer that there is a restraining influence upon the people, to keep them from generally attending the meetings. In these great cities, of course, there is constant pleasure seeking; this makes it difficult to reach the people, but we hope for good results. We have been happily surprised, with the amount of labor and the present progress of the meetings, to find that seven or eight have already begun to keep the Sabbath. We think it is a good omen. We shall continue to hope for a goodly number more. We are not discouraged, by any means, but see many tokens of benefit to be derived from this tent effort.
Our meetings on the Sabbath have been held in the meeting-house that has been purchased, which is to be paid for the first of October, one thousand dollars having been paid at the time the bargain was made. The members are very happy for the privilege of using this house. I think the congregations of mostly our own people, are nearly double what they used to be in the little chapel.
Last Sabbath (August 12) was a precious day. Our dear Brother A. J. Haysmer, who has been laboring in the West Indies for twelve years past, with much success, stopped here to see his sister, Mrs. Wilson, on his way to his field of labor in Alabama. He gave us an excellent discourse, just what was needed, on the importance of our being earnest workers in spreading abroad the precious light of truth. All enjoyed it very much.
There were quite a number of our Baptist friends present. Some of them are being drawn very near us. Their eyes were moistened under the spiritual influences present, and they seemed greatly blessed.
As we were about to dismiss the meeting, a man arose, well advanced in years, and asked the privilege of making a few remarks. Years ago he had been pastor of this church for several years; he is a man highly respected, but is not now stationed as a pastor probably on account of his age. He spoke of his gratification at being present at this meeting. He said he was happily surprised. He had not expected to see so many of our people in attendance. It seemed to him like a nation born in a day. He expressed his warm sympathy and interest in us and our work. He hoped that we would make many converts. He gave us a warm welcome to the church wherein he had formerly presided, said that the baptistery in the house had several times been used by our people in years past. He spoke of the neighborhood as giving us a hearty welcome, as being pleased with our earnest efforts to carry our work forward in their midst, and wished us the best of success. He invited us to come when he should preach the next day. Some did attend.
In all my experiences of the past I have never seen a minister of any other denomination manifest such cordiality and kindness and appreciation for our work.
The meetings are increasing our influence in the city, and are doing good; it would be impossible to tell how much as yet, but we trust that they will be the means of leading many souls to accept the truth. The Southern people move slowly, but they are generally quite firm when they take their stand. We thank God and take courage, hoping we shall yet see a large work done in this needy field.
GEO. I. BUTLER.
South Africa
By O. O. Fortner
Kenilworth, Cape.—We have not been having our week of prayer at the same time as do our brethren in the States. Ours was the last week in last quarter, and our churches enjoyed the occasion very much. Elder Hankins was with the Claremont church, and I assisted in the work in the Cape Town church. Elder Hyatt was with us the first two meetings in Cape Town, then he left for America. In Cape Town the church received more help, and a greater blessing, than at any other like occasion. When the week was over, they did not want the meetings to stop, so we continued the revival each evening of the following week. The members are very much interested in missionary work. The offerings in Cape Town amounted to eighty-five dollars, and at Claremont to about sixty-three.
Our mission enterprises are prospering nicely. Only Basutoland holds back. Elder Armitage is at the sanitarium, and is slowly recovering. Brother Shone is taking Brother Moko (our native missionary) to Chief Kama, of the eastern province, to see about getting a place for him to start a school and begin work. Kama wants to give us a good location for a mission, but he wants Brother Moko to come immediately and start work, as he, being a native, has the right to live there and work.
