The Work in West Africa
By D. C. Babcock
[Elder D. C. Babcock, who is in charge of the work in West Africa, presented, June 6, the following interesting report of the work in his field.] In representing West Africa’s progress and needs to this Conference, I would first of all disabuse any minds of a common impression that West Africa means a narrow strip of sparsely settled country along the coast. What is termed West Africa comprises thirteen countries, with a population of sixty-seven millions, as follows: Senegal, 2,000,000; Gambia, 500,000; French Sudan, 3,000,000; Portuguese Guinea, 820,000; French Guinea, 2,200,000; Sierra Leone, 1,500,000; Liberia, 1,800,000; Ivory Coast, 3,000,000; Gold Coast, 1,500,000; Togo, 1,500,000; Dahomey, 1,000,000; the Nigerias, including Lagos, 44,000,000; and the Kamerun, 4,500,000. This does not include much of the hinterland within these boundaries, which, according to the estimate made by the Sudan Mission people, will increase these figures to a hundred million souls yet un warned of the soon-coming judgments of God. Among these peoples, more than two hundred languages and dialects are spoken. The first effort to place the message before the people of West Africa was made by the old International Tract Society, in sending literature to the Gold Coast. In a short time, appeals were made for ministerial help. A representative of the society was sent to the West Coast, calling at Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast, leaving many books, papers, and tracts. Some accepted the message, and Elder E. L. Sanford, with other help, was sent to continue the work. His health soon failed, and in 1895 Elder D. U. Hale was sent to the Gold Coast, and remained two years. The history of his suffering with West African fever, of his second attempt in 1902, and his final return to the home land, is known by all. As a result of the efforts put forth by the brethren, some accepted the message, a few of whom still stand firmly for the truth on the Gold Coast. Earnest appeals continued to be made, and the General Conference in 1905 voted to send Mrs. Babcock and myself to this part of dark Africa. We reached the field in August of that year. After spending a few days in Sierra Leone, looking at the surroundings from the standpoint of health, I proceeded down the coast to the Gold Coast. I spent some days looking for our people, but failing to get trace of any one, I settled up some business matters and returned to Sierra Leone, deciding to open the work there, and, if the way opened, make that our headquarters for West Africa. We began work by selling our books, Mrs. Babcock working in one part of the city and I in another. We held a few meetings in our home; but ere long I was attacked with fever. It seemed for a time that the experience of Elder Hale and others would be mine, but the Lord intervened, and after four and one-half months of continued sickness the fever broke. The next day after my fever ceased, Mrs. Babcock was taken down with fever, and it seemed she must die; but the Lord heard our cry, and she was restored. Having decided that Satan should not defeat us in establishing the message on the West Coast of Africa, we looked out the healthiest location we could find, and built a substantial mission home, and by the close of 1906 were ready for work among the people. On Jan. 10, 1907, our tent was pitched, and from the first night to the close of the meetings, March 10, the interest continued good. As a result of this effort a church of thirty-one members was organized, and a suitable church building was erected. This church now numbers over sixty members. Among those who accepted the truth in 1907 were two young men who are now actively engaged in the ministry, both being earnest and quite successful workers. Others are making a success of canvassing for our books. In February, 1907, the first help was sent us by the Mission Board, in the person of Tutu Kwamina. He soon forsook us. The last of April, the same year, Brother L. W. Browne arrived, and did efficient work during his short stay. In May, 1908, he returned to America. During his stay, in company with Brother C. E. F. Thompson, a Jamaican, and Brother R. P. Dauphin, a West African, a company of believers was raised up at Waterloo, twenty miles from Freetown. In the month of August, 1907, Mrs. Babcock and myself began work on the Gold Coast, but owing to the rainy season, we could continue but a short time. With the few who accepted the message we organized a Sabbath-school of fifteen young men. Brother C. A. Ackah took up the book work at Cape Coast, Gold Coast, and other points, and has disposed of about $500 worth of books and other literature. He also held some meetings in his native village, among the Nsimbia people, and reports forty-three Sabbath-keepers. When we moved into our new mission home, in 1906, an Austrian, a Catholic, living near us, requested Mrs. Babcock to teach his children. She consented, and in a few days others came, making the same request. The attendance increased so rapidly that we were soon compelled to pitch our tent to accommodate the children. We also had to employ an assistant teacher, as the enrolment soon reached 125. As the rainy season approached, we had to erect a small building so we could continue the school work. This building was soon too small, and we were compelled to rent additional rooms. At the time of the General Conference council at Gland, Switzerland, I made an appeal for means to erect a larger building, and for a suitable person to train young men as workers for this field. The request was granted, but not until 1908 could the help asked for be secured. In August, 1908, Prof. T. M. French arrived in Sierra Leone to take charge of the training of laborers. This addition to our working force has been a great encouragement to the work in West Africa. Before his arrival we had secured a suitable location near our mission home for the school building. About the first of October, we laid the foundation of the building, and with some Mendi boys, and three Creoles, began work. Professor French had a touch of fever occasionally, but the hand of God was with us, and by March 4, although the building was not yet completed, the school was opened. The Lord is greatly blessing it. Professor French speaks in the highest terms of the progress made by the children. By this time our school has in attendance, I suppose, representatives of more than fifteen languages and dialects on the West Coast of Africa. We have a primary school at Waterloo, with forty-three attending, and one on the Gold Coast of about the same number. We have bright prospects before us for training native workers, and on the whole we are greatly encouraged in our educational work. We have not sought to greatly multiply our numbers, to make a show, but each applicant for church-membership is carefully examined, and his real Christian experience understood, so far as we can judge, by God’s Word. As a result only one has been disfellowshipped so far. Perfect harmony prevails among the brethren and sisters, and our workers are all of one mind. Our tithes and offerings are increasing rapidly every quarter. There are now about one hundred fifty Sabbath-keepers on the West Coast of Africa, and I am glad to say we have not lost one by death since we began our work. We praise God’s name for his keeping power. I must mention the case of one of our workers and his wife. When they accepted this message, they were both in poor health. They became careful students of the Testimonies, accepted the principles of health reform, and are now enjoying good health. While the West Coast of Africa is termed the “white man’s grave,” yet, as the time has come for its millions to be warned, and the message to be given that will gather out all that will be saved, our Father is revealing his special care for those who have consecrated their lives to the work of the gospel in this land of superstition and gross darkness. Calls for help are coming to us daily. On a recent trip into the hinterland of Sierra Leone, urgent appeals were made on every hand for us to open our work. Owing to sickness, I was compelled to remain in one native village nearly two days. Here Chief Yamasu offered us all the land we needed, and to build us a suitable house, if we would open our work in his village, which is nearly two hundred miles from Freetown. In many of the towns along the railway I found our literature. In Gambia, near Senegal16we have a brother selling our books. The Joliffs occupy this territory, and a request has been made for meetings there. At Sherbro, the southern limit of Sierra Leone, we have a few Sabbath-keepers, and an earnest request has been made for a public effort there. One hundred miles in the interior from Sherbro there lives an educated native to whom I gave some tracts more than a year ago. Just recently I received a letter from him, requesting me to visit the place and instruct them in the Bible. While visiting in Liberia I met several government officials, and everything we could ask for was offered us. The Niger Company in Northern Nigeria sent word to me recently that they would grant us all the land we need if we would open a station there. This is the home of the Hassa people, one of the high types of the negro race. While speaking in public recently, a lady in the congregation arose, and made an earnest request for us to open our work in Lagos, the capital of Southern Nigeria. This lady is the wife of a leading physician in Lagos, and is quite a talented woman. Thus the way is open before us for all West Africa. While our needs are many, yet our appeals must necessarily be few. We shall never forget the kindness of our dear people who have stood by us with means during the past four years; but the feeble efforts of your workers have only widened our sphere of labor, and multiplied a hundredfold new obligations. A vast field lies before us, and there are millions to be warned by this people during this generation. I believe we can begin to see our Heavenly Father’s plan opening before us. The Spirit of God is moving upon the hearts of young men from the many tribes to give themselves to this message, and they in turn can return to their people to tell of the coming judgments, and the message soon close. The possibilities of the rapid progress of this message, and its finishing work in the near future in West Africa, are opening before us, and we are greatly encouraged. NEW MISSION HOMES FOR THE GOLD COAST
AND THE NIGERIAS
There should be located on the Gold Coast in the near future a man of experience to look over and care for the work on that coast. I can not recommend such a move until a suitable location is secured, and a building erected. If proper quarters are erected on a high elevation, in the right place, there are plenty of men and women who could endure the climate. The appeals that have been made from Northern and Southern Nigeria demand our immediate attention. Here permanent stations should be built up soon. One brother is now on the Benne River teaching school, another is teaching at Bonney, and at Lokoja our books are read with much interest. ONE PHYSICIAN, TWO NURSES
Among our urgent appeals we ask for a physician and at least two nurses. I believe all can see the great need of such help in West Africa. Why send our workers home for rest and recuperation, or treatment, when it will be far cheaper to provide such treatment just when and where it is needed. Such workers can very soon become self-supporting. I believe that as this Conference sees the millions in West Africa to be warned, and the evidence of the Lord’s hand now leading out in this field, you will consider our appeals for help far below the real demands. Let me say in conclusion that while some opposition has arisen, while some hard statements have been made in the public press, and while many have expressed their doubt of our work ever getting a hold in West Africa, yet the tide is now in favor of the truth, as may be seen from a recent issue of the Saturday Magazine. I read the following:—
“‘I’m sure this Seventh-day Adventist people will make no go in this place,’ was said to us by a gentleman as soon as the mission was established here, without giving a reason. We thought so at the time, and gave the reason, not that we thought they misinterpreted the Scriptures, but because Saturday (called by the people Ben Jonson’s day) is a two-fold day in this colony, a day wherewith to find the wherewithal for the body, and is so wedged into our every week’s-end life; furthermore, the next day we are taught from time immemorial to be the Sabbath, so that it is too late to even look into the matter. That was the only reason one could give. But truth will surely come out; and though there is a great barrier from man’s standpoint—not God’s—yet from the date that their little church was dedicated to Almighty God, and their straightforwardness of principle was seen in the publishing of detail accounts (which called forth from the lips of the present mayor, ‘Have you seen the like before?’), we noticed that this mission is pushing itself forward and gaining ground, not only in the city but in the villages. No argument can be raised against the teaching of this people save that ‘the day is inconvenient;’ and nothing can settle the question but the dictates of one’s conscience. Their coming here is, we take it to be, the obeying of the command, ‘Lengthen the cords.’ This mission did good work during the earthquake of 1906 in the West Indies, and a visit now and then to their religious assembly here will satisfy any one that they are not idle in our midst. Besides it is our conviction that with such a leader as Mr. Babcock (the elder) the practical and industrial education so much needed here will be brought into being. We wish the mission success.”